Generally, if a manga is popular enough, an anime is likely to follow. Most of thebest comedy mangahave received adaptations;Hinamatsuri,Kaguya-sama: Love is War,ReLIFE,KonoSuba,Gintama,Spy x Family,Skip Beat!, andOuran High School Host Clubhave all spawned anime series that are widely respected, even if they do not all fully cover the source material’s content. If nothing else, these shows serve as a way to entice anime viewers to pick up the manga to experience more of the story, which is recommended for properties likeGrand BlueandMonthly Girls' Nozaki-kun.
However, not every manga goes through this process. Some great comedies have yet to make the jump to animation, and there is a significant chance that day will never come for a number of these stories. Let’s take a look at some fantasticcomedy manga with no anime.
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Updated June 30, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Some of the funniest anime are based onhilarious comedy manga. In fact, most of 2022’s best comedy anime – Romantic Killer, Komi Can’t Communicate, Kotaro Lives Alone, and Uncle from Another World – are adapted from manga. While there are plenty of adaptations out there, Japan’s animation industry has hardly exhausted every option, and a few of thebest comedy manga have no anime.
Yotsuba&!
Written by the mangaka who blessed the world withAzumanga Daioh,Youtsuba&!has been ongoing for close to two decades. While it inspired an anime spin-off calledNyanbo!, the main story has no adaptation, and that is unlikely to change now considering the manga’s age.
Yotsuba&!is a slice of life that follows the energetic eponymous young girl, delivering plenty of laughs along the way. It is a heartwarming, wholesome show that embraces the innocence of childhood while still maintaining a grounded tone. This is simply one of thebest comedy manga of all timeand a must-read for any fan of the genre.
TenPuru: No One Can Live On Loneliness
Written and drawn byGrand Blue’s artist (but not writer),Templefollows Akemitsu Akagami, a teenager who is adamant that needing girls is a weakness. Therefore, when he falls in love instantly with Yuzuki Aoba, Akemitsu decides to become a monk. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on someone’s perspective), the protagonist winds up in a temple filled with women, including Yuzuki.
Templeoffers a blend of comedy, slice of life, and ecchi. While the characters do have a habit of shouting for comedic purposes, the manga’s humor is generally on-point.
After-School Hanako-kun
Debuting in 2014, Iro Aida’sToilet-Bound Hanako-kunis quite apopular shonen manga. In 2020, Lerche released an anime adaptation that lasted for 12 episodes. Although this is a paltry amount compared to some other popular shonen properties, theToilet-Bound Hanako-kunanime still left a positive impression and does justice to the source material.
After-School Hanako-kunis a spin-off manga that focuses on the characters when they are not investigating Kamome Academy’s strange and supernatural events. As the parent story already incorporates a decent amount of wit and features a range of humorous characters, this setting proves to be a good fit for a gag comedy that ramps up the silliness while still including fantastical touches. Fans ofToilet-Bound Hanako-kun’s anime should check out this spin-off (and also readToilet-Bound Hanako-kun’s manga).
A Delinquent’s Life Hacks
A Delinquent’s Life Hackshas a relatively typical premise for a comedy as it follows Kyou Sakurai, a guy who is mistaken for a delinquent but is actually nice and helpful. Manga likeThe Way of the Househusbandand, to a lesser extent,Toradora!have similar concepts or characters, and they show that this type of gag can work wonders.A Delinquent’s Life Hacksis also a slice of life, with most chapters telling standalone stories that depict Kyou interacting with random people. However, the manga has a couple of recurring characters that form more intimate bonds with the protagonist.
A Delinquent’s Life Hacksis a pleasant read that does not have a mean-spirited bone in its body. The art is generally good, and Otsuji knows how to draw a memorable reaction shot. That said, the manga’s humor is quite repetitive, so this might not be the best story to binge-read.
Karasugaoka Don’t Be Shy!!
Karasugaoka is divided into the West and East, and these two sections are protected by voluntary gangs/groups run by Sou Izuhara and Shinba Tetusji respectively. Whenever these two organizations cross paths, Sou instantly berates Shinba, behavior stemming from the former’s massive crush on the latter.Karasugaoka Don’t Be Shy!!is aboys love mangawith a fabulous sense of humor that complements the story’s romance angle.
Plenty of yaoi stories incorporate humor, but they are usually a minor part of the overall package and not a selling point.Karasugaoka Don’t Be Shy!!’s comedy is so on the money and hilarious that it is frequently the highlight of a chapter. That said, the manga does gradually begin to emphasize the romance between Shinba and Sou more.
Last Game
A sweet and easy read,Last Gamemight not be thefunniest mangaever, but it is constantly amusing and charming. Rich and arrogant, Naoto Yanagi is used to acing everything, so he does not react well when a transfer student, Mikoto Kujou, usurps him from his throne. Determined to beat her at something, Yanagi sets out to break Kujou’s heart.
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Last Gameincorporates many tropes synonymous with shojo manga, although it generally prioritizes humor over melodrama. The art is great, the characters are likable, and it is a quick read.
The Legend Of The Strongest, Kurosawa!
From the same creator who pennedAkagiandKaiji,The Legend of the Strongest, Kurosawa!is a badass manga about a middle-aged guy who decides to turn his life around. Although not lacking in drama or psychological nuance,Kurosawais considerably more comedic than Fukumoto’s other famous manga, and it is frequently hilarious.
The eponymous character goes through an incredible arc, with the manga showcasing his development from somebody who hates his life (and himself) to a person who is willing to fight for what he has.
The Voynich Hotel
On the Blefuscu island in the South Pacific sits a strange hotel that seems to attract only folks seeking to escape from their everyday lives. Run by a wrestler and his two maids, the Voynich Hotel is shrouded by mystery, and its guests are the type who prefer not to ask any questions.
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The Voynich Hotelis predominantly an absurdist comedy, one that produces its humor through what it does not show just as much as what it does. Although the characters are not especially deep, they complement the series' tone and narrative.
Dengeki Daisy
While Teru Kurebayashi’s brother was on his deathbed, he gave his sister the contact number for a person simply known as “Daisy.” If she ever needed any help, she should reach out to him as he will be always watching. Despite struggling every day with bullying and trying to make ends meet, Teru pretends that everything is fine whenever she messages Daisy. Unbeknownst to her, Daisy really is always watching.
A shojo manga with aslow-burn romance,Dengeki Daisy’s early chapters are very comedy-heavy, courtesy of Teru’s dynamic with Tasuku Kurosaki, a school janitor who just happens to take an interest in the schoolgirl. While the manga eventually transitions into more of a drama with flashes of humor,Dengeki Daisyis arguably at its best when focusing on comedy.
GTO: 14 Days In Shonan
AGreat Teacher Onizukaspin-off,14 days in Shonancovers a two-week period set after the Teshigawara arc. It basically fills in what Onizuka was up to when he disappeared for 14 days; as the spin-off reveals, he went back home.
GTO: 14 Days in Shonanlives in the shadow of its superior parent story. Themanga spin-offdoes not quite replicate the success ofGTO, however, the comedy is very similar and almost just as strong as the main series. Therefore, those who loveGTOshould really check out14 Days in Shonan.
