Hello there my lovelies. I honestly tried really hard to make this post top 10 but it's just impossible. Therefore it will be a top 11 which is really random but oh well. I never realised how many manga's I've read or am reading. This post is just going to be on shoujo manga. I will definitely do a post on my top 10 shounen manga or however many I manage to narrow it down to!
For those of you who don't know what shoujo or manga means. Manga is just Japanese graphic novels, so that's simple really. As for shoujo its a manga genre. Shoujo manga is aimed at girls usually with romantic plots and female leads. Unlike shounen most shoujo doesn't have a lot of action and well death. *Disclaimer* I said most, not all.
I tried to list these manga in order but is to damn hard, so they're basically all joint place number one lol. It's like asking a mother to pick her favourite child, not possible right. Sorry! I'm really bad at this i know. Anyways these are pretty much my favourite shoujo manga's!
*update: theirs actually a few manhwa's in here as well!; South Korean graphic novels*
Title: Watashi ni xx shinasai!
Author: Tooyama Ema.
Released: 2009
Volumes: 12 volumes, 49 chapters. -on going-
Genre: Romance, shoujo, comedy, drama, school life.
Summary: Himuro Yukina is a popular cell phone novelist who goes by the name of Yupina. While she attends a high school full of girls who love her novels Himuro Yukina's true identity is a secret! To her classmates Yukina is seen as a cold uninterested girl. Where in reality Yukina is very observant of those around her which leads her to find out a lot of her classmates secrets. This story starts when Yukina finds out Shigure the most popular and loved guy in her year is actually a womanizer. As Yukina lacks any romantic experiences due to her only being close to her cousin Akira, she decides to blackmail Shigure into helping her write her novel by doing 'romantic missions'. This is where the journey between the three of them begins!
Opinion: For me this is both an awesome and original manga. The storyline and the art are some of the best. Although I'd probably like Yukina to figure her feelings out sooner rather than later it doesn't affect how much I enjoyed/am enjoying watashi ni xx shinasai.
Title: Ao Haru Ride.
Author: Sakisaka Io.
Released: 2011
Volumes: 7 volumes, 29 chapters. -on going-
Genre: Comedy, shoujo, school life, romance, drama, slice of life.
Summary: Yoshioka Futaba is a girl in high school who goes out of her way everyday to be unladylike. At every opportunity Futaba tries her best to be rid of the cute image that ruined her middle school life. Futaba was outcast by her female peers in middle school because their jealousy over her naturally cute aura which attracted her male classmates. Now she is determined to stay unladylike to ensure her acceptance from her female peers. This all begins to change when her middle school crush Tanaka Kou reappears with his new name Mabuchi Kou, but that's not all that's new! After a series of mishaps in middle school which led to her being stood up by him he now admits he liked her to! But he is no longer the same boy she liked as he states its in the past. It seems both of them have drastically changed their personalites so is there any hope of a romance between the two?
Opinion: I really enjoyed this manga as its plot was original and had the right mixture of romance and comedy. I really love the pairing Futaba and Kou because of their clashing personality's, its just magical I don't really have a legitimate reason. This manga is very cute with its both main and side stories, but not to the point where it repels you. So go read it.
Title: Yankee-Kun To Megane-Chan.
Author: Yoshikawa Miki.
Released: 2006
Volumes: Volume 21, chapter 185. -ongoing-
Genre: Romance, shounen*further discuss in opinion*, action, comedy, school life.
Summary: Adachi Hana is a very stereotypical looking class rep, besides her grades being the second but last! What is someone with such bad grades doing being class rep and what is the even bigger secret that she is hiding? The very plain looking class rep with her braids and glasses is an ex yankee! Adachi Hana is determined to live a normal high school life and leave her yankee days behind. So what will come of her when she starts to take an interest in her schools known delinquent Shinagawa Daichi. What will come of their relationship and will he keep her secret, if she doesn't end up mistakenly showing her yankee side herself! Her attempt of a normal high school life begins.
Opinion: This is one of the few manga's were I can un-doubtingly say I love every single character! All of them with their different quirks makes this a really enjoyable read! On to the subject of genre this actually in the category of shounen, but I completely disagree because all of the friends I have that read this manga are girls. I even tested this by asking a few of my guy friends to read this and they thought it was a shoujo. So sorry world, but I disagree. Anyway the romance in this manga is very slow paced/non existent but somehow I don't mind, which is strange for me. I just think its good so I'm like f*** it. I 100% recommend this manga.
Title: Five.
Author: Furukawa Shiori.
Released: 2004
Volumes: Volume 12, chapter 57. -ongoing-
Genre: Comedy, shoujo, romance, harem, school life.
Summary: Hina is once again the new student in high school due to her dads constant traveling with work. Hina's optimistic this will be the last time she has to be known as the new student! To Hina's surprise her high school is dominated by intelligent boys so she is the only female student in the whole top class! The surprises don't stop there! The top five most intelligent boys aren't the usual glasses and hard studying type, so what will Hina do when these five mischievous boys take a liking to her. Her journey begins but which one will she end up falling for out of the five?
Opinion: For me I really like the lead characters in this manga because they remind me of the routes in otome games lol. I'm sorry but they do. I have to say though the art in this manga differs from the usual pretty type so if you're an art snob it might be best if you skip this one. For me the art is fine but a lot of my friends don't feel the same, I think they're just being overly fussy but its up to you to decide! If you're not fussy as hell I think you'll agree this is a really feel good manga worth reading!
Title: Gakuen ouji.
Author: Yuzuki Jun.
Released: 2006
Volumes: Volume 6, chapter 24.5
Genre: Romance, shoujo, gender bender, mature, smut, school life comedy.
Summary: The private high school Joshi high became co-ed a few years ago, but girls still heavily outnumber boys. Most guys would expect this school to be heavenly where girls idolise the small male fraction of the school. That couldn't be further from the truth as the girls only see the guys as living toys with which they can do whatever they please. There's only one way out of being the girls prey and that's to swap ties with a girl. So when new guy Azusa Mizutani realises the situation he quickly swaps ties with the one girl in the school who has no interest in him. What will Risa Okitsu do when she's dragged into being Azusa's pretend girlfriend. All Risa wanted was to go through high school not being noticed so what journeys will the two have to go through to prove their relationship is real, and will they stop having to pretend?
Opinion: For me although this manga is categorised as smut and mature, its really not that bad I mean you don't see anyone's privates or anything. Not that I'd recommend reading it as a family either. I love Risa's character much more than Azusa as he's kind of weak and selfish at times and he makes me want to hit him, but then he usually redeems himself. My feelings towards all the male characters in this manga change all the time, which to me makes it much more exciting to read! Its only negative point is Risa being an unnoticed girl until she takes her glasses off and ends up looking like a model which is a little over used in... everything. But then its hardly a manga based on realism so yeah. P.s. the art is nothing like the cover, its just like maid sama etc..
Title: Girls of the wilds.
Author: Hun (mysterious right that's all I could find, one name) artist: Kim Hye-Jin also known as Zhena.
Released: 2011
Volumes: Chapter 93.
Genre: Comedy, shounen *same as yankee-kun to megane-chan, I disagree*, drama, harem, romance, school life, martial arts, slice of life.
Summary: Wilds high is a super elite all girls private school, well it was until this year where Jae Gu was offered a 3 year scholarship regardless of his grades. Jae Gu has to look after his two younger siblings full time after their mother abandoned them and when he's not doing that he's working part time. Therefore Jae Gu quickly agreed to these terms only to find he is the only male in the whole school! That isn't his only surprise, wilds high is famous for the fighting ability's of its female students. Once a year wilds high hosts a wilds league where teenage girls from around the country have brutal one on fights to win the title of the Queen. Jae Gu is one of the few in the school who doesn't specialise in a type of fighting so what's he going to do when he drenches wilds highs current champion in coffee and calls her a monster. Will Jae Gu be able to overcome his hatred of women and will the Queen play a part in this?
Opinion: This could be because I'm easily influenced but the manwha really portrays each girls love of martial arts and to me its really inspiring and made me want to go out and one. Their passion and hardworking ethic makes me really love the characters. They slightly remind me of a modern day naruto's, if that makes sense. The romance in this manhwa is a little slow paced, but the fact that there are three girls in love with the protagonist tends to do that to a story. I personally love the characters and comedy in this manhwa so I can deal with the lack of romance. If you love shoujo but also really like fighting scenes you will love this manhwa! Oh and its in colour ~
Title: Hirunaka no ryuusei.
Author: Yamamori Mika.
Released: 2011
Volumes: Volume 3, chapter 21.5
Genre: Romance, shoujo, comedy, slice of life, school life.
Summary: Suzume Yosano is a country girl who recently moved to Japan to live with her uncle after her father got transferred with work. After arriving in Japan Suzume ends up meeting this strange guy called Satsuki Shishio who ends up helping her get to her uncles house after she gets lost. What will Suzume do when she find out this weird guy is her homeroom teacher! Will Suzume continue to ditch classes to relax on the roof like she did in her old school or will her new sensei convince her do to otherwise. What feelings will develop as their relationship grows closer than teacher and student.
Opinion: For me I was super happy to find a sensei student romance manga that wasn't straight up smut, as so many of them are. I really have to say I love this storyline and the art is one of my favourites. I feel Suzume is really relatable as a character to me which made me enjoy this story just a little but more. At times I feel the storyline can be a bit predictable, but I like what I predict so I don't really care. I love the friendship between Suzume and Yuyuka, I just love that they're so damn different but still able to be friends. Its the kind of friendship where you can be honest with yourself to each other. I think my main point is that all the characters fit well together to make a really good storyline and flow. Its just magical okay go read it.
Title: Kaichou wa maid-sama.
Author: Hiro Fujiwara.
Released: 2006
Volumes: Volume 18, chapter 82.
Genre: Comedy, shoujo, romance, school life, slice of life, drama, martial arts.
Summary: Seika Highs school president Misaki Ayuzawa always has brilliant grades in both sports and academics and puts 100% into everything she does. So why does she always come second place to Usui Takumi's, a nonchalant boy who doesn't even seem to try. Misaki's hatred of men due to her father abandoning her leads her to particularly dislike Usui as he's always making girls in the school cry when they confess to him. So what will she do when Usui finds out her secret that she works in a maid café to help her mother financially? Will Usui keep her secret and at what cost?
Opinion: Maid-sama is the first shoujo I ever read so it will forever be one of my favourites because its responsible for starting my obsession. Misaki and Usui will forever be my otp. I think her tsundere personality and his forceful/ cool/ caring personality fit so well together that their scenes still make me fangirl. I think Fujiwara's mixture of comedy,romance and drama are perfect. I have little else to say besides I love this manga, the art, every character and the storyline. I thank Hiro Fujiwara for starting me on shoujo with this manga, that is all lol.
Title: Kamisama hajimemashita.
Author: Suzuki Julietta.
Released: 2008
Volumes: Volume 17, chapter 97.
Genre: Fantasy, shoujo, romance, comedy, school life, supernatural.
Summary: After Nanami's dad disappears leaving her behind only to be kicked out of her house by the debt collectors Nanami finds herself opening up to a complete stranger telling him everything that has happened to her. When the stranger then offers her his house and quickly draws a map only to then rush off. Even though Nanami is quite suspicious of the stranger giving her his house she realises she has no other options. When Nanami follows the map she arrives not at a house but a shrine only to be rudely greeted by a guy with fox ears which makes her even more confused. This is where Nanami begins her journey as a land god with her fox familiar Tomoe. Will she be able to carry out her tasks and will Tomoe accept her?
Opinion: For me the best part of this manga is the comedy, some of the scenes I clearly remember because they made me lol on a train full of people making me look like a weirdo. Anyways this manga for me definitely wins the funniest 'in the opinion of Beth award'. Even the romance between Nanami and Tomoe makes me laugh, the fact she's so open with her feelings for him as soon as she realises them. Whereas Tomoe is in complete denial and spends most of his time rejecting her in the most comic ways. For me this is part of their charm as a couple and separates them from other manga romances.
Title: Orange marmalade.
Author: Seok Woo.
Released: 2011
Volumes: Chapter 92.
Genre: Drama, shoujo, slice of life, supernatural, comedy, fantasy.
Summary: Baek Ma-Ri and her family once again have to flee to a new town after their secret being discovered. Will Baek Ma-Ri ever be able to live a normal life? She is determined to make this move her last, will she ever be accepted as a vampire or will she have to live in secret amongst humans? How will it affect Baek Ma-Ri's dreams of not having to move again when she takes a nip at the neck of the most popular guy in her school.
Opinion: Orange marmalade is the first vampire manhwa I read, and I'm not going to lie I was a bit prejudice, thinking it would be like twilight or something. Rest assured its very different and is actually based on a world that know vampires exist and shun them. I think id have to award orange marmalade with 'Beths drama award'. This manhwa is constantly pulling on my heartstrings and making me feel for Baek Ma- Ri. She's so lovely as a character id describe her as very pure. She deserves a happy ending. If you're not really into drama and suspense I don't suggest this manga. But personally I enjoy a little suspense here and there, oh and once again its art is in colour! *no offence intended to twilight lovers I just cant stand Bella as a character is all*
Title: Say i love you.
Author: Hazuki Kanae
Released: 2008
Volumes: Volume 10, chapter 39.
Genre: Comedy, shoujo, romance, school life, slice of life.
Summary: Mei has now turned 16 but still hasn't had one boyfriend or even a friend to speak of. This all begins to change when Mei kicks Yamato the liked by everyone popular guy of her school. For some reason Yamato decides one-sidedly they're now friends. Mei's journey then begins with Yamato helping her change little by little. But what will she do when he steals her first kiss?!
Opinion: One of the main reasons I love say I love you is because of Mei's straightforward personality. This is why Yamato ends up falling for her. I just love how she's not your stereotypical moe or tsundere protagonist. I also like how Yamato isn't your stereotypical nice popular guy, the fact he admits he follows the crowd and acts happy all the time because it leads to an easier life. I think this manga has depth in the way both the characters are flawed and they support each other to become the people they want to be. The romance in this manga is fairly fast paced, which I love. If you like manga where even the supporting characters have awesome but slightly realistic problems and personality's I 100% suggest you read this.
That's all. Thank you for reading, I hoped this post was somewhat helpful and gives you some new shoujo to read if you haven't read them already! Byeeeeeee ~
*P.s. if the artist is not otherwise specified its the author*
