Akujo Series

Across eighteen volumes, this long-running anthology by Masako Watanabe, a celebrated figure in shoujo manga, collects dozens of adult-oriented short stories devoted to the entangled feelings of love and resentment between grown men and women. Each volume gathers two to four self-contained tales such as Marine Blue One Piece, Aru Keiyaku, Mitsu no Aji, Mofuku no Onna, Watashi wa Shitteiru, Tsukebukuro, Hitori Hiyoko, Aru Kingyo no Shi, Kurumiwari Ningyo, Aijin LOVER, Kami Fuusen, Kaidan Akai Class, Aru Ai no Owari ni, Mama to Nyannyan, Shinyuu, Tonari no Bed, Akumu and Oni Onna, among many others. The series moves between melodrama, suspense and quieter character portraits while keeping its focus on the inner lives of its female protagonists.