Nicole. A Sign of Affection, Skip Beat, and The Apothecary Diaries arranged on a table.
Sometimes Romance Mangas Have Interesting Themes!
Have you ever been enjoying a manga and realized it had a unique portrayal of a subtopic? Cooking, fashion, flowers… mangas sometimes just have these fun little side-quests that add extra interest into a story. I feel like these subtopics often give a manga its own charm, and find the exploration of the subtopics really fun.
Some of the “themes” or “topics” included manga are explored in detail, whereas others incorporate it naturally into the story. Regardless, these mangas are a joy to read! If you’re like me and appreciate learning about random topics while reading, or you just enjoy mangas with a theme, be sure to check out the list below!
Romance Mangas With Subtopics
1. Takane no Ran San – Flowers
Author: Ammitsu
Status: Completed
Takane no Ran San Kodansha page
Takane no Ran San is an incredibly cute and sweet shoujo romance that has an extremely obvious flower theme. This cute theme is apparent in many different aspects throughout the story!
For example, the male lead’s family runs a flower shop and the female lead is part of her school’s gardening club. Each chapter title refers to a type of flower, and even Ran’s name can mean orchid. I’m also sure the manga’s Japanese title stems from the phrase “takane no hana” which refers to something that is unattainable, or in this manga’s case, a woman who is out of someone’s league. It translates to “flower on a high peak.”
This super fluffy and adorable romance often explores “flower words,” or the meanings that certain flowers often hold. These flower words often have to do with the progress of the story and romance, and the at end of many chapters, the author includes a cute little doodle with the current chapter’s flower word and its meaning.
This manga is incredibly cute, sweet, and absolutely chock full of wholesomeness. I highly recommend it—if you want to read more about it, click the title to read the full review!
2. Something’s Wrong With Us – Japanese Confections
Author: Natsumi Ando
Status: Completed
Something’s Wrong With Us Kodansha page
Despite the absolutely wild drama that goes down in this series, it does explore a variety of lovely traditional Japanese sweets, known as wagashi. The story starts by explaining how the main character’s mother worked a job making wagashi, and passed on that passion to her daughter, Nao. However, tons of drama ensues in this manga—both at the very start and all throughout.
First, Nao’s mother is accused of murder by the son of her employer. Then, years later when Nao is an adult (still working with traditional sweets), she ends up in a rivalry with the very boy who ruined her mother’s life! That is, a rivalry in sweets-making.
This starts Nao’s dramatic journey towards revenge, which directly involves the making of wagashi. Throughout this manga, Nao carefully crafts beautiful wagashi that are designed with the recipient in mind. It’s very interesting to learn about different forms of wagashi, and the creativity behind their designs!
If you’d enjoy a super crazy melodramatic romance manga that also includes a very cool subtopic of traditional Japanese sweets, be sure to check this one out.
3. Kitchen Princess – Baking and Confectionaries
Author: Story by Miyuki Kobayashi and illustrated by Natsumi Ando
Status: Completed
Kitchen Princess Kodansha page
It seems that many mangas with subtopics seem to lean into food. Kitchen Princess is yet another manga involving sweets, and although it has some rather wholesome moments, it is also melodramatic (maybe not on the same level as the previous recommendation, though).
It follows a young girl named Najika, who wants to become a pastry chef like her deceased parents. She also has a dream to make a delicious dessert for a special someone she calls her “flan prince.”
This boy rescued her from drowning when she was a young child, and helped cheer her up after the recent loss of her parents. He gifted her some delicious flan and a beautiful silver spoon, which had an engraved emblem of an academy located in Tokyo. So, once older, Najika moves to Tokyo to attend this academy and achieve her dream.
Throughout this manga, Najika makes a variety of cute sweets and sometimes regular food, too. Cakes, cookies, flan, pie, soups, jelly, you name it! Sometimes the manga even has a special section that provides a recipe for the foods featured in the story—so cute!
4. Matcha Made in Heaven – Tea Production
Author: Umebachi Yamanaka
Status: Ongoing
Matcha Made in Heaven Kodansha page
Matcha Made in Heaven doesn’t just include tea in the title; it’s also a very wholesome story that revolves around the art of tea harvesting and beverage making… and of course, a slow burn adult romance. It follows Chako Hananoki, who moves back home after breaking things off with her fiancé (things just didn’t work out for them).
Her brother runs their deceased parents’ tea farm, but Chako hadn’t visited home for four whole years—and boy are things different than she remembers! When she arrives, she finds a stranger with a young child living in her childhood home!
Turns out, this stranger (named Isshin Kazashi) has been running the tea farms in Chako’s brother’s place the whole time. Isshin is rather gruff and doesn’t really provide a warm welcome, and Chako is a bit overconfident when it comes to helping out the tea farm.
This leads to the two not starting off on the right foot, but things improve as Chako gains an appreciation for the unexpectedly difficult process of tea farming. She learns of Isshin’s passion for tea, and the two slowly form a better relationship.
This josei romance is lovely and unique, and does an excellent job at portraying such an interesting topic. I’ve always enjoyed teas, but never really knew of the process and hard work behind its harvesting and creation. This story was a very good read for both its tea theme and lovely romance, so brew yourself a cup and get reading!
5. Apothecary Diaries – Herbal Properties / Apothecary Topics
Author: Natsu Hyūga, manga illustrated by Nekokurage
Status: Ongoing
Apothecary Diaries on Manga Up!
I have yet to create an individual review for this story (and I plan to), but I felt like it still fit in well with this list of mangas with subtopics! The Apothecary Diaries is an amazing fantasy series with mystery, drama, romance, and more. It follows a young woman named Maomao, who works as an apothecary.
Her story begins when she is abducted and forced to work in the emperor’s palace, where her intelligence and knowledge is quickly discovered.
Her knowledge of poisons, herbs, and remedies allows her to help a variety of people in the palace, albeit involuntarily most of the time. Thanks to her cleverness and knowledge, Maomao often solves a myriad of mysteries throughout the story. The way the author portrays this character’s knowledge of herbs, as well as different illnesses and other medicinal topics was very interesting!
The Apothecary Diaries has a setting that seems to be inspired by Imperial China during the Tang dynasty era. However, I must note that this is a fantasy series, and the author seems to simply research different medical topics for the sake of the story. In other words, these topics are likely not accurate to the time period nor actual application. However, I don’t expect a fantasy manga to be extremely accurate in any sense, and it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the overall theme anyway!
If you’re into historical-inspired fantasies and apothecary-like topics, perhaps you’ll enjoy this series, too. I will mention that although I am recommending this manga on a site dedicated to romance, the plot is not primarily focused on that aspect.
The Apothecary Diaries is primarily a mystery-solving drama, with a hint of romance that appears on occasion. It seems as though many people enjoy this series primarily for the romance, and that’s okay, but I do want to give credit where credit is due—this series is fantastic even outside of the little bits of romance we get to see!
6. Skip Beat! – Acting
Author: Yoshiki Nakamura
Status: Ongoing
Skip Beat is my favorite romance manga series of all time—and it fits into this list of recommendations well! The story begins with Kyoko Mogami, a young girl who works multiple jobs in Tokyo in order to support her childhood friend and crush Shotaro. Shotaro brought Kyoko to Tokyo from Kyoto in order to pursue his dream of becoming a famous musical artist.
Kyoko works incredibly hard to support Shotaro because of her wholehearted affection for him—but all this comes crashing down when she overhears him badmouthing her, revealing that he only used her as a maid. Kyoko vows to put Shotaro in his place by becoming an even better celebrity. After some trials and tribulations, she finds herself with a chance to become a professional actress!
Throughout this manga, Kyoko must take on a variety of different acting roles, and gets to experience a wide range of characters portrayed by her co-actors and actresses. The author does an incredible job at drawing you in to different stories and characters that Kyoko and others must become.
The experience of the actors and portrayal of what acting is like is a bit exaggerated—but regardless, the story is very engaging and fun to read. While this is my favorite romance (meaning I may be a bit biased), the focus on Kyoko’s career and journey through acting is incredibly interesting and very well done. I hope you enjoy it as I have!
7. Loving Yamada at Lv999 – Online Gaming
Author: Mashiro
Status: Ongoing
Loving Yamada at Lv999 on Mangamo
(Also referred to as My Love Story With Yamada-Kun at Lv999 in English titles) This story has a lot less of its “theme” featured than some of these other recommendations, but it is one of the few romance mangas I’ve read that really dives into the portrayal of online gaming and even the game itself to some extent.
It follows Akane Kinoshita who was recently dumped by her bf, as he found a new girlfriend through a MMORPG—an online game that he played with Akane. Regardless of her heartbreak, Akane continues to play the game and even attends an offline meet-up.
Here, she meets Akito Yamada, another gamer who is actually quite popular due to his skills in gaming. Akane and Yamada are actually part of the same in-game guild, and so the manga follows Akane’s budding relationship with Yamada and other members of their guild.
This manga often portrays interactions between the characters in the online game itself, with their cute little virtual personas. This adds some fun interest to the story outside of the romance and drama.
Additionally, the manga surprisingly portrays the gaming community rather well, showcasing individuals of all ages, genders, and personalities. It often includes both the positives and negatives of meeting others online, and overall does a great job incorporating the “gaming” theme into the main story!
8. Crossplay Love: Otaku x Punk – Crossplay
Author: Toru
Status: Ongoing
Crossplay Love Seven Seas Entertainment page
Crossplay Love is an absolutely hilarious and adorable BL romance. It follows the story of two high school boys who crossplay (cosplaying as the opposite gender) outside of school. However, when they meet as their female-presenting personas, they fall in love with each other, wrongly assuming each other’s true gender. In other words, each boy thinks they have fallen in love with a girl.
This series is so incredibly funny and very wholesome overall. As you can probably guess, it involves crossplay in many chapters, which is usually in a more lighthearted or comedic tone. However, it does sometimes touch on the difficulties of being an individual with this hobby, and the struggle of being accepted or judged by others. This manga also sometimes includes scenes about regular cosplay, too, as one of the male lead’s friends is a cosplayer!
I highly recommend this manga series if you need a good laugh. It is so goofy and incredibly cute, and features a slow-burn romance that is so exciting!
9. MARS – Motorcycle Racing
Author: Fuyumi Soryo
Status: Completed
Mars is an iconic manga that follows two high school students as they bond over life, trauma, and more. It is a melodramatic love story between an introverted artist and a boy with a passion for motorcycle racing.
Much of this story follows these two students as they work through their individual struggles together and fall deeper in love. While this story doesn’t necessarily have a theme about motorcycle racing, it is an important part of the overall vibe of the manga.
The inclusion of motorcycle racing helps shape the male lead’s personality and bad boy persona. He’s a rebellious, arrogant boy who doesn’t really care about, well, anything—except racing. The male lead frequently pushes the boundaries of this sport, even at the risk of his own life.
The manga particularly focuses on the sport more in the later volumes, but we do see his motorcycle and love for the sport even at the very start. While it isn’t a main theme or topic of the entire story, it adds a unique interest to the plot and even introduces yet another obstacle for the couple to overcome.
Additionally, in my own opinion, the addition of motorcycles as a subtopic sort of adds an extra youthful touch to the series—allowing the two lovers to experience a feeling of freedom, even if it’s just by enjoying the wind and views. Honestly, if you completely removed this aspect from Mars, it just wouldn’t feel the same!
10. Insomniacs After School – Photography
Author: Makoto Ojiro
Status: Completed
Insomniacs After School Viz Media page
Insomniacs After School perfectly fits into this list of mangas with subtopics, as the author does a wonderful job at naturally integrating photography into the story, alongside the other themes of romance and youth. The story primarily follows two high schoolers who both have trouble falling asleep.
Once they realize that they share this struggle, they begin enjoying the late hours together, playing in the night and taking pictures. Neither of them particularly have an interest in photography, but the male lead was gifted a camera by his father—so he brought it with him during their late night escapades. They also begin using their school’s observatory tower as their own little hideout and place to nap, but get caught by a teacher.
However, the teacher helps them out by reinstating the astrology club, with those two as the members! Their adventures and new club status leads them to an exploration of astro-photography.
The mangas explores this topic to some extent, but the best part is absolutely gorgeous imagery and artistry throughout the series relating to astrophotography. If you want to enjoy a manga with stunning one and two-page spreads, as well as lovely environmental details, this is the perfect pick.
Insomniacs After School is one of my absolute favorite romances to recommend. I think it is just a soft, heartfelt, and lovely romance that for some reason makes you feel a bit nostalgic. It perfectly captures a feeling of youth and freedom. It’s a very wholesome, laid back story that feels very serene and relaxing with its beautiful imagery and story. If you are a fan of photography and the night sky, you may especially enjoy this romance series.
11. Even If You Slit My Mouth – Japanese Folklore
Author: Akari Kajimoto
Status: Completed
Even If You Slit My Mouth on Manga Plus
This romance manga series is pretty different from the rest of the recommendations on this list, as it incorporates aspects of horror and Japanese folklore throughout the plot!
Despite this, the romance and overall story is incredibly wholesome and sweet. If you’d enjoy some romance alongside a unique portrayal of a variety of Japanese yokai, definitely check this manga out.
The story follows a slit mouth woman (kuchisake onna) named Miroku, who is slowly losing her powers to due society’s lessened interest in legends and the supernatural. In order to save herself, she agrees to an arranged marriage with a human named Koichi—but only if she can’t successfully scare him by his eighteenth birthday.
This manga is actually very cute and fun, even with this unique premise. It also features more yokai other than the slit-mouthed woman, such as an undead, Mary-san, Hachishakusama, a basilisk, and more!
This manga doesn’t strictly follow the lore of these legends to an exact T, but often gives these characters interesting backstories and characterizations related to their folklore. I often found myself researching them on my own, solely out of interest and curiosity! If you’re like me and find stuff like this interesting, don’t miss out on this fun romance.
12. A Sign of Affection – Japanese Sign Language
Author: Suu Morishita
Status: Ongoing
A Sign of Affection Kodansha page
A Sign of Affection is a very cute university-aged romance that has quickly gained popularity—and for good reason. It follows a deaf woman named Yuki, who meets and quickly falls for a man named Itsuomi.
Yuki, although a very capable adult, has lived a rather sheltered life due to her deafness, whereas Itsuomi has explored many places through travel and his multilingual abilities. This difference between them allows them to open up each other’s worlds to new experiences and knowledge.
While this manga doesn’t necessarily teach you Japanese sign language, it is a main topic that is used throughout the manga (obviously). Not only in terms of communication between the characters, but also through Yuki’s struggles and experiences in many different aspects. It is a very eye-opening series if you are someone who has not thoroughly explored this topic, which I think is probably applicable to many people.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author seamlessly incorporated different forms of communication throughout the series, all while delivering an absolutely amazing romance in the process. A Sign of Affection truly deserves all the hype it has received, as it is a very lovely series overall. I have enjoyed learning more about the experiences of the Deaf community, as well as fan-girling over Yuki and Itsuomi’s relationship!
Final Thoughts
I hope you have enjoyed this recommendation list for mangas with interesting topics or themes!
ヽ(・ω・)ﾉ I personally think that mangas with extra subplot or themes like this have a lot more to offer and often make a bigger impression (at least for me personally). Feel free to share your own favorite mangas with unique topics in the comments! If you enjoyed this list, please consider subscribing to the email list so you can be reminded of future recommendations and reviews.
(´｡• ᵕ •｡) ♡ See you in the next post!
