I am looking for a romance manga where at least one of the main characters (it can be both) believes that they have an unrequited romance--ie, that the other person does not love them.

There has to be a serious and long-lasting reason for why at least one believes the other cannot love them: they believe the other person loves someone else, or they're childhood friends who find it uncomfortable to see each other in a new light, or because of an age gap, or one of them believes that it's impossible for the other person to love them, etc. (Hopefully the love will end up being requited, but as long as the 'angst' is there, it's fine.)

It's a bit broad, but here are a few specifications to narrow it down: Preferably no ecchi or smut of any sort, please, unless the manga is so epic that you really recommend it. And, I would really like a well-written manga; it can in range in genre from comedic to drama to even tragedy, but I haven't been able to find any truly well-written mangas in a long time, so, that would be very helpful. Clarifications on the 'angst': Perhaps the word 'angst' is too strong; any kind of emotional struggle, or something that tugs at the heartstrings, would fit the category. Also, I am NOT looking for manga where, in the fifth chapter, the romance is already resolved; I am looking for stories that center upon the process of the protagonists' romantic conflict/struggle.

A few perfect examples of what I'm looking for would be:

Bara no Tame ni Although I abhor incest manga, this is the one exception I make--Sumire does not realize that his feelings for Yuri extend beyond merely platonic/brotherly, and Yuri believes that Sumire can never love her and resigns her feelings to a distance. Please don't recommend incest manga; I'm simply listing this to give an example of a romance manga where one side 'tucks away' their feelings to protect the other person.

Koishi Tagari no Blue The girl believes that the guy loves his former girlfriend; the guy is torn between his new love and his old love. (So cute!)

Hana no Namae Chouko thinks that Kei cannot love her; Kei thinks that he cannot 'taint' Chouko with his dark past. (I love stories like this, where the older male/female restrains or suppresses their feelings for the younger person because they think the love is unattainable/not right. On that note, Dengeki Daisy also fits perfectly into this category.)

Nonchan to Watashi If any other one-shots are this good, please recommend it. This completely captures the conflicted childhood-friends-falling-in-love. (Sweet Black is also a good example.)

Shuukatsu!! - Kimi ni Naitei Asaoka thinks she should see Manabe as only a senpai; Manabe restrains his feelings for Asaoka because of personal reasons.

I would really appreciate some wonderful manga titles to read. Thank you very much!

kirai
strobe edge
hapi mari

Unrequited love - Unrequited love category listing with doujin, Hentai, shoujo-ai, yuri, shounen-ai, yaoi, ecchi and smut all filtered out.

Last edited by darknova42 at 1:58 pm, Apr 5 2010

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Feed your head.

Seconding all of darknova's suggestions! Those are all great mangas! (Strobe Edge really has what you're looking for!)

- I also suggest Strange Orange, though it may not be as angsty as what you'd like.
- However, 3 Years is a very heart-breaking manga and has some nice angst. Plus I think it's probably what you want.
- Bokura ga Ita this manga BLEEDS angst. It seeps from its every pore like an over-filled sponge. Unrequinted loves abound, in conjunction with painful break-ups.
- Eden no Hana... well, this has the angst and one-sided love and the hidden feelings and all that good stuff. Don't be scared by the incest

- I'm going to jump the gun and reccomend L-DK. It's only two chapters so far, but there's already a set-up for the kind of stuff you're looking for.

I have a lot more stashed away somewhere, but that's off the top of my head.

EDIT: Oh, and I'm also going to throw Savage Garden out there.

Try the following:
[Moe Kare]
Hapi Mari

that's all I can recall from all the shoujo mangas i've read that involves unrequited love.

Hope you'll like them,,,esp. Moe kare,,,I swear! It moved me..hehe

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No ONGOING-STATUSES please.

genshiken - iirc there's some unrequited romance in the later volumes (7 onwards)
sensei! - something like your description of Hana no Namae. if you like this, try kiss
aki sora - hentai (in my definition). just skip chapter 6 if you want to read it.
Ipaasha- oneshot. kinda relevant
Dawn of the Arcana - hate-love thingy

Lovesick - fits exactly from my point of view.

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I love vampires.

More recommendations!

Lovesick, Dawn of the Arcana, Hapi Mari are exactly what I've been looking for, but unfortunately I've already read them... >< Sorry for not mentioning that. But thank you! They're exactly what I would have wanted.

But all of the other manga titles are new to me, and they look perfect. Thank you so much! They exactly fit my rather long, slightly muddled but still sincere request.

Just to clarify--again, the angst doesn't need to be full on weeping, or crazy drama. Just any manga titles where love is thwarted and thus heart flutterings ensue (oh my!) would be fine.

Again, thank you to those who have already answered... Any more recommendations?

Sing Yesterday for Me is a great read and fits.

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If the sea were made of Whiskey and I was a duck
I'd swim to the bottom and never come up

Suki ni Nattemo Iino? (Girl falls for a novel writer who can't get over the dead of his wife)
Little House with the Orange Roof (no angst but it's sweet unrequited since both parts have been betrayed by their spouses)

The One--she loves him but he can't return her feelings because he doesn't want her to be in danger. You are probably already reading this.

Chiro Star Project--she loves him but she is forced to break up with him by this other dude who she owes a debt to. Not really angsty for me cos I am supporting the dude that forced her to break up but maybe it will be for you if you are supporting her first lover.

Kuro Bara Alice--quite angsty. the guy can't be with her as he is of a lower social class even though they both love eachother, she is engaged to his best friend whoz same social class as her. Also she doesn't realise he is in love with her. Its quite dark and potrays Vampires in a whole new way.

Kimi no Sei---don't think it will be unrequited for long though. Guy falls in love with girl. Girl hates him and tells him he used to bully her in the past. He has forgotten about that though so he asks her out and she agrees so that she can have her revenge. So she makes him do all sorts of stuff like being her chauffeur etc. He is like crazy in love with her.

Provence--the second part fits that whole unrequited love thing. Guy loves girl who even though she might have feelings for him refuses to date him because she thinks of him as a little brother. She knows about his feelings but dismisses them. So its a bit similar to that oneshot Nonchan to Watashi

S no Yuiitsu M no Zettai--the first story fits. not angsty at all though.

Last edited by John21 at 6:39 am, Apr 8 2010

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Angel Beats--best anime of the 2010 spring season

Otome Gokoro I think it's angsty enough - it makes you want to punch a few characters really badly.
a girl likes her friend but he seems to still have a crush on his first love

Crazy for You
Hoshi wa Utau
Koi Nanka Hajimaranai same author of Koishi tagari. The guy has a uncommon way to show he cares for the girl, so she thinks she has an unrequited love.
Senpai to Kanojo
Tonari no Atashi
Hatsukoi ni Oboreta short but pretty intense

Dawn of the Arcana - this series is like CRACK. I love all the main characters, and the plot itself makes you all desperate for more. Take it from me - I don't read that much manga anymore, and this is one of the few I still read.

Hapi Mari - Yeah, again, although the angst part is downplayed. Personally, the first few chapters were the charm that hooked me in, but now I seem to find myself becoming less interested...

Goong - Probably fits perfectly what you want. Unrequited love screams its name~ There's the old girlfriend of the main dude, the fact that neither thinks one could like the other, etc etc... Plus a bit of angst (though annoying at times) to go with it.

Blue (SAKISAKA Io) - It's a volume-long story, and involves cousins. Which in itself is enough of a reason to think they can't be loved back. Check it out.

Strobe Edge - Same author as above. Summary says it all.

Maybe,

Kare wa Tomodachi
&
Sprout.

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"You cannot escape death. It continues forever ...
Just like the snow falling on your shoulders.
It will never end. That is all that life is."
- Immortal Rain

Those are my favourite kinds, I've read more than I can remember, though there's a lot of poorly written stuff around.

So bad!- 6 volumes long.
Parfait Tic! - 22 volumes long, I really like this one, its quite angsty. Its a bit of a love triangle. Some readers don't like her wishy washy attitude, but I thought it was actually really balanced and realistic also

More light hearted ones:
Full Moon o Sagashite - cute story, although not really a lot of angst till later on in the story.
Ultimate venus - My favourite is actually the secondary male, its a bit of a harem story though and unfinished I think, but the girl is quite cool.
Mei-chan no Shitsuji - You've probably already read it, but I think this one is really cute. I'm quite into bishies, plus this one is full of the forbidden "lady and her butler" romances.

Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni Sasagu

I enjoyed this one even though I am a guy.