Favorite Josei Manga!
Today on the blog, I’m delving into the wonderful world of Josei Manga! If you’re interested in seeing my previous post on Slice of Life Manga click here!
Josei manga are Japanese comics aimed at older teenage girls and adult women who are able to read kanji without the aid of furigana. It’s a genre that specifically targets female viewers around the age range of 18-40. With that age range, the manga here are depicted in a more mature light usually with very realistic romance and less-dreamy, less-idealized portrayals.
I’ve read so many over the years, but here are some picks of stories that I’ve read and continue to stick with me. Enjoy! 
Synopsis: Nana Komatsu is a small town girl who goes to Tokyo to follow her boyfriend and college friends, with the hope of having her dream life. Nana Osaki was in a popular punk rock band in her hometown. She goes to Tokyo with the goal of making it big as a singer. The two Nanas meet on the train ride to the city. Later, they run into each other again when they happen to check out the same apartment, and the girls decide to become roommates. The series chronicles their friendship and their lives as each chases her dreams.
I first discovered this manga when Shojo Beat used to release their monthly magazine. Nana was probably the first Josei manga I read and I like how it starts out as two women who are complete strangers and become such close friends. Readers see how Tokyo forces each Nana out of their comfort zone and how they evolve over the years in their careers and even themselves. This manga felt very realistic and what stands out to me in this series is the strong character writing.
Synopsis: The story revolves around Chiwa Takanashi, a 23-year-old ordinary office-lady that never had the time nor the opportunity to have a boyfriend in her entire life, who agrees to an arranged marriage with the president Hokuto Mamiya of the company she works in – a man she doesn’t know – in order to pay off her dad’s debts. Chiwa believes the arrangement isn’t binding, but her new partner seems to think otherwise. This comedy tells the story of two strangers living together and their way to find a happy marriage.
This manga folllows a marriage of convenience trope where two very different people agree to an arranged marriage. Though they clash at first, readers see how they grow to love each other over time. There are some love triangles, jealous rivals, Hokuto’s family who is trying to take everything from him, and so many more obstacles the couple has to face. There are a lot of ups and downs in their relationship which keeps the love aspect more realistic than some previous shojo manga I read.
Synopsis: Ever since her late mother took her to an aquarium when she was young, Tsukimi Kurashita has been obsessed with jellyfish, comparing their flowing tentacles to a princess’s white dress. Now living with five other unemployed otaku women, 19-year-old Tsukimi spends her days as a social outcast dreaming of becoming an illustrator.
However, her life changes forever when one day, a beautiful woman unexpectedly helps her save a jellyfish in a local pet store. From then on, the stranger—confident, fashionable, and the complete opposite of Tsukimi and her roommates—begins to regularly visit the girls’ building. This trendy hipster, though appearing shallow at first, harbors some secrets of her own, starting with the fact that “she” isn’t really a girl at all, but a wealthy male college student named Kuranosuke Koibuchi!
This is one of my favorite manga of all time! It’s fun, entertaining, and has a lot of heart. Tsukimi and her roommates are complete nerds and they are all deeply passionate about what like (ex.trains, kimonos) and they don’t care what others think. Tsukimi shows Kuranosuke a new side of life while he helps her to grow out of her comfort zone. This manga is about self-love, self-discovery, and falling in love.
Synopsis: Third-year high school student Yukari Hayasaka has no time for frivolous things. One day, while Yukari is walking down the street, a guy with multiple piercings and bleached hair flags her down. Suspicious of the stranger, she tries to get away from him but fails and ultimately ends up meeting his friends: a group of third-year fashion design students at a prestigious art school. They want her to be their model for their final project, but Yukari thinks it will only get in the way of her studies. But the more she gets to know them, the more she grows to admire the way they go after their dreams. Will modeling for this eccentric group of would-be fashion designers give Yukari a much-needed push to strive for her own goals?
Paradise Kiss is one of the few fashion manga that I’ve ever read and that’s why it’s stand to be such a top favorite among fans. It’s a fish out of water story as Yukari pulled into a fashion world reminiscent of project runway and away from the stress of making college decisions (at least for a little while). At first she’s not too sure about being a model, but once she sees how fun it is, she loves it. I loved the fashions and behind the scenes look at runaway shows in this manga. Yukari goes on a self-discovery journey also while falling in love. This manga also follows the theme of following your dreams!
Synopsis: Sakuragawa Miyako is a graduate student at Eito University against the wishes of her family. She finds out that the prince of Estolia is studying abroad and is at Eito University. She wants to get close to him only in the hopes of finishing her thesis on his great grandmother, Queen Ritsuko–but he has other ideas!?
This story is set in college, but the fact that Miyako gets immersed into the kingdom of Estolia gives it some Princess Diaries vibes. Miyako is passionate about her studies and she worms her way into the prince’s life in hopes of finishing her thesis, while also capturing his heart in the process. Miyako is quiet, but confident while the prince is loud and a bit zany. Their personalities clash, but it’s also what balances them out when they start to enter a relationship with each other. This manga is cute, funny, and immerses readers into the royal life.
Synopsis: Soah is a girl from a small village suffering from a long, devastating drought. In order to appease the Water God, the most beautiful girl from the village must be sacrificed. Soah is chosen to become Habaek’s bride, but instead of dying at the hands of a monster, she is unexpectedly rescued by Habaek and brought to his Kingdom.
As Soah learns to live in a strange new world filled with gods, she is caught up in various intrigues surrounding Habaek and finds it increasingly difficult to know whom she can trust. In the midst of such trouble, she finds she has fallen in love with Mui, unaware that he is the true form of Habaek.
My interest in this manga was sparked by the recent K-Drama adaptation of this story. The synopsis intrigued me and I thought its fantasy elements sounded cool. A young woman is sacrificed to the water god as a bride in order to help her village flourish. At first she is fascinated by the wonderful things the magical kingdom has to offer, but homesickness sets in. On top of everything, she is still resentful of the village’s and her family’s choice to sacrifice her. The first volume has good world building; shows the main landscape, introduces the inhabitants of the kingdom without giving too much away lots of mystery.I really loved the concept and the art is absolutely gorgeous!
Synopsis: Considered to be the “perfect secretary” yet constantly criticized for her ultra-conservative dress style by her boss, Director Kyouhei Touma of the Touma Company, Kaya lives a normal life until she finds out that her employer is actually a vampire. Despite uncovering his identity, she dedicates herself to serving the Director to the best of her abilities. The early part of the story focuses on the trials and tribulations of Kaya’s increasingly hectic workload, then shifts to the developing personal relationship between her and the Director.
This a vampire love story, but with a few twists that make it memorable from the other vampire manga I’ve read before (can’t say because of spoilers. The story is set in an office where Kaya works as a secretary for Director Kyouhei who turns out to be a vampire. She has a difficult time at first, but eventually becomes a super secretary who is on top of everything. Despite the fact he’s a vampire, this book reads mostly as an office romance. But towards the later part there are more supernatural twists that kept me interested in reading this series.
That concludes my favorite Josei manga list! What are your favorites or recommendations?
Each of these sounds good in its own way. And it’s fun that a television drama got you reading, when it’s usually TV that gets in the way of my reading! *laughs*