''Be Love'' is a Japanese monthly (bimonthly May 1982 – 2018)

manga magazine are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics an ...

targeting women published by

Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...

. It debuted in September 1980. It is one of the leading manga magazines for adult women, the second of its kind (the first being ''

Petit Comic is a Japanese josei manga magazine published by Shogakukan. Many series in this anthology magazine are romance-oriented and some are well known for featuring frank depiction of sexual situations. It is also the first josei manga magazine, making ...

'' published by

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of comics, magazines, light novels, dictionaries, literature, non-fiction, home media, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but ...

), and was instrumental in the rising popularity of

josei manga , also known as and its abbreviation , is an editorial category of Japanese comics that emerged in the 1980s. In a strict sense, ''josei'' refers to manga marketed to an audience of adult women, contrasting ''shōjo'' manga, which is marke ...

in the 1980s, which led to the creation of other magazines targeted at women such as ''

You In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from ...

'' and ''Big Comic for Lady''.Jaqueline Berndt: Phänomen Manga : Comic-Kultur in Japan. edition q, Berlin 1995. , S. 133. (German) As of 2003, ''Be Love'', like ''You'' and '' Jour'', published stories focusing on "the reality of everyday life" experienced by its readers. As of 1997, the magazine's readers are mostly working women and housewives, but students made up 8% of readership in that year.

Circulation figures

The magazine first appeared as ''Be in Love'' but was renamed in 1982. From 1995 to 2000 sales were at around 270,000-280,000 per issue. In 2006 and 2007, ''Be Love'' had a circulation of about 200,000 copies. In 2008, it had a circulation of 182,667 copies. In 2009, it had a circulation of 173,125 copies; in 2010, 153,792 copies, and in 2015, 106,834 copies. As of 1997, the magazine's readers are mostly working women and housewives, but students made up 8% of readership in that year.

Series

Ongoing series

*''Chihayafuru plus Kimi ga Tame'' by

Yuki Suetsugu is a Japanese manga artist. Career She debuted in 1992 in Kodansha's ''Nakayoshi'' magazine with ''Taiyō no Romance''. Her works later moved to '' Bessatsu Friend'' magazine, also published by Kodansha. Her career was put on hiatus in Octob ...

(since 2023) *''Couverture'' by Yuki Suetsugu (since 2009) *''Kamakura Bake Neko Club'' by

Daisuke Igarashi is a Japanese manga artist. Active since the 1990s, he is known for his detailed depictions of nature in combination with spiritual or surreal themes. Manga series like ''Witches'' and ''Children of the Sea'' have been critically acclaimed and ...

(since 2022) *''

Nina the Starry Bride is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rikachi. The series began serialization in ''Be Love'' in October 2019. As of April 2025, the series has been collected into sixteen ''tankōbon'' volumes. An anime television series adap ...

'' by Rikaichi (since 2019) *'' Okoshiyasu, Chitose-chan'' by Yukiko Natsume (since 2016) *'' Seito Shokun! Saishū-shō: Tabidachi'' by Yōko Shōji (since 2011) *''

Something's Wrong with Us is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Natsumi Ando. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''josei'' manga magazine ''Be Love'' from December 2016 to July 2021. A sequel, titled ''Something's Wrong with Us: Newlywed Arc'', was ser ...

'' by

Natsumi Ando is a Japanese manga artist. She debuted in 1994 with ''Headstrong Cinderella'', which won the 19th Nakayoshi Rookie Award. She is best known for '' Zodiac P.I.'', ''Something's Wrong with Us,'' and '' Kitchen Princess'', the latter for which she ...

(since 2016) *''Tsukuyomi-kun no Kindan Oyashoku'' by Nikki Asada (since 2021)

Past series

*''Aishite Sou Rou'' by Yuu Azuki *'' Aishiteru: Kaiyō'' by Minoru Itō (2006–2007) *''Aka-chan no Host'' by Ai Okaue *''Akuryou-sama Oteyawaraka ni'' by Chikako Kikukawa *''Asameshimae'' by Kita Komao *''Atokata no Machi'' by Yuki Ozawa *''Bara to Saiaku no Tamashii'' by Satosumi Takaguchi *''

Chihayafuru is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Suetsugu. It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine '' Be Love'' from December 2007 to August 2022, with its chapters collected in 50 volumes. It is about a school g ...

'' by

(2007–2022) *''Chihayafuru: Chuugakusei-hen'' by Yui Tokiumi, Oto Tooda *''Daisuki!! Yuzu no Kosodate Nikki'' by

Mizuho Aimoto is a Japanese manga artist A manga artist, also known as a mangaka (), is a Cartoonist, comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another ar ...

(2005–2012) *''Door wo Aketara Satsui'' by Chikako Kikukawa *''Eien no Yuuwaku'' *''Fukufuku Fu-nya~n'' by Kanata Konami *''Fukufuku Fu-nya~n: Koneko da Nyan'' by Konami Kanata *''Fukufuku Fu-nya~n New'' by Kanata Konami *''Galboy!'' by Mariko Nakamura (1988-1998) *''Glass no Isu'' by Mariko Nakamura *''Haiji to Yamao'' by Natsumi Ando *''Haru Koi'' by

(2007) *''Himawari!!: Sorekawa no Daisuki!!'' by Mizuho Aimoto *''

It's All About the Looks , also titled ''Woman's All About the Looks'', is a Japanese manga series by . ''It's All About the Looks'' was serialized in the manga magazine ''Be Love'' from December 14, 2013 to June 1, 2017. A live-action television drama adaptation w ...

'' by Hiromi Ookubo (2013-2017) *''Houkago Karte'' by Mayu Hinase *''Ishtar no Musume: Ono Otsuu Den'' by Waki Yamato * ''Junjou no Susume'' by Miki Wakabayashi *''Kagami no Mae de Aimashou'' by Eri Sakai *'' Kentaro Hiyama's First Pregnancy'' by Eri Sakai (2012, 2023) *'' Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy: Childcare Edition'' by Eri Sakai (2019-2020) *''

Kiko-chan's Smile is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by . It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine '' Be Love Pair'', and later ''Be Love Parfait'', from 1991 to 2001, with its chapters collected in five volumes; the publisher first co ...

'' by Tsubasa Nunoura (1996–2001) *''Kosodate Tantan'' by Banana Nangoku *''Kumo Ichizoku to Doro Girl'' by Emi Mitsuki *''Kurenai Niou'' by Waki Yamato *'' Lady Love: Aisuru Anata e'' by

Hiromu Ono is a Japanese manga artist. In 1984, she won the Kodansha Manga Award is one of Japan's major manga awards. The event is sponsored by publisher Kodansha. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga in its third iteration since 1977. C ...

(2005–2010) *''Meiji Hiiro Kitan'' by Rikachi *''Meiji Melancholia'' by Rikachi *''Minamoto Hakase no Ijou na xx'' by Miyuki Yorita *''Momokan'' by Kikuno Shirakawa *''Navigatoria'' by Nikki Asada *''Nishi Muku Samurai'' by Waki Yamato *'' Noh-men Joshi no Hanako-san'' by Ryō Oda (2018–2023; transferred from ') *''Onna no Ie'' by

Akane Torikai Akane (, ) is the Japanese language, Japanese word for 'deep red' (, ''Akane'', ''Rubia cordifolia'') and is associated with red (from the red dye Rose madder, made from its roots) and brilliant red. ''Akane'' (written in a variety of forms) is b ...

*''Otomurai-san'' by Noriko Ootani *'' Peach Girl Next'' by Miwa Ueda (2016–2019) *''Pikupiku Sentarou'' by Tsubasa Nunoura *''Saihate Arcade'' by Arinaga Ine, Youko Ogawa *'' Sanju Mariko'' by Yuki Ozawa (2016-2021) *''Sankaku Yanemachi Apartment'' by Sakura Fujisue *''Satsujin Sales'' by Chikako Kikukawa *'' Seito Shokun! Kyōshi-hen'' by Yōko Shōji (2004–2011) *''Shikatsushi: Joou no Houigaku'' by Aki Morino *''Shoujo Manga wa Okirai desu ka?'' by You Morita *''Shouwa Fanfare'' by Rikachi *''Shunkashuutou Days'' by Sakura Fujisue *''Shura no Dress'' by Miyuki Yorita *''Sukutte Goran'' by Noriko Ootani *''Tasogare Takako'' by Kiwa Irie *''Uchi no Sensei'' by Yuu Hanazuka *'' Waru'' by Jun Fukami (1988–1997) *''Watashi no Tadashii Onii-chan'' by Satoshi Mori *''Watashitachi wa Douka shiteiru'' by Natsumi Ando *''Yandeka'' by Miyuki Yorita *''Yonimo Fujitsu na Piano Sonata'' by Hal Osaka *'' Yuria-sensei no Akai Ito'' by Kiwa Irie (2018–2022) * ''Zephyrus no Mori'' by Waki Yamato

References

External links

Official website
{{Kodansha manga magazines 1980 establishments in Japan Kodansha magazines Josei manga magazines Women's magazines published in Japan Magazines established in 1980 Magazines published in Tokyo