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Manga like Ball & Chain
Also known as Ball and Chain, Cadenas invisibles, Cadenas Invisibles -Ball and Chain-. Picked from what people who loved Ball & Chain went on to love. Show
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Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare
Shimanami Tasogare
LGBTQ+ Themes, Coming of Age, Found Family
Not only is high schooler Tasuku Kaname the new kid in town, he’s also terrified that he’s been outed as gay. Just as he’s contemplating doing the unthinkable, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people dealing with problems not so different from his own.…
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Anime for fans of Ball & Chain
About Ball & Chain
Keito is a late-20s company employee who's planning to get married as a "woman," despite not feeling cemented into a specific gender or sexuality.
Meanwhile, Aya is a married woman in her 50s who continues playing out the role of "wife" despite being in a marriage that's long since gone cold.
They both struggle with a gender that was decided upon birth and the "wife" role that became nothing more than a pantomime at some point. This is a story of two queer people who harbor doubts about how they've been treated and shoved into a "normalized" box, and try to take back their true selves. Be it "woman" or "wife". Be it "normal" or "common sense". This is a story for those who fight against what restricts them.
(Source: Manga Mavericks Books)
Note:
- Was nominated for the 30th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2026.
- Ranked #3 on the 2025 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of manga for female readers.