Shoujo manga has always had great art and it’s a genre that remains beloved to this day, but some art stands out as the best. Shoujo isn’t so much a genre as it is a demographic, and the name comes from the magazines in Japan that publish these romantic stories. As long as a manga can capture the attention of the young girls its marketed to through gorgeous art and relatable narratives, then it’s a bonafide shoujo manga. Shoujo manga covers a wide variety of other genres too, so there's no real barrier to the stories they can tell.
Whether the reader is looking for a heartwarming love story or a coming-of-age tale, shoujo manga has something for everyone. The highest-ranked shoujo manga tend to be stories that blend beautiful art with an affectionate and engaging romance. Manga, being such a visual medium, means that art is just as important as the dialogue that the characters say, and it’s an impressive showcase of how diverse the Japanese manga industry has become.
Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty
Tetsu Misato, a timid and tearful high school student, starts working at a creepy mansion on the hill where Shizu, the only offspring of the Karasawa family, is kept hidden. Despite their budding friendship, Tetsu is overcome with fear when several ghostly wraiths resembling Shizu start appearing before him. Traumatized, he must grapple with Shizu's supernatural state and come to with the possibility that she may never turn back.
Particularly after 2020, the best shoujo stories tend to have off-the-wall premises to spice up their romances and Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty is no different. Its art stands out for incorporating classic shoujo backgrounds with a refined modern style. Special care is given to the way clothes and hair lay on people, giving the characters a candid look.
Love Me For Who I Am
Love Me For Who I Am follows Mogumo, a teenager ostracized at school because of their nonbinary identity. One day, they meet a boy named Tetsu, who takes them to a maid cafe. However, Mogumo becomes disappointed when they realize the cafe is viewed as a "feminine boy" establishment and they are misgendered. This kickstarts a journey of self-discovery and acceptance as the characters contemplate the concept of gender and what it means.
Love Me For Who I Am’s LGTBQ+ representation is done masterfully here, and the author clearly has a deep respect for the community. The art is also representative of this, with each character able to show who they are to the world with the clothes they wear and how they express themselves. The manga features beautiful art mixed with a rare, understanding portrayal of the LGBTQ+ experience.
A Sign Of Affection
Yuki, a university student who has been deaf since birth, is isolated in her own world of silence. She only interacts with her best friend Rin and leads a secluded life. However, one day during her commute, she meets Itsuomi, a silver-haired multilingual man who is a mutual friend of Rin. Unlike others, Itsuomi is not discouraged by Yuki's deafness and instead finds it fascinating. This encounter touches Yuki, and she starts to develop strong feelings for him.
A callback to '90s shoujo classics, the known trope of a meek girl and confident boy is portrayed fantastically through A Sign Of Affection’s gorgeously detailed art. Yuki relies on her other senses to communicate with the world around her, and the art style does a fantastic job of making the s feel busy, in a subtle way, despite the stark white backgrounds.
The Invisible Man And His Soon-To-Be Wife
Yakou, a soft-hearted woman, is employed at a detective agency. Tounome, on the other hand, is an intelligent and kindhearted invisible man whose ability makes him ideal for detective work. Despite Tounome's invisibility, Yakou, who is blind, is still able to locate him when he disappears. As they spend more time together, Yakou and Tounome find themselves growing closer and developing feelings for each other, bound by their exceptional circumstances.
Shoujo is no stranger to fantasy, and The Invisible Man And His Soon-To-Be Wife are about as fantastical of a premise as a slice-of-life manga can be. Ironically, the fact that the man is invisible opens up a lot of creative ing and romantic moments. The cyan backgrounds also give a uniquely minimalist pop vibe to the whole manga, making it stand out.
Talk About Love Secretly
Harold, a notorious mafia boss, has a peculiar relationship with his maid, Mia. Despite his cold demeanor, he is actually a gentleman deeply infatuated with Mia. He goes all out to express his love, showering her with expensive gifts and arranging the perfect dates. However, it's uncertain if he realizes the disparity in their social status. This is a slightly dangerous romantic comedy with an absurdist comedic flair.
The premise has Spy x Family vibes, with the main male lead being a hyper-competent badass who nevertheless has a comionate side. Talk About Love Secretly has beautiful work, with roses adorning the edges or regal draperies in place of boring lines. It fits perfectly with the characters themselves, who are lovingly garbed in beautiful clothes that make every romantic gesture a fancy affair.
Veil
Veil follows Aleksander, a police officer, who encounters a woman named Emma on one of his patrols. Emma walks with a cane and is a runaway daughter who was raised in a wealthy home in a remote city. Aleksander offers Emma a job as the telephone operator at the police station, as she now needs a job to take care of herself. This strange situation sets the stage for their everyday lives and the delicate balance of work and love.
Veil features a strong female protagonist in Emma, a well-to-do lady who gives it all up for her own independence. Aleksander is also a wonderful partner, respectful yet surprisingly kind. The art style makes great use of simple colors and charmingly wobbly ing to portray the lives of these two young people in love. At times, it looks more like a high-end fashion catalog than a manga, and that’s meant in the best way.
Odette
Odette is one of the comfiest romance manga in recent years. The story is about Tae, an overworked office worker whose only bright light is her wonderful boyfriend who she has dinner with at the end of every day. Even though her boyfriend is a cat person, it’s never explained or acknowledged, which adds a surreal edge to the heartwarming affairs.
The romance in Odette is fluffy and low-stakes, and much of it is spent watching two lovebirds comfort each other through times of need. There’s no permanent drama, and the art style is a sugar overdose of fluff. Even the characters themselves are drawn adorably, with round features and soft expressions. Odette is a lovely manga for those looking for a light read with cute art.
The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy At All
Aya Oosawa, a high school student with a gyaru style, frequently visits a tiny record store and falls for the dark-haired clerk, who wears a hoodie and mask over their face. The only issue is that the hooded figure is actually Aya's geeky female classmate, Mitsuki Koga. Mitsuki is now worried about the consequences if Aya ever finds out the true identify of the boy she likes.
The characters in The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy At All provide positive LGTBQ+ representation for a manga and showcase how society’s narrow definition of love really doesn’t fit reality. The art style of the manga is gorgeous, with its unique green backgrounds and semi-realistic style for the people. There’s a cool sort of lankiness to the characters that make them feel all the more real, as if they’ve stepped out of a music shop.
A Bride’s Story
A Bride’s Story takes place during the Crimean War in the mid-19th century and is set on the Silk Road in Central Asia. It follows the life of Amir, a skilled archer, and horsewoman from a nomadic tribe, who is arranged to marry Karluk, a boy from another village who is eight years younger than her. Despite their age gap, the two quickly develop a strong bond and their relationship matures over time. It's a series with a deep respect to historical accuracy while still being engaging.
As one of the best women-made manga, Kaoru Mori is an inspiration for women in the industry, and her works are enjoyed by people of many demographics as a result. The most iconic aspect of her style has always been her hyper-detailed setpieces and outfits that pay great attention when it comes to both historic authenticity and style. It’s a ion project with a lot of love and care put into every single .
The Fragrant Flowers Bloom With Dignity
The Fragrant Flowers Bloom with Dignity tells the classic tale of two rival schools. They are Chidori High, a low-performing school for boys, and Kikyo Girls' School, a well-respected school for girls. Rintaro Tsumugi, a strong and reserved second-year student at Chidori High, meets Kaoruko Wakuri while working at his family's cake shop. Rintaro enjoys spending time with Kaoruko, but she is a student at Kikyo Girls, which has a strong disdain for Chidori High.
There’s still a bit of a tsundere aspect present due to the interschool rivalry, but it quickly melts away in favor of some top-tier fluff. The art style is a refinement of the classic shoujo style, with bright backgrounds, pastel colors, and lanky proportions. Regardless, both characters are drawn very well, showcasing their delicate emotions and relationship.
