Anime is a genre of entertainment that’s supposed to be for everyone right? I mean there are countless of genres and scenarios that are meant for various types of demographics, there’s something for every age group, gender, and niche.
So why does it feel like there are no prominent female leads in Animes that are popular, why are all the action-packed, thrilling, and bare-knuckle fighting Anime like Naruto, Dragon Ball, or One-Punch Man featuring male-only leads whereas their female counterparts in their respective universes are left in the dust?
I mean take a look at how Sakura from Naruto was handled, she was supposed to be someone who could rival the likes of Naruto and Sasuke, especially because she was mentored by one of the Legendary Sannins, but instead, she turned out to be a wimpy, weak and unreliable character crying for naruto in every fight. So is this blatant misogyny or is there something else at play?
Well, the fact of the matter is that there are plenty of strong, dependant, and likable leads in many Anime, they aren’t just as popular as mainstream Anime, but this doesn’t mean that they are inferior in any way.
So without further ado, let’s get on with this list.
Ai Enma from Hell Girl
Ai Enma, the protagonist from Hell Girl is the basic definition of a commanding scary, and dominant female lead. I mean her literal job is to drag the damned to literal hell.
In this dark fantasy world, anyone who harbors a strong enough grudge and an internet connection can type down the victim’s name on a special website. What does this do though?
The individual whose name will be dragged into hell, while the attacker who wrote down the name will follow them to hell as well, think of it as a twisted concoction of Death Note and the Death Reaper seal from Naruto.
AI Enma, the mysterious Hell Girl, is in charge of everything—acting as a Shinigami, in a similar way to Ryuk from Death Note.
Which technically makes her the Queen of Hell. Badass—I know.
| Directed by | Takahiro Omori |
| Produced by | Ai Abe Norihiro Hayashida |
| Written by | Kenichi Kanemaki |
| Original run | October 4, 2005 – April 4, 2006 |
| Episodes | 26 |
Elizabeth from Black Butler
Elizabeth was a protagonist who was rightfully despised from the start.
She was overly emotional, too cute and clumsy, and placed a high value on parties and dresses. The blandest, most basic, and most annoying combination you can get for a lead role.
Her girly and kawaii personality drastically changed during the later part of the show when it was disclosed that Elizabeth is.
In fact, an expert swordswoman whose skills far exceed the capabilities of a normal human.
Elizabeth is a fearless, fiercely talented swordswoman who usually wields two swords. How cool is that? She absolutely destroyed several Bizarre Dolls to protect Ciel and later held her ground against Sebastian Michaelis, a terrifying foe who haunts me in my sleep.
Her swordsmanship is classified as superior to her brother, who is a very powerful swordsman in his own right. Imagine trying to mess with her thinking she’s just another damsel, and finding yourself being sliced by two swords.
Misaki Kirihara from Darker Than Black
Misaki is not only a dedicated and self-sufficient young lady, but she is also a very insightful officer.
Misaki has an unshakeable will and sense of justice as well as a commendable moral compass, and her motivation for becoming a police officer is exceedingly noble: to defend the vulnerable and bring justice to those who have been unjust.
Besides being a noble character and persona, one can also applaud her skills as an officer, With intellect and deduction skills as great as hers I’m not sure how she is not a detective instead of an officer.
Nonetheless, she’s also skilled at hand-to-hand combat, being able to pull her own weight in a fight, as well as being a skilled and accurate shooter.
Medaka Kurokami from Medaka Box
Medaka Kurokami is the female heroine of the Medaka Box series. She’s a kind-hearted girl whos also a child prodigy and a genius.
Medaka appears to be the mother of all Mary Sues, but she pulls it off. This is also how an author can pull off a feminine female lead.
Her in-universe ability is to excel in all she attempts. She possesses incredible intellectual and physical prowess. With no desires of her own, she devoted her life to making other people happy.
To that purpose, she takes on the role of her entire school’s Student Council and establishes the eponymous request box. What’s the purpose of the request box? Well, any student can put in a request anonymously inside the box, and it’s up to her to fulfill that request. Why does she do this you may ask
Well, it’s simply because of her kind-hearted and caring nature She is committed to completing any work set in the suggestion box. Medaka purchases a flower vase for each duty she completes. She intends to one day have finished so many ideas that the entire academy is covered with beautiful flowers.
Medaka’s purity means that her story’s conflict does not come from any of the opponents. In fact, most of her adversaries admit to being unable to stand up to her in a direct confrontation.
Her conflict stems from her inability to connect with anyone, as she feels alienated from her peers because she does not have someone in her life who can stand as her equal. Being faster than light means that you can only live in darkness, this saying really applies to her.
She copes with this feeling of loneliness by helping people to better understand and connect with others.
Lina Inverse from Slayers
Slayers is a fantastic Anime in general, and not only because it has an awesome female protagonist.
Lina Inverse and her mages go through a magical realm of swords and sorcery in the series.
At first glance, this appears to be just another modern Isekai, yet the program distinguishes out due to its distinct charm and sense of humor.
It plays with fantasy story conventions while also praising and making them seem grand when necessary.
Lina, for one, has a lot going for her. She is intelligent, creative, and a literal wizard. Of course, she may be egotistical, irritable, and a glutton, but those flaws are entertaining.
The most distinctive feature of hers is that she’s confident and knows when to take charge, completely changing an unfavorable situation for her and her mages into something more deal able. Behind all that loud, obnoxious, and funny personality is a calm, collected, and cunning person. You don’t have many characters like these, not even male ones.
Conclusion
- Well, the fact of the matter is that there are plenty of strong, dependant, and likable leads in many Animes, they aren’t just as popular as mainstream Anime, but this doesn’t mean that they are inferior in any way.
- Ai Enma, the protagonist from hell girl is the basic definition of a commanding scary, and dominant female lead. I mean her literal job is to drag the damned to literal hell.
- Elizabeth is a fearless, fiercely talented swordswoman who usually wields two swords
- Misaki has an unshakeable will and sense of justice as well as a commendable moral compass, and her motivation for becoming a police officer is exceedingly noble.
- Medaka Kurokami is the female heroine of the Medaka Box series. She’s a kind-hearted girl whos also a child prodigy and a genius.
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- One Piece: How Long Would It Take To Watch At Once?
- Is A Career In Animation Realistic? (Find Out)
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