I do not like drama in my life. Excitement? Yes. New experiences? Sure. Unexpected opportunities? Absolutely. High emotion? Not so much. Grand gestures? I can do without them. Angst? Christ, no. Tears and tirades? I’ll help friends through it, but I would rather cut off my arm than be in the middle of it myself.

So why do I keep choosing romance manga that is absolutely full of drama?

Because as much as I might hate the energy it takes to deal with drama in real life, it makes for extremely compelling reading.

Some people like their romance cozy and sweet. Some like it dangerous. Some like erotica. I happen to like it dramatic. I like both (or all) parties entering into a relationship to have to prove their worth to one another, to show the object of their affections they’ve worked to understand what the other person needs and wants. What their boundaries are. Whether they trust their partner enough to let them grow and to grow with them, perhaps even to grow apart in some ways but closer in others.

But there have got to be rocks and bumps and cliffs to fall from. False starts and misunderstandings and fights and confusion. Not so much “Will they or won’t they?” as “They did and now what?” All the better if someone gets completely vapor locked and leaves the object of their affection hanging just a few beats too long.

I’m still in the early stages of this “learn more about manga” project, and I’m sure I’ll have more recommendations going forward but for now, I have two series I’m following as they’re released in paperback. My understanding is that they’re both available in full on digital but, as previously discussed, I hate reading comics digitally for a variety of reasons, not least of which is I’m old and have a hard time reading teeny print on screens. And, to be honest, since this is a drama thing, torturing myself waiting for the next volume to show up is a good kind of torture.

Given Vol. 1-3 by Natsuki Kizu (Kodansha)

Everyone thinks high school girls are dramatic, but let me tell you a thing, friends: the boys are just as bad, if not worse – especially when they’re in love.

When guitar prodigy Uenoyama meets quiet Mafuyu, all he wants is his sunny nap spot at the top of the stairwell back. Once he restrings Mafuyu’s beloved guitar, though, the new kid won’t leave him alone and Uenoyama wants nothing more than to be left alone – until he hears Mafuyu sing.

It’s then Uenoyama invites Mafuyu to join (the at-that-point-unnamed) Given, the band he shares with drummer Akihiko and bassist Haruki. As they spend more time together, the high schoolers begin to develop feelings for each other, but Mafuyu has a traumatic secret in his past, one that makes him terrified to fall in love… and Uenoyama has never really considered his sexuality before.

With classmates whispering in Uenoyama’s ear and old friends popping up to remind Mafuyu of why he fled his old life, there are angsty, accidental meetings under darkening skies at the train station, tears, bursts of creativity that leave our heroes passed out in class, an on-stange kiss, and then… well… where’s the drama if I give it all away?

Perfect World Vol. 2 by Aie Aruga (Kodansha)

I wrote about the profound effect Volume 1 of Perfect World had on me here, and Volume 2 does not let up, though the drama doesn’t come from the direction you might expect. Yes, dating someone who’s disabled is a learning process, but what I found most interesting about this particular part of the story is that the drama isn’t between Tsugumi and Itsuki or even regarding their burgeoning relationship. It’s drama Tsugumi is creating for herself.

That’s not an attack on her. I think, given the situation and the pressures from her parents, Itsuki’s caregiver, and Tsugumi’s friend Koreda, Tusgumi’s need to prove to everyone she can craft the ideal relationship is natural. What she needs to realize, however, is that in focusing on how everyone is making her feel, she’s missing what’s most important to the relationship: how Itsuki feels.

Rather than worrying about whether she feels she’s doing enough, Tsugumi needs to listen to Itsuki when he tells her what his boundaries are. Rather than being upset when he tells the story of his accident and trying to make up for what happened to him, which is impossible, she needs to listen when he explains his process for getting to where he is now and where he’d like to be in the future.

Instead of worrying about what might happen and trying to prevent everything, Tsugumi needs to trust Itsuki to tell her when he needs help. Rather than trying to do everything for him so that she feels adequate and ending up in a state where she can’t do anything for either of them, she needs to be an actual partner and not only allow Itsuki to tell her when he’s reached his limits but also tell him when she’s reached hers.

The drama in Perfect World is of a different sort than that in Given. It’s more internal and (for the most part) quieter, perhaps ultimately more profound, though the closer my children get to being teenagers, the more I realize adults should have more respect for what kids have to process and integrate.

I love both of these books, though. The choice of which I’m going to pick up on a given day is based solely on what sort of disaster I’m in the mood for.

More as I delve further into the world of manga romance!