Readers' Poll: Vote for the Best Josei (Women's) Manga of 2008

Now that the best new shojo, shonen and seinen manga polls are up, what's next? Why, the Best New Josei Manga Readers' Poll, of course! Which grown-up manga topped your list for the Best New Josei (women's) Manga of 2008? Check out the 2008 Best New Josei (Women's) Manga Readers Poll page for plot summaries, cover artwork and links for more info about each nominated manga and choose your favorite there, or scroll down to vote now.

Sexier and sometimes more sophisticated than its younger sister shojo manga, josei manga is a small, but growing genre of manga published in America, mostly thanks to the efforts of Luv Luv Press, an imprint of Aurora Publishing dedicated to this genre. The first Luv Luv release, Voices of Love made its debut in early in 2008, and was followed by a small but steady stream of releases geared for grown-up gals. But there's more than Luv Luv listed here. Check out the 10 nominees for 2008's Best New Josei Manga poll and vote today!

Did your favorite josei manga miss making this list? You can still have your voice heard by adding your write-in vote in the comment space below or post it in the forums.

Ready to vote? You can pick and click below, or if you're undecided, visit the poll page to get a closer look at the nominees.. UPDATE: Polls closed on January 25, 2009, with results to be announced by the end of January.

1. Be With You by Takuji Ichikawa, Sai Kawashima and Yoko Iino (Shojo Beat Manga / VIZ Media)
2. Honey and Clover by Chica Umino (Shojo Beat Manga / VIZ Media)
3. Hotel Africa by Hee-Jung Park (Luv Luv Press / Aurora Publishing)
4. Maka-Maka by Kishi Torajiro (Kitty Media / Media Blasters)
5. Make Love and Peace by Takane Yonetani (Luv Luv Press / Aurora Publishing)
6. Masque of the Red Death by Wendy Pini (Go! Comi)
7. Object of Desire by Tomoko Noguchi (Luv Luv Press / Aurora Publishing)
8. Seduction More Beautiful Than Love by Hyun-sook Lee (TokyoPop)
9. Vassalord by Nanae Chrono (TokyoPop)
10. Voices of Love by Kanae Hazuki (Luv Luv Press / Aurora Publishing)

Voting will be open until Sunday, January 25 at midnight, Pacific Time. I'll be posting the final results by the end of January 2009.

To qualify for this poll, the debut (first) volume of the manga must have an on-sale date between January 1 thru December 31, 2008, and it has to be a title that was released as a graphic novel in English in the U.S.

Also, remember that the manga that gets the most overall votes will be deemed as the Readers' Choice for Best New Manga of 2008. In the case where a manga is nominated in more than one category, only the category in which they got the most votes will apply toward this honor.

Think I'm done? Nope, not by a long shot. Next up are polls for the Best All-Ages Manga, followed by other categories, including Best One-Shot Manga, Best Original English Language Manga, Best Manga Magazine and more.

Image credit: © Kanae Hazuki