I'm looking for the kind of romance where the two leads are friends as well as in love, and there is a lot of focus on the friendship aspects of their relationship. There should be scenes where they do things like comfort each other when they are in distress and sit next to the other companionably (like under a kotatsu). I would like both characters to grow and change due to the influence of the other.

Some examples of what I am looking for:
Horimiya
Koe no Katachi
Golden Days
No. 6
Cat Street

I don't want there to be much about sex or sexual tension, I want the focus to be more on the friendship. I would also like it to not be too dramatic, with love triangles and such. I am okay with both BL and GL, but I don't want anything explicit of course.

I would also be okay with just a epic friendship manga, like Sakamichi no Apollon.

If you haven't read Asagao to Kase-san., you are missing out. It is one of the fluffliest GLs I've ever read. There's not really sexual tension, but it is definitely focused on the romance bits (in that the girls blush a lot when around each other, etc.). Not sure if this works exactly, but it's such an innocent, pure romance that I have to recommend it.

Dear Green: Hitomi no Ounowa sort of fits. But it's really its interquel/sequel Dear Green that really works. The former has some drama, though definitely not as much as usual romance stories.

Collectors definitely fits, if you don't mind the 4-koma format. The entire manga is basically a slice-of-life about the two's life together.

And after the first chapter, Kunieda Saika's Mirai no Kioku is like this too. It's a bit more explicit than the other ones I've mentioned though.

Baby Steps fits, but it's predominantly a tennis manga. So if you're not interested in tennis, this one's probably not for you.

Some others that might fit:
Fujiyama-san wa Shishunki
Futari no Renai Shoka
Mainichi Seiten! (more of the later stories than the first)
Shinkuu Yuusetsu
Story of Someone We Know
Taisho Wotome Otogibanashi
Tsurutsuru to Zarazara no Aida

There's also the Couple Growth tag if you're interested.

Friendship manga (in that the series is explicitly focused on the friendship aspect):
Hana to Rakurai
Otomodachi kara Hajimemashou.
Seishun Kouryakuhon

Thank you, I read Asagao to Kase-san last night. It was cute. I lot of your other recommendations look good, I will check them out.

I've already read Seishun Kouryakuhon, Shinkuu Yuusetsu, and Story of Someone We Know.

I'm still looking if anyone has any more suggestions.

It feels kind of weird to be rec'cing this again, since it seems I've been doing so a lot lately, but Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike! is pretty much exactly what you're looking for.

Pieta is friendship-GL, basically.

Sasameki Koto, too.

19 Tian, maybe. It's ongoing so the outcome is a bit dubious at this point, could go either way.

Edit
There's also Bokutachi Otokonoko.

I suppose Pandora Hearts fits, in a way? Alice and Oz are friends, but they're also pretty obsessed with each other. I'm not sure you'll like it, though, as it's a plot-focused story and not slice-of-life at all.

Last edited by calstine at 6:07 pm, Jun 6 2016

Thank you for the recommendations. I really enjoyed Pieta! I will read Komatta Toki ni Hoshi ni Kike, though I have previously been hesitant because of the length. So many people say it is really good.

I have already read Pandora Hearts, and I rather liked it.

Hello, I strongly recommend Tetsugaku Letra. It resembles Koe no Katachi and Sakamichi no Apollon. Couldn't see it on any of your lists.

Thanks, that looks really good. I like Sahara Mizu's works.

Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare Two friend female leads with two friend male leads
Nijiiro days,a lot of bromance
Hatsu Haru the lead male's friends is really supportive, they also have their own stories
Katakoi Triangle romance begin it, but...

also Nanairo Kakumei, it is really focus at girl's friendship (romance still exist), you could only read it at raff though. But there is 3 short ep anime about it. Just look at youtube with eng sub


Last edited by symuri at 1:35 pm, Jun 19 2016

That's the wrong link for Nijiiro Days. I think you mean this: Nijiiro Days (MIZUNO Minami).

lol, thanks! I myself suprised XD