20th Century Boys

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: 20 Seiki Shounen, Nijuu Seiki Shounen, Nijuusseiki Shounen, 20thCB

Japanese: 20世紀少年

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 22

Chapters: 249

Status: Finished

Published: Sep 27, 1999 to Apr 24, 2006

Genres: Award Winning, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Themes: Historical, Psychological

Demographic: Seinen

Serialization: Big Comic Spirits

Authors: Urasawa, Naoki (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 8.93¹ (scored by 107,069 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #19²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #24

Members: 304,338

Favorites: 22,673

Resources

Wikipedia

8.93

Ranked #19Popularity #24Members 304,338

MangaBig Comic SpiritsUrasawa, Naoki (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /22

Chapters: /249

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Synopsis

As the 20th century approaches its end, people all over the world are anxious that the world is changing. And probably not for the better.

Kenji Endou is a normal convenience store manager who is just trying to get by. But when he learns that one of his old friends going by the name "Donkey" has suddenly committed suicide and that a new cult led by a figure known as "Friend" is becoming more notorious, Kenji starts to feel that something is not right. With a few key clues left behind by his deceased friend, Kenji realizes that this cult is much more than he ever thought it would be—not only is this mysterious organization directly targeting him and his childhood friends, but the whole world also faces a grave danger that only the friends have the key to stop.

Kenji's simple life of barely making ends meet is flipped upside down when he reunites with his childhood friends, and together they must figure out the truth of how their past is connected to the cult, as the turn of the century could mean the possible end of the world.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background20th Century Boys won the Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 2001, an Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2002, and the Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category in 2003. The series' combined storyline won the Grand Prize at the 37th Japan Cartoonist Awards on May 9, 2008.

VIZ Media published the series in English under the VIZ Signature imprint from February 17, 2009, to September 18, 2012. VIZ Media licensed the series in 2005; however, at Urasawa's request, it was rescheduled for release after Monster finished its English publication due to a change in art style over time. It was also published as 2-in-1 omnibus volumes from September 18, 2018, to March 16, 2021. The series has also been published in Brazilian Portuguese by Panini Comics/Planet Manga since September 2012.

The series was adapted into a trilogy of live-action films which released in Japan between August 30, 2008, and August 29, 2009.

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Related Entries

More characters
Characters

Endou, Kenji

Main

Friend

Main

Endo, Kanna

Main

Ochiai, Chouji

Supporting

Sada, Kiyoshi

Supporting

Minamoto, Yoshitsune

Supporting

Koizumi, Kyoko

Supporting

Kaminaga, Kyuutaro

Supporting

Hattori, Tetsuya

Supporting

Setoguchi, Yukiji

Supporting

Reviews

Jan 16, 2026

bergars

Recommended

Yeah, it's all that.

Many hail this manga as one of the greatest of all time, and simply prefer not to mention why, so I'll do so myself, or at least try without spoiling anything.

Naoki Urusawa, a mad-man who can grab a mystery conspiracy, present you with 200+ chapters, and engage you each chapter, and make you NEED to know where the hell it's going. This is a multi-generation manga, in a world-wide mystery involving a cult which is attempting to end the world. For some reason, their mantra, or book of revelations, the Bible, is a bunch of things created by kids at ... their infancy. Childish, but, incredibly unnerving as it goes along. Our main guy? One of that group of kids as a grown up man.

We, as kids, imagine ends of the world, we invent tragedies we don't understand, and knowing something you created as a child is the catalyst for the end of the world, it does something to me. The beginning introduces several characters slowly getting to this revelation, and it's all about how they're too slow to get to the truth before tragedy happens. Always one step too fast for our cast, and the tragedies that happen, Urusawa manages to show us EVERY consequence of not catching up.

All the consequences, every small tragedy, every conspiracy and their victims are planted on your face to endure, to mourn, to lament. This wouldn't work if Urusawa wasn't a master at introducing characters, and getting you to care for each one, and letting you understand how vulnerable everybody is. Hell, for a while I thought narratively immortal characters were dead. Nobody is safe, and the way we get to arcs that have nothing to do with our main guy, felt like the first seasons of “Game of Thrones”. Threads, upon threads we follow to get to who the hell leads this cult, and how do we stop them when they know the future?

The narrative feels helpless, while equally being so hopeful about why we as humans can unite and destroy true evils in this world. The tone bounces from deeply upsetting and bleak, to incredibly inspiring, fun. The hopeful nature of the story fuels each arc and character to press forwards, to know their lives might end soon, but they're the only ones who can stop this from happening.

This manga is about responsibility, about childhood and the memories which can be corrupted by pure evil, only to be recovered, claimed, and appreciated as our future selves. We as adults must lead the world to a better tomorrow, and being stuck in the past can ruin the lives of those who matter. We can't be children forever, even if that notion hurts, but we can look back healthily.

Depth, just, so much depth to each character, each scene, and everything leads to something phenomenal. I will say though, the ending isn't actually the ending, that's in “21st Century Boys”, for some odd reason.

10/10. Is it the greatest manga of all time? I can see why it's considered as so. For me? I just love how much it's about the undying soul of humans.

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Dec 13, 2025

anen0me

Mixed Feelings

This is probably my least favorite of Urasawa's major works. That is NOT to say i didn't like it. Overall, i loved it and, at least for a time, it even blew me away. The characters are interesting and entertaining, the plot is intricate and inventive... but wow, it really starts to fall apart in the later volumes. In typical Urasawa fashion, he just did not seem to know how or when to tie all the little plot lines together and bring the whole thing to a close. Or maybe it was a serialization or contract problem, and he was forced to drag it out ...

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Sep 12, 2025

Sentient_water

Not Recommended

Funny

Where do I even begin with 20th Century Boys? This manga is less a compelling thriller and more a torturous exercise in patience and futility. The entire premise promises a gripping mystery, a shadowy figure known as “Friend” orchestrating a cult capable of threatening the world, but the execution is a catastrophic mess.

First, let’s talk about pacing. The narrative drags like a soggy blanket through mud. The manga teases the identity of “Friend,” dangling it as some tantalizing prize, but the payoff is so delayed that it transforms anticipation into irritation. By the time you finally get answers, your emotional investment has been ground into ...

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Poll: 20th Century Boys Chapter 14 Discussion accela - Mar 18, 2008	40 replies	by mandythefetus »» Jan 17, 10:30 AM
Poll: 20th Century Boys Chapter 8 Discussion Rasco - Feb 4, 2012	16 replies	by mandythefetus »» Jan 17, 7:18 AM
Poll: 20th Century Boys Chapter 5 Discussion Rasco - Feb 4, 2012	17 replies	by darthtruder »» Jan 12, 2:27 PM
Poll: 20th Century Boys Chapter 4 Discussion Rasco - Feb 4, 2012	16 replies	by darthtruder »» Jan 12, 2:23 PM
Adaptation. swapnilabeyy - Dec 30, 2025	13 replies	by Heisenberg_69 »» Jan 7, 12:59 AM

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