In a surprising turn of events, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End has officially surpassed One Piece to claim the top spot in Oricon's Half-Year Comic Sales Ranking for 2026, marking a significant shift in Japan's manga sales landscape.
The data, covering physical manga sales from November 2025 through May 2026, shows Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe's fantasy epic selling approximately 1,618,600 copies, narrowly edging out Eiichiro Oda's long-running pirate saga, which sold around 1,598,500 copies — a gap of just 20,000 units.
Top 10 Best-Selling Manga of 2026's First Half
According to Oricon's official rankings, the full top 10 list for the period is as follows:
- Frieren: Beyond Journey's End — 1,618,600 copies
- One Piece — 1,598,500 copies
- Jujutsu Kaisen — 1,433,600 copies
- Blue Lock — 1,266,000 copies
- Chainsaw Man — 1,147,600 copies
- Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo — 1,137,700 copies
- Spy x Family
- Kingdom
- The Apothecary Diaries
- Daemons of the Shadow Realm / Sakamoto Days
Frieren's Remarkable Achievement
What makes Frieren's performance particularly notable is the context: the series has been on an extended hiatus since October 2025 due to health concerns affecting creators Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe. Despite having a dramatically smaller catalog of volumes compared to One Piece, the series has maintained remarkable momentum, driven by enduring interest following its acclaimed anime adaptation and the release of Volume 15 in December 2025.
"Frieren's achievement demonstrates how a quality series with a successful anime adaptation can compete with long-established titans of the industry, even during an extended break." — Industry analyst via Polygon
One Piece's Continued Dominance
While narrowly pushed to second place, One Piece remains a powerhouse. Volume 114, released in March 2026, dominated the weekly charts with over 612,000 copies sold in its first week alone and surpassed the 1 million mark within four weeks. The series also crossed the historic 600 million copies in circulation worldwide milestone earlier this year.
Standout Performances
Both Jujutsu Kaisen (which concluded its main serialization) and its spin-off Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo secured positions in the top 10 — a rare dual-clutch achievement for a franchise. Meanwhile, Chainsaw Man and Blue Lock continue to show strong legs, buoyed by their respective anime adaptations and upcoming film projects.