What is shoujo?

Shoujo (少女), translated as “young woman”, is a demographic aimed at teenage girls. The most iconic and influential Shoujo character designs come from the early 20th century, where girls and boys alike were drawn with huge eyes. Shoujo is the counterpart of Shounen, a demographic aimed at boys and young men.

Is shoujo manga an art style or an audience?

It’s an audience, not necessarily an art style. They tend towards one way or the other, but there’ve been shoujo manga out there that looked awfully shounen to me. That said, I think a big thing is roundness. I think shoujo manga, I think tall, lanky, yaoi shovel-hands on the guys, and angles abounding.

What is an arthouse anime?

In anime, arthouse shows are rife with eccentric storytelling and/or experimental animation. Sometimes the stories are less than straight-forward, and certainly, these series are not to everyone’s taste. But arthouse shows are vital in a medium that has become increasingly commercialized.

Does Shoujo have a lot of romance?

Shoujo can cover a variety of subjects that are not primarily romantic. For example Natsume Yuujinchou does not have much romance, if any at all. There’s also Ore Monogatari!!, which actually focuses on a boy’s feelings and insecurities.

Shoujo is most often defined as ‘girl’, but can more accurately be translated as ‘young woman’. While there is no definite age range, shoujo is targeted to girls as young as seven to ten years old to those as old as eighteen.

What is the age range for Shoujo?

While there is no definite age range, shoujo is targeted to girls as young as seven to ten years old to those as old as eighteen. For this reason, they can include anything from innocent girls’ stories to those containing stronger material advised for more mature readers.

What are the characteristics of shoujo manga?

There is, however, one trait that is a key part of almost all shoujo manga: the emphasis on portraying feelings and emotions of the characters. The characters’ emotions and interpersonal relations are key aspects. For some, a particular shoujo manga may be able to evoke strong emotion due to the reader’s ability to associate with the characters.

What is the best shoujo magazine to read?

The Ribon magazine, published by Shueisha, is currently the most popular magazine for shoujo stories, with a circulation of over one million subscribers per month. Shoujo Beat, released by VIZ media, is yet another such magazine that is distributed monthly.