Highlights
- Shojo manga caters to young women and girls, but it can be enjoyed by anyone..
- Shojo romance is often wholesome and light-hearted with low stakes, but a good shojo romance can still be unique and relatable despite the clichés.
- Some popular shojo manga titles include “A Sign of Affection,” “Kamisama Kiss,” and “From Me to You,” each telling a different story of blossoming love and personal growth.
Shojo is a demographic of manga that caters to young women and girls, but it can be enjoyed by anyone. For something to be shojo it is typically published by a shojo magazine before being turned into volumes. There are exceptions to this, with some shojo manga being published on platforms like Pivix Comics before being made into volumes. Other characteristics typical to shojo are stories told from the perspective of a girl or woman, though this is not exclusive to shojo, and common tropes like teenaged girls that suddenly need a place to live and somehow move in with a dreamy boy.
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However, shojo is more than its clichés, especially when it comes to shojo romance. A good shojo romance can be riddled with typical shojo tropes and still be unique and thoughtful. Shojo romance is generally wholesome and light-hearted, with somewhat low stakes. With that being said, good shojo romance entices its readers despite the low stakes because of how relatable it is.
10 A Sign Of Affection
MAL Score: 8.46
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Japanese Title |
Yubisaki to Renren |
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Release Date |
July 24, 2019 |
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Volumes |
9 |
The title of this manga is a wholesome play on words because the protagonist is a deaf college student named Yuki Itose who uses sign-language. When Yuki meets Itsuomi Nagi on the bus one day, instead of acting awkwardly or being rude when he realizes she is deaf, he asks her if she can read lips. This piques her interest in him, and she asks her friend about him later.
A Sign Of Affection, by Suu Morishita, is a story about Yuki and Itsuomi’s blossoming love, the difficulties of long distance relationships, and Yuki’s growth as a human as she starts seeing the world differently after meeting Itsuomi.
9 Kamisama Kiss
MAL Score: 8.54
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Japanese Title |
Kamisama Hajimemashita |
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Release Date |
February 20, 2008 |
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Volumes |
25 |
When Namami Momozono finds herself homeless due to her father’s immense gambling debts, she meets a man named Mikage who offers her room and board as the Land God of a shrine. Nanami takes the offer without thinking much of the whole Land God thing, but when she arrives she learns that her new title has a lot in store for her.
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Kamisama Kiss by Julietta Suzuki details the life of a newly minted Land God, and her romance with a yokai named Tomoe. Together, they go on adventures and learn to connect with each other in this supernatural fantasy adventure romance. It was adapted into an anime by TMS Entertainment.
8 A Girl & Her Guard Dog
MAL Score: 6.99
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Japanese Title |
Ojou to Banken-kun |
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Release Date |
December 13, 2018 |
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Volumes |
9 |
Isaku Senegaki is the granddaughter of a Yakuza boss, and Keiya Utou is the number two to Isaku’s grandfather. Because Isaku grew up without her parents, Keiya was her bodyguard and caretaker through childhood. Though they are ten years apart from each other, the two have a strong bond that turns into something more as they spend more time together when Isaku is a teenager.
This polarizing manga by Hatsuharu is now an anime, adapted by Project No. 9. It examines a complex relationship between Keiya and Isaku as they adapt to new, and old, feelings for each other.
7 My Little Monster
MAL Score: 8.12
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Japanese Title |
Tonari no Kaibutsus-kun |
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Release Date |
August 23, 2008 |
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Volumes |
13 |
Haru Yoshida is a delinquent and Shizuku Mizutani is a top student with little care for anything but her studies. When Haru is suspended from school, Shizuku is tasked with bringing him his homework. When the two meet, Haru is intense and a little odd, and Shizuku doesn’t quite know what to do with him.
This opposites-attract romantic comedy by Robico has been adapted to an anime by Brain’s Base. It follows Haru and Shizuku as they get to know each other, develop new feelings, and change for the better.
6 Choking On Love
MAL Score: 8.06
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Japanese Title |
Museru Kurai no AI wo Ageru |
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Release Date |
October 24, 2022 |
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Volumes |
N/A |
One night during her dinner break at work Hibari Akanishi’s laptop is broken by a group of edgy-looking boys who got into a fight with each other. One of the boys, Gaku Sausei, offers to let Hibari use his computer to finish her art school homework. The two quickly get to know each other as Gaku helps Hibari with her art, and Hibari supports Gaku at his band’s concerts.
This manga by Keiko Iwashita tells the story of a hardworking art school student and a musician as they fall for each other.
5 From Me To You
MAL Score: 8.29
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Japanese Title |
Kimi ni Todoke |
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Release Date |
August 11, 2005 |
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Volumes |
30 |
This classic shojo manga by Karuho Shiina details the lives of Sawako Kuronuma and Shouta Kazehaya as they get to know each other and show each other their respective worlds. Sawako is an outcast in school, bullied for looking like a horror movie villain, and called “Sadako”. Shouta is a popular boy with a ton of friends. When Shouta meets Sawako he realizes that she is more than her reputation, and he brings her into the popular pool so that her life at school can be better.
From Me To You was adapted into an anime by Production I.G. and has since been adapted into a live-action drama available to watch on Netflix.
4 Love, That’s An Understatement
MAL Score: 8.11
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Japanese Title |
Hikaeme ni Ittemo, Kore wa Ai |
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Release Date |
July 26, 2021 |
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Volumes |
3 |
When Risa Amakawa comes across a beaten-up delinquent on a rainy day, she helps him with the tools in her well-stocked bag and goes on her way. Little did she know that delinquent, Zen Oohira, would be back to give her a “one free help from Zen” coupon. Despite priding herself for her independence, Risa asks Zen for help, and the two start learning to rely on each other.
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Love, That’s An Understatement is by mangaka Momo Fuji, and tells the story of Risa and Zen as they overcome obstacles, learn about each other’s respective lives, and fall in love.
3 Blue Spring Ride
MAL Score: 8.14
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Japanese Title |
Ao Haru Ride |
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Release Date |
January 13, 2011 |
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Volumes |
13 |
Futaba Mashioka and Kou Mabuchi knew each other in middle school, but since Kou transferred schools out of town, the two have changed a lot. Futaba acts like she’s a tomboy with no interest in boys, and Kou has developed a “cool guy” persona that makes him hard to talk to. When the two are reunited in high school they must overcome these new identities if they want to rekindle what started between them in middle school.
Blue Spring Ride by Io Sakisaka has been adapted into an anime by Production I.G. It examines first love and adolescence.
2 You’re My Cutie
MAL Score: 7.54
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Japanese Title |
Kawaii ante Kiitenai!! |
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Release Date |
June 12, 2020 |
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Volumes |
6 |
When a fujoshi who likes flirting with cute younger guys meets a brooding and reserved boy at work, she doesn’t think she’ll ever fall for him. He’s anything but cute, or so she thinks. As she gets to know him more she realizes that he’s a total klutz with a lot of cute qualities, the only thing holding her back is that he’s totally terrified of girls.
You’re My Cutie!! by Nakaba Harufuji is a sweet story of a boundary-respecting fujoshi who catches feelings for a guy with a lot of trauma surrounding women.
1 How I Met My Soulmate
MAL Score: 8.04
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Japanese Title |
Unmei no Hito ni Deau Hanashi |
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Release Date |
April 24, 2021 |
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Volumes |
1 |
Yuki Honda is a college student who’s ready to meet a man to keep her company, as she’s started getting lonely living by herself in the big city. Iori Souma is a busy dentistry student who meets Yuki one drunken night at the club. Yuki is nice to him despite his embarrassing slights at her for looking to pick up guys at the club. When he calls her to apologize, the two agree that he will help her find “the one”.
This new love triangle romance manga by Anashin is a relatable story about Yuki and Iori as they try to find Yuki a man, only to realize that maybe their comfort with each other means something more.
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