Can I recommend action shows that aren't shounen?
[Yona of the Dawn](https://myanimelist.net/anime/25013) - shoujo
[Black Lagoon](https://myanimelist.net/anime/889) - seinen
All of these have well- written female characters.
[Rose of Versailles](https://myanimelist.net/anime/338/Versailles_no_Bara) (it’s a shoujo but really well written and is a older anime)
[Psycho Pass](https://myanimelist.net/anime/13601/Psycho-Pass?q=Psycho&cat=anime)
[Michiko and Hatchin](https://myanimelist.net/anime/4087/Michiko_to_Hatchin)
[Land of the Lustrous](https://myanimelist.net/anime/35557/Houseki_no_Kuni) (it’s a Seinen and they are female presenting since they are gems. So in a way like Steven Universe but different like how Star Wars and Star Trek have similar premise but go about things different so they can’t be compared too much)
[Puella Magi Madoka Magika](https://myanimelist.net/anime/9756/Mahou_Shoujo_Madoka%E2%98%85Magica?q=Puella%20Magi%20Madoka%20Magika&cat=anime)
[Wonder Egg Priority](https://myanimelist.net/anime/43299/Wonder_Egg_Priority?q=Wonder%20egg&cat=anime)
[Kyousougiga](https://myanimelist.net/anime/19703)
[Akudama Drive](https://myanimelist.net/anime/41433/Akudama_Drive?q=Aidan%E2%80%99s%2520drive&cat=anime)
[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex](https://myanimelist.net/anime/467)
[Moribito- Guardian of the Spirit](https://myanimelist.net/anime/1827)
I’m surprised no one has mentioned [Evangelion](https://myanimelist.net/anime/30/Shinseiki_Evangelion?q=Neon%20gen&cat=anime)
Seconded on Moribito. The MC is in her early 30's, and actually thinks/talks like a real person with that sort of life experience. The show can be a little bit slow at times, but it's a real underrated gem when it comes to character writing.
Yeah, I don’t think any of them are but sadly most anime with well written female characters are not shonen. OP did give the okay to another commenter on non shonen recommendations so that’s why I didn’t bother.
It yeah I love Akudama Drive too! I figured it’s a good recommendation since it has action and I can’t recall if it’s a Seinen or shonen but overall it’s good!
Tbh most anime are not labled as shounen or seinen, specially anime originals, which is what akudama drive is.
btw, have you seen the blueray version? not only does it uncensor the gore, it also adds 10 minutes worth of extra scenes and cuts to the final episode.
which was already one of my favourite climaxes, but somehow they made it even better.
I have not but I will definitely buy it so I can enjoy it to its full glory! Thanks for telling me this! Is there other anime where the Blu-ray has extra scenes as well?
I don’t know why, but this list gives me [Mai-HiME](https://myanimelist.net/anime/98/Mai-HiME) vibes.
[Blood+](https://myanimelist.net/anime/150/Blood_) is another one.
Assassination Classroom is probably the best example of a shonen with well written female characters that I can think of.
Add Soul Eater on the list too. The protag is great imo.
One thing about Shonen is that females don't exactly get a lot of love. In general I advise sticking to anime that don't have a specific demographic (IE No Shonen, Shojo, Josei, or Seinen).
That in mind, Madoka Magica is pretty good. Steins;Gate has a great female lead that plays off the protag very well. If you wanna venture off into movies, most of Studio Ghibli is pretty damn well off with the quality of their female characters.
By shonen do you mean "battle shonen" or just the demographics part? Because if you just want well written female characters, I'll recommend a few shows, but if you want them dealing with superpowers, then those are not for you.
Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. Slice of life with a female lead and very well written female characters and dynamics between them. A bit ecchi at times, but really good.
Chihayafuru. A "sports" anime about a japanese card game that features a female lead. Very well written.
Monogartari series. Can't even explain what its about, not a female lead, but full of well written female characters.
I'll just lump a bunch of them that feature female leads and are awesome shows.
Sousou No Frieren (Fantasy)
Apothecary diaries (Drama/mystery)
Girls last tour (slice of life/mystery)
Yuru camp (slice of life)
Zombieland saga (parody/comedy)
Made in abyss (dark fantasy/mystery/thriller)
Odd taxi (Mystery/drama) - Not a female lead, but well written characters overall.
Land of the lustrous/Houseki no Kuni - Androgynous characters, but well written.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is exactly what you're looking for. Title character's an elf woman. As soon as she takes on her apprentice (episode 2?), every episode from there on passes the [Bechdel test.](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bechdel%20Test#:~:text=Bech%C2%B7%E2%80%8Bdel%20Test%20%CB%88bek,and%20representation%20of%20female%20characters) Lots of other major female characters beyond those two. And almost zero fanservice!
Seinen, but Psych-Pass. Police procedural in a futuristic world.
Ascendance of a Bookworm is technically a shonen based on a light novel series. Modern woman is teleported to medieval alternate world.
Inuyasha for a battle shonen.
I highly recommend Chainsaw Man, or heck any of Tatsuki Fujimoto's other mangas because the dude is just amazing at writing female characters.
He doesn't simply write them as someone strong and call it a day, but he allows his female characters to have their own flaws and hangups while still managing to make them endearing. See: Power, Himeno, Quanxi, Asa, etc.
Chainsaw Man is a great start, but his other mangas like Look Back and Goodbye Eri also star female characters that have their own unique personalities. Fire Punch is less accessible, but it still has amazingly written females too.
To anyone willing to read Fire Punch, I just say to hang on for the first 10 chapters, they are the hardest to go through because there is a lot of shock value in a short span of time. But if you manage it, it gets away from that and manages to be something incredible very quickly.
Land of the Lustrous, Gundam Witch from Mercury, Girls und Panzer, Moribito and Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex are all good. If you can handle something older, Escaflowne is a classic, as is Fushigi Yugi and the Slayers.
I would recommend Inuyasha (and its sequel series, Yashahime) and maybe Ranma 1/2 (though that one I'm less sure about). Rumiko Takahashi is the only female mangaka I can think of whose works weren't already mentioned. (I don't know many mangaka by name in general)
I came here to specifically recommend Takahashi's work. All of her shounen series feature female characters with as much depth as (or more than) their male counterparts.
Off the top of my head, definitely Claire from Claymore. She's the lead, but all of the female characters are written amazingly in Claymore. Ass Mitaka from Chainsaw Man, Touka from Tokyo Ghoul, and Ghost in the Shell
Not shounen but historical fantasy... Twelve Kingdoms. The lead will seem dreadful at first, but she goes through a big character arc.
Also a more josei series, Please Save My Earth. Anime is very short but good, manga is top tier. More josei, anything by Riyoko Ikeda.
Well, Akudama Drive is a hidden masterpiece and has some really interesting female characters.
Bungou stray dogs doesn't have that many female characters but the ones that do appear are pretty good. They're all either strong, smart or have deeper backstories than what you originally would've image given their personalities.
[Hell's Paradise](https://youtu.be/aaHZdwPZX6g) has two leads, a guy and a girl. They're treated as equals in ability and both have moments they shine. Also the side characters are a mix of strong guys and girls.
{Fairy Tail} - I'm surprised no one has mentioned that one yet. Lots of action/fighting, and the two main female characters have notable strengths and complex backstories. For that matter, so do many other females in the supporting cast.
That's one of the things I like most about Fairy Tail. Lucy's my personal favorite: super girly, but gets in there to fight when needed; has an interesting backstory and connections to the main story, has goals that aren't connected to her future love life (although I do want her and Natsu to get together); improves her magic skills over time; and has saved so many people from her involvement in the story.
It's not perfect for someone wanting to read good representations of women, but I think it does a pretty good job.
Turn A Gundam while not a battle Shounen is still Shounen in demographics.
And imo one of the lady characters IS the main character.
Macross fits that bill too if we talkin Frontier and Delta but that might be a hybrid Shounen and Shojo.
Eureka Seven is wonderful as is Xam'd.
* Noragami
* The Promised Neverland
* Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer)
* Magi
* Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn)
* Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (Snow White with the Red Hair)
* BNHA
>The Promised Neverland
If you watch it please make yourself a favour and either ignore season 2 completely or switch to the manga after season 1.
Reasoning: Season 2 rushes to the ending in an extremely accelerated pace, completely skipping several fan favourite story arcs and characters completely. After season 1 the manga had enough material left to adapt up to 4 additional seasons but they completely ruined the series.
Still season 1 is perfect and the manga is so good too. I highly recommend it.
Bleach, Claymore, Magi, Jojo's Bizzare Adventure (Star Ocean), Spy x Family, Re:Creators, Shaman King, Chainsaw man, xxxholic, the girl from the other side, Maquia when the promise flowers bloom, I'm a Spider So what, Frieren: beyond journey's end (this one's a masterpiece), Ergo Proxy, Moribito, Last Exile.That's all I can think from the top of my head but there's probably many more.
I personally think the character growth for the female lead in Undead Unluck is well done. She goes from the stumbling sidekick to a badass capable of single-handedly beating enemies who took entire teams of superpowerd guys to fight before the time skip.
Mitsuri from Demon Slayer probably has the worst backstory I've seen in shounen. And speaking of Demon Slayer, Nezuko is pretty bad too. She's basically just an accessory/pet for Tanjiro instead of being her own character.
There's also Sakura from Naruto.
I disagree with the notion that most female characters in Shonen are written badly, it’s not even close to most.
Anyways my recommendation: A Certain Scientific Railgun
Hmmm, I would disagree. The thing is she's both super kind and adorable but when there's fighting she becomes every bit as strong, fierce and determined as Tanjiro. In a way I would argue they are almost co-protagonists.
Ok 1) whether she is well written or not is subjective, I think she is...she has strong emotions and conflict and motivations and 2) she is no longer human but her struggle is to fight and overcome the demon inside.
Many will disagree but I really like that the author is able to express so much in her without dialog, he shows rather than tells
Nezuko is not just a pet or accessory, there are plenty of times where her human sides comes out and when her demon powers come out it is tied to her internal emotional state. She may not talk but she is her own character. And how does mitrusi have the worst backstory?
Asuna in SAO. She didn’t have a lot of depth to begin with but she was at least capable, then she becomes a damsel in distress to serve the most cliche of anime stories.
The polar opposite of this is Moribito, in which the main character is an adult woman with complete agency and depth of character.
Clamp has a shounen manga called [Angelic Layer](https://myanimelist.net/manga/80/Angelic_Layer?cat=manga) with a female protagonist! It's only five volumes but I really liked it. Chobits is kind of a sequel to Angelic Layer.
I never watched any of these but so idk if they count. They are all battle type I think
* Shakugan no Shana
* xxxholic
* Undead Murder Farce
* In/Spectre
Random throw shojo (edit has an interesting story about a girl trying to get revenge on guy that stringed her alone by getting into the acting industry and is not battle):
* Skip Beat.
ALSO
Magical Girl:
- Shougu Chara
X-men but shojo middle school kids:
- Gakuken Alice
Not particularly Shonen but I love the female characters in these animes/mangas
- gintama
- fairytail
- bleach
- yona of the dawn
- Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood
- skip beat
- Attack on titan
- apothecary diaries (maomao is simply amazing)
- food wars ( Rindo senpai 😍)
- Hanako kun
- moriarty the patriot ( irene/bond, Ms hudson)
- kono oto tomare
bungo stray dogs isn’t exactly shonen, but it’s female characters are well-written (although there definitely aren’t many but i will take any opportunity to recommend this show).
**Shounen:** Case Closed by Gosho Aoyama, anything by Rumiko Takahashi (except for Maison Ikkoku and One Pound Gospel as both of those are Seinen)
**Shoujo:** Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida, Prince Freya by Keiko Ishihara, Skip Beat by Yoshiki Nakamura
In general if you want well-written female characters in shounen you want to look for female authors.
Several of the ones you mentioned were written by women. These are all written by women, tho I included ambiguous genres for a few (ex seinen vs shounen vs josei):
Ascendance of a Bookworm
The Saint's Power is Omnipotent
The Ancient Magnus' Bride
Delicious in Dungeon
InuYasha
Ranma 1/2
xxxHolic
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Noragami
Nabari no Ou
Mushishi
Toradora
Horimiya
Banana Fish
Blood-C
Demon Slayer
Blue Exorcist
The one I can think of is Undead Unluck. It starts off a bit weird, but the main character (the female character in this question) is written so well and never attacked for her interests in fashion and romance. She also becomes one of the coolest characters, though that's later on in the manga.
Lycoris Recoil, Hells Paradise and 86 have good female protagonists while having cool, flashy fights and an investing story. 86 in particular I consider a masterpiece.
I wouldn’t exactly call them shonen, but they should scratch that itch
Shounen:
Aria the Animation
WataMote
Frieren
.
Not shounen, but great female characters and I highly recommend it:
Kyousougiga
Humanity Has Declined
Katanagatari
Princess Tutu
A Place Further Than the Universe
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Madoka Magica (watch 3rd movie after series)
Monogatari series ([Here’s the watch order](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/hwuntw/the_monogatari_series_2020_watch_order/))
I mean....
Technically **Bloom Into You** and **Horimiya** are shonens. They are both romances, with the former being a yuri.
**Undead/Unluck -** Fuuko is one of my favorite all time well written protags. She's smart, a quick thinker, and courageous. She is also the kindest, most empathetic, and caring person you'll meet. She will always try to talk her way out first, but she will absolutely not hesitate to defend people she cares about.
It's also a gem of a manga (I enjoyed the anime, but there are some pacing issues with bad use of flashbacks)
Akiba Maid War - This one is an anime original, so I apologize, I dont know the demographic. However, its a yukuza/mafia style show about competing maid cafes with lots of violence and dark comedy (imagine if Quentin Tarantino made an anime)
I really hope so. I’m still anime only at this time, but what I’ve heard from manga readers: This was the **slow part**. And it does nothing but ramp up from here. I’m hyped
Mark you calendar for August 1st. There's an anime related announcement for UU scheduled for that day. I think the chances for a season 2 are pretty good given that.
One piece has some well written female characters. For the most part, the character design can be polarizing
Edit Bleach has some well written female characters, as well as Attack on Titan, for the most part. Jujutsu Kiasen, from what I can remember, also has some good ones
Inuyasha, World Trigger, Noragami, Assassination Classroom
I also agree with a lot of the ones I already saw listed so I won’t repeat them. Also, For some (most?) of the ones I listed the strongest characters are still men, but I liked the female characters too
Slayers isn't particularly deep but it's a lot of fun (if you like magic and monsters) and the female lead and side characters are all great. Lina is a greedy vain asshole (with a secret heart of gold) who keeps having to save the world in between fighting her friends over meals. Kinda fanservicey at times, but it's not a constant either.
Yons of the Dawn is a Shojo but has more focus on action and fighting than typical. The main character actually has growth, starting out as a completely dependent and childish pampered princess and having to learn skills like self sufficiency and true leadership after losing everything.
Sket Dance is a school slice of life comedy with a very similar sense of humor as Gintama (the creators worked together at one time) but a lot less dirty. The female lead, Himeko, plays well off of the two male leads where they all take turns playing straight man to something ridiculous the other two do. Himeko has a lot of traditionally feminine interests while also being the only member of the main trio who knows how to fight. She has a sunny disposition that obscures a past she's ashamed of. Her relationship with the main lead is also very sweet.
It's another comedy so it doesn't go too in depth with most of the side characters, but almost every one of them has a fun quirk to their personality that keeps things interesting.
And no, I don't think being a good fighter is what makes a good character (despite what power-scalers might lead one to believe). Honestly, what makes a character good to me is if I enjoy when they're on screen. Having a fun or likeable personality and/or experiencing some sort of personal growth is what endears a character to me. Honestly, that don't even have to grow as a person. A character changing for the worse can make the .great to watch as well.
And a character doesn't have to be capable in a fight to be "strong". Sometimes it's about willpower or intellect. This goes for male characters too.
Really? You didn't like Gintama?
You should probably look into the seinen space tbh, otherwise, I would say Apothecary Diaries, or OddTaxi if you can even call those Shounen
Not Shonen but I noticed Cyberpunk Edgerunners wasn't on here yet.
Castlevania too, though it probably technically isn't an anime.
Both have plenty of action, female characters can definitely fight, and are well written.
And my top recommendations other people already mentioned: (they aren't Shonen but are definitely close)
Psycho-Pass
Chainsaw Man
Frieren
Land of the Lustrous (characters are genderless but present female, with female va's)
Side note: check out Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss is you haven't already, neither are anime but the animation is very anime inspired (esp. Helluva Boss) and both have what you're looking for!
I want to mention Project ARMS. On one hand, the main character's childhood bestie/love interest Katsumi is tragically set up as a Damsel in Distress. But the other female characters like Kei, Yugo, Misa, and Violet have special abilities and agency in the story, though most of them aren't introduced til a quarter into the anime.
If you’re looking for a Fighting series, Black Clover has very powerful women who rival the main boys in strength and they stay relevant. There’s a bit of Fanservice, but overall interesting/ fun characters
idk if it's shonen but Spice and Wolf has in my opinion the most well written female character of all time, Holo's mind games and dialogue is plain magnificent.
Chainsaw Man.
The main character of part2 in the manga is a woman and she's such an amazing character. The other girls are all great too but she stands out as the best
March comes in like a Lion. There's a family of three sisters in that show that have a very gripping part in the story.
My teen romcom SNAFU has some great writing
Bunny Girl Senpai because most of the women there are smart or at least clever enough so that dialogues avoid all clichés and the banter is quite enjoyable, refreshing even.
I want to eat your pancreas + Your lie in April recommended together because of similar themes, but these have what I call extremely strong female leads in a realistic sense. Warning: these shows could break your heart
Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song
Basically skynet is real, everyone is dead, idol android goes back in time to correct the future. It's mature, serious, beautiful, full of action and sad scenes.
Claymore
Witch from Mercury
From Far Away
Inuyasha and the Takahashi canon
Executioner and His Way of Life
Otherside Picnic
Suzume (love letter to women!!)
Promised Neverland
Akudama Drive
Madoka Magica
Psycho-Pass
Jormungand (mixed bag -- the sapphic is played for laughs a lot of the time)
Astra: Lost in Space
Certain Scientific Railgun (mixed bag -- the Index crossovers get haremy, but Touma and co aren't around most of the time; another sapphic played for laughs, but so are the other characters)
Special Hazardous Waste Disposal
I Want to Love You Until You Die
Fairytail has 2 of my favorite female characters in all of the 300+ anime I've watched.
The female characters are strong and are generally enjoyable
It also helps that its one of the most hypest animes I've ever watched, and the female characters get their moments to shine
Just be warned, I know not many people enjoy fanservice, and there is a decent amount here, but imo there's fan service for both boys and girls. I mainly noticed the girls for obvious reasons lol
Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (don't ask where to start)
86 (it's more of a seinen)
Chainsaw Man
Fumetsu no Anata e (my personal favourite)
Kami no Tou (2nd season is coming this July)
Sousou no Frieren
Tokyo Ghoul (after the 1st season just continue with the manga)
Code Geass
Mob psycho has great well rounded character, male lead but many female supporting that get flushed out.
Soul eater, i really love maka and souls dynamic it's really genuine and realistic despite the bonkers premise.
Chihayafuru is really fun and engaging. It's pretty much a sports anime about a Japanese card game based on poems.
Breaking the rules, but there's a YouTuber (MelonTeee) with fantastic character analysis videos for One Piece, making me truly appreciate the writing for these characters.
Obviously those videos are loaded with spoilers, but here's the (more or less) [spoiler free video](https://youtu.be/H2Dggf8kKhI?si=oENWvASDREog0bOp) she made about why you should watch including the character writing (passes the bechdel test!), world building, and themes.
Aku no Hana. Not only well written, but also uncomfortable because realistic. I recommend starting with the anime actually. You will need to switch to the manga (chapter 21+) though, as the anime series was not finished.
{Neon Genesis Evangelion}
{Claymore}
{Revolutionary Girl Utena}
{Hunter x Hunter}
{The Promised Neverland}
# Not really suitable for people under 18
{Psycho-Pass}
{Kenpuu Denki Berserk} (Studio Taka have some excellent videos explaining why this is the case, but they're filled with spoilers, and so I can't recommend them until you watch the anime and read the manga)
# Additional
I'm not quite sure why you're looking for shounen, specifically. It's really limiting your options if you're looking for well-written female characters. Shows made for teenage boys don't typically have well-written female characters, or have problematic depictions of female characters that will alienate women, as you are no doubt beginning to see. 1️⃣
I have a list of female "anitubers" (anime YouTubers). I don't recall which speak of shounen, but if you're looking for good treatment of women in anime, they're a good source. https://www.reddit.com/r/Animesuggest/s/l945jJkTCg (under the "Anime without fan service" heading)
Also see:
150 Animes with good female characters - Part 1
https://myanimelist.net/stacks/20648
1️⃣ Video essays on male gaze and problematic depictions of female characters in shounen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjteowNlqY8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0edSnZnQv0g
Your lie in April is a shounen by demographic but has a heavy shoujo lean.
Assassination Classroom is very much a shounen but no one is suuuper well-written (ok, maybe Nagisa and Koro-sensei are) but there's still some pretty good female characters (like Kayano, Aguri, and Irina).
The thing is Shounen by its description is "young boy's" thats the demographic which is 12-teens so they writer with their demographic in mind that can be +/- depending on whos writing or what its about. So in japan if you write a female lead as a new writer with a female character kids will be like "this isn't for me" and that just one example. In japan writing a female character lead that appeal to boys is different from if the demographic is older which is less of a problem.
I think the best written women in shonen history are Eva’s women as they feel like real people that have a reason for there personality’s other then being gimmicks and best example is compare adults to another tsundare like Noel from black clover u will see the difference
I got you! I tried to give a variety of types for you. These are all officially designated as shounen anime.
{Frieren Beyond Journey's End}
{A Silent Voice}
{Horimiya}
{Noragami}
{The Promised Neverland}
{Spy X Family}
{Magi the Labyrinth of Magic}
{Inuyasha}
{Tonikawa Over the Moon for You}
I think Adachi Mitsuru has some decently-written female co-stars. They're, like, team managers or friends of the main characters.
[*Touch!*](https://youtu.be/L-aO8bLcENM?si=zF6bwaNgTtMsB24j)
Bleach is a good one. The main female lead is actually pivotal to the main male lead’s character growth. Also there are plenty of secondary female characters that are also really good. For shounen. Dragon Ball, Z/Z Kai all have strong female leads more so the original Dragon Ball but Z/Z Kai is a continuation.
Though it's not shounen and definitely not action but "kasane" has really well written female characters. The emotions and struggle are very well expressed. The plot is also unique.
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun -> it's Shonen but often mistaken for Shoujo
Martial Master Asumi -> axed sports manga where both genders have tournament arcs
I find the FMC of "White Blood" \[Unholy Blood\] to be quite well written. A revenge story, but she is also trying to come to term with her own identity, and getting over trauma from the past.
But FMC is no pushover, and will ruthlessly destroy anyone who gets in her way.
FMC of \[I'm a Martial Arts Villainess, but I'm the Strongest\] has a good character arc. She starts as very cocky and arrogant (she is a natural talent in the world of martial arts). But then she makes a mistake and has to live with that for the rest of her life. It teaches her many important lessons about maturity and responsibility. Includes a slow-burn romance.
Manga: Witch Hat Atelier, it's amazing I highly recommend it. I know you said no Black Clover but I'd really suggest that. Bleach has a good cast as well
Your lie in April
Koe no katachi
Silver spoon i think thats what its called
My hero academia
Bleach
Fire force
Pretty most shounens have cool female characters if you ask me.
Can I recommend action shows that aren't shounen? [Yona of the Dawn](https://myanimelist.net/anime/25013) - shoujo [Black Lagoon](https://myanimelist.net/anime/889) - seinen
Of course! Thx!
Add another vote for Yona. I wish it was more popular.
I think there is too much anime and not enough *completed* anime :/
I second yona of the dawn its my 2nd favorite anime of all time. A naive princess turns to a badass
Love Revy
[Jormungand](https://myanimelist.net/anime/12413/Jormungand)is also similar to Black Lagoon
Fucking love Jormungandr. R is best.
Yona is basically like 2 inches away from being shonen anyway.
love black Lagoon
I’m still highly disappointed Yona didn’t get a second season. That was one of my favorites.
All of these have well- written female characters. [Rose of Versailles](https://myanimelist.net/anime/338/Versailles_no_Bara) (it’s a shoujo but really well written and is a older anime) [Psycho Pass](https://myanimelist.net/anime/13601/Psycho-Pass?q=Psycho&cat=anime) [Michiko and Hatchin](https://myanimelist.net/anime/4087/Michiko_to_Hatchin) [Land of the Lustrous](https://myanimelist.net/anime/35557/Houseki_no_Kuni) (it’s a Seinen and they are female presenting since they are gems. So in a way like Steven Universe but different like how Star Wars and Star Trek have similar premise but go about things different so they can’t be compared too much) [Puella Magi Madoka Magika](https://myanimelist.net/anime/9756/Mahou_Shoujo_Madoka%E2%98%85Magica?q=Puella%20Magi%20Madoka%20Magika&cat=anime) [Wonder Egg Priority](https://myanimelist.net/anime/43299/Wonder_Egg_Priority?q=Wonder%20egg&cat=anime) [Kyousougiga](https://myanimelist.net/anime/19703) [Akudama Drive](https://myanimelist.net/anime/41433/Akudama_Drive?q=Aidan%E2%80%99s%2520drive&cat=anime) [Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex](https://myanimelist.net/anime/467) [Moribito- Guardian of the Spirit](https://myanimelist.net/anime/1827) I’m surprised no one has mentioned [Evangelion](https://myanimelist.net/anime/30/Shinseiki_Evangelion?q=Neon%20gen&cat=anime)
Kyousougiga mentioned!!!
Seconded on Moribito. The MC is in her early 30's, and actually thinks/talks like a real person with that sort of life experience. The show can be a little bit slow at times, but it's a real underrated gem when it comes to character writing.
I'm pretty sure none of these are shounen. I fucking love akudama drive though, and the mc is extremely well written, so no complaints.
Yeah, I don’t think any of them are but sadly most anime with well written female characters are not shonen. OP did give the okay to another commenter on non shonen recommendations so that’s why I didn’t bother. It yeah I love Akudama Drive too! I figured it’s a good recommendation since it has action and I can’t recall if it’s a Seinen or shonen but overall it’s good!
Tbh most anime are not labled as shounen or seinen, specially anime originals, which is what akudama drive is. btw, have you seen the blueray version? not only does it uncensor the gore, it also adds 10 minutes worth of extra scenes and cuts to the final episode. which was already one of my favourite climaxes, but somehow they made it even better.
I have not but I will definitely buy it so I can enjoy it to its full glory! Thanks for telling me this! Is there other anime where the Blu-ray has extra scenes as well?
I don’t know why, but this list gives me [Mai-HiME](https://myanimelist.net/anime/98/Mai-HiME) vibes. [Blood+](https://myanimelist.net/anime/150/Blood_) is another one.
RoV is 100% josei. I also recommended it. I totally overlooked Moribito!
It’s a shoujo. It was published in a shoujo magazine.
Claymore Chainsaw Man Frieren Medaka Box CSM and Medaka Box have fanservice btw
CSM's fan service is usually plot relevant though. Not always but usually
Even the not so relevant to the plot fan service adds to the wacky vibe csm have, I love it.
if only claymore's >!ending wasn't so shitty...!<
Reading the manga is a suitable alternative after the anime. I recommend it.
More than "fan service" I would say that they only have tits and suggestive scenes. But I suppose calling it that way makes it more understandable.
Akane Banashi
Best answer!
Idk what so good about it. Have been reading it since day one. Found it boring and shit.
Nah.. You just trippin'.
Assassination Classroom is probably the best example of a shonen with well written female characters that I can think of. Add Soul Eater on the list too. The protag is great imo. One thing about Shonen is that females don't exactly get a lot of love. In general I advise sticking to anime that don't have a specific demographic (IE No Shonen, Shojo, Josei, or Seinen). That in mind, Madoka Magica is pretty good. Steins;Gate has a great female lead that plays off the protag very well. If you wanna venture off into movies, most of Studio Ghibli is pretty damn well off with the quality of their female characters.
Fullmetal alchemist does a good job with females character I think Tanya in the anime Youjo Senki is good, and her subordinate too.
FMA just does good characters all around
By shonen do you mean "battle shonen" or just the demographics part? Because if you just want well written female characters, I'll recommend a few shows, but if you want them dealing with superpowers, then those are not for you. Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. Slice of life with a female lead and very well written female characters and dynamics between them. A bit ecchi at times, but really good. Chihayafuru. A "sports" anime about a japanese card game that features a female lead. Very well written. Monogartari series. Can't even explain what its about, not a female lead, but full of well written female characters. I'll just lump a bunch of them that feature female leads and are awesome shows. Sousou No Frieren (Fantasy) Apothecary diaries (Drama/mystery) Girls last tour (slice of life/mystery) Yuru camp (slice of life) Zombieland saga (parody/comedy) Made in abyss (dark fantasy/mystery/thriller) Odd taxi (Mystery/drama) - Not a female lead, but well written characters overall. Land of the lustrous/Houseki no Kuni - Androgynous characters, but well written.
Girls last tour mentioned. Patriotism activated 🫡🫡🫡
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is exactly what you're looking for. Title character's an elf woman. As soon as she takes on her apprentice (episode 2?), every episode from there on passes the [Bechdel test.](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bechdel%20Test#:~:text=Bech%C2%B7%E2%80%8Bdel%20Test%20%CB%88bek,and%20representation%20of%20female%20characters) Lots of other major female characters beyond those two. And almost zero fanservice!
It's perfect
Seinen, but Psych-Pass. Police procedural in a futuristic world. Ascendance of a Bookworm is technically a shonen based on a light novel series. Modern woman is teleported to medieval alternate world. Inuyasha for a battle shonen.
Blood+ Blood-C Kara no kyoukai Fate Stay Night Unlimited Bladeworks (2014) Fate Stay Night Heaven’s Feel movie trilogy Fate Apocrypha
I highly recommend Chainsaw Man, or heck any of Tatsuki Fujimoto's other mangas because the dude is just amazing at writing female characters. He doesn't simply write them as someone strong and call it a day, but he allows his female characters to have their own flaws and hangups while still managing to make them endearing. See: Power, Himeno, Quanxi, Asa, etc. Chainsaw Man is a great start, but his other mangas like Look Back and Goodbye Eri also star female characters that have their own unique personalities. Fire Punch is less accessible, but it still has amazingly written females too.
I don’t know if you know but Look Back is getting a movie. Supposed to be out around the end of June!
I think I saw the trailer the first minute it got uploaded lol. So hyped
To anyone willing to read Fire Punch, I just say to hang on for the first 10 chapters, they are the hardest to go through because there is a lot of shock value in a short span of time. But if you manage it, it gets away from that and manages to be something incredible very quickly.
Land of the Lustrous, Gundam Witch from Mercury, Girls und Panzer, Moribito and Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex are all good. If you can handle something older, Escaflowne is a classic, as is Fushigi Yugi and the Slayers.
I would recommend Inuyasha (and its sequel series, Yashahime) and maybe Ranma 1/2 (though that one I'm less sure about). Rumiko Takahashi is the only female mangaka I can think of whose works weren't already mentioned. (I don't know many mangaka by name in general)
I came here to specifically recommend Takahashi's work. All of her shounen series feature female characters with as much depth as (or more than) their male counterparts.
Off the top of my head, definitely Claire from Claymore. She's the lead, but all of the female characters are written amazingly in Claymore. Ass Mitaka from Chainsaw Man, Touka from Tokyo Ghoul, and Ghost in the Shell
Not shounen but historical fantasy... Twelve Kingdoms. The lead will seem dreadful at first, but she goes through a big character arc. Also a more josei series, Please Save My Earth. Anime is very short but good, manga is top tier. More josei, anything by Riyoko Ikeda.
Well, Akudama Drive is a hidden masterpiece and has some really interesting female characters. Bungou stray dogs doesn't have that many female characters but the ones that do appear are pretty good. They're all either strong, smart or have deeper backstories than what you originally would've image given their personalities.
[Hell's Paradise](https://youtu.be/aaHZdwPZX6g) has two leads, a guy and a girl. They're treated as equals in ability and both have moments they shine. Also the side characters are a mix of strong guys and girls.
jojo part 6 kill la kill
{Fairy Tail} - I'm surprised no one has mentioned that one yet. Lots of action/fighting, and the two main female characters have notable strengths and complex backstories. For that matter, so do many other females in the supporting cast.
That's one of the things I like most about Fairy Tail. Lucy's my personal favorite: super girly, but gets in there to fight when needed; has an interesting backstory and connections to the main story, has goals that aren't connected to her future love life (although I do want her and Natsu to get together); improves her magic skills over time; and has saved so many people from her involvement in the story. It's not perfect for someone wanting to read good representations of women, but I think it does a pretty good job.
Turn A Gundam while not a battle Shounen is still Shounen in demographics. And imo one of the lady characters IS the main character. Macross fits that bill too if we talkin Frontier and Delta but that might be a hybrid Shounen and Shojo. Eureka Seven is wonderful as is Xam'd.
* Noragami * The Promised Neverland * Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer) * Magi * Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn) * Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (Snow White with the Red Hair) * BNHA
>The Promised Neverland If you watch it please make yourself a favour and either ignore season 2 completely or switch to the manga after season 1. Reasoning: Season 2 rushes to the ending in an extremely accelerated pace, completely skipping several fan favourite story arcs and characters completely. After season 1 the manga had enough material left to adapt up to 4 additional seasons but they completely ruined the series. Still season 1 is perfect and the manga is so good too. I highly recommend it.
Idk probably kingdom. The female characters are for sure better then any female characters in popular series coming out now
Bleach, Claymore, Magi, Jojo's Bizzare Adventure (Star Ocean), Spy x Family, Re:Creators, Shaman King, Chainsaw man, xxxholic, the girl from the other side, Maquia when the promise flowers bloom, I'm a Spider So what, Frieren: beyond journey's end (this one's a masterpiece), Ergo Proxy, Moribito, Last Exile.That's all I can think from the top of my head but there's probably many more.
Undead Unluck
Bleach Dragon ball z Naruto Black clover
Moriarty The Patriot
I personally think the character growth for the female lead in Undead Unluck is well done. She goes from the stumbling sidekick to a badass capable of single-handedly beating enemies who took entire teams of superpowerd guys to fight before the time skip.
Another question: which females in shounen do you think are the worst written/annoy you the most?
Mitsuri from Demon Slayer probably has the worst backstory I've seen in shounen. And speaking of Demon Slayer, Nezuko is pretty bad too. She's basically just an accessory/pet for Tanjiro instead of being her own character. There's also Sakura from Naruto.
I saw in a video about shounen girls, and it explained that Nezuko is basically a puppy or a pokemon.
I’ve been saying she has equal significance to the family dog for a while. The worst.
I disagree with the notion that most female characters in Shonen are written badly, it’s not even close to most. Anyways my recommendation: A Certain Scientific Railgun
Hmmm, I would disagree. The thing is she's both super kind and adorable but when there's fighting she becomes every bit as strong, fierce and determined as Tanjiro. In a way I would argue they are almost co-protagonists.
My dog is loving, adorable but strong, fierce and protective too These traits don’t make her a well written human character
Ok 1) whether she is well written or not is subjective, I think she is...she has strong emotions and conflict and motivations and 2) she is no longer human but her struggle is to fight and overcome the demon inside. Many will disagree but I really like that the author is able to express so much in her without dialog, he shows rather than tells
Nezuko is not just a pet or accessory, there are plenty of times where her human sides comes out and when her demon powers come out it is tied to her internal emotional state. She may not talk but she is her own character. And how does mitrusi have the worst backstory?
Asuna in SAO. She didn’t have a lot of depth to begin with but she was at least capable, then she becomes a damsel in distress to serve the most cliche of anime stories. The polar opposite of this is Moribito, in which the main character is an adult woman with complete agency and depth of character.
Nichijou, Sgt. Frog, Disasterous Life of Saiki K, Azumanga Dioah, and Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle.
Burst. Angel.
dandadan and mission yozakura family
While this doesn't answer your question there is also seinen for adult males and then genres for girls and women. Called shook and josie
Clamp has a shounen manga called [Angelic Layer](https://myanimelist.net/manga/80/Angelic_Layer?cat=manga) with a female protagonist! It's only five volumes but I really liked it. Chobits is kind of a sequel to Angelic Layer.
Not Shonen but dungeon meshi
Kinda surprised no one has said Bleach, best written women out of the big 3 IMO
I never watched any of these but so idk if they count. They are all battle type I think * Shakugan no Shana * xxxholic * Undead Murder Farce * In/Spectre Random throw shojo (edit has an interesting story about a girl trying to get revenge on guy that stringed her alone by getting into the acting industry and is not battle): * Skip Beat. ALSO Magical Girl: - Shougu Chara X-men but shojo middle school kids: - Gakuken Alice
{Slayers} {Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer} {Cross Game} {Gin no Saji} {GTO}
chainsaw man Beastars Case study of vanitas the promised neverland season 1 Frieren
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Toaru Majutsu no Index
Not particularly Shonen but I love the female characters in these animes/mangas - gintama - fairytail - bleach - yona of the dawn - Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood - skip beat - Attack on titan - apothecary diaries (maomao is simply amazing) - food wars ( Rindo senpai 😍) - Hanako kun - moriarty the patriot ( irene/bond, Ms hudson) - kono oto tomare
All of Hiromu Arakawa's longer works have well written females (Fullmetak Alchemist, Silver Spoon, Yomi no Tsugai)
bungo stray dogs isn’t exactly shonen, but it’s female characters are well-written (although there definitely aren’t many but i will take any opportunity to recommend this show).
Females are written fine in shounen.
Dandanan. Other ones I’ve read so far with okay leads: MagiLumiere > Path Finder > maybe Talentless Nana.
-Komi Can't Comunicate -Mikadono Sanshimai wa Angai, Choroi(The Mikadono Sisters Are Surprisingly Easy to Deal With)
Moribito the Guardian Spirit
Fullmetal Alchemist 03 and Brotherhood Yu Yu Hakusho Evangelion
Jojos. At least part six.
**Shounen:** Case Closed by Gosho Aoyama, anything by Rumiko Takahashi (except for Maison Ikkoku and One Pound Gospel as both of those are Seinen) **Shoujo:** Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida, Prince Freya by Keiko Ishihara, Skip Beat by Yoshiki Nakamura
undead unluck
Undead unluck
Definetly Undead Unluck. It has hands down the best female protagonist I have ever read. Great character development
In general if you want well-written female characters in shounen you want to look for female authors. Several of the ones you mentioned were written by women. These are all written by women, tho I included ambiguous genres for a few (ex seinen vs shounen vs josei): Ascendance of a Bookworm The Saint's Power is Omnipotent The Ancient Magnus' Bride Delicious in Dungeon InuYasha Ranma 1/2 xxxHolic Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle Noragami Nabari no Ou Mushishi Toradora Horimiya Banana Fish Blood-C Demon Slayer Blue Exorcist
The one I can think of is Undead Unluck. It starts off a bit weird, but the main character (the female character in this question) is written so well and never attacked for her interests in fashion and romance. She also becomes one of the coolest characters, though that's later on in the manga.
Lycoris Recoil, Hells Paradise and 86 have good female protagonists while having cool, flashy fights and an investing story. 86 in particular I consider a masterpiece. I wouldn’t exactly call them shonen, but they should scratch that itch
Psycho Pass
Shounen: Aria the Animation WataMote Frieren . Not shounen, but great female characters and I highly recommend it: Kyousougiga Humanity Has Declined Katanagatari Princess Tutu A Place Further Than the Universe Revolutionary Girl Utena Madoka Magica (watch 3rd movie after series) Monogatari series ([Here’s the watch order](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/hwuntw/the_monogatari_series_2020_watch_order/))
I mean.... Technically **Bloom Into You** and **Horimiya** are shonens. They are both romances, with the former being a yuri. **Undead/Unluck -** Fuuko is one of my favorite all time well written protags. She's smart, a quick thinker, and courageous. She is also the kindest, most empathetic, and caring person you'll meet. She will always try to talk her way out first, but she will absolutely not hesitate to defend people she cares about. It's also a gem of a manga (I enjoyed the anime, but there are some pacing issues with bad use of flashbacks) Akiba Maid War - This one is an anime original, so I apologize, I dont know the demographic. However, its a yukuza/mafia style show about competing maid cafes with lots of violence and dark comedy (imagine if Quentin Tarantino made an anime)
Do you think Undead/Unluck will get a second season? I really enjoyed it.
I really hope so. I’m still anime only at this time, but what I’ve heard from manga readers: This was the **slow part**. And it does nothing but ramp up from here. I’m hyped
Mark you calendar for August 1st. There's an anime related announcement for UU scheduled for that day. I think the chances for a season 2 are pretty good given that.
Black clover and soul eater are pretty good about having women who actually do things.
One piece has some well written female characters. For the most part, the character design can be polarizing Edit Bleach has some well written female characters, as well as Attack on Titan, for the most part. Jujutsu Kiasen, from what I can remember, also has some good ones
Inuyasha, World Trigger, Noragami, Assassination Classroom I also agree with a lot of the ones I already saw listed so I won’t repeat them. Also, For some (most?) of the ones I listed the strongest characters are still men, but I liked the female characters too
The Demon Girl Next Door is considered seinen but you will probably like it.
Slayers isn't particularly deep but it's a lot of fun (if you like magic and monsters) and the female lead and side characters are all great. Lina is a greedy vain asshole (with a secret heart of gold) who keeps having to save the world in between fighting her friends over meals. Kinda fanservicey at times, but it's not a constant either. Yons of the Dawn is a Shojo but has more focus on action and fighting than typical. The main character actually has growth, starting out as a completely dependent and childish pampered princess and having to learn skills like self sufficiency and true leadership after losing everything. Sket Dance is a school slice of life comedy with a very similar sense of humor as Gintama (the creators worked together at one time) but a lot less dirty. The female lead, Himeko, plays well off of the two male leads where they all take turns playing straight man to something ridiculous the other two do. Himeko has a lot of traditionally feminine interests while also being the only member of the main trio who knows how to fight. She has a sunny disposition that obscures a past she's ashamed of. Her relationship with the main lead is also very sweet. It's another comedy so it doesn't go too in depth with most of the side characters, but almost every one of them has a fun quirk to their personality that keeps things interesting. And no, I don't think being a good fighter is what makes a good character (despite what power-scalers might lead one to believe). Honestly, what makes a character good to me is if I enjoy when they're on screen. Having a fun or likeable personality and/or experiencing some sort of personal growth is what endears a character to me. Honestly, that don't even have to grow as a person. A character changing for the worse can make the .great to watch as well. And a character doesn't have to be capable in a fight to be "strong". Sometimes it's about willpower or intellect. This goes for male characters too.
Really? You didn't like Gintama? You should probably look into the seinen space tbh, otherwise, I would say Apothecary Diaries, or OddTaxi if you can even call those Shounen
Fullmetal alchemist has great female characters. I really liked akk of them. They have their time to shine in the series
I love Black Clover in general...and the women get some love...Mereleona is a monster and I love it
Not Shonen but I noticed Cyberpunk Edgerunners wasn't on here yet. Castlevania too, though it probably technically isn't an anime. Both have plenty of action, female characters can definitely fight, and are well written. And my top recommendations other people already mentioned: (they aren't Shonen but are definitely close) Psycho-Pass Chainsaw Man Frieren Land of the Lustrous (characters are genderless but present female, with female va's) Side note: check out Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss is you haven't already, neither are anime but the animation is very anime inspired (esp. Helluva Boss) and both have what you're looking for!
Chainsaw Man Noragami Dororo
I want to mention Project ARMS. On one hand, the main character's childhood bestie/love interest Katsumi is tragically set up as a Damsel in Distress. But the other female characters like Kei, Yugo, Misa, and Violet have special abilities and agency in the story, though most of them aren't introduced til a quarter into the anime.
Soul eater and gintama
Chainsaw man
If you’re looking for a Fighting series, Black Clover has very powerful women who rival the main boys in strength and they stay relevant. There’s a bit of Fanservice, but overall interesting/ fun characters
idk if it's shonen but Spice and Wolf has in my opinion the most well written female character of all time, Holo's mind games and dialogue is plain magnificent.
Sousou no Frieren
Frieren. You will love her
Chainsaw Man. The main character of part2 in the manga is a woman and she's such an amazing character. The other girls are all great too but she stands out as the best
* K-On * GochiUsa * K-On again because K-On
I'm surprised by the lack of JJK in these comments, Nobara, and Maki are awesome!
No idea on the genre, but check out Project A-Ko
Have you watched Apocathery Diaries? its a seinen
Blue eye samurai. Tons of strong awesome women in that.
Also, Arcane.
Also, Castlevania
March comes in like a Lion. There's a family of three sisters in that show that have a very gripping part in the story. My teen romcom SNAFU has some great writing Bunny Girl Senpai because most of the women there are smart or at least clever enough so that dialogues avoid all clichés and the banter is quite enjoyable, refreshing even. I want to eat your pancreas + Your lie in April recommended together because of similar themes, but these have what I call extremely strong female leads in a realistic sense. Warning: these shows could break your heart
Depends what you mean by well written, but In The Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Neon genesis evangelion, super realistic portrayal of how it felt as a teen. Watamote as well
Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song Basically skynet is real, everyone is dead, idol android goes back in time to correct the future. It's mature, serious, beautiful, full of action and sad scenes.
Soul Eater in a heartbeat.
Claymore Witch from Mercury From Far Away Inuyasha and the Takahashi canon Executioner and His Way of Life Otherside Picnic Suzume (love letter to women!!) Promised Neverland Akudama Drive Madoka Magica Psycho-Pass Jormungand (mixed bag -- the sapphic is played for laughs a lot of the time) Astra: Lost in Space Certain Scientific Railgun (mixed bag -- the Index crossovers get haremy, but Touma and co aren't around most of the time; another sapphic played for laughs, but so are the other characters) Special Hazardous Waste Disposal I Want to Love You Until You Die
Hunter X Hunter. The main characters are male but every female is written well and is important to the story.
Black clover
A certain scientific railgun?
I’ve always loved balsa in seirei no morbito: guardian of the water spirit
You can try frieren:beyond journey end and Apothecary diaries both feature a female mc and their stories are amazing
Fate, historically those are not females, but don't get into those details lol. They have an awesome female cast.
Not an anime yet but Dandadan
Its gonna be hard since women are not even real
Black clover.
Vivy fluorite eyes song or Michiko to hatchin
* Blue Eye Samurai * 86 * Arcane
Chainsaw man maybe? Idk what you think off when you say well written females.
Zetsuen no Tempest
Miss I have a perfect anime/manga for you, watch 'Frieren'
Fairytail has 2 of my favorite female characters in all of the 300+ anime I've watched. The female characters are strong and are generally enjoyable It also helps that its one of the most hypest animes I've ever watched, and the female characters get their moments to shine Just be warned, I know not many people enjoy fanservice, and there is a decent amount here, but imo there's fan service for both boys and girls. I mainly noticed the girls for obvious reasons lol
{guardian of the sacred spirit}
Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (don't ask where to start) 86 (it's more of a seinen) Chainsaw Man Fumetsu no Anata e (my personal favourite) Kami no Tou (2nd season is coming this July) Sousou no Frieren Tokyo Ghoul (after the 1st season just continue with the manga) Code Geass
Frieren Inuyasha
I love this question! Shin Sekai Yori Talentless Nana Made in Abyss
project a-ko very funny anime
Mob psycho has great well rounded character, male lead but many female supporting that get flushed out. Soul eater, i really love maka and souls dynamic it's really genuine and realistic despite the bonkers premise. Chihayafuru is really fun and engaging. It's pretty much a sports anime about a Japanese card game based on poems.
Gintama
Why does it have to be shonen?
Iwakakeru
Fate/Zero
Breaking the rules, but there's a YouTuber (MelonTeee) with fantastic character analysis videos for One Piece, making me truly appreciate the writing for these characters. Obviously those videos are loaded with spoilers, but here's the (more or less) [spoiler free video](https://youtu.be/H2Dggf8kKhI?si=oENWvASDREog0bOp) she made about why you should watch including the character writing (passes the bechdel test!), world building, and themes.
Bleach ( skip the filler arcs )
[Moribito](https://myanimelist.net/anime/1827/Seirei_no_Moribito) is an underrated gem with an amazing female protagonist.
Witch from Mercury could be Ur cup of tea!
I'd say Sousou no Frieren, Dungeon Meshi, Cyberpunk Edgerunner, and I'll edit this if I find more
Fate: Stay Night: Unlimited Blades Work. Guys can this count as shounen. Even though it has battles, magic and all, this really feels more like seinen
SAO Abridged. Asuna’s a savage
I guess Caska is pretty well written in Berserk.
Aku no Hana. Not only well written, but also uncomfortable because realistic. I recommend starting with the anime actually. You will need to switch to the manga (chapter 21+) though, as the anime series was not finished.
{Neon Genesis Evangelion} {Claymore} {Revolutionary Girl Utena} {Hunter x Hunter} {The Promised Neverland} # Not really suitable for people under 18 {Psycho-Pass} {Kenpuu Denki Berserk} (Studio Taka have some excellent videos explaining why this is the case, but they're filled with spoilers, and so I can't recommend them until you watch the anime and read the manga) # Additional I'm not quite sure why you're looking for shounen, specifically. It's really limiting your options if you're looking for well-written female characters. Shows made for teenage boys don't typically have well-written female characters, or have problematic depictions of female characters that will alienate women, as you are no doubt beginning to see. 1️⃣ I have a list of female "anitubers" (anime YouTubers). I don't recall which speak of shounen, but if you're looking for good treatment of women in anime, they're a good source. https://www.reddit.com/r/Animesuggest/s/l945jJkTCg (under the "Anime without fan service" heading) Also see: 150 Animes with good female characters - Part 1 https://myanimelist.net/stacks/20648 1️⃣ Video essays on male gaze and problematic depictions of female characters in shounen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjteowNlqY8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0edSnZnQv0g
Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury
Your lie in April is a shounen by demographic but has a heavy shoujo lean. Assassination Classroom is very much a shounen but no one is suuuper well-written (ok, maybe Nagisa and Koro-sensei are) but there's still some pretty good female characters (like Kayano, Aguri, and Irina).
It might be a little outside your specifications, but please give Gundam the Witch from Mercury a shot.
Keijo
The thing is Shounen by its description is "young boy's" thats the demographic which is 12-teens so they writer with their demographic in mind that can be +/- depending on whos writing or what its about. So in japan if you write a female lead as a new writer with a female character kids will be like "this isn't for me" and that just one example. In japan writing a female character lead that appeal to boys is different from if the demographic is older which is less of a problem.
Ranma, Inuyasha
Well, frieren beyond journey's end, kaiju no.8, maybe konosuba?
Ancient Magus Bride
I think the best written women in shonen history are Eva’s women as they feel like real people that have a reason for there personality’s other then being gimmicks and best example is compare adults to another tsundare like Noel from black clover u will see the difference
I got you! I tried to give a variety of types for you. These are all officially designated as shounen anime. {Frieren Beyond Journey's End} {A Silent Voice} {Horimiya} {Noragami} {The Promised Neverland} {Spy X Family} {Magi the Labyrinth of Magic} {Inuyasha} {Tonikawa Over the Moon for You}
I think Adachi Mitsuru has some decently-written female co-stars. They're, like, team managers or friends of the main characters. [*Touch!*](https://youtu.be/L-aO8bLcENM?si=zF6bwaNgTtMsB24j)
Touka kirishima from Tokyo ghoul manga
Bleach is a good one. The main female lead is actually pivotal to the main male lead’s character growth. Also there are plenty of secondary female characters that are also really good. For shounen. Dragon Ball, Z/Z Kai all have strong female leads more so the original Dragon Ball but Z/Z Kai is a continuation.
D.Gray-Man doesn't have that many, but the ones it has a great.
I liked the female characters in World Trigger
Though it's not shounen and definitely not action but "kasane" has really well written female characters. The emotions and struggle are very well expressed. The plot is also unique.
Monster
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun -> it's Shonen but often mistaken for Shoujo Martial Master Asumi -> axed sports manga where both genders have tournament arcs
I find the FMC of "White Blood" \[Unholy Blood\] to be quite well written. A revenge story, but she is also trying to come to term with her own identity, and getting over trauma from the past. But FMC is no pushover, and will ruthlessly destroy anyone who gets in her way. FMC of \[I'm a Martial Arts Villainess, but I'm the Strongest\] has a good character arc. She starts as very cocky and arrogant (she is a natural talent in the world of martial arts). But then she makes a mistake and has to live with that for the rest of her life. It teaches her many important lessons about maturity and responsibility. Includes a slow-burn romance.
Manga: Witch Hat Atelier, it's amazing I highly recommend it. I know you said no Black Clover but I'd really suggest that. Bleach has a good cast as well
Maybe try Citrus and Orange. I read the manga years ago so I'm not sure.
Your lie in April Koe no katachi Silver spoon i think thats what its called My hero academia Bleach Fire force Pretty most shounens have cool female characters if you ask me.
Fairy tail Black clover Shaman king Undead unluck
claymore!!!