Looking for some shoujo series that fit very specific parameters
So I've been on the hunt for more shoujo or josei to read or watch since I've already read/watched plenty of shounen and some seinen. The problem is that a lot of stuff is just not what I'm interested in at all. I hear a lot about how shoujo is just as varied as shounen and I want to believe that, but damn is it difficult to find stuff that I would actually enjoy that's shoujo rather than shounen/seinen. So I've come here for help. Trying to just use filters on stuff like MyAnimeList is an unreliable shitshow.
If you know of any series (manga or anime) that fit any amount of these descriptions, throw them at me:
- Started in the 2010s or later (I know many classics were made before then and I'm sure that they're all great, but surely there are some good series that were made after 2009)
- Action, thriller, adventure, horror... almost any genre except slice of life, drama, or mecha, really
- Female lead
- Little to no romance - I am picky about what romantic dynamics I like and it's rare that I find one that I enjoy watching/reading. However, I am more open to reading about gay couples since those dynamics tend to at least try to be more unique. For straight romances, if I see ONE MORE male love interest who is 1) a stoic dark haired ball of trauma and emotional constipation 2) a smug pretty boy who loves to bully the main character 3) any combination of the above with a dash of boundary stomping, I will scream. More than once have I had a perfectly decent show ruined by the most mind-numbingly cliche or boring male lead as the main love interest.
- NOT overtly an exploration of gender or coming of age (having general themes of it is fine, but I'd like for it to not be about it)
- Main character holds grudges or genuine hatred in her heart for at least 1 person
- ^ Similarly, main character's "greatest strength" is not her capacity for kindness or forgiveness
- IF it's a villainness or something similar story, the other characters have more depth than just being cartoonishly evil, stupid, or crazy for the main character
Series I've liked in the past (trying to include multiple genres here to give a better idea of preferences):
- Black Lagoon
- Attack on Titan
- Beyond the Boundary
- Durarara!!
- Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works (if I could just have a series with Rin Tousaka as the main character, it would be peak)
- Summer Time Rendering
- The Disastrous Life of Saiki K
- Shiki
- Higurashi
- Madoka Magica
- Noragami (mostly)
- Steins Gate
- Shadows House
- Pandora Hearts
Shoujo I've tried in the past:
- My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! -- Dropped it most of the way through season 1. I just got bored of the cast dynamics.
- Childhood classics - Sailor Moon, Shugo Chara, Tokyo Mew Mew, Ouran High School Host Club, Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch Pure
- Natsume's Book of Friends - Tried, made it a few episodes in, dropped
- I know there are plenty of others that I've seen but only have the vaguest memories of.
- The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess -- I got about halfway through this one before bailing. On paper, it had everything it needed to be good (except budget & I'm not a huge fan of the artstyle), but something was just missing with the writing.
Posted Feb 25, 2026, 5:38 AM UTC