In general, the shojo manga genre features a young female protagonist and caters toward an audience interested in romance. Many great shojo manga have made their way overseas from their birthplace of Japan to the English-speaking parts of the world. There, they've found much love and success.
There is also, however, an endless array of shojo manga that have yet to be published in English. Because of this, these exclusive shojo manga are not widely known outside of Japan. Here are five of those amazing shojo manga that deserve an English publication, as well as five others that were already lucky enough to make the cut.
10 Not Published: Hiyokoi
Hiyokoi is a wholesome shojo manga about an extremely introverted and short girl named Hiyori who struggles to adjust to a new high school and classmates after a car accident sets her back.
In contrast, Hiyori's love interest is the exact opposite of her; he's a very extroverted and tall boy named Yuushin. Although they have a height difference of fifty centimeters, Hiyori is naturally drawn to Yuushin because she is envious of how friendly he is with others. In befriending each other, Hiyori hopes that Yuushin can help her overcome her shyness.
9 Published: Maid-Sama
Living a secret double-life, Misaki is both the stern student council president of her high school and a hardworking maid at a maid cafe. Because everyone at school knows her as a boy-hater in a position of power, no one would ever believe she, of all people, would take on the role of a maid.
With her maid life a secret, everything is fine until the most popular boy at school, Usui, becomes one of her regular customers. The contrast between Misaki's roles as class president and maid, as well as her relationship with Usui, is what makes Maid-Sama a dynamic shojo manga to read.
8 Not Published: Rockin' Heaven
Most kids decide which schools to attend based on academics or location. Rockin' Heaven heroine, Sawa, bases her high school decision on how cute each schools' uniforms are. She unknowingly picks a high school where most of the students are male, as it was formerly an all-boys school.
Because of this, Sawa faces bullying and struggles to get along with most of her classmates until the leader of the boys, Ran, starts caring for her. With emotional struggles of his own, Ran seeks comfort in Sawa in the same way she does with him.
7 Published: Snow White with the Red Hair
In a unique twist on the class Snow White story we're familiar with, Snow White with the Red Hair features a young heroine named Shirayuki, who is sought after for her beautiful red hair.
While running away from a prince who wishes to make her his concubine, Shirayuki cuts off her beloved hair and meets a much kinder prince, Prince Zen, who sees her for more than just her red hair. From there on, Shirayuki starts a new life as an herbalist with new friends in the kingdom of Clarines.
6 Not Published: Stardust Wink
Often in shojo manga, there is an obvious main love interest who we know will inevitably end up with the protagonist. Stardust Wink offers not one, but two main love interests who have an equal chance at winning over the heart of the heroine, Anna.
Growing up in the same apartment complex, Anna, Sou, and Hinata form a complicated love triangle of childhood friends who must figure out the difference between their romantic feelings and platonic feelings. The mystery of who Anna will choose in the end is not a straightforward as one would think!
5 Published: Vampire Knight
If you're a sucker for vampires, chances are you've already read Vampire Knight. If not, here are a few reasons to pick it up today.
Vampire Knight puts a dark twist on the ordinary school-life genre where Cross Academy is divided between the Day Class for humans and Night Class for vampires. While Yuki and her childhood friend Zero are enrolled in the Day Class, her crush Kaname is a vampire in the Night Class. Tension is sure to arise as Zero just so happens to be a vampire hunter who absolutely despises vampires like Kaname, despite having a dark and dangerous secret of his own. It's only a matter of time before Yuki begins to piece together the mysterious pasts of Zero, Kaname, and herself.
4 Not Published: Crayon Days
Some people are born with a talent to create, and others are born with a passion to create. This is the case in Crayon Days for Saji, a talented but coldhearted art genius, and Shima, a passionate girl who loves art with all her heart.
When Shima enrolls in a well-known art school, she meets Saji, who she initially cannot get along with because of their difference in artistic abilities. With a little bit of self-doubt, Shima wonders if she's worthy of attending such a prestigious art school with students as talented as Saji. However, there is something about Shima's undying passion for art that sparks Saji's interest.
3 Published: Kiss of the Rose Princess
Kiss of the Rose Princess is a fantasy shojo manga that combines aspects of school-life, royalty, combat, and magic for a unique storyline like no other.
One fateful day, typical high school student Anise learns that she is the "Rose Princess" who has four devoted knights based on different colored roses in the form of cards. At any given moment, Anise may call upon any of her knights for assistance with the use of her cards and blood. All four of the Rose Knights coincidentally go to the same school as Anise, and they may or may not pursue her romantically as well!
2 Not Published: CRASH!
In an era where boybands like South Korea's BTS have found worldwide success, it's a wonder why CRASH, a manga that centers around a fictional boyband, has yet to receive an English publication.
The story begins with a girl named Hana who gets magical nosebleeds whenever she meets someone with the potential to become a celebrity. Within her family's talent agency, she is tasked with scouting out five boys who give her nosebleeds to form a new boyband, which she will eventually become the manager of. From scouting to debut to success, CRASH follows the hectic lives and struggles of a blossoming boyband and their quirky manager.
1 Published: Missions of Love
In Missions of Love, everyone has secrets. Yukina, though cold and feared at school, is actually the secret author of a popular romance novel. On the other hand, Shigure appears to be friendly and popular amongst girls but is secretly a coldhearted jerk who fakes his kindness.
When Yukina stumbles across Shigure and his little secret, she decides to blackmail him. As someone who lacks romantic experiences, she puts Shigure through so-called "missions" such as holding her hand in order to help her novel achieve a more genuine romance. Somewhere in the mix, Yukina and Shigure begin to question what's real and what's fake between them.