Glass no Kamen

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Manga centered around a character's pursuit of a subject matter, e.g. an artform or career. Emphasis placed on works where the engagement with the subject matter is the driving force of the story.

- Weebookey

Top 50 best selling manga (according to current reported numbers), in order from highest to lowest

Basically the classic popular shoujo manga art/design style.

Number of sales and date that number was acquired from in notes for each. Some of them I have personally estimated a higher figure than the date says.

No. 98 is Gaki Deka, but I couldn't find it. It has sold 30 million (November 16th, 2017), and was made by Tatsuhiko Yamagami and the publisher is Akita Shoten.

No. 99 says Jingi, but it seems to be Tachihara Ayumi's other work Maji! due to the dates and amount of volumes.

No. 105 is Sake no Hosomichi by Roswell Hosoki, which started in 1994 with 52 volumes & 998 chapters in Weekly Manga Goraku.

No. 115 is 4P Tanaka-kun by Taro Nami & Sanbanchi Kawa, which started in 1986 with 51 volumes & 459 chapters in Weekly Shonen Magazine Akita Shoten.

No. 118 is Hocho Mushuku by Yasuyuki Tagawa, which started in 1998 with 50 volumes & 302 chapters in Weekly Manga Goraku Nihon Bungeisha.

No. 142 is Gambling Racer by Makoto Tanaka, which started in 1988 with 46 volumes & 477 chapters in Weekly Morning Kodansha.

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The 𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝟚𝟜 𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕡, refers to the female mangaka who completely revolutionized shōjo manga in the 1970s, and whose influence can be seen in modern shoujo work today.

The title coming from the fact that many of them were born in the year Showa 24
(1949; for this reason they are also occasionally referred to as the Forty-Niners).

Plus a selection of pieces from the "ℙ𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝟚𝟜 𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕡" who were inspired by these mangaka.

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Stories of girls and women who pursue a passion

An attempted list of the most important/influential post-war mangaka, and some of their most important series. All of the mangaka/manga here are well worth checking out.

Post-war refers to after World War II. So the list will exclude figures most known for works which came out prior to the War like Tagawa and Yokoyama(Ryuuichi).

Japan's Shōwa era lasted from 1926 to 1989. In 2009, Asahi Shimbun announced a polled list of 50 of the greatest 'masterpieces(名作)' of the Shōwa era. The only one not listed on MAL yet is 'Iga no Kagemaru' by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, which was ranked 27th.

https://www.comic-takaoka.jp/

Manga adaptations of classical works as well as stories about people in higher education with a DA aesthethic or people appreciating the arts with an old aesthethic. So I won't include something such as Blue Period because the aestehthic doesn't fit but it does thematically. But this is an aesthethic, and since it's Eurocentric I have to be a bit liberal with my definition.

shoujo manga that started publishing in the 1970s or earlier

Note: Due to the number of missing manga from the database I will add the ones that would be included in the stack at the bottom of this description. And will leave room in the stack for these manga in the case that they are added in the future.

There are a number of works that I've not been able to read at all or read completely in the list so my commentary on those entries is limited, also my Japanese reading skill is limited currently so that limits some of the commentary as well. Also the list is mainly focused on the older titles as my knowledge on newer titles is relatively limited when it comes to shoujo manga.

Related links:
History of "Shoujo" Anime - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/16071
List of Shoujo manga released before 1980s - https://myanimelist.net/clubs.php?cid=84956

The beginnings of the history of girls comic magazines in Japan can be traced to the early 1900s with one of the first notable magazines "Shoujo no Tomo" gaining popularity among the female audience. The strong visual presence and the character design that are usually associated with shoujo manga draw their roots also to that period. Among the early pioneers of the visual approach "Jun'ichi Nakahara" is usually mentioned due to the influence of his design and approach to the character when it comes to shoujo manga.

This list attempts to collect some of the most important works when it comes to the history of shoujo manga, starting from the beginning. This is done so that people who are interested in or new to the history of "Shoujo" manga can gain atleast some kind of understanding of the history and the development throughout the years.

I will try to write my short spoiler free review/thoughts for each of the entries on this list to explain further why I think the entry is important as far as the history of "shoujo" manga is concerned.

Important manga missing from the database:

1957 - Shoujo Club - Fuichin-san (フイチンさん) - Ueda Toshiko (上田としこ)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/148274

Most early shoujo mangaka were men, and shoujo manga didn't have a particular "identity" in 1950s, as it was mostly just used as "a springboard" for authors aiming for the more popular shounen magazines. However Ueda Toshiko took everyone by storm as a female author with "Fuichin-san" one of the "big hits" in the evolving 1950s - 1960s shoujo manga scene.

The story focuses on the character "Fuichin" and is set on a period near WW2 in Manchuria. It is said that Ueda Toshiko drew some inspiration from her own experiences in Manchuria durin that period.

1958 - Shoujo - Tokyo Paris (東京・パリ) - Takahashi Macoto (高橋真琴)

Takahashi Macoto is often credited with popularizing the usage of glitter or star shaped visual in the eyes of the characters when it comes to the visual design of the character. The works of Takahashi Macoto usually put heavy emphasis on his detailed art and design of the characters.

1960 - Shoujo - Maki no Kuchibue (マキの口笛) - Maki Miyako (牧美也子)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/142707/Maki_no_Kuchibue

Maki Miyako drew popularity in early 1960s scene with hit works such as Maki no Kuchibue. The work features a dramatic approach to the world of "dance" and "performance". The visual approach in the art used by Maki Miyako was also emphasised in the series with intricate portrayals of fashion and passion.

The popularity of this work and her art resulted in Maki Miyako being let in charge for the original design of the Licca-chan toy doll franchise which debuted in 1967.

1962 - Shoujo - Shimai Futari (姉妹ふたり) - Maki Miyako (牧美也子)

1963 - Ribon - Chibikko Tenshi (ちびっこ天使) - Yokoyama Mitsuteru (横山光輝)

The series featured a "pair" of "angels" who were able to use magic, they came down to earth and caused all sorts of mischief with their powers. Often considered something of a precursor to the acclaimed series "Mahoutsukai Sally"

1966 - Ribon - Honey Honey no Suteki na Bouken (ハニーハニーのすてきな冒険) - Mizuno Hideko (水野英子)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/112823/Honey_Honey_no_Suteki_na_Bouken

1967 - Ribon - Sweet★Lala (スイート★ラーラ) - Kitajima Yoko (北島洋子)

1967 - Margaret - Comet-san (コメットさん) - Yokoyama Mitsuteru (横山光輝)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/139540

1969 - (Unknown) - Ballet Hoshi (バレエ星) - Tani Yukiko (谷ゆき子)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/142708/Ballet_Hoshi

1969 - Margaret - Glass no Shiro (ガラスの城) - Watanabe Masako (わたなべまさこ)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/129561

There are many mangas that tell the story of characters who try to achieve their dreams in the world of art (in any artistic field).
Here I have collected all the mangas of this genre that made my heart beat.
Are you ready to be overwhelmed by the passion for art of all these fantastic characters?

titles centering on visual arts, performing arts, and fashion; typically sentimental in nature and include friendship and coming of age themes; sorted by average rating