Summary
It’s no shocker that getting ahead in manga requires having a knack for visual storytelling, though that doesn’t necessarily mean being the reincarnation of Da Vinci, Van Gogh, or Jack Kirby. There are plenty of manga with unconventional art styles that became modern-day classics, likeCrayon Shin-chanor the originalOne-Punch Manwebcomic.
But being an artistic prodigy certainly helps, as the likes ofBerserk,Bleach, andMe and the Devil Bluesare a feast for the eyes with their eye for detail and knack for action scenes. Still, it’s not just seinen and shōnen strips that can offer great art. Some of the medium’s most beautiful and iconic artwork comes from shojo manga, with these being just a few of the best examples.
8Red River
Linking The Past With The Present
Starting with a rather underrated entry,Red River(akaAnatolia Story) sees a girl called Yuri get summoned across time from 1990s CE Japan to1300s BCE Anatolia(modern day Turkey) to become a sacrifice for Queen Nakia. But after escaping her blade, she’s got to adjust to life in the ancient Hittite empire while she looks for a way back home.
Chie Shinohara’s art does show influence from its forebears, with its soft watercolors for its covers and color spreads. But it’s still a treat for the eyes, and unique with its attention to detail in its setting. As fraught with terror as Yuri’s new life is, Shinohara really made the royal Hittite court and their outfits look lush.
7Alichino
Pretty Yet Foreboding
It takes more than great art to make a manga worthwhile. Taken purely on story,Alichinois just okay, as Tsugiri tries to stop the titular group of demons. They can cause mischief by offering to grant wishes to mortals (with hidden strings attached). But they also find themselves mysteriously drawn to Tsugiri, as he has more of a connection to the Alichino than he knows.
It’s allrather mysterious and gothic, which Koyu Shirai’s artwork plays up. Her figures are ethereally beautiful and richly detailed. It gets to the point where each panel feels less like a comic strip and more like art for a vampire novel, or aCastlevaniagame. Yet they’d give people into pretty men pause, as they’re never sure if they’re going to be pretty as their fantasy, or turn their dream into a nightmare.
6Honey Lemon Soda
Sweet & Sour In Equal Measure
By contrast,Honey Lemon Soda’s art is more inviting and innocent. It’s as bubbly as the drink, with gentle-looking characters, and eyes bigger and more sparkly than much of its competition. Particularly on its lead, Uka, a wallflower who has a chance encounter with her classmate, Kai, when he accidentally splashes her with his lemon soda.
Bold and outspoken, he’s everything Uka isn’t, and he encourages her to come out of her shell, providing backup wherever possible. Like its art, the story seems all sugary sweet, but its twists and turns offer the lemon-sour bitterness that adds to its flavor. It made it popular enough to get both an anime and a live-action drama, but it’s at its best in print, where Mayu Murata goes all-in with her art.
5Full Moon wo Sagashite
Going Full Shojo With Its Artwork
Japanese manga and anime have been (in)famous forhow they draw eyes, taking the old comic artist’s tip that big eyes equal cutesy to the max level. With shojo strips often (but not always) being about all things cute, it’s no surprise their figures can be more doe-eyed than in other strips. Like inFull Moon wo Sagashite, which makesHoney Lemon Sodafeel understated.
Arina Tanemura’s characters have some of the starriest eyes in the medium, though they work for her style. It’s like a sugary alternative toAlichino, as the shinigami duo of Yui and Kira give Mitsuki a chance to become a pop idol before she passes. The strip just replaces the gothic horror with supernatural spectacle, done with soft, glowing colors and alluring nightscapes.
4A Sign Of Affection
A Manga About Deafness That Speaks Volumes
If readers want something more down-to-earth than a supernatural flight of fancy,A Sign of Affectionmanages to be more grounded and a visual treat. Not that vision is Yuki’s problem. Being functionally deaf, her world was largely silent until she met Itsuomi, a multilingual senior at her university who was willing to go above and beyond to socialize with her.
Suu Morishita’s art is a nice balance between shojo’s extremes, as their artwork isn’t overtly saccharine likeFull Moon wo Sagashite, yet isn’t grim and gritty either. It’s a prettier take on a modern-day setting, with some lovely soft shading and watercolors, and attractive characters who don’t need saucer-sized eyes to spellbind people.
3Yona Of The Dawn
BetweenFull Moon wo SagashiteandAlichino’s supernatural turns, andRed River’s historical fiction, lie fantasy worlds like those inYona of the Dawn. It takes its cues from mainland Asian mythology, as Yona must unite the legendary warriors of King Hiryuu in a bid to reclaim her throne from her childhood friend-turned-usurper Su-won.
The mythological influence goes beyond the plot, as it comes through in Mizuho Kusanagi’s artwork, too. Kouka may be a kingdom in crisis, yet its nature remains beautiful with its broad snowscapes, blue skies, and forests. While its characters are dressed in lush, ancient Chinese and Korean outfits, blending naturally from cutesy antics to dramatic turns to rival harsher tales likeVinland Saga.
2The Rose Of Versailles
Pretty As A Picture, Deep As The Ocean
Pastel colors, sparkly doe eyes, and more floral patterns than a bouquet have been part of the shojo genre since its inception. They often featured plots as saccharine as their looks, too, until the likes ofThe Rose of Versaillescame along. It showed shojo strips could tell stories just as harsh, complex, and deep as their shōnen and seinen rivals, if not more so.
The strip did it all while being recognizably shojo,as Riyoko Ikedadidn’t skip using pretty characters, soft colors, or cutesy moments. Readers who came for the royal intrigue between Oscar Francois de Jarjayes and Marie Antoinette would have to be grown-up enough to handle their lavish dresses, flowery designs, and gender-defying beauty on top of their drama.
1Nana
The Power Of Pop Art
This list had to have room for some Ai Yazawa art. She built on the standard shojo style with herpassion for fashion. Whether it’s part of the story, like in the josei stripParadise Kiss, or just part of her characters’ designs, Yazawa’s figures are always dressed to kill, even when their world’s being turned upside down. At their peak, they could be works of art on their own.
It might seem predictable to pick outNanaas her best example, yet it ticks all the boxes. Despite its mature topics, it was published in the shojo magazineCookie.Its story is engaging and dramatic, and it shows Yazawa’s art at its best. From its in-manga panels to its covers and promo art,Nanais always a visual treat.
