Recs if you like Fruits Basket, Vol. 1...

emphasis on “in”. sister list to ‘absolutely rat-tastic’! for this list, rats do not have to be mentioned in the title, but they MUST be mentioned in the book, featured on the cover, or both! suggestions are extremely welcome🐀

🌹Genre-defining, highly popular, and influential classics of Shoujo (girls') manga, all bestsellers in their demographic or influential series by the Year 24 Group.🌹

✨The Year 24 Group was a group of manga creators (mangaka), all women, who redefined shoujo manga in the 1970s, focusing on contemporary problems and high-stakes, emotional drama as well as defining shoujo's signature style of big, emotional splash pages, beautiful men, using imagery to illustrate emotional states, and on-panel text to denote inner thoughts - all visuals used across all genres of manga to this day. The Year 24 Group is also credited with creating the genre of BL, aka BoysLove, sometimes called shounen ai, as well as pioneering GL, GirlsLove or yuri.✨

🎀All of these have official English releases and were first printed in magazines for girls.🎀

💖Expect sparkles, pounding hearts, and romance, and BL, but also science fiction, fantasy, action and melodrama!💖

Cultural phenomenon mangas that have become global household names over the years. All of these series have defined or impacted the animanga culture globally, in one way or another. From international movie releases, live-action adaptations, and instantly recognisable titles, these are the mangas to read if you want to sound like you know what you're talking about. Mainstream? Starter pack? Maybe, but they're pop culture icons for a reason. Believe it!

Suggestions and discussions welcome!!

Manga and novels that offer more extensive storylines, different interpretations, or completely different storylines than their anime counterparts. This usually happens due to changes during the adaptation process or in the case of tie-in manga intended for a different audience than the original series.

If you're looking for manga that's better than its anime interpretation, check out my list 'Don't Watch the Anime!'

Shoujo and Josei series everyone should read.

Manga, Manhwa, Manhua, etc that warms the soul even if we're sobbing at the same time.

…sell them to us instead.

Books that feature characters being sold by their parents as a premise or important character background. Your options include but are not limited to: the yakuza, cults, a literal demon. Your rewards: money, status, getting rid of children you don’t want.

This is NOT a serious list about child trafficking.

Suggestions welcome, as always! I’m playing fast and loose with the definition of selling.

A collection of the most influential shoujo manga from the 90s. Magical girls were big, but there's more than that! ⚠️WIP, I'm happy to add any suggestions!

Note: I'm including volumes with their first publication or serialization date in Japan in the 90s. Some may have been published into the 2000s, or they may not have been officially translated until later.

A variety of books recommended by a librarian (appropriate for students aged 11-16 as well).

I love manga and shoujo and josei are my favorite demographics. Consider this list a potential starter pack in shoujo and josei

Manga that defined my girlhood

Stuff featured in Tiny Bookshop. Will add more as I continue to play.

I wanted to collate all the largest and greatest manga completed series with the first and last volumes to help me look to what to read next but also maybe this list will be helpful for others.

If you have any recommendations please leave a comment (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)

Manga that have anime adaptations.

Books featuring our purrfect feline friends

for all my manga lovers

Inspired by the popular in the 00s list, I wanted to make a list cataloguing all the manga I owned in high school. Please read to the tune of Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye.