Manga like Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

Kimi no Suizou wo Tabetai

Also known as I Want to Eat Your Pancreas.

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

One day, I – a high schooler – found a paperback in the hospital. The “Disease Coexistence Journal” was its title. It was a diary that my classmate, Sakura Yamauchi, had written in secret. Inside, it was written that due to her pancreatic disease, her days were numbered. And thus, I coincidentally went from Just-a-Classmate to a Secret-Knowing-Classmate. It was as if I were being drawn to her, who was my polar opposite. However, the world presented the girl that was already suffering from an illness with an equally cruel reality…

Tags: Tragedy , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , School , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Heterosexual , Travel , Love Triangle

Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata

Also known as The Summer You Were There.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Romance

Shizuku is a shy girl who hardly talks to other people. Instead, she loses herself in creative writing, crafting a novel that she never plans to show anyone. But when Kaori–Shizuku’s cute, popular classmate–gets her hands on Shizuku’s manuscript, everything changes. Kaori is a huge fan, and suggests that Shizuku can get inspiration for her writing if the two of them start dating! Can these very different young ladies create their own love story together?



Tags: Tragedy , Yuri , Writing , Female Protagonist , Rehabilitation , Disability , Bullying , Primarily Female Cast , Fake Relationship , LGBTQ+ Themes , Primarily Teen Cast , Suicide , School , Coming of Age

Kono Oto Tomare!

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance

Since the graduation of the senior members of the club, Takezou ends up being the sole member of the "Koto" (traditional Japanese string instrument) club. Now that the new school year has begun, Takezou will have to seek out new members into the club, or the club will become terminated. Out of nowhere, a new member barges into the near-abandoned club room, demanding to join the club. How will Takezou be able to keep his club alive and deal with this rascal of a new member?

Tags: School Club , School , Band , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Shounen , Bullying , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Delinquents , Found Family , Tragedy , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Female Protagonist , Estranged Family , Teacher , Nudity , Maids

PPPPPP

Also known as PPPPPP.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music

Gakuon Otogami was a genius pianist whose name is among the greatest in the annals of the music world. He had seven children who also all became genius pianists. All seven except for the one named Lucky that is. This is the miraculous story of a regular kid taking on godly talent!



Tags: Twins , Musical Theater , Tragedy , Revenge , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Dissociative Identities , Classical Music , School , Estranged Family , Primarily Teen Cast , Adoption , Bullying

Ao no Orchestra

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Music

Hajime Aono was a prodigy violinist until he grew jaded with playing the violin due to personal reasons. Now in his third year of middle school, he struggles to decide his academic path. One day in school, he meets Ritsuko Akine, a hotheaded novice violinist who wants to enroll in a high school with a distinguished orchestra club. When he finds himself getting closer to Ritsuko and being brought back to the world of violinists, time starts moving again for him.

This is the beginning of a youthful drama where sounds and hearts alike resound in harmony.

Tags: School , Musical Theater , Seinen , Rehabilitation , School Club , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Classical Music

Full Moon wo Sagashite

Also known as Full Moon.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mahou Shoujo , Music , Romance , Supernatural

Young Mitsuki loves singing and dreams of becoming a pop star. Unfortunately, a malignant tumor in her throat prevents her from pursuing her passion. However, her life turns around when two surprisingly fun-loving harbingers of death appear to grant Mitsuki a temporary reprieve from her illness and give her singing career a magical push start.



Chapter count contains the oneshot Ginyuu Meika (2nd volume); also includes all interlude and 4-koma chapters of the retail volumes.

Tags: Shoujo , Idol , Magic , Love Triangle , Female Protagonist , Rehabilitation , Found Family , Angels , Coming of Age , Denpa , Suicide , Philosophy , Tragedy , Afterlife , Heterosexual , Henshin , Kemonomimi , Nekomimi , Gods , Youkai , Mythology , Urban Fantasy , Age Gap , Urban

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

1 Litre no Namida

Also known as 1 Litre of Tears.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

The manga is based on a dramatic tragedy diary written by Aya Kito, published shortly before her death. The diary, a true story based on her own life, was originally written in first person. It is about a girl coping with her teenage life along with a degenerative disease. She keeps a diary of not only what she does but how she feels and the hardships she must endure. Initially, the diary's purpose was for Kito to chronicle impressions she had about how the disease was affecting her daily life. As the disease progressed, however, the diary became Kito's outlet for describing the intense personal struggles she underwent in coping, adapting, and ultimately trying to survive her disease. As she notes in one entry, "I write because writing is evidence that I am still alive."



Tags: Female Protagonist , Biographical , Tragedy

Kimi wa Tsukiyo ni Hikarikagayaku

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Ever since the death of someone important to me, I’ve been living recklessly. After I became a high school student, there was a girl in my class who remained hospitalized due to “luminescence disease.” This disease is named for the fact that the bodies of those who suffer from it glow faintly when exposed to moonlight, and that glow becomes stronger as their time of death draws closer. The girl’s name is Watarase Mamizu.

After learning that she doesn’t have long to live, and there are things that she wants to do before she dies…

“Will you let me help you with that?”

“Really?”

As this promise was made, the time that had frozen for me began moving again.

Tags: Tragedy , Seinen , Philosophy , Denpa , Heterosexual , Suicide , Disability , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Bullying , School , Love Triangle , Crossdressing

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.



Notes:
Winner of the Grand Prize at the 4th Manga Taishou Award in 2011.
Winner of the 35th Kodansha Manga Award in 2011.
Winner of the Grand Prize at the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2014.
Winner of 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 , Heterosexual , Board Game , Tragedy , Age Gap , School Club , Adoption , Love Triangle