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TV Asahi’s ‘Osamu Hayashi no Imadesho! Koza‘ program recently conducted a survey titled ‘Top 30 Manga That Makes You Smarter,’ aiming to identify the kind of manga that captured the attention of Tokyo University students.
The survey garnered response from over 300 students of the university.
The Top 30 manga that were revealed encompassed a wide array of genres, spanning science, history, agriculture, economics, medicine, and more. Viewing it through the lens of University of Tokyo students’ unique perspectives reveals different angles of learning.
Checkout the complete result of ‘Top 30 Manga That Makes You Smarter’ as revealed by the Tokyo University students and their reasons below:
30. ONE PIECE
Reasons according to students:
- Characters of various appearances and races demonstrate their uniqueness and the importance of respecting individual diversity, teaching the students valuable lessons.
29. LIAR GAME
Reasons according to students:
- As the story unfolds with tactics that exploit gaps in the rules, I thought that logical thinking is definitely required to decipher it.
28. The Quintessential Quintuplets
Reasons according to students:
- Elaborate relationships between sisters are intricately depicted.
- Character emotions are rich, and just by reading, one can develop the ability to understand emotions.
27. Investor Z
Reasons according to students:
- They had an investment class in university, and it was recommended that reading this could help them learn about investment mechanisms and basics.
26. Cells at Work!
Reasons according to students:
- Workings of the body and terminology are easy to understand. You can make connections like “This term corresponds to this character”. It’s easy to understand and remember. Learning ability improves.
25. Blue Lock
Reasons according to students:
- They learned about the mentality needed to pursue victory from characters who strive for success with a self-centred attitude.
24. The Elusive Samurai
Reasons according to students:
- Learned the importance of escaping. They learned about the significance of taking detours and making choices in their exam and academic experiences.
23. Haikyuu!
Reasons according to students:
- They learned about overcoming weaknesses through creativity and action.
22. Chainsaw Man
Reasons according to students:
- A manga that led to an interest in art!
- This work includes paintings similar to illustrations in the book ‘Paradise Lost’ written in 17th-century England. University of Tokyo students have shown the ability to deeply analyse the story.
21. Hunter x Hunter
Reasons according to students:
- Improves reading comprehension. The complexity is unbelievable, and the more you read, the more you discover in these confrontations. Those who’ve reached this point are probably captivated by the charm of HUNTER×HUNTER.
20. Silver Spoon
Reasons according to students:
- A manga teaching about the issue of food waste.
19. Naruto
Reasons according to students:
- A ninja manga teaching about ancient Japanese culture.
18. Moyasimon
Reasons according to students:
- A manga that teaches about the functions of microorganisms. “The scenes of yeast making alcohol were interestingly depicted, which also motivated me in my studies!”.
17. Psycho-Pass
Reasons according to students:
- Coexisting with AI in a world where that’s normal, and how to face the spirit of the law. Aka Tsunemori’s conflict provides insights and entertainment.
16. Hetalia
Reasons according to students:
- By connecting characters with historical events, it becomes easier to understand and remember. They found the concept of learning through the personification of countries quite innovative.
15. Yamikin Ushijima-Kun
Reasons according to students:
- A manga that teaches about contemporary societal issues.
- It’s drawn based on interviews with real people. It’s important to know that there are people like this in the world, and that these social issues exist.
14. SPY×FAMILY
Reasons according to students:
- It kind of reminds me of the Cold War era. It could lead to getting interested in history and doing further research.
13. JIN
Reasons according to students:
- Not only medicine but also middle and high school level scientific knowledge is incorporated. I realized that even science knowledge can be useful in such places.
12. Doubutsu no Oishasan
Reasons according to students:
- Taught about animal behavior and veterinary knowledge.
11. Assassination Classroom
Reasons according to students:
- Even while working part-time as tutors or private teachers, I find myself referencing Koro-sensei’s attitude and stance when interacting with students.
10. DEATH NOTE
Reasons according to students:
- Prompting thoughts about morality and ethics. Since Japan also has the death penalty system, Light Yagami’s actions become a catalyst for discussions about whether they are good or bad, making one contemplate and reflect.
9. Golden Kamuy
Reasons according to students:
- The manga offers quite accurate information about Ainu culture and cuisine to the extent that even Ainu researchers give it a thumbs up. It’s truly an informative and reliable manga.
8. Bungou Stray Dogs
Reasons according to students:
- Since remembering author names and work titles can be quite useful, it’s really convenient to know through manga.
7. Kounodori
Reasons according to students:
- Taught about the reality of pregnancy and childbirth. It becomes apparent for the first time that being born normally isn’t a given; there are risks involved.
6. OSHI NO KO
Reasons according to students:
- The way the protagonists utilize and approach social media makes readers contemplate its usage and significance.
5. Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
Reasons according to students:
- The lesson learned was the significance of doubting common sense.
- What is now widely accepted might actually be the geocentric model.
4. Space Brothers
Reasons according to students:
- The manga ‘Space Brothers’ has been stimulating the learning enthusiasm of many University of Tokyo students. It might not be too far off the day when astronauts are born due to this manga
3. Kingdom
Reasons according to students:
- Knowing history has brought a multitude of useful insights within myself, and this manga served as the initial catalyst for that.
2. Dr. STONE
Reasons according to students:
- University of Tokyo students learnt how modern prosperity is built upon the scientific advancements made by previous generations through ‘Dr. Stone.
1. Detective Conan
Reasons according to students:
- Because there are so many fantastic tricks that come up, you can learn scientific knowledge, physics laws, and other science-related information from those tricks.’
Source: Twitter
