Shojo series often rely on several recurring themes and genres such as romance, maintaining a positive outlook on life, and overcoming obstacles in any number of ways. However, there is another aspect of many shojo series which plays a large part: the friendships formed along the way and the support the hero's friends provide for them in their journey.
For many of these protagonists, fighting alone would have led to vastly different outcomes and perhaps even failure. However, with their friends supporting them, many heroes manage to successfully resolve the conflict they are facing, whether it is a test they need to pass or a villain to defeat. Caution: spoilers ahead.
Trigger Warning: Entry 5 discusses suicidal themes. Please read with discretion.
10 Hotaru's Inventions Come To Mikan's Rescue In Gakuen Alice
While there are many friendships formed in Gakuen Alice, special mention goes to the friendship between Mikan and Hotaru. Without Hotaru, Mikan never would have entered Alice Academy and her life may have been very different. This unconventional duo balances each other nicely, with Hotaru's calm demeanor and careful planning contrasting Mikan's spontaneity and openness with her feelings.
Hotaru loves to tease Mikan, but when push comes to shove, she is always there to help her, often by using one of her inventions to do it, such as the panda communicator which allowed her to contact Mikan when she was kidnapped.
9 Miaka's Celestial Warriors Protect Her & Keep Her Grounded In Fushigi Yuugi
While romance is a huge theme in Fushigi Yuugi, it is certainly not the only one. There are many important friendships in this anime, such as the close bond between Miaka and her best friend Yui, a friendship that is tested many times over the course of the series.
As Miaka finds the Celestial Warriors and discovers their unique powers, she begins to build a relationship with each one. Ultimately it is the bonds that Miaka forms with each of her Celestial Warriors as well as Yui which lead her to complete her goal of resurrecting Suzaku and saving her friends.
8 Sakura Can Always Count On Tomoyo & Syaoran For Help & Advice In Cardcaptor Sakura
There are many important friendships in Cardcaptor Sakura, some of which are platonic, while others involve romantic feelings. While Sakura does her fair share of helping and protecting her friends, several of them play a direct role in capturing the Clow Cards, most notably Syaoran and Tomoyo. Syaoran begins as a rival, becomes a friend, and eventually becomes a romantic interest for Sakura. He often offers Sakura advice and directly helps her through his own powers or his physical abilities.
Tomoyo is intelligent and helps Sakura strategize during tense battles. She also creates costumes for Sakura which often serve a secondary purpose, such as being resistant to electricity. Most importantly, Tomoyo is a reliable friend who is there to support Sakura in every step of her journey.
7 Takeo Relies On Sunakawa's Support As He Navigates Life In My Love Story!!
My Love Story!! is a rare shojo story in that it deals with a male protagonist rather than a female one, as is more typical of the genre. Takeo may not be saving the world, but he quickly becomes a hero in the eyes of his eventual girlfriend, Yamato, when he saves her from a man on the train.
Throughout the anime, Takeo performs several more heroic feats without a second thought. Meanwhile, Sunakawa, Takeo's best friend, is there for him in every step of his journey and often goes to great lengths to support him without even thinking about it, whether it be with giving Takeo and Yamato advice, or physically stepping in to help Takeo as he saves someone.
6 Friendship Is The Basis Of Power In The Precure! Franchise
Pretty Cure! or Precure! for short, is a magical girl anime series in which friendship is a major theme and is one of the influences on the Cures' magical powers. Although there are many Precure! series showcasing friendship as an important theme, the earlier series took this to another level by having Nagisa and Honoka transform and fight as a duo in Pretty Cure!, learning to work side by side.
Throughout the many Precure! series, friendship is explored as the girls gain power through their bonds, becoming stronger as they learn to work and fight together.
5 Naho's Friends Go Above & Beyond To Help Her Save Kakeru In Orange
Note: Trigger warning for suicidal themes within this entry.
Naho, the protagonist of Orange, receives a letter from her future self where she asks her to rewrite her timeline and save her friend, Kakeru, who she warns will take his own life.
Using the contents of the letter, and relying on her friends who share her goal, the group tries its best to make Kakeru happy and to avoid losing him. At the end of the anime, Kakeru intends to kill himself by stepping into traffic but stops when he remembers his friends and everything they've done for him. The anime ends with a hopeful note as Kakeru writes his future self a letter.
4 Karin Is Always Supported With Himeka & Kazune By Her Side In Kamichama Karin
Karin of the magical girl anime Kamichama Karin has lost everyone she cares about when her precious cat Shii-chan dies following the deaths of her parents. It is when she meets Himeka and Kazune that Karin's life changes. With enemies targeting her out of nowhere, Kazune and Himeka step up to protect her, even inviting her to live with them to keep her safe.
Throughout the series, they continue to support and protect her both physically and emotionally. Without their help early on, Karin would have lost her powers to the enemy and still ended up alone as the enemy's promises to revive Shii-chan were false.
3 Yona Trusts Hak To Always Have Her Back In Yona Of The Dawn
Yona's life in Yona of the Dawn quickly turns upside down as she is betrayed by her cousin and friend Su-Won and loses her kingdom and her family. The only one by her side is her childhood friend and bodyguard, Hak. It is Yona's friendship with Hak that motivates her to change and ultimately advances her development and thus, the story as well.
While Hak and Yona's relationship does eventually turn romantic, it begins as a friendship. The fear of losing her friend and desire to stand on her own is what drives Yona to change in the first place, and helps her develop into the capable young woman she ultimately becomes.
2 Katarina Befriends Doom Flag Characters In My Next Life As A Villainess
Relatable character Katarina Claes of My Next Life As A Villainess is an unconventional hero. Katarina finds herself reborn into the game Fortune Lover as the villain and must change her fate to avoid a bad ending in the game by befriending the characters. There are several points in the anime where Katarina would have met a bad ending if not for her friends.
One particular moment that stands out is when a group of girls accuses Katarina of bullying Maria. In the game, Katarina meets a bad ending when Maria and the other characters denounce her. However, no such thing happens in the anime, where Katarina's friends save her by denouncing the accusations, and Maria reveals the true bullies.
1 Usagi's Sailor Senshi Will Lay Down Their Lives For Her In Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon is often considered the genre-defining magical girl anime, and like many others in this genre, friendship plays an important role. Without her friends, Usagi may have lost her life several times over.
Though they do not all begin on the best of terms, Sailors Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter become good friends and allies whom Sailor Moon can rely on. The Senshi are also willing to lay their lives down on the line to protect her, something that Usagi does not take for granted. While she is strong in her own right, Sailor Moon's friendships are her greatest weapon and strength.
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