Fencing was always one of those sports that I associate with rich high schools in anime and K-Dramas. No seriously, I’m talking Ouran High School Host Club rich, which isn’t necessarily a fencing anime or manga, but does happen to be one of the best manga and anime adaptations, period. Because fencing itself seems like such an elegant sport, I expected a lot of the best fencing anime and manga of all time to be Shoujo-esque in their themes.
Turns out, that is not the case. Instead, there are a variety of amazing fencing anime and manga that cover a whole host of genres. And that is generally what’s so great about sports manga and anime, it doesn’t keep itself isolated to one specific topic aka the sports it’s covering. Rather, it takes a look at everything, from the emotional aspects of being an athlete to the competitive side of things. That ends up making it dynamic to read, and fencing manga is no different in that aspect.
After all, we saw the genre mixing happening in sports manga when we covered all the various hockey manga and anime you could indulge in. Fencing is just a backdrop for the character’s stories to unfold, and the sport itself might not always be the main star of the series. But that doesn’t mean that some of the best fencing anime and manga don’t have competition as one of their main qualities. It’s just that the sport isn’t all they are about. Which, again, is why people gravitate towards sports manga in the first place.
And yeah, maybe I was a little curious about how fencing works. I mean, it is just highly disciplined sword fighting, in the end. And lots of anime and manga excel in getting me into things I thought I’d never be into before. But fencing as a sport being the main topic? That’s a little harder to find. So today, let’s go through a list of some of the best fencing anime and manga of all time, in another segment of Get Ranked!
Duel!!
The only reason this manga is on this list is because I love irony. Look, this is absolutely not the best fencing manga out there. What it is, is a trainwreck. And, like, you have to appreciate it for that gusto alone.
Hot girls, lots of action, Duel has it all, except for a basic understanding of how fencing actually works. The story revolves around Minori, who has learned to face all troubles in her life with positivity. But that only gets you so far when you’re being needlessly targeted by your own peers. And right when Minori is about to give in to the worst of the bullying, a beautiful stranger named Alice provides her salvation in the form of fencing. Again, you need to turn your brain off for this battle royale style manga, but it’s still fun!
Ginpaku No Paladin
Remember how I said I expected most of the best fencing manga and anime of all time to be Shojou in nature? Well, this is where I was proven wrong. Like, a Shounen series about fencing? Alright, I’m in.
Ginpaku No Paladin isn’t anything revolutionary though. I mean, the setting itself is like every Shounen ever, where our main protagonist encounters a moment of grand injustice that he can not help in. In this case, it’s Kogane Kokoro, a boy on a train who tries helping a passenger with some miscreants harassing them. Until a mysterious man comes in and wipes the floor with them, using fencing skills, of all things. Inspired by this action, Kokoro asks to be trained in the sport by this old man, never wanting to be helpless in helping others ever again. For what it is, Ginpaku No Paladin is pretty engrossing and a good look at how fencing works.
1F No Kishi
You know what? As a sucker for arcade fighting games, this one made a lot more sense to me. Like, yes, you could argue that someone who enjoys Street Fighter would also find an interest in something like fencing, a one-on-one sport. But that’s simply a fact.
So, when we meet Izumi Ichidou in 1F No Kishi, we already know where the story is going. Here is a ‘gamer boy’ who stood undefeated when it comes to fighting games, and was also a local menace. To punish him, the captain of the school fencing team forces him to join and it turns out that the whole ‘sore loser’ thing might actually work in Izumi’s favor. And Izumi realizes that fencing and gaming aren’t all that different. A weird combination of fighting game references and Shounen style combat, this one is definitely unique!
Infinity
There’s this trope I like to call the ‘Michael Jordan effect’. You know how Michael Jordan was a pretty mid Baseball player before he transitioned to Basketball? It’s a great example of right talent, wrong place. And that’s what Infinity starts with.
Infinity is a manhwa where our main character, Damin Lee, is in a bit of a rut due to him not being a very good Soccer player. However, he is pretty darn good at just dodging things? Like, the boy can swerve past anything coming his way. And when the captain of the fencing team, Taegyun, catches wind of this strange talent, he realizes that Damin could make better use of it in fencing. And the moment Damin leaves his soccer team, Taegyun poaches him right up, introducing him to a sport he just might excel in.
Attaque
A revenge plot line involving fencing? Sign me up! Honestly, Attaque sounded hype as hell, taking inspiration from many mature manhwa that involve similar themes. And I always love a good bloody redemption story.
And redemption is exactly what Leesu craves. I mean, he didn’t have much money growing up, nor was he high in the social hierarchy. But the one thing he could always depend upon was his skill as a fighter, being one of the strongest people around. But when a car accident robs him of the one thing he could take pride in, Leesu is left a hollow man. So, when he discovers fencing, it feels like his best days might not be behind him just yet. The psychological aspect of Attaque mixed with that ‘rising from the ashes’ theme makes it a darker read, but still enjoyable.
Vanguard Of Fencing
Okay, this is sort of a cheat because it’s technically a manhua. Aka it’s a Chinese manga, but specifically a Danmei because it involves two boys being in love. And there’s time travel involved, to boot!
Vanguard Of Fencing is a BL (Boys Love) manhua revolving around Lin Yifei, our protagonist who has gone to attend his best friend’s funeral. Only to learn that said best friend, Chris, held unrequited feelings for him, leading to years of regret between the two. But then a strange thing happens, as Lin Yifei is given a second chance at life by being transported back in time to his childhood. This time, however, he swears to support Chris in becoming a champion fencer, using his knowledge from a future that doesn’t exist anymore. This one gave me all the feels, so highly recommended!
En Garde
Webtoons have been great at revitalizing the love for manga and comics in general, so I can see why it would also work well for sports manga. And something like En Garde is the perfect example of a fencing based webtoon.
I mean, you have a character who swore to leave this thing he really loved, because it felt like it wasn’t going anywhere, only to be pulled back in when he least expects it. Like, that is a classic set up. And I get it, because if I was Yunwoo and losing to my best friend, despite having twice the experience? Yeah, I’d hang my saber up too. But of course, you can’t unlearn something you dedicated so much time to, and you can’t walk away from it either. En Garde sells its characters well and the plot is actually engaging. And hey, who doesn’t love an underdog story?
You know, unlike the hockey article, there were very scarce pickings here for the best fencing manga and anime of all time. The thing is, there are more fencing stories out there, but they are still very much in their infancy. However, I’m sure this list will satiate any curiosity for fencing fans out there. But if I’m missing any of your faves, sound off below. Until next time!
