Top Cosplay Manga Recommendations

[Oshi no Ko]

Also known as [Oshi no Ko].

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

Gorou is a gynecologist and idol fan who’s in shock after his favorite star, Ai, announces an impromptu hiatus. Little does Gorou realize that he’s about to forge a bond with her that defies all common sense! Lies are an idol’s weapon!



Notes:
- Nominated for the 14th and 15th Manga Taisho, the 26th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, the 67th Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category and the 46th Kodansha Manga Award.
- Winner of the 7th Next Manga Award in the print category.
- Includes two extra chapters.

Tags: Revenge , Idol , Acting , Tragedy , Reincarnation , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Twins , Detective , Female Protagonist , Work , Urban Fantasy , Time Skip , Otaku Culture , Age Gap , Female Harem , Love Triangle , Suicide , Anti-Hero , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Bullying , Urban , Denpa , Educational , Tsundere , Primarily Female Cast , Filmmaking , Pregnancy , Incest , VTuber , Cosplay

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru

Also known as My Dress-Up Darling.

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

Traumatized by a childhood incident with a friend who took exception to his love of traditional dolls, doll-artisan hopeful Gojou Wakana passes his days as a loner, finding solace in the home ec room at his high school. To Wakana, people like beautiful Kitagawa Marin, a trendy girl who's always surrounded by a throng of friends, is practically an alien from another world. But when cheerful Marin--never one to be shy--spots Wakana sewing away one day after school, she barges in with the aim of roping her quiet classmate into her secret hobby: cosplay! Will Wakana's wounded heart be able to handle the invasion from this sexy alien?!



Note: Includes four extra chapters.

Tags: Cosplay , Otaku Culture , Fashion , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Gyaru , Primarily Teen Cast , Makeup , Heterosexual , Seinen , Photography , Educational , Crossdressing , School , Primarily Female Cast , Drawing , Nudity , Unrequited Love , Time Skip

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

Also known as Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku.

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

Narumi Momose has had it rough: every boyfriend she’s had dumped her once they found out she was an otaku, so she’s gone to great lengths to hide it. When a chance meeting at her new job with childhood friend, fellow otaku, and now coworker Hirotaka Nifuji almost gets her secret outed at work, she comes up with a plan to make sure he never speaks up. But he comes up with a counter-proposal: why doesn’t she just date him instead? In love, there are no save points.



Notes:
- Includes 29 extra chapters.
- The English edition combines 2 Japanese volumes into one each (so e.g. the first two Japanese volumes are combined into 1 English volume).

Tags: Otaku Culture , Primarily Adult Cast , Office Lady , Video Games , Work , Episodic , Heterosexual , Josei , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Office , Meta , Iyashikei , Ensemble Cast , Cosplay , Tsundere , Crossdressing , Chibi

Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

Also known as Maid-sama!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

The class president has a little secret she's keeping from everyone in her high school... As President of the Student Council, the overachieving feminist Misaki really socks it to the guys in an attempt to make the former all-boys' school attract a more female student body. But what will she do when the most awesome boy in class finds out Misaki's part-time job is in a maid café?! It's love at first fight in this shojo romantic comedy—with a whole new look at the battle between the genres!



Included one-shots:
Volume 1: Toumei na Sekai (A Transparent World)
Volume 4: Tsuide ni 3 Baka mo Maid-sama! (And While We're at It, the Idiot Trio as Maids!)
Volume 4: Soshite Momotaro mo Maid-sama (Peach Boy Is a Maid Too!)
Volume 6: Aoi Haru (Blue Spring)
Volume 6: Fukukaichou wa Ouji-sama!? (The Vice-President Is a Prince?!)
Volume 7: Aoi to to Yukai na Nakama-tachi (Aoi with Fun Friends)
Volume 8: Baka to Furyou to Hero to (An Idiot, a Delinquent and a Hero)
Volume 8: Toaru Asa no Seitokaishitsu (A Particular Morning in the Student Council Office)
Volume 11: Kaichou wa Shisuji-sama! (The President Is a Butler!)
Volume 11: Konnichiwa Imouto desu (Hello, I'm the Little Sister)
Volume 12: Sentimental Ikkun (Sentimental Ikkun)
Volume 13: Maid Latte Hikaeshitsu (Maid Latte Back Room)
Volume 15: Baka to Furyou to Madonna to (An Idiot, a Delinquent and a Madonna)
Volume 17: Comics Kakioroshi Short Story (Exclusive Short Comic)


Tags: Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , Tsundere , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Tomboy , Work , Maids , Restaurant , Time Skip , Male Harem , Crossdressing , Bar , Love Triangle , Butler , Cosplay , Chibi

Masamune-kun no Revenge

Also known as Masamune-kun’s Revenge.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

As an overweight child, Makabe Masamune was mercilessly teased and bullied by one particular girl, Adagaki Aki. Determined to one day exact his revenge upon her, Makabe begins a rigorous regimen of self-improvement and personal transformation.

Years later, Masamune reemerges as a new man. Handsome, popular, with perfect grades and good at sports, Masamune-kun transfers to Aki’s school, and is unrecognizable to her. Now, Masamune-kun is ready to confront the girl who bullied him so many years ago and humiliate her at last. But will revenge be as sweet as he thought?



Included Side Chapters:
Chapter 9.5: Investigative Report into Aki Adagaki
Chapter 12.5: A Fine Tradition of Stewardship
Chapter 14.5: Tsunade Island Incident Part 2
Chapter 20.5: Kojuurou Wants To Become A Dandy
Chapter 35.2: Piggy's Memorial Part 2


Tags: School , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Revenge , Heterosexual , Female Harem , Shounen , Ojou-sama , Love Triangle , Tsundere , Tragedy , Bullying , Kuudere , Mafia , Parody , Slapstick , Otaku Culture , Crossdressing , Foreign , Nudity , Maids , Cosplay , Tanned Skin , Guns

Ouran Koukou Host Club

Also known as Ouran High School Host Club.

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

One day, Haruhi, a scholarship student at exclusive Ouran High School, breaks an $80,000 vase that belongs to the "Host Club," a mysterious campus group consisting of six super-rich (and gorgeous) guys. To pay back the damages, she is forced to work for the club, and it's there that she discovers just how wealthy the boys are and how different they are from everybody else.



Note: Includes 14 extra chapters.

Tags: Male Harem , Shoujo , School Club , School , Female Protagonist , Crossdressing , Gender Bending , Slapstick , Mixed Gender Harem , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Tomboy , Primarily Teen Cast , Twins , Meta , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Parody , LGBTQ+ Themes , Heterosexual , Cosplay , Love Triangle , Episodic , Agender , Chibi , Tsundere , Gyaru , Bisexual , Incest

Kuroiwa Medaka ni Watashi no Kawaii ga Tsuujinai

Also known as Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance

Mona is the cutest girl in school, and she knows it. In fact, she's worked hard to make her high school debut successful. But no matter what she does, she can't seem to catch the eye of stone-cold stoic Medaka Kuroiwa—but she's not about to give up that easy. Medaka, on the other hand, has been raised at a temple and was told to never become close to women. Who will win in this heated battle of wills?



Tags: Heterosexual , Female Harem , Love Triangle , Female Protagonist , School , Tsundere , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Kuudere , Primarily Teen Cast , Cosplay , Religion , Nudity , Yandere

Kakkou no Iinazuke

Also known as A Couple of Cuckoos.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance

16-year-old super-studier Nagi Umino, second-year student at the Meguro River Academy high school, was switched at birth. On his way to a dinner to meet his birth parents, he accidentally meets the brash, outspoken, Erika Amano, who is determined to make Nagi her fake boyfriend as she never wants to actually marry. But once Nagi makes it to dinner, he finds his parents have decided to resolve the hospital switch by conveniently having him marry the daughter his birth parents raised...who turns out to be none other than Erika herself!



Note: Fourteenth place of Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Manga Category

Tags: Female Harem , Love Triangle , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Inseki , Tsundere , Family Life , School , Shounen , Twins , Cosplay , Idol , Meta , Arranged Marriage , Cohabitation

Kanojo mo Kanojo

Also known as Girlfriend, Girlfriend.

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

Naoya just got a girlfriend, the gorgeous Saki-chan, and though their intensities often pit them against each other like ice and fire, they're totally, uncontrollably in love with each other. He vows never to cheat...when out of the blue he recieves another confession! Nagisa's cute, sweet, and she's made him lunch to boot! He knows he can't cheat, but he can't let a cutie like this get away...so he does the logical(?) thing: Asks Saki for permission to date them both! The confidence! The arrogance! The very gall! No matter the outcome, Naoya's future will be lively!



Tags: Female Harem , Surreal Comedy , Parody , Heterosexual , Nudity , Male Protagonist , Love Triangle , Satire , Polyamorous , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Tsundere , Slapstick , Shounen , School , Meta , Cosplay , Yandere

Real mo Tama ni wa Uso wo Tsuku

Also known as Sometimes Even Reality Is a Lie!.

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

Kaoru Terasaki is a gamer who’s into MMORPGs, and he’s finally meeting up with someone he’s been friends with in-game for a long while—this time, offline and in person. He’s worried that his friend will be disappointed to see Kaoru is a guy, unlike his female character in the game. But he’s the one who’s in for a surprise when, instead of another guy, his friend turns out to be a cute girl, Nanami Ousaka. On top of that, Nanami told her parents that she would be bringing a friend over—a female friend. Even worse, Nanami’s dad is the super overprotective type who won’t allow any guys near his daughter. There’s only one solution to this dilemma: Kaoru has to cross-dress as a girl! Will Kaoru’s efforts pay off in the end?! Will Kaoru and Nanami remain just friends, or will their time together IRL change everything? Follow their romantic-comedy adventures to find out!



Note: Originally self-published on Pixiv and Twitter, was then compiled and licensed by Kadokawa for commercial release.


Tags: Heterosexual , Crossdressing , Full Color , Hikikomori , Video Games , Otaku Culture , Female Protagonist , Cosplay , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , School , Male Protagonist

Hitomi-chan wa Hitomishiri

Also known as Hitomi-chan is Shy With Strangers.

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

Tall and busty high school girl Takano Hitomi has shark teeth, a looming presence, and an intense facial expression. However, looks can be deceiving. Beneath her imposing frame and piercing glare, Hitomi-chan is a sweet first-year student who just wants to overcome her social anxiety and make some friends. Enter Usami Yuu, a second-year boy who is shorter than Hitomi but not put off by her intimidating looks. A friendship blossoms–and maybe more! Don’t miss this charming romcom between a scary-but-sweet girl and her smaller, loving senpai.



Note: Includes nine extra chapters.

Tags: Tomboy , Heterosexual , School , Male Protagonist , Athletics , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Cosplay

2.5 Jigen no Ririsa

Also known as 2.5 Dimensional Seduction.

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

“I have no interest in real girls!”

So claims Okumura, the president of the school’s manga club. He’s your typical otaku, obsessed with a sexy (fictional) 2D manga character known as Lilliel. Then the new school year starts, and a (real!) 3D girl named Lilysa whose passion is cosplay joins the club. Lilysa convinces Okumura to become her photographer–and guess who her favorite manga character is? Not only that, but Lilysa is into modeling the fetishy stuff! The boundaries between 2D and 3D start to blur as this hot-blooded romantic comedy unfolds.



Notes:
- Won 4th place of Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Web Manga Category.
- Includes 40 extra chapters.

Tags: Cosplay , Otaku Culture , Female Harem , Heterosexual , Nudity , School Club , Male Protagonist , LGBTQ+ Themes , Photography , Shounen , Primarily Female Cast , Gyaru , Kuudere , Tsundere , Yuri , Female Protagonist , Bisexual

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 , Work , Restaurant , Femboy , Maids , Cosplay , Love Triangle , Yuri , Boys' Love , School , Suicide

Ibitsu

Also known as Ibitsu.

Status: Finished
Genres: Horror

There's an urban legend that says late at night, sometimes a young girl dressed in gothic lolita clothing will appear by garbage dumps to ask a question. Any who answer will, without fail, die a twisted death. And tonight, another young boy will find himself enveloped by this horror...



Each volume contains a side-story chapter.

Tags: Seinen , Yandere , Gore , Body Horror , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Cosplay , Nudity

Genshiken

Also known as Genshiken.

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

It’s spring of freshman year, and Kanji Sasahara has a difficult dilemma. Should he declare his love for manga and anime fandom by joining an otaku club, like he has always wanted to? Is he prepared to deal with the social stigma attached to being an otaku? Meanwhile, Saki Kasakabe has her own otaku conundrum. How can she turn her boyfriend, anime fanboy Makoto, into a normal guy? Kanji follow his heart as does Saki. When both Kanji and Makoto join Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, Saki chases Makoto through the various activities of the club from cosplaying and comic conventions, to video gaming and anime model figures. Saki finds otaku to be more than she imagined, but not necessarily in a good way.



Tags: Otaku Culture , School Club , College , Seinen , Cosplay , Primarily Adult Cast , Parody , Meta , Ensemble Cast , Tragedy , School , Video Games

Musume ja Nakute Mama ga Suki nano!?

Also known as You Like Me, Not My Daughter?!.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance

When Ayako’s sister died, leaving her young daughter all alone, Ayako stepped up and took the child into her life. Now that her niece/adopted daughter is a teenager, a 30-something Ayako can sense first love in the air. Ayako teases her daughter about Takumi, their handsome and college-aged neighbor, who’s been tutoring her since she was young–could they be a blossoming couple, since he’s always beaming when he comes to their house? To Ayako’s surprise, Takumi isn’t interested in daughter dearest: he’s long had a crush on Ayako herself! In this age gap romantic comedy, one young man is ready to bring a little sugar to the sexy mom next door.



Tags: MILF , Heterosexual , Age Gap , Adoption , Large Breasts , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Family Life , Primarily Adult Cast , Seinen , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Cosplay , Crossdressing , Nudity

Jintian De Ta Yeshi Ruci Keai

Also known as She Is Also Cute Today.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

"I'm into someone." Cang Shu, a straight-A student who always indulges in learning and has no passion for social contact, actually announces in public that she likes the poor student Qi Lin?! Thanks to a misunderstanding, the two of them begin to get to know each other. When a girl who disdains to make friends meets another girl who desires to be loved, what will occur between them?



Tags: School , Yuri , Full Color , LGBTQ+ Themes , Episodic , Female Protagonist , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Delinquents , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Bullying , Video Games , Crossdressing , Boys' Love , Cosplay , Body Swapping , Suicide

NEW GAME!

Also known as New Game!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Aoba Suzukaze may look like a middle schooler, but she’s actually a character designer fresh out of high school. Not only is she working for the company that put out one of her favorite games, she also gets to spend her days modeling and creating characters. Follow her adorable shenanigans in this 4-panel slice of life as she learns the ropes of the industry and gets to know her co-workers.



Note: Includes 30 extra chapters, 13 side chapters from volume 5, 12 color chapters from volumes 1-12 and 5 bonus chapters from volumes 1, 2, 9, 10, 11.

Tags: 4-koma , Primarily Female Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Work , Female Protagonist , Software Development , Video Games , Seinen , Office Lady , Primarily Adult Cast , Yuri , Drawing , Urban , Tomboy , School , Airsoft , Cosplay , Tanned Skin , College , Time Skip , Office

RaW Hero

Also known as RaW Hero.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Slice of Life

Just remember this. In this world of ours… the first to die are those without guts. A portion of humanity has obtained special abilities, and two groups emerge in conflict. On the side of justice are “heroes.” On the side of villainy are “monsters.” For Chiaki, however, all that matters is finding work to support his younger brothers. But when a simple train ride to his latest interview takes a perverse turn, his sense of right leads him down an unexpected and uncomfortable path! From the mind of Prison School creator Akira Hiramoto comes a raw new story of a man caught between good and evil, lies and truth—and light and shadow!

Tags: Gender Bending , Male Protagonist , Crossdressing , Nudity , Espionage , Seinen , Work , Mixed Gender Harem , Urban , Superhero , Henshin , Tokusatsu , Drawing , Cosplay , Age Gap , Animals , Love Triangle , Hypersexuality

Tokidoki Bosotto Russiago de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san

Also known as Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou is Seiren Private Academy’s “solitary princess.” She’s a half-Russian beauty with silver hair, at the top of her class, student council accountant, and…completely unapproachable. For some reason, she’s also taken on the responsibility of reprimanding the slacker who sits next to her in class. Masachika Kuze is constantly frustrating her by falling asleep, forgetting his textbooks, and just being an overall unexemplary student. Or at least, that’s how it looks from the outside. She may put on a tough act, but she doesn’t mind Masachika as much as others would think. She even lets him call her by her nickname, Alya. Anyone hearing the comments she mutters in Russian under her breath might know how she really feels, but since none of her classmates understand the language, she’s free to say whatever she likes! Except…there is one person who knows what she’s saying. Masachika eavesdrops on her embarrassing revelations, pretending to be clueless, all the while wondering what her flirtatious comments actually mean!



Note: This entry includes volume 4.5.

Tags: Primarily Teen Cast , School , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Estranged Family , Otaku Culture , Ojou-sama , Politics , Tsundere , Love Triangle , Female Protagonist , Language Barrier , Cosplay , Primarily Female Cast , Tomboy , Slapstick , Parody , Episodic