In the anime and manga community, a good story is one to remember; there are certain times however that you find the formula of the anime and end up becoming bored with what the story gives, This phenomenon can often be found with shoujo manga and its recurring use of clichés and character types. The following anime series are works that take certain familiar concepts of the shoujo manga and improve them; these are the series that current anime can take a leaf out from.
3. Princess Tutu
Fairy tales and ballet dancing, here is something that you almost never see in anime even during the time of its release. With the elements of the tale of Swan Lake, this series takes a unique turn on the concept of “story come to life”, as unique characters of different types are presented in need of the protagonist’s help. As a fantasy work, it does well in terms of world building and unravelling the mystery behind the otherworldliness of the town. With a fascinating story of a girl who helps other through the beauty of ballet, this work ranks as third.
2. Cardcaptor Sakura
A unique take on the concept of magical girls, the Cardcaptor series brings a new look in the development of relationships amongst characters and the concept of the magic behind the cards. Many times before, the how in classic fantasy anime has been placed as a side note or explained in a vague sense, not in this anime, here we are actually given a background on the origin of the magic and see actual development of the characters as they learn to control their abilities. In terms of romance, it is a sweet look into young love with actual context and proper development, while there may be slight clichés here and there, it still works well as an anime for reference and thus earns second place.
1. Ouran High School Host Club
Even to this day, this anime is considered as a top rank in the shoujo community, especially in the genre of reverse harems. What makes this anime as the number one reference work for shoujo anime? The way they handle the characters and their stories. Most often than not, when it comes to reverse harems, the main girl holds little to no personality so the spotlight on the male characters. Here the main girl holds not only her own personality, but a unique individuality that works well when she interacts with the males and how the story explores the lives of the males. That is why, with its unique take on the reverse harem genre and development of characters, this anime places first