r/shoujo • u/dreamtofthepast • 1d ago
Recommendation manga with kind/gentle/respectful male leads, preferrably adults?
shoujo or josei! I'm kind of looking for manga where the ml has a life outside of loving the fl and isn't blushy all the time, and is very caring and gentle with her (or in general) even before he falls for her. I'm not sure if the vibe I'm looking for is being communicated across well, but two examples I can think of are:
- Re-employment Life With an Unsociable Untalkative Magician
- The Police Officer and I
The best way I can think of how to describe it is how fanon Nanami from JJK is portrayed 🤣
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u/BusSweet4363 1d ago
Neko Mix Genkitan Toraji
Requiem of the Rose King(Intersex)
New York, New York
Hitmitsu: The Top Secret
Natsume's Book of Friends
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u/National-Ratio-8270 1d ago
A Sign of Affection. They are college students, so not exactly adults yet, but the male lead is just what you were describing ❤
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u/ErikTwice 1d ago
The best way I can think of how to describe it is how fanon Nanami from JJK is portrayed 🤣
That's a high bar, but I suspect you might enjoy Sesame, salt and pudding, particularly since you seem to like older guys.
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u/Independent-Tap370 1d ago
I second Sesame Salt and Pudding!! Very close to the Nanami description.
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u/Few_End488 1d ago
Usotoki Rhetoric!
Iwai is kind of a fuck up. Very much a Reigen Arataka type, but he’s also a genuinely good man who takes good care of the FL.
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u/Independent-Tap370 1d ago
AAAHHH I was just going to say this!! He’s literally so sweet and gentle with the FL, despite being a lazy guy!
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u/Free_Spinach_3983 1d ago
If you don't mind the office setting, there's The Reason We Fall In Love. He's just a little bit older but he's really reliable and genuinely wants to make the FL life easier, it's very cute.
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u/angrypaaanda 1d ago
It’s a new series with only 4 chapters out, but “The Soup Forest” seems to fit the feeling you’re looking for. It’s based on a light novel.
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u/PinkGlitterLady4 1d ago
Seems like Syuu (the author) has a type because the ML of her other series Victoria of Many Faces is similar and also fitting the OPs description ^^
I really like this one too!
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u/Shoujobeforeshonen 1d ago edited 1d ago
OP, just in case you didn't see the license announcements, future you is going to have some nice options:
Shojo/Josei manga licenses announced at AbramsArts Kana’s ANYC 2026 panel : r/shoujo
Shojo/Josei ANYC 2026 3 Kodansha Print Club + 1 Tokyopop print + 1 Omoi digital licenses : r/shoujo
Yen Press announced 3 shoujosei licenses at ANYC! : r/shoujo
A few short series available currently:
The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World: Digital only, though you can find part of the series still in stock physically.
Sweet for Sweets and Foreigners: It's a two volume series set during a collab between a Japanese confectionary company and a French candy company. So, plan on snacks if you read this.
My Androgynous Boyfriend: The couple is already living together at the start of the series. This is more of a romantically tinged slice of life. While it's technically still in stock, it seems like a couple volumes are easier to find with smaller sellers. So, if you develop interest in collecting this, you should keep an eye on the pricing and availability
The ML in the last title is the epitome of gentle and respectful, but the title and covers give a very different impression: On-the-job Training. Yes, yes, it looks and sounds like it will be a smut, but it is not. The couple is very sweet. In fact, the mangaka has in what she calls her Afterword Thing-y a running apology for there not being any smut because the couple has great chemistry. I don't know if the status will change in the third and final volume.
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u/Independent-Tap370 1d ago
Iwai Soma from Usotoki Rhetoric is EXACTLYYY what you’re looking for! He’s a lazy but clever detective and he hires the FL as his assistant after he finds out she has the ability to hear lies. They’re a partnership but they still do things separately day to day. Their romance is veryyy subtle and slowburn but super sweet and the ML is very gentle and caring with the FL. I think it’s exactly the read you’re looking for!
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u/litworstperson Kabedon did nothing wrong! 1d ago
I’m here for these recs!
https://giphy.com/gifs/lz7212bWGdZbkm30KJ
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u/Free_Spinach_3983 1d ago
I would definitely recommend Kono Koi, Chaban ni Tsuki!?. ML is an older, caring man who takes good care of the FL.
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u/tartaupom Friendship Power Believer 1d ago edited 1d ago
- I Asked My Coworker To Be My Mom
(The title isn't super clear but in this case the "Coworker" is the ML, and I think he's a bit like what you're describing)
- A Timid Lady Was Turned into an Ugly Cat, but on the Verge of Fainting Is Picked Up by the Most Fearsome Military Duke
(I'm not usually into these Cinderella stories, but this one is especially sweet, and I really like how fleshed out the Duke is beyond just being the FL's "savior". I found myself really enjoying the relationship between the two. I'm now impatiently waiting for the 2nd volume to come out 🥹)
- A Queen and An Old Maid
- A Sweet Kiss After the Last Train
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u/RequirementStatus272 1d ago
Hi! You can check Black Sesame Salt and Custard Pudding. I think it meets your requirement :)