Ranking Shōjo Anime With Fierce Female Leads

Japanese animation is getting more and more popular across the world, and there are many fans of different genres. Of course, the shōnen genre dominates the mainstream due to its young male audience, but there is another genre that is mostly directed to young female fans, and that is shōjo. Of course, it is very much popular among the fans, and it provided us with iconic anime that are talked about even today.That motivated us to look back and rank the coolest shōjo anime that presented us with fierce female leads.

Lovely Complex: Great Reverse Trope Angle

This Japanese romantic comedy-drama was created by Aya Nakahara, and its anime adaptation brought it to even bigger popularity. It follows the story of Risa and Atsushi, students who join their 'forces' to get each other their love interests. However, on their path to help each other, this unconventional couple falls in love with each other. A use of a reversed trope where the girl is taller than a guy in the best way possible.

From Me To You: Unconventional Pairing

Another very popular shōjo manga/anime series on this list is From Me To You, created by Karuho Shiina, which was, in its time, one of the best-selling series in Japan and eventually had one of the most popular romantic anime. It follows the story of Sawako Kuronuma, a high school girl misunderstood for her strange appearance and her growing relationship with her classmate, Shōta Kazehaya. A very heartfelt anime with a very cool female lead.

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Blue Spring Ride: Beautiful Character Development

One of the most popular shōjo anime on this list is Blue Spring Ride, one of the best-selling shōjo manga ever. This popular series follows the story of Futaba and Kou, teenagers who fall in love with each other, but life constantly moves them from one another. A very heartfelt story that makes even the coldest person emotional, Blue Spring Ride anime leaves an open ending but truly closes the story in its manga adaptation. Moreover, it presents us with amazing female lead with character development. Definitely check it out.

My Little Monster: Chaotic Love Story

One of the first shōjo manga I ever encountered, My Little Monster is truly delightful. At first, a very simple story of two people not fit in the usual community mold, Shizuku and Haru are THE representation of the trope 'opposites attract.' Both problematic in their own way, the story of Shizuku and Haru showcases their character growth and eventual love.

Nana: Amazing Storytelling

One of the most iconic shōjo series of all time, Nana is truly a revelation of the genre. The story follows two women, Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu, who, with moving to Tokyo, try to find happiness while struggling to upkeep their friendship. One of the more mature anime on this list, Nana was unfortunately never finished, but even with that fact, it is one of the best shōjo anime we had the pleasure of seeing—it even has TWO strong female characters. Definitely check it out.

Ouran High School Host Club: Delightful Mess

One of the most popular shōjo anime of the 2000s, Ouran High School Host Club, is the ultimate series to check out for every fan. The story follows Haruhi Fujioka, a girl who recently enrolled at the prestigious Ouran Academy. After a few mishaps and accidents, a boyish-looking girl enters the club and starts being part of the chaotic collective that entertains girls. This gender-bender series is quite good at exploring interesting topics while retaining Haruhi as the female protagonist. Moreover, it is an entertaining anime for any fan of, just simply, fun.

Sailor Moon: Iconic and Legendary Series

Sailor Moon changed the magical girl genre forever and became one of the most iconic anime series of all time. The story follows Usagi Tsukino, a clumsy and lazy teenager whose life changes with the appearance of a cat with a crescent moon on its head. Usagi becomes Sailor Moon, a warrior that protects the Earth from its evil foes, with her other allies and friends, the Sailor Senshi. Truly a remarkable anime series that has two adaptations, many movies, and incredible amounts of fun and joy.

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