Top Modeling Manga Recommendations

Paradise Kiss

Also known as Paradise Kiss.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Yukari wants nothing more than to make her parents happy by studying hard and getting into a good college. One afternoon, however, she is kidnapped by a group of self-styled fashionistas calling themselves "Paradise Kiss." Yukari suddenly finds herself flung into the roller-coaster life of the fashion world, guided by George, art-snob extraordinaire. In a glamorous makeover of body, mind and soul, she is turned from a hapless bookworm into her friends 22 own exclusive clothing model.



Tags: Josei , Coming of Age , Fashion , Female Protagonist , School , Heterosexual , LGBTQ+ Themes , Meta , Bisexual , Ensemble Cast , Love Triangle , Transgender , Time Skip , Unrequited Love , Nudity , Boys' Love , Modeling

Hourou Musuko

Also known as Wandering Son.

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

Fifth grade friends Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki have happy homes, loving families, and are well-liked by their classmates. But they share a secret that further complicates a time of life that is awkward for anyone: Shuichi is a transgender girl, and Yoshino is transgender boy.



Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Coming of Age , Transgender , School , Gender Bending , Female Protagonist , Crossdressing , Fashion , Primarily Female Cast , Bullying , Acting , Seinen , Writing , Yuri , Modeling , Primarily Teen Cast

Helter Skelter

Also known as Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Psychological

If you are aware of fashion in Japan, you must have seen Liliko's face. For the last few years, she has been at the top of the modeling world, with her face and body promoting the biggest brands. But as everyone who is in this world admits, staying on top is a constant and never ending battle. There are always new faces introduced to the public. Younger models and new looks are brought into the fold every season. And keeping that position means learning to adapt and learning to cope with change.

To maintain her position Liliko has decided to go under the knife. This is not her first go with this service. It is yet another round of plastic surgery, all done to keep herself looking young and vibrant. However, in this case just a little nip and tuck was not enough. Liliko is bent on undergoing a full body makeover. From head-to-toe, every inch of her will undergo cosmetic surgery, and thus begins her madness.



Tags: Josei , Female Protagonist , Fashion , Primarily Adult Cast , Tragedy , Primarily Female Cast , Body Horror , Acting , Drugs , Philosophy , Nudity , Revenge , Idol , Urban , Body Image , Police , Detective , Bisexual , Suicide , Yuri , Time Skip , Unrequited Love , Work , Modeling

Runway de Waratte

Also known as Smile Down the Runway.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Chiyuki Fujito has a dream: to become a Paris Collection model. The problem is, she’s too short to be a model, and everyone around her tells her so! But no matter what they say, she won’t give up. Her classmate, a poor student named Ikuto Tsumura, also has a dream: to become a fashion designer. One day Chiyuki tells him that it’s “probably impossible” for him, causing him to consider giving it up … ?! This is the story of two individuals wholeheartedly chasing after their dreams in spite of all the negativity that comes after them!



Note: Nominated for the 11th Manga Taishou Awards in 2018.

Tags: Fashion , Work , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Shounen , School , Modeling

Himaten!

Also known as Hima-Ten!.

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

High school home ec expert Tenichi earns extra money with a part-time job cleaning houses. But one day, Himari, the owner and model of the popular cosmetics brand Hima Riz, transfers into his class. Say hello to some company president girl x house-cleaner boy romantic comedy hijinks!



Tags: Love Triangle , Shounen , Heterosexual , School , Female Harem , Male Protagonist , Work , Primarily Teen Cast , Modeling , Makeup , Food

Bless

Also known as Bless.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Slice of Life

They said Aia was destined to be a model, and Jun was bullied for her freckles. Together, they will take back the power to define themselves in an inspirational fashion manga that asks cutting questions about what it really means to be beautiful—and what it takes to overcome an arbitrary system that seems to respect talent over hard work.



Tags: Makeup , Fashion , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Shounen , School , LGBTQ+ Themes , Female Protagonist , Modeling

Oboreru Knife

Also known as Drowning Love.

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

"I don't know what this feeling is … I don't know what I should do now … all I know is, I want him." They fight one another, they chase after one another, they capture one another—a turbulent tale of preteens on the brink of self-destruction, masterfully brought to life by George Asakura!

Tags: Shoujo , Gods , Heterosexual , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Psychosexual , Rural , Tragedy , Mythology , Fashion , School , Photography , Love Triangle , Crime , Delinquents , Acting , Gangs , Coastal , Suicide , Modeling

Dulingfengsao

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

Cane Lele was born into the fashion industry. Her mother, Ye Feii, was Taiwan's top model, and her father was also a model, until a tragic airplane crash left Lele without parents.

Therefore it is no surprise that Lele hates the industry, thinking it superficial and unnecessary. Raised by her paternal grandmother, Lele reaches seventeen before she is sucked in by her mother's sister, Ye Feihung, a fashion agent (and former model) who "convinces" the reluctant Lele to pose. Lele is adverse to the whole idea, until she sees a photo shoot of popular American model Angus Lanson, and she begins to see modeling as an art form.

When Aunt Feihung's magazine editor invites Angus Lanson to a meeting of all the top fashion ambassadors, Lele is invited along and is curious to meet Angus. She does not know that Angus' twin elder brother, Eros Lanson, is secretly accompanying his brother. This obviously leads to confusion and is the start of a charming story of Lele's goals: Fashion in New York city, becoming a top model, and love?

Tags: Fashion , LGBTQ+ Themes , Modeling , Coming of Age

Sono Bijin (Otoko) Fushidara ni Tsuki

Also known as That Beauty Is a Tramp.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Cool and tomboyish Nagi wants a boyfriend, but has one big problem—ever since an incident in college, her body reflexively rejects the touch of any man. That is, until she encounters the beautiful male model Aran, who uses his androgynous look to effortlessly model both masculine and feminine styles. She’s shocked to discover that she can touch him without having a reaction, and when he asks her to join him in an upcoming photo shoot with a famous photographer, she agrees, on one condition—be her practice boyfriend for one month, and help her conquer her aversion once and for all. By the author of Such a Treacherous Piano Sonata!



Tags: Josei , Crossdressing , Fashion , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Cohabitation , Modeling

Nousatsu Junkie

Also known as Nosatsu Junkie.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

Naka is an aspiring young model with a problem: her face tenses up into a terrifying spectacle whenever she gets nervous on photo shoots! Naka's rival is Umi, the hottest model at their agency. But Naka soon discovers Umi's secret--and hilarity ensues behind the cameras!



Note: Includes two extra chapters.

Tags: School , Shoujo , Crossdressing , Tsundere , Gender Bending , Twins , Fashion , Female Protagonist , Modeling

Model-chan to Jimi Mane-san

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance

Top fashion model Yuria has a reputation for being aloof. When young manager Okabe Ayumi is assigned to her due to the previous manager being injured, she can barely get the model to acknowledge her, much less anyone else.

Chapter count includes two extras.

Tags: Work , Primarily Adult Cast , Yuri , Fashion , Primarily Female Cast , Office Lady , Modeling

Shiny Doll

Also known as Shiny Doll.

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Akari is an unfashionable first-year high school student who just moved from the countryside to the big city. While taking pictures of "Nana-chan," a huge mannequin at the mall, Akari accidentally bumps into into a handsome boy who compliments her on her eyes. Little does she know that the boy who has taken a fascination with her is actually Kanda, an extremely fashionable model and the heartthrob at her new school! What happens when he decides to make Akari stylish enough to land on the front cover of a magazine?

Tags: School , Shoujo , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Modeling

Nagareboshi

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Tensei is a college student who's a hobbyist photographer. One day while taking photos, he encounters and becomes captivated by a boy with burn scars on his face, Makito. Worn down by people staring at his scars from an accident, Makito escaped the flashy modelling industry and instead found work at a small-town library. Tensei, who knows nothing about this past, comes to talk to Makito whenever he borrows and returns books. He begins to fall in love with Makito's delicate and beautiful profile, and before he knows it, he's pointing his camera at him. He's hopelessly attracted to the way Makito looks in his photos. But as he realizes his overwhelming feelings, a guy from Makito's modelling past shows up to take him back...?

College kid with a photography hobby and a hidden possessive streak × ex-model with large burn scars on his face.

"Even your scars are beautiful. I just want to mess you up..."

The story of a love affair, played out under a sky full of stars.



Note: The chapter count includes two bonus chapters.

Tags: Boys' Love , Photography , Disability , Age Gap , Nudity , Handjob , Anal Sex , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Modeling

Ni De Weidao You Dian Tian

Also known as Your Scent is a Little Sweet.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Due to past psychological trauma, Tang Chao never developed secondary sexual characteristics, so she lived life as a beta working as a magazine model. After an accidental one-night stand with an omega, she found out that she felt strongly attracted to that omega. The next day she met a new colleague Li Zhixu, who seemed to be that omega. But... this Li Zhixu was suppose to be a beta?



Tags: Yuri , Omegaverse , Full Color , Urban , Modeling

Hana wa Knife wo Mi ni Matou

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

Kako Saeki is a senior in high school. She has been modeling and harboring her love for her favorite art teacher, Enjoe. Her heart breaks when she finds out that her love is actually engaged. Now, Kako's innocent love takes a dangerous turn when she finds out who is he engaged to.....



Included One Shot: Beautiful World

Tags: Shoujo , Yandere , Age Gap , Unrequited Love , School , Teacher , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Love Triangle , Modeling

Venus ni Arazu

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

Miyoshi Yoshiko is working her way as a model by doing various modeling gigs for her agency. After one of those gigs causes her to lose her job as a model, she now faces a desperate situation of being broke and unemployed. Things start to look up when she gets offered another modeling job, but this time it's modeling for Chuujou Tarou, the lecherous sculptor who got her fired in the first place! How will Yoshiko handle working for a perverted employer who can't keep his hands off her–not because he's attracted to her, but because he likes her bone structure?!

Included one-shots:
Volume 1: Blanc Marié
Volume 2: Biyaku (Aphrodisiac)

Tags: Josei , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Modeling

Enogu no Nioi ga Shita

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance

Tags: Yuri , Modeling , Drawing , Female Protagonist , School

Mame Coordinate

Also known as Mame Coordinate.

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

The story focuses on Mame Himekawa, a plain girl lacking in self-confidence, but nevertheless dreams of being a top model. While she succeeds in getting herself scouted for modeling auditions, she keeps bombing auditions due to being from the country and not knowing city etiquette. Her life makes huge turn when she meets a strange but passionate manager.



Tags: Female Protagonist , Fashion , Seinen , Modeling

ALEXANDRITE

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

This story is a spin-off of Minako Narita's Cipher, with Siva's friend Alex Levine as the main character. Ever since Alex was young, he has harbored a complex about his extremely pretty face. People are always comparing him to a girl, so to combat this image, he has thrown himself into practicing martial arts. One day, though, he is scouted by someone to become a fashion model, and thus begins Alex's tale of growth and romance!

Tags: Shoujo , Foreign , Fashion , Male Protagonist , Martial Arts , Modeling

Walkin' Butterfly

Also known as Walkin' Butterfly.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

Michiko's height is matched only by her complex about it. While delivering pizzas at a fashion show she is mistaken for a model. Mihara, the show's designer, confronts her and tells her that she can't walk the catwalk. From that moment on, Michiko is determined to find her place in the world as a model. Can she find the inner strength to undergo a spectacular transformation? Is Michiko up to the challenge? Just try her.


Tags: Josei , Female Protagonist , Fashion , Modeling