As with most other anime categories, (Shonen, Seinen) they don't really refer to genres so much as they do a target demographic. Shojo anime are specifically marketed towards young girls, although this particular niche of anime and manga have drawn a much larger audience of every gender, from young to old. Some of the most popular series are Ouran High School Host Club, Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama, My Little Monster, and Vampire Knight. There are also a lot of visual novels out for gaming fans that want a little more Shojo in their lives.
As with many types of anime, most of these series follow certain tropes, which essentially just means they have specific characteristics. Some of these tropes are great and people agree that they're necessary in a great Shojo, but other times they can be tiresome and annoying. Let's look at some of the best (and the worst) the distinction has to offer.
10 One We Love: High School Romance
While a lot of people aren't fans of Shojo set in high school, how else do you plan on appealing to younger teenage girls? High school is one of the most relatable settings not just for 15-year-old girls, but pretty much everyone can relate to a good high school romance. It's where almost everyone has their first romantic encounters (although this doesn't ring true for all and that's fine) but some of the best Shojo anime feature a high school, and even the ones that aren't exclusively set there are probably bound to end up in a history class at some point.
Some anime set in high schools even do the best they can to subvert the norms of the genre, like My Little Monster which features a bad boy male and a cynical, pessimistic love interest.
9 One We Hate: The Arrogant Crush
There are tons of Shojo that feature a dorky, shy female protagonist who has a crush on someone who's probably the cutest guy at the school, only to realize that he's also a rude, arrogant, brutish jerk. A lot of the time these guys are shown harassing other girls, getting into fights with whoever they can get their hands on, and showing up late to class.
Don't worry though, say the authors of the series, eventually, you'll find out that this absolute monster has a heart of gold! He's secretly just working on some trauma at home, or the girl fixes him, or hey! Maybe he writes poetry? Sure, everyone has their flaws, but please for the love of all that's good, cut this stuff out.
8 One We Love: Cheery Atmosphere
While there are dark points in Shojo stories occasionally, the genre is typified by its almost constantly sugary-sweet and cheery atmosphere. Even when the going gets rough, there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
This isn't to say that every single Shojo absolutely needs to be sunshine and rainbows for its entire duration, but there's something nice about leaving the truly depressing stuff to Seinen, Slice Of Life, and Drama series. Shojo should usually be a place someone can come to when they just want to feel good.
7 One We Hate: Immature Girl
This one can refer to the animation of the character, or their personality. While this usually happens when there's a male protagonist, there are people raising serious issues with the infantilization of adult women in Shojo anime, and in anime as a whole.
Sorry to put your potential problematic fave on blast here, but in shows such as Chobits where the love interest is an alien who isn't familiar with the customs of Earth and their relationship is with their main caretaker, things can get really creepy really fast, and in 2019 nobody should be here for that kinda stuff.
6 One We Love: The Happy Ending
There's nothing like the almost always occurring happy ending in a Shojo, because like this article says before, Shojo should be somewhere people can look to when they just want something light and easy.
Since comedy and Shojo are frequently hand-in-hand, this makes for a perfect way to get yourself that happy ever after. Even if the rest of the series is filled with struggle, the happy ending makes it all worthwhile.
5 One We Hate: Brother/Sister
While not all of the characters in the anime/manga may be aware at the time, having lovers who are brother and sister is an issue. Whether it's implicit or not, it's really just not a good look for anime studios. A lot of the time it seems to work its way in under the radar until surprise! They had no clue they were related and they've never met before! That's still not okay.
It's pretty weird, wildly inappropriate and probably makes most people feel ridiculously uncomfortable, especially when it was such a good show until then!
4 One We Love: Highs and Lows
As this list has alluded to before, there's something really special about watching our two main characters go through their spats and come out on the other side stronger for it. Not only is it true to life, but it really helps us sympathize with the characters as real, fleshed-out ideas.
Regardless of whether it's due to external pressure or personality quirks that prevent the couple from clicking just right, watching these struggles help us feel that our own relationship issues are more natural considering everyone has them.
3 One We Hate: The Wrong Ending
Nana. All that comes to mind is Nana. Ugh. Everyone has their own special gripe about a Shojo they really really think ended the wrong way. Most of the time this happens because our favorite super-specific ships don't work out the way we wanted them to, but this can make or break a Shojo for so many people.
Obviously the writers of the anime or manga can't read their fans' minds, but sometimes it's just such egregious an error that we can't help but complain.
2 One We Love: Attractive Characters
Regardless of one's gender or orientation, most good Shojo series know how to allow the viewer/reader just the right amount of eye-candy. This doesn't necessarily mean fan service, because that can sometimes be a major issue that gets frustrating after a while.
That being said, so many crushes come from this genre, and why shouldn't they? That's what Shojo's all about.
1 One We Hate: Love Interest With No Substance
So many times in Shojo, we see characters that are there just to be cute. Regardless of if the main character falls in love with and ends up with this air-headed love interest, we really just don't need them. Why introduce a character as a potential love interest if they're just a pretty face and you don't even bother to flesh them out? We need fully developed anime crushes for chatting with friends!