Best Celebrity Romance Manhwa & Manga

Key Takeaways

• Celebrity and non-celebrity romance manga explore freedom and growth within relationships.
• Romance manga like ‘Cutie and the Beast’ address age gaps and boundaries for a realistic touch.
• Stories like ‘Star Next Door’ focus on childhood friends navigating falling in love amidst obstacles.

Manhwa and manga in which celebrity falls in love with an ordinary person can pretty often come off as wish-fulfillment — at least at first. But, great celebrity romance manhwa and manga balance the thrill of navigating a relationship with a famous person and falling in love with them underneath the glitz and glamor.

Although there are manhwa or manga where celebrities fall in love with each other, like in Daytime Star, this list focuses on celebrity/non-celebrity works. These works tend to show celebrities looking for freedom, whether in their choices or through those they can confide in. Non-celebrities often discover things about themselves, or struggle with their own goals as they support their partner.

10 Kodocha: Sana’s Stage

Precocious Kids In Hyper 90s Magical Realism Land

Sana Kurota is a child actress whose hit show, Kodocha or Child’s Toy, is taking her places. At school, though, she’s going barmy over classmate Akito, who leads the boys in bullying the class and blackmailing their teacher. Finally fed up, Sana stands up to Akito and starts a long war with him.

Kodomo no Omocha or Kodocha follows Sana’s career and her changing relationship with Akito. Relationships in general form the crux of Kodocha’s story. Whether it be Akito’s dark and troubled family relationships or Sana’s quirky bonds and showbiz connections, these precocious kids grow up and closer navigating these ties.

9 Cutie And The Beast

Pujoshi Submits Heel In Love

Momoka the high schooler represents people who prefer muscular men over lithe, pretty boys. The pujoshi, or pro wrestling female fan, crushes on the heel wrestler Kuga and supports him all out. Unbeknownst to her, Kuga reads all her replies and thinks she’s a neat adult fan.

Cutie and the Beast addresses the age gap immediately. Momoka’s parents and Kuga’s co-workers intervene, point out Momoka’s 17, and stop them from contacting each other. It takes a long time before they’re allowed to date, and not before boundaries are set by Momoka’s parents and Kuga himself.

As a plus, Pujo to Yajuuhas actual wrestling lore in it. Kuga’s schedule and backstory as a trainee resembles the typical dojo life of young lions or newbie wrestlers in Japan. His hectic schedule and fame also plays a big part in the story and connection with Momoka.

8 Star Next Door

Falling In Love With Childhood Friend Turned Actor

Chiaki and Subaru are the kind of childhood friends who know each other inside out. But, Subaru’s also a rising actor whose natural charm and charisma is taking him to new heights. With the distance growing between them, it’s up to Chiaki to pursue her happiness.

Tonari no Stella is different from the adult GL Star Next Door in terms of demographics and format. The manga Star Next Door or Gazing at the Star Next Door deals with slow burns, almost-nevers, and the kind of obstacles that make readers grit their teeth and wait for the next chapter.

Miscommunication is king for drama here, partly due to the leads’ high school age, and partly due to Subaru’s career. Still, the story’s melodrama is typical for shoujo, and Chiaki’s character growth plus manga’s quality art more than makes up for it.

7 My Special One

JPop Idol Falls For Anti-Boy Girl

Sahoko hates handsome men or ikemen enough to pray for their embaldening, thanks to a confession gone wrong. Her bestie Yuuko-chan loves ikemen, though, especially heartthrob Kouta. So, when Kouta walks into her family restaurant, Sahoko gets an autograph for Yuuko.

Kouta mistakes Sahoko as the fan, though, and his fan service triggers an epic rant. Rather than being put off, this attracts Kouta to Sahoko, much to her chagrin. My Special One (Kimi ga Tokubetsu) follows their funny and sweet enemies-to-lovers story. Sahoko’s development is a particular highlight, as she consciously makes choices to be happy.

6 The Girl Downstairs

Guy Becomes Boy-Next-Door For Ex-Celeb

Joon Lee’s just a normal dude who doesn’t understand why his high school classmate cried over a female idol retiring. That is until his first day as a college student, when he finds out that the retired female idol, Duna, is his new downstairs neighbor.

The Girl Downstairs or Doona isn’t all wish-fulfillment, as it plays Joon’s wishy-washiness and Duna’s burnout straight. They act like fresh college students, halfway through forming a frontal lobe and lacking the faculties to commit to a decision. Joon and Duna’s relationship isn’t all that scandalous, but it is full of uncertainty that young adults can relate to.

5 No Outtakes

Anti & Egomaniac Actor Isekai’d Into Historical Drama

Jaerin is the perfect woman to everyone who doesn’t know about her obsessive love with the character Hwi from the drama Hwaya. Her other weakness is a complete inability to function around large crowds. To fix this, her family tricks her into becoming an extra for Hwaya. One thing leads to another, and Jaerin and Hwi’s actor, Lee Ahn, are thrown into the world of Hwaya.

The isekai/strange world romance manhwa stands out thanks to Jaerin and Hwi. Their struggle to pretend to be the titular Hwaya and Hwi is hilarious and shows their craftiness. Readers are split on the villain’s fate and the third male lead, though their storylines are interesting to go through.

4 Star Crossed!!

Idol & Fan Swaps Genders, Falls In Love

Azusa treats her oshi or favorite idol Chika like a god. That’s why, when a stagelight almost falls on him, she unhesitatingly tries to save his life. Unfortunately, they both die.

Unluckier still is their fate after the actual god revives them. Chika and Azusa swapped bodies, and right before Chika’s boy band, Prince 4 U, is set for a concert series. They find temporary reprieve when they find out that kissing swaps their bodies back, but their troubles don’t end with a simple kiss and goodbye.

As it comes from the author of Kiss Him, Not Me, there are gender shenanigans aplenty aside from the main gender-swapped couple. The story remains tightly paced and keeps its supernatural elements relevant until the end of the manga.

3 Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai

Bunny Girls, Loneliness, And Quantum Physics

Sakuta has it rough. He’s accused of sending three people to the hospital, leading many, including his classmates, to avoid hanging out with him. His life drastically changes when he spots his upperclassman, actress, and gravure model Mai wandering around the library in a bunny suit.

It turns out that Mai has Adolescence Syndrome, a rare disease that causes her to appear invisible to almost everyone else. Sakuta’s own sister Kaede has the disease, though hers manifested through three scars on his chest. Wanting to save both Mai and his sister, Sakuta sets out to discover the cure for this mysterious disease.

Although the series initially went viral for Mai’s provocative promo image, the Rascal Does Not Dream Of series is not just skin deep fan service. The melancholic work uses in-world science and physical phenomenons to create metaphors for the characters’ insecurities. It’s more simplistic than Monogatari or Haruhi Suzumiya, but the simplicity works to heighten drama for its various heroines.

Sakuta also isn’t a harem protagonist, despite what the series presents as. Mai is solidly his endgame, and there’s even a plotline where the heroine that Sakuta is helping is explicitly not in love with him.

2 So I Married An Anti-Fan

Journalist Takes Revenge On Idol Who Got Her Fired

So I Married An Anti-Fan follows unlucky heroine Geonyoung, a reporter on her third year of grunt work who is dumped on New Year by a guy who turned out to be gay. Her fortunes were supposed to reverse after covering international sweetheart Who Joon, but an argument with Joon leads to her getting fired.

Geonyoung gets the chance to get revenge on Joon and actually makes headway on it. But, the catty relationship becomes sweeter than Geonyoung expected, and she learns that Joon harbors skeletons in his closet.

So I Married An Anti-Fan is a quick read thanks to its polished art style and snappy dialogue. Geonyoung and Joon are easy to root for and have a page-turner of a story.

1 One-Of-A-Kind Romance

Aspiring Writer Meets Actor Idol Troubled By Stalker

Yu-il is an aspiring writer, or so she tells herself. She’s chasing a corporate job while pushing down her dreams of writing professionally and indulging in her hobbies. Her friend tries to cheer her up and prop her up with some cash by volunteering her place as the shoot location for her idol Ryumin’s latest drama.

Mu-il, Ryumin’s co-star, gets suspicious of Yu-il showing up at his shoots all the time. When he accuses Yu-il of being his stalker, she’s forced to prove her innocence, leading to a series of events that change their lives and lead to a unique romance.

One-of-a-Kind Romance is an involved, young adult romance where the leads have their serious personal drama to consider. It’s fairly down-to-earth, with its celebrity aspects mostly making it a little fantastical. The leads are the highlight of the story, and their progress is as enjoyable as seeing them get together.