Kara Dennison
August 22, 2023 
We can never have enough shojo manga in our lives. Sometimes we just want to escape to a world where everything is pastel and sparkly and the cherry blossoms are always in bloom. And, of course, romance is the order of the day… as angsty as it may be. The Shonen Jump manga app may have been a game changer… but the addition of the Viz app scratched that itch that fighting manga couldn’t reach.
If you’re not sure where to start, let us kick you off with a few of our favorites. Many series are being added to the catalog as we speak, so be sure to check back regularly!
My Special One
Sahoko has sworn off pretty boys—she knows all too well the kind of heartbreak they can bring. But everything changes when a pop star wanders into her family’s diner. That’s how My Special One, the shojo manga series by Momoko Koda, kicks off. But that’s not the end of it. Because as soon as Sahoko opens her heart to the gregarious Kouta, she learns that it’ll be harder than it looks for him to reciprocate.
In an especially parasocial era, My Special One is a uniquely timely story. Sahoko’s situation is every J-pop fangirl’s dream, but the reality is much more complex. A few volumes are already in the library, so it’s a great time to start!
Like a Butterfly
We’ve already showcased this shojo manga by suu Morishita, but it definitely deserves the hype. Originally penned by the creative duo as a one-shot, Like a Butterfly expanded into a fully-fledged, fully beautiful series. And where schoolboy Taichi was the original protagonist, we now follow the beautiful Suiren… known as “flower” to her classmates.
The beautiful, seemingly inaccessibly high school girl does have feelings… and they’re for Taichi. These blooming affections make her want to be, as the title states, “like a butterfly.” Instead of being admired, she wants to fly to the object of her affection. But, as is the case with this genre, that’s going to be a challenge.
Full Moon
Penned by manga legend Arina Tanemura, Full Moon is the oldest shojo manga on this list. This 2002 vintage follows Mitsuki, a young girl who longs to be a singer so she can reunite with her childhood crush. Sadly, she’s unlikely to live very long, much less achieve her dream, due to a malignant tumor on her vocal cords. To help her live her best life in the limited time she has left, a pair of shinigami named Takuto and Meroko strike a deal. She gets to live her pop star dream, and at the end of the year, they’ll reap her soul.
Now, masquerading as the 16-year-old Full Moon, Mitsuki sets out to achieve her dreams. But along the way she’ll learn more about who the shinigami really are, and what fate some members of that strange group have in store for her. Even if you’ve seen the anime, it’s worth giving the manga a read, as certain aspects are rather different from the adaptation!
Want something a little darker? Get on board with new manga Shoujo Null!
