Shoujo animes have been a staple of the anime industry for decades now, and there are no signs that that will stop anytime soon. And why would it? It is one of the most popular categories with a large consumer base worldwide.
Whether you’re looking for a slice of life or something high fantasy, there is a shoujo anime for everyone. There are a lot of beautiful love stories out there to procure.
10/10 Kamisama Hajumemashita
Better known as Kamisama Kiss or I Became a Diety, Kamisama Hajumemashita is a shoujo series that debuted as a Manga in 2008. It follows the story of Nanami falling in love with the Yokai Spirit Tomoe.
After being given the title of Land God by her predecessor, Nanami takes care of her new shrine and subjects seriously. She works on juggling school and shrine duties while falling for the Tomoe. He tries to keep her at arm’s length as their love is forbidden but finds himself falling helplessly for her as well.
9/10 Fruits Basket
One of the Shoujo series that walked, so others could run is Fruits Basket. It came out as far back as 1998, and fast became a massive staple in many Manga and anime enthusiasts’ collections since.
Follow along as Tohru falls in love with the orange-haired outcast Kyo. There’s more at play than a simple slice-of-life romance in this series. An ancient curse that follows the family that Tohru moves in with must be dealt with in order for her and Kyo to be together in the end.
8/10 Ore Monogatari
Normally a Shoujo series is primarily told through the eyes of one of the protagonist-based romantic partners. That isn’t the case when it comes to Ore Monogatari. It is told primarily through the lens of the male protagonist’s best friend.
Makoto is there to help his best friend Takeo land the girl of his dreams in the form of Rinko. After Takeo saves Rinko he falls in love with her, but is afraid Makoto is the one she likes. Makoto on the other hand just wants to see his good friend succeed in romance.
7/10 Sukitte Ii Na Yo
Also known as Say I Love You is the sweet series Sukitte Ii Na Yo. Follow along as one stubborn girl named Mei holds up huge walls between herself, her friends, and her lovers after a childhood incident. She doesn’t know how to trust after enduring cruelty from those she thought were friends.
That’s where the class’ popular guy Yamato takes an interest in her. After seeing a side of Mei their classmates haven’t, Yamato takes her walls on as a pet project. This eventually leads to the 2 characters falling for each other. They become each other’s strength and change how they interact with the world.
6/10 Blue Spring Ride
It’s a tale as old as time. A young girl falls for a young boy, but something tears them apart far too soon. In this case, it’s a pair of middle-schoolers that end up transferred apart before there is a real chance for them to get together.
The young lady that fell in love was Fubata, and she had her eyes and heart set on Ko. Upon entering high school, she gets to meet her old crush again. Now there’s a better chance for this Blue Spring Ride originally titled Ao Haru Ride.
5/10 Akatsuki No Yona
Yona of the Dawn is the alternative title of this series. It follows the plight of Princess Yona and her bodyguard Hak after a betrayal in the royal court. They must flee their home in order to survive the entire royal family being wiped out.
While on the road, Yona begins to fall for Hak. He already had feelings for her but suppressed them to keep to his duty. After some turmoil and moments of misunderstanding, they eventually come together.
4/10 Kimi Ni Todoke
Rarely called by its English translation From Me To You, Kimi Ni Todoke is a slower-style Shoujo series. It follows the female lead Sawako and the male lead Kazehaya as they fall for each other, sweetly and slowly.
Sawako sees Kazehaya as some golden guy because he can interact so well with their classmates. Kazehaya sees how sweet Sawako is despite how many classmates avoid her for being weird. They bring out the best in each other while cheering the other on.
3/10 Tonari No Kaibutsu-kun
Aired on Cruchyroll under the title My Little Monster is the hit series Tonari No Kaibutsu-kun. Despite the implied title, there are no demons or otherworldly monsters in the slice-of-life high school romance.
Shizuku doesn’t care about her classmates just her grades. Haru got thrown out of school from a fight. Somehow this becomes a recipe for romance when 2 people that know nothing about how the world works begin interacting with each other.
2/10 Kaichou wa Maid-sama
Working in a cafe to pay the bills is something a lot of teenagers do in order to have spending money or to help out their families. The latter is Ayuzawa’s reason for dressing up in a maid outfit after school.
Tamaki is the school’s leading male, and he finds out their super strict class president is dressing up. Instead of using this information against her, he decides to help in a roundabout way while teasing her for fun.
1/10 Ouran Host Club
There are few that enter the realm of Shoujo without hearing or seeing the title Ouran High School Host Club. More popularly shortened to Ouran Host Club. The title that cemented the reverse harem troupe and is the most well-known title in the Shoujo world.
Follow along as scholarship student Haruhi becomes a schoolboy to pay off her debts to the infamous Host Club. Each male member falls for her in their own way, but at the end of the day the king has the crown for a reason. Tamaki may not be the most grounded male lead, but he has a heart of gold. Together these opposites are a will-they-won’t-they couple made in Shoujo heaven.
