Shiina, Inner pages of Kimi ni Todoke, Viz Media.
Love Languages and Romance Manga!
Happy Valentine’s Day! I have been thinking of doing a post like this for a while, and finally made it happen. (♡°▽°♡) Today, I’ll be talking about love languages and what romance mangas I think fit each type well. The love languages include:
- Words of Affirmation
- Quality Time
- Acts of Service
- Receiving Gifts
- Physical Touch
Most (but not all) of the series listed below I have already reviewed individually on my site, but for today’s post I’ll be discussing more about how I think they fit the love language they’re listed under. I hope you’ll enjoy it! If you’d like to read full reviews of any of these series, simply click the title colored in pink!
Now, let’s get started! ♡
Romance Manga for Words of Affirmation
Words of affirmation is a love language that refers to verbal affection, such as telling someone you love them, complimenting them, encouraging them, etc.
I think this was the easiest section for me, as I primarily read a lot of fluffy, emotional romance manga—it’s also one of my own love languages. (*´︶`*) I probably could have put several more in this section, but I didn’t want the post to be ridiculously long!
Kimi ni Todoke
Kimi ni Todoke is a simple and soft high school romance! This series is one of those shoujos that focuses so much on the communication and feelings throughout the entire series.
While the characters have a lot of back-and-forth where they seem to be unable to state their true romantic feelings, they still often talk about aspects of the other person that they really admire.
Sawako often idolizes and looks up to Kazehaya, but he also has moments where he adores her or cheers her on. I really think it’s a great representation of words of affirmation both before and after they get together.
Blue Box
The premise of Blue Box is simple. It follows high school student Taiki Inomata, who plays badminton. He has a major crush on his upperclassmen Chinatsu Kano, who plays basketball.
Each character has their own sports-related goals and trials, and throughout each of these events, they support each other, cheer each other on, and validate the efforts they made (even after failure). It’s a lovely sporty romance!
In my opinion, Blue Box is perfect for those who really like to be cheered on. This romance is a bit of a slow burn, and so much of the romantic progress leading up to the officialization of the characters’ feelings is primarily through encouragement.
Kijima San to Yamada San
If you simply enjoy being complimented and gushed over, this read could be perfect for you. It follows two adults, Takayuki Kijima and Yuna Yamada, who work in an office setting together.
Kijima happens to have a unique power where he can hear people’s inner thoughts—and Yamada happens to have a lot of thoughts about him! She gushes over him constantly, thinking about his looks, kindness, and practically every aspect that she likes about him. This series is so fun and sweet… I really recommend it!
In the Clear Moonlit Dusk
This beautifully illustrated shoujo romance features a female lead by the name of Yoi Takaguchi. Yoi is a cool and handsome young lady whom many of her schoolmates have nicknamed “prince.” Due to this treatment and her natural features, Yoi often struggles with her self-confidence—she identifies as a girl, but doesn’t feel like she fits the bill in terms of “being” a girl.
Cute things don’t suit her, and she doesn’t act the way other girls do… even though she’s just being herself. Soon, she gains the attention of another school “prince,” which happens to be a boy named Kohaku Ichimura.
Kohaku soon becomes a light in the tunnel, not just by complimenting Yoi constantly, but also diminishing her worries with his blunt, unbothered attitude… he doesn’t care what anyone thinks! Kohaku likes Yoi for who she is from the very start, and unknowingly builds her confidence throughout the series with lots of sincere love.
You’re My Cutie
This adorable series follows Madoka Kawahara, a high school girl who loves shoujo. She loves characters that are cute and sweet “kohai” (underclassmen) characters!
One day, a boy named Momoki Shikura begins working at her father’s cafe, where she also works part-time. Momoki seems very guarded and a bit rude to Madoka at first… but as they get to know each other and clear up misunderstandings, he turns out to be a total cutie—just her type!
This series involves a lot of compliments, particularly aimed at Momoki’s cute personality. It’s a very sweet read!
Romance Manga for Quality Time
Quality time refers to spending time with your loved one and actively engaging in some sort of connection or activities together. This love language can involve going on a date, having a deep conversation, playing a game together, or just doing something together that feels special. I think the mangas below portray this type of love well!
Insomniacs After School
Insomniacs After School is one of my favorite series for its lovely depiction of a soft romance. This cute high school romance follows two students who both suffer from severe insomnia.
When they discover that they have this in common, they begin to spend more time together—napping in the old astronomy club room, sneaking out at night to explore, and eventually, taking pictures together as part of a new photography club.
Ojiro. Inner panels of Insomniacs After School, Viz Media.
Bonnouji
In this slice-of-life style romance, Ozawa Michiyo discovers that her neighbor, Oyamada Zenji, has a room filled with strange hobby items, collectibles, and more. The room is filled with many unique, eccentric, and interesting items delivered by his brother.
Ozawa and Oyamada form a relationship while playing with the many strange things sent by Oyamada’s brother. They spend time together by drinking, chatting, cooking, playing games, opening new packages, and simply unwinding after work. It’s a very relaxed and easygoing sort of quality time!
The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy At All
This story follows two young ladies, Mitsuki and Aya, who attend the same school (and are even in the same class). Outside of school, Mitsuki works at her family’s record store.
She’s a bit of a rock music nerd, and really brings out her true self outside of school. Aya, on the other hand, is a gyaru—but she also really loves rock music! Unable to share this with her usual friends, she frequents the record store that Mitsuki works at.
Although there’s some misunderstandings at first (refer to the title of the series), the two begin to bond quickly. Due to their similar taste in music, they become friends (and eventually, more).
In this super cute series, the two often listen to music together, talk about their favorite bands and songs, and go to concerts together. This sort of quality time feels a bit extra special, as the two girls bond not just over music, but over a hobby that they both risk being ostracized over. When together, they can truly be themselves!
On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance
On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance follows two office workers, Amata Soutaro and Hanku Akira. Both of these individuals seem average at work, but on their days off each have unique styles and hobbies relating to fashion! Soutorou enjoys wearing lolita style clothing, and Hanku wears really cool punk style clothes.
These two bond over their interest in fashion, and enjoy spending time together (such as shopping for clothes). Just like the series above, they bond over their similar hobbies, which are of the kind that may not be easily accepted by others. It’s a wholesome read!
Romance Manga for Acts of Service
The “acts of service” love language refers to doing things for your partner’s sake, whether it is doing something to make their day easier or just making their day better. This shows you pay close attention to their needs or likes! This is another one of my own love languages. (°◡°♡)
While in real life this may look like cleaning, cooking, running errands, or other things of that nature, I had to think a bit harder to apply this to manga. Let me know what you think!
Hitting Rewind With You
This super fun and cute romance follows Wakaba Kayano, a very eccentric college student that loves having fun. More specifically, she loves to do “youthful” activities. The male lead of this series, Fumito, often plays along like it’s his full-time job. He never complains, and really likes this part of her personality—so he typically goes all-out with her silly ideas and activities.
I feel like this fits in acts of service well because the things he does for her are things that truly require attention, energy, and thoughtfulness. He notices what she wants, thinks about what would make her the most happy, and then always expertly plays the part… he always ends up having fun, too.
Veil
Veil is a gorgeous manga that follows the lovely relationship between a police officer and a runaway heiress (who is assumed to be blind). This beautiful manga has many acts of service that feel very natural, loving, and caring. They aren’t things like doing the dishes or things of that nature—they’re the little, almost unnoticeable things.
You’ll have to pay attention to the story to notice them, but they’re there. I think readers who love to be taken care of even in the tiniest of ways will love the relationship in this story. The entire series is beautifully illustrated and feels very romantic in the best of ways!
Kotteri, Inner pages of Veil, Udon Entertainment.
Cinderella Closet
This amazing series explores the college life of a young lady named Haruka. Haruka was the sporty type for a while, and struggles to gain the courage to try make-up and other things she considers girly. Luckily for her, she gains the help of a beautiful person named Hikaru, who is very talented in make-up and fashion.
Although they start as friends for quite a while, Hikaru helps build Haruka’s confidence by helping her explore different types of fashion and make-up. Hikaru often does Haruka’s hair, clothing, and make-up for her, which helps give her the courage to try new things and love herself more.
Hikaru does a lot more than just helping with Haruka’s self-image—like carrying Haruka home when she gets drunk, helping her clean her home, or teaching her to cook last-minute. They physically take care of Haruka in a lot of different ways, so this series will surely warm your heart.
This manga could easily fit into words of affirmation too. For one, Haruka is the most honest female lead there is, haha. She says all sorts of sweet things with her earnest attitude.
Hikaru on the other hand is a bit more reserved and tsundere-like, but they are often surprisingly honest, too. Hikaru and Haruka have such a beautiful relationship where they physically and emotionally support each other in every way possible.
Romance Manga for Receiving Gifts
This is exactly what it sounds like! Some people prefer physical symbols of affection, but this isn’t limited to expensive gifts. Anything that you think could make your partner happy counts!
I had the most difficult time choosing manga for this love language. Sure, there’s tons of isekai romances out there that involve a rich prince gifting tons of dresses and goodies to the less fortunate female lead… but I just wanted to find examples of gift-giving that was more specific and more meaningful than that. I hope these are acceptable!
Kitchen Princess
Kitchen Princess is a cute (and wild) baking/cooking themed shoujo that features a young girl by the name of Najika as the main character. Najika has a dream of becoming a pastry chef just like her parents, who passed away when she was young. She also has a determination to meet her “flan prince,” a boy who saved her once from drowning after she had recently lost her parents.
Not only did he save her, but he cheered her up during this difficult time by giving her his snack (flan) and a pretty silver spoon from the academy he attended. So, Najika is determined to find him and make him the most delicious dessert in the world!
Besides this special gift given to Najika (which she kept for many years) there are many instances of food and sweets being made throughout this series.
This is because Najika is constantly making something for somebody! While cooking is often considered an act of service, I think the way this manga frames the act of giving sweets to another person really fits in this love language. Najika isn’t cooking to relieve the responsibility for someone else, but rather to surprise them with a tasty treat that will make them happy.
Ran the Peerless Beauty
Ran the Peerless Beauty follows a high school girl named Ran, who is known for her beauty and seemingly perfect personality (smart, athletic, etc). Because of this, her classmates call her a “takane no hana,” which means they think she is someone completely out of their reach.
However, Ran is a pretty normal girl—and the first to realize this is an outgoing boy named Saeki. Ran discovers by coincidence that Saeki’s family runs a flower shop, and that this is something he keeps secret from everyone else. However, this connection forms a lovely bond between the two, as they become better friends and eventually something more.
Flowers play a big role throughout this super sweet romance and create a very cute theme for each chapter. Saeki often gifts flowers to Ran throughout the story, with each flower having a different meaning or symbolization. It’s such a cute read, so if you love flowers and fluffy romance, definitely give it a try.
Skip Beat!
This shoujo manga tells the story of Kyoko Mogami, a young girl who enters the entertainment industry in order to exact revenge on her childhood friend and ex-crush.
Skip Beat is a very long series that has much more story outside of romance, but I think there are some significant moments where gift-giving really shines in this series. This may involve discussing some specific parts of the series, so if you don’t want to be spoiled even a little, maybe skip this next part!
First and foremost, we have the iconic little stone given to younger Kyoko by Ren, which has helped her ease her worries and find calm through much of her young life. This simple little gift truly shows how being thoughtful can affect someone! I really think this is the most significant gift in the story, as it shows up pretty often.
I think the second gift Kyoko gets from Ren, Queen Rosa (the rose with a hidden crystal), is another significant item. It really shows his unique affection for Kyoko and how much he pays attention to her likes. He plans an elaborate fairy-tale story that would make this gift sound fancy and special on its own, and left a beautiful crystal hidden within for Kyoko to discover on top of that!
While I’ve been focusing on romance for this post, I wanted to mention that there’s also many other gifts given to Kyoko throughout the series by a variety of other people: a beauty set from her best friend Moko, pretty shoes from her landlords, and even a bouquet from her enemy!
Romance Manga for Physical Touch
This love language is all about physical affection. Holding hands, kissing, cuddling, and other intimate activities. I think I decided on three great examples for this love language that each have a completely different feel!
Queen’s Quality
I recently reviewed Queen’s Quality, and one of the things I loved about this series is the amount of meaning and importance put behind the characters’ physical affections. In this dark fantasy series, a group of people called sweepers are tasked with clearing darkness from the minds of those who are struggling.
However, entering a person’s inner consciousness and battling their darkness can have severe effects on sweepers. Therefore, to combat negativity and to promote a healthy mind and heart, the sweepers support each other both emotionally and physically.
For the main two characters, this involves a lot of closeness… hugging, cuddling together while sleeping, and other types of close proximity that helps ground them back to a safe place.
Once romance starts to grow within the story, physical affection becomes even more common. It’s a fantastic story for those who love being close and cuddly with their loved one!
MARS
Mars is an iconic shoujo manga that follows the romance between a quiet artist and a motorcycle-loving bad boy. This super melodramatic story explores the difficult, heart-wrenching lives these two young individuals endure. One thing that seems to keep them both going is their intense romance.
Their chemistry is apparent from the very start, and so we see a variety of physical affection from these two as they lean on each other during hard times. These lovers hold hands, kiss often, and show their affection without fear in this incredibly dramatic and youthful series.
Emotional embraces are common in MARS, both out of love and out of compassion during difficult times. And of course, this story couldn’t be complete without some moments of the two riding together closely on the male lead’s motorcycle.
I will note that the physical affection does get to mature levels in this series, and I’d like to warn new readers that this series does contain a lot of sensitive topics, so please be mindful before starting this series!
Choking on Love
This university aged romance is perfect for readers who love cheesy romances with lots of physical touch. The main characters, Hibari and Gaku, have an intense chemistry very early in the series, leading to a whirlwind of exciting romance and developments.
Additionally, Gaku is a very forward character who is unafraid to go after what he wants. He’s pretty touchy-feely too, so it doesn’t take long for romance and physical shows of affection to happen in this fun romance. It’s such an exciting read with a slightly more mature cast—I highly recommend it! If you like fast-paced, exciting, and cheesy romances, you can’t miss out on this one.
Iwashita, Inner pages of Choking on Love, Seven Seas Entertainment.
Final Thoughts
To be honest, this was a difficult post! Coming up with mangas that would fit each love language was fun, but I also had to really dig into my memory to decide which manga fit where.
Regardless, I think it was super fun to talk about these series again as I really like them and think they have a lot to offer. Through this post, I took some time to revisit a lot of these mangas, and really got to re-experience just how amazing they all are!
I hope you enjoyed it—see you in the next post! ♡
