8 Best Romance Protagonists From Manga With No Anime

Romance is one of the most popular genres in the world, and any storytelling medium is going to have a robust collection for fans of the genre to explore. Manga is no different, and there are tons of popular romance manga and anime that are as popular as other action-oriented series like My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer.

Although there are many popular romance manga that have seen anime adaptations, there are plenty of fantastic romance manga that have yet to receive one. It’s a shame for some of these romance manga, as some of them have fantastic characters that deserve to be more well known. Here are some of the best protagonist from romance manga that don’t have anime.

8 Teru Kurebayashi

A Strong-Willed Schoolgirl With A Secret Supporter

• From Dengeki Daisy
• Written & illustrated by Kyosuke Motomi
• Published in Betsucomi
• 16 volumes

Teru Kurebayashi is an orphan girl who lives on her own after losing her brother Soichiro, her only remaining family member. Despite her tragic history, Teru remains an energetic and willful girl who often stands up to any kind of bullying she encounters.

Despite her strong exterior, Teru does have a source of support that she can rely on in times of weakness: the anonymous Daisy, who she has been in contact with ever since her brother died. Though she tries to solve any problems that come her way on her own, Daisy is always nearby to lend her a helping hand.

7 Sota Aoki

An Awkward Young Man With A Warm Heart

• From My Love Mix-Up!
• Written by Wataru Hinekure & illustrated by Aruko
• Published in Bessatsu Margaret
• 9 volumes

Sota Aoki is a young high school boy with a crush on his classmate Mio Hashimoto, and is dismayed to discover that Hashimoto’s eraser has his other classmate Kosuke Ida’s name written on it, a common love charm in class. By chance, Ida sees Aoki with the eraser and comes to the conclusion that Aoki is the one with a crush on him.

Though he is dismayed by the misunderstanding, Aoki pretends to be the eraser’s owner to keep Hashimoto’s crush a secret, showing him to be sensitive to the needs of others. Though this decision takes him on quite the romantic adventure, his kind heart sees him through any obstacles he faces.

6 Hajime Machida

An Average Boy With An Outstanding Outlook

• From Machida-kun no Sekai
• Written & illustrated by Yuki Ando
• Published in Bessatsu Margaret
• 7 volumes

Hajime Machida seems like your average high school boy at first glance. He’s got a rather plain appearance and doesn’t stand out much in class, yet he is beloved by his family and friends. This is due to his friendly and helpful nature, which endears him to nearly everyone he meets.

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Despite his affable nature, Machida is somewhat naive when it comes to understanding love, a journey he undergoes with fellow classmate Nana Inohara. Watching Machida’s journey as he slowly comes to understand love is a coming-of-age story worth experiencing.

5 Tetsu Misato

A Hard-Working Young Man Who’ll Do Anything For Love

• From Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty
• Written & illustrated by Megumi Morino
• Published in Dessert
• 6 volumes

Tetsu Misato is a young man who begins working as a housekeeper at the Karasawa Estate to help his father’s company, but also for his own personal reasons. There, he meets the Karasawa family’s young daughter, Shizu, who has been forbidden from leaving the house.

As he falls in love with Shizu, he also learns that she carries several spirits within her that serve as alternative personas. Despite his initial surprise, Tetsu decides to befriend Shizu and help her come out of her shell. At the same time, he decides to also help the spirits within Shizu find peace, so that they can move on to heaven and Shizu herself can live as her own person.

4 Kira Aso

A Shy Wallflower Slowly Gaining Confidence

• From Mars
• Written & Illustrated by Fuyumi Soryo
• Published in Bessatsu Friend
• 15 volumes

Kira Aso is a shy young artist, while Rei Kashino is a bike-riding playboy. The two couldn’t be more different, and yet, when Kira asks Rei to model for her, the two end up in a tumultuous romantic relationship that ends up changing both of them.

In Kira’s case, her relationship with Rei gives her more confidence, allowing her to face the trauma that made her so withdrawn and reserved in the first place. Though her issues are not so easy to resolve, it is her relationship with Rei that allows her to take that step forward.

3 Amir Halgal

An Unconventional Nomadic Bride

• From A Bride’s Story
• Written & illustrated by Kaoru Mori
• Published in Harta & Aokishi
• 14+ volumes

Although A Bride’s Story centers on several different characters, Amir Halgal is the closest the series has to a main protagonist. The twenty-year-old wife to the young twelve-year-old Karluk, Amir puts her all into her duties as a bride, even though the marriage was mostly political.

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Amir is much more adventurous than the normal nomadic woman, preferring to ride horses and hunt with her bow. Though she is sometimes considered too old to be a proper bride of the time, she nevertheless takes pride in her role as Karluk’s wife.

2 Yuta Takemoto

A Passionate Young Man With A Kind Heart

• From Honey and Clover
• Written & illustrated by Chica Umino
• Published in Young You & Chorus
• 10 volumes

Yuta Takemoto is a student at a Tokyo art school who falls in love with Hagumi Hanamoto when she moves into his apartment complex. Despite this, he decides to keep his feelings hidden, and chooses to be a friend to Hagumi while continuing to study art.

As Takemoto continues his studies as an art student, he also gets closer to Hagumi. Though he knows his love will never be requited, he still strives to be a close friend to Hagumi while struggling to find himself through his art and his lifestyle.

1 Yuri Suzuki

A Normal Girl Displaced Out Of Time

• From Red River
• Written & illustrated by Chie Shinohara
• Published in Sho-Comi
• 28 volumes

Yuri Suzuki was once a normal high school, but her life changed when she was pulled into the ancient past, during the time of the Hittite Empire. There, she ends up catching the attention of Kail Mursili and the deadly competition for the Empire’s throne.

Despite being under the protection of Prince Kail, Yuri is not content to simply stand back and allow herself to be protected. She often recklessly rides out to protect the empire’s people, which ultimately ends up helping her be seen as a suitable queen by the public.

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