Few shoujo manga have as devoted a following as Fruits Basket. This is a series that had a decent anime adaptation many years ago and has since gotten the 'brotherhood treatment' with excellent results. Tohru Honda, a girl who lost her mother and now lives in a tent in the woods, is the protagonist of Natsuki Takaya's classic shoujo manga. Tohru is clearly unlucky, but she maintains her cheerful demeanor. She is the epitome of a glass-half-full character, clinging to hope with all her might.

Tohru comes across the home of her classmate, Yuki Soma, one day: a traditional and secluded Japanese house. Shigure, Yuki's older brother, is a laid-back stay-at-home author who warmly welcomes Tohru into their home. However, the Soma family secret is quickly revealed, and Tohru is burdened with the knowledge that each member of the family is possessed by a Chinese zodiac animal. Members of the Soma clan suddenly transform into their animal form when hugged by a member of the opposite sex, often resulting in awkward and hilarious situations.

The series explores some very dark and strange territory, with the cat character, Kyo, being the most endearing and fascinating member of the cast of this shoujo manga. Fruits Basket is a beloved shoujo manga classic and a reverse-harem slice-of-life romance manga for the ages.

Author: Natsuki Takaya

Original run: 18 July 1998–20 November 2006
Volumes: 23

Status: Completed

Buy here: https://bom.so/dc43MD

Charm is an important component of a good shoujo manga. When it comes to shoujo, charm trumps even romance. Skip and Loafer exude charm from every pore. The protagonist has a wide-eyed sweetness as well as a goofiness, which is highlighted by her unusual appearance. Iwakura is drawn differently than the other characters on the roster, with a more minimalist and blank expression reminiscent of Mob Psycho 100.

It's endearing that even her face makes you laugh (but not in a cruel or mocking way). Then there's the emphasis on friendship rather than romance. Shima, the other protagonist, is a charming himbo who every girl adores, and he has chosen to befriend Iwakura on her first day of school. After growing up in the country, this is her first day in Tokyo. A lot goes wrong, and Shima is there to help (though he's not very good at it).

This is a shoujo manga that combines the slice-of-life and romance genres to create something amusing, heartwarming, and entertaining. The excellent English translation carries the comedy and charm of the original into every line and page, and a growing cast of characters keeps readers engaged chapter after chapter.

Author: Misaki Takamatsu

Original run: August 25, 2018 – present
Volumes: 8

Status: Ongoing

Buy here: https://bom.so/dhKnq1

This shoujo manga, also known as Blue Spring Ride in English, exemplifies the will-they-won't-they narrative. It injects grounded, often harsh and dark, themes and events into the story to provide readers with a romance story with real weight and substance. Ao Haru Ride is a popular romance manga with a large fan base, particularly in Japan. The plot revolves around sixteen-year-old Futaba, whose first love has returned from a long stay in Nagasaki.

Kou, on the other hand, is not the boy she remembers; he is now distant and guarded. You soon discover that this is because Kou lost his mother while living in Nagasaki. Ao Haru Ride is a mature and hard-hitting shoujo story that shows how life throws obstacles in your path to happiness and how you often build those obstacles ourselves due to naivety, self-destructive tendencies, and an inability to see the future or read the past. This is a series with a lot of twists and turns that you should see for yourself, as well as a romance manga that comes highly recommended.

Author: Io Sakisaka

Original run: 13 January 2011–13 February 2015
Volumes: 13

Status: Completed

Buy here: https://bom.so/T5rHtg

While Ao Haru Ride is her best-known work, her newer manga, Love Me, Love Me Not, is refreshingly different from Shoujo manga. Love Me, Love Me Not stands out for its use of her iconic bubbly, soft, and (at this point) retro style, but with more believable and grounded problems and personalities. Yuna and Akari are the main characters. When they meet, they have both said goodbye to a best friend who has moved away and is about to start high school together.

Yuna is a romantic with her head in the clouds who believes in waiting for her perfect true love. Akari, on the other hand, "meets love head-on." She exudes confidence and a zest for life. The shy, quiet romantic versus the flirtatious and inquisitive realist The creator of this romance manga has stated unequivocally that neither is right or wrong, which is why they share the spotlight as protagonists. Yuna also has a childhood friend, Inui, whom Akari thinks would be ideal for Yuna. Akari is dumped by her long-distance boyfriend early on, and rumors of her flirtatious nature begin to circulate. The drama in this show is genuine, relatable, and at times difficult.

However, the fact that it is drawn in a cute and muted '90s style adds a comforting warmth to this romance manga, as does Yuna's sweet, if childish, romanticism. But this is a shoujo manga about female friendships as much as it is about love and romance. The relationship between Yuna and Akari is the most important and interesting in the manga. They grow and learn from each other, which is what makes this manga stand out in a sea of cookie-cutter romance stories.

Author: Io Sakisaka
Original run: June 13, 2015 – May 13, 2019
Volumes: 12
Status: Completed
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Me-Not-Vol/dp/1974713091

Nana Komatsu grew up in a town that she describes as neither a small village nor a bustling city. She is the middle child, neither wealthy nor impoverished. Nothing out of the ordinary. Her older boyfriend is also leaving for Tokyo. Nana Oosaki has no recollection of her parents. She was raised by a sarcastic grandmother who made her work hard, and she is now the frontwoman of the punk band BLAST. Her bassist boyfriend is also leaving for Tokyo.

When these two Nanas reach the age of 20, they decide to move to Tokyo, one pursuing big dreams of becoming famous and the other looking for love. They meet on a train and, against all odds, become friends first, then roommates. Nana is a dynamic and sweet slice-of-life manga and a shoujo manga masterwork. Any fan of Shoujo or slice-of-life manga should read this.

Author: Ai Yazawa

Original run: May 26, 2000 – May 26, 2009 (on hiatus)
Volumes: 21

Status: Ongoing

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Nana-Manga/s?k=Nana+Manga

Nichijou is a Shoujo manga masterpiece that plays with the concept of "slice of life" in a very meta, constantly hilarious way. Nichijou (every day), set in the town of Tokisadame, revolves around two main groups of characters: a group of three young schoolgirls and an odd trio comprised of a child professor, her hand-built robot, and a talking cat.

Despite the fact that the strangeness of the second trio can be seen from a mile away, the three schoolgirls in this slice-of-life manga are just as odd. The first is deadpan and serious, the second is overjoyed, and the third is wildly emotional. Each chapter of Nichijou begins with a fairly mundane scenario — one that is relatable or, at the very least, understandable and reasonable — but that scenario quickly morphs and devolves into absurdity. Almost without fail, the events of each chapter will twist your stomach.

Author: Keiichi Arawi

Original run: December 2006 – present
Volumes: 11

Status: Ongoing

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/nichijou/s?k=nichijou

What manga lovers commonly refer to as a "love triangle" is actually one person attempting to choose between two others. If you're looking for a true love triangle, you should read My Love Mix-Up!. This shoujo manga about high school students crushing on each other is proud of how silly and charming it is. Aoki and Ida are two boys, and Hashimoto is a girl. Aoki likes Hashimoto, but he quickly realizes that she is more interested in Ida.

Ida comes to believe that Aoki, not Hashimoto, likes him due to a clumsy misunderstanding. He's never had a crush on anyone before, but he's open to the possibility that he's gay. As a result, he develops a strong attachment to Aoki, whom he still believes has a crush on him. So now Aoki is crushing Hashimoto, who is crushing Ida, who is now crushing Aoki. That's a classic love triangle.

Twists and turns occur frequently as this entertaining dynamic progresses, and you get to enjoy these endearing archetypes (especially the adorable himbo Aoki). The wholesome nature of this romance manga means that the stakes are low while the humor is high. My Love Mix-Up! is the romance manga for you if you prefer your love stories to be sweet and charming rather than heartbreaking soap opera-esque drama.

Author: Wataru Hinekure
Original run: June 13, 2019 – June 13, 2022
Volumes: 9
Status: Completed
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Mix-Up-Vol-Wataru-Hinekure/dp/1974725278

Horimiya is a charming and wholesome romance manga that was originally written and drawn by Hiroki Adachi (Hero) before being adapted and redrawn by Daisuke Hagiwara. Horimiya is also the subject of a hugely popular romance anime adaptation, which has proven to be a truly outstanding adaptation of the original manga source material.

The Horimiya manga follows the blossoming romance of high school students Kyoko Hori and Izumi Miyamura. She is a well-liked honor student with a secret home life full of responsibility and raising her adorable little brother. He's an introverted, almost imperceptible, middle-of-the-road student with a secret private life as a tattooed and pierced himbo. Horimiya is one of the most well-known romance manga series ever created. The fact that its two protagonists are so well developed has contributed to its phenomenal success.

Their personal dramas, issues, dreams, and daily lives are fleshed out and given full attention. Add romance to the mix, and you've got two characters who not only care about each other but whose romance is a joy to watch unfold. In contrast to the majority of romance manga, their romance moves forward at a refreshingly quick and smooth pace. Horimiya is a comedy-romance manga, but the comedy serves to keep the story light rather than make the reader laugh out loud. Come for the romance, but stay for the laughs.

Author: Hero

Original run: February 2007 – December 22, 2011
Volumes: 10

Status: Completed

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Horimiya-Vol-1-HERO/dp/0316342033

Orange crosses many genres, including romance, slice-of-life, and even the supernatural. It's also a short manga that comes in two oversized volumes that you can devour on a weekend. Orange is thus a satisfyingly complete and focused manga experience. Orange follows a group of friends, the main character of whom is high schooler Naho Takamiya. Naho receives a letter from someone claiming to be her future self at the start of a new school year. Future Naho expresses her deepest regret for failing to save the life of a young boy named Kakeru Naruse.

The letter arrived on this particular day because it coincided with Kakeru's return to Matsumoto from his previous life in Tokyo. Kakeru quickly integrates into Naho's circle of friends, becoming the group's sixth member. The letter Naho received contains a detailed list of instructions on how to save Kakeru's life. Every day, Naho must decide whether or not to trust and follow these instructions. Meanwhile, Naho is married to Hiroto in the future, and you are occasionally transported into their lives as they reminisce about their high school days ten years ago and about their now-deceased friend Kakeru.

Orange is a moving, heartfelt story about love, friendship, mental health, and the obligations you have to and for one another. Sure, it's a romance manga, but it's also so much more.

Author: Ichigo Takano

Original run: March 13, 2012 – April 12, 2022
Volumes: 7

Status: Completed

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/orange-Complete-Collection-Ichigo-Takano/dp/1626923027

Snow White with the Red Hair (Akagami no Shirayukihime) is a long-running shoujo manga. If you liked Orange because it was short and tight, getting into something like Snow White with Red Hair is a big ask. However, for many, it is worthwhile. This fantasy shoujo series follows Shirayuki (literally Snow White), a Tanbarun kingdom herbalist. At first, her story is very loosely based on the Snow White fairy tale.

Shirayuki is a refreshingly capable and self-aware female protagonist who rejects Prince Raji's advances. When she scorns him, cuts her hair, and flees, she finds herself in the company of the neighboring kingdom's Prince Zen. After saving Zen from a poison apple sent by Prince Raji and intended for her, she establishes herself as a herbalist of Zen's royal court, and, to no one's surprise, a romance between the two gradually blossoms. Snow White with the Red Hair is a romance shoujo manga that will appeal to fans of romance and fantasy manga, as well as European fairy tales.

Author: Sorata Akizuki

Original run: August 10, 2006 – present
Volumes: 26

Status: Ongoing

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Snow-White-Red-Hair/s?k=Snow+White+With+The+Red+Hair

Maid Sama! (Kaichou wa Maid-sama! or The Class President is a Maid!) is yet another hugely popular classic romance manga with a unique premise. The series' title certainly conjures up an image that, when peeled back, reveals a far more mature romance story. Misaki Ayuzawa is the protagonist and the titular president/maid. Misaki has a lot to prove as a student at a school that was once only for male students. She ascends to the position of student body president.

Misaki, on the other hand, has a student: Misaki works part-time at a maid cafe to help support her sick mother, Maid Sama! (Kaichou wa Maid-sama! or The Class President is a Maid!) is yet another hugely popular classic romance manga with a unique premise. The series' title certainly conjures up an image that, when peeled back, reveals a far more mature romance story.

Author: Hiro Fujiwara

Original run: December 24, 2005 – September 24, 2013
Volumes: 18

Status: Completed

Buy here: https://bom.so/zbUAMT

The classic Ouran High School Host Club (ran Kk Hosuto Kurabu), like the modern Kaguya-sama, is a shoujo manga that relies heavily on comedy to satirize shoujo tropes and themes. Ouran High School Host Club is a Shakespearean comedy about a case of mistaken gender identity. Haruhi attends the titular Ouran High School. While looking for a study spot, she comes across the Host Club's unofficial clubroom.

The Host Club is a small group of boys who entertain female customers with tea and cakes. Haruhi is forced to work as the club's errand boy at first after breaking something valuable, before eventually becoming a full-fledged host herself. Haruhi's appearance leads the host boys to mistake her for a boy, and even after the truth is revealed, they still want her as a host because of her natural ability to charm and entertain the school's girls. It's an odd story, but one that will appeal to fans of Shakespeare's comedies. However, this is a series that has lasted for years and will continue to be a favorite of many Shoujo manga fans.

Author: Bisco Hatori
Original run: September 2002 – November 2010
Volumes: 18
Status: Completed
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Ouran-High-School-Host-Club/s?k=Ouran+High+School+Host+Club