Manga like Medalist

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 , School , LGBTQ+ Themes , School Club , Tragedy , Transgender , Bisexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Crossdressing , Suicide , Gender Bending , Nudity , Tomboy

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

Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Sports

Uma Musume Cinderella Gray is a spin-off title of the Uma Musume project by Cygames. It follows Oguri Cap through her time at Kasamatsu Training Center Academy and on her journey of becoming a legendary horse girl.

Note: Includes the one-shot "Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray Gaiden - The mermaid left behind".

Tags: Athletics , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Kemonomimi , Anthropomorphism , Historical , Seinen , Fitness , Tragedy , Disability , Idol

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

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 , Unrequited Love , Card Battle , Love Triangle , POV , Primarily Teen Cast , Educational , Ensemble Cast , School , Tomboy , Heterosexual , Bullying , Slapstick

Yuunagi ni Mae, Boku no Ribbon

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Sports

A boy becomes enamored with Ribbon (rhythmic gymnastics) after seeing a young woman dancing by a shrine one evening. Years later, he steps onto the mat for a Ribbon competition. Everyone is shocked to see a boy trying to compete. Can he get past the stigma and dance on equal footing?

Tags: Athletics , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Historical , Bullying , Dancing , Acrobatics , Coastal

Two on Ice

Also known as Two on Ice.

Status: Finished
Genres: Sports

One day, Hayuma meets a familiar girl on the skating rink. She turns out to be Kisara, the one who inspired him to get into skating years ago. But why did she suddenly vanish from the world of figure skating? There will be fire on the ice when a self-taught skater with a dream and a former figure skating prodigy team up!



Tags: Ice Skating , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Heterosexual

Akane-banashi

Also known as Akane-banashi.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama

Rakugo--the ultimate form of storytelling, where everything in a story is expressed with just your body and words. Shinta and his daughter Akane have been seduced by this wonderful form of classical entertainment. Having observed her father strive to pass the shin'uchi rakugo test, Akane will take her own steps into this unique world!



Notes:
Ranked 3rd in the 8th Next Manga Awards print manga category in 2022.
Ranked 4th in the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023 guidebook for male readers.
Ranked 3rd in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2023.
Ranked 2nd in the 16th Manga Taisho in 2023.
Nominated for the 47th Kodansha Manga Award in the shounen category in 2023.
Included in the New York Public Library's 2023 Best Books for Teens.
Included in YALSA's 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

Tags: Rakugo , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Coming of Age , Acting , Work , Philosophy , Shounen , Found Family , Revenge , Family Life , Time Skip , School

Haikyuu!!

Also known as Haikyu!!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Sports

Shouyou Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don’t need to be tall to fly!

After losing his first and last volleyball match against Tobio Kageyama, “the King of the Court,” Shouyou Hinata swears to become his rival after graduating middle school. But what happens when the guy he wants to defeat ends up being his teammate?!



Notes:
Winner of the 61st Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2017.
Includes two extra chapters.

Tags: Volleyball , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , School Club , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Time Skip , Philosophy , School , Twins

Girls und Panzer: Ribbon no Musha

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy

Tankathlon is a new form of tank sport gaining slowly gaining popularity among Senshado enthusiasts. While also involving tank battles, Tankathlon is distinguished by its lack of official oversight allowing any school with tanks to participate in a battle anywhere at any time, and a 10-ton weight restriction on tanks used, limiting battles to light tanks and tankettes.

Tags: Tanks , Female Protagonist , Military , Seinen , Primarily Female Cast , Chuunibyou , Yuri , School , Ensemble Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes