Strong bonds and even stronger personalities. Shoujo series feature stories that center on human connections and complex relationships.
From romances set in a fantasy world like Snow White with the Red Hair to dramatized representations of average school life like Blue Spring Ride, this decade saw the release of a solid shoujo series for just about any taste.
Presenting the fan-voted shoujo series of the decade:
Fruits Basket (2019)
The animated revival of Tohru Honda and the Somas was one of the biggest announcements of the decade. A nostalgic series for many long-time anime fans, Fruits Basket returning with an all-new anime that promised to faithfully adapt the manga was a dream come true.
When Tohru first meets Yuki, Shigure and Kyo, she thinks they’re just a normal family. However, she then discovers that members of the Soma family can turn into the Zodiac animals. At its core, Fruits Basket is a story about pain, love and healing wounds that many people can’t see.
Watch Fruits Basket on Funimation!
Runners-up
Banana Fish (2018)
It’s no wonder this anime based on a critically-acclaimed manga made the list. Banana Fish‘s modernized adaptation was so beloved by fans that the New York Public Library’s flagship branch, an important location in the series, saw a noticeable increase in tourist visits after the show’s finale.
Caught up in a dangerous game with the Corsican mob, Eiji and Ash must fight for their lives all while learning about the mob’s latest experimental drug, Banana Fish. It’s a story of complex relationships that leaves viewers laughing, crying and begging for more until the very end.
Orange (2016)
What would you do if you received a letter from your future self? Orange tells the story of Naho Takamiya, who finds herself in that exact situation when the arrival of Kakeru proves the letter’s legitimacy.
Naho and her friends work through a fight with fate and an urge to change the future in this 13-episode anime that teaches its characters to live a life without regret.W
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011)
If you think you know everything you could about magical girls, think again. Puella Magi Madoka Magica follows Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki who go from typical middle school students to Magical Girls when they come across the adorably deceptive Kyubey.
But don’t be fooled! In exchange for becoming a Magical Girl and being granted one wish, there’s a catch. We’ll leave that to the series to reveal, but it’s clear why this is one of the shoujo series favorites of the decade.
Watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica on Funimation!
Yona of the Dawn (2014)
The perfect mixture of fantasy and harem romance, Yona of the Dawn is a shoujo classic. Yona’s mystical and empowering voyage across the kingdom she was raised to lead is an epic adventure.
After the man she loves kills her father and tries to kill her in a coup d’état, Yona and her bodyguard Hak must find the descendants of the legendary Four Dragon Warriors. Along the way, Yona learns more about the people she’s been raised to lead than she ever had growing up in the castle.
Watch Yona of the Dawn on Funimation!
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