Anime genres that target a specific demographic generally share specific characteristics and narrative tropes that appeal to their chosen age group or gender. In the case of josei anime and manga, the target audience is adult women, in contrast to the shojo genre aimed at a younger female audience. An older demographic allows josei to explore more mature and challenging themes, delving into the complexities of character motivations, existential issues, and general philosophical issues.
While many josei titles have similar premises to shojo anime, focusing on the themes of love, friendship, and childhood hardships, they have the opportunity to present those themes with more nuance and depth. Those shows leave a lasting impression on fans, changing their previously established attitude towards the genre. Some josei anime prefer unexpected themes, challenging their audience with unconventional themes and making viewers reconsider their preconceived perspectives.
10 Bunny Drop explored the difficulties of fatherhood
Even though the ending of the manga is quite controversial, the anime adaptation of bunny drop it ends on a wonderfully heartfelt note. This serious josei series centers on Daikichi Kawachi, a 30-year-old single man whose world is turned upside down during a visit to his hometown.
While attending his grandfather’s funeral, Daikichi learns of the existence of Rin Kaga, his grandfather’s 6-year-old illegitimate daughter. After seeing Rin bullied and abused by his extended family, Daikichi makes the difficult decision to take the girl with him, beginning a demanding but endlessly rewarding life as a single father.
9 Insufficient Direction is the story of the relationship between a famous anime director and his wife
The life and mind of an anime director is an incredibly complex and fascinating place. Many creatively gifted individuals have myriads of unorthodox personality quirks and artistic tricks that aid them in their unconventional line of work.
Insufficient address, an adaptation of a manga series created by Moyoko Anno, a talented mangaka and wife of Hideaki Anno, is a glimpse into the family life of a genius. The anime explores Moyoko’s marriage to the acclaimed director of Neon Genesis Evangelion and a self-proclaimed “founder of the otaku cult.” Their unusual union sheds light on the intricacies of a genius’s psyche.
8 Paradise Kiss studies the internal diversity of people who are passionate about their craft
At first sight, paradise kiss deals with the conventional josei tropes of drama, comedy, and romance. However, this anime is more nuanced than it initially seems. When Yukari Hayasaka, an ordinary schoolgirl, is accosted by an eccentric-looking man with piercings all over his body, her first reaction is to run away from him.
When she learns that the street creep, along with a bunch of other quirky individuals, attend a famous design school and want her to model for their next fashion show, Yukari is still hesitant. However, working among strange and passionate artists helps Yukari break out of her monotonous routine and discover new depths about herself and the people around her.
7 Otona Joshi no Anime Time highlights the personal struggles women face in modern Japanese society
Anime that goes against the conventions of narrative structure is always memorable and commendable for its courage to push the boundaries of the medium. Otona Joshi no Anime Time is a collection of short stories that explore the difficulties of mature women living in modern Japan.
The shorts vary in tone and theme, from a story about a woman returning to her provincial hometown after five years abroad to a young wife leaving her family to live with a much younger man. However, all the tales in the anthology share an understanding and sympathy for their heroines and their complex and devastating life circumstances.
6 The Gokusen inspects what makes a good teacher, even for difficult students.
A teacher is one of the most important yet difficult professions dealing with shaping the minds and behaviors of the younger generation. For Kumiko Yamaguchi, intelligent and jealous protagonist of the gokusenThe beginning of her career as a math teacher in an all-boys high school was not as easy as she had hoped.
Kumiko’s class at Shirokin Academy greets her with a group of rowdy delinquents. However, none of them know Kumiko’s secret identity as the leader of a powerful yakuza clan. Using her criminal record, the young teacher must navigate her way through the difficulties of teaching at Shirokin Academy.
5 Nodame Cantabile incorporates complex themes into its simple romantic premise
Love stories are a staple of the josei anime genre. However, not all romance anime manage to challenge their audience with a truly nuanced and complex narrative. Singable Nodame is the story of a chance encounter between aspiring musical perfectionist Shinichi Chiaki and free-spirited drifter Megumi “Nodame” Noda, whose incredible piano skills are hidden beneath her careless and childish façade.
The relationship that grows between the two opposites, Chiaki and Nodame, unfolds slowly and authentically, exploring complex themes of ambitions, talent, attitude towards success and, of course, love.
4 Chihayafuru is a unique sports anime, both in its theme and its execution
Japanese culture is full of unique traditional practices, arts, and sports, which often become the themes of various anime. Chihayafuru focuses on karuta, a card game dedicated to the study of the Ogura Hundred Poets anthology.
Unlike most sports anime, gameplay in this show requires less physical skill and more trained memory and agility. However, the story of Ayase Chihaya’s rise to the title of Queen of Karuta is an incredibly complex and nuanced story of self-assessment, dedication, and love for the unique sport of karuta.
3 Honey and Clover discovers how people grow and change in college
Anime rarely highlights the lives of college students, usually gravitating towards middle and high school settings. For most people, college is an exciting time of soul-searching, self-discovery, and proper integration into adulthood. Honey and Clover is a meditation on those issues associated with the later stages of adolescence.
The series follows the lives of three roommates, a second-year arts student, Yuuta Takemoto, his quirky senior, Shinobu Morita, and Takumi Mayama, the diligent and pragmatic man who studies architecture. Together with their friends, the boys experience a new stage in their lives, maturing in the process.
two Kids On The Slope is a moving study of how relationships form, grow and break.
The josei genre excels at examining the complexity of human relationships, adding authentic depth and subtlety to each character. children on the slope is a deceptively simple story about three boys who connect through their shared appreciation of jazz, a rather unusual genre for musical anime. Yet the show explores the nuances of its characters’ inner and outer development with profound brilliance.
All of the main characters in the series, the misunderstood delinquent Sentarou, the introverted pianist Kaoru, and the cheerful girl Ritsuko, grow up in their own unique way, making viewers question the linear progression of relationships and their development.
1 Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju explores relevant existential themes throughout history
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju is a story about timeless themes like finding a place in the world, seeking the joy of self-expression in art, and realizing the value of human connections. It is a realistic story that combines the present and the past, following the artistic and personal struggles of a rakugo artist, Yakumo Yuurakutei, his relationship with his old friends from his youth, and the connection he strives to preserve as a old man.
Rakugo is a unique Japanese narrative art in which a single artist performs a narrative with only their voice. And its unorthodox appeal makes the series even more engaging, adding a surreal charm to a harrowing, grounded story of life and death.
About the Author
