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13 Action-Packed Girls' Manga with Awesome Leading Ladies


Manga tends to be categorized by the target demongraphic of whatever magazine it runs in. So shoujo manga is manga aimed at teenage girls, while shonen manga is aimed at teenage boys. Much like many things that are “for girls”, shoujo manga gets dismissed and stereotyped quite a lot. But it’s a mistake to do this, as shoujo has an important and impressive history and anime and manga wouldn’t be the same without it, as I go into in my article on the early history of shoujo. Shoujo consists of a diverse range genres and pretty much anyone can find a story they’ll enjoy.

Contrary to stereotypes, there’s a ton of shoujo out there that packed with action and has kickass, dynamic women in the leading role. There’s shoujo with gore, brutal fight scenes and high fantasy. There’s shoujo that challenges gender roles and tells empowering stories of female self-fulfillment. There's shoujo that's wildly out there. I’m going to list a few of my favorites below and talk about why they’re worth checking out. Do you have any epic action shoujo with awesome lady leads to recommend? Say so in the comments! 

  1. The Rose of Versailles by Ryoko Ikeda

    The Rose of Versailles was published in the late 1970s and was a groundbreaking manga in many ways. It is still heavily referenced to this day. This historical epic is set around the French Revolution and follows Oscar, a woman who dresses in men’s clothes and acts as a bodyguard for Marie Antoinette. The story shows how France was plunged into violence, exploring the class issues and political strife of that time. The story includes lots of swordplay and daring fights, focusing on Oscar’s rise as a soldier and her growing awareness of the oppression of the lower class.

    In addition to class issues, it also focuses on gender identity issues and sexuality, as Oscar struggles with whether she can truly live as “a man”. This is definitely worth a looksee as an important part of manga history (it was the first manga ever used for teaching purposes in Japanese schools!)

  2. Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi

    Yona of the Dawn follows a princess named Yona, who is betrayed, cast out and forced to go on the run with her bodyguard, Hak.  Determined to survive and save her kingdom, Yona begins seeking out the four legendary dragon warriors to aid her in her quest. Yona of the Dawn is a beautiful example of character development in manga, showing the protagonists journey from a naïve and sheltered girl to a leader and warrior with the strength to unite people. It’s also a truly heartpounding action adventure- anyone who thinks shoujo manga can’t be bloody and disturbing should take a look at chapter 100.

    The political intrigue and complicated relationships in the manga are also well done and the story has a great balance of humor and drama with its quirky cast. If you like epic fantasy at all, this is worth checking out!

  3. Revolutionary Girl Utena directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara

    Revolutionary Girl Utena tells the story of a girl name Utena who wants to become a prince. While attending the prestigious Ohtori Academy, she discovers that her fellow students are dueling with swords for the possession of a girl they call “the Rose Bride”. Utena intervenes and quickly finds that a twisted world lurks behind the pretty surface of her school…

    Revolutionary Girl Utena is a pointed deconstruction of fairy tale tropes and traditional gender roles. The anime is heavy with symbolism and anyone who likes deeply philosophical and psychological anime is sure to find a lot to sink their teeth into. You can either watch the anime or read the manga by Chiho Saito, but I definitely recommend the anime far more- it’s much more complex and subversive. Learn more here.

  4. Snow White with the Red Hair by Sorata Akizuki

    This manga and anime tells of a girl named Shirayuki who works as an herbalist. Her beautiful red hair gains catches a prince’s attention and he demands she be his concubine. Rather than submit, she cuts off her hair and runs away. While being pursued, she runs into another prince and becomes tangled in his affairs.

    Shirayuki is not an action hero, but she’s unflinchingly brave and resourceful and very dedicated to her chosen career. The manga also still involves quite a bit of action and swordplay thanks to the prince and his friends. The story is more subdued than many on this list, but all the characters are likeable, the romance is sweet and there’s a lot of adventure to be had.

  5. Various Magical Girl Anime and Manga

    Of course, no list of action shoujo with awesome ladies would be complete without mentioning magical girl warrior stories, which focus on girls transforming into superheroes to fight evil.  I’ve talked a bit about how influential magical girl stories are even on Western media and everything besides Madoka on my detailed list of recommendations is shoujo. They’re definitely all worth checking out.

  6. Basara by Yumi Tamura

    In a post-apocalyptic future, a pair of twins are born. One is prophesied to be a child of destiny to will thwart the tyrannical rule of cruel emporer and save their village. The villagers assume the male twin is the chosen one and rally behind him. When he is murdered, his twin sister, Sarasa, takes his place and pretends to be him so her people will not lose hope. Now she must lead the resistance.

    Basara is epic tale of a timid girl who lived in her brother’s shadow rising up to become the leader of a rebellion, even as she finds her loyalties torn and tested. It’s a fairly dark and bloody tale at times, dealing with genocide, slavery, rape, loss of limb and more. The cast is also huge and the worldbuilding is detailed and expansive.

  7. Oresama Teacher by Izumi Tsubaki

    Mafiyu Kurosaki is a former delinquent and gang leader. After being transferred, she is determined to start over as a normal high school girl and not get into any more fights. Unfortunately, she finds she’s still a magnet for trouble, especially after running into a teacher who turns out to be a figure from her past…

    This manga has enough over-the-top action and ridiculous fight scenes to match any shonen. The lead, Mafiyu, is ridiculously badass. At one point, she’s tied to a chair and responds by throwing herself, chair and all, through a glass window, flips over in midair and ignoring her severely bruised tailbone, uses a piece of the shattered glass to cut through her bonds before running off to beat up twelve guys. Oh, and she so doesn’t get in trouble, she’ll sometimes fight while wearing a cutesy bunny mask (and calls herself “lovely bunny, ally of justice”. If you like over-the-top fun, ridiculousness and violence, here’s something for you. 

  8. The Story of Saiunkoku (Light novels by Sai Yukino, manga by Kairi Yura)

    Set in a fictional equivalent to Imperial China (but with demons and ghosts), the story focuses on a woman named Shuurei, who wants to take the imperial exams and become a governor, even though this is forbidden for women. When she is recruited to re-educate the disastrous emporer, she finds herself closer to her dream than ever.

    Shuurei’s not a warrior, but she is a smart, brave and determined woman who steamrollers through prejudice and pushback to create political change. She gains many admirers not just for her pretty face, but her independent and indomitable spirit. Thanks to the constant political schemes, assassinations and skirmishes you see plenty of action. If you like stories with complex politics and worldbuilding, you’ll find a lot of that in this story.

  9. Sukeban Deka by Shinji Wada

    This is another shoujo from the 70s. It follows a delinquent schoolgirl who is blackmailed into working for the cops. Carrying a yo-yo she can beat the crap out of people with, she infiltrates schools and solves crimes. Yeah, it’s as amazing as it sounds. It’s ridiculously over-the-top in pretty much every respect with tons of grisly murders, cackling villains, vicious fights and even explosions. If you like larger than life characters and situations, this is for you. 

  10. Red River by Chie Shinohara

    This manga tells the story of an ordinary high school girl named Yuri who is magically transported back to the ancient Hittite Empire. While trying to avoid becoming a human sacrifice, Yuri gets in many battles, falls in love with a prince and even finds herself revered as a reincarnation of the goddess Ishtar.

    This manga is full of huge battles, sorcery and scheming villains. Yuri quickly transforms from an immature schoolgirl to woman worthy of being called a war goddess, fighting stubbornly for the people she cares about. (It should be noted that she faces a ridiculous amount of attempted rape though and it can get uncomfortable.)

  11. Kanata Kara- From Far Away- and Otogimoyou Ayanishiki by Kyoko Hikawa

    Kyoko Hikawa provides great straightforward action-fantasy with a bit of sweet romance mixed in. Kanata Kara tells the story of Noriko, who is transported to a magical world and gets involved with a mysterious warrior. Though she’s another one who’s not an action girl, she’s an unflappable person who discovers her power over the course of the story.

     Otogimoyou Ayanishiki is a story set during Japan’s Sengoku era, following a girl named Suzu who has to deal with spirits and demons. She knows how to protect herself to a degree though, having been taught how to use her spiritual power by mysterious man who is thought to now be dead. When accosted by a spirit, her power activates a flute she carries as a memento of the man and summons a strange spirit that resembles him. This is a neat adventure story full of cool demons and mythology.

  12. Hiiro no Isu- The Scarlet Chair by Yuki Midorikawa

    This short manga tells the story of a martial artist named Setsu who goes on a quest to find her childhood friend Luca. Luca was suddenly taken away from their village to ascend to the throne as a king a few years ago. When Setsu finally reaches him, she find a total stranger instead. This story isn’t very long, but it has a lot of twists and turns and mystery. There’s conspiracies, assassination attempts and lots of royal drama. Setsu is also an easy lead to root for, as she's scrappy and determined as all get-out

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