5. Komi Can’t Communicate (Komi-san wa, komyushou desu.)
A high school comedy about the most vanilla everyman falling in love with a beautiful girl who can’t talk to people due to extreme social anxiety. The romance is sweet and wholesome but a bit sparse as the story often focuses on the funny interactions of various classmates, who all have their own quirks.
It’s a fun escapist read.
4. Tomo-chan is a Girl! (Tomo-chan wa onna no ko!)
A tomboy is in love with her childhood friend, who only sees her as one of the guys. This manga leans more toward humor, and it does it well. If you’re looking for a laugh, this is a great choice.
3. My Love Story!! (Ore monogatari!!)
The most wholesome manga on this list. Takeo is a big, lonely guy who’s unpopular with girls, but that changes when he saves Yamato from a groper on a train. They start a relationship (Takeo and Yamato, not the groper), and we follow their sweet interactions filled with wholesomeness and humor.
One thing I particularly appreciate is the bromance between Takeo and his handsome friend Suna. Combined with the underdog protagonist and the wholesome romance, it makes for a feel-good read that will make you smile.
I do recommend you suspend your disbelief a little while reading, otherwise your eyes might roll on their own at the scenes of Takeo saving people from a building on fire, or Takeo saving people from a falling steel beam. But if you’re looking for a slice-of-life romance sweet enough to give you diabetes, you’ve just found it.
2. Kaguya-sama: Love is War
A romance battle manga in which two prideful overachievers use strategy to manipulate each other into confessing their love. The manga made me laugh out loud more than once, the characters are easy to care about, and there’s a level of wholesomeness to their interactions.
One thing I gotta say, though: summaries often claim both protagonists are geniuses. They’re not. Kaguya is a rich genius, but the guy, Shirogane, is a broke hard worker with dark circles underlining his eyes.
1. A Silent Voice (Koe no katachi) 🎉
A boy bullies a deaf girl, then regrets it, and tries to make amends to her. It sounds like a heavy drama, but there are enough lighthearted moments and tastefully placed humor to make this a feel-good story. I promise you won’t feel depressed.
It’s not as funny as Love is War or My Love Story!!, but the emotional depth and the author’s empathetic approach make this my favorite rom-com manga. The characters are likable and complex, and their relationships, interactions, and activities are a lot of fun to read about. Some emotional moments brought me close to tears.
This manga definitely deserves more attention.
HONORABLE MENTION: Please, Go Home, Akutsu-san 🎈
A delinquent girl pays uninvited visits to her classmate and hangs out in his bedroom. This one took me a few chapters (most of which are fewer than 10 pages) to get into, mostly because I dislike abusive love interests and overly submissive protagonists, but once Akutsu and the protagonist (I forgot his name and I’m too lazy to google it) grow closer, there’s a sweetness to their relationship.
It’s a fun story with no stakes, and while it is an ecchi manga, the occasional perviness doesn’t disrupt the reading experience. Plus it’s balanced by wholesome moments later on.
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