Romance Manga 102
By: Leah Thakur
Welcome back to class, dear Readin’ readers!
In Manga 101 I wrote about the basics of manga, Japanese comics that are often printed in black and white and read from right to left to mimic the language of origin. These stories are categorized by (what I think are outdated) demographics—shonen for young boys, shoujo for young girls, seinen for adult men, and josei for adult women—and published chapter by chapter online or in magazines intended for these demographics, until they are published physically in volumes that contain a few chapters each.
With the basics underhand, I’d also like to make a case for manga as serious and legitimate literature. Mangakas work incredibly hard to deliver stories that are captivating because of the plot, dialogue, and the artwork they create. Though there is variance from story-to-story and volume-to-volume, the average volume of manga is usually 180+ pages with 50,000 words or more. To deny this entire medium denies a huge industry of writers and artists, and dismisses the importance of manga in Japanese pop culture and worldwide.
We’re incredibly lucky to have so much of this medium published in English and readily available, with new licenses popping up every day. I am desperate for my romance readers to start enjoying the genre in this medium, so I am back with even more recommendations for you.
More manga recs for the romance novel obsessed
In the Clear Moonlit Dusk by Mika Yamamori
This manga follows Yoi, the gorgeous, kind, tall, “prince” of her school. However, no one really sees past her looks until she meets Ichimura. He is equally as gorgeous, just as “princely” as Yoi, but he sees her for the person she really is. He’s down bad for her immediately, but Yoi has never been in a relationship before. Nonetheless, she agrees to try to date Ichimura to figure out what it really means to be in love. These two have so many ups and downs, but they learn so much about themselves and each other throughout the series.
Glasses With A Chance of Delinquent by NARUKI
Momose, who has a horrible past with delinquents, is shocked to find out the quiet, nerdy boy in class was actually a delinquent in middle school! Ichimura says he’s changed his ways, even though he’s still quick to solve his problems by fighting, but Momose thinks he’s worth a chance anyway. The story follows this couple as Ichimura tries to leave his delinquent phase in the past and as Momose tries to keep his secret.
My Love Mix-Up by Wataru Hinekure
I dare you to find a single person who doesn’t love this story! A quickly resolved, love triangle(ish) story where Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl who sits next to him, Hashimoto has a crush on Ida, the popular boy in their grade, and Ida has a crush on…no one? But Aoki is devastated when he borrows an eraser from Hashimoto and finds Ida’s name on it. And Ida is shocked when he borrows the same eraser from Aoki and sees his own name on it and assumes Aoki actually has a crush on him! Could he start falling for Aoki? And will Aoki actually start falling for Ida?
How I Met My Soulmate by Anashin
Yuuki is a college sophomore who just has one big wish for herself: to find her soulmate. One night, her friend drags her out to the club to find him, and she meets Iori, a gorgeous dental student. Instead of falling in love at first sight, he agrees to help her find her soulmate. Yuuki and Iori get closer when she’s reintroduced to her childhood crush, Jin. So what does destiny have in store for her? Her first love or a new love?
Cinderella Closet by Wakana Yanai
A college romance where “plain” Haruka is mesmerized when she meets the most beautiful and stylish woman she’s ever seen, Hikaru! But as the pair become friends, Haruka finds out that Hikaru isn’t a woman at all! Fluid in his gender identity, Hikaru loves to dress as a woman. The two fall in love over hair and makeup, and learn to love and see one another for who they really are.
Pink Heart Jam by Shikke
Haiga is a college freshman, ready to take on the world and experience new things. He sees a gorgeous boy on campus strumming a guitar, and this new crush makes him join his college’s music club. One night, a friend dares Haiga to go a male brothel where he discovers Kanae, the gorgeous guitarist, is a sex worker there. After a night together, Haiga discovers so much about himself and his sexuality but between Kanae’s past, his job he enjoys where Haiga is now his client, and Haiga figuring himself out, these two have a lot to overcome to be together.
Our Not So Lonely Planet Travel Guide by Mone Sorai
Asahi and Mitsuki may seem like an odd couple, with Asahi being super serious and Mitsuki being super chill, but the two have been through so much and genuinely are perfect for each other. They decide to travel and experience the world, and when they get back to Japan, they’ll get married. The story does an incredible job of teaching the reader about different cultures and customs, the reality of being in an openly gay relationship around the world, and the beautiful ups and downs of any healthy relationship. This artwork of each country and all the landmarks is also so stunning, it’s hard to turn the pages and keep reading this story!
Fake Fact Lips by Machi Suehiro
A rivals-to-lovers office romance where Ryou and Zen hate to lose to each other. These two have been rivals since high school, competing against each other in every way you can imagine. They lost touch after graduating, but when they end up working at the same office, their rivalry starts up again as if it never ended. Everyone knows these two are always in competition, so there’s some confusion when they seem like they’re getting closer. Turns out, they’re now competing to see who will fall for the other first! But competition in love is tricky, especially when there are parts of their stories that are yet to be revealed.
The Invisible Man and His Soon To Be Wife by Iwatobineko
Shizuka works at a detective agency that is owned by the kind and gentlemanly Tounome. Born invisible, Tounome is perfect for detective work, except when it comes to Shizuka. Her blindness coupled with his invisibility means she can’t see him, but Shizuka always senses when Tounome is around. These two incredibly sweet people start dating and Shizuka is (hopefully) Tounome’s soon to be wife! This story also has an incredible cast of side characters and is the perfect cozy, found family, office romance story.
The Savior’s Book Café Story In Another World by Kyouka Izumi
Tsukina is just like us for real. She is single, in her thirties, and an office worker who loves nothing more than to cuddle up with a good book. One day, when a god tells her that she must leave her life behind, go to another world and become their savior, she says absolutely not! The god sends her anyway, so she decides to use her new powers to open a bookstore and cafe that ends up frequented by a very handsome soldier. Soon enough though, she is forced to use her powers to save the kingdom, but will she get the bookstore and the guy too?
Now to get readin…
Whether you are a seasoned manga reader or are brand new to the medium, I hope there is something on this list for everyone. Manga is an incredible storytelling medium that encompasses both captivating stories and gorgeous artwork. There are truly so many stories out there to read and this list is just a slice of what manga has to offer. Pick one, or a couple, and happy readin!