These standalone stories are a testament to the artistic and storytelling skills of manga creators, showcasing their ability to create complete narratives within a limited space. In today’s article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best one-shot mangas. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

10. Hero Assassin

Hero Killer is a dark, gritty, and violent manga set in a world where artificial humans known as Bioroids are created to fight crime. Young Shioso Ishinami also aspires to become a hero by having his body modified, but his father refuses him, saying that he is human after all.

After his family is killed, Shioso goes into hiding and returns years later with the purpose of killing the heroes responsible for his family's death. Hero Killer shares a similar setting to the popular Shōnen Jump "My Hero Academia", where the entire idea is laid out in less than 60 pages.

9. Unlucky Boy, Undead Girl

Unlucky Boy Undead Girl features the love story of a zombie girl and an immortal man cursed with bad luck. The manga follows an ordinary office worker, Tsukasa, who seems to be the unluckiest guy on the planet, as life-threatening events occur around him all the time.

Thanks to his powers of regeneration, he survives these events most of the time. One day, he bumps into a zombie girl and together they dream of having a normal life! Unlucky Boy Undead Girl explores a strange dynamic that leaves readers wanting more.

8. Can you fall in love with the skeleton?

Can You Fall in Love with a Skeleton? is a thought-provoking manga that raises questions about the nature of love and whether it is truly based on appearances. The series explores the idea that true love transcends superficial aspects and can be found in unexpected places and forms.

The story is about a man and his encounter with a heroine who happens to be a skeleton. Despite her unusual appearance, the man finds himself drawn to her. As they spend more time together, a unique and unexpected romance begins to blossom between them.

7. Look back

Coming from the author of the horror comedy “Chainsaw Man”, Look Back is a provocative exploration of the creative process, the importance of friendship, and the challenges of growing up. The story follows Ayumu and Kyomoto, two teenage girls who bond over their shared love of drawing.

However, the two girls eventually broke up after Ayumu began to grow jealous and insecure about Kyomoto's talent for drawing manga. Years later, Ayumu meets Kyomoto again, and they reminisce about their artistic journey while talking about their brief friendship.

6. Gokuraku District Third Avenue Incident

Gokuraku District Third Avenue Incident is a battle-based shonen series that began publication last year, but originally debuted as a one-shot manga in 2020. Critically acclaimed for its well-crafted art style and high-level action sequences, the manga follows the fun protagonist duo of Tao and Alma.

The duo are unsung workers who solve clients' problems in exchange for money. One day, they are tasked with rescuing a group of mermaids from a human trafficking ring in the lawless district of Gokuraku, which is home to all sorts of illegal activities.

5. A silent voice

A Silent Voice is a globally acclaimed romantic anime film, but before it became a theatrical hit, it originated as a one-shot manga. The shorter version of this beautiful story offers a much grittier and more emotional narrative, leaving the audience with a strong sense of hope for its future.

The story is about the development of a relationship between high school students Shouka Nishimiya and Shoya Ishida. As a child, Shoya bullied Shouka for being deaf, which resulted in her being expelled. Years later, they meet again, and this time Shoya tries to make it up to her by forgetting all the past mistakes he made.

4. Henshin Ganbou!

Henshin Ganbou is a short but sweet and romantic manga about Sunaki, a reserve player on the baseball team who finally gets the courage to confess his feelings to his school idol and puts a love letter in his locker hoping for the best.

The next day, Sunaki is openly rejected by Madonna's class. Heartbroken by the girl, he meets Ichizono, who tries to cheer Sunaki up by listing all his flaws and convincing him to become the greatest baseball player who ever lived!

3. Yuusha Goikkou no Kaerimichi

One-shots usually don't deliver a solid story with complete characters and narrative in a limited amount of time, however, Yuusha Goikkou no Kaerimichi manages to do just that. The story follows a hero's party and their final journey back home after confronting the Demon King.

Led by the group's talkative mage, Nina, they head to the other heroes' hometown of Pocca. On the way back, Nina reflects on her past and philosophical exploration while wondering about the locals' reactions to her long-awaited return.

2.Tokidoki

From the prolific mangaka of “Nisekoi: False Love,” Tokidoki is another bittersweet school romance drama that follows Hatsu Takagi, a girl with a rare heart disease called Kokuhaku, which weakens the heart, leaving the victim with fewer heartbeats and a shorter-than-normal lifespan.

One day, a classmate of hers named Hato Iijima learns about this condition and her true desire to freely and wholeheartedly experience every second she has left. After discovering her wish, Hato vows to help her enjoy life to the fullest and make her feel alive for the last time.

1. Goodbye, Eri

Fiction doesn’t have to be real to have an impact, reality is stranger and crueler than fiction – Goodbye Eri’s resonant narrative proves this to be true. It captures the life of Yuta Ito, a high school student who is asked by his dying mother to film her last moments before she passes away.

After her passing, Yuta compiles her life into a film to be shown at his school, which catches the attention of a girl named Eri. Together, they decide to make a new film that blurs the lines between fact and fiction! Goodbye Eri's heartfelt and meta story makes it worth reading.

Which of the following one-shot mangas is your favorite? Feel free to comment your opinion and recommend any other mangas like the ones listed above. Also, don't forget to share this article with your otaku friends.