Top 10 highly recommended Josei romance manga you’ll regret not paying heed to.
While perpetually digging to find romance in every genre, shojo is the top-picked one, but only genuine manga readers can locate the obnubilated treasures. “Josei” is one such gem. The genre fixates on women’s challenges and everyday lives, typically in their tardy teens and possibly older.
In particular, for our female readers, we have compiled a list of the best 10 Josei romance manga to avail you elude the mainstream and prevailing genres of shonen and seinen and discover the grand world of the underrated.
10. Gomashio to Purin (Black Sesame Salt and Pudding)
Nobody can soothsay what the future may bring. Your world may change into an unexpected reality with only one minor move. You could be isekaid into an unfamiliar universe, journey across time, or even experience reincarnation. Nevertheless, the author has other ideas for Haruhi, our 22-year-old protagonist.
Haruhi Fukunaga lives in the pulsating metropolis of Tokyo and works her dream job as a heavy machine operator at a construction site where males predominate. Everything was going well until Haruhi’s father unexpectedly demanded that she leave her ideal life in Tokyo and come back to assist him in running his rural business.
Haruhi now uses alcohol as a means of venting her aggravation and discontent, but she never expected that this would cause her life to change drastically. The following day, she discovers that she is now espoused to a middle-aged, twice-her-age hottie with grey hair.
Spanning 23 chapters and three volumes, Gomashio to Pudding is a touching story of Haruhi and Sunohara as they unexpectedly and overnight enter the world of married.
9. Kimi wa Petto (You’re My Pet)
The readers are told a remarkable tale of Sumire and her pet kid in the manga. Iwaya Sumire, a young journalist for a major newspaper who is well-educated, is haughty and self-assured. She had a jubilant life until she ascertained that her boyfriend of five years was cheating on her, and to top it all off, she was additionally demoted at work.
Distraught and exasperated at her loss, Sumire meets Takeshi Gouda, a young, alluring, but homeless kid. Sumire takes him home on a whim after being shocked by his startling similarity to her deceased pet, momo. The story genuinely commences when Sumire opts to let this young man remain at her house in reciprocation for becoming her pet.
Kimi wa Petto is an intriguing account of Sumire and Momo as they commence living together. It has 82 chapters and 14 volumes. The narrative portrays the Josei genre to its very core.
8. Wotakoi : Love is Hard for Otaku
Wotakoi, a series of 11 volumes inscribed and illustrated by Fujita, allows readers to experience the difficulties that circumvent the “dating world of Otakus.” Narumi is simply another awkward, little young woman with some questionable adornment.
As a die-hard Otaku, or more accurately, a fujoshi, Narumi is obsessed with manga, idols and anime, which makes it challenging for her to pursue a meaningful relationship in the outside world. Since no one can comprehend an otaku better than an otaku.
However, a chance meeting with her childhood chum Hirotaka Nifuji—a devoted gamer—in her new workplace has led to many heartwarming developments. Will the pair be able to get over the reality that “Love is hard for an otaku,” even if they seem to be made for each other?
7. Paradise Kiss
Never in a million years did Yukari picture herself performing on a stage filled with glimmering lights amidst the crowd. However, life is capricious and coerces us to habituate. Concerning our protagonist Yukari Hayasaka, something kindred occurred.
Being a vibrant and agog person, Yukari has her life orchestrated. He never even tried to fill her monotonous existence herself, yet something feels off with it. She does, however, experience a surprising blossoming of her life when she meets strange but incredibly gifted fashion designers in a location called the Atelier.
Now that George Koizumi, the chief designer, is relentlessly after her, Yukari has no alternative but to model for them for the forthcoming fashion show at Yazawa Academy. Yukari, who had never planned to think about doing something as frivolous as modeling, starts a new chapter of her life with these oddballs but endearing weirdos.
6. Nodame Cantabile
We are all designated to meet that one special person with whom we will have a perpetual bond at some time in our lives. Something likely transpires in Nadome Cantabil, a Japanese manga series inscribed and illustrated by Tomoko Ninomiya. Shinichi Chiyaki is a multilingual perfectionist who is proud and arrogant.
Shinichi, a star pianist at Momogaoka College of Music, has just one dream for the future: to become a world-class conductor. Born into a prestigious family, he always dreamed of studying music in Europe. However, he is stuck in Japan because of his trepidation about flying and the ocean.
Shinchi, however, was incognizant that Nodame, a cheerful young woman with a great talent for music, would cause his stone heart wall to falter and crumble. Due to his inelegant gait and unkempt look, Nodame is frequently misinterpreted. However, despite getting off to a rocky start, both Shinichi and Nodame fill the void with companionship, trust, and endearing romance.
5. Daytime Shooting Star
Suzume is prepared to step foot into a new vista after living in the Japanese countryside for 15 years. However, not every travel goes as well as one might hope. Shuzume, a foolish and clumsy woman, gets lost on the way to her uncle’s house and collapses in the park nearby.
She learns about the guy who drove her all the way home and is shocked to see that she has returned safely to her uncle’s house. But the events of fate don’t end there. After enrolling at a new school, she discovers that Satsuki Shishio, her homeroom teacher, is the man from the previous day.
In addition, she runs upon Daiki Mamura at the new school, a germophobe with a frigid demeanor. And thus, Shuzume’s search for her true position in the glistening metropolis begins. The author has several surprises in store for the naive rural girl whose destiny is intertwined with two fantastical guys.
4. Gokusen
Gokusen contains all three: comedy, romance, and drama. However, the manga is not a regular Josei as many anticipate but is more far-fetched. The plot revolves around Kumiko Yamaguchi, a recently hired homeroom teacher, and the happenings in her life.
Kumiko, a young woman with ideals and energy, is prepared to land her desired job as a math teacher. All of her joy, however, is dashed when she meets the most infamous and difficult-to-deal-with class in the entire school. These youngsters are absolute delinquents with their noisy behavior and sloppy attire.
Nobody is aware that Kumiko is a 4th generation heir of a renowned Yakuza clan. Therefore, Kumiko is now prepared to bring about an uninvited shift in the lives of these delinquents, who are far from being referred to as acceptable, thanks to her experience as an upper-level Yakuza.
3. Nana
“Nana,” which captures the spirit of Josei, centers on the lives of two young ladies named Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki as they attempt to start over in the busy metropolis of Tokyo. Nana Komatsu is a hopeless romantic who is innocent and seeking love.
Nana Osaki, a wanna-be rock star, has lost her enthusiasm for love due to an unhealthy breakup with her partner. However, as the proverb goes, “opposite attracts.” Through an accidental encounter on the train, Nana K and Nana O become entangled with one another to the point that they eventually start living under the same roof. And thus, the tale of Nanas, who fight to carve out their destinies, begins.
2. Your Name
We frequently consider what it could be like to become someone else. Mitusha Miyamizu, who has lived in Tokyo her whole life, has long harbored the desire to leave the uninteresting countryside where she currently resides and begin a new life as a guy in the metropolis.
Taki Tachibana, a city boy, is on the other end of the spectrum. He must balance working part-time and pursuing his ambition of becoming an architect. The unasked-for wishes were, however, fulfilled when Mitusha abruptly awoke in an unfamiliar location, more shockingly within Taki’s body.
In the meantime, Taki as well finds himself living his life as a naive country girl named Mitusha. Now that their bodies have been switched, problems appear out of the blue. Both begin their hunt for one another to learn more about this mysterious phenomenon.
1. A Silent Voice
For those who can hear, silence is the most soothing sound. The manga revolves around Shouya Ishida, an impish lad, and Shouko Nishimiya, a deaf transfer student. Back in middle school, Shoya and his buddies bullied and tormented Shouko, who, despite having hearing loss, truly wanted to befriend her peers, so much so that she put up with all the bullying incurred upon her.
Shouko finally transfers to another school after a protracted struggle to blend in as one of them. After all of Shouya’s wrongdoings, he now finds himself as the new victim of bullying. Five years later, fate seemed to have offered Shouya a second chance to atone for his transgressions. Shouya runs across Shouko once again in high school. With his changed ways and to atone for his past conduct, he is determined to face what lies ahead of him.
Final Thoughts
With a plethora of mature and everyday life themes, the genre does fair by presenting the viewer with a realistic female heroine who has her personality and isn’t dominated by any other upper-class male characters.
Therefore, we sincerely advise you to try reading the above-mentioned Josei romance manga if you are anxious about a change from your typical manga list. Furthermore, we are delighted to do your search for Josei romance mangas worthwhile, so kindly feel free to add comments in the box below.
