Shojo is an anime demographic and genre targeted toward young girls. Although some are wonderful, that doesn't make all of them great. There is bound to be a few other shojo that doesn't seem to hold any substance from each classic anime like Fruits Basket and Sailor Moon.
This can range from guilty pleasures, of course, and there is nothing wrong with having a couple of them. However, when looking for something to pop on and enjoy for its quality, some of them won't cut it. Here are some shojo anime you should watchーas well as skip.
10 Watch: Fruits Basket Because Of It's Rich Story Elements And Diverse Characters
Fruits Basket has been beloved since it began sterilization in Japan and received an anime adaption in the early 2000s. With the anime, Western fans and ones worldwide have come to love the story of the Sohma family and Tohru Honda as she strives to be a bright light in their dark world.
Turning into zodiac animals when hugged by the opposite sex sounds like a hilarious plot. Still, it goes much deeper than thatーwith shows of familial abuse, death, and even depression being handled elegantly. The 2019 anime adaption is a full remake and includes less comedy and more slice-of-life and dark elements, showing why the series is so loved by fans. This is a must-watch shojo for a beginner to the genre.
9 Skip: My Little Monster For The Male Lead Who Has A Destructive Personality That's Hidden As Jealousy
My Little Monster happened to sit among the ranks of the best shojo anime to watch when it aired in 2012. The heroine Shizuku Mizutani is refreshing, and she has a no-nonsense attitude towards Haru Yoshida, a well-known trouble maker known throughout the school. Despite Haru's carefree attitude, however, the display of his affection towards Shizuki can be alarmingly abusive at times.
It's apparent that he becomes jealous easily whenever another boy is in the picture, and he's even injured herーaccidentally, that isーduring a fit of rage. This is a case where Haru's actions are called cute by fans, but it wouldn't be if the series aired now.
8 Watch: Skip Beat For The Comedy And A Protagonist Who Knows How To Stick Up For Herself
Kyoko Mogami used to be the only shojo heroine who could stick up for herself amidst other heroinesーbut luckily, that has changed over the years. This doesn't mean she still isn't one of the best shojo heroines out there. After realizing her childhood friend Sho Fuwa only using her to clean his house and be his personal maid, she decides to get revenge by becoming the best star in the worldーwhich is Sho's dream.
Although her motivation to get into showbiz doesn't impress star Ren Tsuruga, Kyoko soon realizes she has a passion for this line of workーand she works hard to prove this to the world as Ren. The manga has been going on strong for more than a decade, so if there were another adaption, it would surely be the last.
7 Skip: Alice Academy Because The Manga Is Better Than The Anime
Alice Academy is truly a missed opportunity for the shojo community. Both the anime and manga begin as a simple story of Mikan Sakura following her best friend Hotaru Imai to Alice Academy after not wishing to be apart. After being having an encounter with Natsume Hyuuga that didn't go as planned, she is enrolled in the Academy after Narumi Anjo discovers she has an Aliceーor supernatural abilityーof her own.
The only problem with the anime adaption is treating the series as a children's program. Yes, the beginning is the comedyーhowever, along the lines, the story becomes darker and deals with more mature themes. There's even a time skip. It would be better to read the manga, but alas, it is not licensed in any other language besides Japanese.
6 Watch: The World Is Still Beautiful For Its Surprisingly Heartwarming Romance
The World Is Still Beautiful is skipped by many fans because of the age difference between the two main charactersーNike Remercier and Livius Orvinus Ifrikia. 17-year-old Nike is to be married to the Sun King, as she is the fourth princess of the Rain Dukedom, and she lost in a game of rock-paper-scissors. However, it turns out the Sun King is nothing but a 12-year-old boyーaged up to 15 in the animeーwith a scarred past.
Despite the cliche plot, the slow-burning romance between the two is perhaps one of the most satisfying ones in shojo. The anime had a nice conclusion to their romance, and the characters worked through their differences. The story was well-round, as well.
5 Skip: Glass Mask Because It's Probably Not Going To Have A Proper Conclusion In Anime Form
Glass Mask has stood the test of time many times, with different live-action adaptions and anime adaptions. However, the fact that the manga still hasn't ended in over four decades shows that once a fan gets invested in it, they will be dissapointedーakin to the fans of Hunter X Hunter and Magic Kaito.
What will happen to the saga of Maya Kitajima, the young girl who wishes to become a professional stage actress? That question may either never be answeredーor if it is, it will be close to a miracle if it received a fully adapted remake akin to Fruits Basket.
4 Watch: Cardcaptor Sakura For Its Stylish Outfits And Thought-Provoking Plot Elements
Cardcaptor Sakura may look like a cutesy magical girl shojo on the outside, but the plot elements can be profound at times. Whether this is the questioning of a characters' sexuality, LGBTQ+ elements, or coping with a loved one's passing, the series deals with things in such an elegant way. Fans can easily understand it.
The series isn't only about Sakura collecting Clow Cards in stylish outfits. Together with Tomoyo and Syaoran, the three main characters are all interesting and have carved their way into fans' heartsーenough, so there was a sequel, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card.
3 Skip: Diabolik Lovers Because The Convoluted Story And Harem Of Abusive Male Leads
Diabolik Lovers happens when a company decides to make an anime based on a popular masochistic otome game. The only problem is that some anime fans who don't know what the series is are confusedーdespite the series being popular in Japan, it is not released in English. This made fans hate the anime and the characters.
The problem is that Yui Komori, the heroine of the series, is often either tortured or has her blood sucked by one of 6 of the Sakamaki brothers. Continuing in the sequel, it's then the 3 Mukami brothersーand it is targeted toward a particular audience, so most fans or shojo will think of the anime as nothing but a reverse harem full of jerks. Unless a fan is OK with the plot elements or twisted romance displayed in the anime, it's better to stay clear of Diabolik Lovers and watch Vampire Knight instead.
2 Watch: Yona Of The Dawn For The Great Story And Independent Protagonist
Yona of the Dawn follows a princess of a kingdom after her father is killed by her cousin and first love, Su-Won. Afterward, she decides to go on a journey with her childhood friend and bodyguard, Son Hak, to find the Dragon warriors and request their aid.
However, the series is continuing, so it may be a while until the conclusion arrives. However, the series is great for those who wish for a story with an independent protagonist who learns how to protect herself, a splash of romance, and great action.
1 Skip: Wolf Girl & Black Prince For The Weak-Willed Protagonist And Jerk Of A Male Lead
Wolf Girl and Black Prince is on par with Diabolik Lovers for how much of a jerk a male lead in a romance anime can be. However, when it comes to psychical and mental abuse, this series tops it with how it's depicted. It also doesn't help how the series is a full 24 minute long series and how Erika Shinoharaーthe protagonistーputs up with the male leads bullying. After bragging to her friends how she has a wonderful and popular boyfriend, she ends up taking a picture of exactly thatーKyoya Sata.
Despite calling her "his dog" and verbally abusing her every minute, she falls in love with him. Afterward, she even tries to earn his affection to no avail, with him coldly brushing her off no matter how hard she tries. It's both pathetic and sad to watch their romance, and his sadistic attitude towards her seems to worsen over timeーalbeit the manga seems to make him out to be more of a tsundere.
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