#josei recs

[shoujo-dump]

Watashi no Tonari no Yandere-kun

[comickergirl]

Resharing my Wolf's Daughter fanart because IT'S OUT TODAAAAAAY but of course I do not have my copy yet as it's in the mail so I gotta WAIT XD

[hawnks]

Idk why this is taking me out but the last panel is so funny to me 😭 why is his face like that

[thepeculiarbookshelf]

Manga Monday: Sketchy

Sometimes you read something and it punches you right in the heart, but in like, a good way. I never thought a manga about skateboarding would have that effect, but that’s the power of Josei for you.

Where to read: Kodansha (Like a lot of the manga I read, I got it through my local library. Support your local library!)

Sketchy is about skateboarding, but it is also about rediscovering passion, purpose, and finding community through trying something new.

Sketchy follows a group of women as they learn to skateboard. Each of them has a different reason for taking it up, from becoming a trailblazer in the world of skateboarding films to figuring out who they are after their lives collapse, but they’re all looking for something.

Ako, with whom we start the story, is in her thirties and feels listless and directionless. She watches as her friends get married, have kids, and build futures and careers that are out of her grasp, even if she wanted them. But then a female skateboarder drops out of the sky and changes everything.

Ako signs up for a skateboarding class, becoming an active participant in her own life instead of just going through the motions. She remembers what it means to have fun, and Sketchy shows us just how important that is.

And then she inspires others to do the same.

Sketchy has a strong undercurrent of women supporting other women. When Ako and her friend Shiho show up at the skate park, knowing almost nothing, the more experienced female skaters (younger and far more effortlessly cool) are just excited that they’re there.

This is in direct contrast to Ako’s other “friends,” who have a weirdly competitive relationship and don’t seem to really see Ako, and Shiho’s less-than-stellar family, who excuse and even encourage her more successful cousin’s behavior with a “boys will be boys” attitude.

The story shows us just how lonely and unfulfilling this competition and lack of understanding is for all involved, in direct contrast to the amazing things that happen with support and a willingness to just openly think your friends are rad.

While even Sketchy can’t convince me that skateboarding would be a good idea (it would be dangerous to all involved), it serves as an excellent reminder of just how important it is to find things to put yourself into wholeheartedly, and that you’re never too old to learn new tricks.

[hotwaterandmilk]

2024 English language manga releases I'm enjoying

Here are a couple of titles I've picked up in English so far this year that I've enjoyed. Most of these I read digitally in Japanese for one or two volumes a couple of years back, but opted to wait and purchase the English print versions for my collection.

I feel like all of these books are worth the purchase price, but don't have the energy to do individual posts for each of them. So here's a very smooshed together post covering a few 2024 reads.

GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! from Yen Press

Akechi Ushiro is a heavily flawed, hard-working woman whose disregard for her own wellbeing results in her coming face-to-face with her equally flawed guardian spirit, Masako. The pair decide to combine their forces and begin tackling the obstacles in Ushiro's life using curses.

Hiruzuka Miyako's darkly funny tale of a woman taking control of her life alongside her queer sister spirit is such a delight . Featuring a rough-and-ready art style that helps underscore the macabre elements at play, the entire first volume is scathing in its humour and unashamed in its portrayal of Ushiro's flaws. I was surprised when this one got picked up by Yen Press a while back, but so happy to see it enjoying a stateside release. If you're after something that doesn't always play nice, GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! might well be for you.

Edit: If you haven't read it before, this Japanese interview with Hiruzuka is worth reading for a bit more on her background and the creation of the series.

Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! (Akujiki Reijou to Kyouketsu Koushaku) from Kodansha USA

A sweet little fantasy romance between two individuals who find solace in one another despite being reviled by the general public for their interest in monsters. One loves defeating monsters in battle while the other loves cooking them!

Melphiera is a smart, capable heroine while Aristide Rogier du Galbraith is a dashing and supportive hero. The manga art is a bit low in detail, but the characters and story are absolutely worth your time. I'd love to see the LNs that the manga adapts in English someday too. I mentioned in tags before this whole series gives me the types of vibes I enjoy in historical fantasy romance novels, so if you like that kind of content this might be a good title to check out (or recommend to friends who appreciate romantasy but haven't tried manga before).

In The Name of The Mermaid Princess (Mio no Na no Moto ni) from VIZ Media

In a country where being "unhuman" or in some way supernaturally inclined is seen as a curse rather than a blessing, Princess Mio takes medications to suppress her mermaid-esque traits and please her father. Her perspective changes when Yuri, a tutor from her fiance's home kingdom, encourages her to be herself and embrace the things that make her different.

I've seen people say this is a bit too obvious in its parallels between fantasy oppression and IRL issues, but this is a Ribon manga for young girls so yeah it's on the nose but I think it works for the audience it has in mind. Tashiro Miya's artwork here is gorgeous and both leads are quite endearing (Mio is SO freakin adorable I can'ttttt). Overall a solid little series with nicely packaged volumes for those after something for a younger audience.

The Moon on a Rainy Night (Amayo no Tsuki) from Kodansha USA

A romantic slice-of-life tale featuring two high school girls, one of whom is a budding pianist (Saki) and the other a loner who is hard of hearing (Kanon).

I don't normally go much on high school romance but the way this series blends classic GL melodrama tropes with genuine issues in an earnest manner works for me. While we see things more from Saki's viewpoint as she eagerly tries to learn more about Kanon and tries to figure out her own sexuality, we do also come to understand Kanon's thwarted ambitions and the difficulties she has with letting people in.

Kuzushiro's art is quite whispy and cute, with all the characters tending to look quite well-realised on the page. While I prefer romances that feature a character with disability to centre their perspective, I do feel this does a decent job of portraying both girls as they try to navigate their deepening relationship. YMMV on this though, particularly if you are d/Deaf or hard of hearing.

Sketchy from Kodansha USA

Ako is living an unfulfilling life with a dull job and even duller boyfriend, but she suddenly finds herself thrust into a whole new world upon encountering a mysterious young skateboarder.

Sketchy, while ostensibly about women taking up skateboarding is more a snapshot of their individual lives and the role having a hobby plays once you're no longer a child. Ako's story particularly resonates with me (I literally worked her job at a similar age) but all the characters prove interesting in their own way.

Makihirochi's art is a bit more experimental than others on this list and may not be to everyone's taste, but I do think Sketchy is still worth checking out even if you're not entirely sold on the art (which I think has improved since I first became familiar with her work through Itsuka Tiffany de Choushoku o in Comic Bunch). Titles like this, which, let's face it, have low levels of mainstream appeal, don't often get English language releases so I highly recommend supporting this one if you have the opportunity to do so.

[dnana-2809-blog]

What I love most is reading BL manga/manhwa/manhua and my favorite (non-canon) m/m ships!

But I also love reading some non-BL manga. So here are some of my favorite manga based on demographics....

SHOUJO

SHOUNEN

JOSEI

SEINEN

If you're looking for any new reads, do try to read any of the titles above....Hope you like them!

[my-balalaika]

Yall want a YANDERE smut with crazy plot and 60+ chapters, listen up

♡ The Beast Within ♡

This is a beauty and the beast retelling where the female lead and her brother arrive at the male leads manor because they lost their fortune and need a place to stay. The ML is so fine but he is not a good person at allll. He’s crazy as yanderes are. The smut is good and pretty frequent, like every few chapters but some of the scenes are not consensual so be aware. The plot is crazy and not finished yet but it’s a wild ride. Also if you want a girlboss FL this girl ain’t it, she’s not the brightest and she’s also illiterate but she’s very sweet. I finished this in a day and can’t wait for more chapters

[purpleqilinwrites]

like you mean it.

a/n: i just binged the whole of the wotakoi manga instead of doing adulting things, so i thought might as well get a fic in while i was at it hahaha this was what i was listening to while writing this! (link goes to spotify)

fandom: kaiju no. 8

character: hoshina soushirou

genre: fluff

info: no kaiju au; established relationship (hoshina is your childhood friend); loosely inspired by wotakoi; mentions of other fandoms (in order of appearance: final fantasy, genshin impact, hatsune miku, pokémon, enstars); mentions of real-life brands

warnings: mentions of alcohol (reader is drinking)

synopsis: you didn't fully process the words before you asked your childhood friend if he felt like falling in love with you.

word count: 1.9k

Hoshina Soushirou

"Been meanin' to ask ya," Hoshina started, placing his coffee down so that he could clasp his hands together in front of his face. The level stare he was throwing at you made you immediately bite back a groan. You knew what he was going to ask next. "Ya invited me instead of that ninny boyfriend of yours. What's goin' on?"

Your brain paused, and you could feel it in your body.

It was no small consolation that he had the thoughtfulness to ask you after the exhibition and in the privacy of his apartment. You had enough self-awareness to know that you'd find it difficult to forgive him if he tried to have a slightly uncomfortable conversation with you while you were in costume and out in public.

As a semi-prolific cosplayer, you had a reputation to uphold, and that reputation included not having a meltdown where strangers could see you and subsequently film you (and there was also the issue of getting caught on camera with your makeup running, which you hoped to avoid forever and ever. You'd never live it down if people started using your tear-stained face as a reaction meme. Sephiroth-dono forbid!).

You didn't feel like mentally retracing the scenes of that story. Hoshina had done you a solid by putting on some makeup and a costume more revealing than he preferred to dress (he has something against baring his shoulders, but he did it for you. You didn't even have to pretend to beg.), just so you could have your fun at the exhibition. He also took some good shots of you in your Kaveh cosplay during golden hour at that secret spot close to the water, which proceeded to draw a crowd of admirers (from the way their eyes lingered on his arms and the fact that they had to ask who he was dressed as, it was clear that they weren't your fellow KavehTham shippers. You weren't surprised because you had your moments of weakness too.).

The groan clawed its way back up your throat and exited your mouth as loudly as it could.

Hoshina found it in himself to guffaw at the sudden noise you made, nearly knocking the mug of still-hot coffee over when he shifted his elbows. If it had been anyone else, you wouldn't have taken it sitting down. But this was Hoshina, the person you let get away with anything and everything. And 'everything' definitely included that collector's item Hatsune Miku mug he was drinking out of. You forgot to take it with you after sleeping over to study with him years ago, and he's been using it as if you gave it to him ever since.

"Boy broke up with me," you said, finally.

The silence after his laughing fit had died down was your natural enemy. Well, one of your many natural enemies. Hoshina probably had a list somewhere in his apartment, knowing him. You couldn't take not hearing him say something or the other to fill up the gaps in conversation, and he knew it and kept this weakness of yours in his pocket to use at times like these when he wanted you to talk.

Hoshina reached out across the absurd crescent shape of his dining table (it was a hand-me-down slash moving-out gift from his brother who the two of you acknowledged as having strange interior design tastes, but Hoshina kept it because it's made of hinoki and gave his apartment a more luxurious feel), patting down your sweaty mop of hair and cooing. "Aww, he ain't worth cryin' over, right? C'mon—" You swatted his hand off your head, and he made a show of noticing the damp sheen on it before wiping his palm off on the shoulder of his equally sweaty undershirt. "—The goober'll be back before ya got a chance to miss him."

"Oh, go fuck yourself, Sou-kun," you spat, but there was no bite to your words. "Ya don't know it for sure. He was really mad this time."

The confession seemed to give him pause. He narrowed his eyes at you in the way he did when he was imitating his brother giving unsolicited brotherly advice to the two of you. You pleasantly met his gaze with your best attempt at a guileless smile, trying your best to channel eyes that held no thoughts between them. Just like your grumpy old man cat Boat—

You were about to launch yourself into the hallway and out onto the street, before you remembered that you left Boat with Ashiro-senpai for the weekend so you could cosplay and get hungover in peace. It took you four seconds to place your ass back down on the dining stool (not made of hinoki because it wasn't given to Hoshina by his brother; you know because he called you to help him haul the whole set out of a thrift store in Setagaya after dark on a school night during your university days) and take a long swig of disappointingly room-temperature Asahi Super Dry.

Unsurprisingly, Hoshina found your moment of befuddlement extremely amusing and laughed into his coffee. Miku looked like she was laughing along with him, and you scowled at the two of them over the upturned metal tab of your beer.

Silence began to settle at the table, and you were bouncing your leg incessantly as if ceaseless motion could ward it off.

Hoshina opened his mouth to speak, but you cut into the beginning of his sentence by chugging the remains of your beer as boisterously as you could. Bleh! You just hoped he had a few secret cans of any brand of beer (or sake. Hoshina's expensive taste had your whole trust!) stashed behind the ungodly tall stacks of blueberries in his fridge.

"Are ya an airport?" He sighed in a way that let you know he was disappointed. You could hear the oncoming lecture in your head even before he spoke the words into existence. He has said it before, and he was going to say it again because clearly, it didn't set in the previous times.

"The blockhead's comin' and goin' as he likes, and ya let him! If this was the first time ya wanna take him back—"

You rapped the knuckle of your index finger on the dining table. It was your turn to talk. "—I'd rather ya tell me 'bout breakin' into his place and pissin' on his new memory foam mattress instead of—"

Hoshina's frown evaporated at the suggestion of revenge, and the wrinkle between his brows completely vanished. The familiar glimmer of mischief that came aflame in his eyes prodded you to keep going, but he borrowed your tactic and gently knocked the back of his fist onto the table as a signal for you to listen. "—Wouldn't ya rather flip it over and rub yoghurt on it or somethin'? Least it wouldn't stink up the place. Ya don't drink enough water—"

Your cackle caught in your throat in a choked sound. You smacked the bottom of the can of Asahi on the table believing that it was empty, but something about the scant teaspoon or so of beer hopping out of the opening and splashing inelegantly onto the dining table broke open a dam of frenzied laughter in the two of you.

"—Can't believe ya! Pissin' on a new Tempur? Thought ya said Voltorb-kun had saved up for it."

Hoshina managed to get some words out even through the bout. Seeing him hunched over the table and slapping his hand on it in his mirth (even if it was at your ex-boyfriend's expense. Hah!) made you painfully conscious that you never had moments like these with your ex-boyfriend. The realisation deflated you, and you sagged into the backrest of the stool with a sigh.

"He did. Even got a small loan 'cause his ma's watchin' his card, ya know," you said, after mulling things over and wiping up the spilled beer with a hastily grabbed fistful of tissues in between. "I just— He's the only person I dated who didn't break up with me over bein' an otaku. It's not 'cause I think boy's special or anythin'."

Hoshina was quick to put on an exaggeratedly sour face, tongue out and all. You had every intention of hurtling out of your stool to flick at his tongue, but he stopped you when his expression turned serious all of a sudden. You promptly sat your ass back down at the same time that he asked, "If the chump ain't special, why bother?"

You sighed, letting your arms drop from your lap to hang limply at your sides. "Dunno."

"Pick someone ya actually like. Someone who'll treat ya royal," he said, pulling at the box of tissues at one point of the crescent-shaped table and diligently swiping at the spots of beer you missed earlier on. "Promise ya I'll be the first to piss on their new mattress if ya did like them and they still upset ya."

You groaned. Everything he was saying made perfect sense, which was the same as the other times you heard the whole speech. But hearing it was different than learning from it.

If you were tipsy, this conversation wouldn't have felt like sitting with a bare ass on the afternoon-warmed concrete of Hoshina's balcony where probably half a million Tokyo residents passed by on a daily basis. Half a million people who could gawk at your sad self who made sad decisions, only to run to your childhood friend's apartment to be sad.

"Don't got anyone like that. Ya know it, Sou-kun—" There were more than a hundred excuses on the tip of your tongue, but not one of them made it out.

"—Sure ya don't wanna give me try?"

Your brain stuttered, and then played the earworm that's been living there rent-free for the past few weeks since you rediscovered the song: trip, trip, bloody pink. Mad, mad, sensual red—

Sometimes your mouth was quicker than your brain, and most of those sometimes meant you got in trouble for saying the wrong thing out loud. But other times—

"—Only if ya feel like fallin' in love with me."

You've never known Hoshina to be particularly flappable, especially not in the offering of romance. He had always been the sort who attracted numerous suitors, and you had always been the sort who offered to beat them out of his personal space with a stick (you were a typical otaku who wasn't athletic, but you knew it was the sentiment behind it that mattered most to him). Not once in all the years you were by his side have you seen him go pink in the face by any flirtatious exchange (and you, unfortunately, have been subject to third-wheeling about a hundred too many) as he did at this moment with you.

"Sou-kun?"

There was a sheepish and entirely unfamiliar manner to the way Hoshina rubbed his knuckle on his nose and pretended it was nothing. You've never seen this bashful version of him before. Even his smile that you were very well-acquainted with looked new and fresh and unfairly beautiful when he wore it with rosy cheeks.

Trip, trip, bloody pink. Mad, mad, sensual red—

"—Too late for that, ain't it?"

[shoujo-dump]

Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Dokomade mo

[comickergirl]

I am. SO. Excited that Wolf's Daughter: A Werewolf's Tale is out in English later this month.

[nyaa]

I'd like to contradict that one anon and say that I've really enjoyed the vintage content AND the look into your mindset art the time

I should just stick with images. I once made this image to depict my mindset and I think it holds up pretty well

[hawnks]

Pleased to report The Hand That Once Fed does go absolutely bananas and did make me cry real tears

[otomevibes]

Em's Personal Favorite Shoujo and Josei manga!

Since one (1) person mentioned they would like a recommendation list of shoujo and josei mangas, I decided to throw one together of my personal favorites! Some of these are well known, some aren't. I also kept it short, so it's more a sample of my tastes. Future lists will probably revolve around themes/genres, but for now here's this!

My Lovesick Life as a 90s Otaku

Demo: Josei

Genre: Romance, Slice-of-Life, Historical

This is a short four volume series about a middle aged mother who reflects back on her teen years and being a big otaku in the 90s. I honestly loved this? There were so many cameos of classic series, and I enjoyed the characters and themes in this a lot. It did make me cringe, just because it reminded me how me and my friends used to be as teens in all the good and bad ways. That relatability is also the reason I was a big fan. It does wrap up pretty quickly at the end, but for a short series, it's one of the josei series I've read that left an impression on me!

Magic Knight Rayearth

Demo: Shoujo

Genre: Fantasy, Isekai

It feels like a crime to not mention Clamp when talking about any of my favorite manga (Tsubasa Chronicles is my favorite Shonen and Chobits is my favorite Seinen, so they're really just winning). Choosing between this and RG Veda was difficult, but this is such a classic. I loved the characters, the world, and how the story reveals itself to be a gut punch at the end. If you still haven't read it, here's yet another rec post telling you to check it out.

Children of the Whales

Demo: Shoujo

Genre: Science Fantasy, Tragedy

This follows a group of people on a floating island, the Mud Whale, which is trapped in a sea of sand. One day, when they send people out to search one of the sunken islands in the sand for resources, they find another human, and through meeting her, learn the truth about their home.

The story telling in this is gorgeous. The mangaka said she was inspired by a lost journal she found, and you really get that feeling while reading it. This is also a series to read if you just feel like being Really Sad. It's one of my all time favorite series, but I did have to read it with breaks between volumes (for reference, I normally binge like five volumes a day when I'm really into a series). There's a rich world and history in this, and each detail feels so carefully considered and thought out. This is one of the series I wished more people talked about.

Dokuhime

Demo: Josei

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Tragedy

A group of orphan girls are raised to be living weapons by consuming poison. They're then sent out to enemy countries to seduce and kill the men in charge, as their bodies are all poisonous.

This doesn't have any official English translations and I came across it randomly one day and just fell in love. It's an older series, and there's plenty of triggering content here (violence and SA being major). But I loved this world and characters so much? My summary does not do it justice, but the dynamics with the main character and the three princes in the country she's infiltrating is so interesting. It also reads very much like a dark fairy tale, especially with how it's structured and the way it goes through each scene and chapter. I know this is likely too old and unknown to ever get picked up officially, but maybe if I get more people to read it, we can all bother seven seas via their licensing survey or something-

A Condition Called Love

Demo: Shoujo

Genre: Romance, Slice-of-Life

I don't think this needs a summary since it's a recent popular one lol, but I love messy characters who face consequences for their messy actions and are forced to grow as people!! I love when bad habits in a relationship get challenged, and it doesn't automatically lead to breaking up but trying to fix things. Hotaru and Hananoi just have my favorite relationship in any modern shoujo series I've read, and while the series isn't over yet, I can imagine them remaining a favorite for a long time.

Chihayafuru

Demo: Josei

Genre: Sports, Slice-of-Life (and romance in the background)

If you know about Chihayafuru, it's that everyone who talks about it is Not Normal about it lol I have never encountered a series with such a large cast where each one is given such weight and brevity as this series. I know it's about such a niche Japanese sport, but listen, the growth and story arch of these three main characters, and how they're affected by the people they meet and how they affect others and grow is just...so good. You want God Tier character work, this is the series you read.

Prince Freya

Demo: Shoujo

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure (and romance if you squint)

I love brutal shoujo. The first chapter of this was not what I was expecting, and it's probably because I went in blind. Anyway, this follows the story of Freya who lives in a kingdom trying not to get conquered by an Empire taking over the continent. The only person keeping the kingdom standing was the Prince, who was poisoned and killed. Since Freya looks almost exactly like him, she's forced to pretend to be the Prince of this country in hopes the kingdom won't fall to the empire.

Freya's character growth in this is a lot of fun to witness play out. I also really have been enjoying seeing the way the world keeps expanding and growing with each volume. I will say, the first few volumes have pacing issues, but by volume 3/4 it was all smooth sailing. I also really enjoy how unflinching it can be, and it doesn't shy away from death or violence when needed, but it also doesn't overdue it either. It's just a solid shoujo fantasy series, and the only bad part about it is waiting for the next volume to drop (Viz it's been 6 months, please-).

[lauraagrace]

One of my favorite josei manga series! 🥹

So very thankful Square Enix licensed this series physically because I don't think there has been a volume that I haven't deeply loved and gave it a glowing five stars!

Highly recommend it if you need a sweet and fluffy read!

[shoujo-dump]

Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Dokomade mo

[every-sanji]