Thread: Short shoujo manga worth reading

As in, stories between, say, 1 to 3 volumes long. Stories like these:

Heptagon, Chiaki Hijiri - 24-year-old Nana is drifting through life, not connecting with anyone, when she's hit by a car and wakes up 14 years old again -- with all her 24-year-old memories. Unless, of course, it's a dream. Or a posthumous fantasy. Either way, she has to relive that time of her life to remember why she's the way she is now. I especially like how middle school's easy for Nana the second time through, with a college degree behind her, and that this makes her popular in a way she never was before. A powerful drama, with a sister relationship at its center, complete at 1 volume (and hosted here, though the last chapter's in Latest Downloads).

Blue Sky Playground, Mota Kurasawa - Okay, yeah, so the initial set-up looks standard: energetic girl and popular twin brothers, one cool and distant and one an energetic guy who pushes her around. Looks kinda like Parfait Tic Lite, really. But the story has enough sense of humor that it doesn't exactly go by the numbers, even when it walks us straight into the love triangle. I especially love how, when Mirita walks into their clubroom, we get close-ups of each boy with bishie sparkles, and she hesitates, not quite believing her eyes, before going straight for her beloved, the kotatsu (heated table). Scans are partway through volume 2 of 2.

Hybrid Berry, Ayume Komura - Yay another shoujo baseball manga. Okay, so the story is more about her relationship with the guy who keeps missing grounders that threaten her flower-beds, but it's also about her discovering an interest in something (baseball) outside of gardening -- something she's good at. It's no Crimson Hero -- indeed, the story I want to compare it to most is Ookiku Furikabutte, despite having *nothing* in the way of tense, multi-volumes games -- but quite enjoyable so far. Scans are through volume 1 of 2.

Random Walk, Yoshizumi Wataru - Watch Yuka karoom through relationships the way some people free-associate conversations. By which description you can tell this is no Marmalade Boy. Not very deep, but it takes its issues seriously. Scans complete at 3 volumes.

What short, sweet stories out there have you been enjoying?

Personally, I liked Dice a lot. Of course, this was in the early days of me reading shoujo, so possibly its attraction has paled slightly. But what was attractive and different about this manga was that the main girl fell in love with a completely average, nondescript-looking, just-plain-nice guy, and ignored the school idols even when they tried to interfere with the relationship. It's so rare to find a shoujo manga heroine going for character and sincerity rather than appearance or charisma. And in the end, her persistence bore fruit. Three cheers for reliable, commonplace tastes! 2 volumes, completely scanlated, hosted here.

-Dizzy-

I'd forgotten about Dice -- read it a while ago, but honestly don't remember much aside from thinking it okay. Probably should reread it.

One I forgot to mention, though I mentioned it in the Recently Added Series thread: 24 Colors. Hosted here, 1 volume complete. The story is a straightforward high school romance, but the execution and the art -- oh, the art -- is perfect. Both principals are artists, and the story's art reflects this.

Oh yes... I read 24 Colours when you mentioned it in the Recently Added Series rec thread. Excellent short story. My younger sister liked it too.

-Dizzy-

Originally Posted by dizzcity

Personally, I liked Dice a lot. Of course, this was in the early days of me reading shoujo, so possibly its attraction has paled slightly. But what was attractive and different about this manga was that the main girl fell in love with a completely average, nondescript-looking, just-plain-nice guy, and ignored the school idols even when they tried to interfere with the relationship. It's so rare to find a shoujo manga heroine going for character and sincerity rather than appearance or charisma. And in the end, her persistence bore fruit. Three cheers for reliable, commonplace tastes! 2 volumes, completely scanlated, hosted here.

-Dizzy-

thanks for info ill try it out Im about to overdose on shonen and seinen manga/anime. its nice to try something different.

Here's another: Mademoiselle Butterfly, a two-volume story set in the early Showa period -- starting in the mid-1930s -- about a romance between an apprentice geisha and an illegal tattoo artist. The result is not nearly as shady as that sounds, though I suppose it could have been if it were a seinen title, but it is not; it does, however, get darker, and much stronger, when we reach the war years. I'm not sure the mangaka quite pulls off the ending (it wasn't as twisty as she seems to think -- I'm curious what others think) but until that landing, it's excellent. Also, the art is quite nice on the eyes, with an airy, almost sketchy style. And the scans were completed a couple days ago yay.

Another I'd forgotten about: Day of Revolution, two volumes complete in both scans and licensed versions. One of the doofier gender-bender series I've read -- and considering some of the things out there, that's saying a lot -- but once you accept the premise, it takes the predicament, and the attendant emotions, seriously enough to make you accept it.

Structurally, it kinda falls apart. Not that it doesn't end satisfactorily, but it the second volume is, well, rather episodic.

Interesting. Heptagon is among my choices as well. Let's see...

The Kidnapping of Minja Jo's Boyfriend - a light and silly read that's sweet and vastly entertaining. For such a short story, the character quirks are one of a kind.
Love Scar - definitely not under the shoujo category. It's a shame Yukari ICHIJO's works are not better appreciated (scanners, anyone?).
Replay - a bittersweet tale that's just a tad bit weird. Not exactly my favorite but the story stuck to my mind somehow.

Also, you can't go wrong with short stories by tried and tested mangakas like Aya ROPPONGI's Hayabusa and Isshou Asonde Kurashitai, Tomo MATSUMOTO's 23:00, and Fuyumi SOURYO's Doll and Tamara. Nothing special but safely entertaining reads just the same

And before I forget, Reiko SHIMIZU's only "normal" manga to date -- Wild Cats.

I suspect we'd allow josei series like Love Scar in this category.