15 Manga Like Oshi no Ko, Ranked by MyAnimeList Score

Oshi no ko is a seinen manga written by Aka Akasaka and drawn by Mengo Yokoyari. It has been published since April 23, 2020, in the Weekly Young Jump, then published in bound volumes by the Japanese publisher Shūeisha. Ten volumes have been released since April 2020. An anime adaptation produced by the Doga Kobo studio was announced for April 12, 2023, premiere. For all of you who’ve enjoyed the series, in this article, we are going to give you a list of the fifteen best manga like Oshi no Ko, you absolutely need to read.

15. IDOLiSH7

MyAnimeList Score: N/A

What it’s about: The young manager Tsumugi Takanashi begins her work in her father’s agency and is immediately faced with a difficult task: she is supposed to be in charge of the company’s first boy band. The seven young men who have just been cast as idols are introduced to her: The only 17-year-old but very mature Iori Izumi; the 22-year-old reserved but caring Yamato Nikaidō; Iori’s 21-year-old older, lively, and cheerful brother, Mitsuki Izumi; the excellent dancer but otherwise somewhat slovenly Tamaki Yotsuba; the conscientious and kind Sōgo Ōsaka; half-Japanese Nagi Rokuya, a womanizer and otaku; and the somewhat naïve, spirited singer Riku Nanase.

The group’s strongest competitor and its biggest spur is the already very successful Trigger group. In addition, the group of very different boys first has to get used to each other and to their new life as an idol.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: IDOLiSH7 is basically the same story as Oshi no Ko, but focuses more on the actual lives of the idols rather than the mysteries surrounding the main characters. If you liked the core idea of Oshi no Ko, you’d love IDOLiSH7.

14. Boy’s Abyss

MyAnimeList Score: 7.42

What it’s about: With his brother, mother, who is a nurse, and grandmother, Reiji Kurose resides in a small town. He has known Sakuko Akiyama since they were children. One day, Nagi Aoe, an idol from the group Acrylic who works at a convenience store, meets Reiji. She informs Reiji about Lover’s Abyss, a local location where couples kill themselves. Reiji is saved by his teacher, Yuri Shibasawa, who subsequently pledges to protect him after their failed suicide attempt involving Reiji and Nagi.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: There is an underlying sense of eerieness to both of these works and while Oshi no Ko focuses more on idols, the mature topics, as well as the evolution of the story’s real-life implications, should be enough for Oshi no Ko fans.

13. Not Your Idol

MyAnimeList Score: 7.51

What it’s about: At an autograph session of the idol group Pure Club, their most popular member Karen Amamiya is attacked with a knife by one of the participants. Six months later, she gave up her career as an idol and her previously emphatically feminine appearance. Nina Kamiyama, her real name, is now the only girl at her school to wear the boys’ uniform.

She also avoids her classmates, who like to be as girlish as possible. Especially the pretty Miku Nagasu excels in it. But then there is an attack on schoolgirls in the neighborhood. The teacher warns the girls to go home in groups and as early as possible.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: This is yet another sure pick as Not Your Idol, like Oshi no Ko, focuses on the issues of the idol industry, giving us an in-depth insider’s perspective on how it works.

12. AKB49: Ren’ai Kinshi Jōrei

MyAnimeList Score: 7.66

What it’s about: The story is set in the year 20XX, when the idol group AKB48 rose to worldwide fame, and their album sales broke all records. Minoru Urayama is the group’s first male member and the head of the twelfth-generation Kenkyūsei team. However, the group’s producer has given them an ultimatum: they must fill the theater for the show they will hold in two months, whose tickets will cost 10,000 yen each, or the Twelfth Generation Kenkyūseid will be disbanded.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: AKB49: Ren’ai Kinshi Jōrei focuses on the daily lives and the hardships of Japanese idols. And while the perspective is somewhat different, you’ll still enjoy it without a doubt.

11. Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler

MyAnimeList Score: 7.75

What it’s about: Kakegurui is set at the private school Hyakkaou where only children of very rich and influential parents are taught. And since these have already learned the most from their private tutors, they are trained at school in strategy, cunning, and seeing through their opponents, above all through gambling. According to the wins and losses, their standing in the school changes. Student council president Kirari Momobami added another element: those who gamble too much money and cannot pay their dues to the student council become slaves to the other students, which is called pet status.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Kakeguri tackles the issue of gambling, but the palpable feeling of pressure and having to succeed is such an important factor for the series that we cannot deny that it is very similar to the atmosphere of Oshi no Ko.

10. Kasane

MyAnimeList Score: 7.85

What it’s about: The girl Kasane is the daughter of a well-known actress. But unlike her mother, she is ugly and is therefore bullied by her classmates. But her mother gave Kasane lipstick to use when she was in despair. After her mother’s death, Kasane remembers it and puts on lipstick. She learns that everything she kisses with it now becomes hers – especially other people’s faces. Now she can shed her ugliness, gain self-confidence and show off her acting talent.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Kasane is, indeed, a much darker take on the topic with a lot more mystery and suspense, but it also focuses on the world of entertainment in Japan, which is why it should be suitable for Oshi no Ko fans.

9. My Dress-Up Darling

MyAnimeList Score: 8.03

What it’s about: Wakana Gojo, a freshman in high school, wants to work as a Hina doll manufacturer. His well-liked classmate Marin Kitagawa notices him constructing doll outfits in the school’s dressmaking room one day during his first semester. Wakana is asked to make a video game character costume for Marin, who had wanted to cosplay for a while and noticed Wakana’s sewing prowess. Despite the fact that Wakana had never created human-sized costumes, he agrees to Marin’s request after being prodded by her intense feelings.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: My Dress-Up Darling is about fashion, and while it does feature a somewhat different setting, the pressures are very similar. Plus, it is much more lighthearted, so we thought you might want a little change.

8. Smile Down the Runway

MyAnimeList Score: 8.10

What it’s about: Since her early childhood, Chiyuki Fujito, daughter of the director of a modeling agency, has had the ambition to appear as a top model during Paris Fashion Week; unfortunately for her, she has stopped growing, and her short stature now fails her to pass the agency’s auditions. Although those around her repeatedly tell her to give up, she does not give up and does her best to achieve it from the height of her meter fifty-eight.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Smile Down the Runway is not about idols, but it is about the fashion industry, where the problems and pressures of success are quite similar, and that is why we’re certain you’ll enjoy it.

7. act-age

MyAnimeList Score: 8.24

What it’s about: Kei Yonagi is a high school student who strives to become an actress. She lives with her two younger brothers and sisters after their father’s departure and their mother’s death. Kei has a great talent for “The Method,” so much so that she loses track of reality while playing a role. During an audition, some assume that playing with this intensity could be self-destructive and cite it as a reason for not accepting it. However, Kei catches the eye of the renowned director running Studio Daikokuten, Sumiji Kuroyama, who sets out to recruit her with the intention of bringing out her full potential.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Act-Age is a story about actors, more than idols, but it does show the perils of the industry, and it gives you an insider’s look into how it functions, which, paired with the great writing, should be enough for fans of Oshi no Ko.

6. Skip Beat!

MyAnimeList Score: 8.57

What it’s about: Mogami Kyōko and Fuwa Shōtarō are childhood friends. Kyōko has always known Shō, helps his parents, takes care of him, and forgives him everything, like a prince. Also, when at the age of 16, the latter leaves Kyoto, his hometown, to run away to Tokyo, where he has a chance to break into the song. He asks Kyōko to accompany him.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Skip Beat! is somewhat different than Oshi no Ko, but it features some general similarities and acting as well, and since it is a classic, we definitely recommend it.

5. Spy × Family

MyAnimeList Score: 8.61

What it’s about: It is the cold war between east and west, and an uneasy peace has been established between Ostania and Westalis. But with this peace fragile, “Twilight,” a brilliant spy sent from Westalis to Ostania, is tasked with carrying out Operation Strix to close in and investigate the target of extremist Ostania politician Donovan Desmond; to do this, he must once again change his identity by creating a family and adopting a child in order to enroll him in the prestigious Eden school that Desmond’s son attends.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Spy × Family may seem like an odd pick since it has nothing to do with idols, but the series is a very popular modern title with similarly hilarious situations, which is why we think it could be a refreshing experience for Oshi no Ko fans.

4. Blue Period

MyAnimeList Score: 8.66

What it’s about: Yatora Yaguchi is a well-liked student who does well in his schoolwork but frequently struggles with loneliness and difficulties on the inside. He was once so enthralled by a picture in his high school art club that he decided to give it a go. He eventually joined the art club, got more engaged, and tried to apply to the Tokyo University of the Arts as his institution of choice after being encouraged by his friend Ryuji.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Blue Period is another story about the pressure of success, but not in the world of idols, such as Oshi no Ko, but in the world of art, which is why you should definitely enjoy it.

3. Nana

MyAnimeList Score: 8.78

What it’s about: Nana Ōsaki is a punk singer whose only wish is to be able to debut with her group and surpass the band Trapnest, in which her ex-boyfriend, Ren Honjō, works as a guitarist. Nana and Ren were partners in the same band in the past, Black Stones (aka Blast for short), but split up when Ren was offered the opportunity to replace a member of the popular band Trapnest he left his gang to head to Tokyo.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Nana is not so much about idols as it is about success in the music industry. It is a grittier and more down-to-earth approach to the topic and a true classic that you definitely need to read.

2. Classroom of the Elite

MyAnimeList Score: 8.90

What it’s about: A few years ago, the Japanese government founded the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School with the aim of offering future managers the best possible training and a guaranteed place to study or work after successful completion. The school, a boarding school, offers its students the greatest possible freedom in order to simulate real working life as best as possible.

A promotion and relegation system within the school allows classes to be promoted to the next higher class or to the next lower class in certain circumstances. This can be achieved when the class community outscores other classes in terms of points by accumulating class points.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Classroom of the Elite is an enormously popular series, and while it does not deal with the world of entertainment, it deals with the pressures of popularity and success in a school environment, which is why you should enjoy it.

1. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

MyAnimeList Score: 8.92

What it’s about: Future members of the nation’s elite, who are almost entirely the offspring of the wealthy, complete their education at the famous Shūchiin Academy. In the high school students’ office, the vice-president Kaguya Shinomiya and the president, Miyuki Shirogane, both brilliant exemplary models of the academy, have a unique conception of love: despite being attracted to one another and a semester has passed, they are too proud to admit their feelings to one another.

Why it’s like Oshi no Ko: Well, Kaguya-sama mostly focuses on academic success and not on the pressures of idol life, but since the same author writes it, we’re certain you’re going to love this amazing series.

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