Manga like Hana Yori mo Hana no Gotoku

Tsukikage Baby

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

In a small provincial town filled with a spirit of preservation for a traditional performance art called, "Owara," arrives Hotaruko, a transfer student from Tokyo. When a local boy named Hikaru catches her in an awkward stance in - what was supposed to be - an empty classroom, they form a strange bond. What's more, their bond makes way for an unexpected development?



Tags: Age Gap , Dancing , Josei , Rural , Love Triangle , Fake Relationship , Heterosexual , School , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist

Chihayafuru

Also known as Chihayafuru.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Sports

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

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 , Historical , Primarily Adult Cast , Work , Love Triangle , Family Life , Acting , Afterlife , Suicide , Yakuza , Tsundere , Oiran , Heterosexual , Crossdressing , War , Adoption , Elderly Protagonist

Hyakki Yakou Shou

Status: Releasing
Genres: Horror , Mystery , Supernatural

Ritsu inherited his sixth sense from his grandfather, along with a demon guardian named Blue Storm. Strange things just seem to happen around these two, and it's left to them to get to the bottom of all these mysterious events. Each story is independent but features recurring characters you'll come to know and appreciate as they, each in their own way, try to deal with things 'not of this world'.

Note: Won the Excellence Prize of manga section of Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006.

Tags: Youkai , Josei , Male Protagonist , Episodic , Mythology , Ghost , Historical

Hiraba no Hito

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

The first ever(!?) authentic "Kodanshi" manga! A new story about a traditional performing art, by a master of historical romance and hilarious essay manga, with assistance from the legendary Hakusan Kanda VI. The future of Senka and Sentaro, the older and younger apprentices of the endangered "profession" of kodanshi, is uncertain. However, with the support of their master and the people around them, they continue on their "gei no michi", the path of exploration to learn the fascinating art of kodan....... What kind of art form is "kodan" these days? How is it different from rakugo? How is it performed? If you want to know all about it...... and more, you can find out here!

Tags: Acting , Seinen

Utagawa Hyakkei

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

The manga's story centers on the people who live in a hot spring town in a valley. In particular, it focuses on Kazuki—the stepbrother of Suzu, one of the central characters of Yoshida's previous Umimachi Diary manga.



Tags: Josei , Rural

Seirei

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance

Miya, the princess of a small island nation, catches the eye of the crown prince of a great power, Shishin. A story of the desires and speculations of the dignitaries who move behind the scenes. An exciting political suspense begins!

Tags: Historical , Shoujo