Kodansha’s K Manga platform has added Rin Mikimoto’s Keepsake Heartache to its English-language catalogue, giving shōjo fans another romance title to keep an eye on.
The manga, known in Japanese as Hōsekibako ni Ai wo Tsumeyō, is one of Mikimoto’s newer works. It first started running in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Friend magazine in April 2025, with its first collected volume released in Japan on November 13.
For Malaysian and SEA manga readers, this is the kind of update that matters if you follow romance manga through official digital platforms. Shōjo releases can sometimes feel slower or more scattered compared to big shōnen titles, so every new English addition helps make the genre easier to follow without waiting forever for physical volumes or hunting through unofficial routes.
Mikimoto is not exactly a random name in the romance manga space either. She is currently also behind Lightning and Romance (Inazuma to Romance), which began in Bessatsu Friend in January 2021. That series reached its sixth collected volume in Japan in June 2024, and Kodansha USA Publishing has been releasing it digitally in English.
Many readers may also know Mikimoto from Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight (Gozen 0-ji, Kiss Shi ni Kite yo), her earlier romance series that ran from 2015 until May 2020. The manga wrapped with 12 volumes, with the final volume arriving in Japan in July 2020. Kodansha USA also published the series in English, releasing volume 12 in January 2022.
That title had a pretty solid profile too. It was nominated for Best Shōjo Manga at the 43rd annual Manga Awards in 2019, and even received a live-action film adaptation that opened in Japan the same year. So if you’re the type who tracks creators rather than just seasonal anime hype, Mikimoto’s name carries some weight.
What makes Keepsake Heartache worth watching is the timing. Since the series only launched in 2025 and now already has an English release path through K Manga, international readers may be able to follow it much closer to its Japanese run than older shōjo series used to allow. For fans in Malaysia who grew up waiting ages for translated romance manga, that is a nice shift.
Of course, the usual digital-platform caveat applies: availability can depend on your region and how Kodansha’s services are supported where you are. But as a catalogue move, this is still a good sign for English-speaking shōjo fans across SEA who want more current romance manga in the official ecosystem.
If you enjoy character-driven romance, celebrity-style shōjo drama, or just want to follow a creator with a proven track record in the genre, Keepsake Heartache is one to put on your radar.
Source: Anime News Network