Manga like La Esperança

Kaze to Ki no Uta

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Serge Battour is the son of a French viscount and a Romani prostitute, and despite his kind nature and academic talent, is shunned by his family and his peers due to the color of his skin. He begins to attend Lacombrade Academy, his father's alma mater, in the hopes that there he will find a place to belong.

Gilbert Cocteau is, like Serge, the orphaned son of a wealthy family, and is infamous at Lacombrade for his beautiful and delicate appearance, lack of dedication to schoolwork, and habit of prostituting himself to other students. He has no intention to connect with any of his classmates, instead devoting himself to his uncle Auguste.

Due to a shortage of living space, Serge and Gilbert become roommates even though Gilbert's antisocial nature has in the past made it impossible for him to room with anybody. Serge, being sociable and idealistic, is determined to be friends with Gilbert; Gilbert is only interested in either being able to manipulate Serge or push him away entirely. To the surprise of both of the boys, however, the two eventually form a deep, albeit generally dismal, bond that leads to a romantic connection.

Tags: Boys' Love , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Historical , Suicide , Sadism , Primarily Male Cast , Incest , LGBTQ+ Themes , Shoujo , Boarding School , Drugs , Foreign , Male Protagonist , Nudity

Thomas no Shinzou

Also known as The Heart of Thomas.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Romance

As winter draws to a close, German boarding school student Thomas Werner dies one morning. He leaves behind a single letter addressed to his fellow student Juli that reads "Here is my love. Here is the sound of my heart."

With his faith shaken to the core by the words, the scholarly Juli sinks to the depths of despair. His cynical roommate Oscar finds himself watching over Juli's fragile mental state while keeping his own feelings for Juli under wraps. Then new student Eric enters the school - and he has an uncanny resemblance to the deceased Thomas...

Originally serialized in 33 chapters in Shuukan Shoujo Comic.

Chapter count includes 7 oneshots:

Senbonme no Pin (千本目のピン); Bessatsu Shoujo Comic Oshougatsu Zoukan Flower Comic 1973 Johnny Walker-kun no Bara Monogatari (ジョニーウォーカーくんのバラのものがたり); Bessatsu Shoujo Comic Ciao 1973-11 Bianca (ビアンカ); Shuukan Shoujo Friend Zoukangou 1970-07-07 Sayo no Nuu Yukata (小夜の縫うゆかた); Shuukan Shoujo Comic Natsu no Zoukan 1971 Aki no Tabi (秋の旅); Bessatsu Shoujo Comic 1971-10 Shiroi Tori ni Natta Shoujo (白い鳥になった少女); Bessatsu Shoujo Comic 1971-12 Mitsukuni no Musume (みつくにの娘); Bessatsu Shoujo Comic Oshougatsu Zoukan 1972

Tags: Shoujo , Love Triangle , Boys' Love , Historical , Tragedy , Foreign , LGBTQ+ Themes , Primarily Male Cast , Boarding School , Male Protagonist ,

G-Senjou no Neko

Also known as Il Gatto Sul G.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Psychological , Romance

Riya Narukawa is a high school freshman with a tremendous talent for the violin, and an equally large bag of mental issues. He seems to have a split personality. After injuring his own hand to compromise his playing ability, he winds up on the doorstep of college student Atsushi Ikeda. Atsushi's a nice guy, maybe too nice and generous. He takes Riya in for the night and helps him with his hand injury. Atsushi realizes there is much more Riya than is on the surface, and learns just how difficult Riya's life actually is. Not only does he have a personality disorder, but there's an aggressive senior at his school who has his eye on him. Atsushi becomes a sort of safe haven for Riya, an escape from the life of music he's been bound to.



Tags: School , Boys' Love , Primarily Male Cast , Amnesia , Love Triangle , Time Skip

11-gatsu no Gymnasium

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

When a tough, rebellious Eric arrives at a German boarding school, there is one fellow student he hates: Thoma. Thoma bears a striking resemblance to Eric, but is gentle, delicate, and idolized by his classmates.



Tags: Foreign , Historical , Shoujo , Primarily Male Cast , School , Twins , Boys' Love , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Boarding School

Tenjou no Ai Chijou no Koi

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Romance

The House of Habsburg: rulers of Austria, the only noble family with the power to rival that of the Church since the Middle Ages, and bearing the title of Holy Roman Emperor. The Crown Prince Rudolf and an orphan named Alfred find themselves entwined in a shared destiny, catalyzed by the “Lake Incident”.

Tags: Historical , Foreign , Boys' Love , Shoujo , Male Protagonist ,