Sugar Soldier

In this shojo manga series from Tokyopop, a shy high school girl finds her world upended when she develops an unexpected crush on a cool, popular boy known as a "sugar soldier"—a term for a charming but seemingly unattainable classmate. Spanning ten issues from 2013 to 2016, the story delicately explores first love, self-discovery, and the bittersweet tension between admiration and genuine connection. The series is most closely associated with creator Shigeyoshi Takagi, whose gentle art and nuanced character work give the familiar school romance a tender, heartfelt resonance. Sugar Soldier stands as a sweet, slice-of-life entry in the Tokyopop catalog, capturing the fluttery uncertainty of teenage affection.