I’m always looking for new manga too read, so I thought about sharing my favourite 10 with you guys, and Hopefully exchange some good recommendations… This post is exclusively from the genre shoujo.
It was really difficult for me to think of only 10 titles to share with you. As I’m very peeky with the Manga I read, so by looking at all the titles and picking the ones that got me more hooked up on my reading, I notice that I might not have as much of a wide range or variety in my taste. But I think I found some good underdogs, or not so famous, as I’m avoiding to include the most obvious options or more liked ones, such as Lovely Complex, Fruit Baske, etc.
Don’t get me wrong as much as I Love this tittles and the fact that Takaya Natsuki got me so obsessed with her super sad manga and make me cry so much with each volume I read of furuba. I wanted to share with you the ones that are maybe not so famous or widely recognise. As I had to dig very dip on my manga browser to find some of this tittles.
I read manga since I’m between 6-8 year old, and at least in my mind I have a wide range in taste when it comes to manga genres, from shaman king and One Punch Man to Kiniro no Corda or La Corda D’Oro, so after reading manga for so long and getting to read just classics like Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Tsubasa wa Chronicle Reservoir, Card Captor Sakura and all the CLAMP legacy. As time passed I find hard to find manga that fully satisfy the high expectations that I have. If you got to read the classics as you were growing old like me, the more similarities you find with the most new tittles. I’m not trying to label that work as copycat whatsoever but most magakas are strongly influence by them.
I’m trying to make this post as short as I can, but I can’t avoid to show my passion for manga as I write, so please feel free to scroll down and get to the point.
I have two key factors when it comes to choosing if is worth it to read the manga or not, as sometimes there’s no nice summaries describing the manga plot.
First one is the style of the manga, I have high expectations when it comes to the stetics of the character design, as I grew older used to see the super detail cute, feminine designs in every page from what I keep calling the classics. So if the Manga doesn’t have thar particular “style” or if the character are not appealing to me, is highly possible that I’ll try to read it for few minutes till it gets to the point where I can’t handle keep looking at it. Or if the characters looks too childish looking as I would end up feeling bad, about myself if I end up liking the main cool male character. I corn want to feel like a pedo, lol . So that’s a big no no, also I notice that this mangas are more focus on attracting younger followers. Having a less mature content I say that without any sexual connotation.
The other keypoint it’s that doesn’t fall as much as in the cliche of its genres. So I might read first pages and then skip 3-4 chapters.And if it looks interesting I’ll keep reading it, hopping that it will moved me and I will get so hooked on my reading and end up changing pages till late at night.
I look for The manga artist that can make you relate to their character and stories that you will feel inspired or strongly attach to their characters till the point you will enduring the hardships together with the characters and cheer them up hoping with that the end will be joyful for them.
Having this is mind, I hope I get to share some content worth of your time.
I didn’t choose it in a particular ranking. As some are unique to me and don’t think I can compare one to another.
AO HARU RIDE:
I know you might think that this is a well-know tittle, and already has an anime adaptation, but this manga quickly won my heart.
The story begins with the quick end of Yoshioka Futaba’s first love.
As any new high schooler with insecurities she starts to act as less girly/lady like as she can possible be, to not attract any male attention, so she won’t be a competition to her classmates and fit in and have friends. As she often says she hates men.
So when her first love or who appears to be the skinny not so masculine boy she fell in love with shows up to the scene again. Is hard for him to recognise her at all as she also change from being a shy and well-manner to a loud eating too much girl.
This story centers in the struggle of Futaba to fight against her feelings for this boy,as he starts acting cold and rude, turning into nothing like the person she liked.
As the story goes by, we can’t avoid sharing our frustration and confusing Towards Kou, as we are never sure either he likes or hates Futaba and his motives behind his rude behaviour. And we see how all characters fit into place and makes this story so much richer, sharing the spotlight of our attention to the whole gang of Kou/Futaba. As you turn pages and reach another chapter the relationships between characters tangle up and break, making everyone cry including the readers. Or at least me.
Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare:
A far from having a name hard to remember, this is another great story from Sakisaka Io, I wasn’t sure if I should put this tittle on the list, as I haven’t being able to find beyond chapter 11, but the story was so good that by sharing it with you Maybe I won’t be the only one coping and waiting till someone shares more chapters.
This story centers in the life and connection between 4 characters.
Akari, Yuna, Kazuomi and Rio.
New friendships and a painful secret from the past.
As the story develops we get to know the point of view that each character has of love.
How their own love stories starts and develope. New interesting, deep and moving secrets in every chapter..
Word reading and enduring the wait, so give it a try.
Tsubaki-chou lonely planet by Yamamori Mika:
Poor Fumi, the main character story starts, when her dad has a huge debt and she needs to move house after her dad sails in a tuna fishing ship, hoping to mend the troublesome situation the family is in.
Without any other choice with the help of the connection her dad has, she manage to find a work as a housekeeper for a very odd writer.
Rere Hello by Minami Touko:
Ririko the main character gets involve in a awkward situation when her dad gets injured and can’t work in his own handyman company. With no other choice Ririko takes her dad’s place and start working for her new handsome not so friendly young boss.
Without spoilers, is a similar plot to tsubaki chou lonely planet, but the approach each magaka gave to their story makes both mangas worth reading. Is a more light hearted story to enjoy.
Love, So Life:
This manga from Kouichi Kaede, is the life of orphan Shiharu, that spends their days as a normal student, working in a daycare and living in an orphanage.
When she meets baby 2 year old twins at her work, as she loves kids she is outstanding at the daycare, both because of her young age and passion for kids.
When the handsome TV host and uncle of the pair ask her to work for him, she starts spending more and more time with the family and falling in love with them.
With heartwarming moments between the twins and memories of her mom, is one of those stories that puts you in a happy mood and make you wish you could be as happy and cheerful as Shiharu.
Mairunovich from Zakuri Sato.
Main character Kinoshita Mairu is nothing like the typical shoujo Manga girl, she hides behind her glasses and an odd “poison mushroom” appearance. Often suffering from not being cute and bully by her classmates. Till also not so average fairy godmother appears to her rescue, former classmate and young make up artist, Kumasa Tenjyuu
This story is not so typical at all, even if it’s about the ugly duck turning into a swan, as characters have more depth and her friends are not as the usual sidekicks of other heroines, as she often is relaying for advice on her trasvestite neighbour.
Is easy to identify with the character insecurities, as this manga goes beyond, we learn with Mairu that being pretty is not enough to be happy. And we go through her struggle to find her own style and learning to know her better, as she changes her looks, she learns from love the hard way as she embarks herself in what it seems like an endless journey to find the right boy for her.
Yumemiro Taiyou:
Shimana Kaneko runs away from home, after her dad remarries and gets a new kid, as she doesn’t feel like she belongs there.
While wandering in the park, she finds a weird man wearing a kimono, who offers her a place to live under three conditions.
She ends up living in a house with 3 handsome men. And endless funny situations and love triangles starts.
Arisa from mangaka Ando Natsumi, it’s a shame there’s no much available from this talented artist. As this is one of the manga I liked the most, and sadly I haven’t being able to put my eyes on more of her work.
Arisa is the perfect student, pretty, smart admire by all and with a handsome boyfriend . But she hides more than just one secret.
She was separate from her twin tomboyish troublesome, Tsubasa. When their parents got divorce, and communicate only through letters for years.
When Tsubasa gets the strange request from her sister to change places at school, she gets no other choice to search for the dark true that lead her not so perfect sister Arisa to end up in coma.
Secret after secret Tsubasa learns that her sister life and her beloved class is nothing of what it seems like, after she gets involved in the game of “The King”.
A story filled with mystery, dangerous secrets, and the dark nature of humans.
As we read we can’t wait to know what’s behind the not so innocent game that makes the wishes of a chosen one of the class, as every student is eager to be chose by a character call the King.
Hitoribbochi wa samishikute:
The story of two young students who’s life’s are connected by the struggle to make their dreams come true, against their parents will.
A beautiful motivational story that will make you remember the passion and naive dreams when you were younger, or it will encourage you to follow your dreams no matter what, like this two characters.
Shy Kogure Nao is approach one day by a scary looking guy, with a flower bouquet after he ask her to date him, with this weird phrase, “please date me before marrying me”. Scare for her life she has no other choice but to say yes.
Nao ends up in a situation where she is to afraid to say no, and the pressure from the opinions of their classmates and friends about her atypical boyfriend.
But his scary looks might not be as he seems to
Funny refreshing story about this weird couple. If you are done with the typical love story about the girl falling in love with the handsome guy, this is a good option for you.
Love, Eden..
Please share your favourite mangas, if you had read some of this, I’ll be happy to find new mangas to read.
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