Hikari no Densetsu

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Basically the classic popular shoujo manga art/design style.

Dancing, ice-skating, gymnastics, and so on.

Note: Due to the number of missing manga from the database I will add the ones that would be included in the stack at the bottom of this description. And will leave room in the stack for these manga in the case that they are added in the future.

There are a number of works that I've not been able to read at all or read completely in the list so my commentary on those entries is limited, also my Japanese reading skill is limited currently so that limits some of the commentary as well. Also the list is mainly focused on the older titles as my knowledge on newer titles is relatively limited when it comes to shoujo manga.

Related links:
History of "Shoujo" Anime - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/16071
List of Shoujo manga released before 1980s - https://myanimelist.net/clubs.php?cid=84956

The beginnings of the history of girls comic magazines in Japan can be traced to the early 1900s with one of the first notable magazines "Shoujo no Tomo" gaining popularity among the female audience. The strong visual presence and the character design that are usually associated with shoujo manga draw their roots also to that period. Among the early pioneers of the visual approach "Jun'ichi Nakahara" is usually mentioned due to the influence of his design and approach to the character when it comes to shoujo manga.

This list attempts to collect some of the most important works when it comes to the history of shoujo manga, starting from the beginning. This is done so that people who are interested in or new to the history of "Shoujo" manga can gain atleast some kind of understanding of the history and the development throughout the years.

I will try to write my short spoiler free review/thoughts for each of the entries on this list to explain further why I think the entry is important as far as the history of "shoujo" manga is concerned.

Important manga missing from the database:

1957 - Shoujo Club - Fuichin-san (フイチンさん) - Ueda Toshiko (上田としこ)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/148274

Most early shoujo mangaka were men, and shoujo manga didn't have a particular "identity" in 1950s, as it was mostly just used as "a springboard" for authors aiming for the more popular shounen magazines. However Ueda Toshiko took everyone by storm as a female author with "Fuichin-san" one of the "big hits" in the evolving 1950s - 1960s shoujo manga scene.

The story focuses on the character "Fuichin" and is set on a period near WW2 in Manchuria. It is said that Ueda Toshiko drew some inspiration from her own experiences in Manchuria durin that period.

1958 - Shoujo - Tokyo Paris (東京・パリ) - Takahashi Macoto (高橋真琴)

Takahashi Macoto is often credited with popularizing the usage of glitter or star shaped visual in the eyes of the characters when it comes to the visual design of the character. The works of Takahashi Macoto usually put heavy emphasis on his detailed art and design of the characters.

1960 - Shoujo - Maki no Kuchibue (マキの口笛) - Maki Miyako (牧美也子)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/142707/Maki_no_Kuchibue

Maki Miyako drew popularity in early 1960s scene with hit works such as Maki no Kuchibue. The work features a dramatic approach to the world of "dance" and "performance". The visual approach in the art used by Maki Miyako was also emphasised in the series with intricate portrayals of fashion and passion.

The popularity of this work and her art resulted in Maki Miyako being let in charge for the original design of the Licca-chan toy doll franchise which debuted in 1967.

1962 - Shoujo - Shimai Futari (姉妹ふたり) - Maki Miyako (牧美也子)

1963 - Ribon - Chibikko Tenshi (ちびっこ天使) - Yokoyama Mitsuteru (横山光輝)

The series featured a "pair" of "angels" who were able to use magic, they came down to earth and caused all sorts of mischief with their powers. Often considered something of a precursor to the acclaimed series "Mahoutsukai Sally"

1966 - Ribon - Honey Honey no Suteki na Bouken (ハニーハニーのすてきな冒険) - Mizuno Hideko (水野英子)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/112823/Honey_Honey_no_Suteki_na_Bouken

1967 - Ribon - Sweet★Lala (スイート★ラーラ) - Kitajima Yoko (北島洋子)

1967 - Margaret - Comet-san (コメットさん) - Yokoyama Mitsuteru (横山光輝)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/139540

1969 - (Unknown) - Ballet Hoshi (バレエ星) - Tani Yukiko (谷ゆき子)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/142708/Ballet_Hoshi

1969 - Margaret - Glass no Shiro (ガラスの城) - Watanabe Masako (わたなべまさこ)
https://myanimelist.net/manga/129561

A collection of shoujo and josei manga that focus on or have a strong emphasis on sports, be it basketball or ballet.

When people think of sports series they typically think of shounen series like Haikyuu or Kuroko's Basketball or seinen series like Real. And I have found that sports focused shoujo and josei are not as talked about outside of a few classic series and Chihayafuru.

So I have collected all the notable ones I could find for the convenience of people who want to see a feminine perspective on the sports genre. The series in this stack cover both men's and women's sports both on a professional and high school level.

I will note that some of these series are not focused on the sports themselves and have other things at the forefront.

Any manga where the main plotline is about gymnastics. This stack also includes series about rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatics.

Note: Unfortunately, I could not add a lot of titles I found because they are not on the MAL database. I also did not include overly explicit titles, titles I could not find much information on, or titles where the focus on gymnastics was minimal.

This stack covers Shojo and Josei manga that have a strong emphasis on sports, whether that's men's sports or women's sports. Additionally, it includes everything from tennis to dance to things like Karuta.