Looking for some good manga to read that deal with more relatable topics than superpowers, giant robots, or serial killers? Want something to read that deals with issues like mental disorders in a realistic (or maybe somewhat exaggerated for emphasis) way? Check out these underrated manga that tackle the deep stuff to escape the deep stuff going on in real life!
Life by Keiko Suenobu
Warning: This story contains strong themes such as bullying, suicide, self-harm, and rape.
For a story about a bullied teen who struggles with depression and an inferiority complex, look no further! Life follows Ayumu Shiiba through her turmoil-filled school life and the trials she must overcome to stop her bullies and work on bettering her mental health. Along the way she gains friends who have emotional baggage of their own, but through confiding their troubles in each other and offering their support, their high school days get a little brighter.
Orange by Ichigo Takano
Warning: This story contains strong themes such as suicide.
What would you do if one day you received a letter from someone claiming to be you ten years in the future? What if the letter's contents warned you that you had to do everything in your power to save a friend's life? This story follows Naho Takamiya's mission to save the transfer student from himself as he tries dealing with severe depression on his own. For a heartwarming tale of a group of friends helping their friend cope with bad thoughts, try out this story!
Papillon by Miwa Ueda
Warning: This story contains a relationship with an age difference that may make some uncomfortable.
With the name symbolizing the protagonist's evolution from a chrysalis to a butterfly, this manga had to handle transformation trope well and realistically, and it delivers beautifully. Ahega Mizuki is a girl with a twin sister, Hana. Hana is the more outgoing sister while Ahega is reserved. A school counselor-in-training learns of Ahega's situation and promises to help her overcome her inferiority complex by helping her realize her unresolved childhood traumas. Throughout the story, both Hana and Ahega receive counseling for their emotional baggage and they learn to work through their respective issues. Even the counselor himself gets the pair's help to work past a case of survivor's guilt. It's a touching tale if you remember that the setting for the story is Japan and the student/teacher pairing trope is fairly common in fiction.
Othello by Satomi Ikezawa
Warning: This story contains strong themes such as bullying, sexual harassment, and sex trafficking.
While this story may be a bit less accurate in portraying someone with dissociative identity disorder, it still makes for a good read. This story follows Yaya Higuchi, a timid girl who is often taken advantage of for her meekness and inability to say "no" to people. When she reaches a breaking point, her personality splits and a new persona controls her body: Nana. Nana is loud, rambunctious, and loves to deliver justice to everyone who wrongs Yaya. Nana is unaware of Yaya's existence, worrying about her blackouts and struggling to deal with the increasing aggressiveness of her bullies as they believe Yaya to be faking her weakness and that Nana is her true identity. For a cute tale of a girl learning to become the best version of herself, try this story out!
