Top Parenthood 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

Vinland Saga

Also known as Vinland Saga.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama

As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his father, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band's leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Thorfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery … the land Leif called Vinland.



Notes:
- Won the Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2009.
- Winner of the 36th Kodansha Manga Award in the General category in 2012.

Tags: Historical , Coming of Age , Vikings , Rehabilitation , Foreign , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Seinen , War , Revenge , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Parenthood , Adoption , Travel , Slavery , Found Family , Time Skip , Politics , Gore , Swordplay , Ships , Anti-Hero , Rural , Pirates , Agriculture , Environmental , Language Barrier , Heterosexual , Nudity , Achronological Order , Archery , Tomboy , LGBTQ+ Themes , Transgender

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

Eoneu Nal Gongjuga Doeeobeoryeotda

Also known as Who Made Me a Princess.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Fantasy , Romance

The story of Athanasia, forsaken princess of the Obelian Empire, ends with her execution at the hands of her own father—or does it? Her tragic tale is the plot of the novel The Lovely Princess. But now, a modern woman who read the book has just woken up as baby Athanasia herself, filled with her own memories and knowledge of the story she’s stuck in! Determined to survive her doomed fate, infant Athanasia embarks on this new life with a plan: avoid attention and hoard valuables to fund her escape. When her plan goes awry, she suddenly needs to charm her way into the good graces of her father, the beautiful tyrant emperor, so he doesn’t kill her again!



Tags: Female Protagonist , Isekai , Reincarnation , Magic , Full Color , Family Life , Tsundere , Parenthood , Coming of Age , Amnesia , Age Regression , Heterosexual , Memory Manipulation , Revenge , Kuudere , Age Gap , Foreign , Conspiracy , Time Skip , Love Triangle , Politics , Historical , Royal Affairs , Maids , Survival , Time Manipulation , Ojou-sama , Chimera , Adoption , Fairy Tale , Witch

Beelzebub

Also known as Beelzebub.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Supernatural

The story follows the "strongest juvenile delinquent", Oga Tatsumi, a first year in "Ishiyama High" the school for delinquents. One day while sleeping next to a river he sees a man floating down it, he pulls him to shore and the man splits in half revealing a baby boy. This boy is the son of the demon king and he has been chosen as the one to raise it with the baby's demon maid Hilda. The story follows his life with the child and at the delinquent school.

Note: Includes 12 extra chapters.

Tags: Delinquents , Shounen , Demons , Primarily Male Cast , Adoption , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Coming of Age , Parenthood , Maids , Magic , Body Swapping , Battle Royale , Dragons , Amnesia , Ghost , Meta , Family Life

Hinamatsuri

Also known as Hinamatsuri.

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

Nitta is an ambitious, young member of the Ashikawa-gumi yakuza syndicate. One day, a mysterious, oval-shaped object falls out of thin air into his apartment, and suddenly changes everything! Inside of the object is an expressionless young girl named Hina. The girl has formidable telekinetic powers that she uses to threaten Nitta, forcing him to allow her to live in his apartment. Dangers abound as the yakuza member and young psychic begin their life together as roommates!



Includes 32 extra chapters.

Tags: Surreal Comedy , Found Family , Adoption , Slapstick , Family Life , Super Power , Yakuza , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Parenthood , Coming of Age , Work , Ensemble Cast , Seinen , Time Skip , Male Protagonist , Homeless , Primarily Female Cast , Urban , Bar , School , Time Manipulation

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Also known as Sailor Moon.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo , Romance

Usagi Tsukino is a normal girl until she meets up with Luna, a talking cat, who tells her that she is Sailor Moon. As Sailor Moon, Usagi must fight evils and enforce justice, in the name of the Moon and the mysterious Moon Princess. She meets other girls destined to be Sailor Senshi (Sailor Scouts), and together, they fight the forces of evil!



Notes:
- The tankoubon release contains 52 Acts and 9 bonus chapters across 18 volumes; chapter/volume counts follow the tankoubon release.
- The shinsouban release contains the original 52 Acts plus 8 new Acts across 12 volumes, but no bonus chapters as all 9 were released separately in Sailor Moon Short Stories alongside another bonus chapter that was previously released in an artbook.
- The kanzenban release contains both the 60 Acts and the 10 bonus chapters from the short story shinsoubans across 10 volumes.


Tags: Shoujo , Primarily Female Cast , Reincarnation , Magic , Female Protagonist , Lost Civilization , Henshin , Time Manipulation , Urban Fantasy , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Tragedy , Memory Manipulation , Mythology , Philosophy , War , Cosmic Horror , Space Opera , Parenthood , Demons , Space , Super Power , Astronomy , School , Aliens , LGBTQ+ Themes , Fairy Tale , Bisexual , Body Horror , Rehabilitation , Nudity , Bullying , Revenge , Time Skip , Tokusatsu , Dissociative Identities , Age Gap , Urban , Unrequited Love , Found Family , Yuri , Superhero , Circus , Gender Bending , Shrine Maiden , Love Triangle , Animals , Kemonomimi , Age Regression , Twins , School Club

Eotteon Gyemonimui Marchen

Also known as A Stepmother’s Märchen.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance

The marchioness Shuri Von Neuschwanstein is no stranger to hardship: her husband dies when she’s still a teenager, leaving her to manage his lands and raise his semi-grown children herself. Her stepchildren never warm up to her, and other nobles disparage her behind her back. Years later, however, it seems her efforts have finally paid off: her eldest stepson is to be married and take over the estate, freeing her of many responsibilities. But shortly after learning the cruel truth that she’s not invited to his wedding, she dies and wakes up on the day of her husband’s funeral seven years earlier! If Shuri is to live these seven difficult years all over again, she’s going to do things differently. Can she write her own fairy tale ending this time around?



Tags: Family Life , Female Protagonist , Full Color , Foreign , Age Regression , Tragedy , Royal Affairs , Yandere , Time Manipulation , Parenthood , Age Gap , Twins , Heterosexual , Found Family , Male Harem , Politics , Ojou-sama , Time Skip , Class Struggle

Mijuku na Futari de Gozaimasu ga

Also known as We're New at This.

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

Ikuma Saeki finally married his childhood friend and the girl of his dreams, Sumika. But while years of pining came easily to him, physical closeness does not...and he's having trouble navigating the intimacy that comes with marriage. Sumika, too, is having trouble bridging the gap between friend and lover...what is this innocent couple to do but navigate it together, awkwardness and all!



Tags: Seinen , Family Life , Episodic , Marriage , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Kuudere , Heterosexual , Nudity , Time Skip , Primarily Adult Cast , Parenthood

Usagi Drop

Also known as Bunny Drop.

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

When 30-year-old Daikichi returns home for his grandfather's funeral he meets an unfamiliar child in the garden. His mother explains that Rin is his grandfather's illegitimate daughter by an unknown mother. The girl is an embarrassment to all his relatives and nobody wants to take her in because of the scandal. Annoyed by their attitude, Daikichi decides to take care of Rin himself, even though he is single and has no experience raising a child.

Tags: Family Life , Age Gap , Adoption , Heterosexual , Time Skip , Josei , Inseki , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Iyashikei , Parenthood , Work , School

LOVE SO LIFE

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Shiharu is a high school student who loves kids, lives in an orphanage, and works at a daycare... Until the handsome uncle of two-year-old twins offers her a raise if she'll be their babysitter. Often relying on memories of her mother's actions for guidance, Shiharu quickly finds herself falling in love with her new makeshift family.

Tags: Family Life , Shoujo , Age Gap , Female Protagonist , Iyashikei , School , Love Triangle , Primarily Child Cast , Work , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Parenthood

Nae Ttareun Choejong Boss

Also known as My Daughter Is The Final Boss.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Fantasy

Lee Seojun could only watch as his daughter, the witch Lee Seola, turned into the wicked final boss who destroyed the world and brought upon his death. Though never a good dad, as he loses consciousness, Seojun gets a new quest: “Change The Future.” Upon awakening, he sees a 5-year-old Seola standing before him. Now, Seojun must raise Seola to avoid the misfortunes that originally turned her wicked and become the caring father she never had. The price of failure? Only the end of the world.



Tags: Age Regression , Reincarnation , Time Manipulation , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Magic , Family Life , Full Color , Dungeon , Witch , Parenthood

My Girl

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

Kazama Masamune - a single 23-year-old man... has a child? During the season of cherry blossoms, his beloved passes away. He happens to meet a little girl outside work and realizes she is his daughter who was raised in secrecy by his lover. The worst spring of his life is transformed into a painful yet vivid spring.

Tags: Family Life , Seinen , Work , Male Protagonist , Iyashikei , Episodic , Parenthood

Perfect World

Also known as Perfect World.

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

26-year-old Tsugumi Kawana reunites with her first crush from high school, Itsuki Ayukawa, at a get-together between an architecture firm and the interior design company she works at. He sends her heart aflutter, until she realizes he's now disabled, and in a wheelchair. At first she feels she couldn't date a guy in a wheelchair, but then her feelings begin to change...



Tags: Disability , Josei , Love Triangle , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , Work , Tragedy , Adoption , Urban , Parenthood

Amaama to Inazuma

Also known as Sweetness and Lightning.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Having lost his wife, math teacher Kouhei Inuzuka is doing his best to raise his young daughter Tsumugi as a single father. He’s pretty bad at cooking and doesn’t have a huge appetite to begin with, but chance brings his little family and one of his students, Kotori Iida, together for homemade adventures. With those three cooks in the kitchen, it’s no wonder this dinner table drama is so delicious.



Tags: Food , Family Life , Iyashikei , Seinen , Tragedy , Teacher , Coming of Age , School , Orphan , Parenthood , Restaurant

Namjuui Eommaga Doeeobeolyeossda

Also known as I Married the Male Lead's Dad.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance

In my real life, I was happy simping and fawning over Abel Louvremont, the main character of my favorite book ‘Persona.’ But after a fateful car accident, I woke up in ‘Persona,’ but when Abel is still a precious child. Now, as Aisha Heathcliff, I can simp the adorable Abel up close, squee!! I’ll do anything I can to make sure he gets what he needs! And, somehow, that means I’m engaged to... his dad?!



Tags: Isekai , Magic , Tragedy , Full Color , Reincarnation , Otaku Culture , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Amnesia , Family Life , Gods , Writing , Parenthood

Bokura no Shokutaku

Also known as Our Dining Table.

Status: Finished
Genres: Slice of Life

Eating around other people is a struggle for salaryman Yutaka, despite his talent for cooking. All that changes when he meets Minoru and Tane—two brothers, many years apart in age—who ask him to teach them how to make his delicious food! Yutaka soon finds himself having a change of heart as he looks forward to the meals they share together.



Tags: Food , Family Life , Boys' Love , Male Protagonist , Found Family , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Time Skip , Adoption , Iyashikei , LGBTQ+ Themes , Parenthood

Uchi no Musuko wa Tabun Gay

Also known as I Think Our Son Is Gay.

Status: Finished
Genres: Slice of Life

Despite belonging to a family of four, the Aoyama residence is typically home to three due to father Akiyoshi's job. While he's away at work, mom Tomoko and her two beloved sons Hiroki and Yuri go about their everyday lives--going to school, making dinner, doing homework, etc. But now that Hiroki's in his first year of high school, his thoughts are turning ever so slightly to sex and romance...and his mom can't help but notice his slips of the tongue when he's talking about who he likes. Supportive Tomoko has an inkling Hiroki might be gay, but she's going to let him figure it out for himself. Unfortunately, Hiroki has little talent for keeping his "secret," so he might die of embarassment before all is said and done!



Note: Originally published on Twitter and collated by Square Enix for print release.

Tags: LGBTQ+ Themes , Family Life , Bullying , Female Protagonist , Slapstick , Episodic , Unrequited Love , Parenthood , Asexual , School , Work , Love Triangle , Boys' Love

Somali to Mori no Kamisama

Also known as Somari and the Guardian of the Forest.

Status: Cancelled
Genres: Fantasy , Slice of Life

In a world populated by diverse range of tribes, humans have been persecuted nearly to extinction. One day, a forest guardian known as a Golem crosses paths with an abandoned little human girl. This is the story of the bond between a member of the disappearing human species and a guardian of the forest.



Notes: After a long hiatus, the manga got cancelled on December 22nd, 2020 due to the author's worsening health.

Tags: Iyashikei , Magic , Seinen , Demons , Witch , Food , Rural , Episodic , Adoption , Anthropomorphism , Parenthood , Isekai

Musuko ga Kawaikute Shikataganai Mazoku no Hahaoya

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

Lorem, an infamous and fearsome demoness, has had to settle down for the sake of Gospel, her baby boy. Try as she might, she is a loving and doting mother, but she remains fearsome to both fellow demon and human onlookers because she retains the dire reputation of her wild and terrible youth years past.

For the sake of motherly love, she has to persevere, to learn and to thrive in a world where she's not alone. For the sake Gospel and his future. Feel the Love in it!

Includes 18 bonus chapters.

Tags: Demons , Family Life , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Urban Fantasy , Seinen , Terrorism , Parenthood