From classics like Ghost In The Shell to more modern Fate or Violet Evergarden, these anime are all about strong women.
Anime is an incredibly diverse genre with something for everyone. Whether you're looking for a gripping, battle-oriented story with characters bigger than life with all sorts of cool abilities, or a down-to-earth, heart-breaking story of everyday life with an easily recognizable cast of characters, there is a whole list of animes to choose from.
Updated by Lianna Tedesco on November 29, 2020: It's not often that anime fans get into fights with their favorite TV series because the main character is a man and not a woman. Fortunately, video game and anime culture is seeing a resurgence of storylines in which women are seen as strong, if not stronger, than men. In fact, anime is one of the rare places where the feminist power and independence of a woman is shown in all its glory. For those looking for even more of the genre, the anime viewing options are only expanding to include some of the best and most memorable TV shows currently coming out.
15. Action: Kill La Kill
Kill la Kill, of course, will not be to everyone's taste. She's weird - even bizarre. IGN described it as "a speed magic girl anime" that perfectly captures the character of Kill la Kill. A pointless plot, overly flamboyant character designs, colorful backgrounds and explosions, and an unusual approach to exploring important topics all immediately make it clear that you are watching the Trigger anime.
The story of Kill la Kill tells the story of Ryuko Matoi, who goes in search of the culprit in the death of her father and wants to take revenge on him. She finds herself at Honnouji Academy, an elite school where clothing is an essential element of the competitive hierarchy. In fact, "Kill la Kill" relies heavily on clothing to explore topics such as fate, freedom, and sexuality. Hence the strange costumes. But it's also an extremely fun and hilarious game with tons of awesome action.
14. Mystery: From The New World
If you're into movies like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, then a 2012 anime titled From a New World might be what you're looking for. The anime "From the New World" takes place in a utopian society of the future, where people have developed psychic abilities. This is the story of growing up, told from the perspective of Saki Watanabe, who tells the story of her childhood from the future - from this new world.
Saki's world is an isolated society of psychic people, bound by complex rules and shrouded in mystery. From the very first episode, it becomes clear that there is much more to this supposed utopia than meets the eye. We follow Saki and her group of friends as they discover the dark truth about the nature of their society. And this truth is amazing, but quite plausible and will leave you a lot of reasons for thinking.
13. Supernatural: Fate / Zero
One of the protagonists of the infamous Fate franchise, a blonde knight named Saber is one of the servants the Masters can summon in the Holy Grail Wars. For the uninitiated, the Holy Grail Wars are secret, battle royale-like tournaments between seven master mages that summon seven legendary heroes to fight on their orders as their servants.
Saber is the reincarnation of King Arthur, who was a woman in this universe. In addition to Saber, there are six more classes - assassin, archer, horseman, berserker, caster and lancer. Each servant serves his master, has unique abilities and his own interesting story. The series is superbly animated, has great action scenes, and even explores great philosophies and themes.
12. Romance: Love Is Hard For Otaku
Most romantic anime - and indeed most love stories in general - tend to focus on the pursuit of a relationship, rather than giving us a chance to see how that relationship unfolds. Fortunately, this is not the case with one of the biggest surprises of 2018 - Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku.
Wotakoi tells two love stories. This is the story of two friends who have common otaku interests and decide to start dating, eventually falling in love with each other in a realistic manner. And then - the already established, sometimes dysfunctional, but nevertheless useful relationship between their two friends / colleagues. If you're tired of classic, sentimental rom-coms, Wotakoi is like a breath of fresh air.
11. Thriller: Puella Magi Madoka Magica
It is impossible to explain what Madoka Magika is without spoiling it. However, it was released almost ten years ago, and if you are even a little interested in anime, then you have probably heard of its denouement. In short, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is not at all what it seems at first glance. Disguised as a typical cute magical girl anime, Madoka Magica is very dark and mature.
The story begins with two ordinary high school girls meeting a feline spawn of Satan, who promises them great power in exchange for becoming magical girls. Soon after accepting the offer, they learn that the life of a magical girl is not all that she seems. Madoka Magika "has received widespread critical acclaim for its writing and is the quintessential anime.
10. Drama: Nana
The book "Nana" tells the story of two girls in their early twenties named Nana. But although they have the same names, they cannot be more different. If one of them is helpless and naive, then the other is proud and brave. One takes a train to Tokyo to chase her boyfriend, and the other takes the same train in pursuit of her lifelong dream of becoming a professional singer.
As a result, they live in the same apartment, become close friends and support each other throughout their lives. Nana's story is a story of friendship, romance, broken hearts, trials and difficulties in the transition to adulthood. However, the way this story is told is where this anime really shines. Nana "draws on realistic dialogue and thought, believable characters who act like real people, and believable storylines that resonate to explore topics relevant to young adults stumbling on the threshold of adulthood.
9. Comedy: Aggretsuko
Based on the eponymous Sanrio character (yes, the same company that created Hello Kitty and Gudetama), Aggretsuko, short for aggressive Retsuko, is a hilarious anime about a 25-year-old anthropomorphic red panda (Retsuko) who works in the accounting department of a Japanese trading firm. Frustrated by her bosses and annoying colleagues, this cute little creature has a habit of letting off steam by going to a karaoke bar after work and singing death metal, after which she transforms into a scary demonic version of herself.
Aggretsuko is a brutally honest and caustic satirical take on modern life that most people can take. Retsuko is stuck at a job she hates with a chauvinistic pig boss and wants nothing more than just be happy. However, as we all know, life is difficult and unfair and sometimes there is nothing we can do about it. Therefore, we can take the microphone and scream at the top of our lungs.
8. Adventure: A Place Further Than The Universe
A Place Further than the Universe is one of the best animes released in 2018. This adventure comedy follows the fascinating journey of four girls from Japan to Antarctica. Kimari, who has always had high aspirations but was not determined to fulfill them, meets Shirase, a girl who is determined to go to Antarctica in search of her mother. Two more girls set off with her, and all four begin their unforgettable journey. The story of Shirase, Kimari, Hinata and Yuzuki is incredibly sincere, inspiring and heartfelt.
The film "A Place Farther Than the Universe" is about the fact that you need to be crazy to follow your dreams. It is about defeating the paralyzing fear of living life to the fullest that each of us experiences. On their journey to a place farther than the Universe, four girls support each other in confronting their fears, while participating in all kinds of practical jokes that will make you laugh and cry.
7. Fantasy: Violet Evergarden
Violet Evergarden is without a doubt one of the most gorgeous anime we've seen, but it's far from lacking in content. Violet Evergarden is a crushing story of war, love, loss and empathy. She follows the titled heroine as she attempts to reintegrate into society after returning from the battlefield.
Violet, who was abandoned as a child and raised as a soldier, never understood emotion. When her senior officer dies in a decisive battle, and Violet does not have time to save him and loses both hands, she decides to find out the meaning of his last words to her: "I love you." To do this, she becomes a ghost writer for people who cannot write, but want to convey their emotions in writing. Over the course of thirteen episodes, we see Violet grow and learn by interacting with her clients.
6.Sci-fi: Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Major Mokoto Kusanagi, the protagonist of the Ghost in the Shell franchise, is one of the most famous female anime protagonists. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex follows the Major and her team in the 9th Public Security Division as they investigate high-profile criminal cases in a world where many people have become cyborgs.
But there are drawbacks to these amazing advances in technology. The existence of the cyberbrain has led to an entirely new class of dangerous crimes, as criminals can control people's cyberbrains, alter memories, and manipulate their sensory input. With plenty of action and thought-provoking ideas, Stand Alone Complex is a must-watch for any anime fan, especially if you're looking for a strong female lead - it couldn't possibly be better. With the release of Season 3 in 2020, now is the time to dive into Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
5. Mecha: Darling In The Franxx
Darling in the Franxx was a hit almost immediately after its release, and people were watching it not only to see Hiro gain self-confidence. Zero Two, the codename given to hybrid people like herself, mesmerized and captivated every moment of her appearance on the screen.
Its intensity and aggressive impulses are what makes this anime so fun - and emotional - to watch, and arguably ranks among some of the greatest fur anime of all time. The soundtrack also helps to raise the ratings of this series alongside other strong female characters such as Ichigo, Miku, Kokoro, Ikuno and of course their Franks, who are just like themselves.
4. Magical Girl: Sailor Moon
Almost nothing needs to be said about the strong feminine energy that radiates out in every episode of Sailor Moon. Usagi not only undergoes incredible transformations (literally several) throughout the manga and both anime series, but also constantly rescues Tuxedo Mask.
Plus, the rest of the Scout Sailors are some of the most epic helpers you could wish for, each with their own unique personality as well as skills that they've hone from day one. Teamwork, feminism, and all-around kick in the ass are all part of the Sailor Moon series, and are iconic across all categories.
3. Slice Of Life: Fruits Basket
Sometimes, watching a good slice of life anime is enough to make your day better. In the "Fruit Basket" there is such a low-key character, Tohru. While her strength may seem insignificant at first, she becomes even more confident as the anime progresses.
Her reputation hinges on her being a hardworking, honest character who, while surrounded by masculine energy, has managed to maintain her self-esteem and independence. Time after time, Tohru has shown that she is much stronger than many others who would find themselves in a tragic situation.
2. Dark Fantasy: Madoka Magica
One look at this anime is enough to understand that it will be filled with energy similar to Sailor Moon, but in something even more powerful. However, Madoka Magika is much darker, bringing to the surface many of the complex questions for which anime is so famous. Each character brings dynamism and is radically different from the others, so it's hard not to fall in love with this anime.
While there may be no room for character flaws in other anime, these strong personalities go through a process of self-discovery that includes slight stumbling before learning how to fly.
1. Sword And Sorcery: Claymore
It's impossible to argue that Claire is an incredible character in Claymore. This anime from the very beginning had a unique plot, because not every day the blood of a demon is poured into people so that they become great warriors, and these - yes.
While it is the women who kick the demons' ass in this anime, it is the men who are in power, so to speak, which makes this dynamic all the more interesting. Regardless, the strength that a single woman can display should never be underestimated - especially when it comes to proving that she is worthy of living in a one-sided world.
