The Greatest Romance Manga Of The Past Ten Years (2024)

Romance is one of the most beautiful emotions a person can feel. It's also a genre that will never get old in the world of fiction, including Japanese manga and anime. No matter how clichéd a romance story may be, fans will always eat it up. The romance manga genre is particularly prolific, drawing millions of readers from around the world.

Romance is a varied genre that can combine with horror, adventure, science fiction, and fantasy. There's something for everyone. From traditional romance to classics that combine a variety of literary genres, all types of heartwarming romance stories make the cut.

30 Bloom Into You Showed How Patience Sometimes Pays Off in Love

The central conceit of Nio Nakatani's Bloom Into You is that being willing to wait for the other person to come to terms with their feelings can mean so much in a relationship. Yuu has just started high school when one of her middle school classmates confesses his love for her, in part because she doesn't feel that she understands love. She rejects him, and then sees a second year high school girl, Touko, do the same to someone confessing their love for her. Yuu feels that she and Touko are the same, and befriends her, but soon, Touko falls for Yuu and ALSO confesses her love for her. Yuu turns her down, but Touku tells her that she can wait.

So the girls become close friends, and Yuu helps Touku with Touku's major problem, which is that she is living in the shadow of her dead older sister. She is trying to be the person her sister could never become, while Yuu tells her that she needs to be HERself. Touku embraces this advice, and in the end, Yuu realizes that she DOES love Touku. Of course, there's a lot more drama than just that (Touku's best friend has ALSO been holding a torch for Touku, for instance), but the central relationship really sells the story.

29 Insomniacs After School Proves That Opposites Attract...When They Both Have Insomnia, At Least

Makoto Ojiro's heartwarming series, Insomniacs After School, Ganta Nakami is a grumpy, introverted teenager, and this is mostly due to the fact that he suffers from insomnia, so he is constantly sleepy at school. The school's observatory has been closed down for a while, so he figured he could catch a nap in the abandoned observatory, but he encounters Isaki Magari, an outgoing fellow classmate who ALSO suffers from insomnia, and so she had the same idea.

The two unlikely friends bond over both their insomnia, and their shared interest in getting the school's Astronomy Club back and running. Along the way, of course, they fall in love, and share more about their stories, like how Ganta's insomnia stems from his mother abandoning him, and Isaki's issues come from a heart ailment that she struggles with. This is just a truly adorable series.

28 The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All Had a Fascinating Genesis

Interestingly, Sumiko Arai's acclaimed manga, The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, debuted on Arai's Twitter account, where she determined that she could tell stories using just four panels per tweet. She did this to make a point to use the character's expressions to really tell the story so everything could be understood without knowing Japanese, and appeal to a universal audience. The series was then collected into a series, and recently debuted in an English version.

Aya Oosawa is a high schooler who is into rock music, but feels like she needs to keep it a secret to keep her classmates (who are into pop music) from making fun of her. She discovers a rock music shop, and she bonds with the worker there, who she believes is a guy. In reality, it is her nerdy classmate, Mitsuki Koga, whose uncle owns the store. She disguises herself so that she can do her job without anyone from school giving her grief, but obviously, that backfires when she suddenly has this deepening connection with Aya, who doesn't even know who she is! The striking use of color really makes this fun series stand out.

27 The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity Follows The Romance Of Two Young Students From Very Different Worlds

A classic "opposites attract" story, The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity follows the blossoming romance between two very unlikely students. While Rintarou Tsumugi is a student at Chidori High, a school infamous for its delinquent student body, Kaoruko Waguri attends Kikyo Academy, a prestigious school for the wealthy. The two couldn't be any more different, and their schools happen to be mortal enemies. But after a chance encounter, they form a close friendship that soon turns into something more.

The story is hardly revolutionary, but that's exactly what makes it such a charming series. The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity embraces clichés in the best way possible. It offers one of the sweetest, most wholesome romances to come out in some time.

26 I Hear the Sunspot Shows the Power of Looking Past People's Outer Defenses

Yuki Fumino's charming series, I Hear the Sunspot, is all about the joys that can come when you look past other people's outer defenses. In this case, Kohei Sugihara is a college student that everyone thinks is just standoffish, but in reality, he suffered hearing loss in high school, and that is what has caused him to retreat into himself. Meanwhile, his classmate, Taichi Sagawa, is an outgoing guy who struggles financially, and so he takes on a part-time job of taking notes for Kohei in exchange for food.

As the two becomes friends, they see the selves that they don't let others get to glimpse, like how the seemingly easygoing Taichi is struggling with the fact that he is on hsi own in life, and obviously, we see that Kohei is only lonely because he was afraid of reaching out to others, not because he is standoffish. Their friendship develops into love as they come to fully trust each other.

25 The Ice Guy And His Cool Female Colleague Is An Adorable Romance

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague is an adorable workplace romance. In a world where descendants of mythical creatures live among humans, a Yuki Onni named Himuro falls head over heels for his new coworker, Fuyutsuki. Himuro’s emotions often get the better of him, which causes him to produce copious amounts of snow, ice, and water. However, Fuyutsuki takes it all in stride, which only makes Himuro like her more.

Fuyutsuki and Himuro’s romance is definitely a slow burn, but it’s worth the wait. The story features other romances as well. This gives readers even more characters and love stories to fall in love with. The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague gives readers a wholesome adult romance. Fuyutsuki and Himuro are an adorable couple that fans cannot get enough of.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague

TV-14

Comedy

Fantasy

Romance

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague (Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi) is a romantic comedy anime series with a fantasy element. Himuro, a young man who descends from a powerful snow spirit, lives with his somewhat uncontrollable ability; when his emotions run awry, Himuro can create snowmen, igloos, and powerful gusts of snow. However, for some reason, when he finds himself smitten by his coworker Fuyutsuki, he quite literally freezes up.

Release Date

January 4, 2023

Cast

Yui Ishikawa , Chiaki Kobayashi , Yumi Uchiyama , Hiyori Nitta , Ayane Sakura , Kouki Uchiyama

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

1

Website

https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GW4HM75NP/the-ice-guy-and-his-cool-female-colleague

Studio

Zero-G

Distributor

Crunchyroll

Main Characters

Fuyutsuki, Himuro, Komori, Yukimin, Otonashi, Saejima

Production Company

Zero-G

Writers

Tomoko Konparu

Number of Episodes

12

24 The Summer You Were There Shows That Sometimes Just Being There Can Mean So Much

You might have noticed a slight pattern in a lot of these stories, where an outgoing person helps bring an introverted person out of their shell, and it's fair to say that that is an extremely common theme in romance manga, but, well, it's a common theme because it WORKS, and that is the case in The Summer You Were There, Yuama's sweet romance (with an edge) about Shizuku, a high school girl with a bit of a dark past who isolates herself from her classmates, and just throws herself into her writing.

Well, when her popular classmate, Kaori, discovers the novel that Shizuku has written, she loves it, and she tells Shizuku that the two of them should pretend to date to give her material for her NEXT novel. A bit of a wacky premise, to be sure, but of course, there is more to it, as Shizuku has a secret past that has led to her cutting herself off from people (she was a terrible bully), while Kaori is dealing with some mysterious health issues, but the chemistry between the two carries the whole endeavor, as Shizuku realizes just HAVING someone be there is so very importany. However, Yuama impressively chooses not to gloss over the effects of bullying, which is nice to see.

Sasaki and Miyano is an endearing romance manga about two boys who bond over their (eventual) shared interest in BL manga. Sasaki Shuumei becomes interested in Miyano Yoshikazu when he notices him reading BL manga at school. Miyano is embarrassed about his interests at first, but the two boys come to share their love for the genre after Miyano loans some of his volumes to Sasaki to read.

From there, an adorable relationship blossoms into romance. The story has many typical high school romance tropes, such as jealousy and insecurities. However, just because the story is familiar doesn’t mean that it isn’t great. Sasaki and Miyano is a wonderful, heartwarming tale that is perfect for anyone looking for something light and wholesome to read.

Sasaki and Miyano

TV-14

Comedy

Drama

Shy and easily flustered Miyano harbors an embarrassing secret - he is a "fudanshi", a boy who likes boys' love manga. Intrigued, the clueless delinquent Sasaki requests to borrow one, marking a shift in their strange dynamic.

Release Date

January 10, 2022

Cast

Kellen Goff , Kayleigh McKee

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1 Season

Creator

Yoshiko Nakamura

Production Company

Studio DEEN

Number of Episodes

13 Episodes

22 Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty Tells Of A Mysterious Supernatural Romance

An underrated title within the shojo demographic, Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty stars a young boy named Tetsu Misato, who begins working as a housekeeper at an old mansion. During his duties, he meets a strange girl named Shizu who tells him she's been isolated from others for years due to an illness. Enchanted by the peculiar girl, Tetsu begins to visit her regularly, and the two form a friendship.

As Tetsu and Shizu spend more time together, they both slowly start to fall in love. However, before Tetsu can confess his feelings, he discovers the truth of Shizu's condition. If he hopes to continue to be with the girl he loves, Tetsu must save Shizu from her mysterious affliction before it's too late. This manga is perfect for dramatic romance lovers.

21 I Want To Be A Wall Features Different Romance Dynamics

I Want to Be a Wall is an inclusive tale about an asexual woman and a gay man who marry to satisfy their nagging families. Yuriko has no real interest in love or sexual desire, and Gakurouta is helplessly in love with his childhood best friend. Yuriko and Gakurouta navigate married life as sympathetic partners in a greater scheme to avoid their families’ ire.

I Want to be a Wall takes a deeper look into each newlywed’s situation. Yuriko sometimes wishes she was like most other people so she would feel understood, while Gakurouta pines after the love of his life. There are only a few volumes out, presently, but readers are anxious to hear more about this marriage of convenience, and whether their secrets will ever come out.

20 I'm Kinda Chubby And I'm Your Hero Features A Unique Protagonist

I’m Kinda Chubby and I’m Your Hero is a wholesome manga about two men who become each other’s fans. Bunfuku “Ponjirou” Honjirou is an aspiring actor who has an immense passion for the stage but always misses lines. Konnosuke Inari is a patissier who is struggling with self-doubt as he strives to become the best pastry chef he can be. After seeing Ponjirou on stage on his day off, Konnosuke immediately becomes his fan and begins sending him sweets. Ponjirou likewise loves the pastries he receives from Konnosuke, and the two form a quick friendship.

This manga is so wholesome because of how fervently Ponjirou and Konnosuke believe in each other. They support one another no matter what and help each other gain the confidence they need to continue. It is also a slowly blooming romance as both men come to realize how much they care for one another. It’s a great manga with unique character types that aren’t often seen in romance manga.

19 Yakuza Fiancé Mixes Action With Romance

Yakuza Fiancé is one of the most interesting recent romance manga. The story follows Yoshino Somei and Kirishima Miyama who are betrothed after their elders form an alliance. However, it's only after Yoshino witnesses Kirishima covered in blood that she realizes he’s part of the yakuza. Despite this, Yoshino vows to seduce Kirishima as long as her grandfather needs her to for his ultimate plan.

Yakuza Fiancé is a wild ride from start to finish. It can sometimes be hard to tell what Kirishima’s true feelings are, but that’s part of the fun. There is a constant struggle to see who is being outsmarted by whom and whether or not Yoshino and Kirishima will actually be together. This manga is a great read for anyone who’s not afraid of blood and who likes a heaping helping of action with their romance.

18 Sweat And Soap Smells Like Romance

Sweat and Soap is somewhat of a rarity as it features working adults. The story centers around Asako Yaeshima, an office worker for the Lila Drop toiletries company, and Kotaro Natori, the lead product developer for the same company. Throughout her life, Asako has been self-conscious about her overactive sweat glands, and, by association, her body odor. This begins to change when Kotaro catches a whiff of Asako’s scent and finds inspiration for a new product.

While the premise sounds a bit odd, the two characters' relationship is nothing but wholesome. It’s a refreshing take on romance manga since it delves into an adult relationship. On top of being a top-tier romance story, it’s also a story of getting over one’s insecurities and healing from past trauma.

17 A Sign Of Affection Sees Love Blossom Between A Multilingual Boy & A Hearing-Impaired Girl

Praised as one of modern anime's greatest new love stories, A Sign of Affection tells a heartfelt story of love between two college students. Yuki Itose is a shy, withdrawn young woman who has always felt isolated due to her hearing impairment. For most of her life, she's been alone, and she has very little in the way of a social life. However, that all changes after she meets Itsuomi Nagi, who takes an immediate interest in Yuki.

A Sign of Affection is a wholesome romance that thoughtfully depicts the struggles of those with hearing impairments, all while telling one of the sweetest love stories in modern manga. The series is lighthearted and uplifting, featuring a refreshingly healthy and supportive main couple that readers can't help but love. An anime for this series was released in the first half of 2024, but, as with any great story, the manga is the better choice.

A Sign of Affection

Animation

Comedy

Drama

Romance

Yuki Itoseis a college student who's into friends and fashion. She's also deaf. A chance meeting on a train leads to a serious crush... But can it grow into something more?

Release Date

January 6, 2024

Creator

Production Company

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

16 A Tropical Fish Yearns For Snow Is A Wonderful Girls' Love Story

So good it deserves its own anime, A Tropical Fish Yearns For Snowfollows the nervous and shy Konatsu Amano as she moves from the city to the country. She joins the unique club at her new school and discovers the eccentric Koyuki Honami is its only member. Their friendship blossoms as the girls spend more and more time together.

Konatsu and Koyuki are reserved and lonely, and the story demonstrates how they overcome their emotional barriers. The artwork, like the story, is straightforward while also being profound and beautiful. A Tropical Fish Yearns For Snow's compelling plot has a slow burn until the very end.

A Tropical Fish Yearns For Snow

Konatsu Amano, who moved to live with her aunt after her father's overseas work, forms a deep connection with the pretty upperclassman Koyuki Honami during a chance encounter at the high school's aquarium open house. As they both grapple with loneliness and navigate their reserved natures, the girls join the aquarium club in an effort to grow closer, unraveling their emotions and confronting the challenge of expressing their feelings for each other.

Release Date

June 27, 2017

Author

Makoto Hagino

Artist

Makoto Hagino

Genre

Comedy , Drama

Chapters

34

Volumes

9

Publisher

ASCII Media Works

15 Komi Can't Communicate Features A Dandere Girl Making 100 Friends

Tomohito Oda's Komi Can't Communicate stars Shoko Komi, a girl with severe social anxiety who aims to make 100 friends. However, Komi's classmates don't know the harsh reality of Komi's communication disorder. They assume that Komi's silence means she's too good to talk to them.

After meeting Komi, her classmate, Hitohito Tadano, decides to help her fulfill her friendship goals. The series has a good sense of humor and a wholesome, slow-burn romance. Fans also appreciate its honest depiction of social anxiety. After receiving an anime adaptation, the series only grew in popularity.

Komi Can't Communicate

Socially anxious high school student Shoko Komi’s greatest dream is to make some friends, but everyone at school mistakes her crippling social anxiety for cool reserve. With the whole student body keeping its distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach.

Release Date

May 18, 2016

Author

Tomohito Oda

Artist

Tomohito Oda

Genre

Romantic Comedy , Slice of Life

Chapters

223+

Volumes

31+

Adaptation

Komi Can't Communicate

Publisher

Shogakukan, Viz Media, Shogakukan Asia

14 Honey So Sweet Shows True Love Between A Shy Girl & A Delinquent

Honey So Sweet was written and illustrated by Amu Meguro. When Nao Kogure, an easily frightened high school girl, is asked out by delinquent Taiga Onise with the intent of marriage, she discovers how kind he actually is. Nao further learns that Taiga's reputation is misunderstood because of his frightening face and expression.

It's eventually revealed Taiga fell in love with Nao when she patched his wounds after a fight and lent her umbrella to him in middle school. Honey So Sweet was originally a one-shot named Granulated Sugar before being picked up for serialization. This manga is perfect for fans of unlikely pairings and high school romances.

Honey So Sweet

Nao Kogure, a high school girl, finds herself in an unexpected situation when Taiga Onise, a reputed delinquent, asks her to be his girlfriend with the intention of marriage. However, Nao soon realizes that Onise is a kind and misunderstood person whom she had assisted in middle school by lending him her umbrella and providing bandages. As they strive to develop a friendship, Nao and Onise also form connections with other students.

Release Date

2012-08-00

Author

Amu Meguro

Artist

Amu Meguro

Genre

Romance , Shojo

Chapters

20+

Volumes

8

Adaptation

Honey

Publisher

Shueisha, Viz Media

13 How Do We Relationship? Is A College Yuri Adventure

Offering a twist on the traditional trope of a "fake" relationship or "arranged" marriage that becomes real, this romance involves two women. Miwa has always known that she prefers women, but now that she's at university and away from her old surroundings, she can finally step out of the proverbial closet. She's quite shy, however, and isn't sure how to go about doing that.

Miwa turns to her slightly odd but popular friend Saeko for help and ends up getting more than she bargained for when the relationship they concoct to help Miwa come out becomes real. Using more mature storytelling instead of falling back on tired clichés, How Do We Relationship? remains a fan-favorite romance manga.

How Do We Relationship?

Upon entering university, Miwa Inuzuka unexpectedly befriends Saeko Sawatari, who is her complete opposite. At Saeko's invitation, Miwa joins a music club, and during their conversations, they both disclose their homosexuality. Saeko proposes that they become a couple, and although Miwa doesn't harbor romantic feelings for Saeko, her curiosity about love prompts her to agree to date Saeko.

Release Date

August 17, 2018

Author

Tamifull

Artist

Tamifull

Genre

Romantic Comedy , Shojo

Volumes

11

Publisher

Shogakukan, Viz Media

12 Seaside Stranger Is A Poignant Adult Romance

Seaside Stranger is a beautiful romance anime between two men who meet in Okinawa. Shun Hashimoto is a struggling author and Mio Chibana is still a teen when they first meet. Yet, when Mio returns to the island as an adult, his and Shun’s relationship begins to delve into something much more than friends.

This manga is strictly for adult readers, but it has one of the most heartwarming love stories. Shun’s struggle with his sexuality is an unfortunate reality for many people in the LGBTQIA+ community, especially when it comes to families. Thankfully, Shun has Mio’s devil-may-care attitude at his side and they can face the world together. Seaside Stranger boasts stunning artwork by Kii Kanna and a story that is sure to draw readers further in with each new chapter.

The Stranger by the Beach

TV-14

Drama

Romance

Two men meet on a beach in Okinawa and are romantically attracted to each other.

Director

Akiyo Ohashi

Release Date

September 11, 2020

Cast

Bryn Apprill , Justin Briner

Writers

Akiyo Ohashi

Runtime

59 Minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Production Company

Studio Hibari

11 Skip And Loafer Develops A Friendship First

Skip and Loafer is a wholesome manga that features two teens muddling their way through high school. One is a popular former child star trying to change his image, and the other is an ambitious politician-to-be hoping to help her tiny hometown. Sousuke Shima and Mitsumi Iwakura become unlikely friends on their first day and develop into something more as the story goes on.

Skip and Loafer is one of the best manga of the last few decades because it builds Sousuke and Mitsumi’s relationship over time. They don’t immediately begin having feelings for one another. However, the more time they spend together, the more their relationship deepens. At ten volumes, the manga is still ongoing. Fans eagerly await each new installment to see what lies ahead for Sousuke and Mitsumi’s future.

Skip and Loafer

TV-14

Comedy

Animation

Mitsumi moves to Tokyo to attend a prestigious school and achieve her dreams of making positive change in the world. But while she's got book smarts, she soon finds herself inexperienced in big city norms, and struggles to make friends.

Release Date

April 4, 2023

Cast

Tomoyo Kurosawa , Akinori Egoshi , Yuka Terasaki , Maaya Uchida , Megumi Han , Manami Hanawa , Ayumu Murase , Risa Watanabe , Tomohiro Yamaguchi , Mayumi Tsukishima , Hikaru Tanaka , Ruka Shoji , Miyako Kobayashi , Yuji Murai , Minako Kotobuki , Hana Shimano , Saya Hirose , Kaito Ogawa , Tomomi Tanaka , Mitsuki Saiga , Ryohei Kimura , Kyosuke Nitta , Madoka Kido , Katsuyuki Miura , Masato Niwa , Genta Nakamura , Minami Tsuda

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

1

Studio

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