Recommendations Archives - The Anime Basement

Nowadays, there is a wide variety of shoujo manga to choose from. This type of manga genre is oftentimes focused on female audiences. Consequently, shoujo manga is filled with soap opera drama and cute moments that will ultimately melt the hearts of the vulnerable. Below, I have listed the top 10 must-read shoujo manga for y'all shoujo lovers. So if you want to quench your thirst of shoujo manga, then continue scrolling down the list. Hopefully, you will be able to walk away with hours upon hours of shoujo manga content. Enough of the chitchat, let's begin!! 10. Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu Status: CompletedAuthor: Minami KananReleased: Sep 5, 2007Genre: Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo Manga Synopsis: Tsubaki has a fond love for hair styling, even going as far to practicing on her sister. However, despite her skills, she neglected her own hair, resulting in a country bumpkin appearance. Unfortunate for Tsubaki, the guy sitting next to her, Kyouta, turns out to be a huge jerk and humiliated her in front of the entire class. Frustrated, Tsubaki confronted the bully by cutting a part of his hair in which she immediately regretted. Needless to say, her chaotic high school life has just only begun. A Great Shoujo Manga: Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu features a complex high school romance filled with drama one after another. Evidently, youth is like soap opera, and if you happens to love constant drama, then this is a perfect shoujo manga for you. 9. Hirunaka no Ryuusei Status: CompletedAuthor: Yamamori MikaReleased: May 20, 2011Genre: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo, Slice of Life Manga Synopsis: Suzume Yosano was forced to move to Tokyo and away from the comfort of her own house. When arrived, Yosano began to look for her uncle's house when she got lost along the way and faints. Upon waking up, she found herself at an unfamiliar house. Turns out, a strange man named Satsuki Shishio, who also happens to be Yosano's homeroom teacher, has carried her safely to her uncle's house. Ultimately, her new school life in Tokyo has just begun. A Great Shoujo Manga: Young love is full of surprises, from childhood friends to love triangles Hirunaka no Ryuusei perfectly portrays a beautiful yet forbidden romantic relationship between student and teacher. Together, the couple must forge a deep relationship to support one another as they grow as a person. 8. Namaikizakari Status: OngoingAuthor: Miyuki MitsubachiReleased: Oct 19, 2013Genre: Romance, School, Shoujo, Sports Manga Synopsis: From an early age, Yuki Machida was given the huge responsibility of taking care of her siblings. Consequently, this taught her how to suppress her true feelings and to always put up a fake outer appearance. At school, in order to get close to her crush, Machida decided to become the manager of the basketball team. However, when a talented player named Shou Naruse joins the team, he decided to make Machida a target of his romantic desires. For now, Machida's goal of becoming closer to her crush seems to be out of reach. A Great Shoujo Manga: Love comes in many forms, and in Namaikizakari, it comes in the cutest form possible. The manga offers its reader a perfect story, containing an ideal blend between drama and light-hearted comedy. Ultimately, Namaikizakari is oddly addicting. And as you read through this heartwarming shoujo manga, you will ultimately be finding yourself coming back for more. 7. Fruits Basket Status: CompletedAuthor: Takaya NatsukiReleased: Jul 18, 1996Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo, Supernatural Manga Synopsis: Being an orphan with nowhere to go, Tooru Honda was taken in by the prestigious Souma family. Upon arriving, she discovered an astounding secret of the family line - when a Souma member is hugged by the opposite sex, they turn into Zodiac animals. Now, Tooru's life is forever changed as she struggled to hide the Souma family curse from her classmates. Yet, despite such hardship, Tooru was able to overcome life obstacles and form deep bonds of friendships along the way. A Great Shoujo Manga: Fruit basket, or Furuba for short, is enjoyed by many. With a great storyline, believable characters, and a pure main protagonist, Furuba offers a wide range of genres to its reader. From supernatural cats to soap opera drama, the twists and turn of Furuba's plot will constantly keep you interested. 6. L-DK Status: CompletedAuthor: Watanabe AyuReleased: Feb 13, 2009Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo Manga Synopsis: One day, Aoi Nishimori arrived home to her apartment when she heard a knock on her door. To her surprise, she was face to face with Shusei Kugayama, the prince of her school. One event lead to another, and the two ended up sharing the same room together. It was the worse case scenario for both party, as Shusei is known to be a cold and heartless person who rejected Aoi's best friend. However, as they learn more about one another, strangely enough, Aoi suddenly began to feel anxious and nervous around Shusei. What on earth is happening to her? A Great Shoujo Manga: LDK is somewhat a controversial shoujo manga in that there are those who absolutely love it, and there are those who absolutely hates it. However, no matter where you stand, it's agreeable that the story will pick up its pace after around 20 chapters. For some, perhaps LDK might not be the best shoujo manga you have ever read in terms of plot. However, the manga is essentially filled with soap opera drama. If you are into such themes, then L-DK will definitely be a good shoujo manga for you. 5. Ao Haru Ride Status: CompletedAuthor: Sakisaki IoReleased: Jan 13, 2011Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Slice of Life Manga Synopsis: When other girls were busy caring about their popularity and attractiveness for other boys, Futaba Yoshioka was a different story. She was never interested in male in the first place, except for her first love Kou Mabuchi, a boy whom she fell in love with during middle school. When walking with her friends, Futaba bumped into a boy student who closely resembled her first love. Turns out, it really was Kou, except he was no longer the sweet and gentle boy she knew back then. It was then that Futaba realized - they can no longer return back to where they started. A Great Shoujo Manga: Reuniting with an old friend is often the best feeling in the world. However, in Futaba's case, Kou has turned into a completely different person. Essentially, Ao Haru Ride is a shoujo manga that is a worthwhile emotional rollercoaster throughout. This is a beautiful love story between two youth, and their struggles to fix their new-found bonds and relationships. Related: Drama Manga Recommendations 4. Soredemo Sekai Wa Utsukushii Status: CompletedAuthor: Shiina DaiReleased: Mar 5, 2009Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo Manga Synopsis: Nike, the princess of the Rain Kingdom who possess an ability to call forth rain, was one day summoned to the Sun Kingdom to marry the Sun King. Rumored has it that the King was a tyrant who uses brutal forces upon his subjects. However, upon meeting the King, Livius, Nike realized that the King was a very different person than she had thought him to be. A Great Shoujo Manga: Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii is a fast-paced shoujo manga that tells the romantic tale between a ruthless king and a gentle princess. Along the way, the couple must overcome different challenges and deepen their bonds. With a unique and exciting plot overall, this manga will definitely be an excellent read for you shoujo fans out there. 3. Hibi Chouchou Status: CompletedAuthor: Morishita SuuReleased: Feb 20, 2012Genre: Romance, School, Shoujo, Slice of Life Manga Synopsis: Suiren Shibazeki, nicknamed as the "Takane no Hana", received gazes and looks wherever she goes. Despite the fact that she hates all the unnecessary attention, Suiren could not seem to escape it. Consequently, she maintains a cold and expressionless face, making her seem even more unreachable and godlike for others around her. Surprisingly, out of all Suiren's admirer, one caught her attention. It was none other than Kouha Kawasumi, a quiet and talented karate student who saved her once from a group of boys. Slowly, as they become friends with one another, their bonds deepened - thus begins the blossoms of young love. A Great Shoujo Manga: Similar to its characters, if you are someone who loves quiet time to yourself, then Hibi Chouchou if the perfectly relatable shoujo manga. Despite not having as much drama as other shoujo genres, Hibi Chouchou is unique in its own way. Through light-hearted comedy, cute and romantic moments, this manga will ultimately melt your heart. 2. Akatsuki no Yona Status: OngoingAuthor: Kusanagi MizuhoReleased: Aug 5, 2009Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo Manga Synopsis: Yona, the princess of Kouka, lived a luxury and sheltered live all throughout her childhood. Along with her childhood friend and personal guard, Son Hak, and her beloved cousin, Su-Won, life for Yona was great. That is, until the Kingdom of Kouka was overthrown by Su-Won. Betrayed and lost her parents, Yona finally was able to witness the gruesome world outside of Kouka - a world dreaded with famine, poverty, and war. Vowed to take back what she lost, Princess Yona embark on an adventure to gather strong allies for her ultimate conquest. A Great Shoujo Manga: Akatsuki no Yona focuses on the life of a wandering princess, featuring fast-paced action scenes, as well as heartwarming romantic relationships. Additionally, despite the story being a heavy theme of war and betrayals, the overall light-hearted atmosphere of the characters definitely makes up for it. In fact, you should look forward to Akatsuki no Yona, because the princess herself is, undeniably, cool and badass in her own ways. 1. Last Game Status: CompletedAuthor: Amano ShinobuReleased: Aug 24, 2011Genre: Comedy, Romance, Shoujo Manga Synopsis: Naoto Yanagi is the son and heir to the multimillionaire Yanagi business. He was perfect in every way, grades, athletics, money, you name it. Then there comes Mikoto Kujou, a plain and poor girl who managed to work hard and beat Yanagi every way possible. In denial, Yanagi vowed to beat her at all costs. Fast forward to college, Yanagi was still unable to beat her. He then made a bet with Mikoto - whoever falls in love first lose. Soon, Yanagi found himself gradually losing as he falls deeper and deeper in love for Mikoto. A Great Shoujo Manga: Cute, lovely, pure. These phrases perfectly describe Last Game as a shoujo manga that will melt your innocent heart once and for all. The manga showcased the relationship between Naoto and Mikoto, as well as the drama that comes with it. Indeed, these two are like newlyweds who have yet to realize their feelings for one another. Conclusion: So there you have it, the top 10 shoujo manga to read of all time. Whether you are a fan of soap opera drama, light-heart comedy, or even fast-paced action, hopefully, this list has covered them all. One final note from me is that, despite shoujo manga being focused solely on female audiences, that doesn't have to be the case. Everyone is welcome to enjoy shoujo, as there are many important life lessons relating to romance and relationships within the genre itself. So read on, my fellow shoujo manga fans!! And let me know of your thoughts. Was this list satisfying enough? Did you know of any of shoujo manga that should have been on the list, or should not be on this list? If so, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below. Till then~