Best Shoujo Anime

While Western anime fans may recognize far more iconic shonen shows, shojo series are still immensely popular all over the world.

Shojo anime

tend to target younger female audiences but can have amazing stories for anyone of any age or gender to enjoy.

While some of the

best shojo anime

are stereotypical romantic stories, many break the mold by exploring deeper emotional stories and unique themes. These shows define the best parts of the genre and are must-watch series for any anime fan.

Updated October 20th, 2023

: There are a lot of

great Shojo anime

for fans to binge online, spread across an array of different websites. Some

Shojo anime

are so iconic that they will appeal to a wide group of people, well past their intended target audience. To better help viewers discover some of the

best Shojo anime

out there, the following list has been updated and now includes a companion video.

14


Maid Sama!

Although fairly dated in places, this minor classic is still a big name in the shojo scene, and its strengths are timeless enough to mask some of its weaknesses. As her school’s student council president, Misaki runs a strict regime, particularly with guys. While most boys try to stay as far away from her as possible, Takumi Usui does the exact opposite, and he starts to visit the maid café that employs Misaki as frequently as possible.

Maid Sama!

knocks its humor out of the park, and both Misaki and Takumi are big personalities who complement each

other

beautifully. Most of the time, the student council president comes across as a force of nature who is constantly pushing past her limits to help her family; on the other hand, Takumi is effortlessly cool.

13


Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You

is a romance anime about the friendship between an ostracized girl and her popular schoolmate. Sawako shares a striking similarity to

The Ring

‘s Sadako, something that her classmates notice and underline. As she is generally shy, the girl struggles to make friends and escape the unfair stigma placed upon her. However, things begin to change when Sawako attracts the attention of the charming Shouta.

Kimi ni Todoke

has awesome characters and a good blend of drama and comedy. While the central romance moves a bit too slowly, Sawako and Shouta are still adorable together.

12


Yona Of The Dawn

Mizuho Kusanagi’s

Yona of the Dawn

has been running since 2009, and it is firmly established as one of the

best shojo manga

on the market. Pierrot’s anime adaptation does not warrant the same level of praise, but that has largely to do with the fact the series only covers a small portion of the source material. When analyzed solely on the quality of the adapted content,

Yona of the Dawn

is pretty great.

Set in a small nation caught between more powerful countries, Yona is the sheltered princess of the realm’s king. A shocking coup leaves the girl on the run, with her only companion being Hak, her bodyguard. At this point, the princess sets out to find four mythical warriors who will help her reclaim the throne and unite the kingdom. Yona is forced to mature quickly as she begins her transformation from pampered royalty to a capable warrior.

11


Skip Beat!

After doing everything to support her boyfriend’s goal to become famous, Kyouko Mogami is absolutely crushed when Shou reveals that he was simply using her. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, the protagonist embarks on a quest for revenge that involves taking the entertainment business by storm, an endeavor that introduces Kyouko to the handsome but stock Ren.

Skip Beat!

has one of the best protagonists in

shoujo anime

. Energetic, likable, and hilarious, Kyouko is a force of nature who dominates each and every scene. She is also accompanied by two great male leads courtesy of Shou and Ren.

10


Sailor Moon

“Fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight, never running from a real fight, she is the one named Sailor Moon!”

With one of the catchiest theme songs of all time, no fan of anime that grew up in the 90s hasn’t seen or at least heard of

Sailor Moon

. The adventures of the Sailor Scouts are truly iconic so whether fans watched the original or the recent retelling of the story in

Sailor Moon Crystal

, they will surely remember this magical girl adventure.

9


Cardcaptor Sakura

The original

Cardcaptor Sakura

came out all the way back in 1998 and has proven its staying power with its

sequel

, 2018’s

Clear Card

. Sakura’s adventures to recapture the mystical Clow Cards is light-hearted and fun while featuring a rivals-to-lovers romance that isn’t the usual cheesy affair found in other shojo anime.

The show generally bucks magical girl tropes (there aren’t even transformation sequences) and offers something unique to fans of the genre.

8


Kamisama Kiss

Who hasn’t suddenly found themselves suddenly homeless, saved a man from a dog, and then suddenly become a God?

Kamisama Kiss

is a romantic comedy with a dash of the supernatural that takes this wild premise and turns it into a fun and playful romp.

Nanami’s adventures with the fox spirit Tomoe are almost reminiscent of Inu Yasha but far more refined than that iconic show. The series has also inspired multiple OVAs showing just how much fans wanted more of this amazing story.

7


Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High School Host Club

takes the main cast with incredibly stereotypical character archetypes and slowly grows them throughout the show. It also tackles many themes about gender and presentation as Haruhi is forced to become the errand “boy” of the host club after breaking a vase worth eight million yen.

The show came out in 2006 and its popularity is still so strong that it’s even getting

a new adaptation as a live-action musical

.

6


Revolutionary Girl Utena

Winner of the Best TV Animation Award in 1997,

Revolutionary Girl Utena

was one of the first mainstream anime with lesbian romance to hit Western audiences and it did so with a serious splash. The series’ reliance on surrealism and symbolism to tell its coming-of-age story has resonated with viewers to this day.

Utena’s adventures at the Ootori Academy throw her into sword-fighting duels, gaining a surprise fiancee in Anthy, and a mysterious hidden mission to “revolutionize the world.” It is incredibly satisfying to observe the mystery slowly unfold.

The Adolescence of Utena

movie is also worth watching as an alternative retelling of the series.

5


The Rose Of Versailles

This anime is over forty years old yet is still one of the

best historical shojo anime

of all time.

The Rose of Versailles

alternate history of the events leading up to the French Revolution is just as good today as it was back in 1979.

The romance between Oscar François de Jarjeyes and her childhood friend Andre is powerful, with the two not only being from different social classes but Oscar having been raised “as a male” to be the leader of the royale guard.

The Rose of Versailles

tackles many themes of sexual and gender identity, finding one’s place in the world, and brings everything to the table that fans of historical dramas have come to love.

4


Nana

“Say, Nana… Do you remember the first time we met?”

The story of how the lives of the naive Nana Komatsu and punk-rock vocalist Nana Osaki intertwine is one of the most iconic in all of shojo anime. Viewers are likely to identify with the characters as they watch them deal with romance, heartbreaks, and all the challenges that life throws at them.

The only unfortunate part about

Nana

is its ending, as the manga was put on indefinite hiatus in 2009 when author Ai Yazawa fell gravely ill and had a difficult recovery. In 2022, the mangaka provided an update on the possibility of continuing the story.

3


Banana

Fish

Released as part of Akimi Yoshida’s 40th-anniversary commemoration project,

Banana Fish

is not what most shojo fans might expect from the anime genre. How many shojo anime cover a boy raised by a mafia boss and unravel a mystery involving the Iraq War? Just one —

Banana Fish

.

The show also covers darker themes than most shojo anime like drugs, PTSD, sexual assault, and more. Make sure to check out some content warnings before giving

Banana Fish

a watch just in case.

2


Natsume’s Book Of Friends

When Takashi’s grandmother passes down a Yuujinchou, known as a Book of Friends, his entire life turns upside down.

Natsume’s Book of Friends

follows his adventures as he tries to avoid being hunted down by the yokai who have had their spirits brought under his grandmother’s control in the past.

At least he doesn’t have to do it alone as he has a cat spirit and self-proclaimed bodyguard Madara by his side. This supernatural slice-of-life anime is one of the shojo greats for good reason, and it should be checked out by any anime fan.

1


Fruits Basket

While the original



Fruits Basket

series began airing back in 2001, it wasn’t until the Spring of 2021 that

Fruits Basket: Final

aired as a definitive end to the supernatural romance.

The story follows Tooru and her life while living at the Souma house. She discovers that each person who lives there when hugged by someone of the opposite gender turns into one of the animals from the Chinese zodiac and that there is a dark curse that causes this to happen. The show is filled with romance and drama and will leave fans glued to their screens until they finish watching it.

Best Summer 2023 Shojo Anime

As always, Roughly 40+ anime are airing as part of the Summer 2023 season. The lineup includes shonen, seinen, action, comedy, isekai, horror, adventure, fantasy, and science-fiction. There is something for just about everyone, which is what makes anime so great. Also, as always, shojo anime are in short supply when compared to shonen, although Summer 2023 does not completely ignore the demographic either. What are the

best shojo anime

of the season?

My Happy Marriage

Akumi Agitogi’s

My Happy Marriage

has found success in a variety of forms since debuting as a light novel, and the anime adaptation is shaping up to be another triumph. Beautifully animated by Kinema Citrus, the Netflix-exclusive series is almost great enough to warrant a one-month subscription on its own, although people on the fence should probably wait until the full season is on the streaming service. Set during the Meiji Restoration era, the story revolves around an arranged marriage between Miyo Saimori and Kiyoka Kudou, two people who both have their baggage. Since the death of her mother, Miyo has lived in fear and isolation, a state enforced by her uninterested father, domineering stepmother, and cruel half-sister. Forced to internalize the belief that she is worthless, the young woman’s mental scars are obvious.

Miyo is presented by her parents as a potential bride for Kiyoka, a military figure who has a reputation for scaring away his finances. Rejection would spell the end of the line for the protagonist, and while everyone expects that outcome, reality opts to take a different road. Miyo and Kiyoka slowly but surely hit it off, with the latter falling for the former. Heartwarming and tender, their relationship has blossomed into a beautiful love story that feels timeless.

My Happy Marriage

also has a supernatural element that further ties the leads together.

The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess To Savior

Another Summer 2023 anime that started out as a novel before being adapted into a light novel and manga,

The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior

fits squarely into isekai’s “villainess” sub-category. For the uninitiated, these shows follow a woman who is reincarnated as a story’s antagonist, with most taking place within the worlds of otome

games

. Although it has dominated light novels for years, this trend has only recently picked up momentum in the anime industry, and

The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen

is shaping up to be a respectable addition to this catalog.

Pride Royal Ivy is the absolute worst, and her terribleness eventually leads her down a dark and, ultimately, fatal road. Naturally, when the protagonist finds themselves in the villainess’ shoes, they quickly set out to change their fate, a process that requires more than just a nicer demeanor.

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Part 2

Except for a select few, seasonal

shojo anime

are almost always overshadowed by shonen or seinen properties, a fate that has befallen

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

twice in the span of a year.

Part 1

aired in the same period as

Vinland Saga Season 2

,

Tomo-chan is a Girl

, and

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten

; meanwhile,

Part 2

must exist alongside

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

,

Bleach

,

Bungo

Stray

Dogs 5

,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

, and

Zom 100

. Compared to those shows,

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

is fairly unknown, which is a shame as the series is good enough to share the spotlight with at least a few of those names.

The anime takes place in a fantasy world where humans live alongside fairies, although they are not exactly on good terms. Fairies are generally treated like property by most humans, a dynamic that Ann – a young girl who hopes to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a Silver Sugar Master – has no intention of replicating when she buys Challe, a warrior fairy. Season 2 continues to strengthen the pair’s friendship, all the while revealing new layers to this universe’s thought-provoking social structure. Ann is a great lead, and she is supported by almost exclusively memorable characters.

The following Summer 2023 anime might also satisfy someone’s craving for shojo-style content, even if they are not part of that demographic:

• 
  Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout The Animation
  

• 
  Horimiya: The Missing Pieces
  

• 
  The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today
  

• 
  Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence
  

MORE: Amazing Anime That Break The Three-Episode Rule