Newcomers to the manga verse, especially western comic readers, always have 2 questions- 1) Why is manga read from right to left? 2) Where are the colors?
Well, manga are read from right to left because it’s the Japanese way of reading and writing.
As for the colors, monochrome comics are easier to draw and cheaper to publish. And it has become a sort of an identity for manga to be black and white.
But it’s not a rule written in stone. While manga creators still stick to it, manhwas, like Tower of God, show how colors can elevate comic story-telling. And following suit, some of the most popular mangakas colored their manga and re-released them.
So, here are some of the most popular manga with colors that you should read, whether you’re a first-timer or a manga fanatic.
Best Colored Manga – One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, & More!
Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, Bleach- these are the usual suspects recommended to readers trying manga for the first time.
So how about reading the best manga with colors?
1. Dragon Ball Z – Saiyan Arc
Always start with the classics.
During the Saiyan Arc, Goku faces off against Raditz- Goku’s long-lost brother. He reveals that Goku was sent to conquer Earth. And to force Goku to do the same, Raditz kidnaps Goku’s son, Gohan.
Dragon Ball Z’s Saiyan Arc has been officially colorized by Akira Toriyama and is up for grabs on Amazon.
You can get 3 Volumes of Dragon Ball Z: Saiyan Arc for $19.99 each. Following are some images:
The cover of Volume 1 of the fully colored Dragon Ball Z: Saiyan Arc.
And below is what Volume 2’s cover looks like:
Volume 3 has a fully raging Goku on the front.
Here’s a sneak peek at some fully colored manga pages.
2. Parasyte
Hitoshi Iwaaki has colorized his best work- the classic sci-fi horror manga Parasyte.
Parasyte follows the story of Shinichi Izumi, a 17-year-old who gets infected with an alien parasite. These parasites take over the human mind and body and consume other humans. But Shinichi retains control over his mind and body and learns to co-exist.
Some manga panels are horrifying to look at even in monochrome. And those panels come to life with colors.
Get the full collection of 8 volumes on Amazon.
3. Highschool of the Dead
This Shoji Sato illustration is a post-apocalyptic manga set around a group of high schoolers who are trying to survive a zombie outbreak.
Although there’s a lot of fan service in this manga, the gripping survival story will keep you hooked. And the colors really make the action scenes pop.
It’s one of the few manga that’s available with colors in full. You can get all the volumes from Thriftbooks.
4. The Best of Attack on Titan
This is only for those who have read the Attack on Titan manga.
Hajime Isayama colored the best scenes and fights from Attack on Titan manga, including some new and exclusive content. So, in a way, this is the best-colored manga for Attack on Titan fans, and completely unmissable.
Let me tell you, the Titans are even more terrifying to look at.
There are 2 volumes available on Amazon. Volume 1 in hardcover is $16.48 and Volume 2 is $20.73.
These 4 are the best colored manga that you can read right now from official sources. But, there is one more way to read almost any of your favorite manga with colors- Colored Manga.
Best Manga With Colors on Colored Manga
Here’s a list of the 5 best manga with colors you can read for free, along with some screenshots.
1. Naruto
Yes, the original Naruto manga is available in colors.
You’ll find 72 volumes and 700 chapters with the official English translation.
2. Bleach
Bleach is everyone’s second favorite anime, isn’t it? And the manga is exceptionally well done. But you can also follow the Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki, in color now.
Colored Manga has all 74 volumes of Bleach in color, and they are all free to read.
3. One Piece
Of course, One Piece has been colorized by the otakus at Colored Manga. However, they are a bit behind on this one as you can only read the first 99 volumes of One Piece manga in color.
But, since the manga is close to its end, these guys will catch up soon as well.
The best part is the official Viz translation.
4. Death Note
Death Note might have been overlooked by fans for the longest time, but it certainly got its due after the anime series. And if you really want to revisit the battle of L and Kira, I suggest you do it in color this time around.
5. Chainsaw Man
While the Chainsaw Man anime hype rages on, you can also feast your eyes on Makima in the colorized Chainsaw Man manga.
It’s fully colored, uses the official English translation, and has 11 volumes available.
Chainsaw Man color manga looks the best out of the lot. And, just a heads up, there’s no censoring of graphic and sexual content at all.
6. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
From Phantom Blood to Steel Ball Run, you can enjoy the 7 parts of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures manga with colors. And because it’s digitally colored by Shueisha, the colors are authentic and just the way Hirohiko Araki wanted.
7. Spy X Family
One of the most wholesome manga and anime in recent memory is now available in color, thanks to Colored Manga.
Once again, you’ll get to read the official English translation, but only the first 6 volumes of Spy x Family manga are colored right now.
Anya looks cuter than ever, though.
Now you know that there are ways to read manga with colors.
Other notable mangas with colors available are Dragon Ball Super and The Quintessential Quintuplets. You can check out the full-color collection yourself
And maybe you’ll find your favorite manga with colors.