Manga Like Crimson Hero

Yamato Akitsuki, a bright and energetic boy, is excited to begin his high school life in Tokyo. Grateful for his aunt’s offer of a free room in her apartment building, he accepts without realizing it is an all-girls dormitory. His first day of school takes an interesting turn when Yamato notices a girl excelling at the high jump. Her skill and beauty captivate him, and he becomes determined to get to know her better. By chance, this girl, Suzuka Asahina, turns out to be his next-door neighbor. However, their interactions so far have caused Suzuka to form a negative impression of him. Despite these misunderstandings, Yamato decides to join the track team to try to make an impression on her. He soon finds himself developing into a promising sprinter in the 100-meter race. Balancing friendship and potential romance, Yamato dedicates himself to training, hoping to win Suzuka’s heart.

Third-year middle school student Tatara Fujita has no clear direction for his future and is frequently picked on by bullies because of his timid nature. He longs to find something he can dedicate himself to completely. One day, while being hounded by a group of delinquents, he is saved by Kaname Sengoku, a dance instructor who rides a motorcycle. Sengoku misinterprets Tatara’s glance at a flyer for Ogasawara Dance Studio and signs him up for a trial lesson. At the studio, Tatara is paired with his classmate Shizuku Hanaoka, a gifted dancer. After another round of bullying and another rescue by Sengoku, Tatara decides to join the dance studio, determined to change how others see him. Throwing himself into the vibrant and energetic world of dance, Tatara commits fully, moving with grace across the ballroom as he chases his newfound passion.

Kou Kitamura is a fifth-grade boy who lives near the sports goods store his family runs. He frequently visits the Tsukishima Batting Center and becomes close friends with the four Tsukishima sisters: Ichiyo, Wakaba, Aoba, and Momiji. Through constant practice at their batting cages, Kou develops exceptional hitting skills, though he remains inexperienced in other areas of baseball. Aoba, despite being a year younger, stands out as a talented pitcher and batter. Wakaba, who is also Kou's classmate, is determined that they will one day get married. This peaceful routine is shattered by an unexpected tragedy. Four years later, Kou continues his intense training but has yet to play in an actual game. As he returns to competitive baseball, questions emerge about whether he can meet the expectations of those who recognize his hidden potential.

Touch is a shounen story about twin brothers, their pretty neighbor, and baseball. It was created by the celebrated mangaka Adachi Mitsuru in the early 1980s, from 1981 to 1986, and the manga is famous for centering on baseball and Koshien, the site of the All High School Baseball Tournament.

Hiro loves baseball and adult entertainment, but after injuring his elbow, he quits the sport and enrolls in a school with no baseball team. His childhood friend Hikari and star player Hideo, both at another school, regret Hiro giving up baseball. At his new school, Hiro first joins the soccer team, but meets Haruka, a clumsy girl running an unofficial baseball club. When the soccer team challenges the baseball club to a match meant to humiliate them, the baseball club is on the verge of losing until Hiro, fed up with the soccer team's arrogance, switches sides and joins the baseball club.

In "Katsu!", 15-year-olds Satoyama Katsuki and his best friend Kawakami Kyouta join Mizutani Boxing Gym to get closer to their crush, Mizutani Katsuki, the gym owner's daughter. Satoyama learns that Mizutani has a tense relationship with her father and strongly dislikes boxing. However, during a training session, everyone—including Mizutani—notices that Satoyama possesses natural but untapped boxing talent. Satoyama later discovers that Mizutani actually loves the sport but resents it because of its male-dominated environment. She becomes his trainer and manager, aiming to turn him into a champion. Satoyama agrees, hoping to strengthen his connection with her. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Satoyama carries a hidden heritage and background that grant him the innate ability and talent to become a renowned Oriental professional boxer.

Yamato Keisuke is a talented freestyle swimmer, and Ninomiya Ami is a skilled diver. They come from rival families that run confectionery shops. The conflict started two generations ago when Grandfather Ninomiya made an owl-shaped cake. Grandfather Yamato then created a similar cake with added owl ears, giving his product an advantage despite the same price. This caused the Ninomiya shop financial trouble, leading to Grandfather Ninomiya's declining health. On his deathbed, he blamed the Yamato family, saying, "I was done in by the Yamatos." Since then, the two families have been in a bitter feud.

In "Be Still My Heart," Bae Sugu, a 17-year-old model student living with his father—the vice principal of his school—struggles under the burden of his father’s high expectations. His only true passion, which he must hide, is his fascination with swimsuits. Although he can’t explain the origin of this interest, it remains genuine and heartfelt, often leading to confusion and misunderstanding. One day, while secretly photographing swimsuits by the pool, Sugu is caught by his homeroom teacher, resulting in an awkward predicament. Will Sugu manage to escape the cul-de-sac his life has become? Can his heart rediscover its rhythm once more?

In "Get Love!!: Field no Ouji-sama," high school student Sagara Yuuki, the shortest boy in his class, and Moriyama Miki, a girl who admires him regardless of his height, find themselves navigating humorous situations and developing a romantic relationship. The story follows their journey as they face various obstacles while their feelings for each other grow. Included one-shots: Volume 1: Mamotteagetai♥ (I Want to Protect You) Volume 4: Ookami nanka Kowakunai!? Bangai-hen: Valentine nanka Kowakunai!? Volume 6: Mousou♥Virgin (The Delusional Virgin)

In "Smash!", Shouta Azuma is completely oblivious to Miwa Okamoto's feelings for him as she tries to persuade him to attend the same high school as her, hoping to improve their badminton skills and preserve their close bond. However, Shouta, who is easygoing and values fun over competition, turns down her proposal. During a casual match, Shouta crosses paths with Yuhi Kitou, a gifted badminton player who has lost her voice. Her graceful playing style mesmerizes him, but she disappears before he can learn who she is, leaving him resolved to find her again. While searching, he comes across Anan Hashiba, whose extraordinary skill introduces Shouta to the excitement of competing against strong opponents. Motivated by his new passion to improve and the conviction that growing stronger will help him reunite with Yuhi, Shouta dives into the world of competitive badminton.

Taking place at Meisei Gakuen, the same high school featured in Touch but 26 years later, Mix centers around two brothers and their connection to baseball.

In "Bakuman。", Moritaka Mashiro, a skilled middle school artist, feels uncertain about his future, expecting a dull life ahead. His outlook changes when Akito Takagi, an aspiring writer, finds one of Mashiro's drawings and suggests they team up to create a manga. Mashiro initially hesitates because his late uncle, a mangaka, died from overworking, but he is spurred on by his crush, Miho Azuki, who wants to become a seiyuu. Driven by a goal to craft a manga that could become an anime for Azuki to voice, Mashiro agrees. Azuki, who shares his feelings, promises to marry him once they both achieve their dreams. The story follows Mashiro and Takagi as they tackle the hurdles of getting their work published in Weekly Shounen Jump and striving to gain fame as mangakas. Their path balances between success and the risk of falling short like many other hopeful creators.

Takao Kasuga is a shy middle school student with a passion for reading, particularly Charles Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal. He harbors a crush on his kind-hearted classmate and idol, Nanako Saeki. In contrast, Sawa Nakamura is a rude, indifferent student who shows little interest in school. One evening, Takao realizes he left his book at school and returns to retrieve it. There, he finds Nanako's recently worn gym clothes on the floor and, overcome by a strange impulse, steals them. Overwhelmed by guilt after his act, Takao tries to maintain his normal routine. However, Sawa, who witnessed the theft, has her own plans for him.

In "Nana," Nana Komatsu is a dreamy and aimless high school student obsessed with romance. Although her attempts at love often fall short, she remains optimistic. On her 20th birthday, she heads to Tokyo hoping to rekindle a relationship. In contrast, Nana Osaki is fiery and confident. After joining a band in high school, she discovers a passion for music and develops feelings for a bandmate. When faced with a choice between her love life and her music, she chooses her career, leaving her boyfriend behind. Also on her 20th birthday, she boards a train to Tokyo, determined to make a name for herself as a top singer. Despite their different aspirations, these two women, coincidentally sharing the same name, find themselves sitting next to each other on the train. Eventually, they end up sharing the same apartment. Over time, a strong and unusual bond forms between them as they navigate the complexities of love, music, friendship, and loss.

The difficulties of adulthood and the harsh realities of office work often make people wish they could go back to their younger years and choose differently. This feeling leads 27-year-old Arata Kaizaki to consider an unusual offer. After returning home from his part-time job, Arata is contacted by Ryou Yoake, a representative from the ReLife Research Institute, who presents an experimental program designed to improve his job prospects. The ReLife project plans to change Arata's appearance to that of a 17-year-old, allowing him to experience high school again for one year. After this trial ends, he will receive a job offer, something he has had trouble getting since leaving his previous job. Despite his doubts, Arata agrees to the strange arrangement. But his adult way of thinking and his lack of recent school experience make handling everyday life in high school harder than he expected.

On a normal morning, Naho Takamiya finds a mysterious letter in her mailbox, supposedly written by her future self from ten years later. The note describes events that are about to happen that day. Initially, Naho thinks it’s a joke, but her doubt fades when a new student, Kakeru Naruse, joins her class, just as the letter predicted. Driven by this revelation, Naho examines the letter’s contents more closely, which lists past regrets and urges her to change her actions. It becomes evident that these regrets are closely connected to Kakeru. Knowing that he won’t be part of her life or her group of friends in the future, Naho faces the challenge of altering fate. The story also includes the Haru-iro Astronaut (Spring-Colored Astronaut) series.

Mori Buntarou is determined to achieve the highest level of success through relentless effort and endurance. His ultimate ambition is to stand on a peak that no one else has reached, experiencing the unmatched victory that comes with such an accomplishment. Buntarou's journey begins when he starts at a new high school. Although he tends to stay to himself, his classmates convince him to scale the school building without any safety gear. Unfazed by the danger, he climbs the structure until he encounters a tough challenge—a horizontal overhang near the top. Caught up in the rush of adrenaline, he takes a bold leap for the final hold, securing his spot at the highest point. From this elevated vantage, Buntarou sees a new goal that had been hidden from him before—an even greater summit waiting to be conquered. Driven by this insight and a renewed sense of purpose, he throws himself fully into the thrilling sport of rock climbing.

Seon Jin endures constant bullying at school because of his reserved personality and weak physique. Yet his greatest terror originates from his own father. To outsiders, Jin's father seems like a prosperous entrepreneur, a committed charity worker, and a caring family man. In truth, he is a psychotic murderer, and Jin is compelled to assist him. They successfully avoid police suspicion. When the father sets his sights on the fresh arrival, Yoon Kyun, Jin faces a decision: remain a silent accessory or oppose his father and gamble everything to rescue her from sharing the destiny of earlier victims.

After losing both parents, Tooru Honda finds herself living in a tent in the woods until the Souma family takes her in. But the Soumas are far from ordinary—they carry a hidden curse: when hugged by someone of the opposite sex, they turn into animals from the Chinese zodiac. Tooru vows to help Kyou and Yuki Souma keep their secret from classmates and from her close friends Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima. As she gets drawn deeper into the mysterious lives of the Soumas, she meets more family members and starts forming bonds with them. Though the curse has brought much pain and hardship to many Soumas, Tooru may be the one who can mend their wounded hearts and bring them peace.

Despite being neighbors, Chidori Public High School and the exclusive all-girls institution Kikyo Private Academy seem worlds apart. Kikyo boasts an impeccable image and caters mainly to affluent students, whereas Chidori is often viewed as a refuge for underachieving troublemakers. The students of Kikyo harbor a strong disdain for those from Chidori. Rintarou Tsumugi, a sixteen-year-old Chidori student, possesses a stern demeanor that tends to alienate others. Yet, he remains content with his tight-knit circle of friends. However, there’s a secret he keeps from them—he occasionally helps out at his family’s bakery. During one of his shifts, Rintarou notices a customer who suddenly departs without a word. The following day, the same girl, Kaoruko Waguri, returns to apologize, clarifying that she left not due to his appearance but to make amends for her abrupt departure. She also assures him of her belief in his genuine kindness. Despite the initial clash in personalities, Rintarou finds himself looking forward to developing a friendship with Kaoruko. The challenge lies in the fact that Kaoruko is a student at rival Kikyo Academy.

In the prestigious Ouran High School, a haven for the children of the wealthy and influential, the Host Club stands as the most popular club on campus. Inside their lavish clubroom, six charming, disinterested young men spend their time entertaining equally attractive, bored young women. Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student from a modest background, has no interest in the Host Club until she accidentally breaks an expensive vase in their room. Mistaken for a boy, Haruhi is forced by Kyouya Ootori to join the club to pay off her debt. Tamaki Suou, the club's flamboyant king, eagerly takes her under his wing to teach her the ways of hosting. However, life in the Host Club is never ordinary. Even routine events turn into over-the-top affairs thanks to the mischievous Hitachiin twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, the stoic Takashi Morinozuka, and the gentle Mitsukuni "Hunny" Haninozuka. As the Host Club embarks on a series of wild adventures, Haruhi must adapt to the dazzling, exaggerated world of the hosts. The final volume includes an extra chapter detailing their trip to Spain.

In "Watashitachino Shiawase na Jikan," Juri Mutou and Yuu both share a wish to end their own lives. Juri, whose mother was a celebrated pianist who retired after giving birth, has attempted suicide three times and holds deep anger toward her mother because of a painful event from her childhood. Yuu, a death row inmate convicted of killing three people, keeps trying to kill himself while in prison. His only link to the outside world comes from letters written by Monica, Juri's aunt and a nun, who gives him comfort. At first, Yuu dislikes Monica's letters, seeing them as pity rather than real support. But when he decides to meet Monica in person to ask her to stop writing, he unexpectedly meets Juri, and this encounter changes both of their futures.

After losing her brother Souichirou, Teru Kurebayashi finds comfort in the messages she exchanges with Daisy through a cell phone he left behind. Though she has never met Daisy in person, she relies on the uplifting words from this unknown figure. At school, Teru is constantly tormented by the gruff janitor Tasuku Kurosaki, who forces her to work for him after she accidentally breaks a window. While Kurosaki appears to be a lazy troublemaker who enjoys causing her distress, his true nature may be more complex than it first seems. Additional one-shot: Volume 16: Hetakuso Cupid (The Hopeless Cupid)

In "Real," Tomomi Nomiya, who once led his high school basketball team as captain and later turned to delinquency, chooses to leave school after a car accident that permanently alters a young girl's life, burdening him with intense guilt. While he devotes himself to assisting her, he encounters Kiyoharu Togawa, a former sprinter now playing wheelchair basketball as a replacement after losing function in his right leg. After a one-on-one basketball game where Tomomi suffers a decisive loss to Kiyoharu, he understands he cannot abandon his passion for the sport. He resolves to support others while pursuing his dream of becoming a professional player. Meanwhile, Hisanobu Takahashi, who succeeded Tomomi as the high school team's captain, becomes permanently paralyzed from the waist down following an accident. The story follows these three young men as they confront their disabilities and personal struggles in pursuit of their goals, igniting a shared passion that brings them together.