Best Manga About Love Triangles

Summary

• Romance manga thrive on love triangles, drama, and heartfelt moments.
• Top series like Kimi ni Todoke, Toradora!, and Fruits Basket excel in storytelling.
• Each manga offers unique elements like quirky characters, unrequited love, and comedic misunderstandings.

Sometimes, love is complicated, especially in romance manga series, where love triangles are at the order of the day. But that’s part of the drama that drives the conflict in these stories, and most of the time, end up with one of the heroines (or heroes) prevailing in the end.

Unless, of course, the infamous harem route activates, and then we are engaging in a whole different genre. But this ranked list only highlights the best manga series about love triangles, considering art, storytelling, and character developments. Let’s take a look at them.

8

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You

A Legendary Romance Manga That Inspired A Generation Of Artists

• Author: Karuho Shiina
• Artist: Karuho Shiina
• Release date: August 11, 2005

The shy and reclusive Sawako is often bullied due to her resemblance to a horror film character, but her kind heart yearns to feel the touch of love. In this heartfelt story of youthful love, school days, and a love triangle that threatens to ruin it all, the characters evolve in a near-magical way.

Karuho Shiina’s pen comes from personal experience and a long life of heartbreak, and it translates into a powerful narrative that has created a cult-worthy series, inspiring a whole generation of romance manga artists to follow in her steps.

7

Toradora!

One Of The Best Romantic Comedies Of All Times

• Author: Yuyuko Takemiya
• Release date: March 10, 2006

Toradora! is a series that blends romance, school drama, and love entanglements so seamlessly, that its plot has become legendary. From the get-go, there’s always a third wheel in every relationship; with the two main characters Aisaka and Ryuuji forming an alliance to beat the odds and get their happily ever-after with the person they love.

Little did they know, that their unlikely partnership would put in motion a series of events that would involve an elopement, a huge family feud, and several heartbreaking (but memorable) moments.

6

Fruits Basket

A Quirky Tale About Animals And Love Triangles

• Author: Natsuki Takaya
• Release date: July 18, 1998

Combining supernatural elements, mystery, love triangles, and comedy, Fruits Basket is a masterfully developed RomCom that has attained lots of recognition both in Japan and internationally. It is filled to the brim with heartwarming moments and love entanglements.

Some compare it to another similar series Ranma 1/2, but the truth is that Fruits Basket has its own ‘naiff’ identity that diverts a lot from the classic made by Rumiko Takahashi.

5

Blue Spring Ride

A Story About Giving The Heart That What It Desires Most

• Author: Io Sakisaka
• Release date: January 13, 2011

When Futaba meets her middle school sweetheart after years of being apart, she discovers that he has become bitter, distant, and cynical. Still, she cannot happen to be able to control her heart, and things are complicated even more when a third wheel appears in the scene, one that has a genuine interest in the heroine of this story.

Ao Haru Ride is a thrilling RomCom with high doses of corny and heartfelt moments, ideal for those who enjoy a good old-fashioned love-triangle story.

4

Ouran High School Host Club

A Lovely Comedy Filled With Misunderstandings

• Author: Bisco Hatori
• Release date: September 2002

When an elite and impeccable scholarship student “accidentally” joins the Host Club of the most prestigious school in the prefecture, a series of misunderstandings drives him to form a bond with a hectic and quirky group of friends.

Things get even more complicated with the introduction of Haruhi, a girl who tries to pass as a boy, in an all-boys school. It is considered one of the best love-triangle comedies of all shoujo manga series.

3

Peach Girl

A Passionate Drama From A School Girl’s Perspective

• Author: Miwa Ueda
• Release date: September 13, 1997

In this school drama, we witness the struggle of a young girl to fit in a place where a manipulative school queen rules supreme. The tale of how Momo tries to get close to Toji, while trying to avoid a direct confrontation with Sae is both dramatic and thrilling.

This story later develops into one of the most complex and heartbreaking love triangles, and a must-read for every fan of romance shoujo.

2

Lovely Complex

A Quirky Love Story With A Wild Spin

• Author: Aya Nakahara
• Release date: August 11, 2007

A cute tale about the most unlikely and disparaged couple in school: one is a secluded and grumpy short otaku, and the other is a tall and slim school Madonna with a quirky personality.

Lovely Complex is both comedy and drama, in a heartwarming RomCom about unrequited love, accepting oneself, and overcoming public opinion. With the addition of a dramatic love triangle between the main characters and a third wheel (and sometimes even a fourth), this series is a silly yet surprisingly mature School drama.

1

School Rumble

A Fantastical School Romance With A High Dose Of Satirical Comedy

• Author: Jin Kobayashi
• Release date: October 23, 2002

Unrequited love, misunderstandings, and the most ridiculous of situations all packed up together in this lovely comedy about school life and the shenanigans of a group of friends in the middle of a notorious (and sometimes infamous) love triangle situation.

With a silly and sometimes satirical narrative, Kobayashi has developed a lovely universe that is both enthralling and wholesome, but also dramatic enough to entertain those seeking the thrill of love triangles.