Best Romance Manga of 2004

Molester Man is a perverted, socially inept otaku who spends most of his time on the textboard 2ch. One day, on the way home from his part-time job, he is mistaken for a stalker and arrested. After clearing the misunderstanding, Molester Man learns that the girl, whom he subsequently refers to as Miss Understanding, was left traumatized by her stalker, so he offers his hand in the hope of dating her. However, exceeding his own expectations, he gradually becomes closer to Miss Understanding and her friends, the cheerful Kansai and the guileless Loli Jugs.

Easygoing and energetic Yamato Akitsuki is ready to start his high school life in Tokyo. Having been invited by his aunt to stay rent-free at her housing complex, he unhesitatingly accepts her offer. But unbeknownst to him, the boarding house is actually an all-girls dormitory. Upon visiting his new school, Yamato catches sight of a girl training for the high jump. Amazed by her athletic ability and beauty, he yearns to learn more about her. To his fortune, this girl, Suzuka Asahina, lives right next door to him—but all of their encounters thus far has given Suzuka a bad impression of him. In spite of the constant misunderstandings, Yamato still joins the track team with the intent of impressing her and soon discovers he has the potential to become a top hundred-meter sprinter. With friendship, and possibly love on the line, Yamato trains his heart out in order to win over the girl he loves.

Akira Tsubaki is a normal high schooler who sits next to new transfer student Mikoto Urabe during classes. Her face half hidden by hair, Urabe earned a reputation as a weirdo on her first day of school when she started laughing loudly for no apparent reason in the middle of a class. She does not like to interact with her classmates and instead prefers to nap on her desk. One day after school, Tsubaki finds Urabe sleeping on her desk and wakes her up. However, after Urabe goes home, he notices her drool on her desk and impulsively tastes it. A few days later, he is struck down by a fever and is visited by Urabe at his home. After confirming the fact that Tsubaki tasted her drool that day, she informs him that his fever is nothing but love sickness and that he is suffering from withdrawal symptoms of her drool. Thus, the two enter into a strange relationship where Urabe feeds Tsubaki her drool everyday to prevent any more sickness.

Former famous child actor Keito Aoyama's acting career was cut short due to her poor performance in a musical in front of a big audience. Now a reclusive 16-year-old girl refusing to attend high school, she finds her daily life meaningless. However, one day, Keito comes across an unusual high school named El Liston, where any student can enroll in for whatever reason. Taking this as a new opportunity to overcome her past, she decides to enter. There, she meets and befriends a group of students, each with their own talents: Kouichi Mine, a genius programmer always absorbed in technology; Rei Saeki, a formerly famous soccer player; and Momiji Noda, who aspires to become a fashion designer. As Keito gets closer to her new friends, her life starts becoming vibrant again. Her experience at El Liston fills her with bliss and a longing for the limelight once more. Along the way, her interest in romance starts to develop as well.

Misfortunes abound in the life of 16-year-old Hayate Ayasaki. Even though he is underage, he spends most of his time working part-time jobs to make money to support his extravagant parents. As if that wasn't hard enough, his parents disappear without a trace one day, leaving him behind with a debt of almost 150 million yen. As a result, he finds himself being chased by debt collectors. Running for his life, he stops in a park, believing that he is safe. Contemplating his jobless future, he decides to kidnap a wealthy child for ransom. And thus, when he sees a rich-looking blonde girl, he attempts to capture her. However, she too is kidnapped before Hayate can even try! Hayate then saves her, and as a reward, he requests a job, and the girl makes him her butler, revealing herself to be the daughter of a wealthy family. Even with a job, his misfortune remains; Hayate will have to go through many nasty predicaments, all the while burdened by his lousy luck.

Mikado Ryuugamine is a young boy who craves the abnormal and supernatural, but his quiet life in the countryside offers no opportunity for adventure. With some encouragement from a childhood friend, Mikado moves to Ikebukuro, a lively downtown district in Tokyo. However, the naïve boy may be in for a lot more than he bargained for. Ikebukuro is home to a host of strange individuals, such as a monster of a man dressed in a bartender's outfit, a sadist who sells information for fun, and an underground doctor with an odd infatuation. But the most unusual of them all is the legendary "Black Rider," a headless being who silently rides through the night on a pitch-black motorcycle. When Mikado witnesses this urban legend on his first night in the city, his initial excitement triggers a thrilling but deadly sequence of events, affecting numerous others throughout the city.

Imperial Academy is an elite private school whose student body is divided into the ranks of Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Depending on your family's wealth and your individual merit, you can be classified as a Silver or Bronze student. However, there is only one Gold student, and this year that person is Shizumasa Touguu—nicknamed "the Emperor" because he is the Student Council President. When she was very young, Haine Otomiya fell in love with Shizumasa, after reading the children's picture book that he authored. She had met him twice before attending Imperial Academy, but as a Bronze student, her rank is far below his, so she has been unable to approach him at school. Haine jumps at an opportunity to get close to Shizumasa, and she unexpectedly becomes his bodyguard as well as a member of the Student Council. It seems like a dream come true for her, but soon she will learn that everyone in the Student Council is hiding secrets, and her own shameful history cannot be forgotten either.Included one-shots

Najika Kazami is a girl who is passionate about food, whether it comes to eating or cooking. She treasures the place she calls home, an orphanage in Hokkaido called Lavender House, as well as its owner, Hagio. But as much as Hagio and the fellow orphans love her, Najika decides to leave the orphanage to attend a special academy in Tokyo, hoping to achieve her dreams of being a pastry chef. However, Najika has another reason for leaving for the academy. She hopes to find the boy she calls the "Flan Prince"—a boy who touched her heart with a cup of flan seven years ago. Now 13 years old, Najika finds that the spoon that he left behind with the flan shares its emblem with the school she has been accepted to—the prestigious Seika Academy. With high hopes, Najika enters her school's beautiful campus and becomes a first-year student in Seika's junior high division. While unpopular with her fellow classmates due to her love of eating, she seems to find support from two boys who recognize her culinary talents—the popular brothers Daichi and Sora Kitazawa. Will Najika be able to find her place in the academy with her cooking, and perhaps also reunite with her Flan Prince?

To what distance would you go for your one true love? In the midst of an alien invasion, Mikako joins the resistance, leaving behind the one young man she loves. As she goes deeper into space, Mikako's only connection with her boyfriend is through cell-phone text messages. The war rages on and years pass, but Mikako barely ages in the timelessness of space while Noboru grows old. How can the love of two people, torn apart by war, survive?

In a certain city in Japan, one's heart faintly shimmers above the rest—a seemingly odd and naive brunette named Kobato Hanato. Despite appearing to wander around, the pure-hearted girl aspires to fulfill one precious wish: to reach a particular place. But for it to be granted, she must learn how to heal the wounded hearts of the people and collect them in a magic bottle. However, the world can be confusing for such an innocent girl. Her companion Ioryogi can be quite rough in teaching her common sense, especially for a talking blue dog plushie! Luckily for Kobato, a certain quaint place with a troubled history seems to be—and may be looking for—a glimmer of hope.

The Demon Queen Sheila has massacred over half of the human population, holding no regard for life. With no end in sight to her reign of terror, the people elect a hero to vanquish the Demon Queen and her monster kin. However, the chosen hero, Exa, is not exactly humanity's champion: he values not only human lives but those of monsters as well. During his journey, the idealistic Exa saves a monster girl from a dragon, completely unaware that this girl is the Demon Queen herself. Intrigued by a human who would save one of his species' enemies, Sheila poses as a meek, lovestruck monster and joins him on his journey—all while planning to stab him in the back. Even as she is continuously exposed to Exa's ideals, Sheila stands firm on her plan. Yet, she finds herself putting off her original mission time and time again; perhaps these fake feelings have grown into something real...

Uru is a very short girl and is constantly mistaken for an elementary school kid, but despite that, she is ridiculously strong and decides to live by herself after her mother gets remarried. She ends up working at a small cafe with two rather unique co-workers, Shindou, who acts gruff and intimidating, but who is really a nice guy who loves to make cakes and pies and the like, and Ichirou, who is really good-looking but who instantly falls asleep when he gets hungry and doesn't wake up again until he's force-fed something? What will the future bring to them?Included one-shots: Volume 2: Suitei Seinen Shoujo Volume 4: Hana to Ageha, Natsu. Volume 7: Number One DX

Mashiro Ichijou, an attractive and popular high school student, has always lived his life as a boy. However, nobody notices that deep down, he resents the fact that his body is half female. He has decided to conceal his femininity from those around him, while in reality, he is insecure about who he is supposed to be. One day, an unfamiliar nurse asks Mashiro to follow her to the school's infirmary in the basement—an office that has never existed until now. Little does he realize that the moment he steps into the mysterious room, he will never be capable of returning to being the person he was before. As he struggles to find his true identity, Mashiro must face the disquiet in his own heart, all while protecting himself from the prying eyes of his classmates. Slowly but steadily, the unbecoming truth of the world is laid bare: all its lies and deceit engulfed in nightmares that only unfold in broad daylight.

Twenty-year-old student Kou Ichinomiya has always followed his elite family's motto: never be indebted to anyone. However, an unfortunate situation puts his life in danger, and he is saved by a stranger named Nino, who claims to be from Venus. As if owing someone is not bad enough, the peculiar girl wishes that he repay her deed by experiencing love together—and he must live with her under the Arakawa River bridge. Although Kou figures that he will somehow fulfill this obligation, his plans are blown away by Nino's friends: various riverside residents who seem even more eccentric than his new lover. From the Village Chief who gives Kou a new name, "Recruit," to a gentle-looking but sadistic woman managing an animal farm, one can never tell which outlandish character will next color Arakawa's bizarre life under the bridge.

Have you ever seen a "very manly girl"? The heroine in this story, Oikawa Ibuki is just that type of girl. To find her true soul mate, after transferring school, Ibuki was determined to act like a gentle lady. Yet on her first day of transfer, due to her righteous sense she went to save a small dog, and at the time she was seen by the suspicious "crow messenger"! Is Ibuki's whole image ruined!? And who is this mysterious "crow messenger"!? Included one-shot: Very Black White Day

Sachie Wakamura just lost her mother, and her estranged grandfather has shown up to take care of her. The only problem is that Grandpa is the head of a yakuza gang! Too scared to join her new family, Sachie tries to continue living her normal life. She can't run far though, since one of the most popular guys in school is part of her grandfather's gang and her new protector. No one at school knows about Rakuto's hidden life, and soon Sachie finds herself falling for her bodyguard. But she's the granddaughter of Rakuto's boss, and he can never show his feelings for her. Can Sachie find a way to fit into her new family and grab her chance at love?

Chiemi Yusa's high school record is far from perfect. She's already been suspended twice for fighting, and she's not even half-way through her first year! In danger of getting expelled for starting yet another brawl, her teacher approaches her with an unexpected offer: get her classmate Akifumi "Deranged Devil" Hirata, the nastiest fighter in the whole school, to clean up his act, and her record will officially be cleared. Reluctantly she accepts and immediately goes on the attack. But as she's waiting for him to retaliate, she discovers that he has more in store for her than just a fight! In Junai Tokkou Taichou!, you'll find a rollicking brawl of a good time as the roughest guy and girl in school get themselves into trouble—and find themselves in love.

Every few years, the prestigious Seiso Academy holds a prominent musical competition, and only the very best students at the Academy are allowed to participate. Though all are eligible to apply, only students from the music department actually make it to the competition...until now.

Shun, Kaname, and the twins Yuuki and Yuuta have been friends since kindergarten. It's a little hard to tell if they actually get along or not. But even as high school students, they still hang out together. Recently, they've had a new addition: the half-Japanese transfer student Chizuru, who has started to liven up the group. This manga is about their daily lives, which aren't particularly passionate or exciting. A tranquil and sometimes comedic story of youthful friendship...

The continent of Halkeginia is tumultuous—a place where the various kingdoms, princedoms, dukedoms, and fiefdoms strive against each other to expand their domains. The nobility scheme and plot among themselves to gain influence to their lieges or to even foreign lieges. In the middle of Halkeginia is the small but important kingdom of Tristein. The most notable fact about this kingdom is the Tristein Academy of Magic where nobility from all over the world come to study magic so they can become magi. Although friendships will form across national boundaries at this school, will they survive the politics and games of the world at large once they leave? Louise is a student at Tristein Magical Academy. She is known to be quite a screw up when it comes to her magic. One day, a ceremony takes place where each student is to call forth a being or entity that will become his or her familiar. For Louise, her familiar comes in the form of a boy named Hiraga Saito. Somehow, he managed to get transported from his world into hers, and shortly after became her familiar.

High school student Yukari Fujimaru knows a potential star when she sees one…because she sees the special "aura" they give off, in the form of angelic wings. Yukari's fellow student, the beautiful Ryouko Katsuragi, has a small pair of wings herself, and is one of these aspiring talents. She's so talented, in fact, that no one even knows that "she" is actually a boy in disguise. Now, to make her own down-to-earth dream come true, Yukari must help her new friend become a star.

Oboreru Knife tells the story of Natsume, a sixth-grade girl who has to move from Tokyo to a decidedly different town in the countryside. Upon meeting a boy named Kouichirou there, "something" stirs inside her. The story depicts a "teen heart on the brink of ruin."

Devastated by the loss of both parents in a tragic accident, 18-year-old Chouko Mizushima loses her will to live. After living at the homes of several different relatives, she settles in with a handsome young writer named Kei Mizushima. Kei's a solitary, private person who is uncomfortable around most people and doesn't quite know how to deal with this emotional young woman. At first, Chouko can't seem to do anything right. But her dedication to tending the flowers in his garden leads Kei to eventually accept her presence. Will their growing mutual affection lead to something more?

Set in 2100 A.D., where video games feel 99% like real life. Follow Feng Lan in her adventure as the first player to play as the opposite sex in the VRMMO "Second Life" to prove to her brother that she can beat the game without using the "female benefits." But after she offends her family in a pvp match and even meets her real life friends and acquaintances in-game, can she continue to keep herself out of trouble by keeping her identity a secret?

Ageha Shiroi suffers from a massive sister complex. When she discovers that her sister Hibari is pregnant and getting married in less than a month, she refuses to accept it. After a chance encounter with two beautiful men, Ageha accompanies Hibari to the bridal boutique Velvet Blue Rose (V.B. Rose), where she discovers those very same men are responsible for running the store! Together, Yukari Arisaka and Mitsuya Kuromine design and create wedding dresses, with the aim to make their customers as satisfied as possible. Yet Ageha is still unhappy about her sister's impending marriage, and her bad attitude causes Yukari to kick her out of the store. The next day, Ageha goes back to apologize, but after she loses her temper again, Mitsuya's hand gets injured as a result. Possessing a gift for making fashionable accessories, Ageha volunteers to help finish Hibari's wedding dress in place of Mitsuya. Before she knows it, she is thrown into the world of wedding dresses, reigniting dreams that she has had all her life.

Satoshi Yanagawa is working part-time as a police assistant, and works with a beautiful girl that he likes at first sight. But she has a pretty bad character. Are there any prospects for romance? Read on to find out, the story is hilarious at certain moments, and touching at others.

When Hina hits a homerun ball and goes to get it back she realizes she has damaged a shrine with the baseball. When she touches the object inside the shrine the object is absorbed into her and she becomes the shrine's god. Now she is protected by the shrine's guard dogs, Shishi and Koma. Along the way she meets other spirits, guardians, and the legendary nine tailed fox.

College is full of opportunities to leave one's comfort zone. One third year student is constantly fantasizing about how his life might differ had he joined various campus circles—chasing, with mixed results, an idealistic rose-colored campus life where romance, friendships, and purpose fuse into a perfect university experience... at least until bad luck, questionable decisions, and dubious relationships enter the mix!

Boy–bashful and not overly brave–defends girl from obnoxious drunk on a Tokyo train. Girl sends boy a thank-you pair of pricey Hermés teacups. Boy's a geek and doesn't know what to do next. End of story for most nerds–but this one turns to the world's largest online message board and asks for help, so for him it's just the beginning. This matchless love story is told through a series of Internet chat room threads. As Train Man, our hero charts his progress and unveils each new crisis–from making conversation to deciding what to wear on a date and beyond–in return, he receives advice, encouragement, warnings, and sympathy from the anonymous netizens. And Train Man discovers the secret to what makes the world go round–and proves we really do live in a universe where anything can happen.