Manga like Chihayafuru

What is Chihayafuru about?

Status: Finished

Chihaya is a girl in the sixth grade, still not old enough to even know the meaning of the word zeal. But one day, she meets Arata, a transfer student from rural Fukui prefecture. Though docile and quiet, he has an unexpected skill: his ability to play competitive karuta, a traditional Japanese card game.

Chihaya is struck by his obsession with the game, along with his ability to pick out the right card and swipe it away before any of his opponents. However, Arata is transfixed by her as well, all because of her unbelievable natural talent for the game. Don't miss this story of adolescent lives and emotions playing out in the most dramatic of ways!

Notes:
It won the 2nd Manga Taisho Award and the 35th annual Kodansha Manga Award for Best Shoujo.
It was nominated for the 20th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2016.

Tags: Karuta , Female Protagonist , Josei , Coming of Age , School Club , Unrequited Love , Card Battle , Love Triangle , POV , Primarily Teen Cast , Educational , Ensemble Cast , Tomboy , School , Heterosexual , Bullying , Slapstick

Where to read?

MangaPlaza

Comic Days Manga Planet

Azuki

K MANGA

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 , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Delinquents , Found Family , Tragedy , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Female Protagonist , Estranged Family , Teacher , Nudity , Maids

Where to read?

Shonen Jump Plus

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3-gatsu no Lion

Also known as March Comes in Like a Lion.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Rei Kiriyama is a child prodigy. Rei Kiriyama is also an orphan who lives alone in an empty apartment. Rei Kiriyama is a teen working in an adult's world. Life is complicated for Rei. He's an up-and-coming shogi player on the verge of turning pro, but he has no homelife, or much of a life period,outside his board game, but thankfully with the help of some life-long friends he has an opportunity start all over again.

Notes:
Winner of the Grand Prize at the 4th Manga Taishou Award in 2011.
Winner of the 35th Kodansha Manga Award in 2011.
Winner of the Grand Prize at the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2014.
Winner of the Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2021.

Tags: Coming of Age , Family Life , Philosophy , Rehabilitation , Seinen , Shogi , Found Family , Male Protagonist , Bullying , Iyashikei , Food , Tragedy , Heterosexual , Age Gap , Adoption , School Club , Love Triangle , Board Game

Where to read?

No reading links available

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Ao no Hako

Also known as Blue Box.

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

Taiki Inomata is on the boys' badminton team at sports powerhouse Eimei Junior and Senior High. He's in love with basketball player Chinatsu Kano, the older girl he trains alongside every morning in the gym. One Spring day, their relationship takes a sharp turn ... And thus begins this brand-new series of love, sports and youth!

Tags: Primarily Teen Cast , School Club , School , Athletics , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Coming of Age , Badminton , Love Triangle , Female Protagonist , Basketball , Shounen , Cohabitation

Where to read?

MANGA Plus

Shonen Jump MANGA Plus MANGA Plus

Bilibili

Viz

Shonen Jump Plus

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Ballroom e Youkoso

Also known as Welcome to the Ballroom.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Romance , Sports

Fujita has drifted through middle school aimlessly, unable to find friends or anything that can hold his attention. Then, one day, he's attacked by a gang and saved by a mysterious man. But this isn't a karate master; it's a ballroom dance instructor! Reluctantly, Fujita takes a few beginner's classes, only to find his inspiration... an entrancing, teenage dance prodigy named Shizuku. It's Fujita's first step into the high-octane world of competitive dance!

Note: Nominated for the 6th and 8th Manga Taisho Award.

Tags: Dancing , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , School

Where to read?

Pocket Magazine

INKR

Comic Days Manga Planet

K MANGA

KakaoPage

Naver Series

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Blue Period

Also known as Blue Period.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

The studious Yatora leaves a dry life of study and good manners behind for a new passion: painting. But untethering yourself from all your past expectations is dangerous as well as thrilling…

Note: Nominated for Manga Taisho Awards in 2019, Kodansha Manga Awards in 2019 and the 24th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2020. Winner of the 13th Manga Taisho Awards. Winner of the General Manga category of the 44th annual Kodansha Manga Awards.

Tags: Drawing , Coming of Age , College , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Educational , Philosophy , Primarily Adult Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes , School , School Club , Tragedy , Transgender , Primarily Teen Cast , Bisexual , Crossdressing , Gender Bending , Suicide , Nudity , Tomboy

Where to read?

K MANGA

Comic Days

INKR

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Akane-banashi

Also known as Akane-banashi.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama

Rakugo--the ultimate form of storytelling, where everything in a story is expressed with just your body and words. Shinta and his daughter Akane have been seduced by this wonderful form of classical entertainment. Having observed her father strive to pass the shin'uchi rakugo test, Akane will take her own steps into this unique world!

Tags: Rakugo , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Acting , Primarily Adult Cast , Work , Shounen , Found Family , Family Life , Revenge , Time Skip , School

Where to read?

MANGA Plus

Shonen Jump MANGA Plus

Viz

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Haikyuu!!

Also known as Haikyu!!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Sports

A chance event triggered Shouyou Hinata's love for volleyball. His club had no members, but somehow persevered and finally made it into its very first and final regular match of middle school, where it was steamrolled by Tobio Kageyama, a superstar player known as "King of the Court." Vowing revenge, Hinata applied to the Karasuno High School volleyball club...only to come face-to-face with his hated rival, Kageyama! A tale of hot-blooded youth and volleyball from the pen of Haruichi Furudate!!

Notes:
Winner of the 61st Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2017.
Chapter count includes 2 extra chapters.

Tags: Volleyball , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Coming of Age , School Club , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Time Skip , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Philosophy , Twins

Where to read?

MANGA Plus

Shonen Jump

Viz

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Fruits Basket

Also known as Fruits Basket.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, plucky high schooler Tohru Honda takes matters into her own hands and moves out...into a tent! Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Sohma clan, and it isn't long before the owners discover her secret. But, as Tohru quickly finds out when the family offers to take her in, the Sohmas have a secret of their own--when touched by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac!

Note: Volume 9 includes the bonus chapter "Rain Shelter of Terror".

Tags: Animals , Shoujo , Mythology , Ensemble Cast , Tragedy , Philosophy , Shapeshifting , Reincarnation , Rehabilitation , Heterosexual , School , Female Protagonist , Found Family , Urban Fantasy , Family Life , Tsundere , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Age Gap , Disability , Unrequited Love , Estranged Family , Youkai , Primarily Male Cast , Love Triangle , Orphan , Crossdressing , Memory Manipulation , Incest , Curses , Henshin , Delinquents , Revenge , Dissociative Identities , Teacher , Marriage , Cohabitation , Transgender

Where to read?

Manga Park

Naver Series

Lezhin

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Medalist

Also known as Medalist.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Sports

Tsukasa, whose dreams were crushed. Inori, left to fend for herself. These two share a dream...and their tenacity may be the only thing that sees them through. Their destination? The ice...on the world's stage!

Notes:
Won the Tsugimanga 2022 Award in the Print Manga Category.
Winner of the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category.

Tags: Ice Skating , Seinen , Female Protagonist , Teacher , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Time Skip

Where to read?

Comic Days

K MANGA

INKR

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Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Also known as Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

This multi-generational epic dives deep into rakugo, a rich form of Japanese storytelling theater. Small-time crook Yotaro has never forgotten the rakugo tale "The God of Death," which the master Yurakutei Yakumo performed for Yotaro during his time in prison. After his release, he goes to Yakumo's theater and pleads to be made his apprentice. Yakumo reluctantly accepts, but Yotaro quickly finds the world of rakugo is complex and grapples with a growing bond with Yakumo's ward, Konatsu. Meanwhile, the two young people bring reminders of Yakumo’s own inescapable past.

Note: Won the 38th Kodansha Manga Awards for Best General Manga and the New Creator Prize of the 21st Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2017.

Tags: Rakugo , Josei , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Historical , Acting , Family Life , Love Triangle , Work , Afterlife , Suicide , Yakuza , Oiran , Tsundere , Crossdressing , War , Adoption , Heterosexual , Elderly Protagonist

Where to read?

Manga Planet

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