The most famous example of a girl manga is probably Sailor Moon, but there are many others. Also, some male mangaka began their careers as girl’s mangaka before switching to other genres.
History Girl Manga
Girls’ manga (or shojo manga) have had an outsize impact on manga as a whole. They’ve pushed shonen artists to experiment with art style and narrative structure, opened the door to genres that weren’t available in other comics, and made women mangaka some of the most successful in the medium.
In Japan, manga targeted at young girls and teenagers began appearing in magazines dedicated to that audience in the early 20th century. These were lifestyle magazines featuring romantic short stories and fashionable illustrations, often supervised by male editorial staffs. While some mangaka created simple, single-page comic strips for these magazines, others, such as Miyako Maki, worked up dramatic, tear-jerking mother-child dramas that were popular with girls and teens.
By the 1960s, however, a more significant percentage of magazine pages were taken up by manga. In 1966, Masako Watanabe published a work called Sally the Witch that is widely cited as one of the first magical girl manga. It was heavily influenced by the popular American TV show Bewitched and featured a witch who lost her magic due to her love for her human lover.
Another important development in this period was the establishment of two weekly magazine-style manga for girls, Shojo Friend and Margaret. These shifted the focus of manga aimed at young girls away from the conventional romance genre to a more seinen-style storyline. In the ’60s and ’70s, artists such as Yoshiko Nishitani and Masayoshi Sasaki began working on works with glamorous teen girls in lead roles who have once-taboo romances. This paved the way for the great wave of mahou shoujo manga of the ’70s and ’80s, led by Naoko Takeuchi with her wildly popular Sailor Moon series.
In the ’90s, many female manga creators expanded beyond the mahou shoujo genre and embraced shojo in an effort to reach a wider audience. These artists, which include Rumiko Takahashi, Akira Amano, and Matsuri Hino, have pushed manga aimed at young girls into different genres—although romance continues to play a major role. Despite this broad influence, manga aimed at girls remains relatively unknown in the United States. This may be due to the stigma associated with what some people call “chick lit”—a term that isn’t used to describe renowned works of literature such as Persepolis, The Book of Shadows, Castle Waiting, Jem and the Holograms or W.I.T.C.H.
Characters Girl Manga
The female protagonists of shojo manga are strong, confident, and independent. They often overcome severe circumstances and fight to achieve their happiness. Unlike “chick lit” which focuses heavily on the womanhood of its protagonists, shoujo manga offers women a variety of ways to find their own identity.
During the postwar period, the shoujo girl manga genre gave girls an alternative to repressive stereotypes about the female gender. While many female characters in the shoujo genre are sexy, they still retain feminine attributes like compassion and empathy. For instance, Emma from Fairy Tail, who has been used as a sacrifice by her childhood crush, Jellal, is not only sexy and powerful but she cares deeply about other people.
In addition, many shoujo manga have crossed gender lines and depicted crossdressing female characters. One example is Naoko Takeuchi’s Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, which portrayed Usagi Tsukino, a normal 14-year-old girl, as the reincarnated form of a warrior from the once-destroyed Moon Kingdom, along with her fellow Sailor Senshi (Sailor Scouts). While the series was considered shoujo, it is arguably more in line with senshun than shoujo.
Manga has also been the platform for many young female artists to express their own ideas and creativity. Some of these works have become cult classics and are recognized for their high level of artistic quality. However, some have been criticized for their sexually suggestive themes and over-exaggerated situations.
While the genre of shoujo girl manga is primarily intended for teenage females, it has attracted a wider audience of readers, including men and boys. Despite these criticisms, the shoujo manga genre is an important medium for promoting women’s self-expression and independence.
It is important to note that, in a society that promotes male-oriented social reality, representations of girls and women can easily become moral restraints on their lives. This type of gender stereotype inevitably leads to a lack of pleasure, authenticity, and appeals for females. It is crucial for both boys and men to give up the ultimately stifling prerogatives of masculinity and allow females to develop as they wish.
Themes Girl Manga
In general, shojo manga tends to focus on the character’s emotions and connections with others. This can be a boon for female readers, who may not be exposed to many manga that explore girls’ feelings in a realistic way. A prime example is the manga Kako-chan, which tells the story of a girl who is curious about boys and finds herself in a love triangle. It’s a lighthearted read that shows that girls aren’t afraid to be silly and express their own emotions.
However, some shoujo manga also tackle more serious topics. One such work is the manga Cardcaptor Sakura, which is notable for its thoughtful, emotionally complex characters and a plot that goes beyond the cute, predictable elements that often define this genre. Its themes of friendship, romance, and the power of imagination will interest both children and adults.
Other shoujo manga deal with issues such as bullying, discrimination based on sex and disability, beauty standards, and isolation. Some of these have content warnings, such as the manga Ao Haru Ride, girl manga which tells a story about a girl who is isolated because she’s pretty and doesn’t hide her attractiveness from her classmates. While it’s a touching story about friendship, the theme of isolation speaks to an underlying problem in Japan society where girls are expected to conform to a certain set of standards and act as subservient to men.
Nevertheless, other works like the manga Absolute Boyfriend show that shoujo manga can still be fun and entertaining. The story is about a robot named Night who falls in love with his creator, Riiko. The story is funny and romantic, and its lighthearted tone contrasts with the serious themes explored in other shoujo manga such as Kako-chan or Himitsu no Akko.
Overall, shoujo girl manga continue to be popular with female readers. They’re an excellent source of entertainment for young girls and women, and they provide a glimpse into the wide variety of interests that women have, as well as the ways in which their gender roles have changed over time. Hopefully, this will inspire more girls to be creative and explore the world around them.
Genres Girl Manga
Shounen and shoujo are two of the main editorial manga categories. Then there’s josei, a more mature version of shoujo that can deal with more complex and adult themes. While josei manga can include some shoujo-type tropes, it typically focuses on more realistic relationships and features more violence and sexuality.
Girl manga can cover many different genres, from comedy to drama to romance. Some examples are Strawberry Shake Sweet, a fun and hysterical comedy series about misunderstandings and love triangles, and Octave, an absolute classic that explores the struggles of a young woman who was once a teen idol but failed to make it in the music business.
Other examples of shoujo-type manga are fantasy or sci-fi titles like Ouran High School Host Club, Sailor Moon, and Fruits Basket. These are often more serious than their shounen counterparts, and can feature epic battles, forbidden love, or world-saving adventures.
Although the term “chick lit” is used in translations to describe some shoujo manga, it’s not entirely accurate. The arena of girl manga shoujo contains many esteemed, award-winning literary classics that deserve respect, so calling it a “chick” genre is not only inaccurate but also derogatory.
Shounen manga focuses on the themes of becoming the best at something, fighting against injustices, and protecting loved ones. It can be lighthearted or serious, but the protagonists are always young boys and girls.
Wrapping It Up
There are several subgenres within shonen manga that vary in style, such as shonen shojo (boys’ and girls’ stories) or shounen seinen (upgraded, more mature story). Shonen seinen is more often characterized by a gritty or serious plot. Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira and Kentaro Miura’s Berserk are famous examples of this.
Then there are the yuri and isekai girl manga, both of which are aimed at female readers. The yuri subgenre, which can be very erotic, is more common in the josei category but can also appear in shoujo. Isekai, on the other hand, is about characters being transported or reincarnated into another world, often with a high fantasy setting. The story revolves around the lives of these people, their relationships, and their experiences in the new world.
