Mature, strong and rebellious female characters
Anime
This stack is dedicated to shows whose female protagonists or significant female characters are mature and willing to stand up for themselves. Not all of them are adults or physically strong, but each of them has a strong-willed character and an understanding of their goals and interests in life. Otherwise, there are no restrictions on genre, demographics or aesthetics, except for the actual content, and not some purely fanservice-pandering "girlboss" titles.
TV, 2020,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:8
Probably the quintessence of such characters. Not only is Minare capable of kicking trashy men's ass, but she's also committed to pursuing her career as a radio host, even if it means constantly getting herself into all sorts of crazy situations.
TV, 1997,
39 eps
Me:-
Author:-
Ikuhara's metaphorical manifesto that women are capable of taking on stereotypically male roles in society and media. Otherwise, Utena is so well known that I don't think I need to write an essay about the character.
TV, 2020,
24 eps
Me:-
Author:8
Nobara is a prime example of the modern type of strong female characters in shonen anime and manga. Even though she still has stereotypically "girly" hobbies and interests, she is still able to defend herself in battle or help other women avoid becoming victims of the surrounding society.
TV, 2015,
13 eps
Me:-
Author:10
Essentially the whole story is about how Kumiko goes through various stages of life, gradually turning from a airhead and immature young girl into an experienced and professional female musician.
TV, 2016,
13 eps
Me:-
Author:9
In essence, the show can serve as an example of both a spoiled kept woman who is trying to organize her life at the expense of pliable men, and a mature, self-confident woman who is able to build a career in a stereotypically male industry.
TV, 2019,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:10
A prime example of shonen anime with a strong female protagonist. Moreover, even leading a typical “boy show,” Emma still remains a strong-willed and charismatic girl, and not a “guy in a skirt.”
TV, 2014,
24 eps
Me:-
Author:-
This is far from the first action or adventure show with a female protagonist, but Yona managed to make it a full-fledged mainstream, selling such an anime as a full-fledged show of the genre, and not something “for girls”.
TV, 2006,
11 eps
Me:-
Author:7
An adaptation of the manga about a rebellious female reporter from Hiddeaki Anno's wife.
TV, 2007,
26 eps
Me:-
Author:-
If you're looking for a serious dark fantasy with a female protagonist that's every bit as good as a classic examples of the genre, then Claymore will definitely appeal to you.
TV, 2008,
22 eps
Me:-
Author:-
Female buddy road movie, demonstrating that you can successfully tell a story typical of the genre with quite mature and feminine characters who do not copy men and are not some kind of fetish for a male audience. Also, lots of different representation if that's important.
TV, 2019,
14 eps
Me:-
Author:8
This show was the second tank after Otome Game that was able to start the otome isekai wave and I can understand why. You can hardly remember another show in the genre where the female protagonist achieves her goal thanks to her intelligence and efficiency, while using virtually no “feminine charms” or following any “princess” tropes.
TV, 2020,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:8
Feminist power fantasy about a woman artist during the Renaissance. I think that this show can be called an ideal for this genre and intentions, which Western media can strive for for many years to come.
TV, 1979,
40 eps
Me:-
Author:8
The iconic feminist fantasy that women are capable of playing stereotypically masculine roles in society with honor. Naturally, like Utena, Oscar needs no introduction. Also, the author went so far as to suggest that the love relationship between Oscar and Andre should be perceived as quasi-BL.
TV, 2021,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:6
This show may be the furthest thing from the original manga and anime, and also have some pretty questionable plot developments, but at least its version of Lady Snowblood is still pretty authentic and true to the original in her willpower, maturity, and ability to kick ass.
TV, 1998,
26 eps
Me:-
Author:8
Fey not only manages to be a full member of the team and an important part of the show's main cast, but also gets some pretty meaningful and mature subplot and character development even while apparently being the token chick among Spike's friends.
