Many great manga series have been created over the years, but only a handful have stayed popular with readers for decades. Several series that first gained fans in 1976 are celebrating their 50th anniversaries. These groundbreaking works, which began in 1976, were important in shaping manga genres, inspiring later artists, and helping to introduce manga to a global audience.
The 1970s were a pivotal decade for anime and manga, a time when many of the styles and themes we recognize today were first developing. These manga series from the ’70s – through their innovative stories, memorable art, cultural influence, and enduring popularity – have earned their place in manga history and continue to be worth recognizing even now, 50 years later.
Crest of the Royal Family is Still Ongoing Today
Crest of the Royal Family is a hugely popular shojo manga that’s still being updated after 50 years! Its characters feature the classic large eyes and fluffy hair common in shojo manga from the 1970s and 80s. Beyond its appealing art style, the story is cleverly connected to real historical events, making it a great choice for anyone interested in ancient civilizations.
Sixteen-year-old Carol Reed, fascinated by ancient Egypt, is studying abroad in Cairo when a curse sends her back in time. She lands in the world of Ancient Egypt and meets Memphis, the attractive young pharaoh whose tomb she disturbed. Crest of the Royal Family tells the story of their unexpected romance and how Carol finds herself woven into the fabric of history.
The Poem of Wind and Trees is One of the Earliest BL Manga
I’ve noticed a lot of shojo manga from the 1970s seemed to draw inspiration from 19th-century France – I think it was the beautiful, refined look of the era. A perfect example is The Poem of Wind and Trees (or Kaze to Ki no Uta), which tells the heartbreaking love story of Gilbert Cocteau and Serge Battour. They’re students at an all-boys boarding school in France, and the manga is considered one of the first of its kind in the shonen-ai genre.
Published in the 1970s, The Poem of Wind and Trees tackled surprisingly mature themes for its time, delving into complex issues of sexuality and psychology rarely seen in shojo manga. The story faced significant delays due to its inclusion of controversial topics like sexual violence, drug use, and prostitution. Despite these challenges, it ultimately became incredibly popular and is now considered a foundational work in the BL manga genre.
MW is Perfect For Fans of Gritty, Violent Seinen
With dark and violent anime becoming increasingly popular, it’s a good time to look back at MW. The story centers around a strange chemical weapon created by the American army in Japan, and its effect on a priest named Father Garai and his complicated relationship with a serial killer named Michio Yuki.
During the 1970s, a group of manga artists started a trend called gekiga, focusing on more mature and gritty stories than the typical children’s comics of the time. MW definitely fits that description, dealing with intense themes like a homosexual relationship between Garai and Michio, sexual assault, murder, and political conspiracies. With current anime fans’ preferences, MW would be an excellent choice for a new anime series.
Boxing Manga All Started With Do Your Best Genki
Now considered a classic boxing manga, Do Your Best Genki tells the story of a determined young boy who dreams of becoming a boxer like his father. Sports manga was already an established genre in the 1970s, and author Yu Koyama wanted to explore the common theme of personal growth, using the exciting and challenging world of boxing as a backdrop.
The manga Do Your Best Genki begins with five-year-old Genki Horiguchi grieving the sudden loss of his father, a professional boxer. As he grows up, Genki secretly trains with the goal of defeating the boxer responsible for his father’s death, making the story a compelling blend of personal development and revenge.
SWAN Celebrates the Beauty and Femininity of Ballet
SWAN is the most well-known manga series about ballet. It embraces the graceful and beautiful aspects of the sport, appealing to the same qualities that many young girls love about ballet. This is especially true for Masumi Hijiri, who becomes determined to pursue a career as a professional ballerina after being captivated by it.
When Masumi first moves to Tokyo to study ballet, she’s one of the least graceful dancers in her class. But with incredible dedication and a true love for dance, she steadily improves throughout her training, eventually becoming competitive with the most talented students. Even as she faces rivals in the professional world, her passion for ballet never wavers.
Unico is a Sugary Sweet Fantasy
Osamu Tezuka, creator of the manga MW, was a versatile artist who also wrote the incredibly charming Unico in the same year. Unico became very popular and was even adapted into several animated movies in the 1980s. The story centers around Unico, a baby unicorn with the ability to spread joy to those around him, including his close friend Psyche, a girl living in Ancient Greece.
Despite its generally cheerful nature, the story of Unico takes a dark turn when the goddess Aphrodite, envious of Psyche and Unico’s joy, tries to capture the unicorn and suppress his abilities. This sets Unico off on a series of exciting adventures across different times and places, where he shares happiness with everyone he encounters – and it remains a delightfully sweet story, even after 50 years.
Glass Mask Depicts the Ruthlessness of the Acting Industry
First published in 1976, Glass Mask has been adapted into anime several times over the last 50 years, most recently in 2005. The manga remains incredibly popular – it’s one of the best-selling shojo titles ever – because its story still resonates with readers. It follows Maya Kitajima, an aspiring actress, as she navigates the difficult and competitive world of acting, driven by her love for the craft.
I’m completely captivated by Maya’s journey! It’s been tough from the start – her mom just doesn’t get her passion for acting and thinks it’s a waste of time. But honestly, she’s a natural! She’s incredibly gifted at expressing emotion, which allows her to actually work as an actress, even with all the competition and people trying to sabotage her. What I really love about Glass Mask is how real it is about the downsides of being a child star, and it isn’t afraid to embrace that dramatic, soap opera feel.
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2026-06-02 01:39