Manhwa / Manga / Manhua Recommendations
I'll give them their own, more in-depth Rec Posts later, but I wanted to do a quick dive into some of my favorites that I wanted to recommend!
Genre: GL, 18+, Drama, Age Gap (Younger Top x Older Bottom), Romance
Warnings: Cheating, Sexual Violence, Toxic Relationships
Status: Complete (104 chapters)
Where to Read: MangaDex (S1 in English, S2/S3 in Portuguese), Lezhin (Official English translation)
Love Thy Neighbor is a wild ride. College student Pah Doyeon's neighborhood isn't the greatest, as her older neighbor, Jin Joo, is regularly harassed by violent loan sharks after her husband put them in debt and ran off. One day, she sees Jin Joo ready to jump to escape the loan sharks and, on impulse, drags her into her own apartment and begins hiding the woman. It's supposed to only be a temporary situation until they find a better solution. Only, Doyeon begins to develop feelings.
This relationship is messy, it's toxic, and the codependency is so strong. It's a story of crossing lines to survive, questioning whether love is enough for a relationship and how long can love survive before it becomes something twisted, and there are a lot of instances where it's very blurry on whether consent was involved or not, with them both using sex to hurt each other. Jin Joo and Pah Doyeon are both broken people who can't stop gravitating back to the other.
It does have a happy ending! Though they have to go through a lot of hurt to reach that point, they do get their happy ever after together. I cannot recommend this story enough, its one of my favorites.
The Omega Heroine Wants Her Alpha Villainess
Genre: GL, Omegaverse, Isekai, Slowburn, Enemies to Lovers, Drama
Status: Complete (152 Episodes)
Where To Read: Mangadex (Incomplete), Tapas (Official, Complete)
Ji Xiao (Ji Willow in English) was a TA/Teacher's Intern for a college before a biking accident caused her to transmigrate into an omegaverse novel she had been reading, taking the place of the villainess of the story who happened to share her name. In the novel, Xiao would torment the heroine, Wei Qingyu (Wei Serena in English), to the point of forcibly marking her, and in the end Qingyu would get her revenge by carving out Xiao's scent glands and feeding her to sharks. Hoping to avoid such a vicious fate, Xiao resolves to treat Qingyu with the upmost respect and care so that she can avoid a grisly demise. Solid plan on paper, becomes more complicated when feelings start to develop.
I have not finished reading this one yet, so I can't say anything about the end. But it is an amazing story and a nice change of omegaverse stories in that it's not pure smut. Both Xiao and Qingyu are fascinating characters, and it is a delight to see their motives and thoughts explored. The way Qingyu's feelings develop for Xiao feel realistic and not at all rushed considering that just until a little while ago Xiao was her tormentor.
Only the Ridiculously Emotional Stalker Can Save the Corporate Slave at Her Limit
Genre: GL, Romance, Comedy, Yandere, Slice of Life
Warning: Suicide Attempt in Ch. 1
Status: Ongoing (8 chapters currently)
A romcom about an overworked editor (Yamada Hana) who, after being driven to the brink by her work, attempted to kill herself, only to wake up in what seems like paradise after being saved by her stalker. Now she finds that her every need and want will be met immediately, so that she can live out the rest of her days in luxury and peace, and she couldn't be happier about it.
It's adorable, guys. Absolutely hilarious and cute as hell.
Genre: GL, Office Workers, Enemies to Lovers, Slice of Life, Romantic Comedy
Status: Complete (42 chapters)
Marketing Director Shen and Operations Director Jiang have known each other since childhood and have been rivals ever since. With Shen's hot temper and Jiang's arrogant nature, no one thinks they'll ever get along. However, too many drinks at a company party leads to a drunken Shen kissing Jiang, their dynamic takes a very sharp shift. Now Jiang just wants to get more kisses from Shen, and while Shen takes to using this to find a way to beat Jiang once and for all.
It's adorable. The drama is low stakes. The cast is small. It's just two disaster lesbians figuring out their feelings and trying to make this new relationship work.
Another Typical Fantasy Romance
Genre: Het, Romance, Isekai, Comedy, She fell first, He fell harder.
Status: Ongoing (Currently 160 chapters)
Where To Read: Tapas (Is up to all 160 chapters), Webtoon (Currently only at Ch 9 without FP, Ch 28 with FP)
Lithera Merto was transmigrated into her favorite novel by God on accident. Using her knowledge of the world and plot, she was able to rise to the very top; marrying the dashing ML of the novel and becoming the empress. She is the perfect empress, able to navigate around the crafty nobles and international affairs, divorces her husband due to his yandere nature. Five years pass, she has been successfully managing the empire, and has developed a strong friendship with the northern duke, Pellus Termaine, who she regards as her closest ally. Only, her ex returns and in a fit of possessive jealousy, kills Lithera. Cashing in on the one wish God gave her, she goes back in time to when it all started, giving her a second chance This time, Lithera chooses not to follow the story of the novel, and instead sets out to secure her own happiness by going to the north so she can finally meet her closest friend, Pellus, and marry him.
It's adorable, it's hilarious, and the way Lithera and Pellus love each other is so sweet and wholesome. Pellus may be the Beast of the North, but Lithera is the true scary one between them. These two are absolutely ride or die for each other. The romance doesn't take long to kick in, so we don't have to worry about a very dragged out 'will they wont they' plotline of them dancing around their feelings. These two are the healthiest straight couple I've read in a good long time. I’m only in S2 of the 4 seasons so far, so I can’t talk much about what happens in those later seasons.
Genre: Fluff, Found Family, Adventure, Fantasy
Status: Complete (31 chapters)
After being found by a rescue team in an abandoned building, Mori is placed in a children's home. He learns a new way of life, developing friendships, and receiving care packages from a mysterious patron. After learning about 'mothers' from one of the children, Mori becomes convinced that his patron is his mom, and sets off on a journey to find her. While travelling, he is taken in by Rider, who upon recognizing the Fah Clan insignia on Mori, decides to bring him to them in hopes of a reward.
This is an absolutely heartwarming and adorable story about how a family isn't define by the blood you share. It's a story exploring what defines a 'mom'. It's a story about how a village can come together to raise a child for no other reason than unconditional love. The cutest fucking thing you will ever read.
