14 Best New Age Shoujo Manga To Read

Highlights

• Shoujo manga genres cater to girls but are enjoyed by everyone, offering life lessons on love and growth.
• Classical shoujo manga has linear plots, while modern ones focus on realistic content and complex characters.
• New modern shoujo manga titles feature unique twists on classic tropes, refreshing characters, and engaging plots.

Shoujo manga are a genre of manga that primarily caters to girls and young women, and has been around for quite some time. As a genre, it is not only enjoyed by young women, but by everyone, as it touches on various life lessons regarding love, growth, and strength. This genre can also present itself as a bit cliché, particularly when it comes to older shoujo with the stereotypical romances between the sunshine female lead and the delinquent male lead.

When it comes to classifying a manga under the category of classical shoujo, we will have to take into account the progression of the plot being extremely linear, with the numerous character misunderstandings, and a conflict that carries itself till the end. It is because of this that we see a stark difference in modern romance manga (New Age), where the content is more realistic and relatable, with the focus on a more complex plot and multi-layered characters. So, here is a list of new modern shoujo manga to get into and enjoy.

14 Choking On Love

MAL Score: 8.04

For Hibari Akanishi, things can’t get any worse than they already are with her hectic schedule as a graphic design student and her part-time job at a restaurant. Things take a turn for the worse, when her laptop gets soaked by two boys fighting over the table next to her, and all her progress for an upcoming project gets erased. Furious, Hibari lashes out at the group and immediately storms off, and Gaku, the object of her rage, follows after her, hoping to amend his friend’s mistake. Hibari comes to learn that Gaku is also an arts student, and currently in a rock band with his friends.

He’s carefree, compared to the serious Hibari, and that puts her in a difficult position as she tries to come to terms with seeing life through his eyes. The refreshing part of Choking on Love is the support and understanding the two of them have for each other’s hobbies and way of life. In this classic opposites attract trope, Gaku and Hibari compliment the characteristics each one is lacking whilst also coming together to find something new in their own depiction of what love is.

13 You Are Too Naive, My Sweetheart

MAL Score: 7.33

Oono Nana is a first year high school student who is obsessed with the flair behind fictional romances, and finds it more heart-stopping than real life romance. On top of that, she finds it difficult to control her emotions, as she tends to be easily swayed by charming words often said by the opposite sex. But one day, she randomly decides to voice her opinion to the supposed delinquent of their class, who mistakes her for someone else. She tries to tell him to be nicer about rejecting someone and regards his bluntness as rude.

Expecting him to attack her for her opinion, Sudaka Tomoharu unexpectedly decides to confess, and Nana, being the ‘easy’ girl that she is, is moved by his confession, and they end up dating. Their romance in You Are Too Naive, My Sweetheart is different from classical shoujo, as although the two of them are opposites, Nana is an extremely relatable character in her reactions towards Sudaka’s advances.

12 In The Clear Moonlit Dusk

MAL Score: 7.99

Dubbed as the school’s ‘prince,’ Yoi Takiguchi is known for her deep voice, long legs, and handsome face. Despite being a girl, many of the females and males swoon at her princely attitude and mannerisms, and she is often revered as untouchable and godly. It is only when Kohaku Ichimura waltzes into her life and calls her ‘beautiful’ that things begin to change for her. Kohaku is said to be the other prince of the school – the male one, and she is shocked by his direct approach.

Kohaku, though, is nothing like a prince, often acting recklessly with his carefree attitude and extroverted nature. He sets his sights on her, which proves to be extremely difficult for Yoi to handle, as this is the first time a boy has acknowledged her as a girl. In The Clear Moonlight Dusk changes the usual gender roles that shoujo addresses, as Yoi is the indifferent tomboy and Kohaku is the carefree popular guy. The difference between their princely roles is an interesting twist that readers will love, along with the gorgeous art.

11 You’re My Cutie

MAL Score: 7.55

Madoka Kawahara is obsessed with shoujo manga – especially ones that include younger innocent guys that tend to fall for their seniors. When she meets Momoki Shikura, she expects him to be the cute, innocent underclassman she has read about in her manga, but he is far from that. Though known for his gorgeous looks, Momoki has had quite a few bad experiences in the past with women, and is totally terrified of them as a result. But, after Madoka protects him from extra-pushy fans at work one day, they soon grow closer and become friends.

You’re My Cutie takes a refreshing turn with this new trope: a boy whose looks don’t match his personality and a girl who’s older than him. One doesn’t necessarily need to consider this as an ‘age-gap’ shoujo, since Madoka is only one year older than Momoki, and very respectful of their situation as a couple. Many shoujo fans will find this read to be relatable in terms of the characters’ reactions (especially with Madoka when it comes to cute boys), and Momoki’s silly clumsiness, which is absolutely adorable.

10 Yamaguchi-kun Isn’t So Bad

MAL Score: 7.67

Satsuki Shinohara’s plans for her first year of high school are almost ruined by a handsy pervert on the train, but she is saved by the so-called gangster in her class, Yamaguchi-kun. Even though Yamaguchi has a bad reputation in her class, Satsuki does all she can to get close to him, because she feels there’s more to him than meets the eye.

Yamaguchi-kun Isn’t So Bad encapsulates the traditional premise of classic shoujo with the cold male lead and the sunshine female lead, yet this manga does everything not to stick to its predecessors’ qualities. Though Yamaguchi is said to be a delinquent, he is by no means one, as his mannerisms are always misunderstood as violence. He actually tries his best to be caring, understanding, and extremely careful when approaching people because he is anxious about his scary face. Satsuki, on the other hand, isn’t the typical sunshine female lead. Tthough she tries to put on a smile, she sometimes struggles to express her emotions, which makes her quite relatable.

9 A Sign Of Affection

MAL Score: 8.49

As a hearing impaired university student, Yuki Itose’s life has been a cave of silence since the day she was born. Introverted by nature, except with her best friend Rin, Yuki barely interacts with anyone and mainly keeps to herself. A chance meeting with a silver-haired stranger changes her life for the better when she meets Itsuomi Nagi, a mutual friend of Rin, and someone who has no absurd reaction when he hears of her impairment.

Her interactions with him fascinate her and touch her heart, as Itsuomi treats her like a normal human being and not a disabled person. Itsuomi can be referred to as the greenest of all green flags for his actions towards Yuki and how much he treasures her. Unlike a lot of male leads, in A Sign of Affection, Itsuomi goes above and beyond to make sure she is comfortable, safe, and heard, which is not something Yuki is used to, especially in her silent life.

8 Sakuraba-san Can’t Be Stopped!

MAL Score: 6.51

Unlike traditional shoujo manga, Sakuraba-san Can’t Be Stopped may be the most eccentric of them all. Just starting her first year in high school, all Mei Ikeda wants is to experience some love and romance. It falls quite literally into her lap when she meets Sakuraba Yuuto, and he immediately confesses to her. Mei decides to say yes and the two of them start dating, despite not knowing anything about each other, and it is only later on their first date that Mei realizes that Yuuto is not the typical teenage boy.

Yuuto is a borderline yandere type character – someone who is obsessive and possessive towards their significant other, often going to violent measures to keep them close. The only difference is that Sakuraba has intense desires to possess Mei, but rarely uses extreme measures to act on them. One can say he is wholeheartedly devoted to Mei, which is also something she adores and takes in good faith. The two of them are certainly quirky, since neither of them hide their desires, and both take a different route when it comes to the development of their relationship.

7 A Kiss With A Cat

MAL Score: 7.53

Erina Wada is known as the cool queen of her class with her stone-cold attitude and elegant behavior. However, around cats, she becomes an entirely different person and turns into a googly-eyed mess, as she adores them. One day after school, she comes home to find a cat in danger, and her natural instinct is to protect it and bring it home. She spends the day with the cat, and in the midst of her cuddling, she raises the cat and kisses it. The cat then changes into a man, who is not only stark naked, but the unsociable boy from her class, Kou Nekoyama.

The next day, Nekoyama decides to visit her again and prove that what she saw was real. He also declares her as his master and continues to visit her. In A Kiss With A Cat, shoujo and the supernatural come together, as the people in Kou’s family turn into cats whenever they are kissed. Erina and Kou slowly grow closer as Kou begins to open up to her, despite viewing humans as troublesome, and Erina’s cold nature soon softens in his presence.

6 How I Met My Soulmate

MAL Score: 8.02

Since moving to Tokyo from the countryside, Yuuki Honda dreams of finding her one true love. Now a 20-year-old sophomore at university, she feels it’s about time to relax a little and put herself out there. Yuuki decides to take a leap of faith and join her friend on a night out at the club for the first time, but she soon finds that the environment is not something that she enjoys. On her way out, she bumps into Iori Souma, a stranger with bleached hair and a scary demeanour. Iori is drunk, condescending, and quite blunt when he speaks to her, yet although he sounds impolite, he proves that first impressions can be deceiving.

Iori calls Yuuki the next day and apologizes to her, and they eventually get to talking about her romantic aspirations. Iori then decides to help her find her soulmate, and as the two of them grow closer as friends, Yuuki soon finds it difficult to ignore the rush she feels around him. How I Met My Soulmate is a classic enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope with multi-layered characters. There are not many shoujo manga set in college for the older female demographic, and this ticks all the boxes, as the plot is realistic in terms of the progression of their relationship.

5 Pink To Habanero

MAL Score: 7.24

Starting her first year of high school, Miyao Mugi missed out on her chance to make friends or find a boyfriend. Two weeks into her high school career, she witnesses Kei Kurose coldly rejecting a confession, even though he is known for his extremely unapproachable nature and ill-temper. Later on in the day, Miyao decides to cheer herself up and visits a café outside of town. There she unexpectedly meets Kei again, seemingly with a completely different personality.

Pink to Habanero takes the cliché shoujo and reverses it, as Kei is a textbook tsundere (a trope in Japanese manga where a character does not know how to properly convey their feelings) and Miyao takes on the pursuer role. As the two of them are still high schoolers, Kei is extremely faithful and sincere in his views on love, so the romance in this manga borders on slowburn. However, as the female lead, Miyao is quite refreshing and admirable as the pursuer in the relationship. If readers are looking for a straightforward tsundere guy and a girl who doesn’t back down from what she wants, this manga is the perfect modern shoujo they should try out.

4 It Takes More Than A Pretty Face To Fall In Love

MAL Score: 7.26

Sana Chiken has a thing for good-looking guys and that’s all she needs to get through life. She enrolls into a new high school in hopes of meeting her ideal man, and soon comes across Ugou Kanata. Kanata is blessed with godly looks, but is, unfortunately, on the verge of being expelled due to skipping too many classes. The only way Kanata won’t be expelled is if Sana uses him to get the school’s social media account to hit 100,000 followers.

It Takes More Than Just A Pretty Face To Fall In Love follows the two of them as they try to prevent Kanata’s expulsion while also learning new things about each other. The art and the comedic elements are the more engaging factors of this manga. Kanata and Sana’s relationship is interesting, to say the least, since Kanata is mostly indifferent due to his past, and Sana is the optimist.

3 A Condition Called Love

MAL Score: 7.78

Hotaru Hinase is a 16-year-old high school girl and, surprisingly, the only one in her class that is indifferent about love. She prefers to cherish the bonds she can find through relationships with her friends and family, believing love to be fleeting and something that she doesn’t understand. She soon sees Saki Hananoi, a boy in her class, kneeling in the snow after a public breakup, and offers him shelter underneath her umbrella. Thinking nothing of it, she gives him a few words of encouragement, unaware that within that small frame, Saki has fallen for her.

Saki then visits her the next day, confessing his love and asking Hotaru to be his girlfriend, but she rejects him coldly. Despite her continuous rejections, Saki decides to show Hotaru his affection for her through various actions and words. Hotaru eventually agrees to date him, hoping to understand this feeling of love, especially from a boy who has a lot of love to give. A Condition Called Love is a heartwarming read about first love and the dynamics behind the word. Hotaru and Saki’s relationship weaves a tale that readers can dive into as the two of them grow and progress as individuals and partners.

2 Heroine’s Love Diary

MAL Score: 7.83

Aside from having a mother that’s a popular shoujo mangaka and a brother that’s good at sports, Aoi Tsujimura is the black sheep of her family. There’s nothing really special about her, and even when she tries to express her feelings, they tend to come out twisted and rude. On the other hand, Sena Misuzawa is the golden boy in the class, always making friends and cracking jokes wherever he can. He’s also on the basketball team and a close friend of Aoi’s older brother, Itsuki, who thinks that Aoi needs to be more proactive in her life.

Heroine’s Love Diary isn’t the cliché romance of the closed-off girl and the popular guy falling in love. Instead, though it does focus on the potential romance that is slowly blooming between Aoi and Sena, the manga focuses heavily on the growth of Aoi, overcoming her shyness and learning how to make friends after years of self-isolation. An additional factor is that all the characters communicate with each other, and are considerate and supportive. The side characters have depth and their own struggles that readers will come to know, making this a great manga to read if one is looking for something fresh and new.

1 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys A Carefree Life Married To Her Worst Enemy!

MAL Score: 7.66

Being reincarnated has its perks, and for Rishe Irmgard Weitzner, it’s an opportunity to know when and how she’s going to die. In each different life, no matter which route she takes, Rishe always dies at 20 years old and gets thrown back in time to the same moment. Rishe has lived as a merchant, herbalist, handmaiden, and knight, and is now starting her seventh life when something unexpected happens. Even though her sixth life ended at the hands of Arnold Hein, he ends up proposing to her at the start of her seventh life.

Arnold is the emperor of a neighbouring country and immediately takes a liking to her after seeing Rishe act out of character. However, despite being an enemy in her previous life, Rishe jumps at the opportunity to be his fiancée, as she has never had the chance to visit his country due to the war. Now she gets to live a life of luxury, become his fiancée, and travel the world just like she wanted. In 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! Rishe and Arnold’s story is set in a historical world, and many of the customs of courting are not similar to modern shoujo. Readers might find it especially heartwarming to witness the growth of Rishe and Arnold in a different time period and culture, where romance customs are more poetic and elegant.