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 December 17, 2023: As tends to be the case with most seasons, Fall 2023 does not have many shojo anime. Only two series cater to the demographic: The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sons and A Girl & Her Guard Dog. The latter centers around a rather uncomfortable romance, while the former tells a heartwarming slice of life story. Neither show will likely rank among the best shojo anime of all time.

16 Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

MyAnimeList: 7.44 (Season 1)

Except for a select few, seasonal shojo anime are almost always overshadowed by shonen or seinen properties, a fate that befell 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 existed 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 continued 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.

15 Maid Sama!

MyAnimeList: 8.01

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.

14 My Happy Marriage

MyAnimeList: 7.82

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.

13 Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You

MyAnimeList: 8 (Season 1)

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.

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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

MyAnimeList: 8.03

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!

MyAnimeList: 8.08

After doing everything to support her boyfriend’s goal to become famous, Kyouko Mogami is crushed when Shou reveals that he has been 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

MyAnimeList: 7.73 (Season 1)

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

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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 iconic, so whether fans watched the original or the recent retelling of the story in Sailor Moon Crystal, they will surely remember this legendary adventure. Although there are superior Magical Girl anime out there, Sailor Moon is undoubtedly the most popular and (arguably) influential, and while some aspects of the original series have not aged well, the show is still overall charming.

9 Cardcaptor Sakura

MyAnimeList: 8.16 (Original Series)

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 are 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. And, the series has stood the test of time ridiculously well, provided a viewer is not put off by romances between young characters. Still, the comedy, drama, and even action are all top-notch.

8 Kamisama Kiss

MyAnimeList: 8.10 (Season 1)

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.

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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

MyAnimeList: 8.16

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 going strong, which serves as a testament to its characterization and humor. The latter is especially great, cementing Ouran as one of the funniest anime comedies of all time.

6 Revolutionary Girl Utena

MyAnimeList: 8.20

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

MyAnimeList: 8.33

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

MyAnimeList: 8.54

“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.

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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

MyAnimeList: 8.48

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

MyAnimeList: 8.31 (Season 1)

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

MyAnimeList: 8.22 (Season 1)

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.

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