Manga Like Sunshine Sketch

Where others consider the world ordinary, five-year-old Yotsuba Koiwai perceives it as a constant source of lively commotion and endless opportunities for exploration. After she and her adoptive father Yousuke relocate to a new town, the spirited little girl naturally decides to scout the area by herself. Following a few mishaps at the nearby park, the Koiwais become acquainted with their next-door neighbors, the Ayase family. Their three daughters—college student Asagi, who enjoys teasing; responsible high schooler Fuuka; and kind elementary student Ena—gradually grow fond of Yotsuba and partake in her adventures, despite often finding her ridiculous. Whether she is learning to use a swing or trying to stop global warming by adjusting air conditioners, Yotsuba’s gift for finding delight in everything both surprises and exasperates those around her. Together with Yousuke, the Ayases, and friends she meets along the way, Yotsuba experiences everyday adventures, each one furthering her mission to savor life’s simple pleasures.

When the burdens of adulthood and the harsh reality of workplace harassment shatter childhood aspirations, many might long to go back to their carefree younger years for a second chance at making better choices. Stunned by the proposal laid before him, 27-year-old Arata Kaizaki seeks to change his fate through an extraordinary opportunity. After returning from his part-time job, Arata is convinced by Ryou Yoake, a staff member of the ReLife Research Institute, to join an experiment designed to help him overcome his struggles and re-enter the corporate world. As part of the ReLife program, Arata's body is transformed to look like a 17-year-old, and his only task is to live through high school again for one year. Awaiting him at the end of the experiment is a job offer—the very thing he has been unable to obtain since leaving his first company. With few alternatives, he agrees to proceed. Yet, due to his adult habits and the long gap since his last formal education, Arata finds himself facing an unexpectedly tough challenge—just getting through an ordinary day of high school.

Sun Jing has a major crush on a girl she spots at the bus stop—feminine, blonde, and utterly charming, Qiu Tong is everything Sun Jing longs for. Yet the boyish, outgoing Sun Jing can't manage to say a single word when Qiu Tong is near. After finally gathering her courage, Sun Jing introduces herself successfully and forms a friendship with the lovely girl. Even though they are merely friends for now, Sun Jing will go to any length to make Qiu Tong smile; and through her genuine warmth, she may just win Qiu Tong's heart.

Chiyo Mihama is a young genius who has advanced multiple grade levels, landing her in high school. From her first day, she realizes her new class is filled with unusual personalities. Towering over Chiyo, Sakaki comes across as distant and daunting; Tomo Takino is boisterous and irritating; Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga is spacey yet skilled at solving puzzles; Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara is fixated on dieting and adores karaoke despite her terrible voice; and Kagura is a fiercely competitive tomboy. As these classmates gradually grow close, they navigate their ordinary days together—dealing with school, studying, spending summer vacations, and getting into all sorts of mischief!

Molester Man is a lecherous and socially awkward otaku who spends most of his time on the 2ch textboard. One day, while heading home from his part-time job, he is wrongly identified as a stalker and taken into custody. Once the mistake is cleared up, Molester Man discovers that the girl—whom he later dubs Miss Understanding—was deeply scarred by her real stalker, so he extends his support in the hopes of going out with her. Yet, surpassing even his own expectations, he slowly grows closer to Miss Understanding and her friends: the upbeat Kansai and the innocent Loli Jugs.

Seishuu Handa is viewed as a genius in the world of calligraphy. But he is extremely self-absorbed regarding his own work, and when an older curator criticizes his prize-winning piece as ordinary and uninspired, Handa loses his temper, resulting in potentially serious consequences for his career. After witnessing his son's lack of maturity, Handa's father—himself a master calligrapher—sends him to a rural village in the Goto Islands as punishment. Cut off from the conveniences of city life, Handa moves into a house in the local community with the sole goal of devoting his entire stay to practicing calligraphy. Unfortunately, the house he has taken over was formerly the hangout for some rowdy children, led by Naru Kotoishi, who refuse to leave. In addition, the neighbors take a keen interest in the calligrapher, regarding him as an amusing curiosity! Even though Handa has been torn away from his comfortable routine, his encounters with the village and its inhabitants will teach him lessons about himself, about life, and about calligraphy.

It's the spring of Kanji Sasahara's first year of college, and he finds himself torn. Should he finally pursue his longtime dream of joining an otaku club? Saki Kasukabe has a problem of her own: can she ever transform her boyfriend, the anime fanboy Kousaka, into a normal guy? Kanji succeeds where Saki fails, as both he and Kousaka enroll in Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture. Undeterred, Saki trails Kousaka through the club's many events—from cosplay and comic conventions to video games and collecting anime figures—gaining far more knowledge than she ever wanted about the humorous world of Japanese fandom.

After ending a five-year relationship, 26-year-old Michiyo Ozawa goes out drinking with her coworkers. Upon returning home, she finds the elevator in her apartment building out of order. With no other option, she asks the nearest household if she can use their toilet, which leads her to meet Zenji Oyamada. At first glance, he seems like an ordinary guy—until Ozawa spots the huge pile of boxes in his room. Oyamada's brother, who is overseas, constantly sends him these boxes filled with odd trinkets from his ever-changing hobbies. Fascinated by the boxes, Ozawa is invited by Oyamada to open one. As she does, a heartwarming tale unfolds about an ordinary couple and the strange boxes they open together.

Outwardly, high school teacher Rinko Yoshitaka handles Ryo Arase no differently than any other student. She frequently scolds him for turning in assignments late and strives to keep him focused in a professional manner. Unknown to everyone, Yoshitaka and Arase secretly steal tender moments together. Although they manage to carve out time for romantic encounters, Yoshitaka imposes one rule: their relationship must stay hidden until Arase reaches the legal age of 20. Even as this condition hovers over them like a warning sign, Arase and Yoshitaka find it difficult to keep their hands off each other. Yet they must hold back to avoid drawing unwanted scrutiny.

The Light Music Club is all about taking it easy and having fun—or so the carefree Yui Hirasawa thinks at first. When she goes to officially drop out of the club, she learns that her departure would leave it without enough members to continue. That sudden realization puts Yui in a bind. But the other members—the level-headed Mio Akiyama, the mischievous Ritsu Tainaka, and the refined Tsumugi Kotobuki—play an instrumental piece in an effort to convince her to stay. The song fills Yui with such excitement that she decides to remain in the Light Music Club. With cheerful girls filling the clubroom with their music, the members balance both their schoolwork and their passion for playing. They may goof off from time to time, but that only makes high school life in K-On! even more thrilling.

Upon transferring to her new high school, Chihiro Watanuki receives assistance from a fellow student while looking for a spot to park her bicycle. After finishing her self-introduction in class, she discovers that her desk is located right beside the boy who helped her earlier. Her classmates explain that he is Yuuji Yugami, the star player of the Baseball Club, but they also warn her to keep her distance because he is widely regarded as a genuine oddball whose behavior is baffling to nearly everyone. Unconvinced, she tries to engage with him and quickly realizes that talking to him is a hassle and that the rumors are accurate. Not long after, Chihiro becomes involved in an awkward situation with the third-year students, but Yugami once again steps in to help—though for his own self-centered reasons. Believing there is more to him than what appears on the surface, she resolves to treat him without prejudice and to experience a typical high school life surrounded by friends.

Shinichi Chiaki is a perfectionist and the son of a renowned pianist, currently in his fourth year at Momogaoka College of Music. He secretly dreams of becoming a conductor, inspired by his father, but his fear of flying keeps him trapped in Japan, unable to return to Europe. One night, he collapses and is taken in by Megumi "Nodame" Noda. At first glance, Nodame is a gifted pianist, but she is also messy and eccentric. Worse still, she is his neighbor, and he ends up being forced to work with her. Though this seems like a disaster waiting to happen, Chiaki finds himself drawn to this girl, who reawakens the love for music he once had. What lies ahead for this musical duo?

Saint☆Oniisan is a slice-of-life—or divine-life—story about Jesus and Buddha trying to navigate the modern world, specifically Japan. The manga puts a humorous spin on religion, attitudes, culture, and Japanese customs as seen through the eyes of these two figures. Jesus and Buddha are shown exploring Asakusa, public baths, theme parks, and the internet. Throughout the manga, we get glimpses of their divine pasts, only to see how insignificant they appear in contemporary Japanese society. In fact, before anyone realizes they are actually Jesus and Buddha, people mistake them for someone who looks like Johnny Depp or a guy with a bump on his forehead. Seriously.

After taking a year off from college, Hong Sul—a diligent high-achiever—unintentionally ends up on the bad side of Yu Jeong, a seemingly perfect senior. From that point, her life takes a nosedive, and Sul becomes convinced Yu Jeong is responsible for everything. But one year later, why is he suddenly acting so nice?

Tamahiko Shima, the youngest son of the affluent and influential Shima family, was raised with every material comfort but little genuine warmth from his often-remote relatives. After losing his mother and permanently damaging his dominant arm in a tragic accident, he sank into hopelessness and was abandoned by his father, who deemed him a disgrace. Exiled to a remote countryside home to avoid tarnishing the family reputation, Tamahiko resigned himself to a solitary death—until the sudden arrival of a girl named Yuzuki Tachibana, who announced that his father had sent her to become his wife. As Yuzuki tends to him, she brings a breath of spring into Tamahiko's bleak existence, helping him slowly mend the deep emotional wounds left by his past. Their lives gradually become intertwined as both experience the sweetness of their first love.

After losing his beloved wife, high school teacher Kouhei Inuzuka attempted to prepare a meal for his five-year-old daughter Tsumugi, even though he was a terrible cook. However, following one failed attempt, the two started depending on convenience store food. During a cherry blossom viewing outing, Kouhei and Tsumugi encounter Kotori Iida, a socially awkward student of Kouhei's. When she notices Tsumugi reaching for her lunch, Kotori invites them to her mother's restaurant. Determined to give Tsumugi a tasty meal, Kouhei bursts into the restaurant late at night—only to discover Kotori there, ready to assist him in the kitchen. Though Kotori is just as inept at cooking as Kouhei, the pair still succeed in preparing a basic dish. It also emerges that because of her mother's work schedule, Kotori has been having dinner by herself for quite some time. For Tsumugi's sake, Kouhei makes a promise to both her and Kotori that they will share meals together—thus beginning a series of heartwarming moments spent eating as a group.

Professor Kawato becomes the new Japanese teacher at the infamous Futagotamaga High School, where the baseball team consists of delinquents and troublemakers who were banned from all school competitions for a year after starting a fight during an official game. Now that the suspension has ended, the only remaining club members care only about girls, smoking, and doing nothing until, with Professor Kawato’s guidance, they uncover a new dream: Koushien. The path to Koushien is anything but simple—they must get back into shape, learn how to play baseball, and earn the trust of everyone around them, including the principal and other teachers, all with just a few months to spare. Through sweat and struggle, the baseball club finds its determination and strength as they move toward their dreams, while Kawato’s enthusiastic and unconventional methods gradually transform the attitudes of those nearby.

Takemoto lives in a rundown student apartment; his main worries are when he can next afford meat and whether he'll make it to class on time. Though he's away from home and living independently, Takemoto is far from fully grown. Alongside his quirky group of friends—Morita, Mayama, Yamada, and Hagumi—Takemoto sets out to explore life and uncover his true self. Included one-shots: Volume 10: Sora no Kotori, Hoshi no Opera.

Ryuuichi Kashima has been looking after his younger brother Kotarou for most of his life, since their parents are frequently away traveling. When the Kashima parents die suddenly in a plane crash, an elderly woman named Youko Morinomiya steps forward to take the brothers in as their guardian until they reach adulthood. It is later revealed that she lost her own son and daughter-in-law in that same crash. As a teenager, Ryuuichi is allowed to attend the school where Youko serves as chairwoman, but only under one condition: he must join the "babysitting club," a club that looks after the children of faculty members. Though Ryuuichi faces a difficult start, with support from classmate Hayato Kamitani and others, he experiences fresh and exciting adventures alongside the children in the club.

As the responsible class president, Nanase Sakashita could hardly be more different from Hana-kun, the loner who skips class regularly. Yet when he shields her from an aggressive classmate, an unlikely friendship blossoms. Nanase is determined to correct his ways and ensure he remains enrolled, while Hana-kun is just as resolved to prove that life exists beyond the classroom. Can they manage to bridge the gap between their worlds?

Just before the semester ends, a failed peeping incident leads middle school student Yuuichi Kanba to reconnect with his childhood friend Makio Fujiyama, a girl who towers over her classmates at 181 cm. After catching a glimpse of her undressed, Kanba starts developing romantic feelings for Fujiyama, even though she is seen as unattractive by both peers and strangers. On a whim, he asks her out—and to his amazement, she agrees. As they navigate school events, fireworks festivals, and other activities, Kanba struggles with sneaking glances at his new girlfriend while keeping their relationship under wraps. This proves challenging for the unpopular Kanba, since Fujiyama frequently draws the attention of everyone around her. Fujiyama-san wa Shishunki follows the pair as they fumble hand in hand through a series of lighthearted, comedic situations, gradually discovering more about young love and each other.

Hitori Bocchi has severe social anxiety, struggles with conversation, resorts to drastic measures, is oddly skilled at dodging others, gets leg cramps from overexertion, becomes overconfident when by herself, tends to throw up under extreme pressure, and frequently devises schemes. She is about to start middle school, but her sole friend Yawara Kai goes to a different school. Now Bocchi finds herself isolated among unfamiliar classmates, and she must befriend them all before Kai will speak to her once more.

Sana Kurata is a child actress who deals with many difficulties in her classroom, especially a significant one—her bullying classmate, Akito Hayama. Her outgoing and cheerful personality drives her to fix all the issues around her. This meddling annoys Hayama but also fascinates him, just as Hayama's brooding attitude irritates Sana and motivates her to change him. As these polar opposites attract one another, they endure various hardships that bring them closer to a mutual understanding.

Kodomo no Jikan follows 23-year-old Aoki Daisuke, who has just started his first teaching job as a grade school instructor at Futatsubashi Elementary School. He is assigned to Class 3-1, where one of his students—the mischievously precocious Rin Kokonoe—develops a crush on him and goes as far as declaring herself Aoki's girlfriend. She relentlessly pursues her efforts to be with her teacher, even though it could cost him his job if she gets too close, and the situation is further complicated by the intricate, overlapping relationships among them and their friends, families, and classmates.