I've made prior requests about shoujo heroines who don't care about romance, but this isn't quite the same thing.

I'm looking for a shoujo heroine/protagonist who actually has realistic ideas about romance. She may or may not be interested in it herself, but even if she is, she doesn't have weird, surreal ideas about glittery princes or knights in shining armor or 'cute' devils (huh...?). Guys are real people to her, just like girls are. They're not mythical creatures or aliens from another planet.

By 'realistic' ideas, I don't mean all-negative ideas, either. The heroine isn't idealistic about romance, but she's not fatalistic, either. She shouldn't expect to be cheated/abused. She shouldn't hate men or any notion of romantic/physical relationships with them. She ought to just be... a reasonable human being with reasonable, middle-of-the-road expectations when it comes to romance. (Heh. Many of you are wondering - are there even people in real life who are that reasonable? Yes, yes, there are. Even if I'm not one of them. Lol, just kidding!)

I want a heroine who doesn't believe in the 'perfect' man, but who is able to love and respect a partner who is less than perfect - who is human, just like she is. I want a heroine who isn't a dishrag that accepts maltreatment in the context of a relationship, but isn't a bloodaxe carving rejection into every sinew of any guy that approaches her, either. I want a heroine whose head isn't filled with rainbows and unicorns, but also isn't filled with dark abysses of despair. I want a heroine who doesn't fall in love at first sight because of some vacuous moment of Maybe-He's-Born-With-It-Maybe-It's-Maybelline hair-flipping, but doesn't reject the advances of a sweet, decent guy, either, especially not in favor of a douchebag who only mistreats her.

Basically - I want a well-adjusted, realistic shoujo heroine capable of having a well-adjusted, realistic romance. A heroine whose ideas about romance aren't like something out of an acid-trip - either a good one or a bad one.

Recommend, please!

Hmm. I think Strobe Edge is fitting. The heroine falls in love pretty fast but not at first sight. And I kinda like her view of love. And the manga is pretty good too!

You've probably read it already but you should try Ouran Host Club?
Also Hana Kimi? I enjoyed it more than Ouran >.<
Oh, and Arakure was also kinda nice, the girl wasn't really interested in a relationship for most part of the series(until the last 3 chapters)

Akagami No Shirayukihime

She isn't the type to really fantasize about men - she has a very realistic sense of the world, and at the same time, when she falls in love at last, she accepts that as well. She's a very mellow take-what-comes kind of person, in everything including love.

I disagree with Strobe Edge. She definitely idealizes him.

Oh tartufo... I've missed reading your requests.

Suki-tte Ii na yo -- but you've already read this!!

Switch (MOCHIZUKI Karin) maybe? I know it's Student-Teacher, but it seems pretty realistic... and I like how it leaves you craving for more... especially this little flashback in chapter 8?

Okay, this may be from left-field, but Momoiro Heaven! is quite interesting... I have never encountered a heroine from a "shoujo smut" genre like this before. Give it a try!! I think the story gets better as you go along...

I have yet to see how this progresses, but Kuro Bara Alice? Okay, okay... the vampire male lead is far from human, but she is not allowed to be weaksauce (or at least, I won't allow her to be weaksauce).

1. Mars by Fuyumi Souryo - First thing that came to mind when I read the description of the manga you wanted. I consider this as one of the more realistic shoujos out there not only because of the story but because of its characters as well, particularly the heroine (Kira).
2. Cat Street by Kamio Youko
3. Mekakushi no Kuni by Tsukuba Sakura
4. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

Gonna have to second this. Honestly I found the heroine so naive and idealistic that I wanted to smack her upside the head (but then again I HATE Strobe Edge so I'm biased).

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is good though. She doesn't really care about romance in the beginning, but that changes somewhat later on.

It sounds like you are looking for more Josei rather than Shoujo. The heroines in Josei have more realistic ideas of romance rather than idealistic. Two that come to mind for me are:
Mars
Cat Street

Sorry I can't really think of many others off the top of my mind

I think Show Princess fits. She's not all head over heels for cute guys. Although her bf is cute and all that. She's not particularly hating men. She's just trying to find a way to survive even if that means to use other people.

Kiss or other manga by MATSUMOTO Tomo Although it's her teacher that she falls for, she is very realistic and tried hard to be his equal ie looking more mature. But she's not perfect and he's no perfect and they both know about that. There are instances where they fought because of that but they solved it anyway. And they both sometimes (maybe they don't show it) feel insecure. Not that jealous possessive psycho type but a decent level of jealousy which usually isn't expressed really well to the other

Koucha Ouji maybe. Since he's afterall a tea prince. But I mean it's not that sudden realization like "oh he's super cute and he's a prince so imma date him"

Omake no Kobayashi kun POTENTIAL SPOILER!! She ends up with another guy, not the first one that she's fond with. They fought a lot before they date. He's not perfect, she's not perfect and they both received their partners' weaknesses. In the end, I love how the guy said that he's the type who wants his wife to stay at home but he's aware that she's not that type of woman so he let her pursue her career. And I love how the guy is not pushy at all. The girl said she prolly cannot date him because she likes another Kobayashi as much as she likes him and he said it's okay as long as she doesn't hate him

Sunadokei I remember it being a good read. I think they're childhood friends and they grew up together and that he's always there for her. And that he's not super sparkly type of guy.

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Help! I'm looking for... manga with dangerous guys http://www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=39874&pa ge=1#post594033

I disagree about Hana Kimi, entertaining as it is. I mean, the heroine casually leaves all her family and friends in the U.S... to attend a boarding school as a boy... to get close to a guy she idolizes... although she's never met him before. How many things are wrong with this picture? Yeah.

If you haven't yet read Gokinjo Monogatari, now would be a good time!

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Avatar by tassyn.livejournal.com

Reading: Kingdom, Sangokushi, Historie

Random Walk hasn't been mentioned?!

And though it technically doesn't fit, if you haven't read Kodomo no Omocha do so. ;D She has extremely childish views at the beginning towards romance (though in a cute, silly, non-annoying way <3), but that's only from the fact that she IS a child. xD Her development is wonderful.

this whole entire paragraph made burst out laughing and i suggest
Nana
Paradise Kiss
Cheese in the Trap [
m]Kuragehime[/m]
Boku no Hatsukoi o Kimi ni Sasagu
17 (SAKURAI Machiko) not so sure about this one

hope i helped in some way

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"In this game of love someone has to lose and it will not be me"

kare kano at the beginning it may look like a typical shoujo but believe me it soon turns into an emotional rooler coaster
narration in seventeen i recommend this whenever i get the chance,NO other shoujo manga i read gave me the same sad realistic feeling ,this is EXACTLY what you're looking for