par Ceki, mars 25, 2024
69

Hello, dear MDLers, long time no see!  Have you had enough of manga adaptations? ;) I certainly hope not because we got a lot of them coming out this year, as usual. Let's see which manga series will get adapted in the first half of 2024. Please also not that the titles are not in chronological order. Let me know what you think in comments!

A short break-down of most popular Japanese manga genres:

  • Shoujo manga is targeted at girls up to the age of 18 and focuses on romance, friendship and comedy.
  • Josei manga is a type of manga that targets female readers between the ages of 18 and 40. It  focuses on realistic romance and adult topics.
  • Shounen is a demographic and a category of manga mostly aimed at boys between 10 and 18 years old. Those stories are idealised and feature action scenes depicting adventure and/or sports, friendship and struggles with adversity.
  • Shounen-ai  or BL/Boys Love  features romance between boys, however, most BL artists are women and it is aimed at a female audience. Yaoi is the explicit version.
  • Shoujo-ai or GL/Girls Love  features romance between girls. Yuri is the explicit version.
  • Seinen manga features action and violence, but with a more serious or darker tone, as well as adult content such as sexual situations, graphic violence, or foul language.

NOTE: The synopses and descriptions were taken from MDL and manga sites, respectively. The article does not guarantee accuracy since the info regarding these dramas/films can change in the future.


Patisserie Mon

Based on "Patisserie Mon" (パティスリーMON) by Kira
Genre: josei

The story follows the growth of Yamazaki Otome, a young girl lacking experience in love, who utilizes her hobby of making sweets to work at Patisserie MON, a French pastry shop.


Living no Matsunaga-san

Based on "Living no Matsunaga-san" (リビングの松永さん) by Iwashita Keiko
Genre: shoujo

Due to family circumstances, high school student Miko Sonoda is forced to live at her uncle's boarding house. However, before she can arrive there, Miko is already met with a bad omen: while trying to find the place, she suspects that someone is following her! When her uncle comes to her rescue, the assumed stalker happens to be one of his tenants, leaving Miko embarrassed on her first day.


Omukae Shibuya-kun

Based on "Omukae Shibuya-kun" (お迎え渋谷くん) by Mitsuno Makoto
Genre: josei

Shibuya Taikai is a popular young actor with excellent acting skills and a charming smile. Women are crazy about him, but Taikaihas never been in love in his life. He has a 4-year-old sister named Rizumu who attends nursery school. One day, Rizumu comes back home with a scratch from the nursery school. Taikai is concerned enough that he passes up on a drama series acting offer and decides to take Rizumu to school and pick her up after school. At his sister's school, Taikai Shibuya meets Rizumu's teacher Aota Aika. He gets attracted to her. 


GTO Revival

Based on "Great Teacher Onizuka" (グレート・ティーチャー・オニヅカ) by Fujisawa Tooru
Genre: shounen

Onizuka, a former motorcycle gang member turned high-school teacher is assigned to a private academy full of troubled students. The issue at this high school revolves around an exposé-style influencer who has nearly 2 million followers who specializes in exposing and spreading rumors, causing controversies and uproar, regardless of whether the individuals involved are celebrities or ordinary people. 


RoOT

Based on "RoOT of Oddtaxi" (ルート オブ オッドタクシー ) by Konomoto Kazuya  and Abaraya Takeichi
Genre: seinen

Reina, a cool and lonely 19-year-old detective working in a small detective agency, teams up with unlucky but optimistic newbie Sato after an investigation into a small case in relation to a strange taxi driver leads them to be embroiled in a much bigger case.


VR Ojisan no Hatsukoi

Based on "VR Ojisan no Hatsukoi" (VRおじさんの初恋) by Boryoku Tomoko
Genre: shoujo-ai

Forty-year-old Naoki lives a mundane single life in the real world but enjoys venturing into the VR world as a female avatar. One day in the VR world, he meets a young happy-go-lucky girl named Honami whom he slowly becomes attracted to. But who is the real Honami and what will become of their relationship?


Unmet: Aru Nogekai no Nikki

Based on "Unmet" (アンメット) written by Kojika Yuzuru and Ootsuki Kanto
Genre: seinen

Kawauchi Miyabi was once a promising neurosurgeon, but an accident caused damage to Miyabi's brain. She is unable to remember the past 2 years of her life and she will forget everything that happened today when she wakes up the next day. She has all but given up on becoming a doctor and works as an assistant nurse. One day, Neurosurgeon Sanpei Tomoharu appears in front of her.


Blue Moment

Based on "Blue Moment” (ブルーモーメント) by Kana Ozawa
Genre: seinen

Kankuro Haruhara is a research officer at the Meteorological Research Institute. With his handsome appearance and fresh smile, he appears on the weather segment of a news program. He is also a chief at the SDM (Special Disaster Management) Headquarters, whose purpose is to protect lives from weather disasters.  


Karakai Jozu no Takagi-san 

Based on "Karakai Jozu no Takagi-san" (からかい上手の高木さん) by Yamamoto Soichiro
Genre: shoujo

Takagi loves to tease, and her victim is none other than her next-seat classmate, Nishikata. She knows too well of Nishikata that it's almost impossible to get back at her. But this won't dispirit a determined Nishikata who is always looking for a chance to give Takagi a taste of her own medicine.


Parasyte: The Grey

Based on "Kiseijuu" (寄生獣) by Iwaaki Hitoshi
Genre: seinen

The story depicts parasites that fall from space and begin to kill to gain their own power by controlling the human brain and body by living off human hosts. The story revolves around Jung Soo In, who is infected with a parasite on her hand and starts a strange cohabitation as it fails to steal her brain.


Lovesick Ellie

Based on "Lovesick Ellie" (恋わずらいのエリー) by Fuji Momo
Genre: shoujo

Eriko Ichimura has an ordinary and unnoticed student life at her high school. Her only joy is watching popular male student Akira Omi and imagining them being a couple. She writes down those thoughts on her social media account under the name of Lovesick Ellie. Akira Omi seems like a perfect guy, with good looks and a gentle personality.


Kare no Iru Seikatsu

Based on "Living with Him" (彼のいる生活) by Miyata Toworu
Genre: shounen-ai

With his parents frequently away for work, Natsukawa Ryota had been the main caretaker for his younger sisters and the housework, but now he’s finally about to go to University, he’s looking forward to being able to live freely on his own! However, in a surprising turn of events, he’s surprised to discover his roommate will be his childhood friend Tanaka Kazuhito. Despite his picture-perfect looks and pleasant personality, Kazuhito doesn’t have a girlfriend. Curious, Ryota accompanies him in searching for the reason why, but is unable to find any flaws and finds his heart fluttering over Kazuhito’s kind words and actions.


1122 Ii Fuufu

Based on "1122" (1122) by Watanabe Peko
Genre: seinen

Ichiko and Otoya have been married for 7 years, but unknown to others around them, they are in a sexless marriage, have no children, and share a secret: on the third Thursday of every month, they have an agreement to let Otoya spend the night with his "lover".


Ikoku Nikki

Based on "Ikoku Nikki" (違国日記) by Yamashita Tomoko
Genre: josei

It centers on 35-year-old novelist Kodai Makio and her 15-year-old niece Asa, who live together under one roof. Makio took Asa in on a sudden impulse after Asa's parents, which included Makio's older sister, passed away. The next day, Makio returns to her senses and remembers that she does not do well in the company of other people. So begins their daily life, as Makio attempts to acclimate to a roommate, while Asa attempts to get used to an adult that never acts like one.


Karakai Jozu no Takagi-san

Based on "Karakai Jozu no Takagi-san" (からかい上手の高木さん) by Yamamoto Soichiro
Genre: shounen

10 years after her middle school days and now a full grown woman, Takagi-san returns to the middle school where she graduated from as a trainee trainer. There, she meets Nishikata who was one of her middle school classmates and he was frequently teased by her. Now, Nishikata works as a PE teacher at the same school.


Fujimi Lovers

Based on "Fujimi Lovers" (不死身ラヴァーズ) by TakagiI Yuna
Genre: shounen

A spiral love story. Kouno Jun is a lively character who lives life with all his might. In kindergarten, he falls in love with Hasebe Rino, the most beautiful girl in his class, and he confesses to her. Hasebe accepts his love, but the moment she gives her answer, she vanishes on the spot. Failing to figure out what's going on, Kouno asks his friends about Hasebe, only to find out that no one remembers a single thing about her. She has just vanished, along with all memories about her, except for those of Kouno. While Kouno leads a weary and desperate high-school life, Hasebe appears again as a transfer student. However, this Hasebe is not exactly the Hasebe he knows...


Buzzy Noise

Based on "Buzzy Noise" (バジーノイズ) by Mutsuki Jun
Genre: seinen

Apartment building manager by day and electronic music composer by night, Kiyosumi enjoys his "clean and simple" existence free from relationships and distractions. He only needs his music, or so he thinks. One day, he gets an unexpected admirer as a distressed female neighbor destroys both his room's window and his solitude...


Kokuhaku Confession

Based on "Kokuhaku: Confession" (告白 コンフェッション) Fukumoto Nobuyuki  and Kawaguchi Kaiji
Genre: seinen

Asai Keisuke and Ryu Ji Yong were members of the same university mountain climbing club. 16 years after their graduation, they are still good friends. They decide to go mountain climbing to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Nishida Sayuri, who was a member of their club. She died 16 years ago in an accident while mountain climbing.  


City Hunter

Based on "City Hunter" (シティーハンター) by Hojo Tsukasa
Genre: shounen

Saeba Ryo is a "sweeper" in the city of Tokyo. He works as a trouble shooter, cleaning the streets of vermin, and helping out desperate people. Sometimes he's a bodyguard, sometimes he's an assassin, whatever Ryo does he does it well. In fact, his only flaw is his hormones - he loves the ladies and sometimes turns into an idiot when he's near them. Thankfully he's got people like his partner Kaori Makimura to keep him in check.


Kimi to Yukite Saku: Shinsengumi Seishunroku

Based on "Shinsengumi" (新選組) by Tezuka Osamu
Genre: seinen

Shinsengumi is a story about the fictional young Shinsengumi soldiers Fukakusa Kyujuro and Kamagiri Daisaku. After his father is killed, Okajuro joins the Shinsengumi to improve his sword skills and avenge his death. At the entrance exam, I met Daisaku, a promising newcomer with excellent sword skills. Although the two develop a passionate friendship, they are at the mercy of the times and are destined to have to kill each other...  


Acma:Game

Based on "Acma:Game" (アクマゲーム) by Mebu and Megumi Koji  
Genre: shounen

Oda Teruasa, a gifted high school senior who is the heir of Japan's wealthy trading company Oda Group, lost everything 13 years ago when his father was murdered by a mysterious organization. The culprit was, in fact, after a weathered key which was in Seiji's possession.  


Kimi ga Kemono ni Naru Mae ni

Based on "From the Dust" (君が獣になる前に) by Sano Takashi
Genre: seinen

At the end of the year, a poison gas terror attack takes place at a terminal station in Tokyo. 666 people die or are injured in the attack. The terror attack's number of victims is related to the "number of the beast" and the case is given the name "The Beast." The person who carried out the attack is a 25-year-old popular actress, Kotone Kido, who died at the terminal station. Kotone Kido had a childhood friend named Hajime Kanzaki. They were not blood-related, but they were very close like a brother and sister. Now, Hajime Kanzaki is 33-years-old and works as an undertaker.


Sukina Otoko to Wakaretai

Based on "Suki na Otoko to Wakaretai" (好きなオトコと別れたい) by Fujio Ai  
Genre: josei

Ikuko Shiraishi is about to turn 30 years old. She works for a company and is dating Hiroji Kurokawa. Her boyfriend is kind of a loser who lives at her house and does not have a job. Ikuko Shiraishi feels uneasy about getting married and her future. She makes the decision to break up with Hiroji Kurokawa and look for someone to marry. But, in her heart, Ikuko Shiraishi doesn't really want to break up with Hiroji Kurokawa, and she wants to be with him for good. At this time, her co-worker Aoyama confesses to her that he has always liked her.


My Home Hero

Based on "My Home Hero" (マイホームヒーロー) Yamakawa Naoki and Asaki Masashi
Genre:  seinen

Tetsuo Tosu is a typical father whose biggest worries are his job and his rebellious daughter, Reika. That is until he finds a bruise on her face. His worst fears come true when he finds out she has a secret boyfriend and he's part of a crime ring that's using her to steal her grandparent's wealth. If that wasn't bad enough, the thug catches Tetsuo snooping around and threatens to kill Reika as soon as she gets home.  


Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto

Based on "Koi wo Surunara Nidome ga Joto" (恋をするなら二度目が上等) by Kinoshita Keiko
Genre: shounen-ai

Business editor Miyata Akihiro invites University professor Iwanaga Takashi to write a column for his publication. It’s not their first encounter since they used to be star-crossed lovers way back in high school. In still-to-be-explained circumstances, Miyata broke the affair completely, sealed the romantic episode, and moved on. With his busy schedule and a girlfriend to boot, his ‘normal’ world is starting to unravel and collide with his dark past. Can Miyata and Iwanaga start all over again?


Cinderella Complex

Based on "Cinderella Complex" (シンデレラ・コンプレックス) by Inoue Risako
Genre:  josei

Cinderella Complex is about the affair between a popular married high school teacher and his female high school student. When his wife, another teacher at the school, discovers his affair and vows revenge, things start to go awry.


Mikazuki to Neko

Based on "Mikazuki to Neko" (三日月とネコ) by Uozumi Ami
Genre: josei

Akari, who evacuated with a cat when earthquake struck, meets Kanoko, who also took her cat with her at the evacuation site. Jin, who lived in the same apartment, also loves big cats, and the three become close to each other through cats and eventually live together.


Sugar Sugar Honey

Based on "Sugar Sugar Honey" by Suzuki Yufuko
Genre: shoujo

Mizuki is a marathon runner forced to hang up her running shoes and find a job in the “real world.” She's been laser-focused on running her whole life and developed very little in the way of social skills, totally neglecting any thoughts of a love life. Her love for sweet food is the only thing that brings her joy.  


Black Girl's Talk

Based on "Black Girls Talk" (ブラックガールズトーク) by Makino Maki
Genre: josei

The story is centered around three close friends, Kaori, Aya and Nao, who get together at a coffee house or their respective homes and engage in idle gossip.


Owakare Hospital

Based on "Owakare Hospital" (お別れホスピタル) by Okita Bakka
Genre: seinen

Henmi is a second-year nurse who works where death lies in wait—a hospital. She witnesses the naked tragedy concerning the life and death of various patients.


Perfect Propose

Based on "Perfect Propose" (パーフェクトプロポーズ) by Tsurukame Mayo
Genre: shounen-ai

Hiro's so stressed out at work that he can barely have proper meals or get some well-earned sleep. When he passes out on the sidewalk after yet another stressful day, an unfamiliar face calls out to him - apparently, they once promised to marry each other? What's Kai Fukaya's deal, and why is he so insistent on assuming the role of Hiro's fiancé?


Uri wo Waru: Issen wo Koeta, Sono Saki ni wa

Based on "Uri wo Waru" (瓜を破る) by Itakura Azusa
Genre: seinen

A love story between Kosaka Maiko, a thirty-year-old office worker with a sexual complex, and Kagiya Senri, a lethargic young man who is not good at interacting with others.


Sensei Sayonara

Based on "Sensei Sayounara" (先生さようなら) by Yasuko
Genre: shoujo

A love story that takes place in the present day and in the past. Tamura Takuro is 27 years old and works as an art teacher at a high school. He is popular among the students. Yayoi is one of the students in his homeroom class. She spends her days without a goal in her life. Tamura Takuro recommends that she joins the art club.


Rikon Shinai Otoko

Based on "Rikon Shinai Otoko" (離婚しない男) by Ohtake Reiji
Genre: seinen

Okatani Wataru, who was an ace reporter in the social affairs department of a major newspaper company, witnesses his wife having an affair and decides to get a divorce. Although he makes steady preparations to gain custody of his daughter, a talented lawyer he consults with tells him that his chance of winning is only 10 %. Instead of going ahead with the divorce right away, he works hard with his partner, a detective, to gather evidence of his wife’s affair in order to earn the right to be the rightful caretaker of his daughter.


Ao Haru Ride Season 2

Based on "Ao Haru Ride" (アオハライド) by Sakisaka Io
Genre: shoujo

Yoshioka Futaba was once a middle school student who fell for her warm-hearted classmate Tanaka Kou. But young love proved to be cruel, and the duo was separated due to circumstances beyond their control – with Kou moving to Nagasaki. Fate reunited them in high school, however. As her school days are about to draw to an end, Kou transferred to her class. But the Kou she once knew changed – adopting an unfamiliar surname and an unexpectedly cold and aloof personality.


Golden Kamuy

Based on "Golden Kamuy" (ゴールデンカムイ) by Noda Satoru
Genre: seinen

In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto scratches out a meager existence during the postwar gold rush in the wilderness of Hokkaido. When he stumbles across a map to a fortune in hidden Ainu gold, he sets off on a treacherous quest to find it.  


Meguru Mirai

Based on "Meguru Mirai" (めぐる未来) by Tsuji Yamori
Genre: seinen

On the 18th of January, Meguru and Mirai's wedding anniversary, Meguru falls down the emergency stairs at her workplace and dies. Mirai, overwhelmed by sadness, develops a mysterious illness as a result, which is triggered due to fluctuations in his emotions. Before he knew it, he had returned to the past to the time she was still alive.  


Kyokugen Fufu

Based on "Kyokugen Fufu" (極限夫婦) by Kizuki Akira and Sato Nanki
Genre: josei

It tells three stories of three different married couples, with each revealing the true nature of their terrible husbands.


Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

Based on "Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka" (好きやねんけどどうやろか) by Chiba Ryoko
Genre: shounen-ai

A charmingly handsome owner of a small restaurant, who can make anyone's stomach and heart happy, meets a divorced office worker who got relocated to Osaka and... falls in love with him at first sight?!  


Let's Go Karaoke!

Based on "Karaoke Iko!" by Yama Wayama
Genre: comedy

Kyoji Narita is a high ranking yakuza member. On a rainy day, he wanders on the street. He hears a singing sound and he walks towards the sound. There, he meets junior high school student Satomi Oka  and he invites him to go to a karaoke place to teach him to sing. Kyoji Narita badly wants to improve his singing so he won't place last in his gang's karaoke competition.  


Innai Keisatsu

Based on "Innai Keisatsu: Asclepius no Hebi" (院内警察~アスクレピオスの蛇~) by Sakai Tsutomu
Genre: seinen

Set within a hospital police box which deals with patient disputes, complaints and other various duties, the story centers on Murai Osamu, a hospital- internal detective, and Sakakibara Shunsuke, a genius surgeon, who clash over their differing interpretations of what "justice" means.


Kanojo to Kareshi no Akarui Mirai 

Based on "Kanojo to Kareshi no Akarui Mirai" (彼女と彼氏の明るい未来) by Taniguchi Natsuko
Genre: seinen

Elementary school teacher Aoyama Ichiro is a dull person who leads a mundane life, but his biggest stroke of luck is meeting his extraordinary girlfriend, Sasaki Yukika, who he feels is too good for him. One day, he tries out a VR machine that was developed by his friend that apparently can reveal the past. Through this, he encounters something from Yukika’s past that makes him doubt her.


Mitsu to Doku

Based on "Mitsu to Doku" (蜜と毒~逆恨みの復讐) by Kashiwaya Cocco
Genre: josei

This is a non-stop crisis suspense drama about a couple who are swept away by temporary emotions and end up having an affair with each other, and are cornered by their respective partners.

The main character, Machiko Kosaka, is a good wife who supports her husband, who is passionate about her work, but when she discovers that her husband is having an affair, she also has an affair with her junior colleague at the company.


Ossan no Pants ga Nandatte Ii Janai ka!

Based on "Ossan no Pantsu ga Nan Datte Ii Janai ka!" (おっさんのパンツがなんだっていいじゃないか) by Nerima Zim  
Genre: seinen

50-year-old Okita Makoto is a middle-aged man who is old-fashioned and prejudiced against certain people and behaviors. Because of his values, he is disliked by his son, who likes cute things, his fujoshi daughter, who likes BL, and his wife, who is a fan of male idols. After meeting a gay young man, Makoto begins to slowly change his way of thinking..


Have you read any of these manga series?
Which live-actions seem interesting to you?

Thanks for reading!


Edited by: devitto (1st editor)