- Is one of the main protagonists getting sick? Sure.
- Is there a school festival? Yes.
- Are there misunderstandings? Of course.
So there are some tropes in these Manga, but other than that, these Shoujos are really refreshing. It was really hard to make a ranking with these because the stories are so different: Ohayou Ibarahime and Queen’s Quality for example are story-based and focus on the backgrounds of the characters, while Furare Girl and Boku to Kimi no Taisetsu na Hanashi focus more on the everyday school-life of the protagonists. So don’t take this ranking too seriously and check all of them out, if you have the time. I hope you enjoy this Romance Manga List.
Shoujo Manga without tropes – Recommendation 1 Ohayou, Ibarahime
Official Summary: High schooler Tetsu Misato is hardworking, frugal, and easily scared, but he commits to a part-time job at the mansion on the hill—the one that’s rumored to be haunted. As he toils away, he notices a building separate from the estate and the mysterious girl who lives within it: Shizu Karasawa. Tetsu slowly becomes enchanted by Shizu’s lonely smile, but by their second encounter, he quickly finds himself in over his head. There’s an unsettling feeling he can’t quite shake, but there’s love there, too.
Why I like this Romance-Manga: To be honest after reading chapter one I thought: Wait a second, a confession after two meetings? But! Just keep reading. Tetsu is a very lovable ML with a lot of character development. He tries to conquer his fears and always helps Shizu and his family (Sometimes he is portrayed a bit too perfectly). Shizu gave up on herself long ago, but with Tetsus help, she tries to get out of her shell.
I must say, the ending of this Manga was perfect: emotional and satisfying. Everything was resolved and you get a really satisfying scene without any timeskip or the usual “trip to America”. It could have been a bit longer, the last chapters feel kinda rushed, but definitely give it a try.
Romance-Manga: Where you can support the creator: Follow on Twitter: @megumi_ibara
Romance Manga without Shoujo-tropes – Recommendation 2: Queen’s Quality
Official Summary: Fumi Nishioka lives with Kyutaro Horikita and his family of “Sweepers,” people who specialize in cleaning the minds of those overcome by negative energy and harmful spirits. Fumi has always displayed mysterious abilities, but will those powers be used for evil when she begins to truly awaken as a Queen?
Why I like this Romance-Manga: Queen’s Quality is a continuation of QQ Sweeper. If you want to get the whole story, you should start with reading that. There are three volumes and you should definitely read them first if you want to get the whole story. Kyousuke Motomi is the author of Dengeki Daisy, so I expected a unique premise but Queen’s Quality really is something else. It addresses the corruption of the mind and how it affects people, which I find truly interesting. Every thought matters and every suppressed feeling matters. I also like the dynamic between the male leads Kyotaro and Fumi.
The story is somewhat predictable – I don’t want to go too in-depth so I won’t spoil you – but there are also some twists. What I also like is, that there is a reason for the actions of the characters and they don’t just do stuff for plot-convenience. Major Spoiler: Also when these two finally get together it’s not your typical I blush and can’t look him in the face kinda path. It gets kind of dark sometimes but not too heavy. I am not good with horror, so trust me, this one is safe. So if you like to read a Shoujo with a unique premise, this could be for you.
Romance-Manga: Where you can support the creator: Follow on Twitter: @motomikyosuke
Shoujo Manga without tropes – Recommendation 3: Boku To Kimi No Taisetsu Na Hanashi / Our Precious Conversations
Official Summary: Nozomi Aizawa has kept her feelings for her schoolmate Azuma-kun a secret for quite a while, but the time has come for her to finally confess. His response, though, is far from ordinary! Led in circles by his hilarious tangents, these two awkward teenagers find themselves growing ever closer while muddling through misunderstandings and off-topic rants. When the airheaded stalker Aizawa-san finally connects with the petulant know-it-all Azuma-Kun, the result is a romantic comedy worth talking about!
Why I like this Romance-Manga: From all of the four suggestions „Our precious conversations“ probably is the most Shoujo-like with the most tropes, although the execution is really refreshing. The two protagonists are very lovable and often don’t react like you thought they would: Aizawa-San is completely different from the shy beauty you would expect her to be. Also, Azuma-kun is definitely not the diligent type that he appears to be.
And to top it off: The side-characters are well fleshed out, lovable, and have heart-wrenching stories of their own. One of the few Shoujo that can deliver romance without the typical Valentine’s Day Chocolates Exchange – I’m impressed. It starts kinda slow, I was afraid that they would just keep talking at the station, but that’s not the case. So just keep reading. Their relationship forms naturally over many conversations, so it doesn’t feel forced or rushed. One of the downsides in my opinion: Spoiler: There’s no satisfying kiss.
Romance-Manga: Where you can support the creator : Follow on Twitter. @robicon2018
Romance Manga without Shoujo-tropes – Recommendation 4: Furare Girl
Official Summary: The drop-dead-gorgeous and high-sex-appeal Akasaka Hibiki is going through breakup blues. Soon after being dumped, she’s asked to become her schoolmate Aoyama-kun’s mistress?! Aoyama-kun will try to gain Hibiki’s affections through different means, so let’s just hope he doesn’t nosebleed to death in the process.
Why I like this Romance-Manga: With Furare Girl you never know what to expect. All the characters are pretty unpredictable, especially because you sometimes just can’t believe that Aoyama really is hat gullible; BUT – he is. If he can’t control his emotions he liquifies or turns into sand.
There are also random guardian spirits. This sounds absurd and maybe it is but all in all this is a really fluffy and non-generic shoujo without drama and interesting characters. The artwork is unique as well. And don’t worry: His excessive nose bleeding from the beginning stops almost completely. So keep reading.
Shoujo: Where you can support the Creator: Follow on Twitter: @tsutsumikakeru
