10 Books/Manga Like Psyren
Psyren is an unknown gem from Shonen Jump’s history. It’s written and illustrated by Toshiaki Iwashiro and captures the heart of what makes shonen-themed works enticing to read for manga enthusiasts. The story follows Ageha Yoshina, a high school student who is chosen by Nemesis Q to compete in the Psyren games. Known for having epic fights, stellar comedy, and entertaining characters, Psyren is an underappreciated shonen gem many should check out.
If you’re in the mood for more action, adventure, or shonen-themed books/manga that offer a similar vibe, fear not! We’ve gathered together 10 books/manga to check out when you’ve caught up with Psyren. Of course, if you feel we’ve missed any of your favorites, do comment below and let us know!
Bleach – Tite Kubo
Similarities – Characters, Shonen, Superpowers
Bleach is an iconic manga and one that’s known for getting many people hooked into Shonen Jump’s line-up of work. Like Psyren, this tale revolves around a young protagonist who gets thrust into a world filled with supernatural powers and dangerous adversaries.
Additionally, both tales explore concepts like self-discovery and fate and have their characters embark on epic quests. Bleach follows Ichigo, who starts off as an ordinary teenager. However, after a Hollow infiltrates his home, Ichigo receives powers from a Soul Reaper named Rukia that helps him defeat the creature.
Gifted with this Soul Reaper power, Ichigo must learn to shoulder the responsibility of protecting his realm from evil spirits and adversaries. This mirrors Ageha’s story route in Psyren as he also was an ordinary human who’d later develop supernatural capabilities.
In addition to having worlds with a boatload of mysteries and secrets, Bleach is a great shonen series worth reading after Psyren.
Akira – Katusuhiro Otomo
Similarities – Settings, Themes, Action
A story that leans more toward the mature side is what you can expect from Akira. While it may not seem similar to Psyren at first glance, further inspection will allow readers to see the commonalities between Iwashiro and Otomo’s work.
Firstly, both tales feature immersive post-apocalyptic societies that are ravaged by destruction and chaos. In Akira, you’re greeted by Neo-Tokyo’s crumbling metropolis. It’s overrun by violence and corruption despite being rebuilt from the ground up due to a mysterious tumultuous event. Similarly, Psyren has Ageha and company traverse through a future landscape that becomes the battleground for their psychic powers. Both settings allow our authors to explore ideas like survival and power struggles.
Alongside its well-rounded cast and excellent artistry, you can’t go wrong with reading Akira after Psyren.
Zatch Bell – Makoto Raiku
Similarities – Action, Themes, Shonen
Zatch Bell is an entertaining adventure manga with great humor, action, and charm. The story follows Kiyo and his Mamodo companion Zatch as they embark on a journey to help Zatch become the Mamodo King.
Like Psyren, this tale offers a unique and captivating premise that explores similar ideas regarding personal growth and friendship. Zatch and Kiyo must overcome numerous hurdles similar to Ageha and his friends. They’ll make difficult choices and fight many foes equal to or far superior to them in strength. These battles echo the intensified bouts found in Psyren from an artistic and thematic standpoint.
If you love tales with compelling themes, beautiful imagery, and memorable characters, Zatch Bell is a must-read.
Gantz – Hiroya Oku
Similarities – Settings, Psychological, Action
Gantz is a bloody and brutal story with many things in common with Psytren. Both series present readers with stories that push the boundaries of reality and thrust their characters into dangerous scenarios that’ll test their might.
Moreover, Psyren and Gantz feature characters who endure psychological pressures that’ll help them grow and fully experience what their realms offer. That said, Gantz and Psyren’s dark atmospheres shouldn’t be overlooked. Both stories have their characters participate in deadly battles that put their lives at stake. These battles contain enough well-designed backdrops and depictions of supernatural prowess to keep audiences invested.
Moreover, readers will be intrigued by the psychological toll Gantz’s environment has on its characters. In Gantz, the brutal bouts and constant threat of death dramatically impact the protagonists. They’ll succumb to moral dilemmas and emotional turmoil throughout the work. This will elicit an emotional response from readers and help them empathize with the cast.
Therefore, if you adored Psyren for its suspenseful and emotional aspects, Gantz should please you.
Mob Psycho 100 – ONE
Similarities – Themes, Supernatural, Characters
For something a bit more goofy, we’d like to recommend ONE’s Mob Psycho 100 manga series to Psyren fans. Like Psyren, Mob Psycho 100 examines a protagonist with extraordinary powers. The protagonist in question, Mob, faces several moral dilemmas and challenges due to his powers. This leads to many hilarious and thrilling scenarios readers will be interested in.
Furthermore, ONE and Iwashiro excel at demonstrating how Mob’s and Ageha’s journeys affect their growth over time. At first, Mob opts to suppress his emotions and struggles with his own self-worth. However, as he navigates through various problems and forms tighter connections with others, he learns to embrace his emotions. This mirrors Ageha’s path of self-discovery since he’ll unlock the true potential of his powers and become more responsible.
With its similar emphasis on friendship and phenomenal fights, Mob Psycho 100 is a supernatural tale worth checking out.
Alice In Borderland – Haro Aso
Similarities – Psychological & Setting
Alice In Borderland is another manga that immerses its protagonists in deadly games where their lives are on the line. In Alice In Borderland, Arisu and his allies find themselves in a deserted Tokyo where they participate in several treacherous games to survive. This mirrors Ageha and the other’s predicament in Psyren as they navigate through challenges to survive too.
Moreover, both stories examine the psychological toll these locales have on the characters. Arisu and his friends face countless problems and witness many people perish during their endeavors. Similarly, Ageha experiences the mental and emotional strain of constantly being in life-ending situations.
If you’re looking for another fun story with a fabulous death-game setting, Alice In Borderland’s worth your time.
20th Century Boys – Naoki Urasawa
Similarities – Adventure Through Mysterious Worlds
20th Century Boys is a fabulously-written sci-fi adventure tale from Naoki Urasawa. This tale is known for captivating readers through its intricate plots, characters’ personal journeys, and excellent themes.
In 20th Century Boys, Kenji and his friends find themselves embroiled in a global plot that was unknowingly foreshadowed in their childhood. This mirrors the ways Psyren’s plot weaves together elements of the past and present in its storyline.
Furthermore, both tales have their characters strive to save the world from impending disasters. Kenji and his allies must confront the series’s antagonist “Friend” several times in the work to prevent him from causing humanity’s downfall through his cult-like actions. This parallels Ageha and the company’s battles with dangerous foes in Psyren. Not only that but the ways Ageha and his friends uncover the truth behind their world is eerily prevalent in 20th Century Boys’s tale too.
With its similar examination of friendship, captivating adventurous narrative, and mysterious world, 20th Century Boys is a must-read.
Yu Yu Hakusho – Yoshihiro Togashi
Similarities – Adventure, Supernatural, Action
Yu Yu Hakusho is a well-loved shonen manga from the man who brought you Hunter X Hunter. In it, we follow Yusuke, a delinquent who sacrifices himself to save a toddler from a car accident. He meets a woman named Botan and she takes him to the Spirit Realm’s ruler Koenma. Koenma offers Yusuke another shot at life but he must become his Spirit Detective and complete several tasks.
We examine Yusuke’s journey alongside other companions as he hopes to return to the life he once lived. Like Psyren, this is another tale with a protagonist who possesses superhuman abilities. Like Ageha’s powers, Yusuke’s supernatural abilities will lend him the strength he needs to overcome the Spirit Realm’s evil forces. Yusuke will gradually develop and master his abilities over time too.
Additionally, both characters experience significant growth from a humanistic perspective. Yusuke starts off as a delinquent with little direction in life. However, as he delves deeper into the world of demons and spiritual battles, he becomes more compassionate and skilled. This echoes Ageha’s significant emotional growth he achieves through his endeavors in Psyren.
You can read our interview with one of the Yu Yu Hakusho Live-Action SFX artists here!
Cage of Eden – Yoshinobu Yamada
Similarities – Settings, Adventure, Action
For those looking for more stories where characters explore a dangerous world, Cage of Eden might interest you. In Cage of Eden, we follow students who find themselves stranded on an island after their plane crash-lands. These students must navigate the treacherous landscape contend with scarce resources and confront dangerous creatures to ensure their survival. This mirrors the sense of danger and thrills Ageha and his allies experience in Psyren.
Moreover, both protagonists embark on journeys to discover the secrets hidden within these worlds. The students in Cage of Eden will learn about this island’s strange monsters, ancient civilizations, and unexplained phenomena. This will lead them down various rabbit holes and force them to make complicated decisions to ensure their safety. This mirrors the cryptic messages Ageha and his friends receive in Psyren as they participate in their dangerous game.
With its inclusion of thrilling action sequences and psychological aspects, Cage of Eden ensures readers will find its content entertaining.
Beelzebub – Ryuuhei Tamura
Similarities – Action, Themes, Supernatural
Beelzebub is a shonen series with a satisfying blend of humor and intense battles that’ll captivate Psyren’s audience. This is another tale that features a young male protagonist getting entangled in dangerous supernatural situations. In it, we follow Tatsumi, who inadvertently becomes the caregiver for a demon baby. This leads Tatsumi down the path of demons, sacred lands, and powerful foes.
The threat he encounters mirrors Ageha’s problems from a thematic standpoint. Both manga have their male leads experiencing incredible growth over the course of their respective stories. Tatsumi starts off as a delinquent, but as he becomes more involved with demons, he becomes more responsible and willing to form deeper connections with strangers. This is similar to the personal growth Ageha experiences in Psyren.
Coupled with splendid world-building and thrilling supernatural battles, Beelzebub is a great alternative to Psyren.
So there we have it, our 10 books/manga to read after you’re caught up with Psyren.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!