Versailles no Bara
The Rose of Versailles

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Basically the classic popular shoujo manga art/design style.

Number of sales and date that number was acquired from in notes for each. Some of them I have personally estimated a higher figure than the date says.

No. 162 would be Nippon no Rekishi. It's for children and I can't find it on MAL. It has 24 volumes and started in 1981, and has sold 20.2 million (March 19th, 2020).

No. 165 would be Cuffs - Kizu Darake no Chizu by Jin Tojo, and has sold 20 million (February 14th, 2022).

No. 183 would be The Tale of Genji by Waki Yamato. Couldn't find exactly which one it was she made, and has sold 20 million (May 1st, 2021).

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The 𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝟚𝟜 𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕡, refers to the female mangaka who completely revolutionized shōjo manga in the 1970s, and whose influence can be seen in modern shoujo work today.

The title coming from the fact that many of them were born in the year Showa 24
(1949; for this reason they are also occasionally referred to as the Forty-Niners).

Plus a selection of pieces from the "ℙ𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝟚𝟜 𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕡" who were inspired by these mangaka.

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Please do check out Part 2 if you want more! https://myanimelist.net/stacks/14189

(Ignore my ratings, you should dictate the enjoyment yourself)

What definitely makes manga great would be that it goes over a broad range of themes/topics. Manga isn't afraid of addressing taboo topics, nor does it avoid concepts that most other entertainment mediums WOULDN'T DARE to touch. They also provide an imaginative exploration of how the Japanese perceive these topics. We rarely get cultural perspectives on certain topics.
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Includes topics that are rare in animanga compared to other mediums.

Manga depicting the daily life/religion/historical events/just culture overall of different parts of the world.

Doesn't include Japanese culture since most of the manga have a Japanese setting anyway.

Doesn't include manga with settings older than the 10th century. So no Ancient Greece or Roman Empire, for example.

Manga set largely outside East Asia, but on Earth.

An ongoing list of the most important/influential figures in post-war manga and some of their most important series. In no particular order.

Post-war refers to after World War II. So the list will exclude figures most known for works which came out prior to the War like Tagawa Suiho and Yokoyama Ryuuichi, as well as some figures not currently on MAL, such as Fukui Eiichi.

Japan's Shōwa era lasted from 1926 to 1989. In 2009, Asahi Shimbun announced a polled list of 50 of the greatest 'masterpieces(名作)' of the Shōwa era. The only one not listed on MAL yet is 'Iga no Kagemaru' by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, which was ranked 27th.

https://www.comic-takaoka.jp/

Shoujo and josei manga that have victorian/gothic or historical themes, aristocrats or other noble characters.

Dear Gothic Lolita lover

This manga is about Gothic world and clothes.
Frills, lace, ribbons🎀,rose…Gothic and Lolita adorned with opulent decorations.

Girls wearing such Gothic Lolita are cute! Don't you think? Sometimes they are cool! Don't you think?

WOMANLY Anime: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/17626

The Year 24 Group (24-nen Gumi/Nijuuyonen Gumi, also called the Fabulous Year 24 Group/Hana no 24-nen Gumi or the Magnificent Forty-Niners), is a group of manga artists who rose to prominence in the early 1970s. They are credited with introducing complex themes such as psychology, sexuality, and politics into shoujo manga, which until that point was primarily simple stories for little girls written by men who would migrate to male demongraphics as they gained notability.

Their name comes from the year 1949, or the 24th year of the Showa era, in which several members were born. Which artists merit inclusion is a matter of opinion, with the strictest including as few as just Hagio, Oshima, and Takemiya, and the most liberal including mangaka influenced by them and those who worked as their assistants.

Inclusion of titles in this list is based on a combination of popularity, notability, acclaim, availability in English, and (my) personal taste. Don't read too far into it if I missed a series you like.

A list of 1970s manga that has been officially released physically in English. Any manga that goes out of print will be removed

shoujo manga that started publishing in the 1970s or earlier

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

Here are all the shoujo manga I think one should read in order to cover all bases. I organized this list by general theme, with publishing series at the bottom.

We start off with serious drama and slice of life series, then period and fantasy action and war series, then science-fiction series, then magical girl series, then series for younger audiences, then romance comedies, then drama slice of life romances, then horror and supernatural manga, and lastly, important ongoing series.

I'm currently using this list too, despite me being the one who created it!