Top Music Manga Recommendations

NANA

Also known as Nana.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Nana Komatsu is a young woman who's endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she's hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She's looking for love and she's hoping to find it in the big city.

Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo's underground punk scene. She's got a dream and won't give up until she becomes Japan's No. 1 rock'n'roll superstar.

This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of Nana is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties.



Note: Winner of the 48th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shoujo Category in 2002.

Tags: Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Band , Shoujo , Tragedy , Time Skip , Philosophy , Netorare , Found Family , LGBTQ+ Themes , Bisexual , Heterosexual , Achronological Order , Love Triangle , Age Gap , Urban , Rock Music , Nudity , Drugs , Bar , Mahjong

Solanin

Also known as Solanin.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Slice of Life

College graduates struggle to cope with the real world. Music offers refuge in this modern manga with an American attitude. Meiko Inoue is a recent college grad working as an office lady in a job she hates. Her boyfriend Shigeo is permanently crashing at her apartment because his job as a freelance illustrator doesn't pay enough for rent. And her parents in the country keep sending her boxes of veggies that just rot in her fridge. Straddling the line between her years as a student and the rest of her life, Meiko struggles with the feeling that she's just not cut out to be a part of the real world.



Notes:
- The chapter count contains an epilogue published in October 2017 as part of the new Japanese volumes edition release.
- It was nominated for the 2009 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Japan.
- It was nominated for the 2009 Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material.

Tags: Coming of Age , Band , Seinen , Tragedy , Heterosexual , Found Family , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Family Life , College , Urban , Rock Music , Office Lady , Nudity

Given

Also known as Given.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Ritsuka Uenoyama is bored with it all—with school, with his basketball club, and even with his one true passion: playing guitar. That is, until the day he finds his favorite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar. At first, Uenoyama is nonplussed by Mafuyu Sato and his slightly odd behavior, but when, on a whim, he asks Mafuyu to sing, the power of that song pierces him to the core.



Tags: Boys' Love , Band , Rehabilitation , LGBTQ+ Themes , Musical Theater , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Unrequited Love , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Bisexual , School , Suicide , Urban , Love Triangle , Kuudere , Tsundere

Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta

Also known as The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Music , Romance

Fashionable and upbeat high schooler Aya falls head over heels for an employee at a local CD shop. He's got an air of mystery about him, great style, and an impeccable music taste. Little does she know—this supposedly male employee is actually her female classmate Mitsuki! Mitsuki generally keeps to herself, but since her seat is right next to Aya's, she can't help but be extremely aware of the other's crush. Revealing the truth is out of the question for Mitsuki—but perhaps getting closer to Aya wouldn't be so bad...



Tags: Female Protagonist , Yuri , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tomboy , Josei , Rock Music , Gyaru , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Work , School , Iyashikei , Fashion

Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Psychological , Romance , Slice of Life

"I have something I don't want to lose"

"So much so that these terrible feelings have grown."

A pianist who attempted suicide 3 times, Juri, is taken to help her aunt at a prison where murderers who killed indiscriminately are sentenced to death. There, she meets a man named Yuu who took the lives of 3 people. A mother's antagonism--a brother's death... Together they embrace the violent rebellion in their hearts caused by the large, deep scars they carry. However, before long, they both embrace an earnest hope in their hearts. "I want to live"...

An adaptation of novel by South Korea's most popular female novelist, Gong Ji-Young.

Tags: Tragedy , Female Protagonist , Seinen , Philosophy , Primarily Adult Cast , Heterosexual , Rehabilitation , Suicide , Nun , Religion , Classical Music

BECK

Also known as BECK.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

For the first 14 years of his life, Yukio Tanaka has been one heck of a boring guy. He has no hobbies, a weak taste in music, and only a small vestige of a personality. He yearns for an exciting life, but his shy, and somewhat neurotic personality make him his own worst enemy. Little does he know that his life will be forever changed when he meets Ryusuke Minami, a wild and unpredictable 16 year-old fresh from America, who happens to be in a rock-and-roll band named after his Frankenstein-like patched dog—Beck.



Tags: Band , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Rock Music , Primarily Male Cast , Shounen , Foreign , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Crime , Love Triangle , Bullying , Work , School , Mafia , Swimming , Guns , Martial Arts

Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau

Also known as Whisper Me a Love Song.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance

Bubbly, energetic first-year high school student Himari falls head over heels for her senpai Yori after hearing her band perform on the first day of school. Himari tells Yori she just loves her, and to Himari's surprise, Yori says she loves Himari back! But when Himari realizes that she and her senpai are feeling two different kinds of love, she begins to ask herself what "love" really means...



Notes:
- Eighteenth place of Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Manga Category
- First place in Yuri Navi’s best Yuri Manga of 2020

Tags: Yuri , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Band , LGBTQ+ Themes , School Club , School , Love Triangle , Primarily Teen Cast , Unrequited Love , Bisexual , Tragedy , Incest

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

Also known as Your Lie in April.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Kosei Arima was a piano prodigy until his cruel taskmaster of a mother died suddenly, changing his life forever. Driven by his pain to abandon piano, Kosei now lives in a monotonous, colorless world. Having resigned himself to a bland life, he is surprised when he meets Kaori Miyazono, a violinist with an unorthodox style. Can she bring Kosei back to music, and back to life?



Note: Nominated for the 2012 Manga Taisho Awards.

Tags: Tragedy , School , Heterosexual , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Rehabilitation , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Classical Music , Shounen

Kono Oto Tomare!

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance

Since the graduation of the senior members of the club, Takezou ends up being the sole member of the "Koto" (traditional Japanese string instrument) club. Now that the new school year has begun, Takezou will have to seek out new members into the club, or the club will become terminated. Out of nowhere, a new member barges into the near-abandoned club room, demanding to join the club. How will Takezou be able to keep his club alive and deal with this rascal of a new member?

Tags: School Club , School , Band , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Shounen , Bullying , Heterosexual , Delinquents , Tragedy , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Estranged Family , Found Family , Teacher , Transgender , Nudity , Maids

Tokidoki

Also known as Toki Doki.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance

A heart can only beat so many times in a lifetime. Kokuhaku disease, a rare condition that weakens the heart, leaves the victim with less heartbeats and a shorter lifespan than normal. With the right device, the amount of heartbeats remaining can be measured. When Hato Iijima accidentally walks in on Hatsu Takagi changing her clothes, he sees this device attached to her chest. Hatsu has resigned herself to an uneventful and isolated life to avoid elevating her heart rate. However, she expresses her true desire—to freely and wholeheartedly experience every second she has left. Recognizing her wish, Hato swears to help her enjoy life to the fullest and make her heart beat like crazy.

Tags: Disability , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , School , Male Protagonist , School Club , Band , Shounen , Rock Music

Bocchi the Rock!

Also known as Bocchi the Rock!.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Music , Slice of Life

Hitori Gotoh just wants to be popular, but the thought of interacting with her classmates makes her fall to pieces. Her solution-become a rock legend so cool that people approach her instead! However, while spending all of middle school in her closet shredding on the guitar may have earned her anonymous internet fame, it did nothing for her social skills. Now a high schooler, Hitori’s feeling ready to shrivel up and die-when she gets a sudden request to fill in for a band! It’s like her wish came true-but does this most anxious of introverts have what it takes to perform in front of a live audience?!



Note: Includes three extra chapters.

Tags: Band , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , 4-koma , Primarily Teen Cast , Surreal Comedy , Slapstick , Hikikomori , Rock Music , LGBTQ+ Themes , Yuri , Seinen , Tsundere

Fuuka

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Ecchi , Music , Romance

New meetings always come suddenly! The protagonist, Yuu Haruna, moves into a new town where he meets a somewhat strange girl who doesn't have a cell phone. The girl, Fuuka, seems to have a strange allure that draws people to her, very much like a summer breeze. Looks like Yuu has been caught up in one wild love story!



Note: Chapter count includes 195 regular chapters and 9 extras.

Tags: Band , Tragedy , Musical Theater , Age Gap , Agriculture , Shounen , Coming of Age , School , Bisexual

BLUE GIANT

Also known as Blue Giant.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Slice of Life

Dai lived a normal high school life in Sendai: a city of hot summer days and rainy nights. Between basketball, part time jobs, and an uncertain future, something was missing. And that thing was music. With his days in senior year running out, Dai swears a heartfelt vow: “I’m gonna be the best jazz player in the world.”

But what do you need to be the best? Talent? Effort? A lucky break? Or maybe just a deep, pure love for music, and too much stubbornness to know when to quit.



Notes: Nominated to the 22nd Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Tags: Seinen , Band , Male Protagonist , Jazz Music , Coming of Age , Bar , Primarily Male Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Tragedy , Ensemble Cast

Ojisama to Neko

Also known as A Man and His Cat.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Music , Slice of Life

In this wholesome, heartwarming tale, a lonely older man takes home a pet-shop kitten that no one else wants. It doesn't take long for the pair to warm up to each other, and soon, they're inseparable. Told through the eyes of both the man and his cat, this sweet and hilarious story is a balm for the soul!



Tags: Animals , Iyashikei , Found Family , Primarily Adult Cast , School , Male Protagonist , Chibi , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Elderly Protagonist , Shounen , Work

SHIORI EXPERIENCE: Jimi na Watashi to Hen na Ojisan

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Music

Shiori was once a guitarist in a light music club in high school, but her first live performance was dashed when her brother ran away from home with a lot of debt to become a musician in Tokyo.

A decade later, Shiori is now a high school teacher, leading a boring, uneventful life and paying off the debt... till she runs into the ghost of none other than a famous guitarist Jim-you-know-who.

A story of a 27-year-old woman on her way to a music legend begins here.

Tags: Band , Ghost , School Club , Seinen , Coming of Age , Teacher , Female Protagonist , Tomboy , Anachronism , Rock Music , Delinquents , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast

Ore to Akuma no Blues

Also known as Me and the Devil Blues: The Unreal Life of Robert Johnson.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Drama , Horror , Music , Mystery , Psychological

Legend has it that if you take your guitar and stand at a crossroads at the witching hour, the devil will appear. He’ll grab your instrument, play a song, and hand it back to you. You’ll walk away an expert bluesman, but you’ll have to pay the price: your immortal soul.

The year is 1929. Deep in the Mississippi Delta, a young man named RJ dreams of becoming a bluesman. RJ is a simple farmer who can barely play guitar, but when he takes a midnight stroll, his life is forever changed. A phantasmagoric reimagining of the life of legendary blues great Robert Johnson, Me and the Devil Blues follows the journey of a man who really did sell his soul to the devil. Why not come along for the ride?



Note: Won the 2009 Glyph Comics Awards in the Best Reprint Publication category.

Tags: Seinen , Historical , Body Horror , Male Protagonist , Musical Theater , Foreign , Anachronism , Travel , Demons

K-On!

Also known as K-On!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Music , Slice of Life

When their high school's pop-music club is about to be disbanded due to lack of interest, four girls step up to fill the membership quota. Unfortunately, lead guitarist Yui Hirasawa has never played an instrument in her life. Ever. And although she likes the idea of being in a band, standing in front of the mirror posing with her guitar is a lot easier than actually playing it. It's gonna be a while before this motley crew is rocking out, but with their spunk and determination cranked to 11, anything is possible!



Tags: Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , School Club , 4-koma , Primarily Female Cast , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Band , Food , Female Protagonist , Seinen , Chibi , Tsundere , Tomboy , Tanned Skin

Sakamichi no Apollon

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Nishimi Kaoru has moved from city to city and school to school because of his father’s job. So the first day at his new school was just routine for him. Being intellectual and the new transfer student, he has always been seen as an outcast and all Kaoru had to do was bear it until the next time he moved. But things were slightly different this time. First, he started to get close to the class president, Mukae Ritsuko, and, secondly, unlikely as it seemed, grew closer to Kawabuchi Sentaro. Sentaro was infamous for getting into fights, skipping class and was an overall bad boy. Strangely enough, the three of them find common ground in music, namely jazz, and Kaoru finds himself actually enjoying the new town.

Notes:
Includes 8 extra chapters.
Won the 57th Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga.

Tags: Band , Josei , Historical , Heterosexual , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Jazz Music , Rural , Age Gap , Time Skip , School , Tragedy , Religion

Museru Kurai no Ai wo Ageru

Also known as Choking on Love.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance

Opposites attract in this shojo romance manga about a career-focused artist and the bad-boy guitarist who turns her world upside down!

Hibari, a single-minded art student with dreams of becoming a graphic designer, feels insecure about being “ordinary” compared to her peers. Gaku, a free-spirited guitarist from the same university, turns her world upside down after a chaotic encounter at a ramen shop. Hibari wants nothing more than to escape the disorder Gaku brings to her perfectly planned life. But as he slowly breaks down her walls, Hibari starts to realize that a little chaos might be just what she needs.



Tags: Shoujo , College , Female Protagonist , Band , Heterosexual , Drawing , Male Protagonist , Love Triangle

BEAT&MOTION

Also known as Beat & Motion.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance

The winner of the MILLION TAG manga competition! A new era of manga begins with this series about the struggle and joy of creating art. Anime and music collide in this new series about growing up and reaching for your dreams!



Tags: Heterosexual , Coming of Age , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Drawing , Band , College , Urban , Gyaru , Shounen