Josei is a demographic of manga that caters to women. Like its younger counterpart, Shojo, Josei is typically told from the perspective of a female, and is first published in magazines specific to the manga demographic, like Flowers and Petit Comic. In contrast with shojo, which largely tackles themes such as high school and middle school life, as well as first love, and overcoming shyness, Josei focuses on more mature themes like work life, university life, marriage, divorce, and intimacy.
Josei romance often centers around more mature romantic themes as well, examining different styles of relationships than your typical shojo, popular-guy-meets-shy-girl. From age-gap relationships to workplace flings, josei has fans covered.
9 Dekinai Futari
Anime-Planet Score: 4
- Creator: Satomura
- Release Date: October 20, 2020
- Volumes: N/A
Dekinai Futari starts with Nao and Takehito as office rivals, who “fight like cats and dogs,” according to their coworkers. But when Nao gets sick and accidentally texts Takehito instead of her sister, he comes to her aid despite their differences, and she is reminded of all the reasons she used to love Takehito. Because the thing is, the two used to date in high school and nobody knows.
When things start to heat up between the two, a fierce and worthy rival to Takehito appears to shake things up. How will Takehito and Nao deal with their feelings while keeping things a secret from their coworkers, who see them as sworn enemies? Dekinai Futari now has a 2022 Japanese live action drama adaptation of the same name.
8 Black Sesame Salt And Custard Pudding
Anime-Planet Score: 4.3
- Creator: Yufuko Suzuki
- Release Date: July 27, 2018
- Volumes: 3
Haruhi gets herself in a sticky situation when her dad suddenly demands she move back home to work for his construction company. Instead of talking it out with her dad, Haruhi drunkenly decides that her best option is to marry the closest man at the izakaya, and finds herself bringing home a man 20 years her senior after signing marriage papers.
While this could be a set-up for something unsavory, the story is actually as sweet as its title suggests. This age-gap romance tells the story of two people meant for each other, despite appearances. Black Sesame Salt and Custard Pudding was originally published in English on Renta!
7 Perfect World
Anime-Planet Score: 4
- Creator: Rie Aruga
- Release Date: March 24, 2014
- Volumes: 12
Tsugumi is a normal 26-year-old woman working for an interior design firm, though she had dreams of becoming a painter in high school. Itsuki is an architect with a wheel-chair after getting in an accident shortly after high school. Though the two were friends in high school, and Tsugumi harbored feelings for Itsuki, they never got together and hadn’t seen each other since graduation.
Now, Tsugumi runs into Itsuki unexpectedly at a business dinner and learns of his disability. Although Itsuki is reluctant to start anything with Tsugumi due to his wavering health and fears of bringing her down, Tsugumi is persistent in her pursuit of him. This stellar manga won the Kodansha Manga Award for Shojo in 2019.
6 Hana-san Wa Minorasetai!
Anime-Planet Score: 3.6
- Creator: Haruna Ueno
- Release Date: February 25, 2018
- Volumes: 3
Hana is a typical office worker whose parents see marriage in her near future. However, she walks in on her boyfriend cheating and is back at square one. If only people were as supportive in real life as the ones that comment on her gardening blog. When Hana’s mom sets her up on a blind date with a man whom she has met before, she thinks they really hit it off. Unfortunately, he says he doesn’t have any intention of getting married. Is he potentially harboring feelings for a certain unknown garden blogger he’s been talking to online for years? It’s a story that will certainly keep readers engaged.
5 Haru’s Curse
Anime-Planet Score: 4
- Creator: Asuka Konishi
- Release Date: November 28, 2015
- Volumes: 2
Natsume is a hard worker who just got her dietitian certification due to her sister’s long-term battle with illness. When her sister Haru dies, Natsume is asked to bury her with a photo of Haru and her boyfriend Tougo. This is easy enough, but after the funeral, Tougo approaches Natsume about going out with him now that Haru has died. Although Haru truly loved Tougo, they had an arranged marriage in order to preserve Tougo’s bloodline.
This means that either sister would have been fit for marriage, though his family much preferred Haru. How will Natsume handle her grief over the loss of her beloved sister? Is Tougo the key to overcoming this hardship?
4 Nijuu to Seijuu
Anime-Planet Score: N/A
- Creator: Sei Soragami
- Release Date: October 13, 2022
- Volumes: 1
Aya is a well-respected salary-woman who started her job fresh out of high school, so she’s a little younger than is typical for her rank. Yamato is her new junior, but he’s six years older than Aya is. While having a junior that’s older than you is awkward enough, Aya finds him very handsome.
When Aya gets drunk at a company get-together, she breaks from her professional facade and is honest with Yamato. At first, Yamato doesn’t know how to react, but he quickly understands he needs to take the lead a little. Nijuu to Seiju, sometimes called Twenty and The Beast, is a workplace romantic comedy that was first serialized in Bessatsu Margaret, known for Blue Spring Ride and Kimi ni Todoke.
3 Please Love The Useless Me
Anime-Planet Score: 4
- Creator: Aya Nakahara
- Release Date: April 15, 2013
- Volumes: 10
Although Michiko Shibata is down on her luck, having just lost her job and consequently taken out a loan at a sketchy loan company in order to pay her crush’s mom’s “hospital bill”, she finds herself reconnecting with an old boss. Kurosawa was Michiko’s boss from the company she used to work for, and he’s reopening a restaurant previously run by his grandma.
When Kurosawa finds Michiko surviving off cabbages, he treats her to a meal and the two discuss her working for him again. Michiko is tentative because she remembers him as a horrible boss, but something about this new line of work suits him better, and she takes the job. Please Love The Useless Me was first serialized in YOU, Shueisha’s josei magazine, and it was later adapted into a live action drama.
2 Date Of Marriage
Anime-Planet Score: 4
- Creator: Muno and Ito Nishihara
- Release Date: March 28, 2020
- Volumes: N/A
When Kawai Yoshiko is unexpectedly dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she fears that her goal to be married by thirty is out the window. When she voices this fear to her coworker, Yuuki, she casually suggests that he marry her at thirty if she hasn’t found someone yet. Kawai thinks that Yuuki is just being nice at first, but when he runs into her at work the next day, he tells her he was being serious. Naturally, Kawai develops a bit of a crush on Yuuki, but can’t help wondering what his real motives are.
Date of Marriage is an adaptation of the novel by Ito Nishihara called Kekkon Yoteibi. The manga was first serialized on Manga Bang, and in 2023 it was adapted into a live action drama.
1 Strawberry Love
Anime-Planet Score: 4
- Creator: Irono
- Release Date: August 16, 2018
- Volumes: 4
With a 13-year age-gap, Sara and Minori are from two different worlds, but when Sara’s grandfather is hospitalized she needs to take care of his strawberry farm for him. This is where she meets Minari, another strawberry farmer that will be helping with Sara’s grandfather’s place until he’s out of the hospital. The two are awkward at first, but slowly open up to each other, both harboring feelings that they’re too afraid to reveal.
This age-gap romance is incredibly wholesome, as it portrays two adults that are too worried about what the other thinks of their age difference, to say anything about their feelings.