Hmm what an interesting request. I'll recommend you the ones that stuck with me. Please note that I read every genre, so I'm also including some BL
Sekine-kun no Koi - yes, the mc is handsome, and yes, he can do everything easily. BUT that has not brought him neither much good nor happiness. The truth is that his qualities contrast wonderfully with his wounded, naive and, yes, somewhat puerile psyche. It truly is "about mental side and growth, emotions and psychology, slice of life and such". Absolutely lovely.
Song of the Long March - one of the few manga's I can say are excellent without hesitation. One of the chinese translations reads "Chang Ge's Journey" and that's exactly what it is. It's a young woman's quest to find herself, in a wonderful historical backdrop. Well developed characters, interesting plot, gorgeous art.
Ane no Kekkon - probably the only adultery manga I'll ever read. Really good slice of life. Too bad it doesn't come out very often.
Barakamon - hilarity + cuteness. Not too much of one, not too little of the other. It's got the perfect balance and it somehow manages to squeeze in some character development (and sensei and the children are so cute!)
Blue Sky Complex - shounen-ai. Lovely slice of life, things happen slowly, there's no "I turned gay for you" stuff. Their relationship flows naturally
Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike! - shounen-ai. once again, lovely slice of life. What makes this one shine is the characters, their dynamics and their development. It's great seeing characters you've grown attached to grow up mentally, and here it's all very fluid and natural, to the point that before you know it you already think it's natural for them to be together.
Cheese in the Trap - a josei slice of life with a perceptive, smart and realistic female lead. Honestly, before reading this I never thought a slice of life plot could keep me on the edge of my seat but now I know better. The characters and the relationships between them are also well represented, though I think there are some things that are a little bit exaggerated (though the author admitted to it herself and said it was because it was a manhwa) but it's negligible
Shoukoku no Altair - honestly, despite the art, this is not shoujo. But this is just so good, especially if you like strategy and politics. I also love the mc's character development
The Children's Teacher, Mr. Kwon - another great slice of life. I didn't really expect much of it but now it's one of my favourites. Too bad it seems it's been dropped
A Cruel God Reigns - I have to second this. Although there is a bit too much drama for my tastes, I really like Ian's inner conflict
Annarasumanara - the only word that comes to mind to describe this is "beautiful". And it's got a good message too. Actually, I'd recommend every single
HA Il-Kwon work there is, except for Carnivorous Princess Yegrinna...
Cat Street - this is shoujo, but it's good shoujo. This manga showed me shoujo doesn't have to be annoying and full of cliches
NG Life - honestly, Aironic's review sums up my thoughts almost perfectly (
http://https://www.mangaupdates.com/reviews.html?id=399)
Seven Days - shounen-ai. And the one that made me have faith in the genre. It has to do with the contrasts between expectations/reality and what is shown/what is there.
Sora Log - once again, good shoujo. It does have some commonly seen tropes such as the delinquent boy that doesn't let anyone get near, the beautiful older lady that seems to be close to him and some others, but it's good nonetheless.
Tamashii no Futago - this one's got impact. Really. The twist at the end made me incredibly sad for the characters involved. Actually, I don't think there's a single
MIHARA Mitsukazu work I've read that i haven't liked
They, Too, Love - read this one recently. I wasn't really expecting much but it turned out to be really interesting. It was funny, the characters were charming and I really liked the dynamics between them. The ending didn't disappoint me, either. Truly a pleasant surprise.
Warau Kanoko-sama - I liked this one, the female lead is smart and cynical and undaunted by love. There's not much character development in this one, as it is episodical, but the sequel Koi dano Ai Dano is even better
Bokura no Kiseki - a fantasy whodunnit with a large cast of characters. really good, really interesting. I enjoy not only the mystery but also the mc's and the other character's development. My only complaint is that since it only comes out once a month I keep forgetting the characters since there are so many
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou - starts out light but before you know it it's spiraled down to darkness. Lovely to see the way characters develop and how their development helps others' in turn. A crazy ride
sorry for the long post, it's just that since I like it when people say what they like about something I figured it might also be appreciated
if you don't want to read the blocks of text just skip'em
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