Top Iyashikei Manga Recommendations

SPY×FAMILY

Also known as SPY x FAMILY.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

The master spy codenamed <Twilight> has spent his days on undercover missions, all for the dream of a better world. But one day, he receives a particularly difficult new order from command. For his mission, he must form a temporary family and start a new life?! A Spy/Action/Comedy about a one-of-a-kind family!



Notes:
- Includes 2 "Extra Missions" and 11 “Short Missions”.
- Nominated for the 24th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2020.
- Nominated for the 13th and 14th Manga Taisho Award in 2020 and 2021.
- Nominated for the 44th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2020.

Tags: Family Life , Espionage , Found Family , Surreal Comedy , War , Assassins , Female Protagonist , Adoption , Male Protagonist , Work , School , Shounen , Politics , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Slapstick , Orphan , Marriage , Guns , Terrorism , Parody , Episodic , Foreign , Fake Relationship , Iyashikei , Satire , Urban , Parenthood , Anachronism , Historical , Tsundere , Hikikomori , Gore

Gokushufudou

Also known as The Way of the Househusband.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

He was the fiercest member of the yakuza, a man who left countless underworld legends in his wake. They called him “the Immortal Dragon.” But one day he walked away from it all to travel another path—the path of the househusband! The curtain rises on this cozy yakuza comedy!



Tags: Parody , Episodic , Yakuza , Male Protagonist , Slapstick , Gangs , Family Life , Primarily Adult Cast , Seinen , Heterosexual , Food , Urban , Iyashikei , Animals , Marriage , Otaku Culture , Tanned Skin

Sousou no Frieren

Also known as Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy

The adventure is over but life goes on for an elf mage just beginning to learn what living is all about.

Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. With the great struggle over, they all go their separate ways to live a quiet life. But as an elf, Frieren, nearly immortal, will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to terms with the mortality of her friends? How can she find fulfillment in her own life, and can she learn to understand what life means to the humans around her? Frieren begins a new journey to find the answer.



Notes:
- Winner of the Grand Prize at the 14th Manga Taisho Awards.
- Nominated for the 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.
- Placed 3rd at the 7th Annual Next Manga Award.

Tags: Magic , Elf , Travel , Philosophy , Female Protagonist , Time Skip , Episodic , Demons , Kuudere , Tragedy , Iyashikei , Shounen , Asexual , Fairy Tale , Dungeon , Time Manipulation

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 , Heterosexual , Work , Episodic , Josei , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Meta , Iyashikei , Office , Ensemble Cast , Cosplay , Tsundere , Crossdressing , Chibi

Yotsuba to!

Also known as Yotsuba&!.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Hello! This is Koiwai Yotsuba, Yotsuba Koiwai...um, YOTSUBA! Yotsuba moved with Daddy to a new house from our old house waaaaaaay over there! And moving's fun 'cos people wave! (Ohhhh!!) And Yotsuba met these nice people next door and made friends to play with (one of 'em acted like one of those bad strangers Daddy told Yotsuba not to go with, but it was okay in the end). I hope we get to play a lot. And eat ice cream! And-and-and...oh yeah! You should come play with Yotsuba too!



Notes:
- Includes an interlude.
- Won the Excellence Award for Manga at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006 and the Grand Prize of the 20th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize in 2016.
- Was nominated for the Manga Taishō award in 2008 and for the 12th and 20th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize in 2008 and 2016.
- Was nominated for the Eisner Award in the "Best Publication for Kids" category.

Tags: Family Life , Iyashikei , Episodic , Female Protagonist , Slapstick , Shounen , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Parenthood , Rural , Adoption , Primarily Female Cast , 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 , Memory Manipulation , Female Protagonist , Teacher , Drawing , Revenge , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Female Cast , School , Primarily Child Cast , Conspiracy , Tragedy , Politics , Disability , Philosophy , Seinen , Spearplay , Rehabilitation , Foreign , Amnesia , Travel , LGBTQ+ Themes , Iyashikei , Boys' Love , Found Family

Yofukashi no Uta

Also known as Call of the Night.

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

One sleepless night, Ko slips out to walk the streets. Life after dark is a revelation! When flirtatious Nazuna invites Ko to spend the night at her place in an abandoned building, he’s stoked! But then he awakens to kisses on his neck with a little too much bite to them... Is it just the delicious taste of his blood that makes her meet him night after night for late-night adventures, conversation and...naps? Or something else? Then, when a cute girl from Ko’s past shows up and competes for his attention, his budding relationship with the undead is put to the test!



Notes:
-Seventh place of Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Manga Category.
-First place of Daruma 2023 Award (France) in the new manga category (released in 2022 in France).

Tags: Vampire , Urban Fantasy , Age Gap , Male Protagonist , Monster Girl , Tragedy , Surreal Comedy , Coming of Age , Hikikomori , Heterosexual , Outdoor , Shounen , Female Protagonist , Urban , Monster Boy , Detective , Primarily Teen Cast , Philosophy , Gore , Maids , Suicide , Gyaru , LGBTQ+ Themes , Iyashikei , Boys' Love , Yuri , Femboy

Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku

Also known as The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity.

Status: Hiatus
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

Dungeon Meshi

Also known as Delicious in Dungeon.

Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy

When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions...and a member! They're eager to go back and save her, but there is just one problem: If they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they're sure to starve on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: "Let's eat the monsters!" Slimes, basilisks, and even dragons...none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands!



Notes:
- Nominated in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Manga Taishou Award in 2016-2019.
- Ranked first in the 2016 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (Male Readers Division).
- Includes 14 extra chapters.

Tags: Dungeon , Food , Environmental , Magic , Ensemble Cast , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Lost Civilization , Anti-Hero , Philosophy , Elf , Dragons , Demons , Cosmic Horror , LGBTQ+ Themes , Body Horror , Kemonomimi , Necromancy , Episodic , Monster Girl , Iyashikei , Alternate Universe , Succubus , Witch , Mermaid

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou

Also known as Girls' Last Tour.

Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Civilization is dead, but Chito and Yuuri are still alive. So they hop aboard their beloved Kettenkrad motorbike and aimlessly wander the ruins of the world they once knew. Day after hopeless day, they look for their next meal and fuel for their ride. But as long as the two are together, even an existence as bleak as theirs has a ray or two of sunshine in it, whether they're sucking down their fill of soup or hunting for machine parts to tinker with. For two girls in a world full of nothing, the experiences and feelings the two share give them something to live for…



Note: Winner of the Best Comic Award at the Seiun Awards in 2019.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Philosophy , Female Protagonist , Tragedy , Lost Civilization , Survival , Iyashikei , Primarily Female Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Seinen , Episodic , Travel , Snowscape , Urban , War , Artificial Intelligence , Tanks , Denpa , Cosmic Horror , Military , Chibi , Aliens

Tonikaku Kawaii

Also known as Fly Me to the Moon.

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

First comes marriage, then comes an earthbound love that is out of this world! From the day his parents named him, Nasa Yuzaki has been destined for outer space…or so he believes. But while trying to join the space program, he is thrown for a loop when an accident introduces him to Tsukasa, a mysterious girl with strange powers. Is she an alien, a moon goddess or something else? Since she insists on marrying him, Nasa has plenty of chances to find out!



Notes: The 16th volume includes the 4 chapter prequel "FLY ME TO THE MOON".

Tags: Marriage , Iyashikei , Family Life , Heterosexual , Historical , Age Gap , Amnesia , Coming of Age , Parody , Meta , Shounen , Primarily Adult Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Astronomy , Tsundere , Mythology , Otaku Culture , Ojou-sama , Swordplay , Maids , Software Development

Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai

Also known as Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible.

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

First year high schooler Junta Shiraishi is a mob character who goes unnoticed even when he's standing right next to you. But his classmate, "heroine-level beauty" Kubo, always notices him and is there to tease him. Anyone can become special to someone, but it might be a little too early to call these feelings "love." Perhaps this story is still two-steps from being a romantic comedy--let's call it a sweet comedy where a background character becomes visible!



Notes:
-Chapter count includes 14 extra chapters and the original one-shot that were included in the volumes.
-Won 19th place (2020) and 7th place (2021) in the Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Awards in the physical release category.

Tags: Iyashikei , Heterosexual , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Chibi , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Seinen , Coming of Age

Tamen De Gushi

Also known as SQ: Begin W/Your Name!.

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

The funny romantic story of how Qiu Tong and Sun Jing met and fell in love.

Tags: Yuri , Episodic , Female Protagonist , LGBTQ+ Themes , Full Color , Coming of Age , School , Slapstick , Iyashikei , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Tomboy , Urban , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Basketball , Delinquents

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Also known as Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.

Status: Finished
Genres: Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Set hundreds of years in the future after an environmental catastrophe, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (also known as Yokohama Shopping Log) centers on the simple life of Alpha, an android who runs a small coffee shop in coastal Japan. Alpha stands witness to chronicle the end of humanity’s days with coffee, a slice of watermelon, and the sound of her moon guitar backed by distant seagulls. Quiet and bittersweet, this tale is about the melancholy beauty that can be found even as the end approaches.



Tags: Iyashikei , Post-Apocalyptic , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Philosophy , Rural , Robots , Time Skip , Lost Civilization , Coastal , Artificial Intelligence , Seinen , Episodic , Work , Mopeds , Yuri , Travel , Restaurant , Family Life , LGBTQ+ Themes , Motorcycles , Nudity

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 , Philosophy , Family Life , Seinen , Rehabilitation , Shogi , Found Family , Male Protagonist , Iyashikei , Bullying , Food , Tragedy , Heterosexual , Age Gap , Adoption , School Club , Love Triangle , Board Game

Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta

Also known as The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Music , Romance

Fashionable and upbeat high schooler Aya falls head over heels for an employee at a local CD shop. He's got an air of mystery about him, great style, and an impeccable music taste. Little does she know—this supposedly male employee is actually her female classmate Mitsuki! Mitsuki generally keeps to herself, but since her seat is right next to Aya's, she can't help but be extremely aware of the other's crush. Revealing the truth is out of the question for Mitsuki—but perhaps getting closer to Aya wouldn't be so bad...



Tags: Female Protagonist , Yuri , LGBTQ+ Themes , Tomboy , Josei , Rock Music , Gyaru , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Work , School , Iyashikei , Fashion

Kaette Kudasai! Akutsu-san

Also known as Please Go Home, Miss Akutsu!.

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

Timid Ooyama keeps to himself at school, and he certainly never gets involved with Akutsu Riko, a delinquent as buxom as she is notorious. But when she turns up at his apartment out of the blue, what’s he supposed to do, kick her out? She’s gorgeous! And scary! But things get complicated when Akutsu asks to stay the night, then starts turning up over and over again after school–reading Ooyama’s manga, sprawling out on his bed, and digging up his smut stash. Why exactly is she claiming his life as her hangout?! She makes it clear there’s no way she could possibly like him, but the teasing threatens to boil over into something more in this sexy yet adorable slice-of-life rom-com!



Tags: Iyashikei , Tsundere , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Gyaru , Heterosexual , Delinquents , Episodic , Seinen , Tomboy , Nudity , School , Bullying

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san

Also known as Teasing Master Takagi-san.

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

Middle schooler Nishikata has had it with his classmate Takagi--the chronic teaser who sits nearby. Day in and day out, she comes after him with every sort of trick or prank. Even when he tries to get her back, she's always one step ahead. But rest assured, it's only the beginning. He's not about to give up that easily in this battle of cunning and youth!

Note: Includes 13 extra chapters

Tags: School , Achronological Order , Slapstick , Primarily Child Cast , Heterosexual , Iyashikei , Shounen , Episodic , Bullying

Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu

Also known as The Dangers in My Heart.

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

Ichikawa Kyoutarou, a boy barely clinging to the bottom rung of his school’s social ladder, secretly believes he’s the tortured lead in some psychological thriller. He spends his days dreaming up ways to disrupt his classmates’ peaceful lives and pining after Anna Yamada, the class idol. But Kyotaro’s not nearly the troubled teen he pretends to be…and it turns out Anna’s a bit odd herself!



Notes:
- Winner of the Tsugi ni Kuru Web Manga 2020 Award.
- Nominee for the 2020 Manga Taisho Award.

Tags: Heterosexual , School , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Iyashikei , Meta , Chuunibyou , Acting

Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia

Also known as Insomniacs After School.

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Nakami is a studious but cranky and antisocial high schooler who gets on his classmates' nerves. However, his bad attitude comes from the fact that he has a sleeping disorder, and frequently spends nights on end without a single minute of sleep. During the preparations for the school festival, he is begrudgingly sent to the school's astronomy observatory to gather cardboard boxes, a place which is said to be haunted by the dire happenings of the now defunct Astronomy Club. He finds the isolated place a haven ripe for him to sleep, but while rummaging around, he stumbles upon his classmate Magari Isaki sleeping inside a toppled-over locker.

Isaki, unlike him, is a personable and popular girl at class, but who also hides her own problems with insomnia. Looking for a middle ground, they find that there's comfort and ease in sleeping together, so they resort to make the observatory their own private cubby to sleep... Have they found the comfort they're looking for?

Note: Nominated for the Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Manga Category.

Tags: Coming of Age , Iyashikei , Astronomy , Heterosexual , School , Photography , School Club , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Disability , Female Protagonist , Outdoor , Time Skip