Shojo anime, a genre classically defined as appealing to adolescent girls. There may be a biased image in some people's mind that this means romance stories and long wistful looks into the distance, however there is more to this anime category than meets the eye.
Shojo is a massive genre that can be subdivided into different categories just like shonen. From the early years there have been many shojo that have gone on to garner fame and infamy, become modern masterpieces and cult classics such as Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket and Anohana. Unfortunately, there are series whose source material soars to the same storytelling heights, but their adaptations never truly leave the ground. The question remains: which one deserves that magical girl transformation treatment?
10 Revolutionary Girl Utena
One of the most popular and well-received shojo anime ever, that over the years has become a benchmark for highly executed female led action series. A young girl, Utena, whose parents died, is visited by a prince. He gives her a mysterious ring carrying a rose emblem, inspiring her, and she herself decides to train and become a Prince too. Following the clue of the ring she ends up at Ootori Academy where she finds herself dueling other princes for the ownership of the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya, who holds great power.
The series only had 39 episodes and still has become a cult classic that deserves the Sailor Moon remastering treatment, but hopefully with more frequent episode releases.
9 Cardcaptor Sakura
The story of ten-year-old Sakura Kinomoto who accidentally releases the Clow Cards from a mysterious book and awakens the mythical beast (and creature companion) Cerberus. Each card is a powerful artifact that must be returned to the book before they enact great danger upon the world.
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen may have released in 2018, however it did not receive the same critical and commercial success as the original 1998 anime series. A second chance at a sequel with a better adaption of the original source material may be more fitting, or even a remastering of the original anime would be a great service to the fans.
8 Magic Knight Rayearth
Created by CLAMP authors, the people behind great hits like Code Geass, Chobits and xxxHolic, Magic Knight Rayearth was a story abut three high school girls who are whisked away to a fantasy world as found in many isekai anime. They were summoned by Princess Emeraude to become her magic knights and restore peace to Cephiro. And in doing so, find a way back to their original world.
A story full of heart, fights, magic and mechs, this journey did have a finalized ending in its original 1994 run and the subsequent sequel series in 1995. However, there was a lot of the world left unexplored, and the animation could be refreshed to modern standards too.
7 Neighborhood Stories
Mikako Kouda, a 16-year-old girl with a penchant for fashion and an ambition to establish her own clothing brand, attends Yazawa Art School with her childhood friend, Tsutomu Yamaguchi. Due to their close relationship, many think they're in love, but they vehemently deny it. Until, one day, Tsutomu becomes popular when he starts to resemble Ken Nakagawa (a popular vocalist) and it brings some hidden feelings to light for the protagonists.
The animation style is dated by today's standards, but still receives praisefor the storylines. A graphical overhaul may help this series appeal to a new age of audiences and prospective fans.
6 I'm Not An Angel
A happy, bright, go-lucky girl Midori Saejima is known as an 'Angel' among the academy students as she is constantly boasting a highly-positive attitude. However, her image is marred one day in a public debacle whereby she trips and exposes her underwear; only for Akira Sudou to come to her rescue. They are both soon elected to student council and grow closer to each other. However, the feelings that develop may not bloom into a bidding romance as Akira's mysterious past and enigmatic persona stop them both from admitting their feelings to one another.
I'm Not An Angel only received a single episode OVA back in 1994. There is a lot of room here to fully explore the story that never got told, and maybe explore the deepening bonds between the two protagonists.
5 Child's Toy
Better known as Kodoma No Omocha, or Kodocha, centers around sixth grader Sana Kurata as she leads a perfect life. With a successful mother, and a young man employed to make her happy at all times, there seems to be nothing wrong with her life. Until Akito Hayama, her classmate, begins acting out as do all the other boys in her class. Sana's frustration grows as her teacher cannot teach with the rowdy boys, so she decides to delve into what makes Akito tick, but what she finds is more than meets the eye.
A unique coming of age story with a quirky cast of characters and hilarious circumstances, the anime evolves from a school comedy into a melodrama. The 102 episode anime run is far more entertaining than it's initial elementary school setting suggests, however the overall enjoyment is lessened by the amount of filler episodes.
4 Marmalade Boy
The cat's cradle of anime romances and break-ups unfolds in Marmalade Boy's story as relationships and love are interwoven through every aspect of this story. Miki Koishikawa is a high school student who enjoys the simplicity of her life until one day her parents return from holiday in Hawaii and soon announce their divorce, and even more shocking, they are swapping partners with another couple they met on their holiday. Her parents beg her to give it a chance, and she does, meeting the new family in her life and the other couples' son, Matsuura Yuu, who she starts to develop feelings for too.
This anime is quintessentially 90s, with its crazy love story, melodrama behind the thin veneer of romantic comedy and the exploration of complicated relationships. The animation of the 90s does not do the art of the series justice, so a remake is maybe what this anime needs.
3 His And Her Circumstances
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (Kare Kano) is a love story at it's core. Yukino Miyazawa represents her class and is the most popular freshmen in her school, excelling in sports and academics. She is elegant and sociable and is lauded with admiration, but she has become vain with attention and praise. This is why she hates Souichirou Arima, the only person more perfect than her who steals her spotlight when she is around. She tries and attempts to beat him in every way, finally earning top scores in the midterm exams, however Arima merely congratulates her, and she begins to question her own moral compass and actions.
Without spoiling too much, this anime is a lesson on romance, one's own actions and character growth. The anime sometimes gets overshadowed by the Gainax animation and so a remake with proper funding may give this a better shot with its perspective audience.
2 Boys Over Flowers
Commoner school girl Makino Tsukushi is pushed into attending the prestigious Eitoku Academy by her money-grubbing parents. As the pariah in their academic society, she soon comes under fire by the F4, a group of wealthy boys that see her as different. However, Makino doesn't let it get her down and her resilience overpowers their teasing, and not even their leader Domyouji Tsukasa can get to her.
One of the best shojo manga that has sadly never received the anime adaptation it needs. Hana Yori Dango has 37 volumes of source material with many live adaptions by a slew of different Asian countries. However, its original anime run in 1996 to 1997 is often considered a poor attempt at an adaptation, and it deserves another chance in the spotlight (done properly this time too).
1 Mysterious Play
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Commonly known as Fushigi Yuugi, this anime combines many genres into one: shojo, action, adventure, romance and isekai. In a visit to the National Library, Miaka Yuuki and Yui Hongo are enveloped in a red glow and sucked into another world by a mysterious book. They appear in the new world and immediately encounter slave traders, but eventually escape with the aid of Tamahome (a powerful man with a Chinese character on his forehead). Another red flash and Yui gets whisked away and Miaka is tasked with reuniting them again, but is mistakenly identified as a fated priestess who must save the ruling empire.
Fushigi Yuugi has a historied past in the west with DVD releases spaced multiple years apart. However, the animation style is dated and telling of its 90s origins, and it could do with a total remaster by Pierrot (who produced it in the first place).