I'm looking for recommendations for authors you feel are similar in style to any of the following:

IKETANI Rikako
IKUEMI Ryou
WATANABE Peko
ZARIA Ranmaru
Est Em
OKAZAKI Mari
SHIMURA Takako
ASHIHARA Hinako
KAWACHI Haruka
YACHI Emiko
KIRA Takashi
OKAYA Izumi
Josee
TSURUTANI Kaori
NEMU Youko (edited to add them!!)
FURUYA Minoru (similar to me to the above in terms of their pace/tone/stories, but probably the most divergent in style...the story I enjoyed most was Wanitokagegisu.)

These are all authors where I have enjoyed multiple works in their back catalog, mainly due to their storytelling ability and styles. The way I would characterize their styles as a whole (although this is a huge simplification) is 1) slice of life pace with an overarching "issue", 2) deal with daily life of people / human drama rather than anything fantastic or over the top, although supernatural elements are featured in their works & some stories could be considered dramatic, 3) short/medium story lengths (typically <100 chapters per work), 4) well-developed characters, and 5) melancholy and/or contemplative in tone but with a sense of humor.

If you're familiar with one or just want to share a favorite author that has a similar style to what I wrote out, that works, too! Any genre, themes, yaoi, yuri, manhwa, manhua, manga, etc, is ok. Authors with a limited back catalog (only have 1-2 works out but fit anyway...TSURUTANI Kaori is like this for me) are ok, too.

http://i.imgur.com/LxhWm.jpg (will reformat this some day…)

How about SUGISHITA Kiyomi? They only have two series but MagMell Shinkai Suizokukan sounds like what you are looking for. (The MU description isn't a good representation of the actual story)

Nice to see someone else rec MagMell here, it's so good.

Would also recommend Hiraeth wa Tabiji no Hate, though not all of the author's other works fit your description.

Most of OZAKI Kaori's works do, however.

Glad I asked! These look great.

@lollylopmr, I started MagMell until work got in the way and it already "clicks" with me. I love the informational aspect about it and +1 for marine life, which is something I like in general. Uma Hime-sama to Shika Ouji is the other work by SUGISHITA Kiyomi and it looks like there are some scanlated releases although they aren't recorded on MU yet - the description looks promising and glancing through the first chapter seems like the type of shoujo I like! + a supernatural aspect!

@Alimeru, you're right on the money with OZAKI Kaori -- I've read Kami-sama ga Uso o Tsuku. and Knife (both read in 2013 - so due for a re-read, esp Kami-sama ga Uso o Tsuku since I marked it as a favorite), but I think I discovered them independently of the other so time to look through the others. I'm already excited about Hiraeth wa Tabiji no Hate, too...really enjoy works that explore themes like grief - might start with that after MagMell.

Thank you both so much!

http://i.imgur.com/LxhWm.jpg (will reformat this some day…)

Another work that might interest you is Navillera: Like a Butterfly it is about a 70 year old man who decides that he wants to start doing ballet. It focuses a lot on the social challenges he faces from his family and others for wanting to do ballet (gender stereotyping and his age). It also deals with his physical/health challenges he faces due to his age. He also inspires a few specific young adult characters to turn their live around and follow their dreams.

TLDR: (According to the author) The ballet is the draw to get you to read the series but the focus is on his journey through life, challenges through his elder years and how everything impacts those who care about him. Be warned it is an emotional read.

read the categories if you want spoilers on some of his health challenges

Taki Takanosuke no Sanpo Jikan and Reiroukan Kenzai Nariya were both good & might fit what you're looking for.

@lollylopmr: That sounds perfect, one of the reviews on the page hit me already ( "an old man trying to realize his last wish, preparing to "die" as he will no longer be the same, sharing good memories with everyone around him." ). I've been gravitating toward introspective stories (and, side bar, getting frustrated when the author can't pick between 'do I want to develop the romance and add drama?' or 'do I want to work on building my character?' and just falling totally flat on both.)

@BiggMixx: Taki Takanosuke no Sanpo Jikan is one I keep coming back to when I do searches, but I've been waffling on reading it for no reason -- I will now!! I love the art in Reiroukan Kenzai Nariya already...realized I've read one shots by the authors (in collections), but never a whole series!

Thank you both! : )

http://i.imgur.com/LxhWm.jpg (will reformat this some day…)

Ever since I read Hiraeth I somehow keep coming upon French publications of manga that revolve around mortality so I wanted to pop into this thread and recommend two others: Saihate kara, Toho 5-fun and Boku wa Mata, Kimi ni Sayonara no Kazu wo Miru. No English translations but if you can read Japanese or French you're good to go.

Since there's no description for the first one, I'll give a short summary: There's an inn near a place called "suicide peak", and tourists as well as people who are considering jumping often stop by. A girl who feels she has nothing left to live for is invited to work there for a few months. The story revolves around how her and the other employees deal with the dilemmas that the people who stop by are facing.