Manga
The manga that were hits in Japan in the 2010s.
2010S HITS
About
One fateful day, all of humanity was petrified by a blinding flash of light. After several millennia, high schooler Taiju awakens and finds himself lost in a world of statues. However, he’s not alone! His science-loving friend Senku’s been up and running for a few months and he's got a grand plan in mind—to kickstart civilization with the power of science!
Character analysis
Senku wakes up thousands of years after a mysterious flash petrifies all of humanity, and instead of despairing, he immediately starts planning how to use science to claw civilization back up from nothing. His manic confidence and constant narration of his own reasoning turn chemistry and physics into the story's real action sequences.
Taiju isn't the sharpest member of the cast, but his raw physical strength and unwavering loyalty to Senku make him essential to turning scientific plans into reality. His simple, good-hearted motivation, reuniting with the girl he loves, keeps the story's early stakes personal rather than purely intellectual.
Yuzuriha is skilled with sewing and crafting, a talent the story takes seriously as genuinely useful technical skill rather than a side note. Her steady presence gives the found-family kingdom Senku builds some of its earliest, most grounded relationships.
Tsukasa opposes Senku's rebuilding project out of a genuine, almost idealistic belief that civilization's flaws are better left buried in stone, which makes him a rare antagonist with an understandable point of view. His overwhelming physical strength makes him one of the few threats science alone can't immediately solve.
Kohaku grew up strong and skeptical in an isolated village, and her sharp instincts and fighting skill make her one of Senku's most valuable early allies once she decides to trust his science over her village's traditions.
Status evaluation
Detailed depictions of tools, machines, and chemical processes give the art a distinct, research-driven personality.
Rebuilding civilization step by step through real science gives the series a uniquely satisfying sense of progress.
Senku's manic enthusiasm and the cast's reactions to his plans keep the tone energetic and frequently funny.
Friendship and found-family moments land well, though the series leans more on ideas and momentum than heavy drama.
The post-apocalyptic setting is more wondrous than frightening overall.
Occasional fights happen, but violence is not a central focus of the series.
Real scientific concepts and multi-step inventions ask readers to follow genuinely technical explanations.
This is a completed series. This figure has not been verified against a current source and should be treated as approximate.
“A shonen hero whose superpower is correctly remembering high school chemistry is somehow one of the most compelling I've read.”