Back to School? You Need to Read These High School Romance Manga
Your high school years can feel like the worst time of your life while you’re going through them, to be quite honest. But in reality, if you’re lucky, you can find long-time friends — friends who you are still in contact with long into adulthood. If you’re really lucky, you might have the best experience while going through high school. Because when you reach college, adulthood grabs you by the hands and never lets you go. In these high school romance manga, the main characters are growing, finding love, and hopefully graduating during a time that can be the best or worst for some people.
Because when you’re a high school student, you have to focus on your studies. You have to take your exams, do your homework, and get good grades. That’s in addition to balancing any after school activities and friendships. Sometimes outside forces complicate your high school experience, but worry not, even though there might be complications in these manga, you’ll get beautiful, happily ever afters. Meet characters who have flaws, fall in love, and make the best friendships that will last forever.
In the Clear Moonlit Dusk by Mika Yamamori
From the author of Daytime Shooting Star comes In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, a new and entertaining high school romance manga.
Yoi Takiguchi has been dubbed one of her high school’s “princes” on account of her height and handsome face. She has given up on the thought of anyone seeing her as the girl she actually is. But then she bumps into her school’s other prince, Ichimura-sempai, and she finally gets a taste of what it actually means to be seen.
Skip and Loafer by Misaki Takamatsu
This small-town girl is going to find out how big the city really is! Skip and Loafer tells the story of Mitsumi, a small-town girl who is going to high school in Tokyo. City life is very different from what she is used to, so it’s going to take a bit of time to understand the social norms of big city high schoolers.
Monkey High! by Shouko Akira
Haruna Aizawa’s dad recently had a scandal, so she is forced to change schools. As an ice queen, it isn’t easy for Haruna to befriend any of her classmates. Surprisingly, a boy in her class, Macharu Yamashita, is trying his best to help her out!
This is one of my favorite romance manga. Mainly because I love that these two get together pretty early on, so the rest is them figuring out how to be good for each other, trying to pass high school, and hanging out with their friends.
My Love Mix-Up! by Wataru Hinekure, Aruko
Do you love complicated love triangles? Misunderstandings and crushes? My Love Mix-Up! needs to be on your list this summer.
This is going to be hard to explain, but I hope you’re able to follow through with me. So, Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl who sits next to him in class. One day, he borrows her eraser and, on the eraser, he finds the name of another boy, Ida, written on it. He instantly starts thinking that Hashimoto likes Ida. That makes sense, right? Everything complicates further when Ida himself finds Aoki holding the eraser with his name, so now he thinks Aoki has a crush on him!
Love Me, Love Me Not by Io Sakisaka
This romance manga from the author of Ao Haru Ride is the perfect blend of romance and comfort. Io Sakisaka keeps releasing amazing manga that grabs your heart and makes you swoon instantly. Love Me, Love Me Not is no different.
In this story, Yuna and Akari meet one day and they become instant best friends. They find out they live in the same apartment complex, so they can easily hang out and enjoy each other’s company. Yuna meets Akari’s half-brother and falls madly in love with him, but lady-killer Rio is harboring a secret crush for another girl. Find out how this love story develops!
Sasaki and Miyano by Shou Harusono
Sasaki and Miyano is an adorable love story between a bad-boy senior and an awkward underclassman. With an anime already out (you can watch it on Funimation!), this manga is about these two who fall for each other. Even though Miyano’s a self-proclaimed boys’ love expert, he hasn’t realized he is in one himself. It’s up to Sasaki to make Miyano see that their romance is the real deal.
Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love by Ayuko Hatta
If you’re searching for new high school romance manga to read, Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love is a recently released (came out March of this year!) manga that showcases what happens after falling in love.
You would think the hard part is confessing your feelings to the person you love. But not really! The hardest is maintaining a relationship, watering it every single day, and always showing you care. After missing out on confessing her love for her crush, Satomi is determined that the next time she gets a crush, she’ll confess right away. When she tells Yagyu about her feelings, he surprises her by telling her he also feels the same. But what happens next after their mutual feelings are revealed?
Lovesick Ellie by Fujimomo
Imagine that someone you didn’t expect learns your deepest secret…
In Lovesick Ellie, Eriko Ichimura is living a very okay life. Everyone at her school thinks she’s so boring they sometimes forget about her. But online? She’s “Lovesick Ellie,” a viral alternate persona who crafts thirsty tweets about her classmates. She doesn’t want anyone to know, for obvious reasons, but when she leaves her phone unattended, Ohmi-kun recognizes her tweets! Though he’s not the only one who finds out about a secret because Eriko also finds out his secret.
Kaguya-sama: Love is War by Aka Akasaka
With three anime seasons in the bag, you know that Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a hit. It gives you comedy and romance, so it’s not a surprise to see everyone loving it.
It tells the story of Kaguya and Miyuki, two students from very different backgrounds, who somehow fell in love. The thing is they’re very proud, so they don’t want to be the first to confess: they want the other one to do it! They think that to confess is to lose, so they will try to win this game of love in their own way. Throughout fun school days, festivals, and dates, Kaguya and Miyuki will take you on an epic ride of first loves and hilarious situations.
Given by Natsuki Kizu
Please, if you haven’t yet watched the anime, do yourself a favor and start it right away.
Given follows Ritsuka Uenoyama who is bored out of his mind. Even playing guitar is becoming tiresome. All changes when he finds his favorite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar. Meet Given, a very talented band, and their bond to the music!
Whisper Me a Love Song by Eku Takeshima
Have you ever heard of a band and fallen in love on the spot? Not only with their music, but with a member? This happens to bubbly, energetic first-year high school student Himari when she first hears Yori and her band perform on the first day of school. She doesn’t understand how it happened, but she fell head over heels in love with her senpai. So, when she confesses to Yori, Yori surprises her by also confessing that she has fallen as well.
Beauty Pop by Kiyoko Arai
If you want a little bit of competition in your high school romance manga, Beauty Pop is the way to go.
Kiri’s school is ruthless. But only in terms of epic transformations. Because, you see, in her school, there exists a group of three boys who carry out beautiful transformations on random pretty girls. There’s Narumi Shougo, the hairstylist; Minami Kei, the nail artist; and Ochiai Kazuhiko, the one who balances the whole look. They have been ruling their school for a while, but they never expected Kiri. She’s a master hairstylist who, in disguise, will “add a little magic” to her own transformations.
Maid-Sama! by Hiro Fujiwara
The intense student council president falling for the popular boy? Keep reading to know more about how magnificent Maid-sama! is.
Misaki Ayuzawa has a secret she doesn’t want any of her fellow classmates to know: she works at a maid café after school! When popular Takumi Usui discovers her secret, will she be able to trust them to not say anything? On top of everything else, she never thought about falling for the bad boy.
S.A by Maki Minami
Hikari Hanazono’s wish is to beat Kei Takishima. Since the time he beat her at a wrestling match, her life-long dream has been to become better than him. That’s why she followed him all the way to a private academy for the rich. She joins “Special A” — a group of the top seven brightest students at the school. She continues to stay at number two in the school ranking while Takishima is always number one. Get ready to enjoy this battle of wits between two overachievers while they also fall in love!
I know that some of you might have outgrown characters who are currently in high school! If you’re looking for romance manga for a more mature audience, check out these manga set in college, and maybe even a few slice-of-life manga. If you’re looking for a longer list, check out these 50 best romance manga.
Another story format that is taking people by storm is manhwa. So, be sure to try these romance manhwa after you’re done here!
