It's no secret that every genre of anime has its own set of occurring tropes. Shoujo is the sister series of Shonen, and both of them have some very obvious problems that include extremely overpowered characters to the same exact romantic plotline being done fifty times in a row. These problems become much more prevalent the longer you watch shoujo anime and the more titles you binge.

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The problem with Shoujo is that they have found a formula that works, especially on newer anime fans who haven't really experienced the genre. As a result, keeping older Shoujo veterans (or even those who are just tired of formulaic romances) engaged in the long term is something the genre struggles with. Here are ten ways that the Shoujo genre doesn't make much sense and can even turn off some viewers.

10 The Girls Are Almost Always Clueless

Sex education in Japan isn't bad at all, and romance is as popular there as it is in the west. Given this, it's amazing how half of the girls in various Shoujo series are completely clueless to what a first kiss is or interrupt signals completely wrong.

Just how can all of these girls be so bad at dating or flirting? They're so bad at even the basics that only an overly dramatic event such as a spontaneous confession will prove that the guy might be interested in them.

9 The Never-Ending Back & Forth

Matsumi

Teenagers and young adults don't always communicate the best since they are still learning how to deal with emotions like love. What doesn't make sense, though, is how every shoujo series feels like a never-ending tennis match of missed chances.

There is no way some of the things that happen in series like Kiss Him Not Me could be misunderstood.

8 The Men Are Just As Oblivious

kyo fruits basket

It's not just the women who seemingly lack any common sense; many of the men do as well. Men in shoujo anime often don't know what to look for in a woman, have no idea what they are attracted to, and have an insanely hard time confessing.

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Asking someone out you're interested in can be scary, but it's overblown to dramatic portions in these anime.

7 The Protagonist Always Picks The Jerk

If there is a snarky guy that seems to have ulterior motives, you can almost be sure the protagonist will choose them. This has been a problem for years, where toxic relationships will always end up winning out over the good partner option.

This is seen in Vampire Knight when Yuki constantly runs to Kaname even after learning the truth.

6 Rich Jerks Are Redeemed By Money

Boys Over Flowers

Another huge trend that likes to pop-up is a poor girl falling in love with a rich man. These Shoujo stories can be hard to read, though, as the rich guy usually treats the girl cruelly at first, and having money as a character trait is just bland. Apparently, being financially loaded is enough for the girl to forgive the guy's past transgressions and insults.

Boys Over Flowers is one of the best representations of this trope.

5 Toxic Webs & Love Triangles

Even worse than toxic boyfriends are the love triangles many of these shows love to make. Almost every Shoujo romance will have a childhood best friend or past boyfriend come in once the main couple is just about to make things official.

While this does happen in real life, most people usually just block their ex. Every romance doesn't come with its own built-in love triangle. 

4 Shoujo Stories Almost Always Star Highschool Girls

Rei glaring from Sailor Moon

While Shoujo is primarily written for the young female demographic, it doesn't mean that 90% of the action needs to happen on campus grounds. Fans want more attention to what happens after school closes instead of when the two characters are on lunch break.

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This makes for more unique situations than just being stuck in the same club or class together. This is why so many romances set in colleges or a workplace are a breath of fresh air.

3 Suitors Pester The Protagonist

Another huge trope that doesn't make sense is just how much the protagonist can be pestered by other men. It's not surprising in the genre to see a romantic rival come in, claiming they have exclusive relationships rights of the woman at the heart of the story.

Instead of fighting back or at least asserting herself, though, the woman will let this slide or even defend the harassing suitor. This would never be okay in the real world and this is a trope that many fans of the genre know but just don't understand.

2 The Perverted Best Friend

To be fair this is something prevalent in all anime, but it makes less sense in Shoujo series. Many of the male love interests will have a best friend who is a pervert and even talks about the protagonist in a sexualized and objectifying way.

In real life, most people don't keep friends that talk about their respective partners in such a way. In fact, many would find it plain creepy. Anime men need to stop making friends with so many creeps and get a more supportive friend group.

1 The Climatic First Kiss

A lot of shoujo anime like to put off a kiss until the very end of the show. While this works occasionally, it is a bit boring to see the peak of a romantic story be the couple's first kiss over and over again.

Truth be told, shows that have a kiss early on also seem to do much better with fans. No one wants to watch a show for five hours only for the final few minutes to be the only actual part of the relationship development.

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