With countless anime shows out there to watch, it can be hard deciding which one to get started one especially for fans looking for strong female leads. Sure there are a million shonen shows out there with bulk brutish men running around, but where are the ladies at?
Thankfully, there are some fantastic shows out there for those looking to see ladies in the spotlight that are worth checking out for any anime fan. In fact, we’ve listed 10 of them right here!
Azumanga Daioh
The classic 4-koma manga’s anime manages to keep the quick humor of the series while giving it a flavor you can only get in animation. The goofs hit really well and the dynamic between all the women of the stories stayed funny and fun. If you’re looking for a totally light fluffy time where girls just get to be friends and do goofs then this is the anime for you. Sadly there isn’t currently anywhere to stream the anime but if you get a chance to watch it, it’s an A+ time. You can watch this show on VRV.
Otherside Picnic
Dangers wander on the Otherside and two girls are dealing with it. Doors appear that lead to the Otherside, in these parallel worlds full of creepypastas and other cryptids. Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina work together to go into the other world and bring back artifacts. The anime blends horor, adventure, and sapphic affection to make for one of the best Yuri animes out there. It also stands out for not just being a romance story like most Yuri anime. You can watch Otherside Picnic on Funimation.
KiraKira Precure A La Mode
There are tons of magical girl series out there but KiraKira Precure A La Mode stands out as one of the most colorful and fun magical girl series around. The whole cast really stands out with their fun personalities and the cooking theme is something that everyone can relate to since we all eat food. Even among the Precure community, KiraKira Precure A La Mode stands out for having Cure Macaron and Cure Chocolate, two women who are clearly in love, as part of their main cast. The monsters are fun beasts that come from sweets and the drama is never so serious that it’s a downer. You can watch this sweet series on Crunchyroll.
Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt
Panty & Stocking is a raunchy comedy time with really fun animation where everything is over the top. The series is for sure not for everyone but the blend of action, amazing music, comedy that just packs a serious punch. There really just isn’t any other anime like this. From the series of gross-out humor to sex jokes that don’t feel like they are at the expense lf women it just hits different. You can laugh along with this series on Funimation.
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Utena is a classic series that revolutionized the world of anime. Many of the series aesthetic choices can be seen ripping through media around the world. As our staring woman duels with the student council to claim the Rose Bride we get stunning serializatist visuals, a budding relationship brewing between Utena and Anthy (the previously mentioned Rose Bride) and a wide cast of memorable characters. Watch this classic story on Funimation.
Kill La Kill
Kill La Kill is a stunningly animated action series about Ryuko, a girl on the path of revenge. This series has non-stop amazingly animated fights that can get a bit skeevy but typically are stunning. The Main rival, Satsuki is utterly iconic with iconicly campy lines delivered as seriously as possible. The whole cast is delightful and weird and honestly, it doesn’t really try to be more than what it is. It’s just a fun time that has some skimpy outfits to sell figures and honestly girl swing sword really cool and fights some other cool ladies and a few guys just works You can enjoy this campy action-packed blast on Funimation.
Flip Flappers
When very average girl Cocona meets the very strange Papika, her whole life gets flipped around. Cocona and Papika find themselves going into alternate worlds called Pure Illusion where they deal with very weird encounters that represent the evolution in their relationship and contain fragments that they are tasked with gathering. They gain empowered forms in that world where they can face the challenges and find out more about themselves, their past, and what the hell is going on. You can be taken on this wild ride on Hidive or Amazon.
My Next Life As A Villainess
My Next Life As A Villainess: All Roads Lead To Doom takes a lot of very on-trend popular anime tropes but executes them so perfectly. Disaster Bisexual Katarina Clase is such a funny protagonist and all of her “harem” are delightful. There are a lot of really good romantic dynamics on display that can get anyone invested in the romance element and wanting the dense protag to understand others’ feelings. If you want goofs and romance you can watch this Isekai hit on Crunchyroll.
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon wasn’t just a show but a cultural moment. The power of just the 4 seasons produced of this anime alone lasted years and years after their release. Sailor Moon made magical girls popular in the west, managed to sell merch basically since it started to today, got a remake anime and everything. Sailor Moon is a cozy time where you get a likable cast of young girls dealing with minor problems that spiral into having massive stakes and monsters intruding on them.
In particular, the Sailor Moon S season really elevated the show with villains who were super funny but could get scary, great anti-heroes in Sailor Uranus and Neptune, and some of the coolest moves. You can watch (or rewatch) this absolute classic on Hulu.
Princess Principal
Princess Charlotte secretly joins a group of spies in an attempt to make her queen, replacing the current cruel government. She is joined by Ange a girl from her past and spymaster, and other women who are working as spies. Together they pull off high-stakes missions to move little political pieces around and reach their ultimate goal of making their country better.
There is a lot of intrigue, fun dynamics, mystery, and even some fun action in this series. It’s the kind of anime where you want to watch it to see how they pull off their missions and the little things that go wrong they have to adapt to. The anime doesn’t shy away from heavier topics but is consistently enthralling. You can watch this exciting series on Hidive.