Best Josei Anime, Ranked

The mature evolution of shoujo, josei anime are defined by the topics they discuss as much as how they tackle them. Its stories and themes are adult in nature: relationships, the difficulties of keeping up with bills and caring for children, and the way people grow over time.

Romance, sentimentality, and the hard realities of life as a grownup drive many of these anime. They’re typically neither starry-eyed and naive nor hard-nosed and pessimistic. Josei may target older women, but these series tend to have a much broader appeal. The best josei anime are for anyone seeking three-dimensional characters tackling problems just as deep.

Updated on April 22, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Josei anime are, unfortunately, in constant short supply. The Spring 2024 anime season has nothing to offer the demographic, except for a few options that might hit the mark with fans like Whisper Me a Love Song, Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night, and Girls Band Cry. None of these are josei series, but they share enough elements with the demographic’s traditional themes to warrant a very light recommendation. When the pickings are this slim, exceptions need to be made. Furthermore, a few more complete josei anime have been added to this article.

14 Gokusen

MyAnimeList: 7.40

It’s a cliché that every child has potential, and films and anime about teachers trying to draw out the potential in their students is a beloved trope. Gokusen unabashedly plays with that trope, but the show puts a spin on it: the teacher is the granddaughter of a Yakuza leader.

The art style leaves something to be desired, and the character design can fall on the generic side, but this is a great anime despite its weak aesthetics. Perhaps the show’s greatest strength is its protagonist, a woman just as capable of beating the snot out of thugs as teaching a class full of rowdy youths.

13 Pet Shop of Horrors

MyAnimeList: 7.24

While josei may be organized and discussed as a genre, it is as much a style as anything, as this anime proves. Unlike some anime which are great but nonetheless generic, this one comes with a twist that its title makes obvious: Petshop of Horrors is horror.

This story of a mysterious petshop contains poignant themes about humanity and the darkness within, and josei fans shouldn’t dismiss it simply because of its macabre trappings. To be sure, the series is dark, and those who don’t care for horror in any form will want to give it a pass. Those who give it a chance, however, will be rewarded with a rich, detailed, and disturbing josei.

12 My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!

MyAnimeList: 7.46

The vast majority of villainess isekai anime are based on light novels, and nearly all of them have manga adaptations. Unsurprisingly, they tend to be published in either shojo or josei magazines. For example, Villainess Level 99 and The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen have josei manga, and both anime are entertaining. If someone is specifically craving an OP isekai story, they should go with Villainess Level 99 since it might just feature the most powerful female lead in the genre.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! is arguably the most famous villainess anime and serves as a suitable entry point into this peculiar subgenre. Reincarnated as an otome game’s villain who is destined for a bad ending, Catarina must carefully manage her relationships to ensure she avoids a death sentence. Leaning heavily into humor and featuring a likable protagonist who is regularly forced to use her wit to get out of tough situations, My Next Life as a Villainess is a delight. Season 1 is especially strong.

11 Polar Bear Cafe

MyAnimeList: 7.90

Anime needs more workplace comedies, and if they happen to feature anthropomorphic animals, then that’s a bonus. Polar Bear’s Cafe centers around a cafeteria’s owner, Shirokuma, and the various colorful patrons that liven its seats. Consisting of unfiltered fluff, Pierrot’s anime is slice of life through and through, with nothing resembling a cruel bone in its body. The characters are all generally likable, particularly the main trio of Shirokuma and his two friends, Panda and Penguin.

Polar Bear’s Cafe is just one of those shows that has the ability to permanently paint a smile on a viewer’s face. The anime also lasted for an impressive 50 episodes, which is way more than the average slice of life or josei anime.

10 Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits

MyAnimeList: 7.54

Josei is no stranger to intense drama or high-stakes, but not every story needs to go down that route. Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits delivers exactly what its title advertises: a bed and breakfast for non-humans. Stuck under crippling debt, Aoi decides to make good use of her ability to see spirits by starting a nice little getaway specifically for them. Being human, she automatically garners distrust from her clientele, although that is nothing a warm bowl of ramen cannot fix.

Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits is a warm blanket in anime form. Most episodes tell supernatural-themed slice of life stories free of anything resembling tension, allowing viewers to just immerse themselves in the show’s cozy setting.

9 Mr. Osomatsu

MyAnimeList: 7.93

OK, this one is a bit of a weird josei recommendation. Mr. Osomatsu is based on Fujio Akatsuka’s Osomatsu-kun manga, a shonen property revolving around six identical brothers. The sequel debuted in 2015 as an anime, with a manga adaptation launching a year later in You, a josei magazine. In 2018, the manga shifted over to Cookie, a shojo magazine. Consequently, Mr. Osomatsu is an anime original sequel to a shonen classic with a josei and shojo manga adaptation. So, which demographic is this series for? Honestly, it is for everyone and nobody. Mr. Osomatsu is an unapologetically over-the-top parody that turns the fairly “cute” sextuplets into six monsters who bring chaos everywhere they touch. The anime’s comedy is somewhat similar to Gintama, albeit with generally darker humor that is more hit-and-miss.

Ultimately, Mr. Osomatsu cannot be recommended to people specifically craving josei stories. The anime has very little in common with the demographic’s typical output, including featuring only “men” as protagonists. Totoko Yowai is the most prominent female character in the series, but she is very much a supporting figure who can disappear for multiple episodes at a time. As a sketch comedy, Mr. Osomatsu swings wildly from hilarity to painful cringe; however, when the jokes land, they land hard.

8 Paradise Kiss

MyAnimeList: 7.86

One of the more famous josei anime, Paradise Kiss explores the rarely touched-upon fashion industry through the gaze of Yukari, a female student who is recruited to be a model. The story stumbles a bit while setting up its main characters and core relationships, leading to a somewhat rough opening stretch of episodes; however, things improve significantly once the prep work is complete.

Even though somewhat exaggerated, the anime’s characters are relatively grounded, at least when taking into account that they exist in a space that rewards overt passion and aggression. Yukari and George’s relationship carries most of the show’s emotional weight, and it follows an interesting trajectory.

7 Princess Jellyfish

MyAnimeList: 8.11

Five socially awkward teenagers grow up to be five socially awkward adults, leaning on the unbreakable bond of their friendship to make it through a world that doesn’t appreciate them for who they are.

Princess Jellyfish is about an unemployed otaku, and it’s as cute and charming as one would expect. The characters and their relationships are the stars in this slice-of-life josei. What does being oneself look like when the world isn’t accepting? Can love come to those who don’t fit in? These are the questions Princess Jellyfish asks, and its answers are always worth it.

6 Kids On The Slope

MyAnimeList: 8.30

Set in 1966, Kids on the Slope follows three students who connect through a shared passion for music and a few teenage crushes. In many ways, this anime tells a rather traditional coming-of-age story, which is hardly a bad thing. These shows live and die by not only the strength of their characters but also whether their relationships’ highs and lows feel earned. Kids on the Slope is convincing in both regards.

Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, the anime is spectacular on a production level. The animation is warm and beautiful, while the soundtrack lives up to the director’s other works like Cowboy Bebop.

5 Bunny Drop

MyAnimeList: 8.35

At the most basic level, Bunny Drop is an anime about what it’s like to raise a child: the funny and uplifting moments as well as the awkward and painful ones. That the girl, Rin, is possibly the illegitimate child of Daikichi’s own grandfather is a complicating factor.

When Daikichi’s family refuses to help the girl and announces their intent to put her up for adoption, Daikichi knows there’s only one thing he can do to make sure the girl is safe. The father-daughter relationship between Daikichi and Rin is tremendously well-executed, and the composition, humor, and direction of every scene make Bunny Drop that much more wonderful.

4 Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju

MyAnimeList: 8.56 (Season 1)

Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju is a story about friendship that revolves around a subject that most western viewers have never heard of. Rakugo is a traditional form of Japanese storyteller in which a single performer tells and enacts a story while never rising from their seat.

If watching someone sit and tell a story sounds dull, Shouwa Genroku Era Comic Storytelling is here to give evidence to the contrary. It’s an anime that celebrates an underrated cultural treasure. Best of all, unlike other anime that only are superficially about art, this series explores the rakugo art form as fully as it can.

3 Honey And Clover

MyAnimeList: 8 (Season 1)

Living in tight quarters with people much different from oneself might not be a pleasure, but at least it’s an experience that fosters personal growth and plenty of comedy.

That’s the slice-of-life premise upon which Honey and Clover is based: five young people attend the same art school, three live in the same apartment building, and love triangles and heartbreak ensue. This series does better than almost any other josei at capturing exactly how convoluted the emotional lives of adults can be. Honey and Clover is a messy, emotionally complicated series, but it remains warm and inviting throughout.

2 Nodame Cantabile

MyAnimeList: 8.26 (Season 1)

Based on a manga by Tomoko Ninomiya, Nodame Cantabile follows two music prodigies who could not be any more different. Chiaki comes from a prestigious college and aspires to be a conductor, but his aggressive and unlikable demeanor threatens to derail his career. Conversely, Megumi Noda is a free spirit who generally ignores standard practices in favor of feeling the music, and she believes cleaning is not a requirement.

Nodame Cantabile takes these two polar opposite personalities and smashes them together, creating a hilarious and often sweet dynamic. The best josei anime tend to take a realistic look at relationships, and this series is no exception. While their basic circumstances and goals might not be particularly common, Chiaki and Nodame’s romance develops naturally and faces relatable challenges.

1 Chihayafuru

MyAnimeList: 8.18 (Season 1)

Chihayafuru is a josei classic, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less terrific than it was in 2013 when the English sub first appeared. The Japanese card game “karuta” is at the center of the action, and the game sequences are somehow as exciting and nerve-wracking as most shonen battles.

Chihaya Ayase’s infectious love of the game is mirrored by that of her friends and competitors. The animation is soft and dreamy, the perfect complement to Chihaya’s style. The plot is simple, but the characterization is so fantastic it doesn’t matter. Chihayafuru is one of josei anime’s best.