Manga like Mobuko no Koi

also known as A Side Character's Love Story

What is A Side Character's Love Story about?

Status: Releasing

Growing up, Nobuko Tanaka was always a "side character" standing off in the corner. Now in her 20s, she's fallen in love for the first time. While she isn't any good at being assertive, she will muster her courage bit by bit as she tries her best to close the distance between herself and her crush - because even side characters fall in love. If you're tired of the same old romantic protagonists, this modest, refreshing love story is for you.



Tags: Primarily Adult Cast , Work , Heterosexual , Seinen , College , Iyashikei , Urban , Achronological Order , Chibi , Love Triangle

Here is a list of Manga similar to Mobuko no Koi

Skip and Loafer

Skip to Loafer

Also known as Skip and Loafer.

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

Excellent student Iwakura Mitsumi has always dreamt about leaving her small town, going to a prestigious university, and making positive change in the world. But she’s so focused on reaching her goals that she’s not prepared for the very different (and overwhelming) city life that awaits her in a Tokyo high school. Luckily, she makes fast friends with Shima Sousuke, a handsome classmate who’s as laid-back as she is over-prepared. Can this naive country girl make it big in Tokyo with Sousuke by her side?



Notes:
Nominated for the 2020 Manga Taisho Award.
Winner of the 47th Kodansha Manga Award in the Best General Manga category in 2023.

Tags: Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Iyashikei , Urban , Acting , Transgender , Love Triangle , LGBTQ+ Themes
A Sign of Affection

Yubisaki to Renren

Also known as A Sign of Affection.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Yuki is a typical college student, whose world revolves around her friends, social media, and the latest sales. But when a chance encounter on a train leads to her meeting friend-of-a-friend and fellow student Itsuomi-san, her world starts to widen. But even though Itsuomi-kun can speak three languages, sign language isn’t one of them. Can the two learn to communicate the budding feelings between them?



Notes:
Ranked 17th place for the Tsugimanga Award in the Print Manga Category in 2020.
Nominated for the 45th and 46th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shoujo Category in 2021 and 2022.
Nominated for the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shoujo Category

Tags: Shoujo , Language Barrier , Female Protagonist , Disability , Primarily Adult Cast , Heterosexual , College , Love Triangle , Bar , Chibi , Urban , Tsundere
Our Precious Conversations

Boku to Kimi no Taisetsu na Hanashi

Also known as Our Precious Conversations.

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

Nozomi Aizawa has has kept her feelings for her schoolmate Azuma-kun a secret for quite a while, but the time has come for her to finally confess. His response, though, is far from ordinary! Led in circles by his hilarious tangents, these two awkward teenagers find themselves growing ever closer while muddling through misunderstandings and off-topic rants. When the airheaded stalker Aizawa-san finally connects with the petulant know-it-all Azuma-kun, the result is a romantic comedy worth talking about!



Note:
Nominated for the 43rd Kodansha Manga Award in the Shoujo Category in 2019.
Winner of the 44th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shoujo Category in 2020.

Tags: Shoujo , Heterosexual , School , Meta , Writing , Love Triangle , Female Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes , Episodic
Like a Butterfly

Hibi Chouchou

Also known as Like a Butterfly.

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Shibazeki Suiren is a stunningly beautiful girl. When she enters high school, most of her classmates are astonished by her beauty, but after noticing her quiet manners and lack of contact with anyone else except her friends Yuri and Aya, she receives the nickname "Takane no Hana", a beautiful flower but impossible to reach. However, after a fellow freshman called Kawasumi Kouha saves her from a persistent suitor, she finds herself mesmerized by him... as he's the only boy who won't look at her no matter what.

Tags: Shoujo , School , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Unrequited Love , Female Protagonist , Love Triangle , Primarily Teen Cast , Martial Arts
You Got Me, Sempai!

Mairimashita, Senpai

Also known as You Got Me, Sempai!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance

Serina arrives at school one day to discover her desk has been vandalized—someone’s scratched the lyrics to a love song in it … and that someone turns out to be Mizukawa-sempai, a boy who’s one year her senior. She wants to get to know him better, but if his frosty demeanor is any indication, she doesn’t have a chance! But it seems he might be awkward—not simply mean—and before she knows it, she’s asking him out … ! With each passing day, her heart races a little faster!



Tags: Coming of Age , School , Shoujo , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Love Triangle , Episodic , Primarily Teen Cast , Unrequited Love
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You

Kimi ni Todoke

Also known as Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You.

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

Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine...for a horror movie. With striking similarities to a haunting movie character--jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor--she's mistakenly called Sadako by those around her. But behind her scary façade is a very misunderstood teenager. Too shy to fit in, all she wants to do is make some friends. But when the most popular boy in class befriends her, she's sure to make more than just that--she's about to make some enemies too!



Notes: The chapter count includes 3 extra stories and prologue.

Tags: Shoujo , Female Protagonist , School , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Tomboy , Ensemble Cast , Bullying , Gyaru , Baseball , Tsundere , Love Triangle , Age Gap , Tragedy
Insomniacs After School

Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia

Also known as Insomniacs After School.

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Nakami is a studious but cranky and antisocial high schooler who gets on his classmates' nerves. However, his bad attitude comes from the fact that he has a sleeping disorder, and frequently spends nights on end without a single minute of sleep. During the preparations for the school festival, he is begrudgingly sent to the school's astronomy observatory to gather cardboard boxes, a place which is said to be haunted by the dire happenings of the now defunct Astronomy Club. He finds the isolated place a haven ripe for him to sleep, but while rummaging around, he stumbles upon his classmate Magari Isaki sleeping inside a toppled-over locker.

Isaki, unlike him, is a personable and popular girl at class, but who also hides her own problems with insomnia. Looking for a middle ground, they find that there's comfort and ease in sleeping together, so they resort to make the observatory their own private cubby to sleep... Have they found the comfort they're looking for?

Note: Nominated for the Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Manga Category.

Tags: Coming of Age , Astronomy , Iyashikei , Heterosexual , School , School Club , Photography , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Disability , Female Protagonist , Outdoor , Time Skip
April Showers Bring May Flowers

Busu ni Hanataba wo.

Also known as April Showers Bring May Flowers.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

Pessimistic high school student Hana Tabata doesn't believe her life could ever be like that of a heroine from the shoujo manga she reads—she's convinced she's ugly, and she's always alone. Still, she can't help but imagine herself as a leading lady when she's changing out flowers early one morning...until she's caught in the act by her handsome classmate Yousuke Ueno! Hana can't wrap her head around his kind words at first, but as they grow closer, she finds her life slowly beginning to change…



Tags: Seinen , Female Protagonist , School , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Heterosexual , Bullying , Love Triangle , Male Protagonist
The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl

Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi

Also known as The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Sparks fly between the handsome descendant of a snow spirit and the oblivious coworker he has a crush on! A romantic comedy in an office setting that takes coworkers to lovers to new heights within a winter wonderland of emotions!

Himuro is a modern-day ice god, an ordinary office worker who just so happens to be the descendant of a snow spirit. He's also besotted with his coworker Fuyutsuki, who's a little unusual herself. At first glance, the pair both seem to be calm, cool, and collected. But beneath Himuro's icy good looks rages a passionate blizzard of love! On the other hand, his coworker's cool facade belies nothing about any feelings she might have for Himuro in return⁠-because she's too oblivious to realize anything! What's a snowman in love to do?



Note: Originally uploaded to Twitter, after nine chapters it was serialized by GANGANpixiv, where it is being republished and now continues.

Tags: Heterosexual , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Office Lady , Youkai , Kemonomimi , Super Power , Female Protagonist , Josei , Work , Iyashikei , Urban Fantasy , Office , Kuudere , Episodic , Tsundere , Shrine Maiden , Age Regression
Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible

Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai

Also known as Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible.

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

First year high schooler Junta Shiraishi is a mob character who goes unnoticed even when he's standing right next to you. But his classmate, "heroine-level beauty" Kubo, always notices him and is there to tease him. Anyone can become special to someone, but it might be a little too early to call these feelings "love." Perhaps this story is still two-steps from being a romantic comedy--let's call it a sweet comedy where a background character becomes visible!



Notes:
-Chapter count includes 14 extra chapters and the original one-shot that were included in the volumes.
-Won 19th place (2020) and 7th place (2021) in the Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Awards in the physical release category.

Tags: Iyashikei , Heterosexual , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Chibi , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Seinen , Coming of Age

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