r/josei

Hello,

recently a JP acquaintance has shown me the light when it comes to the insane depth Shoujo/Josei gives characters. I’ve grown quite fond of the physiological aspect.

However, I’m a straight Male who’s favorite authors are Cormac Mcarthy and Dante Alighieri.

I know some works, like monthly girls, fruit baskets, lovely complex. but I’m certain that there is far more to them other than romance ( I must admit however, I love gentle romance)

as such, and as a person who likes to read, what novels would y’all recommend. It can be anything.

EDIT - My Grammar was shit lmaooo

It can be any setting (school, university, romantasy, historical, workplace, etc). Ideally manga or manwha, as i've never had luck finding manhua with an art style i like or good translations (even official ones tend to be offputting to me for some reason). SFW and NSFW are both fine.

As long as the romance is a major part of the story and the ML initiates the pursuit of a relationship with FL (even if his motives aren't great at first), it can be any kind of plot. ML can be any color of flag though I do prefer yellow to red over green and black. I love boundary crossing, pushy, persistent, or delulu MLs so don't hesitate to suggest stories like that lol.

Examples of an MLs past negatively impacting his pursuit of FL:

1. The ML has a prior person he loved or prior spouse (divorced or widowed) and FL is turned off by that at first.

2. ML has a past of preferring hookups/ONS/flings/FWB and now the FL can't take his feelings seriously because of it.

3. The ML has a healthy dating history, but while FL doesn't mind him being in love before she has body issues/physical insecurities and can't believe he's attracted to her based on past partners.

4. ML is a higher social class and the FL doesn't want to deal with the challenges that would come with marrying into his class, taking on the responsibility of a noble/ruler, leave her family behind etc.

5. The FL is a single mom and the ML has been a chronic bachelor with no experience with kids.

6. The ML lives a lifestyle she doesn't want to be part of (public figure, travels a lot for work, yakuza, works in the adult industry, etc).

7. The ML was a delinquent or criminal in the past and FL is afraid of people like that. Glasses with a Chance of Delinquent is a good example of this.

8. The ML is a ruler in a culture where Royals practice polygamy and the FL has no interest in anything that isn't monogamy. Celeb Lady is a good example of this.

9. ML is popular and part of a friend group FL hates.

10. An Omegaverse story where the ML is an Alpha and the FL is a Beta who doesn't believe Alphas can truly love anyone that isn't an Omega. OR the FL is an Omega but hates Alphas.

11. The ML is known as some bloody tyrant, cruel noble, war monger, ruthless businessman, master manipulator politician, etc and the FL has the ick about that kind of person.

There are some tropes I try to avoid but will put up with if the story fits what I'm looking for: Amnesia arcs, story ends as soon as they get together, ML gives up and FL now has to make the move to get things started, breakup arcs, and long distance arcs.

The only trope I can't do is student-teacher relationships, or adult-high school student relationships, unless it's like a senior in high school and sophomore in college kind of age gap.

Ik it's both broad and specific at the same time but I need to scratch this itch and feel like nothing on my tbr list is jumping out at me + plus im all caught up on everything I'm currently reading.

Please help!

https://preview.redd.it/9glb76a7oajh1.png?width=1350&format=png&auto=webp&s=46aec1544b880b29af9469b6336eb70e0aed3a33

I'm absolutely obsessed with Smoking Behind the Supermarket with you - this duo and their chemistry, so now I'm looking for more manga like this one. Specifically speaking: an older, "pathetic" guy as a main character; someone who doesn't realize/understand how kind and lovable they are, so they have problems accepting love. I'm not only looking for love stories (although those are most appreciated if the girl is a nice person too; I hate couples where the girl is rude as heck), but also for stories that feature such men as the main characters.

Any and all help appreciated <3

whenever I see a man of the delinquent or yakuza trope, it’s always with a “heart of gold” and he’s a good guy deep down, or he doesn’t act at all like a delinquent except that they say he gets into fights. I want a ML that has that bold yankee fashion sense, is easily aggravated, loud, violent, talks like a yakuza, red flag (this doesn’t include sexual assault btw). the type of guy to immediately pick a fight if someone so much as bumped into him in public or looked at him funny. if he’s killed people before I’m fine with that as long as they don’t try to make him seem like a misunderstood puppy or anything. and I’d like if he very clearly looked yakuza instead of looking like the copy paste hot anime guy.

for the FL, I don’t want her to be a complete pushover and I also don’t want her to try and ”change” the ML.

does anyone know any josei like this??

#NSFW
The story contains NTR content (the ML has sex with a married FL) and a sad ending.

The ML works as a diver in his hometown and is the childhood friend of the FL, who moved to the city for school, work, and marriage. He has been secretly in love with her for a long time, but since she is already married, he can only wish her happiness from afar. One day, she suddenly returns to her hometown and meets him again to talk. Actually, this is not the first time, whenever she fights with her husband, she comes back here to talk to him, and this time it is because she suffered a miscarriage. The two end up having sex. At the end of the story, the ML decides to propose to her, but then learns from his mother that she passed away from suicide for several days. The person he had sex with was actually her ghost returning to see him.

I remember the ML has black, shoulder-length hair, and a muscular body. He also has a mother and a grandmother who has a dementia. While the FL has short, cropped hair.