Best Drama Manga of 2013

Shouya Ishida, a mischievous elementary school student, finds himself troubled by deaf transfer student Shouko Nishimiya. Despite her genuine attempts to befriend her new classmates, Shouko only proves herself to be an annoyance for Shouya and his friends, provoking them to ridicule her at any possible chance. Soon enough, their taunts turn into constant assault—yet the teachers heartlessly remain apathetic to the situation. Shouya's misdeeds are finally stopped when Shouko transfers to another school. Denying their involvement, the entire class puts the blame on Shouya. As the new victim of bullying, Shouya gradually becomes meek and reclusive, being treated with contempt and disregard for years to come. Now a high school student, Shouya meets Shouko again for the first time in five years. Still tormented by his past actions, Shouya is determined to make amends for his mistakes and confront his trauma—even if he must face arduous obstacles along the way.

When the responsibilities of being an adult and the ugly side of corporate bullying betrays one's childhood dreams, many would wish to return to their innocent childhood to relive their life and make the right decisions. Dumbfounded by the offer presented to him, 27-year-old Arata Kaizaki hopes to turn his life around through a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Returning home from his part-time job, Arata is persuaded by Ryou Yoake, an employee of ReLife Research Institute, into participating in an experiment which will help him overcome his difficulties and re-enter corporate life. As part of the ReLife experiment, Arata's physique is reverted to that of a 17-year-old, and all he must do is relive his high school life for one year. Waiting for him at the end of the experiment is a job offer that he has been struggling to get ever since he left his first company. With few other options, he decides to go along with this plan. However, with adult-like tendencies and many years since his last formal education, Arata steps into an unexpectedly challenging territory—a normal day of high school.

Despite having the ability to see otherworldly creatures, Chise Hatori has never considered herself lucky. Ever since her parents abandoned her at a young age, it has been the center of her hardship, driving her to the point of selling herself to the slave market, just to secure a place she can call home. Presented to the bidders as a rare "Sleigh Beggy"—beings who have an unusually high affinity to magical energies—Chise's last remaining hope appears in the form of Elias Ainsworth, a mysterious magus more beast than man. Rather than keep her as a slave, he has decided to make her his apprentice, as well as his bride. Chise is not only physically transported to the English countryside where Elias lives, but also introduced to a world where wondrous things such as fairies and dragons are the norm. But she soon realizes there is as much to fear in her new life as there is to marvel at. And lying at the heart of it all is the question of whether she has fallen into the hands of something much darker than her own inner demons.

In the 18th century, seeking "freedom and equality," the event that became the starting point of modern French society, the French Revolution, began. There was one more protagonist that lived within the darkness, Charles-Henri Sanson. He was the fourth generation family head of the Sanson family, and the executioner of Paris. This is the story of him nobly facing his harsh fate...

There is a tune stuck in Mafuyu Satou's head. As he clutches the guitar in his hands, this melody swirls around and around, screaming words of regret, longing, and loss. But with his careless expression that always seems to be up in the clouds, no one knows his true feelings. However, a chance encounter with classmate Ritsuka Uenoyama may finally give Mafuyu the push to let his voice be heard. Uenoyama is the guitarist of a band, whose fellow members include the kindhearted bassist Haruki Nakayama and rough-looking drummer Akihiko Kaji. Even without a vocalist, their ragtag group has done well as an instrumental-only band. However, their chance to reach even greater heights may have arrived when Uenoyama hears Mafuyu's voice—Uenoyama is enchanted, inviting the reluctant Mafuyu to join. Working in a band is a difficult task; often, emotions threaten to break it apart, but they can also bring its members closer together. With Uenoyama's help, Mafuyu may finally be able to express the feelings that fight to break free from within his heart.

Burdened with expectations since childhood, second-year high schooler Jo "Jay" Ja-Hyun feels obligated to aim for the top through his studies. Despite obtaining the title of student president at Taeyang High, he continues to study diligently, giving him little time to befriend others. However, possessing an exceptional talent for biking with a technique that astonishes other experienced bikers, there is more to him than meets the eye. One afternoon, while Jay is skidding his bike at high speed, he catches the interest of his classmate, Yoon Minu. Amazed by his unparalleled biking skill, Minu is quick to recruit him to his biking crew, but Jay coldly rejects the offer. With a determination to show Jay the fun of riding with others, Minu proposes a simple deal—to race against a member of his team, promising to leave him alone if he wins.

Eleven-year-old Natsuru Nanao is the ace of the soccer team yet has trouble speaking to girls because of a certain event following his transfer to his current school. Due to his father dying long ago, he lives only with his mother but does not let this distract him from his passion for soccer, as he hopes to become a professional player. One day, a female classmate named Rio Suzumura approaches Natsuru, a meeting that signals a huge turning point in his life. Upon talking with Rio, Natsuru immediately becomes interested in her. After he saves an abandoned cat, he runs into the girl and her younger brother, Yuuta, on their way to the supermarket and asks if they can take care of it, to which they agree. However, when Natsuru arrives at their home, he is shocked to discover that the siblings have been living alone in a dirty house, a secret that Rio absolutely wants to keep. As Natsuru spends more time with them, their circumstances and reasons for secrecy are slowly brought to light.

The grandiose delusions of 20-year-old university student Kusunoki are shattered when he learns that his future will be miserable. Having to sell his personal items to make ends meet, Kusonoki is offered the chance to sell his lifespan to earn some money. But it is revealed he could part ways with his remaining 30 years of life at a paltry rate—which means that he will never find happiness in this life. Rather than endure misery, Kusonoki decides to sell his life expectancy, leaving him with three months to live. Feeling liberated from social norms, he sets a series of goals for himself, one of which is to clarify his feelings for his childhood friend Himeno. Meanwhile, Miyagi, the clerk who bought his lifespan, is sent to monitor his activities in the case that Kusunoki may exhibit anti-social behavior. Although annoyed by Miyagi's constant presence, Kusunoki will do everything he can to find a purpose to his existence in the remaining time that he has left.

Beauty is revered and idolized throughout the world. This is how it has always been, and it is no different for Kasane Fuchi's late mother, Sukeyo—a famous stage actress whose charming image and acting prowess have captivated the world. Kasane aspires to be an actress like Sukeyo once was. Yet, although she possesses incredible acting abilities, Kasane looks nothing like her mother. In fact, her visage leads many people to wonder if the two are even related. Due to her appearance, Kasane is bullied and ostracized by her peers at school. This makes her dream seemingly impossible to achieve, where good looks are assets in the acting industry. However, Kasane's life takes a turn for the better when she remembers her mother's words—to wear her lipstick and kiss whoever she desires. Much to Kasane's astonishment, the first person she kisses while wearing the lipstick causes her to temporarily switch faces with them. Now given a chance to pursue her ambitions, to what lengths will Kasane use this newfound power?

Why are we doing this...? When Haruhiro came to, he was in the darkness. Not knowing why was he here, or where "here" even was. With him were others who also remembered little more than their own names. What they found when they came out of the underground was a world that was "just like a game." In order to survive, Haruhiro forms a party with others in the same situation as him, learns Skills, and takes his first steps forward into the world of Grimgar as a Trainee Volunteer Soldier. Not knowing what awaits him... This is a tale of adventure born from the ashes.

In a world where vampires have a similar genetic makeup to humans, it is difficult to tell them apart. However, there is a distinct difference: when one of these vampires, called devils by the general public, sees the blood of a human, they completely lose control. Ordinary girl Tsukasa Taira finds herself the object of affection of vampire Shouta Akimura. To avoid hurting her, he has resorted to killing other humans to satiate his bloodlust. However, Shouta treads a thin wire, running the risk of losing control at any time. To neutralize the potential threat, detective Yuuki Anzai swoops in to save Tsukasa from becoming Shouta's next victim. As he takes her home, Tsukasa finds herself enthralled by Anzai, who is a vampire himself. Together, they begin a tenuous relationship that takes them into the depths of a vicious conspiracy, rampant with murder and intrigue.

The crown of England has been hotly contested throughout history, and in the Middle Ages, a series of great civil wars becomes known as the War of the Roses. Claiming a right to the throne, the Duke of York seeks to unseat King Henry VI and his heir in order to become king himself. On a dark day filled with many ill omens, the Duke gains a son: Richard Plantagenet, third of his name. Neither male nor female, but instead possessing characteristics of both sexes, Richard III is immediately reviled by his mother. Her hatred defines his childhood, leading to a deep disgust toward his own body and an adverse reaction to being called a demon. Richard grows up troubled by visions of England's former foe, Joan of Arc, who taunts that he will bring ruin to all who know him. He believes that he can attain salvation by helping his father achieve his destiny of becoming the king. However, cursed by the expectations of both his mother and Joan, will Richard's actions instead drag his family down into darkness?

Located inside the Mud Whale that endlessly soars through a sea of sand, there is a community divided in two: the Marked majority who are capable of using a power called "thymia" at the cost of their lifespan; and the Unmarked, who are unable to wield such an ability but have regular lifespans and hold positions of authority. Diagnosed with hypergraphia, 14-year-old Chakuro is the archivist of the Mud Whale, with the responsibility of recording everything that happens on the island and other uncharted places. During one mission to explore a foreign island, Chakuro encounters a wounded girl with no memories. She immediately tries to attack him, only to pass out and be taken to the Mud Whale by Chakuro himself. The girl's existence is shrouded in mystery, as no one has ever met a human from the outside world before. Furthermore, her lack of emotions and skilled combat abilities demonstrate that her life experience is vastly different from those inside the Mud Whale. With the sudden appearance of the girl nicknamed "Lykos," Chakuro is about to uncover what lies beyond the Mud Whale—forever changing his destiny in the most unbelievable way.Included one-shot: Volume 7: Hikari no Tonari Kabe no Sora (The Sky on the Wall, Next to the Light)

After an accident on his scooter, Yuusuke Serizawa awakes to find himself in a hospital bed. The cause of the accident—the sight of a familiar face that distracted him. However, it turns out that the person who distracted him was also the person who called the ambulance for him, and whoever it was won't reveal their identity. All Yuusuke knows is that this person is a woman from his past—someone that he loved and possibly wronged. Now Yuusuke must search his memories of the women in his life to discover the identity of his guardian angel. Will Yuusuke be able to find the true identity of this woman and rekindle the flame of a past love or will this woman forever remain a mystery, lost to old memories?

In the spring of their high school days, Yuiji Hasegawa suspects that his kind but quiet classmate, Yamato Yoshinaga, has feelings for his straight best friend, Kyousuke Hongou. Ending up in the same study group, he stumbles upon Yamato holding a sleeping Kyousuke's hand, with embarrassment apparent on his face after being exposed. Despite having qualms about Yamato's homosexuality, Yuiji keeps what he saw a secret, thus marking the beginning of their friendship. The two boys' experiences with love differ vastly, but their bond seems to grow as they try to understand each other. However, the question remains: could their relationship evolve into something more?

In xxxHOLiC Rei, Kimihiro Watanuki continues his relationship with the Space Time Witch, Yuko. In her mysterious shop where wishes are granted for a price will he discover even more secrets? And what will he have to trade this time for the answers he seeks?

Spin-off of the SaeKano novel series focusing on the unlikely relationship between famed author Kasumigaoka Utaha and average otaku Aki Tomoya. Down in a rut and out of lacking creativity, infatuation develops after a fan-signing for 'Love Metronome' and Aki becomes the estranged "assistant" of one of his school's top idols.

In the aftermath of the disclosure game that won two Mahjong anomalies, the villainy "17 steps" game, Kazuya sets forth a gamble of 2,000,000,000 Yen! How will Kaiji survive?!

A super exciting action comedy starring the inmates and guards of the world's most formidable prison.

"Hey, Guren? Do you think... when we grow up, we can still be together like always?" Just before the world fell to ruin because of mysterious virus that appeared on Earth which killed every infected human over the age of 13. Vampires conquered the surface—in that one last spring. Ichinose Guren had entered a Sorcery Training School in Shibuya. This school was full of elites from famous families in the world of sorcerers. As he himself was of modest origin, Guren held a great ambition in his heart, even despite being labelled as trash. But among his classmates, a girl appeared who introduced herself by the name of the fiancée he had traded vows with a really long time ago... In that world slated for ruin, the boy sought power; and the girl sought power as well. A magic academy fantasy story begins!

With a single, hopeful wish, young women can become magical girls and take on the thankless task of getting rid of the hidden chaos of the world. Despite this, the magical girls of Mitakihara are enjoying themselves, leading normal middle school lives by day and working together as a brilliant magical girl team by night. And yet... was the world always this way? Were the battles of magical girls supposed to be like this? These are the thoughts of Homura Akemi, a very shy girl who has recently transferred schools and became a member of the Mitakihara magical girls. The seemingly perfect lives that she and her friends lead has caused Homura to start doubting and observing the world. And as she slowly isolates herself from the group to explore the world in secret, she finds that things are not what they seem—after all, one of these girls shouldn't even exist...

One day, the world ended—so we built a new one. Everything on Earth, even gravity itself, is now powered by endlessly intricate clockwork. Young machine-lover Naoto Miura dreams of becoming a master clocksmith, working with the wonders of this artificial planet. When one of those wonders comes crashing right through his ceiling, he gets more than he bargained for. Armed with a supernatural sense of hearing and a beautiful robotic ally, Naoto just might be the best hope to unravel a conspiracy threatening millions of lives.

The kingdom of Dowa, which is subdivided into 13 states, is celebrating its monarch's 99th birthday. These 13 states have many agencies that are controlled by the giant organization known as ACCA. Within ACCA, Jean Otus is the second-in-command of the inspection agency. His agency has ten people placed in each of the 13 states, with a central office in the capital city. They keep track of all the activities of ACCA across the kingdom, and keep data on each state's ACCA office flowing toward the central office. Jean also often has business trips from the capital to the other districts to check on the situation and personnel there.

A prequel to the 2013 Kyoto Animation series Free!. The first novel is about sixth grader Haruka Nanase, who sets up a relay team with his childhood friend Makoto Tachibana, a cheerful junior called Nagisa Hazuki and a newly transferred student, Rin Matsuoka. The second novel is set in Haruka and Makoto's first year at middle school, and tells about their experiences at the swim team along with two new characters, Ikuya Kirishima and Asahi Shiina.

As Izaya Orihara wildly enjoys holding all the information about Ikebukuro's main players, Mikado Ryuugamine and Masaomi Kida stay by Anri Sonohara's side while she recovers. However, Kida seems to be faking a smile. Enraged by the circumstances that led to Anri's harm and his own helplessness, Kida returns to the world he vowed to never come back to after Izaya interfered with them—the Yellow Scarves gang. Once the Yellow Scarves' leader, Kida knows that many of his old team members may now be a part of the Dollars, but they are losing their trust in the group's misdirected ideals. With the power of the Yellow Scarves' unwavering loyalty behind him, Kida swears to clean up Ikebukuro's streets of all wrongdoers, especially those in support of the recently faced criminal, the Slasher. But his aspirations and determination are put to the test, as Izaya is not the only one powerful enough to stand in his way.

When Kanade was very young, she went to a ballet performance of her neighbour, Lisa, and was overwhelmed by her amazing dancing. She decided then and there that she wanted to dance like Lisa, and her parents agreed to let her take ballet lessons. Ballet is much harder than Lisa's beautiful dancing may have led her to believe, but Kanade is determined to endure and become a wonderful ballerina!

It is the year 1429—France is embroiled in the arduous Hundred Years' War against England, where the English are steadily driving their opponent toward bitter defeat. However, the tides of the battle unexpectedly turn with the arrival of Jeanne d'Arc: a young maiden who not only wields immense power but also possesses the ability to hear the voice of the angel. Proving her prowess on the battlefield, Jeanne is soon hailed as a miracle, reinvigorating and rallying the French to continue their uphill campaign. While she leads the crusade to liberate France from its English invaders, Jeanne gradually adjusts to her new role as a magical girl with the help of her close confidant, Riz Hawkwood. Their unique abilities enable them to boldly fight a two-front war against "witches" and other magical girls with sinister intentions. But as the beacon of light from Jeanne's cause grows ever stronger, so does the darkness that lurks behind the theater of war.

Jean Valjean, a starving man who commits an act that will haunt him for the rest of his life; Cosette, a young orphan girl; Javert, an obsessed policeman; Marius, a revolutionary in love. These and other unforgettable characters make up the cast of Victor Hugo's classic novel, Les Misérables, renowned as one of the greatest works of Western literature. Now, experience the epic tale of love, loss, and redemption in this gorgeously illustrated and faithfully adapted manga series!

The manga adapts the anime film that revolves around Kurisu Makise as she tries to save Okabe Rintarou from his uncontrolled leaps in time. Kurisu must decide if she will save him as his lover, or not bring him back to the main timeline with her morals as a scientist.

After a terrible experience in her past at the National Music Band Competition, Kumiko abandoned music once and for all. She starts her first year at Kitauji High School, she finds herself being roped back in. But their school's band is hopeless. There was a time where they had placed well in nationals, but now they can't even make it past their regional qualifiers. In the midst of all of this, Kumiko meets the last person she'd ever want to see again, Reina. Will Kitauji High manage to pull itself together with the day of the concert drawing ever closer?!

Seven-year-old Ellen wants nothing more than to play outside like a normal child, but an illness that has afflicted her since birth prevents her from doing so. Not wanting to burden her parents, she remains isolated in her room, but soon tragedy strikes and her parents abandon her. With nowhere to return to, Ellen meets a strange cat that makes a tempting offer she cannot refuse—a safe place to live in exchange for becoming a witch. To her delight, when she awakens in her new home, she is no longer afflicted with sickness; however, she soon discovers that leaving the house is not an option—one step outside and she will revert back to her former sickly self. Ellen is unhappy being bound to the house, but things look up when the cat promises to teach her a spell that will be able to heal her completely in return for feeding him souls. Despite her wish being childish and forgivable, Ellen's quest for a healed body will kill many, and take far more from them than just their lives.

Fall, when graduation is only half a year away. Haruki Kitahara, the final member of the light music club that dissolved, plays his guitar by the window after school in preparation for the school festival. It was the one and only adventure of a good student who spent two diligent years on his studies. But when a flowing piano melody and a voice as a clear as bell harmonize with his guitar... He goes from being alone, to being two, then three in the light music club, as the semester he dreamed of, no, hoped for, began.

On rainy mornings, Takao can never bring himself to go to school—instead, he spends that time at the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen gardens and finds a brief reprieve from everything else in his life among the trees and flowers. And on one of those mornings, he discovers a mysterious woman named Yukino in his haven, skipping work, and an unlikely friendship blooms between them. But though these two are the center of this story, they are far from the only ones trying to find their way in life.