Adult romance is a vast genre, but strangely enough, most people forget about it. If you are not very familiar with this genre of manga yet, let me show you some of the best titles out there right now!
11. Mr. Cinderella (Yuuki Hinase, 2017)
Ms. Fune wants a prince charming, but since she can’t find one, this young woman decides to take matters into her own hands.
She then starts the pursuit of her plain but good-looking boss, Mr. Ninomiya. Initially convinced that seducing her boss would be a piece of cake, Ms. Fune is shocked when her boss runs away from her advances. Though, instead of discouraging her, this only makes Ms. Fune’s approach to winning the older man’s heart go into overdrive.
Mr. Cinderella is a fun and cheeky read about the relationship between an overly enthusiastic young woman and a serious older man. This manga follows Ms. Fune and Mr. Ninomiya as they navigate their new relationship and the certain complexities that come with it.
The story explores the dynamics in their age-gap relationship and portrays how they learn to match each other’s pace. This is a story that is filled with good chaotic energy and is sure to get you hooked.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find an English version. If you can read Japanese, you can find the Japanese version of volume 1 on Amazon here: ミスターシンデレラ (Mr. Cinderella)
10. I’m a Wolf, but My Boss is a Sheep! (Shino Shimizu, 2021 – 2022)
Kaneomi Ōgami is a salaryman who works at a bedding company and maintains a low profile. However, things get a little tricky when he is suddenly transferred to the planning department, which just so happens to be headed by Ōgami’s crush, Mashiro Mitsuji.
The issue?
Mitsuji is a sheep-girl (as well as the entire department being composed of sheep-men/sheep-women), and Ōgami is a wolfman. Talk about a complicated crush!
I’m a Wolf, but My Boss is a Sheep! is an incredibly wholesome office romance that showcases the tragically sweet state of Ōgami’s crush on his boss and Mitsuji’s slow realization of her interest in Ōgami.
This story shines with enchanting comedy and fantasy that helps the story move forward. Moreover, the relationship that Ōgami and Mitsuji portray is vibrant, showing that many of their feelings are rooted in their respect and appreciation for one another. This manga is adorably filled with a precious and clumsy attraction that you need to read.
Check out volume 1 of this manga here on Amazon: I’m a Wolf, but My Boss is a Sheep! Vol. 1
You can find other volumes in this series here: I’m a Wolf, but My Boss is a Sheep manga series
9. Bread & Butter (Hinako Ashihara, 2013 – 2020)
Yuzuki Fukada is thirty-four years old, and her life is not going too well. So after quitting her teaching job, she decides to get married, but since she does not have a boyfriend, Yuzuki goes to a matchmaking agency. Unfortunately, despite her best efforts, she cannot find anyone.
One day when she goes to the small stationary store where she buys bread, she suddenly asks the owner, Youichi Hara, to marry her. To her surprise, he accepts.
Bread & Butter is a wholesome story focusing on its characters’ journeys of self-understating and discovery. This manga uses Yuzuki and Youichi’s relationship to explore the concepts of uncertainty and companionship in a tremendously gentle way.
Moreover, the development from their spontaneous engagement to their loving and caring relationship is simply too cute to pass up. Yuzuki and Youichi’s story is a cozy read that will give you butterflies.
For those of your who can read and understand Japanese, volume 1 of the Japanese edition of this manga can be found on Amazon: Bread & Butter 1
8. The Ice Guy and the Cool Female Colleague (Miyuki Tonogaya, 2019 – Present)
Himuro is an office worker descendant of a snow spirit. However, he has a small problem when it comes to this. Involuntarily, he produces snow and ice based on his feelings. And while most of his coworkers find this quite inconvenient, his colleague Fuyutsuki does not.
On the contrary, she tries to help Himuro wherever and however she can. And so as they start to get closer, Fuyutsuki starts to develop feelings for Himuro, who, as a matter of fact, just happens to have the biggest crush on her.
This is an episodic manga that is simple in nature but produces a funny and wholesome story about two cool and sweet office workers. The biggest highlight in this manga is Fuyutsuki’s attentive and considerate nature, which is the foundation of her growing relationship with Himuro. Who, in turn, is incredibly appreciative and, although outwardly serious, cannot help but cause blizzards out of love and excitement over the smallest form of attention from Fuyutsuki. Moreover, this pair cannot be described as anything but wholesome as they slowly but surely, start to build a relationship!
Volume 1 of this manga is here on Amazon: The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl 1
Find other volumes in this series here: The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl manga series
7. Perfect World (Rie Aruga, 2015 – 2021)
During a company get-together, twenty-six-year-old Tsugumi Kawana reconnects with her high school crush, Itsuki Ayukawa. In this meeting, Tsugumi finds out that Itsuki was able to fulfill his dream of becoming an architect. However, she also learns that he suffered an injury that left him in a wheelchair.
Moreover, after seeing him again, Tsugumi realizes she still has feelings for him. And while Itsuki is initially uninterested in relationships, the two of them slowly grow closer, and their relationship evolves into something more than friendship.
Tsugumi and Itsuki’s story covers a type of relationship that is rarely explored. In this manga, we see a relationship that deals with two characters with differently abled bodies and how this works in their relationship.
However, and quite importantly, Rie Aruga is careful never to reduce Itsuki’s character to his disability. She chose to present both characters as multifaceted people who have their ups and their downs, which portrays a very human dynamic. Perfect World is a precious story that showcases an earnest love story that will surely capture your heart.
You can find volume 1 of Perfect World on Amazon here: Perfect World 1
Check out other volumes of Perfect World here: Perfect World manga series
6. Changes of Heart (Kujira, 2018 -2021)
After being dumped by her boyfriend, Koyori Hoshi goes to see her childhood friend Hijiri Akiyama. He is the one person she can let out all her feelings and rage with. She ends up getting drunk and venting her feelings to him.
However, when she wakes up, she finds out that they spent the night together. This sends Koyori into a panic, especially when she starts to remember Hijiri confessing to her. Nevertheless, given the situation, Hijiri suggests that they become a couple, and while Koyori is initially hesitant, she decides to accept and give it a shot.
Changes of Heart is a romantic disaster as it begins in the messiest way possible but does not disappoint you with its friends-to-lovers dynamic. This story portrays a realistic depiction of the anxieties of going from lifelong friends to lovers.
What is more, even though Hijiri and Koyori are far from perfect, this makes their efforts to communicate and understand each other all the more satisfying to witness. This is especially true when you see how their complete adoration for each other never fails. This story is as “human” as it gets, in the best way possible.
You can check out volume 1 here on Amazon: Changes of Heart Vol. 1
Other volumes can be found here: Changes of Heart manga series
5. This Love is Strawberry Sweet (Irono, 2018 – 2021)
After her grandfather gets injured, twenty-year-old Sarah Moritani decides to help out at her grandfather’s strawberry farm while he is in the hospital. There, she meets Minori Sugiura, a thirty-three-year-old strawberry farmer and friend of her grandfather.
However, because of his serious and quiet demeanor, Minori is simply too intimidating for the ever-sunny Sarah. That is until she gets to know him more and discovers that he is much nicer than she first thought. As you may have guessed, she starts to develop feelings for him, and unbeknownst to her, so does Minori.
This Love is Strawberry Sweet is an adult romance that maintains a wholesome and vibrant narrative as it follows two characters that complement each other perfectly. Because as the story showcases the characters’ personalities during the progression of their relationship, you cannot help but root for them.
With Minori being a quiet and reserved sweetheart and Sarah stealing the show with her energetic and sweet disposition, these two keep proving why they belong together. Overall, this story is well-paced and uses its setting and the entirety of its characters to construct one of the sweetest love stories out there!
If you can read manga in Japanese, the Japanese edition of volume 1 is on Amazon here: その恋はいちごのように (This Love is Strawberry Sweet) Japanese Edition
4. Haru’s Curse (Asuka Konishi, 2016 -2017)
After Natsumi Tachibana’s younger sister, Haru, dies at the age of nineteen, Natsumi begins to date Haru’s fiancé, Tōgo Hiragi, per his request. However, Natsumi sets a condition to accept Togo’s proposal. He must take her everywhere that he and Haru went.
So, as promised, they visit different places, and their relationship begins to deepen. The couple struggles to cope with grief and their undeniable feelings for each other.
Haru’s Curse is a story that navigates familial and romantic relationships as it explores Natsumi and Tōgo’s relationship. And while this story can be quite gloomy, the narrative in this manga remains amazingly charming.
Watching the contrast in personalities between Tōgo’s cool demeanor and Natsumi’s ever-sweet and sunny character is incredibly delightful. Overall, this work by Asuka Konishi is a bittersweet love story with an earnest narrative that will make you fall in love.
You can get this manga on Amazon: Haru’s Curse
3. Daily Report About My Witch Senpai (Maka Mochida, 2020 – 2021)
Naoto Misono is an office worker who generally seems to have a pretty indifferent personality. However, when he realizes that his coworker Shizuka Hoshino, who happens to be a witch, is seemingly being taken advantage of, he begins to get irritated.
While Shizuka is more than happy to go out of her way to help others with her powers, Misono can see how everyone is unfair to her. Moreover, as Misono gets closer to his easily flustered senpai, underlying feelings begin to surface.
Daily Report About My Witch Senpai is a sweet story about a serious office worker deciding to help out his magical colleague. This manga is tremendously charming as it portrays two different characters forming a relationship out of consideration for one another.
Moreover, while primarily wholesome, this story displays maturity and emotional intelligence with its characters. With Misono doing everything he can to care for his senpai and Shizuka filling the story with incomparable charm and kindness, this story will take you on a magical and sweet ride!
Find volume 1 here on Amazon: Daily Report About My Witch Senpai Vol. 1
Check out other volumes here: Daily Report About My Witch Senpai manga series
2. Sweat and Soap (Kintetsu Yamada, 2018 – 2021)
Asako Yaeshima is a shy girl who loves her job at Lilia Drop, her favorite toiletry company. Why? Well, because Asako happens to sweat a little too much, the company’s products are the only thing that helps her manage this problem.
So, of course, she is incredibly flustered when one day, out of nowhere, Kōtarō Natori, the company’s lead product developer, comes up to her and smells her. However, to Asako’s surprise, her scent enchants him.
Although undeniably weird, Sweat and Soap is a fun story that no one can deny is full of character and uniqueness. Because while it certainly has a peculiar premise, this does not take away from how grounded the story is.
The manga showcases Asako and Natori’s relationship in a very mature light as they get to know each other and work on building a healthy relationship. Watching them grow more and more in love as the story progresses is just something you cannot miss out on.
Find the first volume of this intersting manga on Amazon here: Sweat and Soap 1
A box set that contains volumes 1-6 can be found here: Sweat and Soap Manga Box Set 1
Check out other volumes of this manga here: Sweat and Soap manga series
1. Black Sesame Salt and Custard Pudding (Yufuko Suzuki, 2018 – 2020)
Haruhi Fukunaga is an atypical 22-year-old living in Tokyo and working as a heavy machine operator. However, when her dad calls to tell her that she needs to return home to help with the family business, Haruhi flips out.
When she wakes up one morning after a night of heavy drinking, she discovers that she married a man double her age named Nagato Sunohara. She decides to stay married…after all, he needs a place to stay, and this is her perfect excuse to keep living her dream life in Tokyo.
This is an extremely charming story about two people who get together out of convenience and form a caring and loving relationship. The characters are tremendously charismatic in their own ways and make up a fun and sweet couple you’ll want to get to know. Although the age gap between 22-year-old Haruhi and 42-year oldNagatois quite large, this does not affect them when it comes to their forming a healthy relationship.
This is portrayed in a very realistic manner and is not overlooked. This is a fun story coated with kindness and love that you need in your life.
Check out the special edition of volume 1 (containing chapters 1-6) on Amazon: 【Special Edition】Black Sesame Salt and Custard Pudding Vol.1
You can find other volumes here: Black Sesame Salt and Custard Pudding manga series
