Manga like Ashita no Ousama

Glass no Kamen

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Romance

Chigusa Tsukikage holds the rights to the play "The Crimson Goddess," a lost masterpiece that many would love to see brought back to the stage.

Tsukikage, however, won't allow the cherished work to be diminished by an actress who isn't worthy of playing the title role. Fortunately, she has found two young actresses that just might be worthy: Maya Kitajima and Ayumi Himekawa. Though both actresses are exceptionally talented, only one can win the coveted role.

Tags: Shoujo , Acting , Female Protagonist , Work , Love Triangle , Coming of Age , Tragedy , Ojou-sama , Age Gap , Urban

Cat Street

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

The story centers around Keito Aoyama, a former famous child actor. Due to a childhood incident, she retired from her career early and withdrew from normal society. Now 16, she passes her days in boredom and without purpose. But one day she runs into a stranger who takes her to El Liston--a free school for high school students like herself, who don't have a place where they belong. Though hesitant at first, Keito decides to enter El Liston and subsequently, she begins a new stage in her life. With the help of her only remaining childhood friend, Taiyou, and her new classmates Rei, Momiji, and Kouichi, Keito slowly finds the courage to open up to others and to accept their support. Will Keito return to acting? Will she find true friends? Love?

Tags: Shoujo , Hikikomori , School , Bullying , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Acting , Rehabilitation , Love Triangle , Software Development , Time Skip

Oishii Kankei

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Fujiwara Momoe is the daughter of a rich family. She has never had any worries, had an easy and luxurious life. She loves good cooking. Her carefree life ends when her father dies from a heart attack. She now has to take care for herself and her mother and this involves also cooking the meals. Unfortunately, she never had to cook, so her cooking is awful. She starts working at a French restaurant where she becomes a cook under the chef. She falls in love with the chef, but he only considers her as an apprentice.



Tags: Josei , Food , Work , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Love Triangle , Restaurant

Skip Beat!

Also known as Skip Beat!.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Romance

Kyoko Mogami followed her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him while he made it big as an idol. But he's casting her out now that he's famous! Kyoko won't suffer in silence--she's going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!



Tags: Shoujo , Acting , Work , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , Slapstick , POV , Revenge , Age Gap , Urban , Love Triangle , Ojou-sama , Tsundere , School , Tragedy , Super Power

Kodomo no Omocha

Also known as Kodocha: Sana's Stage.

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

Sana Kurata, a child actress, faces many problems in her classroom, including a major one - her bullying classmate, Akito Hayama. Sana's outgoing and friendly nature leads her to work towards correcting all of the problems around her. Her 'meddling' irritates Hayama but at the same time captivates him, just as Hayama's gloomy nature irritates Sana and compels her to change him. As these two opposites attract each other, they face many hardships which bring them closer to a mutual understanding.



Tags: Primarily Child Cast , Shoujo , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , School , Acting , Tragedy , Love Triangle , Adoption , Suicide , Heterosexual , Family Life , Slapstick , Orphan , Tsundere

Real Clothes

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

Kinue is a saleswoman in the futon section of a department store. Despite her plain clothes and poor makeup, she ends up being transferred to the women's clothing department, where she has to be trained by her extraordinarily fashionable boss.

Tags: Josei , Fashion , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Work

Girl Crush

Also known as Girl Crush.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama

Tenka Momose, a high school freshman that can sing and dance... she's pretty and smart to boot! She's good at everything but love. One day she meets Erian Satou, and was pulled in by her passionate dedication to becoming an idol. This is the story about two young girls chasing after their K-Pop idol dream!!



Tags: Female Protagonist , Dancing , Idol , Shoujo , Fashion , School Club , School , Foreign , Heterosexual , Urban , LGBTQ+ Themes , Agender , Language Barrier

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 , Love Triangle , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes

Nanairo Inko

Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery

Rainbow Parakeet is a genius actor and a fantastic mimic, but also a thief. He can act out any role to the best of his abilities, while robbing the richest members of the audience during his performances. His methods are a mystery, even to the detectives charged with apprehending him: Police Inspector Senri and his daughter, Police Detective Mariko Senri.



Tags: Crime , Police , Shounen , Acting

Sabbath Cafe

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

There's a new student at St. George International School, and soon he becomes one of the most talked-about students. Even though it's an international school in Tokyo, Japan, the new student (Yonogi Dai) is a Japanese boy. Dai was raised in the US and recently came to Japan for the first time.

Dai turns out to be a distant person, uncaring about other people and those who want to be his friends. He looks quite cute and gentle but he's actually unsocial and can be harsh. Jerry Morton who's very popular and well liked among the student just wants to ignore this cold Dai, but being the kind hearted (and nosy) boy that he is, he begins to approach Dai.

Jerry and Marty and their other friends soon find out that indeed Dai is rather difficult to deal with, but it doesn't take long before Dai becomes their friend. However, sometimes when they feel that Dai is getting closer to them he would say or do something that shows that he doesn't really think them as his close friends.

The story then begins to unfold itself. Dai's new friends start to discover the truth about the mysteries surrounding Dai. Why he's in Japan, about his family, about Ken in the States who seems to be the only one he's having personal contact with, and about his relation to a very famous game, "Sabbath Child". They discover the real Dai just like Dai discovers his true friends in life, and also himself along the way. Note: Includes an additional one-shot "Yume Yori mo".

Tags: Shoujo , Foreign , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Orphan , Video Games , Iyashikei , Urban , Philosophy , Estranged Family , Tragedy , Suicide