Despite the greater popularity of the Shonen series among western anime fans, the Shoujo series enjoy tremendous popularity around the world. Although Shoujo anime is primarily geared toward female audiences, the stories appeal to anyone regardless of age or gender. Here, we shall look at the Top 10 Shoujo Anime to Watch in May.
Shoujo anime are deeply emotional stories that explore deeper themes and go beyond stereotypic romance. There are a lot of shows that reflect the best aspects of this genre, and you should watch them if you’re an anime fan.
Shoujo anime and manga are considered to be aimed at girls. However, the Western market typically interprets this to mean “an anime with Shoujo style visuals and storytelling”. In other words, Shoujo refers to a visual and storytelling style, not a demographic. Even though Shoujo anime and manga traditionally focus on relationships and character development, they are much too diverse to be categorized. The focus on bishōnen in Weiss Kreuz, for example, leads one to think that this is an anime aimed at girls and, therefore, Shoujo. However, the large number of female fans indicates that this is an anime that is aimed at the female audience, thus Shoujo.
Here’s a list of Top 10 Shoujo Anime to Watch In May:
10. Cardcaptor Sakura
Despite never having seen it personally, most anime fans are familiar with the name Cardcaptor Sakura. An untimely gust of wind blows across the world a handful of cards containing a mysterious book discovered by Sakura Kinomoto in fourth grade. Due to their extraordinary powers, the cards are deemed by Sakura to be the most powerful, so she must journey around the world and return them all to their original books.
The story of the recent retelling is about a girl who makes friends with a girl of a different race. Both stories are enjoyable and adventurous. They both have their ups and downs. They both have their secrets. But for now, I’d say the best story this year is that of Cardcaptor Sakura. As a magical girl show, it generally bucked the norm (no transformation scenes are shown) and gave fans of the genre a special treat.
9. Sailor Moon
No anime fan grew up in the 90s who hasn’t heard of Sailor Moon or seen its iconic theme song. Its popularity is not limited to children either, as it has become a highly recognized anime series. Sailor Moon has been considered a must-watch anime series for many years. It is a story about a young girl who is chosen to join an elite group of girls who are assigned to protect the Moon. Stranded in an alien world, she must contend with the power of the Moon and, eventually her own identity.
Sailor Moon represents a perfect example of a series that is both popular and not. It is a story that is both touching and emotional and one of the best shows in the world. The journey of the Sailor Scouts is memorable, so whether fans watched the original or the recent retelling in Sailor Moon Crystal, they’ll surely remember the adventures of these magical girls.
8. Toradora
Toradora is an anime about Taiga Aisaka, a feisty high school girl who is anything but cute; and Ryuuji Takasu, who is mistakenly thought to be snooty by his intimidating face, but that is not the case. The anime became so popular that there was even a PlayStation Portable title for this series.
Even though the two cross paths and help each other with their crushes, is this another instance where they find it impossible to see their feelings developing for one another? Among our list of light but emotional shows, this one qualifies as one of the most exciting and entertaining shows.
7. Ouran High School Host Club
In Ouran High School Host Club, the protagonists are presented as incredibly stereotypical characters who gradually grow to fit their archetypes. The play also touches on many themes related to gender and presentation when Haruhi is made the host club’s errand boy after breaking an eight million yen vase.
Despite being released in 2006, this show is still so popular that a live-action version of it is being adapted.
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6. Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War
The series Kaguya-Sama: Love is War has a seinen/romance cast, with Miyuki serving as the student body president and Kaguya serving as the vice president. There’s no doubt that Kaguya comes from a wealthy family and is the best at everything. However, the twist is that despite having feelings for each other, they are unable to show them.
If they do, they will lose the honor and pride they currently have due to their responsibilities. Breaking hearts since 2019, this title has an even more popular sequel, and the fans of the show yearn for more. With an enviable IMDb rating of 8.4 and a MAL score of 8.43, you have to give this one a watch for the entire package that Kaguya-Sama: Love is War is.
5. Nana
It tells the story of two women whose names are Nana. Nana K. is nave and follows her boyfriend to Tokyo to start a new life, while Nana O. is a confident punk rock band member who moves to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream to become a singer. While drastically different from one another, they form a close friendship. The focus of the show on the struggles of twenty-something-year-old women might not appeal to many Shoujo fans, but it offers an authentic glimpse into the relationships and lives of the characters that are both refreshing and authentic.
Manga Nana was put on indefinite hitch in 2009 when author ai Yazawa fell gravely ill and declined to resurgence. The manga is only ending because author ai Yazawa was gravely ill and unable to recover. Almost ten years have passed, but she is still saying the series will continue “eventually,” but with over ten years gone, fans may have a long wait.
4. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun
Nozaki-Kun is the story of a young man named Chiyo who is hopelessly in love with Umetarou. Whenever she tries to tell him how she feels, he simply captivates her with an autograph. As it turns out, Nozaki is an acclaimed mangaka whose pen name is Sakiko Yumeno.
Eventually, Chiyo becomes his assistant for his next manga project. She has agreed to work for him in the hope of letting him see how truly she feels about him. The show was released in the summer of 2014 and has gained ever-increasing popularity since then. It has a lot of jokes and a great sense of humor.
3. Banana Fish
In terms of Shoujo fans’ expectations, the show is not what most would expect from the genre since it appears as part of Akimi Yoshida’s 40th-anniversary project. There is just one Shoujo show that deals with a boy raised by a mafia boss and unravels a mystery that involves the Iraq War – Banana Fish. The show’s protagonist is a show-off and is usually the main focus of the show.
In addition, Banana Fish discusses darker topics than most Shoujo anime, like drugs, PTSD, and sexual assault. Please check the content warnings before watching.
2. Fruits Basket
The original Fruits Basket series started airing in 2001, but Fruits Basket: Final was not broadcast until the Spring of 2021 as the definitive ending to the supernatural romance series. Fruits Basket is a beautiful anime that deals with the everyday life of a modern-day Japanese family, something very few other Shoujo shows can touch. The story is about Tohru, who is living at the Souma house.
She discovers that the people living there turn into animals when a person of the opposite gender hugs them due to a dark curse. The show ends with Tohru realizing that the curse is not real, but she must learn to live with her newfound freedom to save lives. The show is great for people who are fans of supernatural romance, and one can watch it on Netflix.
1. Natsume’s Book of Friends
Takashi’s life is turned upside down when his grandmother passes down a Yuujinchou, also known as a Book of Friends. Natsume’s Book of Friends follows his adventures as he tries to avoid being hunted down by the yokai, whose spirits have previously been brought under his grandmother’s control.
At the very least, he is not alone, as he is accompanied by Madara, a cat spirit and self-proclaimed bodyguard. For good reason, this supernatural slice-of-life anime is regarded as one of the Shoujo greats and should be seen by any anime fan.
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