Manga like Gisèle Alain

Emma

Also known as Emma.

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Calling upon his former governess, William Jones, gentleman, is startled when his knock is answered by an uncommonly beautiful servant, the soft-spoken Emma. Throughout his visit, William's eyes drift to the maid whenever she enters the room, and he contrives to meet Emma socially as she goes about her errands. But London society is a web of strict codes and divisions. For the son of a wealthy merchant, seeking out a working-class girl is simply not done! William's father plans for his son to marry into the peerage and elevate the Jones family to greater heights, but although William says and does what is expected of him, he longs only for Emma's company...



Tags: Foreign , Historical , Maids , Work , Educational , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Adoption , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Ojou-sama , Orphan , Travel , Time Skip , Butler , Teacher , Nudity , Cars , Trains , Ships

Tenju no Kuni

Also known as Blissful Land.

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Khang Zhipa is a 13-year-old doctor’s apprentice living in a mountain village in 18th-century Tibet. One day, when he gets back from collecting medicinal herbs, he finds a bride-to-be and her wedding party will be resting at his home for the night. The bride’s name is Moshi Rati and it turns out she’s actually Khang Zhipa’s fiancee from another land, here to stay! Enjoy this heartwarming slice-of-life tale woven by a kind-hearted boy and his mysterious bride.



Tags: Medicine , Rural , Iyashikei , Arranged Marriage , Foreign , Historical , Family Life , Marriage , Primarily Child Cast , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Educational , Animals , Indigenous Cultures , Shounen , Food , Nudity

Otoyomegatari

Also known as A Bride's Story.

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

A Bride’s Story tells the tale of a beautiful young bride in nineteenth-century Asia. At the age of twenty, Amir is sent to a neighboring town to be wed. But her surprise at learning her new husband, Karluk, is eight years younger than her is quickly replaced by a deep affection for the boy and his family. Though she hails from just beyond the mountains, Amir’s clan had very different customs, foods, and clothes from what Karluk is used to. As the two of them learn more about each other through their day-to-day lives, the bond of respect and love grows stronger.



Note: Won the Prix Intergénérations ("Intergenerational Award") at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2012 and the 7th Manga Taishou award in 2014.

Tags: Ensemble Cast , Marriage , Historical , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , Travel , Seinen , Foreign , Arranged Marriage , Iyashikei , Indigenous Cultures , Desert , Family Life , Rural , Matchmaking , Age Gap , Educational , Cohabitation , War , Food , Religion , Unrequited Love , Language Barrier , Twins , Archery , Nudity , Animals , Military , Female Harem , LGBTQ+ Themes , Large Breasts

Arte

Also known as Arte.

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

The story takes place in 16th century Florence during a time when women were relegated to the role of wives and caretakers, a young noble girl named Arte dreams of being an artist’s apprentice. One day she stumbles on the workshop of the eccentric Maestro Leo who decides to accept her as his student. Follow Arte on her journey as she discovers the joy and struggles on the path to becoming a maestro.



Tags: Historical , Female Protagonist , Foreign , Seinen , Drawing , Primarily Adult Cast , Work , Time Skip , Estranged Family , Unrequited Love , Fugitive , Orphan , War , Prison , Royal Affairs , Arranged Marriage , Pirates , Medieval

Fushigi no Kuni no Bird

Also known as Isabella Bird in Wonderland: Unbeaten Tracks in Japan.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Adventure , Slice of Life

British adventuress Isabella Bird journeys to Japan in 1878 and becomes the first Westerner to travel to many remote locations, heading northward towards Hokkaido to study the aboriginal Ainu people.

A true story based on the book "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan".

Tags: Historical , Educational , Travel , Foreign , Language Barrier , Episodic , Indigenous Cultures , Female Protagonist , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Rural , Inn , Ships , Coastal , Biographical , Disability , Horticulture , Nudity

Tongari Boushi no Atelier

Also known as Witch Hat Atelier.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy

In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: she wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch … until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem...



Notes:
Nominated for the 11th Manga Taishou Award in 2018.
Won the Daruma d'Or at Japan Expo in 2019.
Won Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia at the Eisner Awards in 2020.
Won the Best Manga Award at the Harvey Awards in 2020.

Tags: Witch , Magic , Found Family , Memory Manipulation , Female Protagonist , Teacher , Drawing , Coming of Age , Revenge , Ensemble Cast , School , Primarily Female Cast , Medieval , Conspiracy , Primarily Child Cast , Tragedy , Politics , Seinen , Disability , Philosophy , Spearplay , Rehabilitation , Foreign , Travel , LGBTQ+ Themes , Dragons , Amnesia , Iyashikei , Body Horror , Twins

Chirori

Also known as Chirori.

Status: Finished
Genres: Slice of Life

Set during the Meiji period, Chirori follows the eponymous character, a hard-working young woman who's an attendant at a coffee shop in Yokohama.

Tags: Iyashikei , Shounen , Female Protagonist , Historical , Bar , Work

Kimi wa Nazotoki no Ma Cherie

Also known as My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Mystery , Romance

Hoshino Mitsuko is a determined and hard-working woman living in the 1930s, where career women are a rarity and looked down upon. Despite rampant sexism and pressure to “stay home,” she’s determined to prove herself as a successful detective no matter what. One day, she’s approached by the handsome waiter Yoshida Saku, who presents Mitsuko with her very first solo case. Together, the two work closely to solve the mystery, and Mitsuko finds Saku quite capable—but very curious—and takes him on as her new assistant. Can this duo tackle cases and the turbulent atmosphere of the Showa era?



Tags: Female Protagonist , Detective , Heterosexual , Historical , Primarily Adult Cast , Seinen , Male Protagonist , LGBTQ+ Themes , Work , Episodic , Police , Yuri , Transgender

Aoi Horus no Hitomi: Dansou no Joou no Monogatari

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

This manga tells the story of Hatshepsut, a woman who reigned successfully over Egypt for many years. The story begins when she is a young woman, marrying her half-brother Thutmose II and thus ensuring his rise to Pharaoh. Hatshepsut is a woman with a strong will, who is not going to accept the restrictions others might try to place on her as a woman.

Tags: Historical , Seinen , Female Protagonist , Royal Affairs , Tomboy , Biographical , Politics , Arranged Marriage , Crossdressing , Slavery , Desert , Gore , Gods , Incest , Religion , Nudity , Swordplay , Heterosexual

Shirley

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Yet another maid-tastic manga from Kaoru Mori, "Shirley" is an evocative glimpse into the daily life of winsome, 13-year-old Shirley, a maid in turn-of-the-century England.

Volume 1 includes two other short stories:
An Afternoon with Nelly and Me
Mary Banks
"Mary Banks" tells about a maid with a Master who loved playing pranks on his servants. Frogs, spraying them with water, trip ropes and other forms of foolishness were all she could look forward to any day. But when her employer passes away unexpectedly, what will happen to Mary Banks?

Shirley or Shirley Medison/Madison?
Shirley and the oneshots in volume 1 were first published as fanzine (doujinshi) around 2000-2001, at that time the title was "Shirley Medison". In 2003 the first volume was released by Enterbrain publisher as just "Shirley", CMX later translated her name as "Shirley Madison". In 2006, the author decided to continue her work with Shirley and released two chapters under the title "Shirley Medison", these were followed by 2 more in 2010, then another 2 in 2013 and again 2 in 2014. Finally in 2014 all previous "Shirley Medison" chapters were released in "Shirley" volume 2.

Tags: Maids , Historical , Seinen , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Iyashikei , Foreign , Work , Urban , Age Gap