Any shoujo romance show(s) with decent female lead

[Oppius]

I just to know is there any shoujo show(s) that aren't mahou shoujo which had decent female lead, I mean as good as the male lead or even better. I came to this question when I saw too many 'overly cool' male lead which obviously to please the target audiences, teenage girls. However I do believe not all girls just want to see the hero, they also want a good heroine too.

Please do not recommend me Maria-sama ga Miteru because I already see it. Don't recommend me any shoujo-ai/yuri either. Just straight shoujo-style romance.

[james0246]

Some titles that immediately spring to mind:

The Rose of Versailles - still one of the greatest shoujo anime/manga, entirely female driven. Despire initial appearnaces, this is not a yuri. Lady Oscar is the epitome of a cool heroic heroine.

Maison Ikkoku - one of the great, maybe even the greatest, of the classic 80s shoujo romance stories.

Kodomo no Omocha - funny "younger" story of a celebrity girl who finds her match in a local school bully.

[jedinat]

Perhaps you'd find something to like in these:
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou
Aishiteru ze Baby
Saiunkoku Monogatari

[Marina]

In order of preference~

Straight shoujo style romance:
-Hana Yori Dango Still one of my favorite romances ever, also live action
-Lovely Complex Silly, whimsical, worth it
-Bokura ga Ita Well this one just made me cry in quite a few episodes
-Peach Girl Nice main girl, evil "friend" ~ interesting watch
-Kare Kano Comical pair to watch, doesn't really have an ending though
-Marmalade Boy Haven't finished this yet, but it reminds me of itazura na kiss

Some of my favorite heroines are from:
-Nodame Cantabile Nodame!!! She's awesome, musical, and ridiculous
-Stellvia of the Universe Shipon is a genius, but a bit of a klutz and still an unsure teenage girl.
-Shion no Ou Shion = mute, but her eyes really show her emotions
-Kamichu! Teenage goddess anyone? Yurie is an adorable and sweet girl, just the type you'd want to be friends with
-Victorian Romance Emma Historical fiction, great romance
-Nadia, the Secret of the Blue Water Adventure!
-The Gokusen The great teacher reins in her students, similar to GTO

[miaka]

second Saiunkoku Monogatari
shoujo anime
itazara na kiss - currently ongoing
la corda d'oro - shoujo romance/reverse harem
Mimi wo Sumaseba - movie

[psgels]

I don't really think that Itazura na Kiss qualifies. It's indeed hilarious, but Irie remains the top-student of the school.

I personally second Saiunkoku Monogatari and Shion no Ou, both have some of the strongest female leads I've seen in anime. I'm also surprised that nobody mentioned Revolutionary Girl Utena yet.

[james0246]

Originally Posted by psgels

I personally second Saiunkoku Monogatari and Shion no Ou, both have some of the strongest female leads I've seen in anime. I'm also surprised that nobody mentioned Revolutionary Girl Utena yet.

No one mentioned Utena yet because Amex_Yohko asked for no yuri, and while Utena is not official a yuri anime, it toes the line so closely, most have aired on the side of caution and left it alone.

[The Chaos]

I Second Both jedinat And Marina-Chan Posts ...Both List Look Awesome
I Think You Must See Them All

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Amex_Yohko

However I do believe not all girls just want to see the hero, they also want a good heroine too.

That's what made Saiunkoku Monogatari such a hit in the josei (older women) audience, I think. Along with a profusion of bishie males you have a contingent of powerful (and beautiful) women. The heroine, Shurrei, is not the only strong female character; every woman in the show is portrayed as intelligent, caring and courageous. And, as others have said, Shurrei is one of the most impressive female leads in any anime I've seen.

The other two contenders for me are the already-mentioned Shion and Balsa, the spear wielder from Seirei no Moribito. Both of these shows have hints of romance, but it's not the main thrust of either story. Romance plays a larger role in SaiMono, but

Spoiler for Shurrei's goals:

Shurrei's commitment to a life of public service as an Imperial official poses a serious obstacle to any simple pairing.

[andromeda0201]

I second Saiunkoku Monogatari and Nodame Cantabile, both have great female leads.

Ouran High School Host Club - not exactly romance but Fujioka Haruhi is one of the most down-to-earth level headed female lead I've seen, shes the only one that can remain sensible among all the host club members.

Special A may come close, though the guy is still better than her, even then Hikari is strong as well and almost as good as him

Nana - Nana osaki is a very independant and determined female lead...this doesn't apply to the other nana though

There are actually some in manga as well if you don't mind checking them out, like HanaKimi, Tokyo Crazy Paradise and Power feature strong and likable female leads who are either in par or better than the male leads

[The Chaos]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

That's what made Saiunkoku Monogatari such a hit in the josei (older women) audience, I think.

I'm Not Old...And I Love it

[oompa loompa]

Originally Posted by Inujun

I second Saiunkoku Monogatari and Nodame Cantabile, both have great female leads.

Ouran High School Host Club - not exactly romance but Fujioka Haruhi is one of the most down-to-earth level headed female lead I've seen, shes the only one that can remain sensible among all the host club members.

i second ouran.. in a show where all they guys are players, haruhi pwns them. nuff said

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by The Chaos

I'm Not Old...And I Love it

And you're certainly not alone, Chaos, but this series did have more appeal to women over 20 than most anime. (In the world of anime demographics, that's "older;" I'm "ancient" in anime terms). Even you might be heading toward josei-hood soon, if you're not there already.

One example comes from the live interview show NHK did with Kuwashima and Tomokazu to promote SaiMono. Here's a picture of the audience at that show. Most of these ladies look to be in their twenties and in a few other shots we can see some women who are probably in their thirties. (There might be a man hidden somewhere in that ocean of femininity, but I haven't found him yet.)

The array of characters in SaiMono enhances its appeal across generations, I think. Shurrei's actually somewhat implausibly mature for a 17-year-old, but she's a wonderful role model for young women, and for the rest of us, too.

[james0246]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

(There might be a man hidden somewhere in that ocean of femininity, but I haven't found him yet.)

Strongly second SaiMono, great series.

Sorry, for this, I was bored:

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by james3wk

Maison Ikkoku - one of the great, maybe even the greatest, of the classic 80s shoujo romance stories.

Except that Maison Ikkoku is not shoujo but seinen (for young men). In fact, Rumiko Takahashi has never produced any shoujo manga; all her works are male-oriented.

On a more on-topic note... Kare Kano is the only shoujo with a great female protagonist I remember. There must be tons more but I'm not exactly a connoisseur of the genre.

[james0246]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Except that Maison Ikkoku is not shoujo but seinen (for young men). In fact, Rumiko Takahashi has never produced any shoujo manga; all her works are male-oriented.

Really? I honestly did not know that. Thank you for the update.

[deltakano]

Fushigi Yuugi

[ani_d]

Originally Posted by james3wk

Some titles that immediately spring to mind:

The Rose of Versailles - still one of the greatest shoujo anime/manga, entirely female driven. Despire initial appearnaces, this is not a yuri. Lady Oscar is the epitome of a cool heroic heroine.

Isn't that shoujo-ai? :| It sucks how there's not much shoujo around compared to...ahem...harems, but if you like shoujo this season is for you lol

Right now, I'm watching Toshokan Sensou (Library Wars). 22 yr old female lead has action, has comedy, has romance, yeah lol

*edits
I can't believe I didn't say this, check out Ghost Hunt too if you haven't.

[james0246]

Originally Posted by ani_d

Isn't [The Rose of Versailles] shoujo-ai? :|

Actually no.

Spoiler for Significant Relationship Spoilers - read at your own risk :):

There is a distinct friendship between Lady Oscar and Queen Marie Antoinette, and between Lady Oscar and Rosalie Lamorlière (with Rosalie actually expressing a love for Lady Oscar). But the only two people that Lady Oscar actualls expresses love for, are Hans Axel von Fersen (the Queen's lover) and André Grandier (her childhood friend).

[Oppius]

Okay, I check them one by one:

1. Saiunkoku Monogatari
2. la corda d'oro
3. Ouran High School Host Club

I hate to say this but reverse harem failed with me. In fact I dropped Ouran after its fourth episode. Maybe I forgot to add "no reverse harem" up there. Result: Fail.

4. Victorian Romance Emma
5. Gokusen

These shows have great female protagonists, I agree. However these shows are josei, not shoujo. Result: Fail but worth to check them out.

6. Fushigi Yuugi

Are you kidding? Miaka is the worst female protagonist I ever seen in shoujo anime(worse only in mangas). In fact she is the real reason why I made this thread at first place. Result: EPIC FAIL!

7. Special A

My current watch. I found Hikari was better than Haruhi(Ouran). I hate to say this but for me Haruhi is much like a living zombie. For Hikari, se is best to describe as "clumsy bitch" but at least she seems more lively than Haruhi. Result: I will stay faithful to the last episode.

8. Nana

I have problem with this one because Nana sits between seinen and josei, not shoujo. It safe to forget this one for a while. Result: reserved.

9. Toshokan Sensou

As far as I know, this one is seinen, not shoujo. It feels more like You're Under Arrest, another similar seinen show.

Rest which I don't mentioned:

Maybe I should check their manga first. I always heard comment that most shoujo mangas are better than its anime, much like its shounen counterparts. However thanks for your suggestions even I don't agree with some of them.