なまいきざかり [Namaiki Zakari]

From 2014 to 2022, Hakusensha published Namaiki Zakari, a 24-issue shojo manga series that tracks the evolving relationship between a high school girl and the younger, cheeky boy who disrupts her everyday life. Known for its sharp dialogue and slow-burn romantic tension, the series became a defining work of the mid-2010s shojo landscape, largely thanks to the nuanced character writing of its creator, Miyuki Mitsubachi. Its sustained popularity lies in its honest, often humorous exploration of age-gap dynamics and the awkwardness of first love, earning it a devoted readership in Japan.