♥ Shojo Lovers ♥ discussion

What are your favorite shojo series? Write a brief summary of the plot for each, or a link to one. Just so we can all have a little idea of what they're about. *^__^*

Well, I have a lot. (: So I'll just post one of my favorites to start things off.

The One

Cane Lele was born into the fashion industry. Her mother, Ye Feii, was Taiwan's top model, and her father was also a model, until a tragic airplane crash left Lele without parents.

Therefore it is no surprise that Lele hates the industry, thinking it superficial and unnecessary. Raised by her paternal grandmother, Lele reaches seventeen before she is sucked in by her mother’s sister, Ye Feihung, a fashion agent (and former model) who "convinces" the reluctant Lele to pose.
Lele is adverse to the whole idea, until she sees a photo shoot of popular American model Angus Lanson, and she begins to see modeling as an art form.

When Aunt Feihung's magazine editor invites Angus Lanson to a meeting of all the top fashion ambassadors, Lele is invited along and is curious to meet Angus. She does not know that Angus' twin elder brother, Eros Lanson, is secretly accompanying his brother. This obviously leads to confusion and is the start of a charming story of Lele's goals: Fashion in New York city, becoming a top model, and love? - Source

That sounds awesome! Sorta like Paradise Kiss...

I haven't actually started Paradise Kiss yet. >_> Everytime I think I am I get interuped. T_T

Oh. It's really good. I have been busy with school so I've never had a chance to go get volume 5 from the library XP

I'll check it out then when I have time. (:

Coolio.

I don't know if this would be totally considered shojo by all people...but I really like this series right now.

Tenshi Ja Nai!!

Hikaru Takabayashi wants nothing more than a normal life but when she enrolls at an elite all-girl's high school and gets roomed with the uber popular idol, Izumi Kido, normal is the last word that could describe her life. And if devoted fangirls wasn't bad enough, Hikaru accidently discovers that Izumi's a wolf in sheep's clothing -- or more appropriately, a guy in girl's clothing. Between getting dragged into escapades to keep his identity secret and dealing with the usual high school drama as it is, Hikaru experiences an exhausted but life-changing high school career.

Oh! Sounds interesting!

*puts on to read least*

Lol. It is interesting. Some themes seem to get repetative sometimes, but it's actually really good.

Hmmm, my favorite shojo anime? Would have to be....

Fruits Basket!

Basically centered around the 12 Chinese Zodiac Family, the Sohmas, and an orphaned girl, that learns their secret. When hugged by members of the opposite sex, the particular zodiac transforms into his/her Zodiac form. This could be the (Rooster,Boar,Rat,Snake, etc).

The story line is touching, romantic, dramatic, and most of the time very humorous. It's mainly just a cute story. But once you hit past the first few episodes, you begin to see a darker side of the Sohma family and the curse that haunts them all.

I'm not explaining it right, but it really is a good anime. :)

Continuing on for Fruits Basket: courtesy of Wikipedia.com -

Fruits Basket follows the life of high-school student Tohru Honda, who was recently orphaned when her mother, Kyoko Honda, died in a car accident. After that, Tohru lived with her grandfather, but when his house needs remodeling, Tohru resorts to living in a tent in a forest and holds down a job to support herself. Despite suffering many hardships, Tohru remains optimistic.

One day, Tohru comes upon a house in the forest that is the home of her classmate Yuki Sohma and his cousin Shigure Sohma. When the Sohmas discover that Tohru is living in a tent, they are quite surprised by her inner strength. The entire area is Sohma property, and Tohru asks to be allowed to stay in her tent, but then collapses because of a fever brought on by working too hard. A landslide buries her tent, including her mother's picture and school clothes, and she moves into Shigure's house for the night. Desperate for a break from the filth of the house and takeaway meals, the Sohmas ask Tohru to become a permanent guest in the house, if she cooks and cleans. She accepts, and is being shown her room by Yuki when Kyo Sohma bursts in (through the roof) to challenge Yuki. Tohru, not knowing Yuki's strength, tries to stop Kyo by grabbing him, and as a result he transforms into a cat. She is then hit on the head with a plank of wood, and collapses into Shigure and Yuki, turning them into a dog and rat respectively.

Tohru discovers the Sohma family's secret, and the reason why Yuki is so private and secretive at school: thirteen members of the family are possessed by the 12 animal spirits of the Chinese Zodiac plus the spirit of the cat who was, according to legend, left out of the Zodiac. They transform into animals when hugged by the opposite sex or when put under a great deal of emotional or physical stress (such as being sick). When she promises to keep their secret, the Sohmas allow Tohru to keep her memories rather than hypnotically erasing them, a fate that had previously befallen anyone not "Inside" the Sohma family who had discovered the secret.

The story follows the lives of Tohru and the Sohma family as they deal with each other and a society where neither quite fits in, as well as the feared Akito Sohma, head of the Sohma family. Soon, after living with the Sohma family she began to like, then love, all of the Sohmas, and sets out to break the zodiac curse.

I don't know if anyone else has heard of it, but I currently LOVE the Otomen series. They're funny, and include, at least for me, a new topic in manga.

Here's the summary (from wikipedia)...

Asuka Masamune is the coolest, manliest guy in his whole school. He excels in judo and karate, and as captain of the kendo team he reached the national championship tournament. However, he has a secret: the things he really loves are sweets, cute things, cooking, shōjo manga and sewing. He hides this part of his life from everyone else but then he meets a girl named Ryo Miyakozuka, the daughter of a martial artist and heir to his dojo

Though I'm also a big fan of Fruits Basket, my favourite series is probably Translucent (description from Amazon):

Teen-centric, quirky and romantic, Translucent will appeal to shojo fans who like a little twist with their gakuen mono! Shizuka is an introverted girl, dealing with schoolwork, boys, and a medical condition that begins to turn her invisible! She finds support with Mamoru, a boy who is falling for Shizuka despite her condition, and with Keiko, another girl who suffers from this illness and has finally turned completely invisible. The mysterious disease that these teens struggle with becomes a metaphor in the ordinary lives of the students in their classes, as they try to work their way through their friendships and romances. Writer and artist Kazuhiro Okamoto knows how important surfaces are to people, especially at such a pivotal time in one's life - when dreams are meant to be chased, despite all hurdles. Translucent's shifting variables between what people can see, what people think they see, and what people wish to see in themselves and others makes for an emotionally sensitive manga, peppered with moments of surprising humor, heartbreak and drama.

I just have to read that now. It sounds sooo good X]

How many volumes are there in the series?

♣ Jacinta ♠ wrote: "I just have to read that now. It sounds sooo good X]

How many volumes are there in the series?"

There are going to be 5 in total, 3 of which are out so far. Volume 4 is coming out in August. I can't wait :D

Awesome! And my library has the first three volumes so I put holds on them :D

the first one i ever read and still love is
Lovely Complex
myfave o all time!
oh and Kaichou wa maid-sama!

Oh! I've read most of Lovely Complex! I really liked it because of the humor in the story. And even though the storyline isn't the most realistic, it is still in ways. It doesn't start out with the "guy getting the girl" or the "girl getting the guy" right off the bat like some shojos. But instead, it shows how they fall for each other over time. That was a great part about it for me. :D

i love Lovely COnmplex. I don;t read realistic shojo's most of the time but sometimes i read realistic ones just to b e refreshed. Like Slice of Life ones. i lvoe those

Yeah. Its fun to read shojos that are totally unrealistic X]

Rilly *procrastinator and proud* wrote: "i love Lovely COnmplex. I don;t read realistic shojo's most of the time but sometimes i read realistic ones just to b e refreshed. Like Slice of Life ones. i lvoe those"

I love slice-of-life manga<3 My favourites are Azumanga Daioh and Ichigo Mashimaro (Strawberry Marshmallow), but Yotsubato and Tori Koro rock my socks as well :D

What are those about?

Ichigo Mashimaro, Azumanga Daioh and Tori Koro all have pretty similar characters/summaries, I suppose. Ichigo Mashimaro follows the escapades of four 11 and 12-year-old girls and the sixteen-year-old sister of one of them. Azumanga Daioh is about (and mostly set around) five girls and their five years at high school, and Tori Koro is about a mother and daughter who have to boarders come to stay with them. Azumanga Daioh and Ichigo Mashimaro are my favourites. Probably my favourite mangas of all time, actually.

Yotsubato's about a five-year-old girl called, well, Yotsuba ("to" is Japanese for "and", and many of the chapter names are called, for example, Yotsuba & heavy rain, Yotsuba & global warming, etc), after she moves with her dad from "way over to the left" to a new town, and her hilarious comings and goings with the neighbours.

Oh coolio.

Reimei no arcana is the BEST shojo EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vampire Knight:)

Sailor Moon (also known as "Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" or "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon")
This is a mahou shoujo (magical girl) series.

Sailor Moon, Vol. 1 :

Vol.1 of the TokyoPop edition. "Sailor Moon"

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 1 :

Vol. 1 of the reissued series. "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon".

Um vampire knight or karneval... :)

Abby wrote: "Um vampire knight or karneval... :)"
Karneval if it's the anime the artwork and production was beautiful. I love the story line better in Vampire knight though if we're talking about the manga.

We're talking about both :)