14 Romance Manga You Should Read (Now They Are Complete)

Highlights

• Romance manga offers a wide range of stories, from completed classics to new releases, catering to diverse preferences.
• Some romantic manga have concluded naturally, while others have faced sudden endings due to various unforeseen circumstances.
• Established couples, fresh misunderstandings, and unique settings characterize the dynamic and engaging world of romance manga.

As a genre, romance manga will always have a place in the industry. While some of the most popular stories earn anime adaptations, these series are just a drop in the bucket compared to the full scale of the manga romance scene. There is a romantic manga out there for just about everyone, whether they choose tried-and-true classics or hot new releases.

As certain stories can span years upon years, somebody might prefer to pick something that’s already finished its run. That way, it tells a complete story. The following romance manga are not only great, but they also concluded their runs in the last few years, letting readers enjoy their full story from beginning to end.

Updated June 9, 2024 by David Heath: Every story eventually ends, though whether that’s due to completion or getting cut short is another matter. Creators have either suffered health complications that kept them from ending their stories or sadly died before they could put the pieces together themselves. Other times, mangas have been canceled, making the creators suddenly rush to their conclusion before they’re ready.

Luckily, there are still plenty of romance manga out there that have reached their endings naturally, and plenty more have hit their finish line since this article’s original publication. So, this update adds a few more top romance manga that have completed their runs, alongside some info tweaks and reorganization, as some manga’s scores have risen or fallen over time.

14 Sakura, Saku

MyAnimeList Score: 7.26

• Japanese Title: Sakura, Saku (Sakura in Bloom, and also the name of the leads).
• Writer/Illustrator: Io Sakisaka.
• 9 Volumes, 36 Chapters.
• Available in English via Viz Media’s Shojo Beat.

Famous for making Ao Haru Ride, Io Sakisaka’s latest manga reached its end in November 2023 after just under 3 years of appearing in the pages of Bessatsu Margaret. While Ao Haru Ride sees its leads try to overcome their past to make their future together, Sakura, Saku has its lead focus on her present after a chance encounter. One day, while leaving a train, Saku Fujigaya suffered a fainting spell due to her anemia and lost her handbag.

She thought she’d never see it again on waking up. But when she did, she found the bag and its contents safe and sound beside her in the infirmary, alongside a note containing the name and phone number of its savior: Sakura. She tries to phone him, but her calls never make it through. Moved by their kindness, she follows suit and helps anyone in need of help, right up until she gets to high school, where she finally gets to meet the mysterious Sakura.

13 Masamune-kun’s Revenge

MyAnimeList Score: 7.27

• Japanese Title: Masamune-kun no Revenge.
• Writer: Hazuki Takeoka.
• Illustrator: Tiv.
• 13 Volumes, 70 Chapters.
• Available in English via Seven Seas Entertainment.

Takeoka’s original light novel has exploded in popularity since it was first published. Masamune-kun’s Revenge was adapted into a manga by Tiv, two anime seasons, and an OVA by Silver Link, and even got a set of side stories. But Tiv’s manga version finally reached its end in December 2023 after nearly 12 years in print. So, readers can now find out from start to finish if Makabe Masamune’s revenge plot was worth it.

As a child, he was bullied by a rich, pretty girl called Aki, who called him ‘Piggy’ because of his weight issues. Seeking revenge, he worked hard to lose weight, becoming a handsome, if narcissistic, high schooler. The goal was to charm Aki, who doesn’t recognize him, and then break her heart. But as their friendship grows, he starts to have second thoughts.

12 Love’s In Sight!

MyAnimeList Score: 7.59

• Japanese Title: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl (The Yankee and the Girl with the White Cane).
• Writer/Illustrator: Uoyama.
• 8 Volumes, 127 Chapters.
• Available in English via Viz Media.

Technically, Love’s in Sight is still running in English, but the original manga ended back in May 2022. Viz Media’s translation of the last two volumes will be on June 11th and September 10th, 2024, respectively. So, whether readers are picking them up on release, looking up fan translations, or buying the Japanese tankobons, they’ll soon find the end is in sight as well as love.

It followed Morio Kurokawa, a dropout delinquent (or “yankee” in Japanese slang) whose reputation is so fierce he’s known locally as “Morio the Black Panther.” He fights off all comers but finds himself tamed by Yukiko Azawa, a girl who’s effectively blind, getting by with just her white cane. She isn’t scared of Morio or his reputation, leading him to fall more for her with each meeting and become more protective of her as she faces different dangers each day.

11 Even If You Slit My Mouth

MyAnimeList Score: 7.66

• Japanese Title: Kuchi ga Saketemo Kimi ni wa (Even if You Slit My Mouth).
• Writer/Illustrator: Akari Kajimoto.
• 11 Volumes, 80 Chapters.
• Available in English digitally via MANGA Plus.

If the title Even If You Slit My Mouth sounds dark, then don’t worry, it’s not that grim. Or at least, it isn’t about a murdery kind of love. It’s actually about Miroku, a slit-mouthed woman, or kuchisake-onna, a famous ghoul from Japanese urban legends. Except in her case, her role as the “Queen of Folklore” has been on the decline as fewer people believe in her. Even worse, she’s betrothed to Koichi, a 17-year-old from an important supernatural family.

She wants to regain her notoriety without help from anyone else. So, Koichi makes her a deal: if she can scare him before he turns 18, he’ll call off the engagement. But he’ll do his best to win her heart in that time too. She accepts but fears that he may actually woo her heart before she can chill his spine. Supernatural romance is Kajimoto’s forte, as this is his third strip about a slit-mouthed woman finding love. The second, Even If You Avoid the Slit, is also worth tracking down as it acts as a sort-of prequel to Even If You Slit My Mouth.

10 365 Days To The Wedding

MyAnimeList Score: 7.67

• Japanese Title: Kekkon surutte, Hontou desu ka? (Are You Really Getting Married?).
• Writer/Illustrator: Tamiki Wakaki.
• 11 Volumes, 110 Chapters.
• Available in English via Seven Seas Entertainment.

Love can come from hate in Masamune-kun’s Revenge and from frustration in Even If You Slit My Mouth. But can it come from deception? 365 Days to the Wedding follows its leads, Takuya and Rika, two coworkers at the JTC Travel Agency. When the company opens up a new branch in Irkutsk, all the way in Siberia, they need a new manager to oversee it, and neither Takuya nor Rika wants the job. However, the two learn JTC has narrowed down their selections to bachelors.

So, they could render each other ineligible if they got married to each other! They just have to convince the rest of their coworkers that they’re in love, even though they haven’t shown any romantic interest in each other before. Their attempts often get them into awkward but hilarious situations, as neither of them is particularly suave or extroverted. But it also makes them endearing, making the reader hope they can find real love in each other too.

9 It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too

MyAnimeList Score: 7.84

• Japanese Title:Futari Ashita mo Sorenari ni (The Two Get By Tomorrow Too, More or Less).
• Writer/Illustrator: Suzuyuki.
• 5 Volumes, 92 Chapters.
• Available via One Peace Books.

Concluding its run in 2021, It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too sets itself apart by focusing on an established, grown-up couple. After dating for roughly 18 months, Rio and Yuuya decide to move in together, which naturally comes with its share of challenges. While the core relationship does grow somewhat, the manga primarily focuses on the pair’s everyday interactions, most of which are mundane but sweet and relatable.

From fights over who gets the last pudding, to serious discussions about how they should spend their future, the manga is a proper slice of life romance that generally avoids overindulging in melodrama. Rio and Yuuya have a believable dynamic which, despite the occasional hiccup and heavy moment, resolves itself with some feel-good moments.

8 Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible

MyAnimeList Score: 7.91

• Japanese Title: Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai (Kubo-san Won’t Let Me Be a Mob).
• Writer/Illustrator: Nene Yukimori.
• 12 Volumes, 152 Chapters.
• Available in English via MANGA Plus and Viz Media via Shonen Jump.

In Japanese slang, a “mob” is another term for a minor character in media, or a non-playable character (NPC). They just hang around in the background or pass by sporadically. Junta wants a fulfilling life, but he blends in so well at his high school that people think he’s absent when he’s right in front of them. The only person who notices him is his classmate, Kubo, who likes to tease him and put him into different, awkward situations. But it does mean his youth may be more interesting than he thinks.

Hence, why the English release went for the more clear title of Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, which ended in Japan back in March 2023. Only the official English translation had only just reached Volume 6 by then, and they continued translating it throughout the year until March 2024, when they finally reached the story’s end. So now, readers can check out Junta’s journey from NPC to protagonist, and his growing romance with Kubo, in full.

7 Cheeky Brat

MyAnimeList Score: 7.94

• Japanese Title:Namaikizakari (Cheeky).
• Writer/Illustrator: Miyuki Mitsubachi.
• 23 Volumes, 140 Chapters.
• Available via Yen Press.

At its peak, Cheeky Brat was one of the best shojo manga on the market. That said, the series lost quite a bit of momentum during its concluding years, and it arguably stumbled across the finishing line instead of smashing it when it ended in 2021. Nevertheless, there is a lot to enjoy about Yuki and Shou’s love story, as the former has to learn how to relax, and the latter has to learn how to grow up, for both to find love in each other.

Whether at home or school, Yuki can come across as unapproachable, as she had to mature beyond her years to look after her younger siblings. As the manager of her high school’s basketball team, she kept the players at a distance; well, at least, that used to be her standard practice until Shou came along. He almost instantly takes an interest in Yuki, and makes his intentions quite clear, even if he needs to repeatedly announce them to deaf and confused ears. It’s going to take more than shouting to win her heart.

6 The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses

MyAnimeList Score: 8.05

• Japanese Title: Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta (The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses, ‘SukiMega’ for short).
• Writer/Illustrator: Koume Fujichika.
• 12 Volumes, 110 Chapters.
• Available in English via Comikey and Manga UP!

Like Love’s in Sight, The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses‘ English translation is still ongoing. The original Japanese manga even has one more tankobon due for release in the East on June 20th, 2024. But that’ll be the end for the series, leaving Comikey and Manga UP with just three volumes of Kaede and Ai’s romance to translate for English readers. It’s an interesting tale where, like Love’s in Sight, two people get together based on a visual impairment.

Kaede finds himself charmed by Ai, the cutest girl in school. He hopes she’ll get to look at him with her beautiful, bespectacled eyes. However, she’s prone to forgetting them, leaving her so nearsighted she has trouble getting around school. Nonetheless, Kaede still finds her adorable and offers to help her get by whenever she forgets them. This way, he gradually proves himself worthy of Ai’s attention as a person.

5 Home Office Romance

MyAnimeList Score: 8.11

• Japanese Title: Telework Yotabanashi (Telework Gossip).
• Writer/Illustrator: Kintetsu Yamada.
• 1 Volume, 20 Chapters.
• Fan Translations Only.

The Covid lockdown from 2020 onward hit society hard and changed it in all sorts of ways. For example, it popularized working from home, which some are still promoting as a preferable alternative to going into a cramped office. It also inspired Home Office Romance, which popped up in Kintetsu Yamada’s short story collection, and the Manga Day to Day compilation, where multiple mangaka detailed how their working days changed during the pandemic.

The story follows Nokoru as he adjusts to working from home. At first, he’s left adrift as he doesn’t know what to do with the extra time he’s got. But as he gets to know his neighbor, an archeology grad student called Natsu, he finds ways to spend that time constructively. Despite running from 2020 to 2023, it’s a short story that’s over rather quickly because it doesn’t pad its time out. It just tells a convincing tale about two charming characters overcoming isolation to fall in love with each other.

4 My Love Mix-Up!

MyAnimeList Score: 8.35

• Japanese Title:Kieta Hatsukoi (My Vanishing First Love).
• Writer: Wataru Hinekure.
• Illustrator: Aruko.
• 9 Volumes, 39 Chapters.
• Available in English via Viz Media’s Shojo Beat.

Nothing screams “rom-com” like a good old-fashioned misunderstanding. For instance, My Love Mix-Up! uses a funny misunderstanding to fuel an emotional story about unexpected love. Aoki has a crush on a girl named Mio; unfortunately, he borrows her eraser and finds the name of his classmate Ida written on it, figuring out Mio has a crush on him in turn.

Then Aoki drops the eraser, causing Ida to find it and mistakenly believe that Aoki is the one into him instead. Rather than expose Mio, Aoki goes with it. Although Mio is a strong character in her own right, My Love Mix-Up! is primarily about Aoki and Ida’s growing relationship. Even though it starts with a literal lie, it develops beautifully from that point.

3 Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku

MyAnimeList Score: 8.35

• Japanese Title:Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii (Love is Hard for Nerds/Otaku).
• Writer/Illustrator: Fujita.
• 11 Volumes, 105 Chapters.
• Available in English via Kodansha USA.

Wotakoi: Love is Hard For Otaku is a romance manga that follows four otaku of different stripes: Narumi, Hirotaka, Hanako, and Taro, as they experience the highs and lows of their careers and love lives. While Tarou and Hanako start as a couple, Narumi and Hirotaka begin dating at the start of the story. The comic delves into the difficulties of identifying as an otaku in a culture that often stigmatizes such pastimes.

Wotakoi stands out because it has mature protagonists who are unabashedly devoted to their pastimes. Friendship, self-acceptance, and healthy communication are also addressed in the manga. The original piece and its anime adaptation won praise for their honest depiction of adult friendships and the difficulties of juggling various responsibilities. Its humorous tone, likable protagonists, and accurate portrayal of otaku culture combine to create a modern classic.

2 Horimiya

MyAnimeList Score: 8.42

• Japanese Title:Horimiya (portmanteau of the two leads’ names).
• Writer: HERO.
• Illustrator: Daisuke Hagiwara.
• 17 volumes, 139 Chapters.
• Available in English via Yen Press.

Horimiya is a love story set in high school about two classmates, the popular but secretly shut-in Kyoko Hori and Izumi Miyamura, a school nerd by day but a tattooed bad boy by night. Their relationship develops as they learn more about one another and experience the highs and lows of adolescence together. Hori and Miyamura are both multifaceted people who have been through a lot and kept a lot to themselves, and their connection helps them express their true selves and overcome their issues.

Romance in Horimiya isn’t without its difficulties, as the main lovers and their supporting cast deal with envy, communication issues, and living up to expectations. Yet, their love for one another holds fast, and the manga concludes with a happy ending that readers will find touching. Horimiya, as a whole, is a moving and approachable manga that deftly addresses the joys and perils of first love.

1 Insomniacs After School

MyAnimeList Score: 8.43

• Japanese Title: Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia (Your After-School Insomnia).
• Writer/Illustrator: Makoto Ojiro.
• 14 Volumes, 25 Chapters.
• Available in English via Viz Media’s Viz Signature.

Readers who prefer the official English translation of Insomniacs After School will be reading for at least another year or so, as Viz Media only started translating the manga back in March 2023. But the manga’s original Japanese run ended back in October 2023. With only five English volumes out (as of this writing), and two more scheduled for June and September, there’s a chance some eager beavers might try reading ahead.

It’s certainly a long time to avoid spoilers. The manga follows Ganta and Isaki, two students who bond over their shared insomnia. Originally, Ganta used his school’s abandoned observatory as a place to try and snooze, only to find Isaki had the same idea. They both agree to use the same space as their haven, which gradually leads them to open up to each other and restore the observatory as part of their astronomy club. The more the club gets fixed up, the better (and closer) Ganta and Isaki become.