Manga like IS: Otoko demo Onna demo nai Sei

Hourou Musuko

Also known as Wandering Son.

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

Fifth grade friends Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki have happy homes, loving families, and are well-liked by their classmates. But they share a secret that further complicates a time of life that is awkward for anyone: Shuichi is a transgender girl, and Yoshino is transgender boy.



Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Coming of Age , Transgender , School , Female Protagonist , Gender Bending , Primarily Female Cast , Crossdressing , Bullying , Fashion , Acting , Seinen , Writing , Yuri

Fukakai na Boku no Subete wo

Also known as Love Me for Who I Am.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

Mogumo is a cute but lonely high school student who just wants a few loving friends. Fellow student Iwaoka Tetsu invites Mogumo to work at his family’s café for “cross-dressing boys,” but he makes an incorrect assumption: Mogumo is non-binary and doesn’t identify as a boy or a girl. However, Mogumo soon finds out that the café is run by LGBT+ folks of all stripes, all with their own reasons for congregating there.



Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Transgender , Agender , Coming of Age , Estranged Family , Crossdressing , Seinen , Found Family , Restaurant , Work , Femboy , Maids , Cosplay , Yuri , Love Triangle , School , Boys' Love

Shimanami Tasogare

Also known as Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare.

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

Not only is high schooler Tasuku Kaname the new kid in town, he’s also terrified that he’s been outed as gay. Just as he’s contemplating doing the unthinkable, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people dealing with problems not so different from his own. In this realistic, heartfelt depiction of LGBT+ characters from different backgrounds finding their place in the world, a search for inner peace proves to be the most universal experience of all.



Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Coming of Age , Found Family , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Bullying , Ensemble Cast , Transgender , Crossdressing , Agender , Boys' Love , Asexual , Yuri , Rehabilitation , Suicide , Aromantic , Primarily Teen Cast , School

Seibetsu "Mona Lisa" no Kimi e.

Also known as Just Like Mona Lisa.

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

Hinase falls into an identity crisis when their coming of age clashes with societal expectations in this unique teen drama!

In this world, people are born without a gender. Their bodies shift toward their desired gender when they reach twelve years old. Until Hinase's eighteenth spring, they lived content without a gender. But the bubbly girl Ritsu and thoughtful boy Shiori pull Hinase in opposite directions when they both confess their feelings on the same day! Romance was never on Hinase's mind, so how can they respond? Hinase may be forced to choose a new identity as they arrive at the cusp of adulthood. Who will they choose, and who will they become?



Twentieth place of Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Web Manga Category

Tags: Agender , LGBTQ+ Themes , Love Triangle , Bisexual , School , Shounen , Chibi

Bokura no Hentai

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Romance

Three boys in junior-high who cross-dress because of differing reasons meet each other through a cross-dressing community website, and decide to meet up in real life. "Parou" started cross-dressing because the boy he liked refused to date him unless he dressed up as a girl. "Marika" is transgender and identifies as female. Lastly, "Yui" is an antagonistic boy who adopted the persona of his older sister after her death. In contrast to Parou and Marika, Yui is sorely disappointed at the meeting.

Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Crossdressing , Transgender , Seinen , Gender Bending , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Rehabilitation , Boys' Love , Bullying , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Hypersexuality , Psychosexual , Male Harem , School Club

Claudine...!

Also known as Claudine.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Born as “Claudine” in a female-assigned body that doesn’t reflect the man inside, this heart-wrenching story follows Claudine through life, pain, and the love of several women. Master shoujo mangaka Riyoko Ikeda explores gender and sexuality in early twentieth century France in this powerful tale about identity, culture, and self-acceptance.



Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Transgender , Tragedy , Heterosexual , Suicide , Foreign , Shoujo , Male Protagonist , Love Triangle , Gender Bending , Historical

Boys Run The Riot

Also known as Boys Run The Riot.

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

High schooler Ryo knows he’s transgender, but he doesn’t have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can’t tell his best friend, who he’s secretly got a crush on, and he can’t tell his mom, who’s constantly asking why Ryo "dresses like a boy." He certainly can’t tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully... The only time Ryo feels at ease is when he’s wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self. One day, while out shopping, Ryo sees an someone he didn't expect: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class has the same taste in fashion as him! At least, Ryo has someone he can open up to - and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to the world.



Note: Includes the original one-shot.

Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Transgender , Fashion , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Work , Seinen , Primarily Teen Cast , Urban , School , Found Family , Photography , Drawing , Primarily Male Cast

Tooda Oto Tanhenshuu: Niku wo Hagu

Also known as To Strip the Flesh.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

A moving collection of six short stories that explores what must be stripped away to find the truth and celebrates the beauty of embracing who you are.

Chiaki Ogawa has never doubted who he is, although the rest of the world hasn’t been as kind. Bound by his mother’s dying wish, Chiaki tries to be a good daughter to his ailing father. But when the burden becomes too great, Chiaki sets out to remake himself in his own image and discovers more than just personal freedom in his transition—he finds understanding from the people who matter most.

Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Transgender , Coming of Age , Anthology , Family Life , Primarily Adult Cast , Outdoor , Male Protagonist , Surreal Comedy , Shounen , Idol , Nudity , Afterlife

Kanojo ni Naritai Kimi to Boku

Also known as I Wanna Be Your Girl.

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

Hime Sakuragaike has secretly been in love with her childhood friend Akira Yonezawa since they were kids, but Hime only recently found out that Akira identifies as female. Although surprised, Hime offers her full support, and this is initially kept a ​secret between them for a few years, but Akira decides to start living as a girl full-time upon starting high school with Hime. However, since Akira garners a certain amount of attention, Hime takes it upon herself to aggressively stick up for Akira whenever necessary. Not wanting Akira to be singled out as an object of ridicule, Hime decides that her only option is to put herself in Akira's shoes.

Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Transgender , School , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Gender Bending , Yuri , Love Triangle , Time Skip , Bisexual , Bullying , Primarily Female Cast , Asexual , Aromantic , Seinen

Hikari to Tomo ni...

Also known as With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child.

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

Born during the sunrise—an auspicious beginning—the Azumas' newborn son is named Hikaru, which means "light." But during one play date, his mother notices that her son is slightly different from the other children. In this alternately heartwarming and bittersweet tale, a young mother tries to cope with both the overwhelming discovery of her child's autism and the trials of raising him while keeping her family together. This is a story that resonates not only for those whose families have been affected by autism, but also for all past, present, and future parents.



Notes:
The chapter count includes the one-shot "Thank You Sensei!, Haru no Manazashi".
The English publishing of this manga only has 8 volumes, compared to the usual 15 in Japan.

Tags: Josei , Educational , Disability , Family Life , Coming of Age , School , Ensemble Cast , Female Protagonist , Parenthood , Work