Shounen - Oftentimes about sports. Target audience would be teenage boys.
Shoujo - Love/romance stories. Target audience would be teenage girls.
Josei - Could be love/romance or drama. Target audience would be young female professionals.
Seinen - Usually slice of life stories, psychological drama, etc. Target audience would be young male professionals.
(Not in any particular order)
Katsu!
(Completed Series) / Shounen
by: Adachi Mitsuru
by: Adachi Mitsuru
The story centers around Satoyama Katsuki and his somewhat lazy day-to-day life as a high school student. Enter Mizutani Katsuki, an incredibly pretty girl he has a crush on. Upon finding out that her father used to be a pro-boxer and that he actually owns a gym, Satoyama goes on a half-hearted mission to become a member of said gym in hopes of impressing Mizutani. Surprisingly enough, as he tries more of the sport, he finds out that he's actually quite good at it.
I'm a big fan of Adachi's works. This one is one of his that I just love to read. Satoyama starts off as someone who's a bit lackluster. Then, we find more about him as the story progresses and the underlying story of where his talents root from is something I find to be a great twist to the story. Of course, this Shounen manga wouldn't be complete without a love triangle, a rival, and the occasional bloody match between two athletes out to prove his worth.
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Cross Game
(Completed Series) / Shounen
by: Adachi Mitsuru
Kitamura Koh has always known which way his life was going thanks to his best friend Tsukishima Wakaba. Whatever she wanted, he always worked hard to achieve. The two were inseparable. A fact Wakaba's younger sister, Aoba, could not understand. Aoba had always found Koh less than impressive and downright pathetic but the rest of the Tsukishimas didn't seem to mind. In fact, Wakaba's declaration of Koh being her future husband seemed to be something already agreed on by both families. So then, what will become of Koh when Wakaba is no longer around?
I could not resist adding this manga to the list. This, I think, is one of Adachi's best works. The character development of Wakaba's three sisters and the all-out relationship between the Tsukishima and Kitamura families were nicely done. The story leads to baseball as the sport for this Shounen manga but the pacing of the story was so well-done that the sport didn't overpower the characters which was nice. A baseball story where you actually get to appreciate the people involved. I love all the character interaction and how Koh finds himself living the life his best friend would have been proud of.
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Kimi ni Todoke
(Ongoing Series) / Shoujo
by: Shiina Karuho
Kuronuma Sawako could have been thought of as a yamato nadeshiko (the personification of the idealized Japanese woman) with her long black hair, pale skin, and quiet personality. Except, the gloomy aura she gives off during first impressions lead people to call her Sadako instead. It seems to fit especially since Sawako is known to have a sinister smile and an all out scary facade. However, all this is a misunderstanding. All Sawako really wants is to befriend people but she's just too shy to fit in. Then, Kazehaya Shouta, the most popular guy in class suddenly befriends her. Will it be smooth sailing for Sawako after this incident? Not quite.
When I read this, it just gives me a heartwarming feeling every time Sawako succeeds in overcoming an ordeal she's going through. It's hard to hate a girl who only wants to have friends. With her having a fresh openness towards the people around her, it's not hard to see how many of them end up cherishing her. Though this manga isn't done yet, I still occasionally read this one from beginning to the most recent chapter just to experience the story again. This manga doesn't only have romance in it. The friendships they share make the story even better.
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Skip Beat!
(Ongoing Series) / Shoujo
by: Nakamura Yoshiki
Mogami Kyoko is so in love with her childhood friend Fuwa Sho that she actually leaves a well and comfortable life to move to the city to support Sho's dream of becoming a famous superstar. Her mindless devotion to him leads her to work multiple jobs just to help him pay his rent - among other things. That all changes when Kyoko later finds out that Sho was just actually using her as his personal maid. Not the type of person to let it slide, Kyoko uses her anger to fuel her plans of revenge and plans to beat Sho at his own game as she decides to enter the world of showbiz.
This incredibly upbeat and funny manga just never gets tiring. The numerous laugh out loud moments due to Kyoko's utter randomness is so priceless that I can't help reading it again just to see it one more time. Some would say that the art is a bit odd but it actually works well with the story. I know a lot of people who get turned off from reading this just for that and that just makes me genuinely sad. Please try three chapters at least! It's really good. If it really isn't your cup o' tea...oh well.
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My Girl
(Completed Series) / Seinen
by: Sahara Mizu
Kazama Masamune is a twenty-three year old office worker. Having just recently entered the work force, Masamune does his best to make a living for himself. A phone call one day jars him out of his quiet life. The mother of the woman he was involved with in the past but still loves tells him that his beloved has passed away. Distraught, he visits their home to see it for himself. True enough, Tsukamoto Youko is gone. Just as the truth settles in, Youko's mother approaches Masamune to tell him that Youko has a daughter. His daughter. Could this be true or is this the reason why Youko left him in the past?
A manga full of sweet moments that will surely make you smile. Of course, this manga will also make you cry. The father-daughter relationship is just so cute that it's not hard to fall in love with the pair. Their awkward start as they live together makes you wish them the best. It doesn't hurt that the art is just amazing to look at. This mangaka is one of my favorites and her stories are usually great reads. I've never tried her BL works and have no plans to. Her shoujo stories are amazing though. And even though I pointed out that this manga is completed, the English translated version, however, is not.
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Kanata Kara
(Completed Series) / Shoujo
by: Hikawa Kyouko
Walking home from school one day, Noriko is innocently caught up in a terrorist bombing. Rather than being blown to bits, she finds herself transported to another world; a world in which darkness seems on the rise, as its powers desperately search for a being known as the Awakening whom it is said will awaken the Sky Demon. She finds this new world to be dangerous and overwhelming, and Noriko has little choice but to throw her lot in with the mysteriously powerful man she encounters upon her arrival. The enigma of this world and her role in it will gradually unfold, but first things first: Noriko must learn their language. - (Summary from Baka-Updates)
I tried summarizing the plot in my own words but the one from Baka-Updates was perfect so I decided to get it from there instead. This is a fantasy manga, obviously. To be honest, I'm not actually sure why I like this so much. It must be due to the pacing of the story. Or it must be because I like Izark so much. The things he went through growing up may not have been shown much but I believe it was really hard and it made me sad for him. Which was why when he fell in love with Norika, it just made me wish their story would finally give him the big break he deserved. The plot's really simple but it has enough twists to keep the reader interested.
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Kingyo Sou
(Completed Series) / Shoujo
by: Fujitsuka Yuki
During a festival, Asuka sees a stranger playing Taiko (Japanese drums) and his intensity and amazing sound makes her fall in love with him instantly. Later in school, Asuka finds out that her classmate is actually that person's younger brother! After begging her classmate, he finally agrees to introduce her to Masami. Their introduction approaches and just as Asuka is about to speak to him, she finds out Masami is in fact completely deaf. Asuka's determination never lessens upon finding that out and is eager to prove her feelings for him as she continues to pursue Masami.
The utter uniqueness of the plot made me gravitate towards reading the story. When I found out that this was only two volumes long (about eight chapters), I was incredibly disappointed. I've never read anything like this before. I love how their relationship progresses and how Asuka continues to stay by his side despite both their insecurities. Even Masami starts to work hard to make their relationship work even though it practically scares him. It's nice to read about how they overcome their differences. Definitely a unique plot.
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Otoyomegatari
(Ongoing Series) / Seinen
by: Mori Kaoru
Set along the Silk Road that connected Asia with the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe in the 19th century. The story of Amira, a woman skilled in archery and horsemanship, sent to marry Karluk, a boy from another village who is 8 years younger than her. But all is not well, as her village decides to take her back. - (Summary from Baka-Updates)
From the mangaka of Emma, another historical manga that I completely love. Stories set during this time are a favorite of mine. It also helps that works by Mori Kaoru are a treat to look at. The detailing involved in each page and each character are astounding. The stories aren't bad either. Another plus to this manga, as well as others by Kaoru-sama, is the accuracy of the details and information provided in the story. The authenticity of how everything is delivered is something I highly enjoy because it makes me feel like I'm actually reading about real people. Try it out. You might end up liking it too.
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I've noticed that this post is just getting too long now so I decided to make this into two parts. I'll be stopping here for now.
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