Since Christmas in Japan is considered a romantic day, love is in the air in December. It’s a time when couples can be found enjoying Christmas dates everywhere: admiring winter illuminations, filling up restaurants, and so on. This can be a bit much, though, for single people, who get labeled with the devastatingly brutal nickname “Kuribocchi” (クリぼっち), which translates to “Christmas Loner.”
Whether you’re single and unbothered, happily in a relationship, or single but looking for love, we’ve put together our recommendations for spicy romance manga series to warm you up this festive season. If you’re spending a solitary Christmas, why not spend the day losing yourself in these steamy series?
No matter which of the holidays you celebrate, consider this our gift to you, as we at Manga Planet team wish you happy holidays!
CONTENT WARNING: All the romance manga series in this list include sexual content in varying degrees of explicitness, and are thus unsuitable for readers under 18. For romance series better suited for teens, check out this round-up instead.
Story & Art: Hiraku Miura
This erotic comedy features a fun storyline and a cast of shojo manga-esque characters.
Shizuru Kohinata struggles to express her emotions and often finds herself in trouble at work. After one particularly bad day, Shizuru reaches her limit and finds herself having an embarrassingly public breakdown — right in front of her boss, the cool and handsome Kamiki Seishiro!
In a rush of emotions, Shizuru finds herself making some questionable decisions and is horrified to find herself waking up in President Seishiro’s bed. Is this the end of the road for Shizuru’s career?
Maybe not, as the puppy-like President Kamiki offers that she become his live-in maid, and is instantly smitten for her. But Shizuru must first learn more about her own feelings before she can truly fall in love…
Story & Art: Namiko Nanba
After being pushed to move into a family friend’s sharehouse, the introverted Kyoka quickly develops a crush on housemate Harada Nozomi, a BL actor who left a striking first impression.
Kyoka is moved by Nozomi’s confidence and sparkling personality, but is surprised to find out that not everything is as it seems. The grass is always greener on the other side, after all. While Nozomi may seem cheerful, his emotions are taken for a turbulent ride after being brutally rejected by the guy he likes.
Will the awkward pair be able to lift each other up, or will Kyoka be left admiring Nozomi from afar? Follow Kyoka and Nozomi as they enter a relationship filled with firsts in Love and BL Actor and Share House.
Story & Art: Tsumika Abe
If you’re looking for a romance story featuring a bad boy for a love interest, then look no further! Saki Ogawa is your average florist… until she visits the Kanamoriya Club, and stumbles upon a particularly explicit scene involving the terrifying Renji Kanamori.
Unable to get the shocking scene off her mind, the carefree Saki returns to the club and is convinced to stand in for a sick hostess. It’s time for Saki to learn all about the dark and erotic world that wakes up when the sun goes down…
With a dangerous Yakuza member like Kanamori in charge, the Kanamoriya Club is not for the faint-hearted. Saki has a decision to make: should she stay safe at her day job, or should she follow her heart and step into the darkness of night?
Story & Art: Yuzu Inukai
The Imperial Harem is a battle of beauty and brains. Only the smartest and prettiest consort will reach the top and become the Empress.
The adorable Urei Getsu entered the harem at a young age, but has been stuck at the dismal rank of #133. To make matters worse, the man she admires, government official Tosei, announces that she has to leave the harem.
Just as it seems like Urei will have to return home a failure, Tosei offers her another chance. If she can prove her worth to the harem, she can stay. Will she reach the top in such a steamy and competitive environment, or will she have to pack her bags and leave?
Join Urei on her journey to become #1 in this dramatic series that’s perfect for fans of spicy historical romance. The contrast between the shojo-esque art style and the frequent explicit scenes will leave you blushing!
Which of these romance manga series warmed you up the most? Be sure to let us know on Twitter!
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