A list of gender bender manga includes, A Choice Of Boyfriend And Girlfriend, Elqueeness, Magical Trans, and Onii-Chan Is Done For.
Manga, the popular form of Japanese comics, has gained a global audience for its diverse genres, unique storytelling styles, and iconic characters.
Among the many themes that manga explores, gender identity and expression is a fascinating and complex one, which challenges conventional norms and expands the boundaries of imagination.
In this blog post, we will introduce you to some of the must-read gender bender manga that showcases the richness and variety of this theme in the medium.
Whether you are a seasoned manga reader or a curious beginner, these titles will offer you a glimpse into the different facets of identity, transformation, and self-discovery.
Gender Bender Manga: Our Top Picks for Manga Lovers
Get ready to dive into the world of Gender Bender, where characters experience complete or partial physical sex changes, leading to intriguing plot twists and complex emotional journeys.
27A Choice Of Boyfriend And Girlfriend
Imagine waiting seven long years to reunite with your best friend, who you’ve been separated from between two distant cities. You finally arrive at the airport, eager to see them again, when suddenly you encounter a gorgeous stranger who seems to know you all too well.
What’s going on?
As it turns out, the mystery woman is none other than your best friend, who has undergone a stunning transformation since you last saw her.
In this captivating manga, you’ll follow the emotional journey of a young man who must rekindle his friendship with a beloved companion who is now different in many ways.
As you dive deeper into this story, you’ll discover secrets, surprises, and unexpected twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
26Disgusting Otaku, Become an Idol!
Who says being an otaku is a bad thing? In fact, our protagonist, Aisaka Yousuke, is proud of his love for all things anime and idol culture.
But what happens when he wakes up one day and finds himself transformed into a stunningly beautiful girl with a new name to match – Aisaka Yoko?
Instead of freaking out, Yoko embraces her new body and uses her extensive knowledge of idols to pursue her dream of becoming the ultimate idol herself. With her insider insights and newfound feminine charms, Yoko takes on the cutthroat world of the entertainment industry, facing challenges and opportunities that she never thought possible.
Follow Yoko’s journey as she navigates her new identity, relationships, and ambitions in a story that blends comedy, drama, and romance.
25A Lazy Guy Woke Up as a Girl One Morning
When Shuuichi Hayasaka’s roommate Masamune Yasuda suddenly wakes up as a girl, everything in their simple life turns upside down. While Hayasaka is initially unsure about sharing a room with a girl, Yasuda is surprisingly unfazed and content to spend most of their time sleeping.
As the news of Yasuda’s gender change spreads, the people around them react in various ways – from shock and confusion to fascination and attraction. But through it all, Yasuda remains unconcerned, and Hayasaka is left to navigate the strange new reality of their living situation.
In this manga, you’ll discover a story that defies gender stereotypes and celebrates individuality.
Yasuda’s nonchalant attitude towards their transformation reminds us that gender is just one aspect of who we are and that we can find acceptance and contentment in many forms.
24Your Name.
Imagine dreaming about living a completely different life – one that’s both familiar and yet entirely foreign. For Mitsuha, a high school girl living in a remote town nestled deep in the mountains, this dream becomes a reality when she wakes up as a boy living in Tokyo.
But what’s even more surprising is that someone else has a similar experience.
Taki, a high school boy living in Tokyo, dreams of life as a girl in the mountains – a life that seems just as vivid and real as his waking existence.
As the two protagonists slowly discover they are actually swapping places, their lives become intertwined in ways they could never have imagined.
In this captivating manga, you’ll follow the journey of two characters whose fate becomes intertwined in a beautiful and mysterious way.
As they try to make sense of their situation and navigate their new lives, they must also confront the hidden forces shaping their destinies.
23The Saga of Tanya the Evil
A young girl named Tanya Degurechaff, known as the Devil of the Rhine, engages in high-stakes aerial battles with army mages using bullets, spells, and bayonets, while high above the blood and mud-soaked trenches.
Despite being considered one of the greatest soldiers the Empire has ever known. Tanya’s mind is inhabited by a ruthless and calculating ex-salaryman who once lived peacefully in Japan until waking up in a war-torn world.
As an impoverished, orphaned girl with only memories of her previous life, Tanya is determined to survive by any means necessary, even if it means resorting to violence.
22I Am Worried That My Childhood Friend Is Too Cute!
After a decade away, Amano revisits his childhood home and enrolls in a new school, where he is reunited with his old friend Yukio Sawatari.
However, during class, Yukio undergoes a gender transformation and becomes a charming girl, leaving Amano in disbelief.
While the rest of the class appears unfazed by this sudden occurrence, Amano is understandably concerned about his friend’s well-being, as evidenced by the story’s title. If placed in Amano’s shoes, anyone would be equally worried.
21Osananajimi wa Onnanoko ni Naare
A high school student, Shuichi, rescues a magical fairy named Sylphy from drowning in a pond. In gratitude, Sylphy offers to grant Shuichi one wish, and he immediately asks for a “cute childhood girlfriend.”
However, instead of fulfilling his wish as he had hoped, Sylphy transforms Shuichi’s male childhood friend, Iori, into a girl.
The plot follows Iori’s attempts to resist the magic and return to his original gender, but Sylphy persists in changing him back into a girl again and again.
20An Hour of Romance
At work, Jooahn and Dojin are complete opposites. Jooahn is a serious career woman who has never been in a relationship and is strict in her approach to management.
On the other hand, Dojin is a clumsy, attractive guy who stumbled into an entry-level marketing job.
An inexplicable soul exchange occurs during a company excursion to a mysterious temple, causing the pair to switch bodies for an hour each day. To avoid being embarrassed and maintain their reputations, Jooahn and Dojin must collaborate and wait it out.
Will Jooahn learn to understand and relate to the charming but inept Dojin? Will Dojin discover the kinder side of his boss’s prickly exterior?
19A Boy who Loves Genderswap got Genderswapped so He acts out His Ideal Genderswap Girl
The story’s premise is self-explanatory: a boy fond of gender swapping finds himself on the receiving end of a gender swap.
In response, he begins to embody his idealized version of a gender-swapped girl. He even teases his friends, revealing that he has become a cute girl.
18The Cooking Wizard
YooJung, a tattoo artist passionate about food, loses consciousness after an unexpected accident. When he comes to, he discovers that he now possesses the character “Sylvia” from a novel he had read.
By chance, he encounters Félix, the novel’s hero struggling with anorexia due to his stepmother’s abuse, and is about to plunge the continent into chaos.
Determined to enhance his culinary skills and make more delicious food, YooJung’s Sylvia begins inscribing magic circles on her body. The magic circles he creates through his fingertips bring a new sense of vitality to the land, where magical creatures roam free.
17Boku Girl
A boy named Mizuki, who has a feminine appearance, is confessed to by another boy in front of a magical mirror. While gazing into the mirror, Mizuki catches the eye of the mischievous Trickster God, Loki.
Fueled by boredom, Loki pranks Mizuki and transforms him into a real girl.
Mizuki’s life becomes increasingly chaotic following this unexpected transformation, with numerous challenges and obstacles.
16Kanojo ni Naru Hi
The story centers around Miyoshi, constantly competing with his childhood friend, Mamiya, and always coming up short. One day, Mamiya falls ill and is hospitalized for several weeks. Upon returning to school, Mamiya’s gender has changed, and he has decided to live as a girl.
Miyoshi is taken aback by his friend’s sudden gender transformation and feels confused. Despite his confusion, the romantic aspect of the story intrigues him, though he struggles to understand why.
15Magical Trans!
The title certainly catches the eye. While perusing the area, Minami comes across a poster advertising recruiting new members for the Magical Girl Club. Believing it to be a cosplay club, he decides to join.
However, he soon learns that the club is not focused on cosplay but is designed to train its members to become magical girls.
To Minami’s surprise, he finds that he enjoys being a part of the club and is willing to embrace the lifestyle of a magical girl.
14No Doubt in Us – Gender Bend Romance Manga
Undoubtedly, we are a match destined to be together. An Emperor and Empress, struggling with trust issues, accidentally swapped bodies.
Amidst a tumultuous harem, a mother who is acting strangely, and the Emperor is trapped in a foolish Empress’s body; the Emperor is feeling overwhelmed and helpless.
13The Dawn in Moscow
Lee Siyoon gives up everything and defies his parents’ wishes to pursue his dream of becoming a concert pianist. Unfortunately, his brief career comes to a sudden halt after a car accident leaves his right hand immobile. Faced with the belief that his life is meaningless, he attempts on his own life.
However, instead of meeting his end, he wakes up in the company of a group of Russian servants.
Thrown into a new life as a Russian heiress named Tatiana Yuryevna Belchenova, the piano is the only thing familiar to him. Determined to follow his passion, Siyoon embraces his new identity and enrolls in Russia’s most prestigious classical music school.
12Daughter of the Spirit King
On a typical day, Haein, a high school student from South Korea, visits a swimming pool and is suddenly pulled into a mysterious whirlpool, causing her to lose consciousness.
When she awakens, she finds herself submerged in the ocean’s depths and encounters a man named Ellime, who proclaims to be her father.
Haein soon discovers that she is the offspring of the Spirit King and a half-elf mother. As she navigates through this new world that she has been thrust into, she must find a way to survive the challenges that come her way.
11Futari no Himitsu.
Saijou Kiki is a model and former child star who sees her popularity skyrocket with the release of a new commercial. Despite her success, she is harboring feelings for Takumi-kun, a fellow student at her school. However, things take a sudden and unexpected turn when she kisses Takumi-kun’s friend, Teppei.
The two suddenly switch bodies due to an ancient legend to make matters even more confusing. As a result, Kiki finds herself in Teppei’s body and he in hers.
10TS Genbou Yuusha Series
Legend has it that the Holy Sword is a mystical artifact capable of fulfilling the deepest desires of whoever can extract it from its stone. Additionally, it grants the ability to save the world.
A young hero and his companion overcome the challenge and successfully remove the sword from its stone.
However, to the surprise of many, the hero’s wish for the sword wasn’t for power or fame.
Instead, he wished to become a cute girl! With new-found abilities and overwhelming strength, the hero now must navigate the world of femininity and romance while simultaneously saving the world.
9Fight Like a Girl
Troy Qi, a young and highly skilled boxing / MMA fighter, achieved worldwide recognition as the reigning champion and the strongest man on earth following a career-defining match.
However, his successful career takes an unexpected turn when he rescues Tori He, a troubled high school student, from falling off a rooftop balcony.
After the heroic act, Troy wakes up to find that he has died and his soul has somehow transmigrated into Tori’s body. As a result, the world’s most accomplished fighter must now confront a new challenge: being a female fighter in high school.
8Zenbu Kimi no Sei
Ryou Sagimiya has a rare medical condition called Transsexual Syndrome (TSS). During a visit to Tensei Academy, Ryou meets Nagisa Minakami, a fellow student who also has TSS. Intrigued by the school and his meeting with Nagisa, Ryou enrolls at Tensei Academy.
7Ichinensei ni Nacchattara
As the gender bender manga begins, high school second-year Takatou Iori is on his way to confess his love to classmate Kusanagi Mikuru, armed with a heartfelt love letter.
However, his plans take an unexpected turn when he gets hit by a truck while saving a cute first-year elementary schoolgirl.
After awakening from the accident, Iori discovers he has been revived as a fully-fledged female first-year elementary school student, thanks to a perverted doctor. To make matters even more complicated, he now finds himself in the same class as the girl he had saved.
6Mei no Naisho
In this gender-bender manga, Mei Haruna is a young effeminate boy who was raised as a girl by his witch mother and has always identified as female.
Following the death of his mother, Mei transfers to an all-girls high school. She resides in the school’s dormitory with his talking familiar cat Abel and his roommate Fuuka Honjou, a public morals committee member.
After arriving at the school, Mei’s friends discover his true gender after a magical display in the dormitory community bath. Though this shocked Mei, he knew of the physical differences between him and normal girls.
Despite being found out, with the help of the perverted student council president, the principal allows Mei to remain at the school.
The next day, Mei apologizes to Fuuka for hiding his true gender and reveals that he is male. The other students quickly accept him as one of their own and are impressed by his proficiency in magic.
What Is Gender Bender Manga?
In these manga, a character experiences a complete or partial physical transformation that changes their sex. This transformation could occur due to various factors such as environmental aspects, enchanted items, wishes granted, and more.
Depending on the circumstances, the character may be permanently stuck in their new body, change back automatically at some point, or can switch between their original and transformed bodies.
If a man and woman end up sharing the same body, the Gender Bender tag also applies.
5 Most Popular Gender Bender Manga
Gender-bender manga is a genre in which the main character (or characters) undergoes a physical transformation, usually from male to female or vice versa. Here are some of the most popular gender-bender manga:
5“Kimi no Na Wa” (Your Name) by Makoto Shinkai:
This manga tells the story of two high school students, a boy named Taki and a girl named Mitsuha, who mysteriously swap bodies at random intervals. They develop a deep connection as they try to navigate each other’s lives and figure out the reason for their transformation.
4“Ranma 1/2” by Rumiko Takahashi:
This classic manga follows the adventures of Ranma Saotome, a martial artist who falls into a cursed spring and is transformed into a girl whenever he comes into contact with cold water. The series explores Ranma’s relationships with his fiancée Akane and other characters as he tries to find a way to reverse the curse.
3“Wandering Son” by Takako Shimura:
This manga tells the story of two fifth-grade students, Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki, struggling with gender identity issues. Shuichi is a boy who wishes he were a girl, while Yoshino is a girl who wishes she were a boy. The series follows their journeys of self-discovery and challenges in a society that doesn’t always understand them.
2“Boku Girl” by Sugito Akira:
This manga centers around Mizuki, a high school boy transformed into a girl by a mischievous god. Mizuki must navigate the challenges of living as a girl while trying to find a way to reverse the transformation. Along the way, he develops feelings for his male best friend, complicating matters further.
1“Prunus Girl” by Tomoki Matsumoto:
This manga follows Maki, a high school boy mistaken for a girl by his classmate, Aikawa. Aikawa takes a liking to Maki and insists on treating him like a girl, leading to confusing and awkward situations. The series explores themes of gender identity and self-expression.