The typical formula that makes up a shoujo is this: A heroine, a love interest, a love rival, and hurdles to overcome in a relationship. It’s usually a story about a young girl and love, and when we talk about memorable shoujo, the most stunning, heartwarming and beautifully written stories comes to mind. We have older, ‘classic’ series like Fruits Basket and Sailor Moon, and more recent works that show as much heart and thought like Strobe Edge, Ao Haru Ride, Kimi ni Todoke. What do all of these popular series have in common that have allowed them rise to the pinnacle of this genre? Character might be the answer. Instead of merely presenting the conflict and the love interest, I feel that a lot of the more successful shoujos focus immensely on character development and realism, comedy and well-timed drama.
That being said, I feel like some other shoujos also deserve to get honorable mentions in this list of wonderful heroines and their love. So I’m getting to the crux of this post – underappreciated shoujos that you have to read at least once!
Kagayaki Koteri 