Top 3 School Manga, Manhwa, and Manhua to Lighten Up or Start Off Your Day | Sarah

It’s for sure that homework creates a ton of stress for students and reduces their free time. Especially in high school, workloads would shoot high into the sky like a rocket ship. Supposing that you’re lucky enough, you might see the end. So, if you want to loosen yourself up from overbearing textbooks and homework, or simply take a peek at school lives in other countries, congrats! You’ve come to the right place. Here, I will be sharing my personal favorites of Top 3 School Manga, Manhwa, and Manhua to Lighten Up or Start Off Your Day:

*A little clarification for readers who’re not familiar with these genres: manga is made in Japan, manhwa is made in Korea, while manhua is (mostly) made in China*

3. Love Like Cherry Blossoms

Alternative Titles: Love is Cherry Color / 恋是樱草色

Author & Artist: ManYu

Genres: Romance, School, Comedy, Slice-of-Life, Shoujo

Release Date: March 2016

Love Like Cherry Blossoms ranks number three on my list. I think this is the first school-based manhua that I read, (The first ones I read hold a very special place in my heart~) and this is also what brought me into the wonderful world of manga (manhua and manhwa, too). And it’s one of the best manhuas I’ve read so far! Let’s dive into the synopsis.

The story takes place on campus, and the first character to be introduced is LuLu (or Lin Lu). She’s a timid and diligent student who has a crush on her senior ever since the first year of high school. But as she accidentally spills it to Xiayi, the cutest boy in the school, LuLu discovers his secrets by accident, too (this is somewhat similar to True Beauty). In order to protect the secrets, they reach an agreement; Xiayi will help LuLu to pursue her senior while she keeps her discoveries secure. But, from time to time, Xiayi finds himself in love with her and eventually confesses. So, will LuLu stay true to her first love, or is she going to give her heart to Xiayi?

The art of this manhua is exceptionally good! The color palette goes well with the story, and the details are well-drawn. If you ever find chibis in Love Like Cherry Blossoms, you’ll love them so much that you’ll fall head-over-heels for more, because they’re just too cute to not love them. And as you know, I love miniatures! This manhua may not be as profound and intense as other comics, but the simplicity blends well together with the innocent and pure natures of the characters. This is the first manhua that would come to mind regarding cheery and light storylines, and I guarantee that you’ll smile the whole time when reading this comic. So I strongly suggest that you check out this manhua. But be careful! You’ll find yourself wanting more and more after you’ve read the first few chapters (in other words, you’ll be addicted) >.<

*Remember to read the bonus chapters! They're extra cute!*

2. True Beauty

Alternative Titles: 여신강림 / 女神降临

Author & Artist: Yaongyi

Genres: Romance, Drama, Slice-of-Life, Shoujo

Release Date: August 2018

This is another must-read manhwa if you’re interested in Webtoon, or simply read manhwa. True Beauty is a Webtoon that holds unbeatable popularity in and out of Korea, and there’ll be a K-drama adaptation soon (can’t wait)! This happens to be the first manhwa that I read on Webtoon and I would have regretted a lot if I didn’t check out this amazing manhwa!

This story revolves around Lim Jugyeong, a shy and nerdy high school girl who was born with a face considered “ugly” in society. Her appearance makes her feel unsatisfied and unconfident. But she masters the art of makeup and becomes a goddess overnight when she finds that beauties and hotties are given more advantages than not-so-good-looking people. Being treated like celebrities and stars on the outside, Jugyeong’s often worried about her flaws, and her “true beauty”. However, when she meets SuHo bare-faced in a bookstore (not knowing that they are in the same school), she accidentally spills her secret as the cute boy recognizes her in school. So, what will become of these two teenagers that hold a special relationship? Friends? Lovers? As the Webtoon progresses, we get to explore the hidden sides (and relationships) of the characters than who they seem to be.

There’s no doubt that this Webtoon is beautifully written and drawn. The art style is fascinating and marvelous; every scene captures the essence and emotions of the characters. The coloring is very pleasant to the eyes too. As for the plot, each scenario is carefully crafted and staged for later developments and growth. Not only does this comic have a compelling and engaging plot, but it also conveys strong messages that people tend to overlook in their daily lives. I have to say, there’s never been a moment when I’m disappointed about True Beauty! Never! That’s why I strongly recommend this Webtoon to you; besides being addicted to the story, you can learn a lot from it too!

*let's take a few moments to appreciate the art💖*

1. Namaikizakari

Alternative Titles: Namaiki Zakari / Full Bloom Cheekiness / 盛气凌人 / なまいきざかり

Author & Artist: Miyuki Mitsubachi

Genres: Romance, School, Shoujo, Sport, Comedy, Slice-of-Life

Release Date: November 2013

When it comes to the first place, I have to mention Namaikizakari. This story got me into reading school-based manga and it’s now one of my favorites of all the time! And this is probably one of the best-shoujo mangas that you’ll ever find! I absolutely love it!

This manga is about a strong and independent female lead, Yuki Machida. She’s the eldest among her many siblings. Aside from becoming mature and responsible at a young age, she’s all too familiar with hiding her true feelings and disappointments. Despite knowing that her true feelings are never going to matter, Yuki decides to become the manager of the basketball team in order to be closer to her crush. But then there comes Naruse Shou at the beginning of the school year, a talented, handsome, and stoic-faced basketball player who would steal every girl’s heart. He ends up infatuating himself with Yuki. From kissing and hugging her without any warnings, Yuki’s not the least bit wavered when it comes to his relentless pursuit and affection for her. But can her heart really stay anchored, or is Yuki going to let her feelings get the best of her?

I’m a huge fan of Miyuki Mitsubachi and I love this artist’s style, it’s absolutely amazing! The art style and the plot blend together very well, and I love the cover pages of this manga, they are gorgeous! This manga may not have the classic and typical school-romance plots that readers expect, but stay tuned until the end and it will surprise you! This is the type of manga that I would read to loosen myself up from work and stress, it’s a lighthearted story. If you like this manga, check out Noraneko to Ookami too!

*the line art and coloring are gorgeous!*

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Special Mention:

Koi to Uso

Alternative Titles: Love and Lies / 恋と嘘 / 恋爱禁止的世界

Author & Artist: Musawo Tsumugi

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Schonen

Release Date: January 2015

This manga isn't similar to any other story I recommended, but I thought it'll give you a fresh and new perspective on life and the future. I watched the anime before reading the manga, so I kind of went over the fiction twice. However, the manga really is worth reading because it conveys so much more emotions and depth in which the anime misses.

Here's the summary of Koi to Uso: "Lies are forbidden and love is doubly forbidden. In the near future, when young people in Japan turn sixteen, they are assigned a marriage partner by the government. People don't have to go through the trouble of looking for someone, and everyone accepts that the country will find a compatible partner to make them happy. Yukari Nejima is fifteen years old. He lives in a small corner of the country, and just can't seem to get ahead in life. Both academically and athletically he's below average. But in within him, he hides a heart burning with passion! In this world in which love is forbidden, what will happen to him when he falls in love?"

This manga explores the psychological theme of love and mostly, what is love? At first thought, this is pretty much a simple question that everyone can answer, and some answers may be complicated while others are straightforward. Of course, the first half of this manga gives the answer that readers would think of: to be with the person you love and love them. But as the characters begin to grow and develop, love becomes something that's out of their control, out of what they expect and out of their imagination. It became something that they have to lie about in order to keep it safe.

Although this manga does not rank as my favorites, it left a cruel but accurate definition of love. What makes this fiction even more interesting is that not only does it explore straight relationships, gay relationship is included too. This manga is quite realistic, the relationships (between characters) feel like they would happen just to anybody. I would recommend this manga to readers who need some dark (not quite dark, but definitely not lighthearted) comics to spice up their lives. Despite the fact that this genre doesn't exactly suit my taste, but I had a great time reading it.

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Another tip for novice manga readers: if you’re trying to look for light and cheery books, make sure to include Slice-of-Life as one of the genres - .< *

These comics really brightened my days and lifted my spirits when I was feeling down, and I really recommend you to read them too! (And I’m sure there’ll be one that you’re crazy about >.<)