1. The story
This comic manga features the antics of a mischievous heroine and her charming best friend, who have one rule in common: If you blush, you lose! Takagi-san teases neighbor Nishikata with taunts, which causes him to turn around and tease Takagi-san in return, making her blush! Their fierce rivalry brings them closer together while keeping readers entertained through this entertaining tale.
Nobody could doubt the classic tropes of best friend romances: stunning heroine, attractive men vying for her affection, and an understanding bestie at her side. Dani’s an avid reader of these tales but never thought she’d find herself right in the middle of one herself! Now, she must choose between romance and friendship while fighting off supernatural forces trying to take control of her life.
Mari Kumakura, an introverted and quiet top student who rarely speaks with anyone, meets Akko Oohashi at school and quickly becomes friends. Akko’s confidence draws Mari in as they bond over alcohol consumption, food cravings, and the challenges associated with diets. Over time, however, Mari begins to realize she may harbor deeper feelings for Akko than just platonic bonding.
The MC and his childhood best friend find themselves transported to another dimension, along with three bullies who bullied him back home. Each of the four has ten skill slots, which can be filled up by killing monsters or people; these skills will allow them to survive in this new realm.
2. Characters
Mari Kumakura is a shy girl with top-of-class grades who finds solace in being befriended by Akko Oohashi – an attractive yet confident individual who knows a great deal about guys, fashion, dieting, etc. At first, she just wanted to get better acquainted with Mari, but over time, she developed romantic feelings towards her.
Tamami Satoko is another crucial character. She is a playful and attractive girl who is best friends with Sugi. An otaku herself, Tamami enjoys anime, manga, video games, and food as hobbies – plus dancing at night clubs and having an unrequited crush on Jay, for whom she desperately tries to conceal her feelings.
Takagi-san and Nishikata are mischievous best friends who live by an ironclad rule: If you blush, you lose. While their constant bickering often embarrasses each other, they remain close friends who secretly love each other deeply despite all their playful bantering; eventually, though, they must decide if that love will become something more.
3. The setting
Best Friend manga settings are always vivid and imaginative, drawing readers into its world with its colorful characters and exotic locales, all while tempting them to spend more time there and explore its mysteries.
Bad Friends is one of the best examples of this, depicting Pearl’s experience growing up in rough neighborhoods in 1990s South Korea and her abusive family life. She finds strength through friendship with one of her classmates – one who is abusive toward her – who also acts as an escape route from their abusive household. Bad Friends stands as one of the most moving and inspirational manhwa series with its powerful message about true friendship.
Noblesse, another popular fantasy manga that was turned into an anime in 2020 by Crunchyroll Original, follows Cadis Etrama Di Raizel, or simply Raizel, as she awakens in modern-day Korea in strange circumstances and finds herself caught between different worlds and genres, playing with tropes and genres to craft an intriguing, fast-paced tale!
Tower of God, a fantasy manhwa that has quickly become one of the most popular online, has quickly become one of the most beloved manga series available today. This popularity can be attributed to both its engaging story and beautiful art that recreates the era in which its predecessor novel was first published – as well as an irresistibly addicting love triangle! You won’t be able to put this series down!
Examples of high-quality manga settings include The Gamer, which follows a high schooler whose life is turned upside-down when they acquires the ability to see life as a virtual video game – giving him a heads-up display of everyone around him’s power levels and leading him into an underground community of other Ability users.
BTS, the band that has recently made waves with their music and TikTok popularity, recently published a comic featuring real-life siblings from within its ranks. The comic chronicles how this deep and special bond affects them differently throughout their lives.
4. The plot
Best Friend manga has many stories to offer, yet all tend to follow a common thread: the protagonist typically finds an unlikely love interest who becomes their partner; sometimes, this person becomes a Foil, Support Character, or Deuteragonist for the story; this best friend might even become part of the main cast or even serve as Birds of Feather – this role being crucial as best friends are often the closest non-romantic associates for The Protagonist.
Given is a popular Japanese manga that follows the love lives of two middle school friends. One is a shy girl, while her more outgoing classmate doesn’t understand their feelings for each other – however, over time, he comes to appreciate their depth.
Heesu in Class 2, another lighthearted BL story, shows two classmates engaging in playful tease aimed at making Takagi-san blush, with Nishikata trying his hardest to make him blush himself. However, Heesu remains unaware of her romantic feelings for Nishikata until other people start discussing his romantic interest in her and vice versa. Eventually, she hears them talk about them both having crushes on each other, and they start hearing other people discuss her passion for Nishikata from other people around her as she hears others speak of Heesu having romantic feelings for her best friend (Nishikata eagerly seeking ways to make Takagi-san blush).
Heesu eventually realizes she has strong feelings for Heesu but hesitates to confess them out of fear of hurting their friendship. Over time, however, Heesu finally tells Heesu of her emotions, and their bond becomes closer than ever before.
50 Tea Recipes from the Duchess and My ID Is Gangnam Beauty are two great examples of best friend manga that feature romance as well as social commentary: one criticizes Korea’s stringent beauty standards, while the other shows how superficial judgment of others by their physical attributes can damage relationships.
Hell & High Water is another incredible manga series for best friends that goes beyond love stories alone. The main character, Detective Jesse Parker, has earned himself an unfavorable reputation among his colleagues due to his habit of telling on them and spying. But Sloan Brodie soon becomes his lover and protector – something no other manga series can.
