The title is pretty much it! Being vague on purpose so feel free to interpret it as you want when it comes to “realistic” (after all, I am primarily a shoujo fan, so my tolerance for plot misunderstanding and contrivances is very…very high.) Can also be PLATONIC! Like between friends or family, too! I’m a sucker for characters actually growing and learning and changing.

The premise can wacky or bizarre or isekai — I am fine with that, just so long as the pace is somewhat slice of life or not action-heavy. A defined plot is fine, even though that’s not strictly slice of life.

Mature shoujo or shounen is ok, too. Sometimes classifications blur but if it’s realistic drama/ relationship drama then I’m down! Yaoi, yuri, BL, GL are all okay and very welcome as the series that inspired this post is a GL manga: Otona ni Natte mo (SHIMURA Takako) by Shimura Takako. Others that I have read/re-read recently that fit what I vaguely have in mind:

Cousin
Koguresou Monogatari
Old Friends
Haipoji HIGH POSITION
Tokyo Alien Brothers (the relationships here are believable even if the plot is way out there! This is kind of what I mean by flexible!)
Unubore Heart's Cry (mature shoujo example; really tight story with good character progression for everyone!)
Natsuyuki Rendezvous
Sexy Tanaka-san
Watashi ga Itemo Inakutemo

Last edited by flowinmyboat at 2:23 pm, Jul 8 2022

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I'm taking the "relationship" in the broad sense if you don't mind it.

- Ikoku Nikki (YAMASHITA Tomoko): This is about growing up, but handled in a quite "life-like", casual way. I also like the aunt-niece relationship here and think it's very realistic.
- Bread & Butter: Seeing that you like Sexy Tanaka-san, here is another manga by Ashihara Hinako about grown-up people.
- Yuria-sensei no Akai Ito: The predicament the MC finds herself in is too realistic at times. And although it's more of a comedy, it keeps things real.
- Anata ga Shite Kure Nakute mo: This feels like it's dragging on too much, so I'm not too sure about recommending it, but imo this manga is realistic about failing marriages.

I hope you haven't read any of these, and if you have, I'd like to hear your opinion on them 🙂

I'm definitely lean more towards cheesy and wacky shoujo so I may not be the best judgement of 'realistic', but here are some of my faves that have more realistic characters (though I'm not sure how much there is in terms of character development):

Anything by NEMU Youko basically. In particular Gozen 3-ji no Muhouchitai and Pen to Chocolate are ones I love. I can't give an unbiased opinion on whether these series are actually good because I'm blinded by how delightfully endearing the female leads are, but I enjoyed them a lot, and the character interactions feel really natural.

If you like Shimura Takako, you might also like Koiiji which is also by her, and is also a series that is carried by how easy it is to root for the female lead. There are also some pretty complicated relationships between the cast of characters, which is always fun to explore.

I'm also quite partial to KINDAICHI Renjuurou's work. It leans more into comedy rather than serious drama, but the main characters are always really likeable and both hilarious and realistic in the way they react to things. Nicoichi is my favourite atm, and Liar x Liar is also fun if you're okay with step-sibling relationships.

Broad is good!! Ikoku Nikki (YAMASHITA Tomoko) and Anata ga Shite Kure Nakute mo are new to me, but I have read the other two.

My thoughts:

- Bread & Butter: Very cute and I think executed the premise as realistically as it's going to get. MCs are likable and not dramatic -- one thing I really love is that the female MC respects the male MCs privacy and only probes when it's justified (i.e., their future shared finances). And the male MC...just answers her CALMLY?? Like an adult?? SO refreshing, even though it's clear he doesn't really wanna talk about it but does it because he respects her and understands her concerns and knows she isn't prodding. I love that they're open but there is enough mystery to unravel. The male MC's self-reflection on why his previous relationship didn't work and how he's actively trying to avoid those issues with the female MC is *chef's kiss.* The story does a good job of showing the female MC isn't a replacement, but rather a complements the male MC in a different way. The female MC's relationship to her family and how the male MC integrates, considering his own family background, is so sweet. Good growth and learning on both ends. Cons of the series is that it feels like it's meandering already at 16 chapters (what I've read) and that's out of 10 volumes/39 chapters, so I am curious on where it's going and hope it doesn't devolve into mindless drama or a love triangle. Would love to see it continue down the path of them growing further and bigger with each other, especially considering they don't know a lot of things about each other.

- Yuria-sensei no Akai Ito: Death to all in that story (shame there is no knife emoticon!!!) BUT Yuria (and the various children), who is more longsuffering than me. I've seen this theme of "secret male/female lover comes out when there is a medical crisis or death and family reels" done much better -- I have to chase down the title of the manga (there is a one-shot I am thinking of). The young lover was annoying as hell, but even then I got what the author was doing. Yuria, however, is ALWAYS delightful and perhaps this series is resilience porn but it's also real. Some people get dealt awful hands (although it really just kept coming at her in this one, lol). Her attitude was so delightful and the author did a wonderful job of fleshing out her thought process and the opening with her family laid a solid groundwork for her mentality. I was furious a lot of the time, but happy I read it. Maybe not a re-read outside some portions. I did think everyone grew in this, but Yuria shouldered SO much. I was ready to fight on her behalf.

Last edited by flowinmyboat at 9:03 pm, Jul 8 2022

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I love, love, love NEMU Youko. Her art is so cute and I love the simplicity of her characters. I've read a few of the Gozen 3-ji...titles, but I am gonna add Pen to Chocolate to the list of to-reads!

I will start reading Koiji. I have started it and stopped it maybe three times and I am not sure why I can't get into it even though everyone has great things to say. Generally, I read everything Shimura Takako puts out (even the more...envelope pushing stuff for me. LIke "Sayonara, Otoko no Ko"...I don't hate deaging as a trope, but only every in a hands off way...😔) Musume no Iede is one of my favorites, too.

You listed my two fav works by her! Nicoichi is so good as is Liar x Liar -- I feel that author has a tendency to drag out the stories but I like them too much to complain much.

Last edited by flowinmyboat at 9:03 pm, Jul 8 2022

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I skew more slice-of-life-y than interpersonal-drama-y, but here's a list of works in rough order of personal rating and fit:

Kakukaku Shikajika and other works by HIGASHIMURA Akiko
seconding the Ikoku Nikki (YAMASHITA Tomoko) suggestion from above (though still ongoing), and other works by YAMASHITA Tomoko
Mikako-san
Let's Go Karaoke!, Captivated, By You, by WAYAMA Yama
Haru to Bonkura
Maou no Kikan
My Broken Mariko
Dosei Mansion, Hana Bolo, by IWAOKA Hisae
Kodomo wa Wakatte Agenai, Mizu wa Umi ni Mukatte Nagareru, by TAJIMA Rettou
Metamorphose no Engawa
Zassou-tachi yo Taishi o Idake
Getsuyoubi no Tomodachi
Kyouko to Tousan

Last edited by Thth at 1:10 am, Jul 9 2022

How about these?
Haru's Curse
An Incurable Case of Love
Descending Stories

This one is a manhua so it runs a bit long, but I really like the character development of the main couple.
Here U Are

Thank you for your input. I couldn't have explained better why I liked Bread & Butter so much myself 🙂 I haven't read ahead either, but I'm up-to-date with Tanaka-san and if B&B follows the same pattern, I expect nothing but more character growth from it. I have good expectations from the author.

The younger boyfriend in Yuria-sensei annoys me to death too, but I like Yuria so much that I can brave through it. What I like about that manga is how all the secret lover drama is unfolding in the background while real-life problems and responsibilities like how they will accommodate her husband at home, how to deal with her old mother-in-law etc. take the center stage. Life is hard enough, so there's little space left for drama and it feels quite "real".

I hope you remember the name of that one shot, I think I like this premise. I'm following this thread, because I'm interested in realistic josei titles as well.

This thread is an absolute goldmine. I picked up so many good ones from here.

A few I'd recommend that haven't been mentioned are:

Butter!!! by Yamashita Tomoko
Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu by Umino Tsunami
Cheese in the Trap by Soonkki
Yonensei , Gonensei and Genshiken by Kio Shimoku
Himegoto by Minenami Ryo

Genshiken is a bit long but the interactions feel very genuine among friends.
Butter is about joining a club in school and learning a new skill alongside making new friends.
Cheese is uni drama manhwa but I could relate to many of the incidents.
Not sure if Himegoto should be on this list but there's definitely a lot of drama in the relationships involved. Its the work that made the Boy's Abyss author famous so you could give it a try.

Last edited by xonthehawk at 6:19 am, Jul 9 2022

The other works of Tokyo Alien Bros author, SHINZOU Keigo, are also excellent for realistic slice of life, though Bokura no Funkasai is the only other currently completed & fully English-translated series I believe.

Also Hirayasumi and Nami yo Kiite Kure

Real Clothes?

I don’t know if it’s your flavor but I loved Ase to Sekken — it was a little quirky on the premise but the problems that they face as they grow into their relationships and face insecurities is really comforting.

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My Personal Favorites: Skip Beat, Tokyo Crazy Paradise, Ashita No Ousama, Gokusen, Until Death Do Us Part, Perfect Girl Evolution, Ouran Highschool Host Club, Kisu yori mo Hayaku.

*falls back with nosebleed, killed by the sexy*

I second Real Clothes. I also suggest Ashita no Ou-sama and perhaps Kagome Kagome (IKEBE Aoi)

Edit: Adding Watashi no Shounen (TAKANO Hitomi) as well.

Last edited by Karonhioktha at 10:53 am, Jul 28 2022