Manga like Kono Oto Tomare!

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 , Ensemble Cast , Slapstick , School , Tomboy , POV , Heterosexual , Bullying

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 , Heterosexual , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , School

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 , Bisexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Crossdressing , Gender Bending , Suicide , Nudity , Tomboy

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.

Note: Won the Grand Prize at the 4th Manga Taishou Award in 2011, the 35th Kodansha Manga Award in 2011, the Grand Prize at the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2014 and 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

Mashiro no Oto

Also known as Those Snow White Notes.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music

Shamisen is a traditional Japanese musical instrument that looks similar to a guitar. Teenager Sawamura Setsu's grandfather who raised him and his older brother Wakana, recently passed away. His grandfather was one of the greatest Shamisen players and the two siblings grew up listening to him play and learning to play the instrument. Since the grandfather's death, Setsu dropped out of high school, moved to Tokyo and has been drifting, not knowing what to do besides play his Shamisen. That's when his successful and rich mother, Umeko storms into his life and tries to shape Setsu up.
She enrolls him back into high school but little does Setsu know that he is about to rediscover his passion for Shamisen.

Notes:
Won the Kodansha Manga Award for Shounen (2012).
Nominated to the 23rd Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Tags: Male Protagonist , Musical Theater , Shounen , School Club

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

Also known as Your Lie in April.

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

Kosei Arima was a piano prodigy until his cruel taskmaster of a mother died suddenly, changing his life forever. Driven by his pain to abandon piano, Kosei now lives in a monotonous, colorless world. Having resigned himself to a bland life, he is surprised when he meets Kaori Miyazono, a violinist with an unorthodox style. Can she bring Kosei back to music, and back to life?



Note: Nominated for the 2012 Manga Taisho Awards.

Tags: Tragedy , School , Heterosexual , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Rehabilitation , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Classical Music , Shounen

Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku

Also known as The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

This story takes place in a particular town with two infamous schools in constant dispute: Chidori High, a boys' school predominantly attended by low-class students with damning grades, and its neighbor Kikyo Girls' High, with most of its female students coming from wealthy and prestigious families. One day, high school second-year Rintaro Tsumugi, a fierce-looking but gentle-minded student at Chidori, is helping at his family's patisserie when he encounters a female customer by the name of Kaoruko Waguri. Rintaro enjoys his time with Kaoruko, as she doesn't judge him for his appearance, but this blissful peace is quickly disturbed when Rintaro makes the discovery that Kaoruko is actually a student at Kikyo. This revelation marks the beginning of the two's strenuous tale, as they fight against the limitations placed upon them by their schools and surroundings in an attempt to find their own path!



Tags: Heterosexual , Iyashikei , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Delinquents , Coming of Age , Food , Urban

Runway de Waratte

Also known as Smile Down the Runway.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Chiyuki Fujito has a dream: to become a Paris Collection model. The problem is, she’s too short to be a model, and everyone around her tells her so! But no matter what they say, she won’t give up. Her classmate, a poor student named Ikuto Tsumura, also has a dream: to become a fashion designer. One day Chiyuki tells him that it’s “probably impossible” for him, causing him to consider giving it up … ?! This is the story of two individuals wholeheartedly chasing after their dreams in spite of all the negativity that comes after them!



Note: Nominated for the 11th Manga Taishou Awards in 2018.

Tags: Fashion , Work , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Shounen , School

Nodame Cantabile

Also known as Nodame Cantabile.

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

The son of a famous pianist, music student Shinichi Chiaki dreams of studying abroad and becoming a conductor like his mentor. Unfortunately, his fear of flying grounds his lofty plans! As he watches other classmates achieve what he has always wanted, Shinichi wonders if he should quit music altogether. Then one day he meets fellow student Megumi Noda, also known as Nodame. This oddball girl cannot cook, clean, or even read a music score, but she can play the piano in incomparable Cantabile style. And she teaches Chiaki something that he has forgotten: to enjoy his music, no matter where he is.



Note: Includes four bonus chapters and the side story "NodaCan BS".

Tags: College , Primarily Adult Cast , Heterosexual , Josei , Musical Theater , Language Barrier , Tsundere , Coming of Age , Otaku Culture , Ensemble Cast , Work , Classical Music , LGBTQ+ Themes , Transgender

Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Hana, who lives on the small island of Junaru with a population of 600, loves to read to the children of the island. Mizuki senses the power of Hana's "reading", and invites her to join the Broadcasting Club, where Mizuki is the club president. "Tell me what you really want, and I will make it come true." "I want to join the broadcasting club." Hana decides to join the club, and as she experiences many "firsts" with the members of the broadcasting club, it only deepen her love for reading aloud...

Tags: Coming of Age , School Club , Acting , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Ensemble Cast , Female Protagonist , Seinen