Hot, Steamy, and Extra Dreamy: Romance Manga
For Valentine’s Day, we thought it would be perfect to revisit some of our favorite manga love stories! Whether you prefer romantic comedies, supernatural love stories, or straight-up hot-and-steamy adventures, we’ve got the manga for you!
We’ve gathered manga that either focus exclusively on romantic relationships or feature the exploration of romance and love as a major theme.
So if you’re looking for action with a little romance or the traditional “will they or won’t they” setup, dig into our favorite manga love stories!
Drama
Dengeki Daisy
Story and art by Kyousuke Motomi; translation and adaptation, JN Productions; touch-up art and lettering, Rina Mapa
After orphan Teru Kurebayashi loses her beloved older brother, she finds solace in the messages she exchanges with Daisy, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. Meanwhile, mysterious Tasuku Kurosaki always seems to be around whenever Teru needs help. Could Daisy be a lot closer than Teru thinks?
Skip Beat!
Story and art by Yoshiki Nakamura; English translation and adaptation, Tomo Kimura; touch-up art and lettering, Sabrina Heep
Kyoko followed her true love, Sho, to Tokyo and supported him while he made it big as an idol. Now, he says she means nothing to him, so Kyoko sets out to become even bigger than Sho, but finds that her bitter heart may be her undoing.
Weathering with You
Story by Makoto Shinkai ; art by Wataru Kubota ; translation: Melissa Tanaka.
During the summer of his first year in high school, a young man named Hodaka runs away from home to the bustling city of Tokyo. Alone and exhausted, he decides to kill time in a fast food place, where he meets a young woman named Hina who happens to workthere. Little does he know that Hina possesses powers that not only affect the weather, but the whole world...
Romantic Comedies
My Androgynous Boyfriend
Story and art by Tamekou; translation, Jocelyne Allen.
Wako and her androgynous boyfriend don't exactly have the most traditional of relationships. She spends her days working hard in the world of publishing, while he spends his time obsessing over fashion and makeup-- all with the goal of making himself beautiful just for her. This romantic slice-of-life story is about love, relationships, and breaking with tradition!
Cutie and the Beast
Story and art by Yuhi Azumi ; translation Angela Liu ; lettering and retouch, Erika Terriquez.
Most of her friends like pretty boys, but Momoka only has eyes for Kuga: a huge pro wrestler who plays a villainous heel on TV. But in real life, this tough guy has a softer side. Momoka's fan mail touches him in ways neither of them expected! In this lighthearted romantic comedy, a fangirl crush just might grow into something more.
My love story!
Story by Kazune Kawahara; art by Aruko; English adaptations, Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane; translation, JN Productions.
Giant Takeo Goda's love life takes a surprising turn when he saves a girl named Yamato, but will she be drawn instead to Takeo's handsome best friend, Sunakawa?
Ouran High School Host Club
Story and art by Bisco Hatori; english adaptation, Gary Leach; translation, Kenichiro Yagi
In this screwball romantic comedy, a poor girl at a rich kids' school ends up working for the school's swankiest club—and gets mistaken for a boy!
Say I love you
By Kanae Hazuki; [translation: Alethea and Athena Nibley; lettering: John Clark; editing: Ben Applegate].
Mei Tachibana has no friends--and she doesn't need them! Ever since her "friends" betrayed her in elementary school, she's sworn off friendship entirely. All it leads to is betrayal and heartbreak, and she's well enough on her own. But everything changes when she accidentally roundhouse kicks the most popular boy in school! However, Yamato Kurosawa isn't angry in the slightest-- in fact, he thinks his ordinary life could use an unusual girl like Mei! He won't take no for an answer, and soon Mei and Yamato embark on an unwanted friendship that will change both of them forever.
Sekirei
By Gokurakuin Sakurako ; translation: Caleb D. Cook ; lettering: Phil Christie.
Minato Sahashi is a rounin, a two-time loser who's failed his college placement exams. Just as he's contemplating giving up and heading home, though, a chance encounter changes his life forever! Enter Musubi, a girl who literally falls into Minato's life! Musubi is a Sekirei, a modified human caught up in a game in which only one of her kind can be left standing. In order to be victorious in this contest, though, she needs to find her Ashikabi (her fated partner)...and guess who fits the bill?? Caught up in battle he barely understands, can Minato survive 'The Sekirei Project' and emerge victorious? Either way, with his buxom new cohort by his side, his life will certainly never be the same!
Servant x service
Presented by Karino Takatsu; translation: Amanda Haley; lettering: D. Kim.
On any given day in a certain city, in a certain public services office building down in the Health and Welfare Department, you just might run into a clerk with a tongue twister of a name, a huge flirt, a bundle of insecurity, and a cosplay maniac?!
Looking for more romantic comedies? April Fools Comedy Special! Our Favorite Funny Manga!
Supernatural and Fantasy Manga
Yukarism
Story and art by Chika Shiomi
Yukari Kobayakawa, an accomplished author at the age of 17, writes with amazingly accurate details about historical Japan. It turns out he has the ability to travel back in time…to his past life as a renowned courtesan in the Edo period! As he goes back and forth between the past and present, he unravels the karmic relationship he has with his beautiful classmate Mahoro Tachibana…
When Yukari meets classmate Mahoro Tachibana for the first time, the two of them can’t help but feel like they know each other. Yukari senses that they had a major connection in the past, but was their relationship friendly or deadly?Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play
Story and art by Yuu Watase; English adaptation, Yuji Oniki; touch-up art and lettering, Andy Ristaino
Fifteen-year-old Miaka Yuki is transported into an ancient Chinese kingdom by an old book, The universe of the four gods. Following the legend in the story, Miaka becomes the Priestess of Suzaka and must find her seven Celestial Warriors before she can save the kingdom and return home.
The Demon Prince of Momochi House
Story and art by Aya Shouoto
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 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!
Sacrificial Princess & the King of Beasts
By Yu Tomofuji; translation, Paul Starr; lettering, Lys Blakeslee.
A young girl has resigned herself to being the next sacrificial meal for the Beast King, but the king is no mere monster! Love is more than skin deep in this gorgeous fantasy manga.
The Girl without a Face
By tearontaron; translation, Caleb D. Cook; lettering, Bianca Pistillo.
Her boyfriend thinks she’s the cutest girl around, but her expressions can be a bit hard to read...Despite the miscommunications, there’s one thing that always comes across—their love for each other.
For more supernatural and paranormal romance, check out Beauties and Beasts: Monster Manga!
School Romance
Boarding School Juliet
By Yousuke Kaneda; translation, Amanda Haley; lettering, James Dashiell
The prestigious Dahlia Academy educates the elite of society from two countries: to the East is the Nation of Touwa; across the sea, the Principality of West. The nations, though, are fierce rivals, and their students are constantly feuding--which means Romio Inuzuka, head of Touwa's first-year students, has a problem. He's fallen for his counterpart from West, Juliet Persia, and when he can't take it anymore, he confesses his feelings. Now Romio has two problems: a girlfriend, and a secret...
Love in Focus
By Yoko Nogiri; translation: Alethea and Athena Nibley.
Mako’s always had a passion for photography. When she loses someone dear to her, she clings to her art as a relic of the close relationship she once had … Luckily, her childhood best friend Kei encourages her to come to his high school and join their prestigious photo club. With nothing to lose, Mako grabs her camera and moves into the dorm where Kei and his classmates live. Soon, a fresh take on life, along with a mysterious new muse, begin to come into focus!
Tomo-chan is a Girl!
Story and art by Fumita Yanagida ; translation, Jennifer O'Donnell ; adaptation, T. Campbell ; lettering and retouch, Carolina Hernández Mendoza.
Boyish high school girl Aizawa Tomo finally manages to tell her childhood friend Jun that she's got a crush on him. Unfortunately, her confession goes right over his head-- he didn't even realize she was a girl until middle school, and even now, Jun still thinks of her as a bro! How can Tomo-chan possibly convince him otherwise and win Jun's heart?
Waiting for Spring
By Anashin; translation: Alethea and Athena Nibley ; lettering: Sara Linsley.
Mizuki is a shy girl who’s about to enter high school, and vows to open herself up to new friendships. Of course, the four stars of the boys’ basketball team weren’t exactly the friends she had in mind! Yet, when they drop by the café where she works, the five quickly hit it off. Soon she’s been accidentally thrust into the spotlight, targeted by jealous girls. And will she expand her mission to include … love?
Yuri and Yaoi/Boy's Love
10 Dance
By Inouesatoh; translation, Karhys; lettering, Brndn Blakeslee.
Shinya Sugiki, the dashing lord of Standard Ballroom, and Shinya Suzuki, passionate king of Latin Dance: The two share more than just a first name and a love of the sport. They each want to become champion of the 10-Dance Competition, which means they'll need to learn the other's specialty dances, and who better to learn from than the best? But old rivalries die hard, and things get complicated even further when they realize there might be more between them than an uneasy partnership.
Bloom into You
Story and art by Nakatani Nio, translation by Jenny McKeon, adaptation by Jenn Grunigen, lettering and retouch by CK Russell
Yuu has always loved shoujo manga and yearns for the day when someone might give her a love confession that would send her heart aflutter. Yet, when a junior high school classmate confesses his feelings to her, she feels nothing. Disappointed and confused, Yuu enters high school, where she sees the confident and beautiful student council member Nanami. When the next person to confess to Yuu is Nanami herself, has Yuu's romantic dream finally come true?
Éclair: A Girls' Love Anthology that Resonates in Your Heart
Illustration by Non, translation by Eleanor Summers, lettering by Alexis Eckerman
Full of beating hearts and fluttering feelings, this anthology of girls' love stories will leave you breathless. With contributors like Canno (Kiss and White Lily for My Dearest Girl), Sakuya Amano (Gosick), and Nio Nakatani (Bloom into You), this collection is sure to satisfy the desire for a sweet love story (or sixteen!)
Given
By Natsuki Kizu; translation, Junko Goda.
Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hot headed guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their band to the music, and to one another, always brings them back together again. Ritsuka Uenoyama is bored with it all-- with school, with his basketball club, and even with his one true passion: playing guitar. That is, until the day he finds his favorite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar. At first, Uenoyama is nonplussed by Mafuyu Sato and his slightly odd behavior, but when on a whim, he asks Mafuyu to sing, the power of that song pierces him to the core.
I Hear the Sunspot
Written and illustrated by Yuki Fumino
Because of a hearing disability, Kohei is often misunderstood and has trouble integrating into life on campus, so he learns to keep his distance. That is, until he meets the outspoken and cheerful Taichi, who tells Kohei that his hearing loss is not his fault. Taichi's words cut through Kohei's usual defense mechanisms and open his heart. More than friends, less than lovers, their relationship changes Kohei forever.
Nameless Asterism
Story and art by Kina Kobayashi; translation by Jenny McKeon; adaptation, Lora Gray; lettering and retouch, Ray Steeves.
Tsukasa, Nadeshiko, and Mikage have been inseparable since they began junior high, but Tsukasa has a secret she’s been keeping from her best friends–she actually has a big crush on Nadeshiko! Not wanting to risk their friendship, she planned to keep it a secret forever, but when Tsukasa learns that Nadeshiko has a crush on Mikage, her desire to support her friends now conflicts with her own feelings. First love blossoms in unexpected ways for these three young women and their circle of friends.
For more Yuri and Boy's Love suggestions, check out A Beginner's Guide to LGBTQ+ Manga!
Adult Manga for Ages 18+
Happy Marriage!
By Maki Enjoji
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. 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?!
Lust Geass
By Osamu Takahashi.
Souta Takatsuki and his neighbor Rikka Amanome have been like brother and sister since they were kids, but his feelings for her run much deeper. With her birthday coming up, he wants to find the perfect gift, which presents itself in the form of a book from a mysterious shop he happens across. The owner doesn't even charge him, saying he'll return to pay eventually...Souta is wholly unprepared for the insatiable passion the book inspires in Rikka, and it seems the ultimate price of this gift may be hefty indeed…
Midnight Secretary
Story and art by Tomu Ohmi; touch-up art and lettering, Joanna Estep
Kaya Satozuka prides herself on being an excellent secretary and a consummate professional, so she doesn't bat an eye when she's reassigned to the office of the company's difficult director, Kyohei Tahoma. He's as prickly and hot as rumors paint him, but Kaya is unfazed—until she discovers that he's a vampire! Kaya quickly accustoms herself to scheduling his "dinner dates" and working odd hours, but can she handle it when Kyohei's smoldering gaze starts turning her way?
Everyone's Getting Married
Story and art by Izumi Miyazono; translation, Katherine Schilling; touch-up art and lettering, Inori Fukuda Trant
Successful career woman Asuka Takanashi has an old-fashioned dream of getting married and becoming a housewife. After her long-term boyfriend breaks up with her to pursue his own career goals, Asuka encounters popular newscaster Ryu Nanami. Asuka and Ryu get along well, but the last thing he wants is to ever get married. This level-headed pair who want opposite things in life should never get involved, except…
Ten Count
Story and art by Rihito Takarai; translation, Adrienne Beck; touch-up art and lettering, NRP Studios.
Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. As the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani's attraction to his counselor grows.
The World's Greatest First Love
Story and art by Shungiku Nakamura ; translation, Adrienne Beck ; touch-up art and lettering, NRP Studios.
When Ritsu Onodera changes jobs, looking for a fresh start, he's not exactly thrilled when his new boss turns out to be his old flame. Ritsu's determined to leave all that in the past--but how can he when his boss is just as determined that they have a future?