Shoujo manga has always been special because of its heartfelt storylines and unforgettable characters. And behind every panel about love, friendship, and self-discovery is a writer who carefully built the world we fall in love with. The art might be what catches your eye, but it’s the stories that stick with you long after you finish reading.
Each shoujo writer brings their own voice, whether that’s dreamy romance, dramatic twists, or even a bit of fantasy. The beauty of shoujo is that it doesn’t shy away from showing the ups and downs of growing up, and it gives readers both comfort and hope. With that, let’s dive into ten of the best shoujo manga writers you absolutely need to know.
10) Kiyoko Arai
Kiyoko Arai’s works always feel warm, funny, and a little magical, which is why fans love her so much. Her shoujo series, like Ask Dr. Rin!, Love Affair, Angel Lipand Beauty Pop, are all really popular among fans who love her writing style. She has this unique way of mixing lighthearted fun with life lessons that actually stick with readers.
Beauty Pop is easily her most famous work, telling the story of a gifted hairstylist trying to find her way through high school and romance at the same time. This year, Arai announced the release of Beauty Pop Returnsa continuation of the fan-favorite. Her stories always encourage self-expression and confidence, and she delivers in a way that feels fun and uplifting.
9) Moyoco year
Moyoco Anno is both a shoujo manga writer and a fashion writer, which explains why her stories always have a stylish touch. Her most famous series, Sugar Sugar Runefollows two witches competing to become queen by collecting human hearts. The series was such a hit that it won her the Kodansha Manga Award in 2005.
What’s cool about Anno is that she always knew this was her path – she decided she wanted to be a manga writer back in third grade. She often takes inspiration from the fashion world and has even contributed her work to fashion magazines. Some of Anno’s other works include Trumps!, Jelly in the Merry-Go-Round, Angelic House, Jelly Beans, and, of course, Sugar Sugar Rune.
8) Chiho Saito
Chiho Saito is best known for her masterpiece Revolutionary Girl Utenawhich became both a critically acclaimed anime and an iconic manga. The manga and the anime have been praised for their handling of LGBT+ themes, and their influence can still be seen in anime today. Saito also created Kanonwhich is about an 18-year-old free-spirited violinist, for which she received the Shogakukan Manga Award.
Beyond those, she’s written other hits like The World Exists for Me, Waltz in a White Dress, and First Girl, all with her signature dramatic touch. She was also a member of Be-PaPas, a production group founded by Kunihiko Ikuhara, that helped bring Revolutionary Girl Utena to life. Romance, melodrama, and even forbidden love are hallmarks of her writing, and they’re especially clear in Utena.
7) Karuho Shiina
Karuho Shiina is a shoujo manga writer with several works under her belt, but her biggest hit is definitely Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You). This series won the award for best shoujo at the 32nd Kodansha Manga Award, which is a huge deal in the manga world. The manga became so popular that it got an anime, a live-action film, and even a TV drama adaptation.
Her other works include Crazy for You and Tops to beatwhich prove her versatility as a writer. Tops to beat is her first new series in 18 years since Kimi ni Todoke started back in 2006. It’s set in Hokkaido, the region where the author grew up, and follows a high school girl who connects with a mysterious classmate.
6) Bisco Hatori
Bisco Hatori is a manga artist who uses a pseudonym, and though the meaning behind the name is personal, it’s now one of the most recognized in shoujo. Her first series, Millennium Snowhad to be put on hiatus because Ouran High School Host Club totally blew up and became a global phenomenon. While Exhilaration is a parody/homage to tons of classic shounen and shoujo tropes, underneath it all, it’s actually about a group of misfits who become like family.
Hatori’s comedic writing shines, making you laugh while also nudging you to think about deeper themes like identity, acceptance, and self-expression. She balances humor and sincerity in a way that feels completely effortless. Interestingly, her work has been influenced by both shoujo titles like Please Save My Earth and even sports manga like Slam Dunk.
5) CLAMP
CLAMP is not one person but a famous all-female manga group led by Nanase Ohkawa, with members Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi. The group originally started in the 1980s with eleven members before narrowing down to the iconic four we know today. Since then, they’ve created some of the most beloved manga in the world.
They first worked on dōjinshi inspired by titles like Captain Tsubasa and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure before moving on to original works. CLAMP’s fame grew so much that in 2006, they were even asked to design characters for Code Geass, which was their first time being asked to design characters for an anime series not originally created by them. With over 100 million books sold worldwide, they remain one of the most successful and influential manga groups in history.
4) Yuu Watase
Yuu Watase is the mind behind classics like Fushigi Yugi, Ceres: Celestial Legend, Imadoki!, Alice 19th, and Absolute Boyfriend. She won the Shogakukan Manga Award in the shoujo category in 1998 and has been an icon in the genre ever since. What’s wild is that she developed an interest in drawing manga when she was really young and didn’t get any formal training for it until after high school.
She prefers traditional drawing methods more and mostly works with colored inks and markers because she feels they capture emotions better. Still, she sometimes mixes in digital tools to enhance her work. Her stories feel kind of old-school and full of tropes, but when you read something like Fushigi Yuugiyou’ll realize how hilarious Yuu Watase really is, especially with all the little background jokes happening outside the main story.
3) Natsuki Takaya
Natsuki Takaya is a manga writer best known for Fruits Basketwhich debuted in 1998 and became one of the best-selling shoujo manga of all time. The series was so loved that it got not one but two anime adaptations. She also won the Kodansha Manga Award in 2001 for Fruits Basket.
Takaya knew she wanted to be a manga writer from a very young age, inspired by her sister’s drawings. While her other works, like Twinkle Stars and Tsubasa: Those with Wings, aren’t as popular as Fruits Basketthey still carry her signature touch. Even Twinkle Stars goes deeper than typical shoujo, showing how Takaya isn’t afraid to mix in trauma, cruelty, and kindness in her stories.
2) Riyoko Ikeda
Riyoko Ikeda is both a manga artist and a singer, and she was one of the most popular Japanese comic artists of the 1970s. She’s best known for The Rose of Versailles, a true shoujo classic that people still talk about even decades later. As a child, Ikeda often felt isolated, and she turned to books and manga for comfort, which shaped her love for writing.
Her works often use historical settings like the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution, blending real events with that shoujo flair. The foreign events and androgynous themes in The Rose of Versailles and Orpheus on the sin made them huge successes that fans still talk about today. Ikeda is a true master of melodrama, with everything from the drama to the eerie vibes to the art direction to the character development and wild emotions, making her work a must-read if you love melodramatic storytelling.
1) Ai Yazawa
Ai Yazawa is one of Japan’s most celebrated shoujo manga artists and has created countless masterpieces like NANA, Paradise Kiss, I’m Not an Angel, and Neighborhood Story. She won the Shogakukan Manga Award for NANA in 2003, which later went on to receive both anime and live-action adaptations. She tells these amazing stories of love, friendship, and chasing dreams that always feature distinctive characters that made Yazawa’s work especially popular among women and young girls.
The characters in her work are never perfect; they’re selfish, jealous, insecure, and cowardly, yet still human and relatable because of their flaws. Yazawa herself once attended fashion school, and though she didn’t finish, that influence is clear in her art and storytelling. Along with the emotions, in her work, you will also always see the best fashion, hairstyles, makeup, music, room interiors, and even favorite shops, creating an incredibly stylish world.
So, which one of these is your favorite shoujo manga writer? Do you agree with this ranking, or do you think someone else deserves a spot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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