What is this genre all about? Media targeting women roughly 18-40
We present you the list of Josei anime you should watch right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 20 Josei anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]
- 20. Hoshi Furu Oukoku no Nina
- 19. Haigakura
- 18. 30-sai made Doutei da to Mahou Tsukai ni Nareru Rashii
- 17. Mignon
- 16. Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi
- 15. Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta...
- 14. Higeki no Genkyou to Naru Saikyou Gedou Last Boss Joou wa Tami no Tame ni Tsukushimasu.
- 13. Kumicho Musume to Sewagakari
- 12. Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta... Season 2
- 11. Paradise Kiss
- 10. Uramichi Oniisan
- 9. Chihayafuru
- 8. Kids on the Slope
- 7. Honey and Clover
- 6. Akkun to Kanojo
- 5. Kuragehime
- 4. Koroshi Ai
- 3. Mushikaburi-hime
- 2. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen
- 1. Usagi Drop
20. Hoshi Furu Oukoku no Nina
Nina had a rough start to life, stealing to survive—and eventually being sold into slavery by her own brother. But to her surprise, her captor, Prince Azure, ordained that she would live the life of a princess...specifically, that of the recently deceased princess-priestess, Alisha. But despite her changing fortune, Nina won't give up her old life without a fight...and Azure might just be the one to finally match her wits. But how much can she trust Azure? And can she stop the feelings budding in her heart, knowing she must eventually marry another...?
Nina the Starry Bride is currently airing and will have 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 星降る王国のニナ, Hoshi Furu Oukoku no Nina
19. Haigakura
The story takes place in another world where there are gods. This world lays above the sky and below the ocean. Four evil gods used to support this world by acting as pillars, but they ran away including all the other minor gods that lived in this world. Thus, people called Kashikan's appeared. Their job is to capture the gods that fled and return stability to the country. The main character Ichiyou is a Kashikan who unwillingly took up the job to regain his foster father's freedom. His foster father, a tiger, was captured to act as a replacement of the four gods who ran away. Ichiyou's main objective is to recapture the evil gods and take back the peaceful life that he used to live.
Haigakura is currently airing and will have Episodes. It is also Known as: ハイガクラ, Haigakura
18. 30-sai made Doutei da to Mahou Tsukai ni Nareru Rashii
Adachi's 30th birthday as a virgin came with the oddest gift—the ability to read the mind of anyone he touches. Pondering what to do with this mysterious power, he gets a lead when he accidentally reads his colleague Kurosawa's mind. Turns out the handsome hotshot of the sales team has got a thing for him! How will Adachi respond to overhearing these affectionate thoughts?
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい, 30-sai made Doutei da to Mahou Tsukai ni Nareru Rashii
17. Mignon
Mignon is an original BL anime from South Korea. The animation follows a complex and exciting story of drama and desires. It revolves around a boxer named Mignon, and a vampire doctor Young-on Oh, who find solace in the presence of one another through an aggressive and romantic affair.
Mignon has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: Mignon
16. Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi
Himuro-kun is a living descendant of the Snow Woman from Japanese folklore. But anytime he's around his eccentric yet kind colleague, Fuyutsuki-san, he totally freezes up! Despite the snowstorm of love that rages on in his heart, and her complete cluelessness, will he take a step forward or stay frozen in place?
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 氷属性男子とクールな同僚女子, Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi
15. Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta...
After hitting her head particularly hard one day, Duke Claes' daughter suddenly recalls all the memories of her past life: that of a teenage Japanese girl. Just before her untimely death, this girl recalls playing an otome game... that is exactly like the world she's living in now!
She is now Katarina Claes, the antagonist of the otome game, who nastily hounded the protagonist until the end. Knowing all the possible outcomes of the game, she realizes that every single possible route ends with Katarina being murdered or exiled! In order to avoid these Catastrophic Bad Ends, she has to use her knowledge of the game and her own wiles, starting with breaking off this engagement with the prince...
Will Katarina survive while making her way through this world, where bad flags trip at every turn?
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった…, Hamefura
14. Higeki no Genkyou to Naru Saikyou Gedou Last Boss Joou wa Tami no Tame ni Tsukushimasu.
Pride Royal Ivy is only eight years old when she realizes that she’s been reincarnated, destined to become the future wicked queen and final boss of an otome game. She’s got it all in this new life: razor-sharp wit, boss-tier powers, and influence over the kingdom as crown princess. Determined to sow despair and destruction across the land, she… Wait, what kind of a rotten future is that?! Princess Pride decides to drop the maniacal villainess plan and protect the male love interests instead, cheating her way to saving everyone she can! Will this final boss end up earning the adoration of her kingdom?
The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 悲劇の元凶となる最強外道ラスボス女王は民の為に尽くします。, LasTame
13. Kumicho Musume to Sewagakari
Kirishima Tooru is the right-hand man of the Sakuragi crime family. For him, the job is a perfect excuse to let his violent instincts run wild, earning him the nickname “the Demon of Sakuragi”. It seems like nothing will stand in the way of his vicious nature. But then one day, he receives an assignment like never before from the boss—babysitting his daughter! This is the heartwarming (or is it bloodcurdling?) story of a little girl and her yakuza caretaker!
The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 組長娘と世話係, 組長女兒與照料專員, The Mob Boss’s Daughter and Her Caretaker, Kiedy yakuza zostaje niańką
12. Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta... Season 2
Second season of Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta...
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Season 2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった…Ｘ, Hamefura 2, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X, Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta… X
11. Paradise Kiss
Third-year high school student Yukari Hayasaka has no time for frivolous things. She needs to study hard and attend cram school so she can do well on her university exams. She doesn't care which university she gets into; she just wants to leave the town she's grown bored of. Too bad her parents have other opinions on the subject.
One day, while Yukari is walking down the street, a guy with multiple piercings and bleached hair flags her down. Suspicious of the stranger, she tries to get away from him but fails and ultimately ends up meeting his friends: a group of third-year fashion design students at a prestigious art school. They want her to be their model for their final project, but Yukari thinks it will only get in the way of her studies. But the more she gets to know them, the more she grows to admire the way they go after their dreams. Will modeling for this eccentric group of would-be fashion designers give Yukari a much-needed push to strive for her own goals? And what about her attraction to the group's leader, George Koizumi? Can a relationship between them work? Watch Paradise Kiss to find out!
Paradise Kiss has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: Paradise kiss, ParaKiss
10. Uramichi Oniisan
"Hello, boys and girls! Do you like guys with more than one side to them?"
31 year old Omota Uramichi is the gymnastics coach in the children's educational TV program "Together with Mama." He might be sweet on the outside, but all boys and girls are inevitably scared off whenever they get a glimpse of the adult darkness that's the result of Uramichi-sensei's emotional instability. This is a tragic eulogy to all the "boys and girls" who are now adults!
Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: うらみちお兄さん, Uramichi Oniisan
9. Chihayafuru
Chihaya Ayase, a strong-willed and tomboyish girl, grows up under the shadow of her older sister. With no dreams of her own, she is contented with her share in life till she meets Arata Wataya. The quiet transfer student in her elementary class introduces her to competitive karuta, a physically and mentally demanding card game inspired by the classic Japanese anthology of Hundred Poets. Captivated by Arata's passion for the game and inspired by the possibility of becoming the best in Japan, Chihaya quickly falls in love with the world of karuta. Along with the prodigy Arata and her haughty but hard-working friend Taichi Mashima, she joins the local Shiranami Society. The trio spends their idyllic childhood days playing together, until circumstances split them up.
Now in high school, Chihaya has grown into a karuta freak. She aims to establish the Municipal Mizusawa High Competitive Karuta Club, setting her sights on the national championship at Omi Jingu. Reunited with the now indifferent Taichi, Chihaya's dream of establishing a karuta team is only one step away from becoming true: she must bring together members with a passion for the game that matches her own.
Chihayafuru has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ちはやふる, Chihayafull
8. Kids on the Slope
Introverted classical pianist and top student Kaoru Nishimi has just arrived in Kyushu for his first year of high school. Having constantly moved from place to place since his childhood, he abandons all hope of fitting in, preparing himself for another lonely, meaningless year. That is, until he encounters the notorious delinquent Sentarou Kawabuchi.
Sentarou's immeasurable love for jazz music inspires Kaoru to learn more about the genre, and as a result, he slowly starts to break out of his shell, making his very first friend. Kaoru begins playing the piano at after-school jazz sessions, located in the basement of fellow student Ritsuko Mukae's family-owned record shop. As he discovers the immense joy of using his musical talents to bring enjoyment to himself and others, Kaoru's summer might just crescendo into one that he will remember forever.Sakamichi no Apollon is a heartwarming story of friendship, music, and love that follows three unique individuals brought together by their mutual appreciation for jazz.
Kids on the Slope has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: Sakamichi no Apollon, 坂道のアポロン, Sakamichi no Aporon, Apollo on the Slope
7. Honey and Clover
Yuuta, Takumi, and Shinobu share a six-tatami room apartment with no bath. The rent is low and it's perfect for poor college students such as themselves. Shinobu is a mysterious, quirky person, who does things on a whim. Takumi is passionate both in work and love, and Yuuta is a simple person with simple dreams and desires. That is, until he meets Hagumi, a petite girl with enormous amount of talent. Hagumi is fondly called Hagu by Shuuji, who serves as Hagu's guardian. Hagu meets Ayumi, nicknamed Ayu, and they become close friends almost instantly. Meanwhile, Ayu falls for one of the boys...
The joys of falling in love, the pain of letting go, discovering one's self, and finding the courage to move on—these are some of the things that the characters in Hachimitsu to Clover experience as they take part in the play staged by fate.
Honey and Clover has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: Hachimitsu to Clover, ハチミツとクローバー, HachiKuro, Honey & Clover
6. Akkun to Kanojo
The romantic comedy follows the everyday life of an extremely tsundere (initially aloof and abrasive, but later kind-hearted) boy named Atsuhiro "Akkun" Kagari and his girlfriend Non "Nontan" Katagiri. Akkun's behavior is harsh towards Nontan with verbal abuse and neglect, but he actually is head-over-heels for her and habitually acts like a stalker by tailing her or eavesdropping. Nontan is oblivious to Akkun's stalker ways, and thinks his actions are cute.
My Sweet Tyrant has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: あっくんとカノジョ, Akkun and His Girlfriend
5. Kuragehime
Tsukimi and her wallflower friends are hopeless nerds with bizarre hobbies. Their crippling social anxieties keep them from setting foot outside the all-girl apartment complex they inhabit, but a late night jellyfish rescue mission and the arrival of a “Stylish Girl” are about to turn their lives upside down!
Princess Jellyfish has finished airing and it has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: 海月姫, Kurage-hime
4. Koroshi Ai
The silent and stoic Chateau Dankworth is a bounty hunter. Her target: Son Ryang-ha, a notorious killer known for killing 18 high-class officials in a single night. To this day, his murders remain swift, efficient, and bloody. However, after Son Ryang-ha overpowers Chateau in their first encounter, he reveals his own intentions: he too is after her, aiming for her heart.
Son Ryang-ha's attempts to catch her eye are quite unique, to say the least. He offers gifts to her in the form of her current targets, tied up and battered, and will do anything to spend more time together. Reluctantly, Chateau goes along with this act, and so begins the cat-and-mouse game of love between two killers.
Love of Kill has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 殺し愛, Koroshi Ai
3. Mushikaburi-hime
Known as the Bibliophile Princess for her unquenchable love of books, Lady Eliana Bernstein wants nothing more than to shirk social duties in favor of retreating to the library. So, when the handsome Crown Prince Christopher promises to shield her from high-society drudgery in exchange for pretending to be his fiancée, she jumps at the chance to hide behind their sham relationship and read to her heart’s content (especially since he’s offered her access to the palace library). But much like the plot of her favorite novel, soon Eli’s feelings for the prince develop in unexpected ways, and she realizes she can’t always judge a royal book by its cover.
Bibliophile Princess has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 虫かぶり姫, Princess of the Bibliophile
2. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen
Ex-convict turned Rakugo apprentice Yotarou has finally taken the name of Yurakutei Sukeroku III, and with his master Yakumo's permission has attained the lofty rank of shin'uchi. He assumes the name at a critical time for Rakugo, with audiences fewer than ever. At the same time he has started acting as a husband to Konatsu, who is now a single mother. Yotarou thus begins the struggle to fill the role of Sukeroku, both as the future of Rakugo and as a part of Yakumo's and Konatsu's lives.
Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 昭和元禄落語心中～助六再び篇～, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu 2nd Season, Showa and Genroku Era Lover's Suicide Through Rakugo 2nd Season
1. Usagi Drop
Daikichi Kawachi is a 30-year-old bachelor working a respectable job but otherwise wandering aimlessly through life. When his grandfather suddenly passes away, he returns to the family home to pay his respects. Upon arriving at the house, he meets a mysterious young girl named Rin who, to Daikichi’s astonishment, is his grandfather's illegitimate daughter!
The shy and unapproachable girl is deemed an embarrassment to the family, and finds herself ostracized by her father's relatives, all of them refusing to take care of her in the wake of his death. Daikichi, angered by their coldness towards Rin, announces that he will take her in—despite the fact that he is a young, single man with no prior childcare experience.Usagi Drop is the story of Daikichi's journey through fatherhood as he raises Rin with his gentle and affectionate nature, as well as an exploration of the warmth and interdependence that are at the heart of a happy, close-knit family.
Bunny Drop has finished airing and it has 11 Episodes. It is also Known as: うさぎドロップ, Usagi Drop
