Shoujo manga, as often defined, is a type of Japanese comics primarily aiming young women. It covers a wide range of genres but more often than not, majority of the titles we see in the market focuses on romance.
Another common recurrence in this type of manga is the portrayal of its heroines as helpless damsels-in-distress waiting to be rescued. For long time readers and fans, this case might be infuriating—especially for those who wanted to see a refreshing heroine who can fend for herself.
Titles that feature empowered women as its main lead is like finding a needle in a haystack, so here is a comprehensive list for shoujo lovers out there.
Shinobi Shijuusou
The manga follows the story of Manaka Chouko, an heiress who wants to experience a normal life. But since her social standing won’t allow her to do that, the closest thing to ‘normal’ that her father can give was to enroll her in a school where ninjas train. However there is an agreement between her and her father that if she could find a suitable ninja aide for her, then she’d be granted the independence that she desperately seeks.
Chouko is a smart girl who’d stop at nothing to get what she wants, but even so—she remains to be kind and caring. She wants to be independent, but it doesn’t mean that she can’t recognize a situation wherein she needed other people’s help. She knows that she can’t be perfect but still works hard to fill in her shortcomings, making her an even more appealing main lead.
Geten no Hana
Introducing Hotaru, a kunoichi from Iga, sent to serve at the Azuchi castle—Geten no Hana follows her story as she fulfills the task of protecting Oda Nobunaga and unveiling the plan for wide-scale coup d’état, while disguised as Kikyou, Akechi Mitshuhide’s younger sister.
As one of the finest ninjas of Iga, Hotaru has several set of skills that she can use at her disposal, in case she needed to protect herself. She’s a warrior who puts her talent to work without fail, and her dedication to accomplish her missions were top-notch.
(This manga was an adaptation of the PSP game of the same name.)
Okobore Hime to Entaku no Kishi
Leticia became the crowned Queen of her kingdom to avoid a civil war, but since it was an unexpected decision from the King—she has no strong political allies to support her reign. So in order to keep her position, Leticia sets out on a quest to gather her own loyal knights and fulfill her destiny of becoming one of the most powerful rulers of her Kingdom whose name will leave its mark in history.
For a princess who unexpectedly became the ruler of a kingdom, one would have thought that she’d be the kind of character who needs to learn from scratch. Well, that isn’t the case for Leticia—as she’s already well-versed in military tactics and diplomatic relations better than her brothers, since she was a child. She’s smart and has the guts to rule, and not once has she relied on anyone to call the shots for her.
Joou no Hana
After the death of her mother, the empress, Aki was banished from her country together with her loyal servant, Hakusei. However, before leaving the palace—Aki vowed to return and exact revenge on her mother’s murderer and take over the throne, which rightfully belongs to her.
With no one else to seek help from, Aki polishes her skills and talents and uses them to rise at the top of her new country’s military ranking. She knows what she wants and is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish this goal, even if it meant sullying her hands with the blood of her enemies.
All of the titles mentioned above are available online but of course, it’s always better to purchase your own copy as a show of support to your favorite mangaka.
Login with Google