Even after Pride month, it's important to ensure that your library’s collection includes titles that feature LGBTQ characters. Additionally, as manga’s popularity skyrockets and demand increases, so too will the need for inclusive books in the genre. Here are six manga that star characters of diverse sexualities.

Éclair Blanche: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart. Bk. 2. Yen Pr. 2020. 272p. ed. by ASCII Media Works. ISBN 9781975359096. pap. $13.
This anthology, a sequel to the fan-favorite Éclair, features 15-plus tales of lesbian romance. Each short story is just a few pages long; they span a wide variety of entanglements, from childhood crushes to saucier adult relationships. Though the brevity of each story allows readers to discover more mangakas, readers may be left wishing for more developed and lengthier reads. Similarly, the variety of stories represented is not without its misses. It is important to note that many Western editions of the anthology have had one chapter removed, in what is believed to be an issue of censorship. VERDICT Recommended for readers looking for an introduction to lesbian romance.

Kizu, Natsuki. Given, Vol. 1. SuBLime. 2020. 202p. ISBN 9781974711826. pap. $12.99.
This award-winning series follows soft-spoken Mafuyu and seemingly aloof Uenoyama as they go from strangers to bandmates to something more. One afternoon, Uenoyama finds that his usual nap spot is taken by Mafuyu sleeping beside a guitar. When Mafuyu awakens, he reveals that he doesn't know how to play the guitar but is looking to learn. Afterwards, he sings with a voice so beautiful it inspires Uenoyama to teach him music. As the two spend more and more time together, a romance blossoms that is both heartwarming and riddled with the ghost of Mafuyu's past. VERDICT Fans of gay romances and stories centered around music and the creative process will want to grab some tissues for this series that's sure to leave them feeling everything all at once.

Yamaguchi, Satoru (text) & Nami Hidaka (illus.). My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Vol. 1. Seven Seas. 2019. 230p. ISBN 9781642753295. pap. $13.99.
When a high school student meets her untimely death, she discovers that she has been reincarnated as the evil Catarina Claes, the villainess of her favorite dating simulator. She's still able to remember her old life and the many hours spent playing through the game and uncovering all the possible endings, so she realizes that she will likely be doomed to the same outcomes as the character: death or exile. With this knowledge, she creates a contingency plan—to be so kind to those around her that they will spare her from such a fate. This inadvertently creates a bisexual harem in which all the men and women around her are vying for her love and attention, not that she has any clue! VERDICT A hilarious isekai that will have readers rooting for their favorite love interest and laughing when Catarina inevitably fails to recognize their advances.

Saburouta. Citrus, Vol. 1. Seven Seas. 2014. 180p. ISBN 9781626921405. pap. $13.99.
Long seen as a paramount title in the yuri genre, this work follows free-spirited Yuzu and student council president Mei as they uncover and untangle complex feelings for one another. When Yuzu’s mother remarries, she is forced to transfer to a stiff-collar all-girls school. On Yuzu's first day there, Mei calls her out for her contraband makeup and dyed hair. This confrontation stirs something in Yuzu, but she pushes it aside until she arrives at her new home and meets her stepsister for what she thought would be the first time. When Yuzu realizes that the beautiful Mei is her new "sister," things get complicated. VERDICT This yuri romance is simultaneously passionate and subdued, as both young women balance obligations to their family and school community with their burgeoning love. Though the romance is top-notch, some readers may be off put by the fact that Yuzu and Mei are stepsisters.

Kaito. Blue Flag, Vol. 1. VIZ. 2020. 224p. ISBN 9781974713011. pap. $12.99
Taichi and baseball star Tome were elementary school classmates, and though Taichi doesn’t think of them as being particularly close, now that they're seniors in high school, everyone else thinks otherwise—especially Kuze, a sheepish girl who’s determined to get Tome to notice her. She approaches Taichi asking for advice on gaining Tome's attention, and, after much grumbling, he finds himself won over by her helpless nature and agrees to aid her. As the two spend time hatching schemes to bring Tome and Kuze together, Taichi realizes he may have feelings for Kuze. The plot thickens when it;s revealed that Tome is actually in love with Taichi, and that Kuze's girl best friend is in love with her as well. VERDICT This love quadrangle features gay, lesbian, and heterosexual romance plotlines in a way that's bittersweet, heartfelt, and at times hilarious.

Nakatani, Nio. Bloom into You, Vol. 1. Seven Seas. 2017. 180p. ISBN 9781626923539. pap. $12.99.
When Yuu is recruited to help out with the student council election, she overhears her upperclassman Nanami rejecting a classmate romantically, on the basis of not wanting to date anyone because nobody has ever made her feel special. Yuu knows the feeling, having never felt the rush of romance despite being asked out by a boy in her class the previous year. Brought together by their student council activities, Yuu and Nanami are the only to show up to a meeting one afternoon. There Nanami confesses that things are different with Yuu and that she could "fall in love" with her. Though Yuu doesn't reciprocate, the two grow closer as Yuu helps Nanami campaign for student council president. Will Nanami's feelings be requited? VERDICT This romance is sweet and delicate, though its conceit—loving someone until they love you back—sounds a bit like refusing to take "no" for an answer.