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5 JOSEI ANIMES YOU SHOULD WATCH


If it´s one thing I love more than shoujo anime it´s Josei. I think as you get older, your tastes definitely evolve, so the animes that once had teenage you all in your feelings may start to seem a little unrealistic, that´s where I think Josei comes in. For those of you all wondering, what the hell is this genre of anime, let me help you out.


According to the ever so trusty Wikipedia, Josei is defined as 'anime-manga made for women in their late teens into adulthood. Readers can range in age from 18 to 25. Josei can portray realistic romance as opposed to the mostly idealized romance of shojo manga. It can be both more sexually explicit and contain more mature story telling.'


That is definitely one thing that I love about Josei, the story lines are more relatable and as you get older you start to identify less with those fantasy idealized relationships in most shoujo anime and more the realistic situations presented in Josei.


Below I have listed 5 Josei animes that will help you jump straight into this not so popular but addictive genre.

1. NANA


My first and probably favorite Josei of all time, NANA caught me by surprise, kept me hooked and left me wanting more! The story follows the life of 2 girls both called NANA and although their names may be similar, their personalities are far from it. The first half of the anime is narrated by one of the NANA's and the second half by the other. The story line is centered around the lives of the two girls as they attempt to follow their dreams in the big of city of Tokyo. 


Never before had I ever seen an anime like this. I mean, I was used to watching romance animes but not to this extent. The anime dealt with topics of romance, heartbreaks, abuse, pregnancy, work, depression and so much more and did so in such a captivating way. I literally didn´t know what to do with myself when I was on the last episode. I felt like there was an empty space that could only be filled by more episodes.



The good news is that you can continue where the series left off by following the manga but the bad news is that the manga has been on hiatus since Ai Yazawa, the mangaka, fell ill in 2009. In a way I like to think that it allows us to create our own ending or maybe one day Yazawa will surprise us with the completed manga, who knows but one thing for sure is that NANA is truly one of the best Joseis and animes that I have ever seen!



Read More: here

2. PARADISE KISS


Coming from the same mangaka as NANA, Paradise Kiss (also abbreviated to ParaKiss), is another great anime to get you into the Josei world. Although much shorter than NANA (having only 12 episodes), the anime is equally as entertaining and captivating as its counterparts. The story follows Yukari Hayasaka, a high school student who is determined to be the best but at the same time bored with her monotonous life until she encounters a group of fashion design students who want her to model their creations. Things get complicated as the modelling starts to get into the way of her studies and even more complicated when she starts to develop feelings for one of the students. Just like NANA, this anime has everything from relationships to fights, balancing your life and dealing with heartbreak. 


The anime also provides with us a definite end so unlike NANA, you can’t imagine your own ending, no matter how  badly you want it to be different.  Either way, with it being so well made and quite short, I think it´s the perfect anime for your Josei Initiation.




Read more: here




3. NODAME CANTABILE


If you’re a lover of music anime with some romance, then this is the anime for you! Nodame Cantabile follows the lives of 2 music school students, Shinichi Chiaki, a top class performer and perfectionist and Megumi Noda, a girl who is exactly the opposite. While Chiaki dreams of leading a world class orchestra in Europe, his fear of flying keeps him in Japan. Nodame, who is nowhere near as refined, seems out of place in the elite performance arts school, that is, until you hear her play the piano. The story follows the both students as they deal with the struggles of school, pressure, fears and falling in love. 



Nodame Cantabile is truly a charming anime. It’s the perfect example of how opposites attract but also how being opposite can cause turmoil in a relationship. The somewhat uptight personality of Chiaki is balanced out by the quirky but lovable personality of Nodame. Throughout the anime there are several aww moments and moments that make you tear up or even just smile to yourself. It is a definite must watch and lucky for us there are multiple seasons... so what are you waiting for???? 


Read more: here

4. CHIHAYAFURU



If I’m being honest, Chihayafuru really started off a bit slow for me.There were times when I was watching it and thinking..why? Although, the story line at that time was a little boring and unappealing, I stayed for the stunning art work and surely in time, It started to get better, way better.



The anime basically follows Chihaya Ayase, a girl,who at a young age, is introduced by her friend Arata to competitve Karuta, a Japanese card game. As time goes on, although she and Arata are separated, her love for Karuta grows and so does her desire to be the best Karuta player in Japan. The anime focuses on Ayayse and her attempts to form a Karuta team at her high school and train them to be the best but along the way she encounters various problems that sometimes makes her question it all. 

Read more: here


5. USAGI DROP




Usagi Drop (sometimes called Bunny Drop) provides one of the most interesting and unique story lines to date. After attending his grandfather’s funeral, Daikichi Kawachi learns about the 6 year old daughter that his grandfather had with an unknown woman. Feeling ashamed and disheartened by how his family members have outcast the little girl, he decides to take the girl in and raise her as his own. The anime consists of 11 episodes in total. The first half is centered around Kawachi and his struggles as a newly single parent with no idea of being a father. The second half is interesting as it focuses on Rin, a now highschool student, who faces problems involving love and uncertain futures and discovering secrets that could change her life forever.


Read more: here

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