Lighthearted Adventure Manga

The wide variety of mangas out there is mindblowing. It's safe to say there's a manga out there for absolutely everyone. Personally, I'm a big fan of lighthearted action/adventure manga. If you feel the same way, then I'd like to suggest several manga series that I've found myself enjoying.

DRAGONBALL- The groundbreaking fighting manga by creator Akira Toriyama might quite possibly be one of the most influential ever made. Follow the story of young Goku and his new friend Bulma as they traverse throughout the world in search of the Dragonballs, mystical orbs that, when gathered together, turn people's wishes into reality. Dragonball is significantly lighter in tone than its follow-up Dragonball Z. The stories are much more whimsical, and the sense of adventure is much more apparent. If you're a sucker for characters going off on wild journeys, you can't get much better than this. Please note that, while the series does get darker later on, it can get quite silly and goofy at times, so if you're put off by that, you're best off looking elsewhere. If all you think of when you think of Dragonball is a bunch of muscular men yelling and powering up, then you owe it to yourself to give this series a shot; you won't be seeing much of that here.

DRAGONBALL Z- This is the series where all the muscular men are yelling and powering up. But unlike the anime series, which had to drag episodes out because it was airing concurrently with the manga being written, the manga is much better paced, taking significantly less time for things to be accomplished. One manga volume may cover events that last well over ten episodes in the show. For those unfamiliar with this spectacular series, it features the main protagonist of Dragonball, Goku, as he goes against much more maniacal villains, with the fate of the world constantly in peril. The stakes are higher, the action is more intense, and the characters are better defined. The adventure aspect of the show is greatly diminished in favor of cranking the action to eleven, but the series remains fun, balancing the action and humor quite well.

ONE PIECE- The epitome of an adventure series. Since he was a young boy, Monkey D. Luffy has wanted to be the pirate king, the best pirate on the seas. And when he comes of age, he sets off on his journey in search of the legendary treasure One Piece. But the only way he's going to succeed is by navigating through the Grand Line, the most treacherous area in the sea. Along the way, he'll come across awesome friends, dangerous enemies, and the adventure of a lifetime. As can be expected, the adventure in this series is full force, and as it progresses, the challenges continue to get more complex for our heroes. The characters are genuinely fun, and you'll likely find yourself laughing at loud at how silly some of them can be. With a great mixture of adventure, action, and lighthearted fun, One Piece is a surefire hit for the adventure-lover. That is, unless you're not a fan of pirates.

RAVE MASTER- A young boy named Haru Glory, who until now had lived a peaceful life on Garage Island, discovers a mysterious snowmanlike creature named Plue. Not knowing anything about it, he decides to take it home and keep it as a pet. Soon, though, he and his newfound friend are thrust into adventure when an old man named Shiba comes to the island, on the run from the evil Demon Card organization. Haru comes to discover that he has the mysterious power known as Rave, and must use it to combat this evil group, find the five Rave Stones, and save the world from the powers of Dark Bring. It takes a while for the series to get into its groove (so to speak), but once it does, it becomes a roller coaster ride of adventure and fun. Several of the characters are kind of off-putting at first due to how downright strange they are, a thing that turned me away from the series for a while, but once you get used to them, they become engaging and interesting characters.

There are plenty of other lighthearted adventure mangas out there, but these are a few of my favorites. Keep your eyes open, because you never know when the next great adventure will be hitting stores.