10 manga that have unconventional tropes

The world of manga is filled with so many interesting stories. These stories range from romance, adventure to even historical fiction. While manga as a storytelling medium emerged in Japan, it has gone global, with many titles selling in their millions.

Like any storytelling medium, manga has many prevalent tropes. These familiar elements often appear across Shonen, Seinen, Shojo, and Josei stories. While these patterns are quite common, it doesn’t mean their stories are uniform. Many stories can have a similar framework, but unique plots.

However, some manga stand out by breaking away from these conventional tropes and stereotypes in their genre. They succeed either by playing on existing tropes and subverting expectations or by taking a completely original approach.

Here are ten manga with unconventional tropes that challenge the general norms.

Disclaimer: This list is based on the author's personal opinion and is not ranked in any particular order.

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10 manga with the most unconventional tropes

1) Versus

Versus is more chaotic than any of One's previous works (Image via Kodansha)

Versus is another tale from the master of unconventional manga, ONE. ONE has achieved success with his previous titles, Mob Psycho and One Punch Man, both of which were praised for how they played with and broke established tropes.

Versus follows that same path, this time blending fantasy and sci-fi together. The protagonist, Hallow, has an unwavering sense of duty that often clashes with self-doubt and pessimism. It's unconventional not only in its premise but also in how it subverts typical hero narratives in unexpected ways.

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2) Attack on Titan

Eren is the protagonist of Attack on Titan (Image via Kodansha)

Attack on Titan has etched a permanent spot in pop culture. Over the past 10 years, Attack on Titan has carved a name for itself alongside juggernauts like Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, and the MCU. What boosted Attack on Titan’s reputation was its anime, which catapulted the manga to new heights.

Attack on Titan is a Shonen story that feels like it’s Seinen. While Attack on Titan has stereotypical Shonen characters, the horrors of the world slowly transform them. This is seen with the protagonist, Eren, as he reflects the shift in the series, from a typical determined hero to a morally complex character shaped by war, trauma, and ideology.

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3) One Punch Man

Saitama searches for the absurd (Image via Madhouse)

This was the work that elevated ONE into stardom and can be considered one of the most unorthodox manga ever released. One Punch Man’s plot inverts the "chosen one" trope.

Instead of the protagonist basking in power, he suffers because of it. This suffering leads to a boring and mundane life, as Saitama chases the absurd. There are not many works that tackle nihilism like One Punch Man, which makes it unconventional and layered, especially compared to standard action manga.

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4) Gintama

Gintoki is one of the most unassuming protagonists (Image via Sunrise)

There hasn’t been any work from the animanga world that takes itself playfully like Gintama. Most of the time, Gintama feels like a fever dream, as the setting of the world doesn’t match the characters, and the characters don't match with its setting. In Gintama, there are samurai, ninja, aliens, and futuristic tech.

The protagonist, Gintoki Sakata, a lazy yet unexpectedly wise samurai, whose antics and unshakable values ground the chaos around him.

There are also numerous references to other anime, all of which are handled with humor. Popular anime referenced in Gintama include Naruto, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, One Piece, and Bleach.

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5) Berserk

Berserk subverts the chosen one trope (Image via Hakusensha)

The idea of a dark fantasy epic might not be groundbreaking at the moment, as many works of fiction have explored that route. However, when Kentarou Miura was working on Berserk, there were only a handful of popular dark fantasy stories.

Berserk pushed the boundaries of storytelling in manga, and its success has influenced many anime and manga that followed. It follows Guts, a lone swordsman who battles fate, betrayal, and demonic forces in a medieval world. Berserk subverted the chosen one trope by introducing irredeemable suffering to its protagonist.

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6) Real

Real focuses on the differently abled (Image via Shueisha)

Real is not talked about enough, and when it comes to sports manga, it stands at the very peak. Among Takehiko Inoue’s works, Real is one of the most emotional and heartfelt, and also the most unorthodox. Unlike Slam Dunk, Real focuses on differently-abled individuals.

Real was released in the late 90s, and during that time, its themes were groundbreaking. It showed the lives of differently-abled characters as they struggled to exist in a world not built for them, making their journeys through basketball.

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7) Witch Hat Atelier

Witch Hat Atelier has some similarities with Made in Abyss (Image via Kodansha)

When it comes to visuals, Witch Hat Atelier is an anomaly. The art style resembles Yotsuba to!, but the plot and themes are dark. The world of Witch Hat Atelier, at first glance, looks peaceful, but once it is examined deeply, it reveals a place full of anomalies.

The manga’s power system is unconventional for a fantasy anime. Beneath the magical spells that are rife, there is also some rebellion brewing in the story. Coco, the protagonist of the story, is a curious and kind-hearted girl who discovers a forbidden magic that sets her on an unexpected journey. Witch Hat Atelier is full of surprises, and readers will be left in awe at how multilayered the story is.

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8) Red Blue

Aoba Suzuki is the antishonen protagonist (Image via Shogakukan)

Red Blue is another manga on this list that throws away the trope of the chosen one, and gives viewers one of he most unappealing protagonists ever. Aoba Suzuki is not funny; he is uncharismatic, and most of all, he acts like he has a personality disorder.

What makes Red Blue unique is how it tells its story from the POV of the villain, Aoba Suzuki. This is uncommon not just in Shonen but also in Seinen.

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9) MAD

MAD is the symbolic heir to Attack on Titan (Image via Shueisha)

MAD is the symbolic heir to Attack on Titan and a must-read for lovers of Kaiju No.8. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by aliens, and its characters are similar to those of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Firepunch.

MAD’s main character, a differently-abled fighter in a brutal world, offers a rare and compelling take on resilience in post-apocalyptic manga.

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10) I am Hero

I am a Hero's main character is socially awkward (Image via Shogakukan)

I am Hero is the manga that catapulted Kengo Hanazawa to stardom. This work was done before Kengo Hanazawa created Under Ninja, and many of his trademarks in Under Ninja can be seen in I am a Hero. The first trademark that was unconventional in action manga was the uncharismatic protagonist.

The main character of I am Hero is filled with "minor character energy," but at the end of the series, his bravery even stuns the viewers. It also breaks convention as the main character saves himself instead of the world.

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Final thoughts

Each of the manga on this list is unconventional in its own way. Either they don’t follow the tropes of their genre, or they subvert a common narrative. Some stories on this list do not follow a conventional storytelling structure, while others have a very trippy plot. Titles like I am Hero and MAD can be convoluted visually and might trick readers on the story direction.

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