Josei is a unique anime genre because anime in this category can range from focusing on action, romance, or even horror. The wide net this genre casts makes josei anime appealing to a large audience. However, some subgenres present in josei anime work more to the genre’s disadvantages than its strengths.
Karneval, Paradise Kiss, and the infamous Tomie are examples of josei anime whose unique nature may limit the audience it appeals to. Anime like these can be incredible, but the excessive gore or melodramatic romance present can take away some of their appeal.
10/10 Karneval Has Brutal Fights Scenes
Karneval
The storyline of Karneval follows Nai’s journey as he searches for a lost loved one. He often gets mixed up in battles between the government agency Circus and its enemies. While Karneval includes great character designs and has a good plot, many battles in this anime include a fair bit of blood and gore.
During one of these fights in Episode 1, a character surprisingly morphs in gruesome ways. Although this anime has many good character designs, the body horror that takes place only appeals to certain fans.
9/10 Chihayafuru Focuses On A Less Popular Game
Chihayafuru
Chihayafuru is about the love of the game Karuta. Karuta is memorization based and can be played one versus one in casual matches or in large tournaments. Chihayafufu is a popular anime, but the game it focuses on is not well-known.
Similar to Kids On The Slope and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, the fact that Chihayafuru focuses on such a specific hobby increases its appeal but also can make it less interesting to watch. The anime can be hard to follow if the viewers don’t have previous knowledge of Karuta.
8/10 My Sweet Tyrant Has An Odd Portrayal Of Love
My Sweet Tyrant
The teen romance depicted in My Sweet Tyrant is based on miscommunication. Katagiri and Kagari are characterized by their inability to share their true feelings. Kagari struggles to tell Katagiri how he truly feels and instead he calls her awful and degrading nicknames.
Katagiri writes this behavior off as being a result of his tsundere-like nature. Even Kagari’s friend, Matsuo, was confused by the nature of their interactions. Although they seem to understand each other, the cuteness of their relationship is overshadowed by their inability to communicate directly.
7/10 Shirokuma Café’s Art Style Is Very Creative
Shirokuma Café
The josei anime Shirokuma’s Café focuses on Panda’s search for part-time work. The anime has many comedic elements like when Panda was applying for jobs and described his only skills to be eating bamboo and lying around the house. The café manager, Shirokuma, is known for the puns he makes while taking the orders of his customers.
The anime has a very wholesome and cutesy vibe, but its unique art style and the main cast of animals may not appeal to all viewers. This anime is mainly a good fit for fans who like cartoon-style, light anime.
6/10 Amnesia Is An Adaption Of An Otome Game
Amnesia
Amnesia‘s plot follows the life of the main character after she loses her memory in an accident. Since the origin of her memory loss stems from a supernatural occurrence, she can’t go to a doctor for medical treatment. Instead, she kept living her life normally and hoped to regain her memories by interacting with friends and co-workers she can’t even remember.
The anime has a detailed art style and has many endearing interactions between the main character and the supporting cast. Amnesia is an anime adaptation of an otome game, so it’s a good choice for fans of anime adaptations and romance video games.
5/10 Paradise Kiss Focuses On Teenage Drama
Paradise Kiss
Caroline, the main character of Paradise Kiss, becomes a model for a group of college fashion students. From the changing nature of her relationships with the other characters to her growing independence from her parents, the plot focuses on Caroline’s maturing and coming of age.
The anime has a darker aesthetic similar to xxxHOLiC and focuses on teenage dilemmas. While this anime has an engaging plot, the emphasis it places on Caroline’s struggle as a young woman entering into adult society can sometimes seem overdramatic.
4/10 Libra Of Nil Admirari Has Disturbing Deaths
Libra Of Nil Admirari
The plot of Libra of Nil Admirari focuses on a noble family’s daughter, Tsugumi. She is engaged to be married off, so her father can get a loan to improve their family’s financial situation. Her forced marriage upsets her younger brother, who later dies under mysterious circumstances.
Tsugumi joins an organization to help them track down a series of mystical books that cause people to die in situations as her brother did. This anime’s strong protagonist is a good representation of an independent woman who thinks for herself. However, many characters in this anime die from self-harm induced by the books’ magical properties. Considering the graphic nature of some of this anime’s scenes, viewers should watch it at their own discretion.
3/10 No. 6 Is A Unique Sci-Fi Anime
No. 6
No. 6 is one of the most popular modern josei anime. The fact that it focuses on a boys’ love couple makes it stand out from other romance josei and allows it to give representation to more communities.
This anime focuses on a dystopian society where Sion, the main character, loses his rights as a citizen while helping Nezumi, an escaped convict. No. 6 is a sci-fi anime, so although it shares many similarities with typical josei anime, there are many large differences between this series and other josei that set this anime apart from the crowd.
2/10 xxxHOLiC’s Fantasy Elements Can Make The Anime Seem Gloomy
xxxHolic
xxxHOLiC has a unique plot because it’s heavily inspired by Japanese folk tales. The main character Watanuki discovers a small fortune-telling business and befriends the owner, Yuko. This anime’s comedy mainly comes from the unique dynamics between characters.
Each episode of the anime teaches a moral based on a Japanese legend. The anime combines entertainment and morals. Although the inspiration the anime took from folk tales is one of its strongest advantages, it also causes the anime to appeal to a smaller audience.
1/10 Tomie Is Graphic & Violent
Tomie
Tomie is one of Junji Ito’s most famous works, because of its uniquely dark storyline. The harrowing plot focuses on the murder of high school girl Tomie. The depth that each character in Tomie demonstrates is especially impressive when considering the length of the anime.
The anime’s darker depiction of school life and the questions it raises about human psychology are worthwhile to watch. However, this anime deals with many dark themes, including extreme violence and psychological horror, which makes can lower the anime’s appeal.