Guide 05 Independent notes
Best shoujo manga for beginners
A short, mood-based list of series that are easy to enter, with notes on length and on how to read a manga that opens from the other side.
How to choose a first series
The best first series is the one whose mood you want. Decide first whether you would like comedy, a slow love story, magic, adventure or a sad and funny family story. Then choose a title that is finished or at least has a clear first volume, so you can see if the style suits you.
Six easy ways in
- Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya. A family story with a curse and a lot of heart. It is finished in 23 volumes. Mood: warm, funny and sad.
- Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori. A comedy about a scholarship student and a club of rich students, finished in 18 volumes. Mood: bright and silly.
- Kimi ni Todoke by Karuho Shiina. A shy girl slowly makes friends and finds love, finished in 30 volumes. Mood: gentle and patient.
- Cardcaptor Sakura by CLAMP. A magical girl series with a calm, kind tone. Mood: soft and adventurous.
- Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi. The classic magical girl team story. Mood: big, romantic and dramatic.
- Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi. A fantasy adventure about a princess who loses her home and finds her path. Mood: epic and character driven.
Check the current status of any series before you start, since some are still running and new volumes keep appearing.
How to read manga from right to left
Japanese manga is read from right to left. In a book printed in the original format, the front cover is where a Western reader would expect the back. You begin at the top right corner of the first page and move left across each row of panels, then down to the next row.
Inside a panel, speech bubbles follow the same direction: the bubble that is further right is read first. Most licensed English editions keep this format, and many digital editions guide you with page turns that go the same way. If you pick up a book and the story feels backward, check whether it is meant to be read right to left.
- Open the book from the right side.
- Read the top right panel first.
- Move left across the row, then down.
- In each panel, read the right bubble before the left one.
Where to read legally
Look for licensed editions from publishers that translate manga, in print or in digital shops, and ask your library, which may lend volumes and e-books. Licensed copies pay the creators, and they usually include good translation notes.
Where next
When you finish one, try a series from another mood, or go back in time with the classic shoujo manga list. If the drawing style caught your eye, see the art style guide.