What's [i]the[/i] best romance story you've ever read?

[Nightlilygirl-]

@selendom I've heard of all of them before, except Mars, but I've never been able to read through any of them for more than a dozen of chapters for some reason ^^; I might have just picked them up at the wrong time, or maybe they just don't fit my taste... Quite a shame since they're all so well-rated, but oh well, to each their own, I guess. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

 

[Sem]

The best romance story I've ever read...
Isn't exactly a love story

https://mangadex.org/title/6670/story-of-someone-we-know

It's a story about three women in different stages of a relationship. A girl who is at the beginning of a romance, a girl who is facing a breakup, and a girl who's already dating someone and is facing temptation in the form of a coworker she gets along well with.

It was a fantastically realistic depiction of romance I seldom see in fiction, but it wasn't depressing or overly melodramatic. The new relationship love line was cute and fluffy and the breakup love line was cathartic. The temptation love line was challenging, and while it sounded like it was going to be a love triangle, the two guys she's stuck between ultimately had nothing to do with her decision. Rather than a story about a girl being tugged around by two guys who both love her, it ended up being a story about a girl who's trying to figure out what she wants in life and what she wants out of a partner.

It was really refreshing to read a story that wasn't about two people trying to confess to one another and has an ending right when they decide to date. This one was actually about dating.

 

[Nightlilygirl-]

@Sem I already had that one bookmarked on my plan-to-read list, but now I'm even more intrigued to read it, it sounds amazing!

 

[selendom]

@Nightlilgirl , yes those are quite focused only on the relationship thing ( but not too sappy or melodramatic) so it can become boring for some or at some age? I recently tried to watch sailor moon (which i loved as a child-teen) and I find it so strange and out of pace compared to the anime's of today and my current preferences 🤣.

 

[Nightlilygirl-]

@selendom hahaha, yeah, older series tend to have a different pace and feel compared to modern ones, along with the artstyle, so they're usually an hit or miss kind of read: you either love them or find them really boring XD.

 

[Ranzo]

Hmmm
I'd say like
Bloom into you
Kase San and.....
Pieta
Machida-kun no Sekai
Kimi ni Todoke
Honey Lemon Soda
Kanojo ni Naru Hi

I also recently read Tokyo Crazy Paradise which turned out to be an absolute gem
It's a slow burn romantically but there are plenty of high stakes action and drama to keep you occupied

 

[Nightlilygirl-]

@Ranzo Honey Lemon Soda is adorable! It's one of the few full-on vanilla shoujo series that I follow to this day haha, it uses all kind of tropes in such a refreshing way!

I think I've heard of Tokyo Crazy Paradise before, I'll check it out!