The popular shojo genre is full of smash hits like Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket, Skip Beat! and more. Each of these manga have been praised for their fun characters, engaging storylines, and the romances involved. Some fans even praise the creative concepts of certain shojo manga, especially for fantasy and sci-fi-themed series, due to how the unique settings impact the story and characters.
However, there are some shojo series that just missed the mark. From the teacher-student romance of Faster Than A Kiss to the blackmail scheme in Hot Gimmick, these shojo manga will not be remembered fondly by readers.
10 Let's Dance A Waltz Should Sashay Away
Let's Dance A Waltz is a three-volume shojo manga series by Natsumi Ando, who previously created works such as Zodiac P.I. and Kitchen Princess. Unfortunately for Ando, fans weren't as receptive to Let's Dance A Waltz. Readers criticized the unnecessary love triangle, the lack of variety in the illustrated dancing scenes, and the main heroine suddenly losing weight at the end of the first volume, despite being initially presented as a character with a more realistic weight.
The last issue was a primary point of contention with fans, with some arguing that the sudden weight loss was fat-shaming while others argued it made sense considering that dancing is an intense physical activity and can result in weight loss. Either way, this manga is considered one of Ando's weaker works overall and unmemorable in the long run.
9 Hot Gimmick's Concept Did Not Sit Well With Readers
Hot Gimmick is a drama-filled shojo manga series written and illustrated by Miki Aihara. Despite the twelve-volume series gaining a live-action adaptation, two drama CDs, and an alternate-ending light novel, Hot Gimmick did not sit well with some readers. Many fans were put off by the toxic power imbalance in the developing relationship, as well as the circumstances leading to it: the heroine of the manga is blackmailed by the love interest to become his slave after he sees her purchasing a pregnancy test for her sister. Despite this franchise accruing more fame compared to other forgotten shojo series, it's not one that will be well-remembered simply due to its concept.
8 Missions Of Love Revolved Around Blackmail
Missions of Love starts off with the main heroine blackmailing her eventual love interest into going on "missions" that involve romance, in order for the heroine to write a better novel. However, things get more complex in this shojo manga as romance ensues, including the heroine's own cousin confessing his love to her.
Some fans immediately disliked the blackmail elements of the story, while others were squicked out later on by the heroine's cousin having a romantic interest in her. Others criticized the overall storyline of the manga in addition to its blackmail-related elements.
7 Honey X Honey Drops Was Criticized For Its Toxic Relationship Development
Honey × Honey Drops, also known as Mitsu × Mitsu Drops, earned criticism from readers due to the heroine's love interest initially sexually harassing her. Some readers were especially incensed when they were told that the love interest was only harassing her because he was interested in her. This, coupled with the heroine's constant lack of self-esteem, made many readers drop the manga and decide to never read it again – though the series did get a dating sim game adaptation on the PlayStation 2 and a two-episode OVA series. Despite this, Honey × Honey Drops won't be remembered fondly by former readers.
6 Absolute Boyfriend Fell Into The Uncanny Valley
Absolute Boyfriend, also known as Zettai Kareshi, is a six-volume manga series by Yuu Watase. Some readers were put off by the concept of the main heroine ordering the "perfect" boyfriend online. When he arrives, he's a manufactured robot boyfriend with a free trial period of 72 hours. Afterward, the heroine must either pay an exorbitant daily fee to keep him or feed him information about women's desires in order to waive the fee.
Some readers disliked the love triangle that emerged in this series, as well as the fact that the heroine is essentially dating a robot prone to malfunction. No matter what fans felt about it, it's clear that this manga won't stand the test of time when compared to a series like Sailor Moon.
5 Faster Than A Kiss' Age Gap Turned Off Readers
Faster Than A Kiss follows a shojo heroine who marries her English teacher to support herself and her younger brother after their parents die. Many readers were put off by the main couple's age gap — she's 16 and he's 24 — as well as the fact that the teacher-student relationship ensured there would be some power imbalances.
Other readers questioned the legality of such a relationship considering both the teacher-student elements as well as the age gap. Whatever element of the series readers debated about, however, it's clear that the concept just didn't work.
4 Sensei To Watashi Made Some Readers Feel Awkward About Its Teacher-Student Relationship
As with Faster Than A Kiss, Sensei To Watashi also drew criticism from some readers due to its teacher-student romantic relationship. The story follows the heroine who substitutes for her sister at an arranged meeting and ends up falling for him. She then discovers that he is her new homeroom teacher, so the two must keep their new relationship a secret from the rest of the class and everyone else they know.
Even though the protagonist and the love interest had expressed interest in each other from the beginning, many readers still could not get over the age gap and the power dynamics of the relationship.
3 Guru Guru Pon-Chan Turned A Dog Into A Shojo Heroine
Guru Guru Pon-chan is about a puppy named Ponta who turns into a human and falls in love with Mirai Iwaki, the most popular boy in high school. To be close to him, Ponta enrolls at the same school as he does. Hilarity ensues from there.
Some readers were creeped out by the fact that a dog was romancing a human in this series, even if said dog turned into a human herself. Some readers were also unhappy with how certain story arcs were handled, particularly Ponta's pregnancy later in the manga. Guru Guru Pon-chan, though creative in its concept, won't be remembered well by fans.
2 Black Bird's Supernatural Setting and Unhealthy Romance Drove Readers Away
Black Bird's supernatural elements didn't click for some readers, nor did the borderline toxic relationship between the heroine and her love interest. The heroine is capable of seeing demons, and when one attacks her on her sixteenth birthday, her childhood friend and love interest saves her.
Despite the initial supernatural concept garnering interest with fans, they quickly decried the main romance as it became less healthy with every chapter. This, in addition to the supernatural demons, scared readers away from the series instead of interesting them.
1 Kyo, Koi O Hajimemasu Drew Criticism For Its Insecure Heroine
Kyo, Koi o Hajimemasu, also known as Today, Our Love Begins, follows the heroine as she struggles with her self-esteem. She's talented with styling other people's hair but isn't as confident about doing her own. Even though heroines with low self-esteem are fairly common in shojo manga, many fans disliked the depths of the heroine's insecurity in this series. Additionally, some fans weren't happy with how her relationship with her love interest developed, and the series wasn't very memorable as consequence.
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