With the passage of time, anime demographics have unquestionably evolved. The rules that once clearly defined anime as shojo, marketed toward adolescent and teen girls, have changed. Shojo, like shonen, is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, and the lines between genres have begun to blur.
Given this, it's not surprising that more and more shojo series have begun to feature male leads. A story about boys can also be for girls, and vice versa, and gender matters less than characterization when it comes to telling a heartfelt story. These shojo titles manage to incorporate shojo themes of coming-of-age, friendship, and romance while showcasing one or several male protagonists.
10 Takeo is Our Love Story's Protagonist
It's hard to think of a single protagonist in any anime as gentle and kindhearted as Takeo of My Love Story!!. Takeo is a hulking giant, intimidating to those who don't know him, but he loves nothing more than helping others and enjoying sweets. His strength and noble spirit have made him popular among his male classmates, but his stature often frightens girls off.
Until Takeo meets Rinko, most girls are more interested in his best friend, Sunakawa, who isn't interested in girls. But Rinko sees Takeo's charms, and this love story is sweet from start to finish.
9 Gakuen Babysitters Is All About Brothers
Shojo is no stranger to tackling topics like grief, and Gakuen Babysitters is one of many series about orphans trying to cope in the aftermath of loss. When brothers Ryuichi and Kotaro lose their parents in a plane crash, they're left without a home.
They're taken in by the grouchy chairwoman of an elite academy and given room and board in exchange for the elder brother, Ryuichi, working as a babysitter for the children of the school staff. Ryuichi is a friendly and caring boy, prone to overworking, and he soon wins over the little kids and their families in this heartfelt story about growing up.
8 Natsume Is One Of Anime's Kindest Shojo Leads
Few series are as widely beloved as Natsume's Book Of Friends, and yet in the West, the show's fandom is as reserved and soft-spoken as the show itself. Written by Yuki Midorikawa, the manga tells the story of a young boy who, like his grandmother, has the ability to see and communicate with yokai. The anime has built itself an impressive legacy: with six seasons and several feature films under its belt, Natsume and his adorable calico yokai sidekick have charmed countless viewers around the world.
Natsume longs to belong, even though he's caught between two worlds. Over the course of the series, he learns to balance his human and supernatural friendships, undoing some of the harm his grandmother did during her lonely upbringing in the countryside.
7 Shonen Maid Plays With Genderbending Notions
There's no denying that Shonen Maid has drawn some questioning criticism, but the shojo gender bender remains innocuous and sweethearted throughout its anime run. When Chihiro Komiya's mother dies unexpectedly, he's taken in by an uncle he barely knows, Madoka Takatori.
The moment Chihiro arrives at his uncle's mansion, he's appalled by the dust and mess and resolves to clean the place up. The show chronicles Chihiro's daily life as Madoka's maid, frills and all.
6 Nijiiro Days Follows Four High School Boys
Why have one male protagonist when you can have four? That's the case in Rainbow Days, a 2016 slice-of-life anime about high school boys. A show with this premise will inevitably draw comparison to the beloved comedy Daily Lives Of High School Boys, but Rainbow Days is less a straight-up comedy and more a coming-of-age story. Each member of the cast has his own trials to conquer and romances to pursue, helped and hampered by the close friendships they share.
5 Hakkenden Gives Historical Fantasy The Shojo Treatment
Hakkenden: Eight Dogs Of The East feels curiously relevant to current affairs. In the 2013 shojo anime, a deadly virus decimates the entire population of a village apart from three youths: Shino Inuzuka, Sosuke Inukawa, and Hamaji. Shino's body contains the power of a demonic sword sought after by the church, and to lure him out, the church captures his friend, Hamaji, so that Shino and Sosuke will rescue her.
Incorporating fantasy and mythological elements in a story of love and friendship, Hakkenden is a series that focuses more on characters than plot, to both its advantage and detriment.
4 Jyu-Oh-Sei Is One Of Studio Bones' Forgotten Shojo Gems
Jyu-Ou-Sei: Planet of the Beast King has been somewhat forgotten by modern audiences. Even so, the anime was produced by none other than Studio Bones just a few years after the success of Fullmetal Alchemist and Eureka Seven.
A space opera set primarily on a terraformed planet known as Chimera, the story focuses on twin brothers who are exiled from their home planet after the murder of their parents. If either of them hopes to leave the dangerous planet, he must conquer four tribes known as "Rings," but the task is easier said than done.
3 Kyou Kara Maou Is A Shojo Portal Fantasy
Kyou Kara Maou hasn't aged especially well thanks in part to its reliance on outdated BL tropes. Even so, it was among the first popular shojo series to boast a cast of male characters. When teenager Yuri Shibuya stands up to some bullies, he himself becomes the target of their vitriol. His head is shoved into a toilet and somehow he falls through a portal to a medieval fantasy world.
Yuri is told he is destined to become the next demon king because he has black hair and black eyes, but many of the demons do not trust him. Over time, Yuri learns to maintain peace between humans and demons in this fantasy world.
2 No.6 Balances Romance And Sci-Fi With Grace
Some shows accomplish more than others simply by way of existing. No. 6, despite its flaws, is one of these series. The sci-fi series about a dystopian society features some memorable elements, not least of which is a central romance between its two young male leads.
Shion has led a privileged life, raised in the cloistered utopian city known as No. 6. But this utopia is built on the backs of outcasts who live in squalor beyond the city. When Shion meets one such outcast in his youth, a boy named Nezumi, the two work together to overcome the injustices of the world.
1 Banana Fish Features Two Stellar Male Leads
Few manga were as groundbreaking as Banana Fish when it debuted in the 1980s. Though the cult classic ran in a shojo magazine, it was among the first series to incorporate BL elements and violence into its storyline. The series is as heartbreaking as it is genuinely action-packed and was among the first shojo manga to be widely embraced by male audiences in the 20th century. The 2018 anime adaptation confirmed that Banana Fish is as poignant as ever, breaking boundaries even today.