Shoujo anime is usually targeted at the teenage female audience. It can be of any genre: comedy, romance, slice of life, action, drama, vampire, etc. Entertainism enlists some of the best shoujo anime that are certainly worth your while.
Shoujo Anime should not be confused with Bishoujo anime, which means ‘pretty girl’. Bishoujo anime is typically aimed to appeal to fans because of the beautiful and great looks of the female anime characters. It is not a genre per se, but simply has a female protagonist(s) with ‘cute’ features.
Anime caters to various audiences: with variants as age, gender, choice, genre, etc. Of these, shoujo anime is typically aimed for an audience of teenage girls, as the word literally means ‘girl’ in Japanese. However, it is enjoyed both, by girls and boys, and includes a plot that portrays human relationships and their complexities. It may not necessarily have a romantic angle; however, you can expect a complex emotional journey of the characters as the story progresses.
The following are the best shoujo anime around, and have topped in their fan following, gaining immense popularity. These are our recommendations judged on the basis of their popularity, in no particular order.
Television Series: Maid Sama!
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Misaki is a strong leader in her school, which has recently turned into a co-ed. She is also the girl president, and known to be a strict personality, who terrorizes the boys and protects the girls in her school from such romeos.
However, she holds a secret: due to her poor financial status, she works as a maid in a cafe. This secret of hers is discovered by a student from her school, Takumi Usui. He decides to use it to his advantage by blackmailing her, in return of not revealing the secret to anyone at school.
Television Series: Marmalade Boy
Genre: Drama, Romance
Meet Miki Koishikawa, whose life turns topsy-turvy when her parents inform her that they’re going to divorce soon. Worse still, they also tell her that they will be swapping partners with another couple. The other couple, along with a son, will be moving in with them. When she meets the other couple’s son, Yuu Matsuura, they both start falling for each other. Now, to deal with this new web of relationship, along with their own feelings, is not easy for both, Miki and Yuu.
Television Series: Vampire Knight
Genre: Vampire, Drama, Romance
In a school where vampires and humans co-exist, Yuuki, the main female protagonist of the series, has to ensure that along with the other guardian Zero, the humans of the day-class are protected well from the vampire students who attend the night-class. On the other hand, is the other male protagonist Kaname, a vampire who had once saved Yuuki from a vampire attack. This movie revolves around the three characters, with a web of secrets and a complicated love triangle between them.
Television Series: Ouran High School Host Club
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Ouran High School is known for its students born with a silver spoon in their mouth. However, there is an exception: Haruhi, who got admitted in the school only because of a merit scholarship. The poor girl, however, falls into a trap of ill-fate when she accidentally breaks an eight million yen vase which belongs to Ouran High School Host Club. This club is actually a group of boys who entertain and give time to female students in their school, for a fee. To repay the debt, poor Haruhi has to serve the club posing as a boy.
Movie: To the Forest of Firefly Lights
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
This is a story of Hotaru, a young girl who gets lost in the dense woods, and is rescued by a boy (spirit) named Gin. However, the ill-fated Gin has a curse: he will disappear if he is touched by a human being. Despite this curse, they develop a close bond, and Hotaru struggles with her feelings for him.
Television Series: Lovely Complex
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Meet Risa and Otani, two characters who are friends and cannot stop nagging each other. Risa is taller than most girls, and Otani’s height is shorter than the average height of boys. They have a unique combination, often giving rise to many comic situations. Their friendship takes a different turn when Risa starts developing feelings for Otani.
Television Series: Special A
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Special A is a story of Hikari Hanazono, whose only motive in life is to beat Kei Takishima, her classmate, in all aspects: academics to sports. However, Kei manages to remain in the top position, with Hikari always coming second. Hikari has sworn to become the number one, but she is so engrossed in her rivalry that she fails to realize that Kei is actually in love with her.
Television Series: Skip Beat!
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama
If a woman can love you so much, she can equally hate you too if you betray her. Skip Beat! is a story of Kyoko Mogami, who sacrifices everything to help her childhood friend Shotaro achieve fame and success. However, she soon realizes that Shotaro simply used her as a tissue paper, soon to be thrown away after use. For his betrayal, she decides to seek vengeance, and joins the showbiz industry to become a bigger star than he is. The series follows her journey as she struggles to reach the top, with pain in her heart. She befriends different people, and learns new things during the process.
Television Series: Fruits Basket
Genre: Slice of Life, Fantasy. Comedy, Romance
Tohru Honda seeks refuge in one of her classmate’s place after her mother accidentally dies in a car crash. Her classmate lives with his cousins, and the family has a weird curse to deal with: they turn into zodiac animals if they’re hugged by a person from the opposite gender. Tohru has to live with these men, dealing with everyday situations, trying to keep their family curse a secret, and also her blossoming romance with one of the cousins.
Television Series: Glass Mask
Genre: Drama, Romance
This is a story of two girls, both from different backgrounds, who are trying to achieve one common goal: the role of ‘The Crimson Goddess’ in the play to be made by Chigusa Tsukikage. Maya is common girl who lives with her mother, who is oblivious of her daughter’s acting skills, until it is discovered and encouraged by Chigusa. On the other hand, Ayumi Himekawa is a daughter of famous parents, who wants to make her own mark by being known for her incredible acting talent.
The million dollar question is: Who will bag the role? Follow Maya’s journey as she deals with a humble background, a mother who thinks she is useless, and an unknown fan, who encourages her.
Other famous shoujo anime worth a mention
► Bokura Ga Ita (We Were There)
► Shugo Chara!
► Cardcaptor Sakura
► Ghost Hunt
Apart from the above recommendations, we’re sure there are a lot of other shoujo anime that you must have enjoyed. Feel free to share them with everyone in the comments section below.
