Best Romance Manga of 2001

When the taller than average 172 cm Risa Koizumi learns that her occasional nemesis, the shorter than average 156 cm Atsushi Ootani, is romantically interested in her friend, she decides to team up with him. After all, she also has feelings for his friend. Unluckily, however, their respective crushes fall for each other instead. Determined to find new love after their recent misfortunes, the pair decide to cheer each other on while maintaining their usual dynamic of constant bickering. Although they continually deny it, Risa and Ootani are more similar than they like to admit: they both have unusual heights, failing grades, identical tastes in food, and a tendency to act extremely childish. Together, they inspire laughter among their peers as a so-called comedic duo. Could the love that these two are looking for be closer than they think?Included one-shots: Volume 12: Hoshi ni Nattemo Aishiteru Volume 16: Bokura no Ibasho

At the tender age of 12, Mitsuki Kouyama has a sarcoma in her throat. Though this rare cancer can be cured by removing her vocal cords, Mitsuki refuses because of her desire to become a pop singer and keep her childhood promise to Eichi Sakurai, her first love who left for America. Unable to both heal and keep her voice, she allows her health to deteriorate, as she accepts her tragic fate. One day, while escaping the home of her music-hating grandmother to attend an audition, Mitsuki meets two shinigami, Takuto Kira and Meroko Yui. Realizing that Mitsuki can see them, Takuto and Meroko reveal to her that she will die in a year. Moved by her plight, Takuto allows Mitsuki the chance to pursue her dream by giving her the ability to transform into a healthy sixteen-year-old girl. After being chosen for a contract with Seed Records, Mitsuki makes her debut under the stage name Full Moon and chooses to pursue her dream music career before her life's end.Included one-shot: Volume 2: Ginyuu Meika

It's the turn of the 20th century, and Victorian era England plays host to a poignant and emotional saga of love between two individuals of thoroughly different societal standing. Working class maid Emma and wealthy aristocrat William Jones find themselves falling for one another despite their allotted positions in life, and it is their persistent efforts to traverse the dangerous minefields of wealth, power, and staunch tradition, that provides the gripping emotional drama of Kaoru Mori's Emma. The rigid social structures of the time and the disapproving elite, including but not limited to William's own family, seek to keep the lovestruck pair apart due to their heavy condemnation of this breach of proper conduct. But despite their best attempts to resist one another, William and Emma's relationship deepens, and their feelings for one another prove to be stronger than the harshest of judgments. From the author of the acclaimed series Otoyomegatari, comes this impassioned tour de force of two individuals who strive to never give up on their love. But will William and Emma's relationship fall prey to the slew of unforeseen ordeals that rise up to challenge it, or will they get their happy ending after all?

Shinichi Chiaki, the perfectionist son of a famous pianist, is in his fourth year at Momogaoka College of Music, hoping to achieve his secret dream of being a conductor. His admiration for his father led him to pursue a career in music. As much as he wants to return to Europe, his phobia of flying traps him in Japan where he now lives. One night, he passes out, and ends up being taken in by Megumi "Nodame" Noda. Upon first glance, Nodame is a talented pianist, but she is also slobbish and eccentric. What's even worse is that she is his neighbor and he ends up forced to work with her. Though it sounds like a recipe for disaster, Chiaki is drawn to this girl who makes him remember the love for music he once held. Just what does the future hold for this musical duo?

Natsu Iwashimizu's last memory of her family is eating her favorite meals with them. Unfortunately, she wakes up from her dream only to find herself in a sinking ship, being rescued by three strangers: Arashi Aota, whose kind-hearted personality does not match his quick temper; Semimaru Asai, who enjoys ridiculing Natsu's meek nature; and Botan Saotome, a skillful woman seemingly aware of their situation. Following the four's successful escape, they sail to a deserted island. Unbeknownst to them, the mysterious island is Japan. After a meteorite landed on Earth, humanity was wiped out and the environment changed drastically. To repopulate the country, the government initiated the "7 Seeds" project, consisting of five groups—Spring, Summer A, Summer B, Autumn, and Winter—each with seven young healthy individuals and a guide. Natsu and the others were put into team Summer B, whose members are considered failures by society. To get more supplies, the group must find one of the seven shelters built by the government. In a hostile, unfamiliar world with no loved ones to depend on, the quartet must learn to cooperate with each other to ensure their survival.

Satoyama Katsuki and his best friend Kawakami Kyouta, both age 15, enrolls in Mizutani Boxing Gym to get close to their tomboyish crush, Mizutani Katsuki, whose father owns it. However, Satoyama soon finds out that she is distant from her father. Worse, it turns out that she hates boxing. In a sparring match, everyone including Mizutani soon discovers Satoyama's hidden yet unpolished skill in boxing. Satoyama soon learns that Mizutani is really in love with boxing, but disdains it because its a man's sport of which she cannot join. Mizutani then takes it upon herself to be Satoyama's trainer/manager to reach the championship belt. Satoyama complies to be closer to his crush. As the story progresses, we soon find out that Satoyama has a hidden past and lineage, one that would give him the necessary skill and talent to be a legendary oriental pro-boxing champion.

Ikuto Touhouin is a 14-year-old boy, who had a fight with his father and ran away from home. He later boards a ship overseas, but a huge storm hits and sinks the ship. After spending a week drifting in the ocean, he arrives in an island, with the only exception that all the people there act like people from the Meiji era, and that they are all actually females! The girls were unable to come into contact with other people, let alone males, as there were whirlpools surrounding the island, making it impossible to leave. Now that these love-starved women finally come into contact with a male, what will happen now?

Our heroine is a girl who lives as a geisha in Japan. She has a male childhood friend who's always been kind to her and is her favorite. He's a painter, only he paints on human body parts, and she loves it when he paints beautiful butterflies on her arms. She goes to visit him one day and finds a naked woman lying in his room. Immediately after, she gets a customer who's rich and very interested in her. The thought of being away from her friend pains her, but is everything really too late?

Shiratori Ryushi wants to become a picture book writer, and he moves to an apartment, Narutaki-So, in order to go to an art school in Tokyo. Narutaki-so is an old Japanese style one-story house which doesn’t fit in urban scenery. It is owned by the cousin of his mother, and the manager of the apartment is Aoba Kozue. She is his second cousin, and they met with each other when they were children although he doesn’t remember her much. She is in the second grader of a high school attached to Aoba Junior Collage. There are five people living in Narutaki-So. First, Chanohata Kotomi is living in the room #1. She is a best friend of Kozue. Then, the resident of the room #3 is Momono Megumi. She is a kind of person who goes her own way. In the room #5, Kurosaki Sayoko and her daughter Asami are living. Asami is in the first grade of a junior high. Finally, in the room #6, Haibara Yukio is living with his puppet, “Johnny”. They are all characteristic and eccentric persons. However, in fact, the most eccentric person is Kozue. She has a secret; when she is shocked at something, she changes her personality. Not knowing this, Shiratori moves to Narutaki-So to realize his dream. What kind of a new life will be waiting for him?

The background is in the distant future, a post-apocalyptic world after the destruction brought about by Armageddon. The war between humans (Terran) and vampires (Methuselah) continues, as a struggle between two factions: the Vatican and the New Human Empire. Yet, amidst the bloodshed and violence, many desire a peaceful co-existence between the two species. However, standing between them and this goal is the Rosenkreuz Orden, a group of vampire extremists who manipulate the two sides and pit them against each other. To combat them, the Vatican special operations group "AX," led by Cardinal Caterina, must use everything they have—even a vampire who preys on the blood of other vampires.

Hisako is saved by a beautiful wolf that turns into an even more beautiful man...but can a relationship like this work!? The continuation of the story of Hisako and Yato seen in Kindan no Koi wo Shiyou and Zoku Kindan no Koi wo Shiyou!