As a queer person, it always feels so validating when seeing oneself in media. As well, mangas have been a form of escapism for teens around the world in the last decade. So what better than to mix them both? From homosexuality, to transidentity, to asexuality and more, here is our top list of queer mangas that have yet to be made into anime.
1. Boys Run the Riot
Synopsis
In Boys Run the Riot, Ryo Watari is a transgender male high school student. When he befriends another outcast, transfer student Jin Sato, he confides in him his feelings of gender dysphoria. Soon, the pair starts a project together: an alternative fashion brand called “Boys Run the Riot”.
This series by Keito Gaku, a transgender man, is simply a masterpiece. The drawings are delightful, particularly the fashion, and especially the design of Ryo, which doesn’t lie about the fact that he is a pre-transition trans guy. What’s great about this story is that Ryo doesn’t do things or has friends in spite of being trans. He does things and has friends, and just happens to be trans. It’s also more rare to see straight transgender characters. This is representation at its peak.
Learn more about transgender life in Japan!
Our Rating
10/10
2. Boy Meets Maria
Synopsis
A nice play on words on the expression “boy meets girl”, Boy Meets Maria is a wonderful story. Taiga, a high school boy, dreams of becoming an actor, so he joins the school’s drama club. There, he discovers Maria, the alias of Arima, a talented performer who often plays female characters due to his feminine appearance. Taiga instantly falls in love with them, but he will soon realize that this is nothing but an easy love story.
This series by Kosei Eguchi is a beautiful one that proves that transgender people deserve to be loved, and seen as who they are, as well as the exploration of gender in today’s teens. Be warned that this manga also deals with themes of child abuse and self harm, which unfortunately often intersect with queer identities. With that being said, those do bring more flavor and realness to the story.
Our Rating
9.5/10
3. Our Dreams at Dusk
Synopsis
In Our Dreams at Dusk, Tasuku Kaname sees danger enter his life, both from others and from himself, when he gets outed at school. However, his life turns back around when an unidentified character helps him discover a queer hangout space, where he meets others like him. There are friendships, love stories, heartbreaks, and everything in-between.
This series by Yuhki Kamatani touches on the terrible phenomenon of outing in Japan, and the newly found importance of exclusive queer spaces for the changing youth. The manga includes an incredible amount of representation, including gays, lesbians, transgender people (mainly pre-transition, which is rare), aro/ace people, and genderqueer identities.
Learn more about sexualities and gender identities in our article about pride flags!
Our Rating
9.5/10
4. I Hear the Sunspot
Synopsis
In I Hear the Sunspot, Kohei, a college student with a hearing disability, has trouble integrating with his peers. That is, until he meets the loud and life-loving Taichi, who offers to help him take notes for class in exchange for some food. Although it will be hard to accept it, they grow into loving one another, deeply.
It is extremely refreshing to finally see a story where queerness and disability meet. It is a very current topic, especially with the incident intersectionality between neurodivergence and queer identities. The story is classic and cute, and will have everyone gushing over the pair. A live-action version of the first book came out in 2017.
Our Rating
9/10
5. Goodbye, My Rose Garden
Synopsis
Goodbye, My Rose Garden follows Alice, a young noblewoman in early 1900 England, and her Japanese maid, Hanako. They have a close, almost friendly relationship, despite their power difference. However, it all changes one day when Alice asks Hanako to kill her. Hanako will have to figure out why such a strange demand came from her mistress, and the pair will grow closer, blooming into a romantic relationship.
Although the premise of this story by Dr. Pepperco feels very used up at this point, this revisit is surprisingly unique. It feels more like reading a diary than being an outsider looking in, and it totally lacks this voyeuristic feeling that some girl’s love mangas tend to have. If you want to read one classic girl’s love story, this is the one.
Our Rating
9/10
6. My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness
Synopsis
Abbreviated from The Private Report on My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is an autobiographical book, where the author describes her adult life as a 28-year-old college dropout virgin. She comes to terms with her sexuality, her mental health, and finds inspiration for her life.
Raw, full of some self-deprecating humor, this manga by Nagata Kabi has everything to be a hit in any country. The simple drawings work very well for the writing style. A new classic for the library of any queer or non-queer, old or young (but not too young) reader.
Our Rating
9/10
7. I Want to Be a Wall
Synopsis
In I Want to Be a Wall, Yuriko and Gakurouta are a happily married couple. Happily married, but not in love. Yuriko is an asexual woman and Gakurouta is a closeted gay man. They had a lavender marriage; just for conventionality and ease. Nonetheless, they are happy together, they are great friends and find support in their secrets they can only share with one another.
This slice of slice manga, with its funny and more dramatic moments, does tick a lot of interesting boxes for LGBTQ+ readers: asexuality in women, the need for many men to remain closeted, and marriages for show. The author, Honami Shirono, approaches all of those topics with a lot of candidness, which accounts for a great, lighthearted read.
Our Rating
8.5/10
8. The Bride was a Boy
Synopsis
The Bride was a Boy is a very sweet autobiography by Chii, a transgender woman. She starts from childhood, explaining how she never felt like a boy, to transitioning as a young adult, and finally meeting her fiance.
Chii makes a delight of retelling her own story, warts and all, but always with a self-deprecating humoristic flair. We get to witness the enduring love of her fiance. It is important for queer people to see success stories in others, and to know that we are deserving of love, and even marriage.
Our Rating
8.5/10
9. Paradise Kiss
Synopsis
Paradise Kiss takes place at a fashion school, and follows a group of students who all share the vision of a more open-minded society. That is for different reasons: some have an eccentric style, some are outcasts, and some are LGBTQ+. There is Isabella Yamamoto, a transgender woman with a beautiful Victorian-ish style, who is always nice to her friends and makes sure they get out of their escapades scot-free. There is also Joji Koizumi, a playboy bisexual man with an androgynous appearance, who is the creator of the ParaKiss group. They have been friends since childhood, and Joji is one of those who encouraged Isabella in her gender research.
Ai Yazawa, better known for Nana, also put out this fundamental piece to the foundation of LBGTQ+ manga literature. If the series might seem a bit old-school in its representation compared to today’s standard, and the queerness of the characters is not central to the story, nothing can erase the importance it has had.
Our Rating
8/10
10. I Think Our Son Is Gay
Synopsis
In I Think Our Son Is Gay, Tomoko Aoyama is the mother of several adult sons. She knows that her eldest, Hiroki, is gay, but does not want to confront him, in fear of his reaction, and also she just wants him to come out on his own accord. Ensue a variety of everyday life scenes with this lingering secret they both know about, but cannot tell each other.
This manga by Okura deals with the theme of accepting homosexuality between a parent and a child. Thankfully, in this one, Tomoko is supportive, but that is not always the case, and Hiroko knows that. It is always tricky, as a queer person, to come out to those we love, in case they can’t tolerate it; and the status quo is better than nothing. In any case, it is refreshing to see the portrayal of a person from the older generation being supportive of their gay child.
Our Rating
8/10