Best Completed Romance Manga You Should Read

Summary

• The romance manga genre thrives with varied options for readers, both classic and new.
• Familiar romance manga stories end successfully, offering satisfying conclusions to readers.
• Recently completed romance manga like “The Summer You Were There” continue to captivate audiences.

As a genre, romance manga will always have a place in the industry. While some of the most popular stories earn anime adaptations, these series are just a drop in the bucket compared to the full scale of the manga romance scene. There is a romantic manga for just about everyone, whether they choose tried-and-true classics or hot new releases.

As certain stories can span years upon years, somebody might prefer to pick something that’s already finished its run. That way, it tells a complete story. The following romance manga are not only great but also concluded their runs in the last few years, letting readers enjoy their full story from beginning to end.

Updated March 25, 2025 by David Heath: It’d be easy to pick out multiple old-school romance manga as examples of completed runs, though chances are fans have already given them a try. Some are even still running, like Skip Beat, which has been going on for 22 years as of this writing. Others might as well be complete, as their creators were either driven into semi-retirement by the breakneck schedule of manga-making or passed away before their time.

Luckily, most romance manga manage to conclude, and some big hitters in the genre recently came to an end. From paranormal romances with a tricky premise to a popular webcomic making it to print, and a certain big-name series that managed to escape this article’s last few updates. They’re now all complete, and are now among these other top romance manga that can now be read in full from beginning to end.

28

Sakura, Saku

Girl Helps Those in Need After Being Rescued by a Mystery Man

• Japanese Title: Sakura, Saku (Sakura in Bloom, and also the names of the leads).
• Writer/Illustrator: Io Sakisaka.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.23.
• 9 Volumes, 36 Chapters.
• Available in English via Viz Media’s Shojo Beat.

Famous for making Ao Haru Ride, Io Sakisaka’s latest manga reached its end in November 2023 after just under 3 years of appearing in the pages of Bessatsu Margaret. While Ao Haru Ride sees its leads try to overcome their past to make their future together, Sakura, Saku has its lead focus on her present after a chance encounter. One day, while leaving a train, Saku Fujigaya suffered a fainting spell due to her anemia and lost her handbag.

She thought she’d never see it again on waking up. But when she did, she found the bag and its contents safe and sound beside her in the infirmary, alongside a note containing the name and phone number of its savior: Sakura. She tries to phone him, but her calls never make it through. Moved by their kindness, she follows suit and helps anyone in need of help, right up until she gets to high school, where she finally gets to meet the mysterious Sakura.

27

Masamune-kun’s Revenge

Man’s Spite-Induced Glow-Up Leads to Love

• Japanese Title: Masamune-kun no Revenge.
• Writer: Hazuki Takeoka.
• Illustrator: Tiv.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.26.
• 13 Volumes, 70 Chapters.
• Available in English via Seven Seas Entertainment.

Takeoka’s original light novel has exploded in popularity since it was first published. Masamune-kun’s Revenge was adapted into a manga by Tiv, two anime seasons, and an OVA by Silver Link, and it even got a set of side stories. But Tiv’s manga version finally reached its end in December 2023 after nearly 12 years in print. So, readers can now find out from start to finish if Makabe Masamune’s revenge plot was worth it.

As a child, he was bullied by a rich, pretty girl called Aki, who called him ‘Piggy’ because of his weight issues. Seeking revenge, he worked hard to lose weight, becoming a handsome, if narcissistic, high schooler. The goal was to charm Aki, who doesn’t recognize him, and then break her heart. But as their friendship grows, he starts to have second thoughts.

26

Love’s In Sight!

Brutal Bully’s Hard Heart Gets Softened by a Blind Girl

• Japanese Title: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl (The Yankee and the Girl with the White Cane).
• Writer/Illustrator: Uoyama.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.60.
• 8 Volumes, 127 Chapters.
• Available in English via Viz Media.

As of September 10th, 2024, Love’s in Sight is now fully available in English. Viz Media released the last volume in English on that date, 2 years and 4 months after it hit the Japanese press in May 2022. So, readers can officially pick up all 8 of its volumes in English and read them from beginning to end. That is, if they find the story of a delinquent falling for a blind girl intriguing.

It followed Morio Kurokawa, a dropout delinquent (or “yankee” in Japanese slang) whose reputation is so fierce he’s known locally as “Morio the Black Panther.” He fights off all comers but finds himself tamed by Yukiko Azawa, a girl who’s effectively blind, getting by with just her white cane. She isn’t scared of Morio or his reputation, leading him to fall more for her with each meeting and become more protective of her as she faces different dangers each day.

25

Pure, Shameful, And Annoying

Punk Girl and Strait-Laced Chairperson Aren’t What They Appear to Be

• Japanese Title: Kiyoku, Yamashiku, Modokashiku.
• Writer/Illustrator: Nao Arihara.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.66.
• 7 Volumes, 35 Chapters.
• Fan Translations only.

Romance manga aren’t strangers to conventions, like opposites attracting, or unlikely partners, along with not letting people judge their books by their cover. Pure, Shameful, and Annoying is no different, as it has the uptight chair of the school’s disciplinary committee trying to set the female delinquent gal straight. Except their personalities aren’t what they seem.

Enjouji looks like a girl with an attitude but is actually quite gentle and reserved on the inside. The only person who knows this is Chairman Fuji, the one person at the school brave enough to talk back to her. However, despite his position, he also frequently teases Enjouji, making lewd comments about her looks that she’s too innocent to get. But the two manage to work together to solve one issue or another and grow closer in the process. It’s a fairly familiar formula, though it’s told with enough charm to keep readers going.

24

Even If You Slit My Mouth

Infamous Specter Tries to Scare Off Love to Mend Her Reputation

• Japanese Title: Kuchi ga Saketemo Kimi ni wa (Even if You Slit My Mouth).
• Writer/Illustrator: Akari Kajimoto.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.69.
• 11 Volumes, 80 Chapters.
• Available in English digitally via MANGA Plus.

If the title Even If You Slit My Mouth sounds dark, then don’t worry, it’s not that grim. Or at least, it isn’t about a murderous kind of love. It’s actually about Miroku, a slit-mouthed woman, or kuchisake-onna, a famous ghoul from Japanese urban legends. Except in her case, her role as the “Queen of Folklore” has been on the decline as fewer people believe in her. Even worse, she’s betrothed to Koichi, a 17-year-old from an important supernatural family.

She wants to regain her notoriety without help from anyone else. So, Koichi makes her a deal: if she can scare him before he turns 18, he’ll call off the engagement. But he’ll do his best to win her heart in that time too. She accepts but fears that he may actually woo her heart before she can chill his spine. Supernatural romance is Kajimoto’s forte, as this is his third strip about a slit-mouthed woman finding love. The second, Even If You Avoid the Slit, is also worth tracking down as it acts as a sort-of prequel to Even If You Slit My Mouth.

23

365 Days To The Wedding

Office Workers Fake A Relationship To Avoid An Undesirable “Promotion”

• Japanese Title: Kekkon surutte, Hontou desu ka? (Are You Really Getting Married?).
• Writer/Illustrator: Tamiki Wakaki.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.73.
• 11 Volumes, 110 Chapters.
• Available in English via Seven Seas Entertainment.

Love can come from hate in Masamune-kun’s Revenge and from frustration in Even If You Slit My Mouth. But can it come from deception? 365 Days to the Wedding follows its leads, Takuya and Rika, two coworkers at the JTC Travel Agency. When the company opens up a new branch in Irkutsk, all the way in Siberia, they need a new manager to oversee it, and neither Takuya nor Rika wants the job. However, the two learn JTC has narrowed down their selections to bachelors.

So, they could render each other ineligible if they got married to each other! They just have to convince the rest of their coworkers that they’re in love, even though they haven’t shown any romantic interest in each other before. Their attempts often get them into awkward but hilarious situations, as neither of them is particularly suave or extroverted. But it also makes them endearing, making the reader hope they can find real love in each other, too.

22

Rii-chan

Girl Regains Her Mojo After Reconnecting with an Old Friend

• Japanese Title: Rii-chan.
• Writer/Illustrator: Koudai Yamamoto.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.82.
• 1 Volume, 167 Chapters.
• Fan Translations only.

Rii-chan is a bit of a special case, as it didn’t start in a magazine or printed volumes. It began life as a webcomic published on Koudai Yamamoto’s Twitter and pixiv accounts from June 2023 to January 2024. The strip didn’t get published in print form until April 2024, when all of its chapters were put together in one volume and only in Japan via Kadokawa. Only time will tell if it’ll get an official English translation at some point, but it would be nice if it did, as it’s a rather tender love story.

It follows Tatsu, a man who moves back in with his parents in his hometown for “work-related reasons.” While there, he comes across an old photo of himself with Rii-chan, his neighbor and childhood friend. Back then, she was a dark-haired bundle of energy who had a big beaming smile. So, he is surprised when he meets her again, looking more outgoing with blonde hair and piercings, while being more shy and anxious. As he gets to reconnect with her and learn her story, the old feelings he had for her begin to come back.

21

It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too

Longterm Couple Decide to Cohabit

• Japanese Title: Futari Ashita mo Sorenari ni (The Two Get By Tomorrow Too, More or Less).
• Writer/Illustrator: Suzuyuki.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.83.
• 5 Volumes, 92 Chapters.
• Available via One Peace Books.

Concluding its run in 2021, It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too sets itself apart by focusing on an established, grown-up couple. After dating for roughly 18 months, Rio and Yuuya decide to move in together, which naturally comes with its share of challenges. While the core relationship does grow somewhat, the manga primarily focuses on the pair’s everyday interactions, most of which are mundane but sweet and relatable.

From fights over who gets the last pudding to serious discussions about how they should spend their future, the manga is a proper slice-of-life romance that generally avoids overindulging in melodrama. Rio and Yuuya have a believable dynamic which, despite the occasional hiccup and heavy moment, resolves itself with some feel-good moments.

20

Black Sesame Salt And Custard Pudding

Construction Worker Accidentally Marries Her Colleague

• Japanese Title: Gomashio to Purin (Sesame Salt and Pudding).
• Writer/Illustrator: Yufuko Suzuki.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.86.
• 3 Volumes, 22 Chapters.
• Available in English digitally via Renta!

Odd-couple stories are as old as the hills when it comes to romance. Black Sesame Salt and Custard Pudding takes up the trope with its own twist. In it, Haruhi has been living her dream life as a heavy machine operator on a construction site in Tokyo, but now it’s on the verge of ending as her father is demanding that she return to the countryside to take over their family business. Distraught, she drowns her sorrows in a bar with one of her coworkers, Nagato, a man twice her age.

One thing leads to another, and before she knows it, she wakes up the following morning to find she’s married to him. Together, they work out a deal to make their marriage seem legit, playing a happy couple and living together. That way, they can convince Haruhi’s father that she’s got a new home in Tokyo. But as time goes on, their ruse begins to feel more like the real deal. Maybe the two found love in each other after all, even if they skipped a few steps along the way.

19

The Duke of Death and His Maid

Noble Cursed with a Lethal Touch Falls in Love with His Maid

• Japanese Title: Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid (Master Grim Reaper and the Black Maid).
• Writer/Illustrator: Koharu Inoue.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.86.
• 16 Volumes, 242 Chapters.
• Available in English via Seven Seas Entertainment.

The Duke of Death and His Maid spells out its premise pretty succinctly in its title. Viktor, a young noble, was cursed by a witch as a child, making anything he touches die in his hands. As a result, his mother disowned him and sent him to live in a mansion hidden in the woods until the curse could be broken. But at least he’s not alone, as he’s joined by his butler, Rob, and his maid Alice, who’d been infatuated with him since they were kids. Though she’ll never get to know his loving touch until the curse can be broken.

The series caught on well enough to get a 3-season anime and a spin-off manga featuring additional side stories. But they’ve all since concluded. The third season was the last and came out in April 2024, while the original Japanese manga wrapped up the Duke and his maid’s love story back in July 2022. It just didn’t get picked up by an English publisher until Seven Seas Entertainment got to work in May 2022. They finally completed translating the story in full in January 2025, when the last volume was released to the public.

18

The Fallen Student and The Hopeless Teacher

Teacher Stops a Student from Committing Suicide by Offering a Date

• Japanese Title: Tsuiraku JK to Haijin Kyoushi.
• Writer/Illustrator: sora.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.88.
• 20 Volumes, 119 Chapters.
• Fan Translations only.

Japanese strips are no strangers to wordplay, even on rather dark topics. For example, The Fallen Student and the Hopeless Teacher starts with a girl who, after having her love confession rejected, contemplates committing suicide by jumping off the roof of her school. She’s called Mikoto Ochiai, where part of her surname literally means “to fall.” However, she’s interrupted by the school’s physics teacher, Jin ‘Haijin’ Haiba.

He smokes, drinks, gambles, and is often the butt of his students’ jokes, hence his nickname. ‘Haijin’ is a portmanteau of his first and last names, though it’s also Japanese for ‘invalid’, or literally ‘obsolete person’. But he manages to convince Mikoto to live on by offering to go out with her. That way, if she’s still insistent on dying, she’ll at least have known romance by the end. She tentatively accepts and gradually falls for him, though she’s never sure if he’s serious or if he’s just playing with her. Readers can now know for sure by reading its full run.

17

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible

Girl Presses Nondescript Classmate into Standing Out

• Japanese Title: Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai (Kubo-san Won’t Let Me Be a Mob).
• Writer/Illustrator: Nene Yukimori.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.90.
• 12 Volumes, 152 Chapters.
• Available in English via MANGA Plus and Viz Media via Shōnen Jump.

In Japanese slang, a “mob” is another term for a minor character in different media, or a non-playable character (NPC) in games. They just hang around in the background or pass by sporadically. Junta wants a fulfilling life, but he blends in so well at his high school that people think he’s absent when he’s right in front of them. The only person who notices him is his classmate, Kubo, who likes to tease him and put him into different, awkward situations. But it does mean his youth may be more interesting than he thinks.

Hence, why the English release went for the clearer title of Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, which ended in Japan back in March 2023. Only the official English translation had only just reached Volume 6 by then, and they continued translating it throughout the year until March 2024, when they finally reached the story’s end. So now, readers can check out Junta’s journey from NPC to protagonist and his growing romance with Kubo, in full.

16

The Snow Country Hunting Life of the Northern Nobleman and the Raptor Wife

Female Knight and Name-Only Noble Rough It in the Snowy Wilderness

• Japanese Title: Hokuou Kizoku to Moukinzuma no Yukiguni Karigurashi.
• Writer: Mashimesa Emoto (original light novel).
• Illustrator: Shikayo Shirakaba.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.91.
• 10 Volumes, 101 Chapters.
• Fan Translations only.

Mashimesa Emoto’s light novel finished its run back in 2016, but Shikayo Shirakaba’s manga adaptation didn’t get started until 2018 and didn’t end until September 2023. Even then, it hasn’t been officially translated into English yet, so readers will have to give scanslations a go until it gets picked up by a publisher. It deserves it too, as it tells a unique romance where its noble protagonist tries to woo his love not with jewels, money, or prestige, but with a modest life in his cold, wintry homeland.

Ritzhardt ‘Ritz’ Salonen Levantret is the lord of Levantret, a freezing, barren series of plains where life is as hard as the views are beautiful. Nonetheless, Ritz loves his homeland and its simple way of life. He also loves women, yet few are willing to give up their life of luxury for Levantret. But when he sees Sieglinde von Wettin, a famous knight known as the ‘Crimson Eagle’, it’s love at first sight. He proposes to her and, surprisingly, she accepts. Kind of. She’ll spend 1 year with him in a trial marriage. If things work out, she’ll stay. If not, she’ll go.

15

Cheeky Brat

Problematic Basketball Player Gets Forward With His Coach

• Japanese Title: Namaikizakari (Cheeky).
• Writer/Illustrator: Miyuki Mitsubachi.
• MyAnimeList Score: 7.92.
• 23 Volumes, 140 Chapters.
• Available via Yen Press.

At its peak, Cheeky Brat was one of the best shojo manga on the market. That said, the series lost quite a bit of momentum during its concluding years, and it arguably stumbled across the finish line instead of smashing it when it ended in 2021. Nevertheless, there is a lot to enjoy about Yuki and Shou’s love story, as the former has to learn how to relax, and the latter has to learn how to grow up, for both to find love in each other.

Whether at home or school, Yuki can come across as unapproachable, as she had to mature beyond her years to look after her younger siblings. As the manager of her high school’s basketball team, she kept the players at a distance; well, at least, that used to be her standard practice until Shou came along. He almost instantly takes an interest in Yuki and makes his intentions quite clear, even if he needs to repeatedly announce them to deaf and confused ears. It’s going to take more than shouting to win her heart.

14

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses

Guy Bonds With His Crush Thanks to Her Forgetfulness

• Japanese Title: Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta (The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses, ‘SukiMega’ for short).
• Writer/Illustrator: Koume Fujichika.
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.05.
• 12 Volumes, 110 Chapters.
• Available in English via Comikey and Manga UP!

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses‘ English translation is still ongoing, but not for long. The official English translation for its final volume is due out on June 3rd, 2025, almost a full year since it came out in Japan and 8 months after the last English volume turned up on store shelves. So, now’s a good time to check the series out and get ready for its conclusion. It’s an interesting tale where, like Love’s in Sight, two people get together based on a visual impairment.

Kaede finds himself charmed by Ai, the cutest girl in school. He hopes she’ll get to look at him with her beautiful, bespectacled eyes. However, she’s prone to forgetting them, leaving her so nearsighted she has trouble getting around school. Nonetheless, Kaede still finds her adorable and offers to help her get by whenever she forgets them. This way, he gradually proves himself worthy of Ai’s attention as a person.

13

Teasing Master (Former) Takagi-san

Takagi-san’s Daughter Picks Up Where Her Mother Left Off

• Japanese Title: Karakai Jouzu no (Moto) Takagi-san.
• Writer/Illustrator: Mifumi Inaba.
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.08.
• 22 Volumes, 314 Chapters.
• Fan Translations only. Teasing Master Takagi-san is available in English via Yen Press.

The original Teasing Master Takagi-san manga released its last Japanese volume at the start of 2024, and its official English translation hit store shelves right at the end of March 2025. It saw the hapless student Nishikata try to get one over his classmate Takagi, who’s always teasing him. But no matter what he does, she either turns it back on him, or his few victories feel hollow. It caught on well enough to be adapted into a 3-season anime, an animated movie, a live-action series, and a live-action movie.

2024 was a big year for Takagi-san fans as, on top of that live-action series and movie, it was also when its sequel manga ended. Teasing Master (Former) Takagi-san saw a grown-up Takagi and Nishikata raising their daughter Chi, who picked up her mother’s mocking mastery. Its last chapter came out in July 2024, and its last volume came out in Japan in October 2024. Likewise, Teasing Master(?) Nishikata-san, about Chi in her middle-school years, ended its brief 10-month run in August 2024.

12

Home Office Romance

Lockdown Brings Two Neighbors Together

• Japanese Title: Telework Yotabanashi (Telework Gossip).
• Writer/Illustrator: Kintetsu Yamada.
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.11.
• 1 Volume, 20 Chapters.
• Fan Translations Only.

The COVID-19 lockdown from 2020 onward hit society hard and changed it in all sorts of ways. For example, it popularized working from home, which some are still promoting as a preferable alternative to going into a cramped office. It also inspired Home Office Romance, which popped up in Kintetsu Yamada’s short story collection, and the Manga Day to Day compilation, where multiple mangaka detailed how their working days changed during the pandemic.

The story follows Nokoru as he adjusts to working from home. At first, he’s left adrift as he doesn’t know what to do with the extra time he’s got. But as he gets to know his neighbor, an archeology grad student called Natsu, he finds ways to spend that time constructively. Despite running from 2020 to 2023, it’s a short story that’s over rather quickly because it doesn’t pad its time out. It just tells a convincing tale about two charming characters overcoming isolation to fall in love with each other.

11

Call Of The Night

Dropout Falls in Love With a Vampire

• Japanese Title: Yofukashi na Uta (The Nighthawk’s Song).
• Writer/Illustrator: Kotoyama.
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.17.
• 20 Volumes, 203 Chapters.
• Available in English via Viz Media’s Shōnen Sunday.

Tired of life but unable to sleep, Ko Yamori drops out of school and decides to go wandering the streets at night. Instead of inviting the attention of muggers, he catches the attention of Nazuna. She thinks his insomnia is caused by him holding himself back during the day, and gives him a taste of what it’s like to be free by taking him out on the town. In return, she takes him back to her place to get a literal taste of him, as she bites into his neck while she thinks he’s sleeping.

It turns out Nazuna is a vampire, and despite her impromptu bite, Ko is smitten with her and the way she lives. He wants to be a vampire too, but for that to happen, he has to fall in love with her, and there’s a difference between infatuation and true love. Call of the Night received an anime adaptation, which is due to start its second season in July 2025. But the original manga finished its run in Japan in March 2024. English readers have a bit more time, as its last officially translated volume will hit store shelves on June 10th, 2025.

10

Touch Within The Abyss

Grieving Hitman Finds Solace with a Blind Boy

• Japanese Title: Kimi no Yoru ni Fureru (Touching Your Night).
• Writer/Illustrator: Moyori Mori.
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.36.
• 1 Volume, 6 Chapters.
• Available in English via Shu-Cream on Mangaplaza.

Love can simultaneously be the most painful thing a person can go through and the feeling that makes life worth dealing with, as Touch Within the Abyss shows in its brief one-volume story. Chinatsu and his brother Fuyuku were raised since childhood to follow in their father’s footsteps as professional assassins. But Fuyuki died as a result of Chinatsu failing a mission. Left alone, he finds solace in a blind boy called Kasumi, who offers him a shoulder to lean on.

Years later, Chinatsu still can’t bring himself to assassinate anyone, but he does succeed in finding one of Kasumi’s lost items. On returning the item, Kasumi offers him a place to stay, where Chinatsu learns he has domestic problems. Kasumi feels his blindness makes him a burden on his family and feels alone as a result. He asks Chinatsu if he can be his friend, to which he readily agrees. Through Kasumi, Chinatsu feels he might’ve found a bright night amidst the darkness in his life.

9

My Love Mix-Up!

A Misunderstanding Helps Two Boys Fall in Love With Each Other

• Japanese Title: Kieta Hatsukoi (My Vanishing First Love).
• Writer: Wataru Hinekure.
• Illustrator: Aruko.
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.35.
• 9 Volumes, 39 Chapters.
• Available in English via Viz Media’s Shojo Beat.

Nothing screams “rom-com” like a good old-fashioned misunderstanding. For instance, My Love Mix-Up! uses a funny misunderstanding to fuel an emotional story about unexpected love. Aoki has a crush on a girl named Mio; unfortunately, he borrows her eraser and finds the name of his classmate Ida written on it, figuring out Mio has a crush on him in turn.

Then, Aoki drops the eraser, causing Ida to find it and mistakenly believe that Aoki is the one interested in him instead. Rather than expose Mio, Aoki goes with it. Although Mio is a strong character in her own right, My Love Mix-Up! is primarily about Aoki and Ida’s growing relationship. Even though it starts with a literal lie, it develops beautifully from that point.