Most anime fans love shonen and respect seinen classics like Berserk, but there’s still a huge blind spot in the community. Shojo, and especially its more mature counterpart, josei, often get brushed aside, with many fans dismissing them as “inferior” without ever giving them a real chance. That mindset means a lot of people miss out on some of the most thoughtful and sophisticated storytelling the medium has to offer.
A lot of fans also don’t realize there’s a difference: shojo is written for younger girls, while josei is aimed at adult women (18-40), essentially the counterpart to seinen for men. These stories dive into mature narratives with complex female characters and some of the best LGBTQ+ representation you’ll find in anime or manga. Despite being criminally underrated, Josei has given us absolute masterpieces that deserve way more recognition, so here are the best Josei anime that might just change how you see the genre.
10) We Were There (Bokura Ga Ita)
We Were There (also known as Bokura Ga Ita) is one of those anime that will mess you up in the best way, showing how beautiful but also painful first love can be. It follows the story of Nanami Takahashi, a high school girl who falls for Motoharu Yano, the most popular boy in her class. But Yano is still affected by the death of his ex-girlfriend, who died in a car crash while she was with another man, leaving him consumed by suspicion and unable to trust others.
We Were There was adapted into a 26-episode anime, and unlike most series that rely on flashy animation or quirky characters, Bokura Ga Ita keeps things simple while tackling themes like grief, toxic relationship patterns, and heartbreak. The art style is simple yet beautiful, and the voice acting nails every scene. Just a warning, though, this series will make you cry and probably have you rethinking your own relationship choices.
9) Michiko & Hatchin
Imagine this: a badass diva named Michiko breaks out of prison and hits the road with Hatchin, a young girl stuck in an abusive foster home. Together, they set out across South America searching for Hiroshi, Michiko’s ex-lover and Hatchin’s suspected father. Directed by Sayo Yamamoto (yes, the same director who gave us Yuri!!! On Ice), the series is full of fun characters and plenty of queer-coded moments.
The music, art style, and South American setting all feel authentic and beautifully crafted. Michiko’s character design was even inspired by R&B icon Aaliyah, capturing that same laid-back yet powerful persona. The pacing can drag here and there, but if you loved Cowboy Bebop, Michiko & Hatchin will be right up your alley.
8) Polar Bear Café (Shirokuma Café)
Polar Bear Café is easily one of the most comforting anime you’ll ever watch, just talking animals running a café and vibing through life. Published in Josei magazine Flowers, the story follows Panda (yes, like JJK) after his mother kicks him out of the house and forces him to actually grow up. Alongside him are Polar Bear, the café owner, Penguin with his sarcasm, and Grizzly the bartender, all bouncing off each other with perfect comedic timing.
Don’t dismiss this anime as just “cute animals being silly.” Underneath it all, it’s all about independence and figuring out your place in the world. Mr. Panda’s journey from spoiled mama’s boy to finding his ideal job is both hilarious, wholesome, and relatable for anyone struggling with adulting. It’s pure comfort food for the soul, but with enough wisdom sneaked in to actually make you think about your own path in life.
7) Yuri!!! On Ice
Sports anime have always been around, but Yuri!!! On Ice pushed the genre to a whole new level. When it dropped in 2016, it instantly took the anime world by storm. The story follows Yuri Katsuki, a promising skater struggling with self-doubt after a crushing defeat, who gets the surprise of his life when his idol, Victor Nikiforov, shows up to coach him for the next Grand Prix.
Beyond the solid animation and beautiful soundtrack, what really made the anime stand out was the characterization of Yuri Katsuki. It’s rare to see the main protagonist of a sports anime suffer from high-functioning anxiety where self-sabotage becomes his greatest rival. On top of that, the series made history by pushing LGBTQ+ representation into the mainstream, though fans were left disappointed when the long-promised sequel movie was ultimately canceled after years of delays.
6) Princess Jellyfish (Kuragehime)
Princess Jellyfish is one of the most underrated gems in Josei, tackling gender identity and self-acceptance with more respect than most anime ever attempt. The story follows Tsukimi, who lives in an old apartment building with a group of antisocial NEET (people not in education, employment, or training who’ve basically withdrawn from society) women who all avoid men and fear stylish people. Her world changes when she meets a fashionable woman who helps her rescue a jellyfish, only to find out this woman is actually Kuranosuke, a cross-dressing guy who becomes the first man any of them have ever really talked to.
It’s refreshing to see cross-dressing and gender fluidity handled with genuine respect here, rather than reduced to cheap jokes like in most other anime. The art is beautiful, the voice acting is fantastic, and it’s genuinely hilarious with amazing side characters. Be ready for some surprisingly heavy themes mixed in with all the cute moments and comedy, though, the same kind of balance you’d find in Fruits Basket.
5) Chihayafuru
Chihayafuru is centered around Hyakunin Isshu Karuta, a traditional Japanese card game that requires both physical and mental skill. The story follows Ayase Chihaya, a tomboyish Karuta newbie living in the shadow of her famous sister, who gets introduced to Karuta by Arata, a natural prodigy. Together with Arata and their friend Taichi, she spends her days playing the game until circumstances split them apart, pushing Chihaya to chase her dream of becoming the “Queen” of Karuta while caught in a love triangle with the two boys.
The Chihayafuru manga is still ongoing and has a three-season anime adaptation by Studio Madhouse. Alongside the intense matches, the story explores topics like poverty, controlling parents, and uncertain futures, all while keeping a warm, hopeful core. It’s rare to find a Josei that combines romance, sports, and Japanese literature this well, but Chihayafuru absolutely pulls it off.
4) Paradise Kiss
Paradise Kiss comes from the same brilliant mind behind NANA, and fans of the series will instantly recognize Ai Yazawa’s work. The anime follows Yukari, a student whose only focus is getting into a prestigious college, until she meets a group of fashion design students who convince her to model for their senior project at their school’s upcoming fashion show. As she spends more time with them, she begins skipping cram school and finds herself thrown into a new world that challenges everything she thought she knew about her future.
The real drama starts when Yukari falls for George, the genius but incredibly selfish designer who treats her as more of a project than a person. As she’s pulled deeper into the fashion world, Yukari faces a tough choice: stick to her mother’s safe plan or risk everything to pursue modeling and live life on her own terms. While the fashion designs are absolutely gorgeous and the music is fantastic, the characters will frustrate you with their realistic flaws and selfish decisions, but that’s exactly what makes this story so honest about growing up.
3) Honey and Clover
Honey and Clover is one of the most realistic anime ever. It follows a group of art students living in the same building. Created by Chica Umino, this series captures that early-20s anxiety when everyone keeps asking, “So, what’s next after graduation?” and you genuinely have no idea.
You see characters celebrating together, breaking down, and slowly realizing that their carefree college days won’t last forever. This anime doesn’t sugarcoat what growing up feels like – we get to see Yuta burning himself out after repeated failed job interviews, and we also get to see Ayumi learning to let go of her unrequited feelings for Takumi. Honey and Clover isn’t the kind of anime where love fixes everything in the end; it’s about finding meaning in life even when things don’t go the way you planned.
2) Revolutionary Girl Utena
Revolutionary Girl Utena isn’t your casual weekend watch; it’s dense, layered, and demands your full attention. Kunihiko Ikuhara’s 1997 masterpiece takes the structure of a fairy tale and deconstructs it, exploring gender roles, adolescence, and trauma through the story of Utena, a pink-haired girl who vows to become a prince. What starts as a whimsical story quickly unravels into something darker, touching on assault, incest, and identity crises in a way no other anime dared to at the time. Utena may be adapted from a manga largely sold in shojo publications, but its entire concept is meant to be a more mature deconstruction of shojo conventions, fitting the josei mold fairly nicely.
Every scene looks like a painting, the music is phenomenal, and the symbolism will almost certainly go over your head on the first watch, but that’s part of the experience. Originally a rejected Sailor Moon movie pitch, it shifted into Josei and became groundbreaking for its time, especially with its LGBTQ+ representation in the late 90s. Utena proves that anime could be both beautiful art and bold social commentary, if you’re willing to dive into its complexity.
1) NANA
Taking the number one spot is NANA, hands down the most emotionally devastating masterpiece, hitting all major notes for a josei series despite its manga being published in a shojo magazine. It follows two very different women, both named Nana, who meet by chance on a train to Tokyo. Nana Komatsu (nicknamed Hachi) is a hopeless romantic chasing her boyfriend and dreaming of the perfect love story, while Nana Osaki is a punk rock singer determined to make it big with her band BLAST after her ex, Ren, leaves to join the famous band Trapnest. When the two Nanas end up at the same place while apartment-hunting and decide to become roommates, it kicks off one of the most complex friendships in anime.
NANA beautifully captures the female experience – bad love choices, fashion obsessions, cycles of abuse, and those tiny moments of joy between friends. The characters feel way too real because they make the same dumb mistakes we all do, choosing toxic relationships and self-destructive patterns even when they know better. The fact that this masterpiece will likely never get a proper ending is heartbreaking, but even unfinished, no other anime has captured the complexity of being a woman quite like NANA.
That’s our list of the best Josei anime out there, but of course, there are plenty more worth watching. What’s your favorite Josei anime, and did it make the list? Let us know in the comments below!
