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15 of The Best Josei Anime that Any Anime Lovers Should Watch

paradise kiss best josei anime

Table of Contents (TL:DR)

Josei anime is a type of show geared towards women in their 20s and 30s, but it can be enjoyed by anyone who is an avid fan of the shoujo genre. In this blog post, we will take a look at the 15 Best Josei Animes that any anime lover should watch!

What is Josei Anime?

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Josei is a genre intended for an audience of older women who want to read mature content. It often tackles themes like intimate relationships and other serious aspects of life in ways shoujo never would or could. Unlike those more lighthearted genres about typical everyday topics aimed at younger readers (shoujo), Josei adds depth by giving the reader something not everyone their age has experienced yet, such as trauma.

So now that we discussed what Josei anime is about let’s start with our list!

15. Honey and Clover

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Honey and Clover is an anime series that follows the lives of three friends who live in Tokyo. They are Yuta, Takumi, and Shinobu. The trio spends their time making art together while also dealing with life’s challenges when it comes to love.

Honey and Clover’s ability to tackle real-life issues head-on, including love and loss, finding one’s place in the world. This rare example of a romance josei anime that doesn’t fall into pandering or fan service keeps viewers engaged with its character development as well as emotional depth.

Check Out: A Top 20 List of The Best Drama Anime for Your Viewing Pleasure

14. 07-Ghost

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07-Ghost is a fantasy manga series by Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichirō. It tells Teito Klein’s story, an orphan raised in a church alongside his friend Mikage. They are caught up in the battle between two powerful military groups – The Barsburg Empire and The Church’s Military Police Force —l

07 Ghost is an anime worth giving a shot. Why not try it out? There are plenty of people who I’ve convinced to give this show a chance, and they ended up loving it in the end! The slow-moving plot may be tedious for some, but if you’re patient enough, then there’s no telling how much enjoyment could await at the other side. So go on now–give 07 Ghost a watch–you might just get hooked 😉

13. Peach Girl

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Peach Girl is a lighthearted comedy that is only 25 episodes long. However it’s important to note that this anime can be more serious and dramatic when the story calls for it, so not everything in here will always be funny. There are many different characters with their own problems, which also gives off an interesting vibe of life.

Peach Girl is an anime that focuses primarily on the life of high schooler Momo Adachi. She finds herself in a whirlwind romance with her best friend’s boyfriend and deals with friendships turned sour by betrayal. Peach Girl features all your favorite tropes; love triangles over hyped moments between friends involving dramatic arguments or teary confessions where we can’t help but laugh at how childish everyone sounds when they’re fighting for their own happiness…and let’s not forget some great pop ure references every now and then!

If you are into comedy-dramas about young adults who have no idea what they want out of life yet manage to make it through tough situations anyway–Peach girl should be on your watch list.

Check Out: 10 Must Watch Anime If You Like Toradora

12. Boys Over Flowers

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Boys Over Flowers is about a girl named Makino who is on the verge of graduating from high school. However, her life changes when she meets arrogant rich boy Shima and his circle of friends…who just so happen to be some of the most popular boys in school!

An intense romance series that will stir up your emotions and make you question what true love is.

Boys over Flowers might initially be seen as a cliche high school drama, but it quickly becomes clear this show deserves more than just one watch. With an unbelievably deep storyline with characters in constant conflict internally and externally, these four seasons of Boys over Flowers should not go unmissed by any serious anime fan.

Check Out: 27 Of The Best Anime Like Kaichou wa Maid-sama

11. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

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Anohana is the story of a ghost who returns to haunt her best friend five years after she lost his life. The problem? Neither Menma nor Jintan knows why. Both jump on the “unfinished business” theory that they need to grant Menma’s wish before sending her into heaven. However, neither one has any idea what this wish could be!

Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is a gut-wrenching anime that will break your heart and heal you in the same breath. This show pulls no punches from its first episode to its last as it takes us on an emotional roller coaster ride through loss and redemption. It’s a beautiful story of friendship told with complex characters who are anything but unlikable makes Anohana one of my favorites of all time.

Check Out: 26 Of The Best Heart Warming Anime Films You Should Watch Today

10. Eden Of The East

Akira Takizawa wakes up outside the White House with no memories. He’s got a cell phone, but he doesn’t know who gave him these things or why they did it. When his phone rings for the first time, though, Akira discovers that ten billion yen are waiting on this device as well as access to someone who can grant any wish he could think of.

While Eden of the East might not have a satisfying ending, it’s still worth picking up. With its fantastic animation and whimsical characters– as well as plenty more that await you in the movies!– this series is one everyone needs to check out for themselves.

Check Out: 20 Of The Best Thriller Anime That Will Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat

9. Kids On The Slope

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Kids on the Slope tells a story about love, loss, and jazz. When high-schoolers Kaoru Nishimi (a tenor sax player) and Sentaro Kawabuchi (an alto sax player) meet in an unlikely place, they find themselves having to come together as friends on their quest. For jazz band glory!

Like other coming-of-age stories, Kids on the Slope follows a group of friends as they traverse adolescence. Music is their constant companion and special focus in this anime adaptation from director Shinichiro Watanabe (who also directed Samurai Champloo). The show explores everyday struggles that seem impossible to teenagers while still maintaining an upbeat sense of humor and fun.

Check Out: 12 of the Best Anime Created by Mappa Studio, According to My Anime List

8. Nodame Cantabiles

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The story of Chiaki and Nodame is not a typical love story. The two are opposites in personality, but they have in common their passion for music.

Nodame Cantabile tells the unlikely college romance between perfectionist star pupil Chiaki Shinichi who aspires to become conductor from Momogaoka Academy of Music, and slob genius pianist Noda Megumi (who prefers to go by ‘Nodame’) with barely any knowledge on sheet music or playing piano solely through ear-training that has taken her so far since she started at age four!

Nodame Cantabile is so much more than just a show about classical music. It’s hilarious, intense, and deeply emotional all at the same time—a masterpiece of storytelling that will appeal to anyone who loves anime or classic musicals!

7. Chihayafuru

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Chihayafuru is a heart-wrenching, beautiful story of love and redemption. It follows Chihaya – an optimistic girl who becomes immersed in the world of karuta after being introduced to it by Arata, her transfer student classmate.

Together with their childhood friend Taichi they form a makeshift team that lasts all too short before tragedy strikes. Yet even when hope seems lost for them, both will find themselves learning more about life than just how to play this card game!

Chihayafuru is a manga and anime that stands out from the competition. It breaks away from typical shoujo stories by always keeping its central ideas in mind, while Chihaya doesn’t take long to figure out her feelings for Arata either–a refreshing change among all other love triangles we’ve seen before.

Check Out: Top 30 Animes By Madhouse Studio: According To My Anime List

6. Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi: The World’s Greatest First Love

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The storyline follows three main “couples” that all happen to be involved in Marukawa Publishing. If you recognize the name, it’s because they were also featured in Junjou Romantica. This anime is actually a spin-off of that story!

Attempting to break the confines of everyday life, this anime tells a story about two boys in love. Their adventures take them on an emotional journey where they both learn more about themselves and each other.

5. Into The Forest Of Fireflies Lights

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Hotaru was a young girl who got lost in an enchanted forest. One day, Hotaru met Gin, and they became friends after he helped her out of the forest. Every summer during Summer vacation for as long as she could remember, She would visit Gin to play games with him. Still, soon enough, their age gap started catching up on them where his spirit form wouldn’t grow any older than when they first crossed paths until one fateful night changed everything…

You will enjoy this anime. Suppose you’ve ever experienced a forbidden love or an unachieved first love. In that case, this story will resonate with your own experience. Short and simple but lacking nothing – it is thoroughly enjoyable to watch while also shedding tears of nostalgia for timeless memories that never quite left us all these years later.

Check Out: 17 Best Romance Anime Movies That You Need To Watch Today

4. Skip Beat!

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Although it may not be as glamorous as what people in the showbiz industry might have you believe, Skip Beat! is a series that highlights some of the darker aspects of becoming successful. From heartbreak to bullying and being taken advantage of by those supposed to provide for her, this anime follows Kyoko through all these obstacles, which help mold her into an independent woman.

Skip Beat! is perfect for anyone who loves comedy, drama, and an intriguing story. This show portrays the world of show business realistically with evolving characters and never-ending twists. The animation, voice actors, and simple character design are just some more reasons to give this series a shot if you’re interested in watching it yourself.

Check Out: 41 Of The Best Shoujo Anime Of All Time: From The 70’s To The Present

3. Princess Jellyfish

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In Akiko Higashimura’s Princess Jellyfish (Kuragehime), the main character, Kurashita Tsukimi, lives in a woman-only communal house with five other women. They call themselves the Amars, and they’re all socially awkward, obsessed with their hobbies, and severely intimidated by “Stylish” people who groom fashionably. But one day, she is befriended by a Stylish Girl named Miya Ochiai, and her world flips upside down and that of the Amars’.

Princess Jellyfish is a lighthearted and hilarious look at the nature of obsessions, NEET ure, and gender using one of the most diverse casts that I have seen in an anime. Featuring characters who identify as transgender or are questioning their identity through Kuranosuke’s character, Princess Jellyfish also focuses on fashion acceptance. While romance may be less prominent than others because it never really goes anywhere by the show’s end, you’ll still get to see how these colorful cast members grow while discovering more about themselves along with them.

Check Out: 20 Of The Best Anime Traps That Will Confuse You

2. Paradise Kiss

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When Yukari Hayasaka is discovered by the members of Paradise Kiss, she finds herself focusing on her studies and fashion modeling for their line. Initially uninterested in this new commitment, soon after meeting them face to face at a party though, Yukari feels drawn to this group which includes George, who’s a charismatic leader and Miwako- Arashi’s peppy girlfriend. It doesn’t take long before they persuade the studious high schooler into modeling their clothes!

Paradise Kiss is a story about girls who dream of independence and the struggles to break free from their own and others’ expectations. They struggle with friendship-break ups and family turmoil while trying to pursue their dreams in an unforgiving world.

1. Nana

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The anime follows the life of two people named Nana as they live their days in Tokyo. They both have different dreams, different personalities, and different lives to live in general, but soon discover that when one is around the other, it feels like things will work out for themselves too. When faced with tough situations such as friendships or family problems, having someone there by your side makes everything seem less daunting.

The animation and the dense dialogue at first made it diffi to enjoy this anime, but after watching for a while, I found myself pulled in. It is amazing how they can take relatable situations like breakups or family issues and turn them into something so intense that you cannot avert your eyes from what’s happening onscreen. This anime has a unique perspective because of its focus on personal relationships with women going through different life experiences.

Check Out: 23 Of The Best Rom Com Anime Of All Time

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I’ve watched a lot of anime in my days, but that doesn’t stop me from watching more. Whether it be new or old, I’ll give it a run-through and tell you what I think about it. We’re currently living in the golden age of anime with so many great shows out there to watch. At Caffeine Anime, I hope to share my love for anime with you!

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