One Piece, Naruto, Dragon Ball, Studio Ghibli. What started in Japanese magazines ended up shaping pop culture worldwide. How well do you know it?
Legendary authors, record-breaking series, iconic studios and characters fans never forget. 10 questions for anyone who grew up reading right to left.
Pick your level
Manga started as a Japanese art form and became something the whole world reads, watches and argues about. One Piece has passed 600 million volumes in circulation. Studio Ghibli won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Dragon Ball and Naruto shaped an entire generation of fans outside Japan. The crossover happened quietly, then all at once.
This quiz covers the fundamentals: legendary authors, record-breaking sales, iconic studios and the characters every fan recognises on sight.
Kyubi, the Akatsuki, Sharingan, jutsu...
10 questionsSaiyans, Kamehameha and Dragon Balls.
10 questionsPirates, Devil Fruits and the Grand Line.
10 questionsQuirks, U.A. High School and the League of Villains.
10 questionsTypes, evolutions, generations and the Pokédex.
10 questionsTanjiro, Nezuko, the Hashira and the Upper Moons.
10 questionsTotoro, Chihiro, San, Kiki and Howl.
10 questionsLight, Ryuk, L and the rules of the death notebook.
10 questionsEren, Mikasa, Levi and the Nine Titans.
10 questionsItadori, Gojo, Sukuna and cursed techniques.
10 questionsDenji, Pochita, Power and the devils of Public Safety.
10 questionsSaitama, Genos and the Hero Association.
10 questionsGon, Killua, Nen and the Phantom Troupe.
10 questionsAll ten easy level questions, with the answer and the reasoning behind it.
Correct answer: Pikachu
Pikachu, who refuses to stay in a Poké Ball.
Correct answer: The Hidden Leaf
The Hidden Leaf, also called Konoha.
Correct answer: The Straw Hat Pirates
The Straw Hat Pirates, named after the hat Shanks gave him.
Correct answer: Saiyans
The Saiyans, and they can get extremely blonde when angry.
Correct answer: Deku
Deku, a schoolyard insult he turned into a badge of pride.
Correct answer: Nezuko
Nezuko, who gets through the series with a bamboo muzzle.
Correct answer: Manga
Manga. Anime is the animated side.
Correct answer: My Neighbour Totoro
My Neighbour Totoro, from 1988, whose spirit became the studio's logo.
Correct answer: Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon, who fights evil and is frequently late for school.
Correct answer: L
L, who sits strangely and eats a great many sweets.
Want to warm up before playing or double-check something? Open any question to reveal the correct answer and a short explanation.
Correct answer: One Piece
One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda in 1997, is the best-selling manga in history: its publisher Shueisha announced 600 million volumes in circulation worldwide in March 2026. It has been published weekly in Weekly Shonen Jump for nearly 30 years.
Correct answer: Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama (1955-2024) created Dragon Ball, serialised from 1984 to 1995. His passing in March 2024 moved millions of fans worldwide. He was also known for designing the characters in the Dragon Quest video game series.
Correct answer: Right to left
Japanese manga is read right to left, the opposite of Western comics. This follows the natural reading direction of Japanese writing. Most international editions preserve this original reading order.
Correct answer: Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli, founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata in 1985, is one of the most respected animation studios in the world. Spirited Away won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2003.
Correct answer: Eren
Eren Jaeger is the main protagonist of Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin), created by Hajime Isayama. The series ran from 2009 to 2021, and its anime adaptation, by Wit Studio and then MAPPA for the final season, became a worldwide phenomenon.
Correct answer: Shonen
Shonen manga targets young male readers aged roughly 12 to 18. The world's biggest manga franchises (Naruto, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Bleach) are all shonen. Seinen targets adult men, while shojo targets teenage girls.
Correct answer: One Piece
Devil Fruits (Akuma no Mi) are a central element of One Piece. Eating one grants extraordinary abilities but takes away the ability to swim. There are three types: Paramecia, Zoan and Logia.
Correct answer: 7
All 7 Dragon Balls must be collected to summon Shenron, the eternal dragon, who can grant any one wish. This quest is the driving force behind the entire Dragon Ball saga by Akira Toriyama.
Correct answer: Gol D. Roger
Gol D. Roger, also known as Gold Roger, is the only pirate to have conquered the Grand Line and found the island of Laugh Tale. Before his execution, he triggered the Great Age of Piracy by revealing the existence of the One Piece.
Correct answer: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) is Naruto's signature move. It creates fully physical clones rather than simple illusions. Naruto learns it in the very first episode from a forbidden scroll, and immediately uses it to beat Mizuki.
Stuck on one, or just curious how nasty it gets? Every hard mode question is here with its answer and the reasoning behind it.
Correct answer: Hajime Isayama
Hajime Isayama, who ran the series from 2009 to 2021.
Correct answer: Koyoharu Gotouge
Koyoharu Gotouge, whose series ended in 2020 at the peak of its success.
Correct answer: Hiromu Arakawa
Hiromu Arakawa, who grew up on a dairy farm in Hokkaido.
Correct answer: Hirohiko Araki
Hirohiko Araki, who has been at it since 1987, and appears not to age.
Correct answer: Basketball
Basketball. Inoue also wrote the wheelchair basketball series Real.
Correct answer: Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's most famous duellist and author of The Book of Five Rings.
Correct answer: Naoki Urasawa
Naoki Urasawa, master of the slow-burning manga thriller.
Correct answer: Hideaki Anno
Hideaki Anno, who later spent years remaking it for cinemas.
Correct answer: Spike Spiegel
Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter who lives on a spaceship and is usually broke.
Correct answer: Kakarot
Kakarot, as Vegeta insists on calling him.