Nothing takes your mind off of stressful things like a good romance story, and thankfully, shojo and josei manga has some of the best. While a lot of the titles on this list have anime titles as well, reading the manga offers up more story and, in some cases deeper relationships than what’s shown in the traditional 12-episode format that most of these titles get. Romance manga offers up a variety of experiences for readers. From a demon bound to a house, office romances to overcoming a large age gap, awkward living situations, and more, here is a list of some of my favorite romance manga to get you through the stress of self-isolating and social-distancing.
Don’t worry, I know some of these premises may seem problematic – age gaps, for one – but in the world of romance anime, that tends to fall away with a great story and character development. While I haven’t included some of the steamier titles in the romance manga world, I have included age ratings since a couple includes sexually explicit scenes. Overall, each of these offers up the cuteness and relationship dynamics that make you equally root for them. While some of these have more volumes available in the original Japanese, I’ve only included the count of English volumes currently available in the US market.
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Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an Otaku
Mangaka: Fujita
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Rating: 17+
The awkward, romantic comedy manga about geeks in love in the most real of ways. Narumi Momose has had it rough: every boyfriend she’s had dumped her once they found out she was an otaku, so she’s gone to great lengths to hide it from everyone around her. When a chance meeting at her new job with childhood friend, Hirotaka Nifuji almost gets her secret outed at work, she comes up with a plan to make sure he never speaks up. A hardcore gamer and otaku himself, he comes up with a counter-proposal: why doesn’t she just date him instead?
An Incurable Case of Love
Mangaka: Maki Enjoji
Publisher: VIZ Media
Rating: 17+
After witnessing a handsome and charming young doctor save a stranger’s life five years ago, Nanase Sakura trained to become a nurse. When she begins her training at his hospital, things don’t quite go as she expects when her long-time love ends up being a Dark Lord with a mean streak towards his co-workers. This romance manga is not only great for showing adults together but also showcasing some of the traditional josei boss-employee tropes done in the best way.
Ao Haro Ride (Blue Spring Ride)
Mangaka: Io Sakisaka
Publisher: VIZ Media
Rating: 12+
In this shojo, Futaba Yoshioka thought all boys were loud and obnoxious until she met Kou Tanaka in junior high. But as soon as she realized she really liked him, he had already moved away because of family issues. Now, in high school, Kou has reappeared but is he doesn’t seem to be the same boy she fell in love with. This romance manga is filled with the high school slice of life angst that makes shojo a go-to for love stories.
The Demon Prince of Momochi House
Mangaka: Aya Shouoto
Publisher: VIZ Media
Rating: 12+
On her sixteenth birthday, orphan Himari Momochi inherits her ancestral estate that she’s never seen. Momochi House exists on the barrier between the human and spiritual realms, and Himari is meant to act as a guardian between the two worlds. But on the day she moves in, she finds three handsome squatters already living in the house, and one seems to have already taken over her role!
Living-Room Matsunaga-San
Mangaka: Keiko Iwashita
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Rating: 15+
Forget the familiar: family circumstances wrestle high schooler Meeko from ordinary family life to her uncle’s boarding house. There she must learn to live with housework and… rather unusual adult housemates. What’s more, the oldest of the bunch, Matsunaga-san, is a little scary… but also always looks out for her! Presenting the first volume of a boarding house love story about falling for an adult!
TDK
Mangaka: Ayu Watanabe
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Rating: 17+
Aoi Nishimori is a high school girl who lives alone in her own apartment, but to her surprise, she discovers that the prince of her school, Shusei Kugayama, has moved in next door! To add to this, a series of crazy happenings result in the two living together under a single roof! Shusei is known to be a heartless guy, and Aoi particularly hates him after he coldly rejects her best friend, so a life of cohabitation seems like a recipe for disaster.
SP Baby
Mangaka: Maki Enjoji
Publisher: VIZ Media
Rating: 15+
SP Baby is Enjoji’s latest romance title. In it, Tamaki isn’t sure she’s cut out to be a bodyguard, but Kagetora has another reason for wanting to hire her. Unbeknownst to her, they’ve met before…Tamaki, the rookie in the Security Police, is working as a bodyguard for Kagetora Sugou—the prime minister’s nephew. But Kagetora is acting more like a boyfriend than a boss. Will Tamaki let down her guard and accept his advances?
Yakuza Lover
Mangaka: Nozomi Mino
Publisher: VIZ Media
Rating: 17+
When feisty college student Yuri is attacked at a party, she’s saved by Toshiomi Oya, the underboss of a yakuza syndicate. Despite her obvious attraction to him, she convinces herself that she’s not in the market for a bad boy type. But when they meet again, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to him—kicking off a steamy and dangerous love affair that threatens to consume her body and soul.
Happy Marriage!?
Mangaka: Maki Enjoji
Publisher: VIZ Media
Rating: 17+
In order to help her father, Chiwa Takanashi agrees to an arranged marriage with the company president, Hokuto Mamiya—a man she doesn’t know—at the request of Hokuto’s grandfather. Maki Chiwa believes the arrangement isn’t binding, but her new partner seems to think otherwise. Can two strangers living together find their way to a happy marriage?! I know, I know, but don’t roll your eyes at the words “arranged marriage” just yet, this title takes the trope and runs with it in a great way.
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
Mangaka: Karuho Shiina
Publisher: VIZ Media
Rating: 12+
Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine…for a horror movie. Nicknamed “Sadako” after the haunting movie character, everyone is afraid to come near her for fear of being cursed. But her whole life changes when she befriends the most popular boy in class, Shota Kazehaya.
This is just a taste of the romance manga that’s out there, and with services like ComiXology Unlimited, now is the perfect time to jump into reading these titles. With the majority of American comic books not coming out until the summer, it’s a great time to branch out and expand your library. Start here!
When available, the summaries of titles in Romance Manga to Read Right Now are from product pages.
