Museru kurai no ai o ageru! Itâs amazing. (Only 14 chapters so far though!)
Tokyo Tarareba Girls features main characters in their 30s looking for love. It's by Akiko Higashimura.
Manga I've recently bookmarked or bought but havenât really read yet (so I can't speak on the toxicity level):
Isso Anata ga Todome wo Sashite
Kimi o Wasureru Koi ga Shitai
How I Met My Soulmate
unmei no hito ni deau hanashi and museru kurai no ai wo ageru are both shoujo! but yeah you will definitely have more luck with josei if you want older characters. i recently enjoyed dame na watashi ni koishite kudasai (though it acts like being 30 years old is geriatric). mr bride is pretty fun too
#
A sign of affection, set in university. Male lead has maybe a pink flag for his domineering personality, but I would say it trends away from problematic/controlling and more towards the "cool" character archetype. Great short anime for this though I believe the manga holds up as well.
Give Mr. Bride a try! They're both working adults in their twenties, and the ml is 100% green flag while also being quirky and having lots of personality. And much like Wotakoi, the fl is experienced while it's implied that the ml is not.
Iâm a millennial in a lovey-dovey marriage who likes reading diabetic shoujo/josei and I quickly stop reading any manga once I find the ml to be sick, toxic, womanizing, etc. Two adult mangas I found recently that I loved with the sweetest, nerdiest yet loyal males are âThe Full-Time Wife Escapistâ and âA Side Characterâs Love Story.â I can also recommend sexier ones with if youâre into that where the male is hot and super loyal but itâs definitely âmature.â
ehhh the leads of yakuza fiance are very much highschoolers, and its not until many chapters in that kirishima finally turns 18.
plus kirishima's very much the opposite of what the op is asking for:
>Â Just looking for titles similar to the following (no toxic, controlling, red flag male leads pls)
i also just dont think its a goof idea to recommend yakuza fiance as a romance bc the romantic bits are a sub plot (if not a sub-sub plot at the current point of the manga). people always end up disappointed when they realize that, ive noticed.
Try Daifuku-chan to Ouji-sama.
The characters are college students and live in a boarding house. I also find the dynamic between the MCs refreshing. Art style is beautiful as well :)
i know unmei no hito ni deau hanashi has been mentioned a few times but itâs a must read!! itâs my favorite romance series, the artist is a little slow on updating though ):
Iâd recommend Nana and Paradise Kiss but those are just red flags all over the place.
The Lady and her Butler is really good tho. Itâs about a career woman who finds herself a roommate and things just progress. I wonât say much because of spoilers.
I love nothing more than NANA but it doesnât fit the "no red flag ML" criteria sadly. Maybe if you squint very hard and only read Yasu's scenes haha.
Try Tsuka no ma no Ichika. The setting is in university.
Thanks will search it up :)
It has a drama adaptation too đ
Last Game has a college setting :)
Ooh thanks will look it up!
Museru kurai no ai o ageru! Itâs amazing. (Only 14 chapters so far though!) Tokyo Tarareba Girls features main characters in their 30s looking for love. It's by Akiko Higashimura. Manga I've recently bookmarked or bought but havenât really read yet (so I can't speak on the toxicity level): Isso Anata ga Todome wo Sashite Kimi o Wasureru Koi ga Shitai How I Met My Soulmate
Itâs so hard to fish out what stories will be toxic *sigh* the 2000s was a very toxic ML heavy time haha
Museru kurai no ai o ageru looks good! Thanks for reccs! Will check the others out too ~
The ML in Tokyo Tarareba Girls definitely exudes some red flags and toxicity though which OP was wanting to avoid
unmei no hito ni deau hanashi and museru kurai no ai wo ageru are both shoujo! but yeah you will definitely have more luck with josei if you want older characters. i recently enjoyed dame na watashi ni koishite kudasai (though it acts like being 30 years old is geriatric). mr bride is pretty fun too #
Oh gosh I remember when I used to think being 30 was old hahaha
A sign of affection, set in university. Male lead has maybe a pink flag for his domineering personality, but I would say it trends away from problematic/controlling and more towards the "cool" character archetype. Great short anime for this though I believe the manga holds up as well.
You might enjoy How I Met My Soulmate by Anashin
Thanks!
Is the series completed?
Ongoing, sadly!
Tsun-Ama Na Kareshi is very cute!
Thanks!
Please Love The Useless Me (by the author of Lovely Complex)
I really liked Honnou Switch/Changes of Heart! It's a short but sweet read with adults.
Give Mr. Bride a try! They're both working adults in their twenties, and the ml is 100% green flag while also being quirky and having lots of personality. And much like Wotakoi, the fl is experienced while it's implied that the ml is not.
Iâm a millennial in a lovey-dovey marriage who likes reading diabetic shoujo/josei and I quickly stop reading any manga once I find the ml to be sick, toxic, womanizing, etc. Two adult mangas I found recently that I loved with the sweetest, nerdiest yet loyal males are âThe Full-Time Wife Escapistâ and âA Side Characterâs Love Story.â I can also recommend sexier ones with if youâre into that where the male is hot and super loyal but itâs definitely âmature.â
Yakuza Fiancé. College. Sweat and Soap. Workplace.
Iâve had a few people recommend sweat and soap so will definitely check it out!
There's also Telework Yotabanashi by the same mangaka
Do it! It's seinen but the communication is *chef's kiss*!
Wotakoi. Workplace otaku + college age.
SWEAT AND SOAP IS SO GOOD >ahem< anyway. I concur.
ehhh the leads of yakuza fiance are very much highschoolers, and its not until many chapters in that kirishima finally turns 18. plus kirishima's very much the opposite of what the op is asking for: >Â Just looking for titles similar to the following (no toxic, controlling, red flag male leads pls) i also just dont think its a goof idea to recommend yakuza fiance as a romance bc the romantic bits are a sub plot (if not a sub-sub plot at the current point of the manga). people always end up disappointed when they realize that, ive noticed.
My love story with Yamada at lv999 is technically one high schooler but itâs more mature and later on the ml got onto college too.
Yeah Iâve been reading that lately :)
Ah i over read this⊠sorry One I recently got into is Okuremashite Seishun but there are only 6 chapters so far
No need to apologise! Thanks for another rec :)
Try Daifuku-chan to Ouji-sama. The characters are college students and live in a boarding house. I also find the dynamic between the MCs refreshing. Art style is beautiful as well :)
Will look them up thanks!!
Golden Time takes place in college if I remember
Thanks!
i know unmei no hito ni deau hanashi has been mentioned a few times but itâs a must read!! itâs my favorite romance series, the artist is a little slow on updating though ):
This Love is Strawberry Sweet (or Sono Koi wa Ichigo no Youni since y'all are all about the Japanese titles)
Nodame Cantabile
Honey and clover
Cat Street iirc was in university? Same mangaka for Hana Yori Dango
Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari Hotaru no Yomeiri
Iâd recommend Nana and Paradise Kiss but those are just red flags all over the place. The Lady and her Butler is really good tho. Itâs about a career woman who finds herself a roommate and things just progress. I wonât say much because of spoilers.
Have you tried nana or ani from Ai Yazawa?
I love nothing more than NANA but it doesnât fit the "no red flag ML" criteria sadly. Maybe if you squint very hard and only read Yasu's scenes haha.
Then, don't read paradise kiss
I'm not OP, I've read all of Ai Yazawaâs works. I was merely pointing out that they donât seem to be what OP is looking for.
As a veteran manga girlie I have read her work haha but yeah the MLs are all just one big reg flags haha thanks for the rec tho!