After MangaPlaza, an Osaka-based digital manga distributor, celebrated its one-year anniversary, they showcased some of the most popular titles on their website. According to their most recent press release, MangaPlaza’s most successful manga titles in 2022 were:
- Misadventures in First Love
- The Managing Director’s Ingeniously Sweet Plan
- Tonight, Shall We Exchange Husbands?
- Plus-sized Misadventures in Love!
- Makeup with Mud
One thing these MangaPlaza titles have in common is that they’re all in the romance genre, which is not surprising considering that the rom-com genre is widely beloved for its universal appeal in Japanese manga and anime. In fact, romance titles are performing extremely well even on other platforms and in various formats, something that Tappytoon’s chief product officer, Ernest Woo, acknowledges when citing the popularity of I Got Pregnant with the Tyrant’s Child in a recent interview.
The synopsis of each of these popular titles is as follows according to MangaPlaza:
Misadventures in First Love
Sana’s first boyfriend, Yamato, was not exactly the looker, but he was kind. And that’s what Sana loved about him. So when he suddenly dumps her without warning, her heart is left completely shattered. Having lost faith in the world, Sana vows to leave her past self behind, and transforms… into a full-on delinquent! 3 years later, when Sana had all but forgotten how it feels to love, two guys unexpectedly appear in her life. Koichi, the student council president and school celebrity. And… Sana’s ex, Yamato?! Sana barely recognizes her ex, who has undergone a complete transformation of his own, becoming a heartthrob teenage actor! With conflicted memories and emotions on the rise, where will our protagonist’s innocent heart take her?
The Managing Director’s Ingeniously Sweet Plan
Rena has been single her entire life. By day, she’s a member of the general affairs department of a large corporation. By night, she’s a bar hostess. One day, when Rena’s having lunch with her friend Kyoko at work, Kyoko’s brother and managing director, Shun decides to sit with them. Shun’s popularity with the ladies at work is no surprise. He’s the ideal gentleman, and his kind, charming personality even makes Rena begin to fall for him. But that evening, Rena’s stunned to see that same man visit her bar. He even aggressively flirts with her, not realizing who she is. Talk about a 180! Realizing it’s only a matter of time before she gets found out and loses her job, she resigns herself to her fate, downing glass after glass. When she wakes up the next morning, the first thing she sees is an undressed Shun sleeping beside her!
Tonight, Shall We Exchange Husbands?
“Did you want to exchange husbands?” One husband is all about the bedroom, where the other just wants to sleep. What would happen if these two women began living with the other’s husband…?!
Plus-sized Misadventures in Love!
“This is the punishment for a fat, ugly girl like me falling in love with someone as beautiful as you…” Yumeko had a mountain of complexes about herself. Then, a terrible accident befalls her. Though somehow saved from the brink of death, Yumeko wakes up a completely different person. “This is…me…?! I’m SO cute!!” Those around her can’t hide their surprise and wonderment at this 180°change… But, Yumeko’s new hyper-positive attitude starts to change her surroundings, too. Worries and complexes can affect anyone, and Yumeko will chop right through those of her various supporting characters!! In love, work, friendship… And an attempted murder case?! This frenzied romantic comedy will leave you bubbling with energy!
Makeup with Mud
You’re great just the way you are. Even though Miku is 25 years old, she hasn’t learned a thing about how to do her own makeup — but her boyfriend, Haru, tells her that he prefers her that way. Miku and Haru live together, after all, and they might get married, in which case she’ll just quit her job anyway, so it’s probably fine never to learn… At least, that’s what she tells herself. One day, a boy with a special love for makeup suddenly appears in her life. The beautiful stranger does Miku up gorgeously and Haru’s reaction to her new look is almost unbelievable–? A story of starting anew and taking one’s life
back through makeup!
MangaPlaza was founded by NTT Solmare, an industry leader in distributing manga and eBooks in Japan and greater Asia through their website, Comic CMOA. MangaPlaza is capitalizing on a growing trend of localizing manga and Japanese literature throughout the world in an easy-to-read digital format.
Source: Press Release
©NTT Solmare Corporation
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