Romance is a prevalent genre in manga, where riveting plots with unexpected twists and turns exist. ComingSoon has curated a list of the best romance manga for readers looking for heartwarming tales with remarkable characters. From light-hearted high school rom-coms to binge-worthy manga with heavy themes, here are four of the best picks!
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is an award-winning seinen manga with 28 volumes and 281 chapters. It began serialization in the Young Jump Magazine in May 2019. Aka Akasaka wrote the narrative about Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane. They are a pair of geniuses who work together in the Student Council of Shuchiin Academy.
The pupils at the school ship them together, but the two turn down all speculations by clarifying that they do not date each other. Soon after, however, Kaguya and Miyuki develop romantic feelings for each other, but both seem afraid to confess to the other.
As they embark on a mission to make the other one confess their feelings first, they begin their war of love. Kaguya-sama: Love is War has attracted a wider audience over the years, thus emerging as one of the most riveting romance manga of all time.
Horimiya
HERO and Daisuke Hagiwara collectively worked on Horimiya, and published 17 volumes spanning over 139 chapters. GFantasy magazine serialized the shōnen manga in October 2011, and has become one of the best romance manga in the industry since then.
The story follows Kyouko Hori and her secret life. Contrary to her popularity at school for being a bright student, she keeps from socializing due to household chores and the responsibility of taking care of her younger brother. Conversely, Izumi Miyamura, who is not as popular at school, hides several piercings and a tattoo from the world.
As the two characters intersect each other’s paths, friendship blooms between them. With that, they begin a new life by spending more time in each other’s company.
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimananmi Tasogare
With just 23 chapters in 4 volumes, Yuhki Kamatani’s Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare is a psychological fiction. HiBaNa published the manga in March 2015, and it was nominated for Best Manga at the Harvey Awards in 2019.
The story is set in Onomichi, wherein a bully outs Tasuku Kaname, a student at a high school, as gay. Troubled with his thoughts, he decides to end his life. Fortunately, before he does anything to himself, he meets a mysterious person whose name remains unknown throughout the manga.
Someone-san, or Anonymous, as they are known, helps Tasuku be at peace with his sexual identity. Although the manga has subtle hints of romance, this slice-of-life narrative takes an unorthodox path to show the harsh lives that people in the LGBTQ+ community lead.
My Little Monster
Robico’s My Little Monster consists of 13 volumes and 55 chapters. Dessert published the manga in August 2008, and its circulation continued until November 2022. The story revolves around the two main characters — Shizuku Mizutani and Haru Yoshida.
Shizuku has big dreams and is immersed entirely in her studies. On the other hand, Haru is a troublemaker who gets expelled from school. They cross paths as Shizuku starts bringing her notes to Haru.
Their friendship begins here, and Haru soon confesses his romantic feelings for her. Meanwhile, Shizuku learns more about Haru and understands that he is much more than he lets on through his tough exterior.
