The Longest Manga in the World

Some manga are long. Others have been around for decades. And then there are those that seem endless. But what are the longest manga in the world? The simplest way to answer that isn't by counting years in circulation, but by looking at the net number of volumes. I bet you've already thought of a couple of names, but chances are those series don't even crack the top 20...

I admit I've asked myself that question too many times. And for some reason, one of the names that kept popping into my head was Meitantei Conan. So many years and episodes have passed that young Shinichi Kudo probably no longer needs the antidote to get his teenage body back. Another detail is that its creator, Gosho Aoyama, is a real machine. Conan debuted on January 19, 1994, and the latest update reports a total of 95 volumes. Divided by 24 years, that gives us almost four volumes per year, something impressive when you consider that certain projects take years (whether because their creators get bored, or because of other problems) to produce new content.

What are the longest manga in the world?

Still, Meitantei Conan's reputation as the longest manga in the world is undeserved. In fact, there's another very popular manga that's longer: Captain Tsubasa. The epic soccer adventure of Tsubasa Oozora has 99 volumes and is still ongoing, but even if we add the volumes of the young detective and the best soccer player Japanese imagination ever gave us, we still don't reach the top. The longest manga in the world is Dokaben, which began in April 1972 and, after 205 volumes of baseball, came to an end in June of this year. Second place goes to Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikoen-Mae Hashutsujo, which chronicles the adventures of a tiny police station in Tokyo. "KochiKame" hit the 200-volume mark and concluded in September 2016.

Third place, and a strong candidate to become the longest manga in the world, is Golgo 13. The story of professional assassin Duke Togo began in October 1968 (before man reached the Moon) and is still going strong with 190 volumes to its name. These three titans have all been adapted into alternative formats (including anime with series and OVAs), but their strength has always been in print. What about the more "modern" manga? Captain Tsubasa barely closes out the top 20. Meitantei Conan sits in 21st place. One Piece, with its 90 volumes, is in 26th. You have to go all the way down to 43rd to find Bleach (74 volumes), and Naruto, with 72 volumes, appears a few spots further back.

In short, the manga that seem long aren't really that long. The problem is the delays, the pauses, and the hiatuses. Not to go too far, Berserk has only 40 volumes, and I think they're never going to finish it...