Even in this day and age, girls who refuse to comply with gender stereotypes are usually ridiculed for their lack of femininity (by other women, anyways) while the guys are generally just happy to have someone fun to hang out with. Crossing the gender divide for the sake of merriment may seem rather uncomplicated during childhood; however, once puberty comes into question, getting back over that fence could prove to be quite tricky.
Despite what most people assume from first impressions of Tomo-chan Is a Girl!, the leading lady is, in fact, a girl, even if she doesn't walk, talk, or act like one. Getting accepted as "one of the boys" was beneficial in the past; however, now that Tomo Aizaw has developed feeling for her best bud, she needs to find her feminine charm somehow, to remove herself from Junichirō Kubota's friend zone. Here are some great shows that fans of Tomo-Chan Is A Girl will surely love.
7 Haruhi Fujioka: Ouran High School Host Club
Due to a lack of finances and some ill-placed bubblegum, this once-idealistic young lady made some drastic changes before starting high school, inadvertently leading everyone to believe that she is a boy. More misfortune befalls Haruhi when she accidentally smashes a precious vase and is essentially forced to work as a boy toy at the Host Club to pay off her debts.
Even though Haruhi's current image strongly contrasts her former quintessential beauty, she fits right in with the other bishōnen, even surpassing them (according to some!) It doesn't take long for the other hosts' jealousy to turn into infatuation once Haruhi's gender gets revealed; however, it must be kept secret from the highly enthusiastic clientele for the sake of business.
6 Marin Kitagawa: My Dress Up Darling
While Marin may look like any other "normal" girl at first, it becomes evident quite quickly that her taste in otaku content almost exclusively features subject matter aimed at a male audience. This excitable cosplayer doesn't partake in stereotypically "ladylike activities" like cooking or sewing, as she would rather have her nose in a raunchy manga or ecchi video game; unacceptable, by most standards!
Marin's fellow female classmates also give her a hard time about her lack of feminine charm in the romance department, as she does not share their fan-girl-level interest in the opposite sex. Well, until Gojo Wanaka turned her world upside down, that is!
5 Osana Najimi: Komi Can't Communicate
Najimi creates their own vibe in life, amassing friends by the tonne and causing confusion in the process, as everyone's favorite buddy's gender is uncertain (and they aren't about to ruin the entertainment by providing clarity!) Before attending Itan Private High, this colorful character hung out with Tadano and the gang, donning a male uniform and the "appropriate" demeanor; however, now it's all about skirts, shopping, and female camaraderie, causing a few head-scratching moments.
Even though an air of ambivalence hangs over Najimi's head, not many seem too concerned, except for the Class Goddess, Komi, whose green-eyed monster makes an appearance whenever Tadano and Najimi get too cozy for her liking. If Komi's communication skills were up to scratch, she could make a firmer claim of her paramour; nevertheless, that's a big if.
4 Mahiro Oyama: ONIMAI: I'm Now Your Sister!
Mahiro sits on the opposite spectrum of Tomo's troubles, but from no fault of his own, as Mihari decided to perform a gender-bending experiment to push her big brother out of his comfort zone and embrace the world for once. Prior to these life-changing events, Mahiro had scarcely left the house in two years after adopting the lifestyle of a "home security officer" (aka, a NEET.)
Initially terrified of his new form, this shut-in slowly starts warming up to the idea of living as a woman and subsequently starts adopting healthier habits that unbelievably involve adventuring into the great outdoors! Furthermore, boys also suddenly seem more alluring now (that BL otome game is much too difficult to put down!); who knows what's in store in Mahiro's relationship department?
3 Utena Revolutionary Dream Girl
Taking a more serious tone than Tomo's predicament, Utena adopts a masculine lifestyle in order to fulfill both the Prince Charming and Knight in Shining Armour roles, and most will agree she is highly successful! Things at Ohtori Academy run a little differently, as the boys compete for the affections of eligible bachelorettes by quite literally crossing swords (and subsequently removing the ladies' free will in the process).
Determined to rectify this broken system, Utena wins a Rose Bride of her own and swears to protect the alluring Anthy Himemiya at all costs, inadvertently gaining a great deal of attention as a result. Being a girl isn't all that it's cracked up to be, so Utena broadened her options, granting her fellow females more freedom as a result.
2 Anzu Hoshino: Romantic Killer
Anzu and Tomo have plenty in common, as neither found themselves tempted to partake in "girly" pastimes from a young age, a mentality that has followed them into puberty. Anzu may not be suddenly crushing on her male companions; however, that is precisely the problem, as plummeting the Japanese birth rate needs this rumbunctious redhead to focus on the romantic aspects of her life.
As a persuasive measure to encourage the victim's cooperation, a meddlesome Wizard has taken Anzu's vices hostage; she must now live in this "new" world without video games, chocolate, or her beloved cat, Momohiki. Forced to actually interact with others for a change, Anzu eventually realizes that this "socializing" thing isn't so bad after all, although she is still not keen on sharing any kisses just yet!
1 Sumika Fujimiya: Uncle From Another World
Back in their childhood days, Fujimiya had a rather boisterous and violent personality that simply terrified the other boys, yet Takafumi was oblivious to her bully tactics. The pair were almost inseparable until school dynamics came into play, and they had to spend several years apart but fell right back into stride after reuniting.
Fujimiya's harsh masculine attributes have since faded away to reveal the beautiful visage within; however, Takafumi is still as clueless as before and constantly friend zones his gorgeous (and clearly smitten) companion. His social pariah of an Uncle has to spell things out quite blatantly for Takafumi to take note of the potential romance in the air, and even then, the awkward youngster seems uncertain about crossing that particular boundary with his buddy.