The romance genre has always been popular among anime and manga fans, with plenty of diverse stories and couples to keep fans entertained. However, many mature manga readers can often run into burnout from reading high school romances over and over again. Thankfully, due to the diverse nature of romance manga, there are plenty of excellently written series with adult leads.
Having adult characters taking the spotlight in a romance series is a great opportunity for mangaka to push their creativity, especially in a slice-of-life setting, by tackling very real issues that adult couples face. Whether it’s lifelong love or a quick fling, an adult romance can be just as complicated and dramatic as its adolescent counterpart.
10 Perfect World
Created by Rie Aruga
Perfect World follows Tsugumi Kawana, an average 26-year-old balancing her daily life and career when she’s suddenly reunited with her friend from high school and first love: Itsuki Ayakawa. Even more surprising, however, is that Ayakawa is no longer able to walk on his own, and uses a wheelchair. Elated to be reunited with an old friend and still yearning for something more, Tsugumi takes time to reconnect with the reluctant Ayakawa.
Not only does Perfect World prominently feature an unconventional male lead, the series brazenly tackles the bittersweet complexities that come with Tsugumi and Ayakawa’s relationship. The romance between the two takes its time, and allows the pair to thoroughly learn and grow before settling in to commit to one another and their unique struggles.
Available Through Kodansha
9 Tokyo Tarareba Girls
Created by Akiko Higashimura
From the creator of Princess Jellyfish, Tokyo Tarareba Girls has all the same wit as Higashimura’s other popular josei series combined with the existential dread that comes with being a single woman in their 30s. The manga focuses on Rinko, a screenwriter who, for no lack of trying, is still single at 33-years-old. She regularly hangs out with her two closest friends from school, Kaori and Koyuki to lament about her romantic woes and complain about their daily lives.
One fateful night, the trio are interrupted by a handsome young man named Key, who tells them that the reason they’re so unlucky in love is that they focus too much on the “what ifs” in life. Tokyo Tarareba Girls is hilariously poignant in how it handles modern dating for individuals in their late 20s and early 30s, and much like Higashimura’s past work, puts a big emphasis on self-discovery as the protagonists navigate their messy love lives.
Available Through Kodansha
8 My Androgynous Boyfriend
Created By Tamekou
Featuring another unconventional couple, My Androgynous Boyfriend is a colorful, fun josei manga detailing the lives of Wako Machida and Meguru Soma. Meguru is a pretty young man obsessed with the latest fashion and make-up trends, defining himself by making sure he fashionably stands out in every crowd. Wako is just as obsessed with beauty, and constantly gushes over her boyfriend’s outfits. My Androgynous Boyfriend explores romance and gender expression in a fun, colorful way. Tamekou’s vibrant character art makes the couple’s endearing energy something that every hopeless romantic should strive for.
Available Through Seven Seas Entertainment
7 Something’s Wrong With Us
Created by Natsumi Ando
Murder, revenge, romance, and traditional Japanese sweet confectionery all combine to create a near-perfect storm in Something’s Wrong With Us, a series perfectly suited for fans of the age-old enemies to lovers trope. Following her mother’s legacy, Nao has decided to pursue a career as a traditional Japanese sweets maker. With her unmatched skill and determination, Nao lands a position at a top-of-the-line confectionary, but upon meeting the owner – a cold-faced man named Tsubaki – she’s flung into anxiety and paranoia, as Tsubaki is someone from her past that framed her mother for murder.
Balancing the frigid and cutthroat company she now works for, Nao begins to dig deeper into Tsubaki’s history and life to try and uncover the truth of what happened that night, and to try and clear her mother’s name. While Something’s Wrong With Us is able to hook readers with its intricate murder mystery plot, the series also successfully builds upon the strained history between Nao and Tsubaki, giving the two the perfect chemistry to propel their romance past typical conventions seen in the genre.
Available Through Kodansha
6 Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You
Created by Jinushi
After going viral for its charming first chapter, Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You has proven to be an adorable will-they-won’t-they between an exhausted salary man, and a supermarket employee with two very different public personas. Sasaki, an exasperated man whose one joy after a grueling day at work is the cheery, upbeat attitude of Yamada – a cute girl working at the supermarket he stops by on his way home. One night, after deciding to hang around the back of the shop to smoke, Sasaki meets Tayama – a charming girl with an edgier aesthetic and sarcastic sense of humor. Unbeknownst to Sasaki, his new smoking buddy is secretly the very same Yamada he’s developed a crush on.
Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You is still ongoing, and as of writing, Sasaki still hasn’t figured out Tayama’s true identity. Regardless, the banter and infectious chemistry between the two leads already make them a couple worth rooting for. Plus, Sasaki’s constant aloofness towards the whole situation is hopelessly adorable.
Available Through Square Enix
5 Everyone’s Getting Married
Created by Izumi Miyazono
Asuka Takanashi, an incredibly successful, career-driven woman, dreams of getting married and becoming the perfect housewife. She feels like she’s finally about to achieve her dream, when suddenly, her boyfriend of five years decides to dump her out of nowhere. She soon comes into contact with a famous newscaster named Ryu Nanami, and the two share great chemistry. There’s just one glaring problem for Asuka, though – Ryu doesn’t want to get married.
Following the standard beats of a typical “opposites attract” romantic comedy, Everyone’s Getting Married is a fun, heartfelt story about finding balance despite a couple’s differences, and being able to grow alongside one’s partner as their life goals and wants change over time. The manga is relatively short as well, making it a great popcorn read for josei fans.
Available Through Viz Media
4 Firefly Wedding
By Oreco Tachibana
Firefly Wedding is a high-stakes historical romance manga that revolves around Satoko, the oldest daughter of the well-respected Kirigaya family, who has received numerous marriage proposals in the past because of her natural beauty. Satoko has turned every single one of these potential suitors down, however, due to a heart defect that she keeps secret. One day, Satoko is kidnapped by a group of criminals – with one of them being the series’ male lead, Shinpei Gotou – who have been tasked with assassinating her.
In a desperate gamble to save her own life, Satoko pleads with Gotou that she fell in love with him at first sight, and that she wants to marry him. He agrees, and the two escape. Firefly Wedding is heart-pounding in more ways than one, and the manga does an excellent job building tension.
Read Now On Comikey
3 Sweat & Soap
Created by Kintetsu Yamada
Despite its admittedly odd premise potentially deterring would-be fans, Sweat & Soap proved itself time and time again throughout the series’ run to be one of the best romance manga ever written. The series follows Asako, an employee at a high-end soap company who is cripplingly insecure about her body odor. Cue her unlikely prince charming, Koutarou, an immensely talented fragrance developer at the same company who falls head over heels for her – because of her natural scent.
Sweat & Soap beautifully chronicles every major moment between the couple – their awkward first meeting, the adjustments they make when they move in together, meeting Asako’s family, and so much more. Even when things aren’t picture-perfect for the couple, Asako and Koutarou are the perfect example of what it means to find “the one”.
Available Through Kodansha
2 A Sign of Affection
By suu Morishita
With an anime adaptation set to air starting in January, there’s no better time to indulge in artist-writer duo suu Morishita’s A Sign of Affection. The series follows Yuki, a young college student who happens to be deaf, navigating young adult life when she encounters Itsuomi, a well-traveled upperclassman that she befriends and begins teaching sign language to.
As the story progresses, a relationship begins to develop between the two. A Sign of Affection is an adorable “meet cute” romance with a unique couple utilizing powerful themes while still telling a fluffy love story.
Available Through Kodansha
1 Wotakoi
Created by Fujita
The world of dating can be tricky for diehard otaku – a subject that has never been tackled better than by Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku. Focusing on three different couples, Wotakoi starts as a laid-back romantic comedy with an office setting before gradually shifting into a deeper, more mature romance story. The series is laced with references to popular anime, manga and video games, making it painfully relatable for any hobbyist struggling to find lasting love.
With both a popular anime and live action accompanying the hit manga, it’s clear that Wotakoi has become a modern classic within the romance genre. Its relentless charm and relatable cast make it an absolute staple for romance manga fans new and old.
Available Through Kodansha
