The 50th Kodansha Manga Awards, one of Japan’s most influential manga prizes, were announced on May 11. Even the Shōnen category included a romance pick this year: The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, now in its fourth consecutive Kodansha nomination. It didn’t win, but I love seeing romance pop up outside the (obvious) Shōjo category. Here’s the Shōjo winner and the nominees alongside it.
50th Kodansha Manga Awards: This is the Shōjo winner
Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me took home Best Shōjo on the Kodansha Manga Awards. The series is a manga adaptation by Gin Shirakawa, based on the light novel by Eiko Mutsuhana with original illustrations by Yugiri Aika. It’s been running on KADOKAWA’s ComicWalker platform since 2022.
Here’s the setup: a seventeen-year-old magic student named Oriana dies alongside her boyfriend Vincent, then opens her eyes again in her seven-year-old body, memories intact. But she doesn’t remember how she died. So she spends a decade aching to find her boyfriend again – and when she finally does, Vincent doesn’t recognize her at all. She has to make him fall for her a second time, hoping to escape the death flag this time.
Worth noting: this was Re-Living My Life‘s second nomination. It was up for the same prize in 2025 and lost. Fall in Love, You False Angels won instead (and if you haven’t read this one yet, you should; it’s a fantastic choice.)
Where to buy Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me
Seven Seas Entertainment is handling the English release. There are currently six volumes available in English; the 7th is on the way and will be published on November 17th, 2026. You can buy the digital editions on several plattforms Amazon, Bookwalker and Comixology are the biggest ones. The Print editions are available here:
- Volume 1: Bookshop.org, Amazon.com
- Volume 2: Bookshop.org, Amazon.com
- Volume 3: Bookshop.org, Amazon.com
- Volume 4: Bookshop.org, Amazon.com
- Volume 5: Bookshop.org, Amazon.com
- Volume 6: Bookshop.org, Amazon.com
Heads up: the links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you – it’s a huge help in keeping Best in Romance running.
These were the nominees for the 50th Kodansha Manga Awards
- In the Clear Moonlit Dusk by Mika Yamamori was up for its fourth consecutive Kodansha nomination. If you’ve slept on Yamamori – who also wrote Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet and Daytime Shooting Star – consider this your sign.
- A Star Brighter Than the Sun by Kazune Kawahara was also in the running, and yes, that’s the Kazune Kawahara of High School Debut and My Love Story!! fame.
- Gazing at the Star Next Door by Ammitsu returned for its second consecutive nomination, bringing sweet, low-key high school romance energy.
If you are in the mood for some Shoujo with less tropes or Shoujo with a delinquent male lead, check out my lists.
