Nothing sweetens a day like a good romance.
You'd think couples being lovey dovey or two people struggling to get together wouldn't be all that intersting, but these manga will have you hooked. In fact by the time you get through this list, you might be choking on all the sugar you have just consumed. Whether you're looking for vanilla fluff, drama and angst, or if you want both, this list has got what you need.
10. Teasing Master Takagi-san
Middle schoolers Nishikata and Takagi have an odd relationship where “If you blush, you lose.” Since they met, it’s been a constant competition of who can fluster who first. Unfortunately for Nishikata, Takagi, his seat neighbor, has totally mastered the art of teasing, and though he tries to get back at her he has yet to succeed.
You'll like Teasing Master Takagi-san if…
- You like episodic plots
- You like wholesome, vanilla romcoms
- You like slice of life reads
9. Seven Days
Seryou Touji is one of the most popular students at his school, and rumor has it that he’ll date anyone who asks him out on a Monday for seven days. Shino Yuzuru decides to ask Seryou out as a joke, but to his surprise his request is taken seriously. A relationship with Seryou, for most, expires after a week, but Shino might be the one to change that.
You’ll like Seven Days if…
- You like shounen ai
- You like stories with school settings
- You like short reads
8. Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku
Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji are childhood friends who just happen to be working at the same place. Both of them also happen to be hard core otaku, which is something they’d like to keep secret, and that makes it hard for them to get a love life. One day while drinking after work, they have an idea: go out with each other because that way, there’ll be nothing to hide.
You’ll like Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku if…
- You can relate to otaku culture and enjoy otaku references
- You can relate to workplace culture
- You enjoy manga with older characters
7. Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
Sawako Kuronuma looks like a character straight out of a horror movie, but really she’s just shy and misunderstood. It’s her dream to be able to fit in with her classmates, and one day to her surprise, she’s able to befriend the most popular boy in her school! Suddenly Sawako’s high school life has gotten a lot more interesting as she begins to make friends as well as enemies.
You’ll like Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You if…
- You like misunderstood main characters
- You like romance and drama
- You like slower paced stories
6. Horimiya
Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura are both high school students leading double lives. One is a top student hiding the reality that they’re always busy because of a family situation, and the other is a glasses-wearing nerd who also happens to have piercings and a tattoo. When these two students meet, they become friends, even with the other party knowing their other side.
You’ll like Horimiya if…
- You like relaxing reads
- You like romcoms
- You like relationships that feel genuine
5. Fruits Basket
Tooru Honda is about as unlucky as unlucky gets, but rather than letting her misfortunes dampen her spirits, she does her best to always stay bright and upbeat. She’s a homeless orphan, but when they find her camping out on their grounds, the mysterious Souma family decides to take her in. When Tooru accidentally discovers the family’s secret, she finds herself roped into their struggles all while she must deal with her own issues.
You’ll like Fruits Basket if…
- You like supernatural comedies
- You like stories that go from lighthearted to dark
- You like watching character growth
4. Ouran High School Host Club
Haruhi is attending Ouran High School, a school for the richest of the rich and elite members of society, on a scholarship. While looking for a place to study, she happens to wander into the room of the school’s host club, a club run by six outrageously rich and good looking guys, and breaks a vase worth $80,000. To pay back her massive debt, Haruhi has to go undercover as a guy and work for the club where she learns just how far apart the worlds of the rich and the poor are.
You’ll like Ouran HIgh School Host Club if…
- You like extravagant and diverse characters
- You like stories with a variety of events
- You like reverse harems
3. Bloom Into You
Yuu Koito likes the idea of falling in love but has so far been unable to find anyone she can find herself falling in love with. Enter Touko Nanami, the cool student council president, who Yuu watches turn down a confession with poise. Inspired by what she’s seen, Yuu turns to Touko for help with her problem, only for Touko to confess to her out of the blue. Yuu doesn’t know what to do, but she decides to roll with it anyways in hope that maybe she’ll be able to finally find the love she’s been seeking.
You’ll like Bloom Into You…
- You like shoujo ai manga
- You like complex characters
- You like manga that poses existential questions
2. Yona of the Dawn
After her father is killed by the cousin she is in love with, Princess Yona of Kouka is forced to escape from the palace with her loyal bodyguard Hak. Having lived a simple life of luxury until now, Yona is lost and above all confused about what had just happened. In order to save the kingdom, Yona and Hak travel in search of the four dragon warriors of legend, and as they journey they begin to learn that life in Kouka is not as perfect as Yona thought.
You’ll like Yona of the Dawn if…
- You like fantasy manga
- You like shoujo manga
- You like complex characters
1. Kaguya-sama: Love is War
School council president Miyuki Shirogane and vice president Kaguya Shinomiya are the top dogs of the prestigious Shuchiin Academy and just so happen to like each other. However, the catch is both of them think that the first one to confess their feelings will have “lost” and so they’re stuck trying to trick the other into being the first to confess. The two geniuses will have to put their brains to work if they want to emerge the victor of the war.
You’ll like Kaguya-sama: Love is War if…
- You like highschool romcoms
- You like endearing and relatable characters
- You like plots with intense and creative strategizing
