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Old 2014-01-27, 23:08   Link #1
Alawa
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Looking for an action anime with a female lead.

I actually just recently started watching Anime three or four days ago, and I'm enjoying it a lot.

I'm looking for a show that has: a strong female lead (Badass?), which is my No. 1 priority; set in a world/era where there aren't guns, or other futuristic items; a power/magic system (Something like the servants' abilities in Fate/Zero; namely, Saber's, or the abilities in Claymore); resolves around fighting, and has a strong plot.


Good examples -
Claymore as a perfect example (Or nearly perfect: I didn't care for Raki, and it felt like the writers were treating the viewers like they're slightly incompetent)
Attack on Titan, If it had a female lead, otherwise it was amazing.
Fate/Zero; namely, Saber (If there was a show revolving around Saber, it would be my 100% ideal show).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Obviously not Anime; however, it is basically everything I want in a show)

Example of what I don't care for -
Elfen Lied: It felt weak in comparison to the others listed, too many guns, and the writers/creators had some weirder fantasies that took away from quality of the show (Mind you, I wouldn't mind nudity at all.. if it wasn't so.. fetishy)


Sorry for the lack of a list, those are the only four anime shows that I have watched so far (And yes, I have watched around 80 episodes in three or four days ).


Thank you,
Alawa
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Old 2014-01-27, 23:51   Link #2
Sackett
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Female lead in an action anime, hmmm, there are quite a few:

Since you like Saber, obviously you ought to check out Fate/Stay Night.

Shana from Shakugan no Shana, the blazing eyed, flaming haired hunter.

Soul Eater has a couple strong female leads. including Maka the main lead.

And how can I forget Rosette from Chrono Crusade. The "Nun with a gun" who hunts demons. Set in the 1920s. She was a fun character. Dub is decent, uses actual authentic 1920's American slang (since that is the setting).

Madoka Magica certainly fits. Fantasy and strong female characters. Decent Dub too.

Yomiko Readman from Read or Die (OVA) is a strong character. Think mousy librarian crossed with James Bond, set in a world full of X-Men.

Mikoto from A Certain Scientific Railgun (the female lead) and A Certain Magical Index (supporting character with some major arcs).

Yuno from Mirai Nikki is an interesting female lead. She's the main reason to watch the show. Supernatural Horror.

Inuyasha is a classic action anime with a female lead.

Sailor Moon of course.

More Sci-Fi then fantasy:

Lafiel from Crest of the Stars is the first strong female lead that leaps to mind. Here is her introduction scene in the first episode. It's a sci-fi space opera (but not mecha). Very high quality story I think.

Another that comes to mind would be Marika from Bodacious Space Pirates.

Neon Genesis Evangelion does have Shinji as the main lead, but I always felt that once Asuka showed up she became almost a co-lead with Shinji.
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Last edited by Sackett; 2014-01-28 at 00:04.
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Old 2014-01-28, 00:03   Link #3
jedinat
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Juuni Kokuki - more about characters than combat (though still plenty of action), follows the female lead from wimpy/weak schoolgirl to strong and capable leader. One of the best anime to ever air.

Last edited by jedinat; 2014-01-28 at 16:50.
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Old 2014-01-28, 08:19   Link #4
SeijiSensei
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My first suggestion would be the excellent Seirei no Moribito. The protagonist is a 30-year-old female bodyguard who is tasked with protecting a young prince from assassination.

In Kemono no Sou-ja Erin, another adaptation of a novel by the author of Moribito, a young girl wants to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a veterinarian to sacred mystical beasts. When it is learned she has an unusual power, she becomes the object of a political conflict.

Nijuu Mensou no Musume, or "Daughter of Twenty Faces," tells the story of an orphaned heiress who is kidnapped from her aunt and uncle's home by a master thief known as "Twenty Faces." She later joins his gang and discovers he has a much more complex agenda than simple thievery. The story is based on characters appearing in a well-known mystery series by Edogawa Rampo, the Arthur Conan Doyle of Japan.

Noein is a science-fiction story based loosely on the "many-worlds" branch of theorizing in quantum mechanics. Warring parallel universes threaten our own. In true anime fashion, the nexus of the conflict is a nice young middle-school girl who possesses a unique power.

Last year saw a remake of the classic Lupin III series with a focus on the female side-character of those stories, Mine Fujiko. This is a dark, mature series.

The scriptwriter for that show, Okada Mari, also penned a much more upbeat show about idol singers facing off against a repressive galactic force. Conceived in part as an advertisement for the popular real-life singing group AKB48, the show AKB0048 is a lot more entertaining than it has any right to be. I found the first season better than the second.

"Two-hands" Revy packs some heavy armament in Black Lagoon, an anthology of stories about a pirate crew operating in contemporary Southeast Asia. They inhabit a shady, dangerous world of low-lifes and various criminal gangs. I thought the second season was superior to the first.

Seconds for Junni Kokki. As jedinat observes, Youko's growth as a character is perhaps unrivaled in all of anime.

I just noticed the "no guns" constraint. That takes Black Lagoon and Mine Fujiko off the table. In most the other series, the characters wield weapons like spears and swords. In Noein they use energy weapons, and in AKB0048, a variety of somewhat comedic weapons like hair ornaments and wands.

For a show set in contemporary times where the protagonists wield swords or similar weapons, I recommend the currently-airing Kill la Kill. I'll warn you that it's very "over-the-top" though, with absurdly destructive battles. It's also a whole lot of fun while telling a dark story about the nature of fascism.

I'll also suggest you take a look at Log Horizon where players in a worldwide online role-playing game find themselves trapped in the game itself. This show has a number of strong characters of both genders. The main protagonist is male, but he is joined by a female ninja and assisted by some other powerful women. If you like stories about swords-and-sorcery, you should give this a try.

Last edited by SeijiSensei; 2014-01-28 at 08:40.
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Old 2014-01-28, 10:06   Link #5
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I highly second Seirei no Moribito and Juuni Kokuki both were what I thought of 1st for this.
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Old 2014-01-28, 11:03   Link #6
Alawa
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Thank you for everyone's suggestions. I really do appreciate it.

I'll check out Seirei no Moribito right now.
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Old 2014-01-28, 16:25   Link #7
kitten320
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So no guns you say... that does limit a bit but let's see:

Ga-Rei Zero - set in modern world but main heroines use swords and magical beasts to fight. Yomi is one of my all time fave characters. 1st episode might be a bit deceiving.

Kyoukai no Kanata - two leads, male and female who fight demons. Heroine uses her own blood as weapon.

Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica - a unique magical girl show with female leads. Weapons differ from guns to swords.

Mai HiME - Kinda similar thing where main heroines have different type of weapons like fire attacks, guns, spears and etc.

100% Seirei no Moribito.

Shinsekai Yori - set in far future where people use psychokinesis.

Soul Eater - fantasy/action with female lead.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun - ideally you should start with Index where there is male main lead since Railgun goes parallel with it and focuses more on Misaka Mikoto and doesn't go too much in depth with some of the things. But can be watched on its own too.
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Old 2014-01-29, 08:32   Link #8
SeijiSensei
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kitten320 View Post
Kyoukai no Kanata - two leads, male and female who fight demons. Heroine uses her own blood as weapon.
That reminds me that Blood+ probably fits the OP's request as well. I have issues with that show, but it's still worth watching. The main character, Saya, fights demonic beasts with a sword that must be stained with her blood to work effectively. The story takes place during the 2000s; stand-ins for G.W. Bush and Condolezza Rice appear in a couple of episodes.

Blood+ is streamed by Crackle though only with English dubs.
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Old 2014-01-30, 20:38   Link #9
Alawa
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Just a quick update: I'm on episode 21 of Seirei no Moribito, and I have absolutely fallen in love with the series.

Edit -
I just finished it. I loved it, it's towards the front of my top 5 shows ever watched.

Last edited by Alawa; 2014-01-31 at 00:16.
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Old 2014-01-31, 08:00   Link #10
Sackett
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We love hearing about how our suggestions went over. Please continue to come back and tell us about the shows you are watching.
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Old 2014-02-03, 20:51   Link #11
Alawa
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The first couple episodes of Juuni Kokuki were a little painful to watch due to the heroine's insecurities.

Eight episodes in and I'm really starting to enjoy the show a lot. It looks like this is going to be an amazing show.
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Old 2014-02-04, 00:22   Link #12
SeijiSensei
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It only gets better from here. I always tell people that they have to commit to watching at least half-a-dozen episodes of Junni Kokki before deciding whether to continue.
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Old 2014-02-06, 08:10   Link #13
Guardian Enzo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alawa View Post
Just a quick update: I'm on episode 21 of Seirei no Moribito, and I have absolutely fallen in love with the series.

Edit -
I just finished it. I loved it, it's towards the front of my top 5 shows ever watched.
Nice to hear. It's in my top 1 shows ever watched.

I always get nervous when I see Seirei suggested in an "action" thread because it's not an action show. The action sequences are, IMHO, the finest ever created for a TV anime - but there aren't all that many of them. And I've seen many a viewer feel as if they weren't getting the show they were expecting as a result. Glad you saw through that and came to love the show as the masterpiece it is.
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Old 2014-02-06, 08:34   Link #14
SeijiSensei
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo View Post
I always get nervous when I see Seirei suggested in an "action" thread because it's not an action show.
I intuited that the show would appeal to Alawa's tastes. I agree it's a stretch to call Moribito an "action" show rather than simply a "drama." Sure it's a long way from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, but I keyed on the "badass" female lead and the strong plot. Balsa is much more complex than traditional "badass" characters, but you don't get to be a 30-yo bodyguard without that streak in your personality.
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Old 2014-02-07, 03:51   Link #15
Guardian Enzo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeijiSensei View Post
I intuited that the show would appeal to Alawa's tastes. I agree it's a stretch to call Moribito an "action" show rather than simply a "drama." Sure it's a long way from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, but I keyed on the "badass" female lead and the strong plot. Balsa is much more complex than traditional "badass" characters, but you don't get to be a 30-yo bodyguard without that streak in your personality.
I don't think anyone could ever deny she's a badass. She just happens to be a whole lot more, besides...
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Old 2014-02-07, 15:14   Link #16
Reckoner
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I highly recommend Kara no Kyoukai. Same makers of Fate/Zero. And the action scenes are amazing, some of the best out there period.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo View Post
Nice to hear. It's in my top 1 shows ever watched.

I always get nervous when I see Seirei suggested in an "action" thread because it's not an action show. The action sequences are, IMHO, the finest ever created for a TV anime - but there aren't all that many of them. And I've seen many a viewer feel as if they weren't getting the show they were expecting as a result. Glad you saw through that and came to love the show as the masterpiece it is.
I would greatly dispute this, but it is indeed an extremely great show and it cannot be recommended enough.
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Old 2014-02-07, 23:10   Link #17
Dark Faith
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I've nothing major to add, I've already watched most of these shows and the ones I wanted to recommend have already been listed. However, all this positive feedback on Seirei no Moribito has piqued my interest so I'm going to give it a go!

As far as suggestions go... perhaps Utawarerumono ? Main character is male, but he's surrounded by plenty of strong female characters. It's also a fantasy setting.
Also if you're into Magical Girls.. why not give Nanoha series a try? Plenty of magic and action, and you'd be introduced to a very peculiar style of making friends.
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Old 2014-02-07, 23:56   Link #18
monir
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I know you mention "no guns" as one of your criteria, but I would still like to recommend Ghost in the Shell. That show, for me, defines a female action hero like none other. Some of the best hand to hand combat is featured in that series along with one of the best sci-fi/detective story out there. The same seiyuu voices both female MC in Seirei no Moribito and Ghost in the Shell.
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Old 2014-02-08, 08:28   Link #19
SeijiSensei
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Quote:
Originally Posted by monir View Post
The same seiyuu voices both female MC in Seirei no Moribito and Ghost in the Shell.
I hate to nitpick, but that's incorrect. Balsa is voiced by Mabuki Andou whose list of anime credits is slim. My recollection is that she mostly works on the stage. Tanaka Atsuko voices the Major in the various GitS movies and series.

Mabuki is also the Japanese voice for Fang in Final Fantasy XIII. Now there's a badass female as is Lightning. Too bad the rest of the game is such a bore.

Last edited by SeijiSensei; 2014-02-08 at 09:07.
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Old 2014-02-09, 01:41   Link #20
Alawa
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On episode 37 of Juuni Kokuki. I was initially a little worried with all of the characters they were introducing and how the characters were going to intertwine; however, I'm quite pleased with how it's being played out.

I'm loving it and don't want it to end, but I'm looking forward to watching the other shows that have been recommended.

Last edited by Alawa; 2014-02-09 at 13:50. Reason: Typo.
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