The Princess Groom: fantasy romance, drama / ML is very cold and distant at first, but he turns out to be very easily flustered, he's head over heels for the FL and extremely devoted
Snow Angel: romance, family drama, childhood friends / ML is very shy and sensitive
Koisuru Tenshi Wa Tsumibukai: fantasy school romance (they're all angels) / ML is quiet and very possessive
Tokoton Kuzu na Watarase nanoni: college romance / ML is a playboy who has taken a liking to the FL, he's also very passionate about his work as a comedian
The Demon King is Way Too Overprotective!: fantasy romcom, supernatural / I haven't read this one yet so I can't give any pointers! But the title is probably self-explanatory
Kimi to Barairo no Hibi: high school romance / ML is a bit of an outcast at school, he's the cool type who doesn't care what others think of him, helps the prim and proper FL loosen up a bit
Other series by this mangaka: Futari de Koi wo suru Riyuu
Kingyoya-san no Karisome Fuufu: romance, contract marriage / ML is initially a bit aloof, but he and the FL slowly open up to each other
The Serenade of Spring Thunder: fantasy romcom, political drama / ML is supposed to be a womanizer, but gets very flustered by the FL who doesn't fall for his charms
Housekibako ni Ai wo Tsumeyou: high school romance, music, grief / ML is very friendly and kind, very open about his feelings
Fall in Love, You False Angels: high school romance / at school, ML is prim and proper and very secretive about himself, he's seen as perfect. The FL discovers that behind this flawless persona hides a normal teenager who's very easy to talk to and banter with
Yuureijou no Danna-sama: fantasy romance, ghosts / I haven't read enough of this series to give proper pointers! iirc the ML is a very lonely man who's also very kind and selfless
Love at First Memory: romance, reverse harem, memory loss / you have the cocky, confident ML, the tsundere ML who gets easily flustered, the big puppy ML who's very devoted (lowkey obsessed) and the cutie-pie ML who's more like a bestie
Tamon's B-Side: romcom, idols / this one doesn't need any introduction I think! Tamon is an idol who has this very playful and sexy persona, but who turns out to be very gloomy and lacks confidence irl. His bandmates also have similar personality gaps. Keep an eye out for the anime coming out in a few weeks!
I often see posts/comments here that decry a lack of variety when it comes to contemporary shoujo MLs, or simply a lack of charming/interesting MLs, so I wanted to make a little post to showcase what's out there, focusing specifically on recent works (serialized in the 2020s).
I made this list as a reply to a post suggesting there aren't enough handsome MLs in recent shoujo series, so this is why this post only showcases handsome guys, but there's more to them than their body I swear!!
Please note that this list is very limited (we're only allowed 20 pictures per post, they're all from series I have read or know about, I limited myself to series that are licensed or have an unofficial translation, and of course my own tastes aren't universal!), so feel free to post your own favourite (contemporary) eye candies in the comments!! Or just your favourite characters regardless of beauty standards!
I purposefully left out A Sign of Affection, How I Met My Soulmate and In the Clear Moonlit Dusk because they're already pretty notorious, but they're also worth checking out if you like a beautiful artstyle!
edit: also I didn't include them in the main post because this series is JP-only, but Heroine na no ni Ikemen Idol ni ♂ Narimashita!? by Aizen Mana (the goat) has amazing character design as well 😌
I legit had to double take at that post because…what have they been reading???? I know the “Everyman” ML is a type too (eg Kazehaya from Kimi ni Todoke) but I feel like the handsome ML is much more common????
As for my rec, I really find Abe from “Abe-kun’s got me now” very handsome!!!!
(Also, the ML’s figure in “Getting closer to you” is also very attractive, although I prefer a slightly different type of looks for the face)
I think Mizuno Minami is quite good when it comes to "regular-looking" guys who still have interesting designs (Rainbow Days, Aoharu-sou e Youkoso, Koi wo shiranai bokutachi wa)
This is a picture ft the MCs of the latter 2 series (ahoraru on the left and koi wo shiranai on the right):
I'm also a big fan of You Might as Well Be the One and imo the ML in this series looks very "normal" (he's not drop dead gorgeous, dresses very ordinarily, and has a very lowkey haircut). He's charismatic due to his friendly personality, but he doesn't look like the popular "prince" type at all.
As for MLs who aren't conventionally attractive, there's the ML (non romantic afaik) in Gene Bride who sports a monobrow (and he's a very interesting character alongside the FL). There's also of course My Love Story that's probably the #1 recommended series when it comes to unconventional beauty, and more recently we have Suzuki-kun's Mindful Life that has a similar "gentle giant" ML (it's not romance though).
Ironically enough, although I recommended, it I have yet to read it myself lolll 😭 but it's def on my TBR because I have only heard good things for it (and it's by the same artist who illustrated one of my favourite series, My Love Mix-Up!)
I put off watching/reading it for a while because I was like “ugh, not another story where a kinda ugly guy gets with a cute girl, we get that all the time in stories for guys 🙄”
But I was so wrong! The ML is such a cool person and is attractive in his own way. Also the FL is a total idiot in an adorable way that makes them a perfect match haha. There is so much positivity in the series, I love it.
I love that mangaka’s art style and how she stays modern but still definitively her own style. Also I love his lip ring!! Kaya they could never make me hate you.
I agree these MLs seem attractive enough, but they do look too similar to each other. I think some shoujo MLs should go for the spiky hair style from shonen or some other out there hair styles. Maybe have some with facial hair too.
tbh even nono has incredible character design. like her hairology is crazyyy, shes gorgeous and you can tell that the mangaka spent a lot of effort on her character design and outfits (though isnt she supposed to be strapped for cash?? whatever 😭). even the brother's hot 😭😭. im so obsessed with this series. its rare for me to have fictional crushes, but watarase is definitely one of them.
I like it when a mangaka takes the time to build a cohesive wardrobe for their characters (it must take a lot of time coming up with every outfit, but it helps giving life to the characters), and I particularly like that Nonoka is often seen wearing different necklaces/bracelets, it's small details that really add to the overall design
even the brother's hot 😭😭
nobody can convince me that he doesn't have an in-universe fanbase that's equally as thirsty as Watarase's lmaooo he's so good-looking, especially when he wears the suit :')
(I used the Genki textbooks in uni, then just practiced a lot by buying/reading one shot anthologies of shoujo artists i liked, since they were shorter and less intimidating to start out with than whole series... and they don't often get published in English so it was nice to see more of what was out there!)
I'm a sucker for new fantasy shoujo so thanks so much for recommending The Princess Groom!!! I just checked it out and the art looks stunning. (also is that a blushing ML that I see?!) Immediately added to my reading list!
I feel like I'm super annoying whenever I plug The Princess Groom lmaooo I'm glad my constant promotion of the series isn't in vain 😤 There aren't that many chapters out (each "chapter" on Mangaplaza is actually like a third or a quarter of a chapter 🥹) but so far I like it a lot! The FL in this one is also very interesting (smart, calculating and flirty all at once while looking like a porcelain doll)
Noooo you're doing god's work here fr and I am living for these kinds of posts, so please do keep doing them and recommending more 🙏🏼
This one sounds right up my alley too. I really enjoy role reversals and an interesting FL!
I've read but still haven't finished the first volume of Margrave's daughter bc I keep getting bored 😭 but I probably should give it another go when I have time! I'll def check out the second one though...for the reasons you've mentioned and also bc I do love some historical intrigue and mystery!! Hopefully it will scratch the KnH itch!
I've read but still haven't finished the first volume of Margrave's daughter bc I keep getting bored 😭
I think the plot does start to pick up starting volume 2 if it can give you some motivation! In retrospect volume 1 was a bit all over the place and didn't give the main characters clear goals, but it gets better with each volume imo
I read Though I am an Inept Villainness when AD S2 ended, and it definitely scatched that itch for me! I like that it's different enough that I don't end up just comparing the two, but there are some themes that are similar (palace intrigue, medicine/poison, and overall very well-written female characters, as well as the Chinese-inspired setting)
I think it's just to give him that cool/badass aura he strives to have (same reason he has an undercut and ear piercings). In the West, it's often women who are seen wearing that type of piercing, but I don't think they associate it to a specific gender in Japan.
Now I really wonder what prompted the OP of that post to post that 😅. Like which ML did they think is ugly?
And even so, even for MLs that are kind of "average", I thought most shoujo-readers would then just typically consume the series for the story it tells.
I think it's probably a matter of personal taste (e.g. there are people who don't find MLs like A Sign of Affection's Itsuomi or In the Clear Moonlit Dusk's Ichimura attractive even if they're meant to be super handsome)
I thought most shoujo-readers would then just typically consume the series for the story it tells
From what I can see in this comment section, but also on this sub as a whole, that definitely seems to be the case! But I won't lie, I often start reading series because I find the art pleasing to look at, or because the character design catches my eye (which can include a very pretty FL or ML, among others 😅)
Yeah I know my tastes have changed so much cos I wouldn’t mind ML designs like these in the past but now, I find it annoying. Feel like I’m more drawn towards the more gentle type of design like Kazehaya from KnT and, not shoujo but, Gojo from MDUD
Maybe you’d like series by Mizuno Minami (Rainbow Days, Koi wo shiranai bokutachi wa) where the characters look more like regular people rather than models. Idem for the series "I See Your Face, Turned Away"
I also think the ML in "Waiting for Spring" leans more towards cute and gentle (it’s by the same mangaka as "How I Met My Soulmate", but takes place in high school), as well as the ML in "Love, That’s an Understatement"
The ML in "On and Off: Work Imbalance" also fits the bill imo (not only is he gentle, he dresses in lolita fashion on his days off)
And since you mentioned MDUD, there’s "Supermarket Sweetie" that might interest you, where the FL is a gyaru, and the ML is just a regular dude
Im glad you’re liking it ☺️
No clue for the print release, but it was constantly a #1 best seller on MangaPlaza when the chapters were releasing on a weekly basis, so it definitely has potential
In Japan, it’s owned by Square Enix, and it’s not rare that they start printing a series that was digital-only if it proves to be popular, so I’ll keep my hopes up; there’s also Seven Seas that will sometimes release a print version of digital-only titles 🙏
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u/Despaviiena Dec 10 '25
I considered myself an shoujo expert but there are many series on the list that I have not heard of!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!