Quote from Aremon
I've been thinking about reading Rave Master for a while now. But I must admit that the sheer length of it is what has made me hesitate in starting to read it. Not that I won't read lengthy manga, it's just... Loooong shounen have a tendency to dissappoint me in the end, or in the middle, or...
Both Akame ga Kiru! and Magi - Labyrinth of Magic has been on my to-read list since I peeked at their respective anime and decided to wait until they're finished.
Well, Magi doesn't cover the actual romantic stuff yet in the anime. Jury's still out on any romantic payoff, but the author acknowledged the ship she was making in chapter 200, which is even after Kingdom of Magic, the second season of Magi. Akame is still going on in its anime run, but I highly doubt they'll cover the romantic subplot in this season; it's a recently implemented element of the manga that would feel out of place in the anime's first season.
Rave Master is alright. I read it about two or three years ago, so I'm not sure if my perspective would change now, since I am significantly more critical of shounen than I was in high school. It wasn't extremely stupid, but I can't guarantee that there won't be points where you'll get pissed off. It's similar in style to Fairy Tail, so that could be a good measuring stick for you for whether you'll like it or not.
I'll also throw in
Horimiya,
Ojojojo, and
Gokukoku no Brynhildr. They're a little different from the terms you set out (which I understand, since I look for actual romance in manga too, instead of skirting the issue). The first two have romantic payoff and continue the story, but they aren't super-sugary romance; rather, they are good comedy stories about mundane situations, if that's your style.
Brynhildr isn't strictly romance, and, as it's still in serialization, I can't say for sure if there will be a payoff. But the romance is handled better than most shounen/seinen manga, and it's a great series to boot.
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