Shoujo anime, orshojo, are not quite as inescapable as shonen shows. For example, when it comes to the latter, the Winter 2022 season hasAttack on Titan,The Case Study of Vanitas,Orient,Demon Slayer,Doraemon, andTeasing Master Takagi-san. Conversely, the only shojo series set to air during January 2022 isRequiem of the Rose King, although a newPretty Cureis also expected to drop in February.
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Unsurprisingly 2021 was not overly packed with shojo anime, with less than a dozen shows or movies coming out that target the demographic. However, while quantity might have been lacking, the anime industry didn’t hold back on quality. Let’s take a look at thebest shojo anime of 2021.
7Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure
Something would feel wrong in the cosmos if a newPretty Cureanime fails to come out in any given year.Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cureis unlikely to convince non-believers of themagical girl animefranchise, however, for those who are already along for the ride, this season is a respectable, if not forgettable entry.
Natsuumi Manatsu moves to a city deeply lacking in motivation, leading to the girl (and a whole host of others) to set things straight. Largely consisting of standalone episodes,Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cureis a colorful children’s show and an easy sit for shoujo fans looking to add a touch of magic to their lives.
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!offers a nice twist on theisekai anime formula; a female otaku is reincarnated into a game world as its main villain, Catarina Claes, who is destined to meet a bad end. Naturally, the protagonist spends all of the first season trying to divert fate. Catarina is successful and ends the season with more suitors than she could ever need, although her oblivious nature means their affection goes largely unnoticed.
Season 2 lacks drive compared to its predecessor, feeling more like a slice of life since there isn’t much in the way of stakes for Catarina to overcome. Thankfully, the characters are still charming and funny.
5Pretty Boy Detective Club
Developed by Shaft,Pretty Boy Detective Clubdidn’t get too much attention when it aired during the Spring 2021 season, which is a shame as it is one of the bettermystery animeof the year. Looking to answer a question that has been plaguing her for the best part of a decade, Mayumi Doujima turns to Yubiwa Academy’s Pretty Boy Detective Club, a group of students who will take on any case.
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Split into short arcs revolving around different mysteries,Pretty Boy Detective Clubis fun, gorgeous, and willing to ask its share of thought-provoking questions. Mayumi is a fantastic lead who complements the more eccentric characters who make up the detective club, all of which are likable in their own right.
4Natsume’s Book Of Friends: The Waking Rock And The Strange Visitor
Natsume’s Book of Friendshas more than cemented itself as one of thebest slice of life animeever. The series follows Natsume, a boy who can see yokai and inherits a book from his grandmother containing the names of many spirits, giving its owner control over them. Natsume sets out to return these names to the yokai, freeing them in the process.
The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitoris a compilation movie consisting of two OVAs, both of which present Natsume as a supporting character rather than the main focus. Although neither story ranks among the franchise’s best, they both showcase the qualities that have madeNatsume’s Book of Friendssuch a beloved anime.
3Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movies
A sequel toSailor Moon Crystal’s season 3, Netflix’sPretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternalmovies cover the Dream arc that was originally adapted into anime form by 1995’sSailor Moon SuperS. Like the manga andclassic anime versions, the movies find the legendary heroes going up against the Dead Moon Circus, a villainous group that targets the girls through their nightmares. This story is one of the franchise’s best, and these films offer a wonderful, albeit streamlined take.
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Sailor Moonneeds no introduction to shoujo or magical girl fans, and the franchise’s appeal has not lessened since its heyday roughly three decades ago.
2Opera Girl!
Set in the world of Kouka theatre, Ai Narata and Sarasa Watanabe attend a school designed to prepare its female students to take the stage as both men and women characters.Opera Girl!is predominantly about the friendship between the reserved Ai and the ambitious Sarasa, two widely different girls who come together through their love of acting and their drive to achieve their dreams.
Thisshoujo animedoes not underestimate the challenges faced by girls seeking to succeed in this area, highlighting both the physical and mental strain they take upon themselves. Grounded, gripping, and well written,Opera Girl!was one of2021’s most underrated anime.
1Fruits Basket: The Final
Outside ofSailor Moon,Fruits Basketis arguably the definitive shoujo anime, and the modern incarnation went out with a masterclass. The show’s final season was not only thebest shoujo anime of 2021but also one of the year’s greatest shows regardless of genre, demographic, or type. Bringing to a satisfying close thecharacter journeysof Tooru, Kyou, Yuki, and a myriad of supporting personalities,Fruits Basket: The Finalaccomplishes a lot in its short 13 episodes.
Outside of 2022’sFruits Basket: Prelude, which primarily summarizes the series, this anime is now complete. Therefore, anyone craving a touching, complex, and rich story should look no further thanFruits Basket.
