Quick Links
The mature evolution of shoujo,josei animeare defined by the topics they discuss as much as how they tackle them. Its stories and themes are adult in nature: relationships, the difficulties of keeping up with bills and caring for children, and the way people grow over time. Romance, sentimentality, and the hard realities of life as a grownup drive many of these anime. They’re typically neither starry-eyed and naive nor hard-nosed and pessimistic.
Josei may target older women, but these series tend to have a much broader appeal since they usually tackle universal and adult-oriented themes. While by far the least catered to demographic by the anime industry, josei has quite a diverse lineup of options, including plenty of fantastic shows. Thebest josei animeare for anyone seeking three-dimensional characters tackling adult problems.
Here are a few criteria:
Updated on June 29, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Winter 2025is pretty much over, and it will not be remembered for its josei anime. Fortunately, a new season is right around the corner, which means a plethora of series are about to debut. While not defined by shows that cater to an adult female audience, the lineup has at least onejosei anime.
Does Spring 2025 Have Any Josei Anime?
Winter 2025 was not particularly stuffed with josei goodness, at least when it came to shows 100% based on manga that cater to the demographic. However, the season had a few great female-led anime, andAmeku M.D.,The Apothecary Diaries,Zenshu,I Have a Crush at Work, andAve Mujicaall warrant a watch in their own right.
On paper, Spring 2025 does not seem to be much better than its predecessor, to the point that the lineup does not seem to have anyjosei anime. That said, there is one series that just about qualifies, and it is a pretty exciting one.
The Dinner Table Detectiveis covering so many bases for Spring 2025. Along with being the season’s only anime that can be described as josei, it is also a rare entry in themystery genre, which is lucky to get one or two new shows per season. Furthermore, the story revolves around adults rather than teenagers. The show is Madhouse’s sole production of the season, following up the studio’s fantastic work onOrb: On the Movements of the Earthand predatingFrieren’s return in early 2026.The Dinner Table Detectivehas all the makings to be one of Spring 2025’s nicest surprises.
Reiko is a detective-in-training and also very, very rich. She takes on cases alongside her, also well-off, partner and her butler, with the latter arguably being better than the professionals at solving cases. Going by the trailer and premise,The Dinner Table Detectivewill likely lean heavily into comedy, delivering fun mysteries that do not take themselves too seriously. This series has been around for more than a decade by this point, going from novels to a josei manga and even receiving a TV drama in 2011. The anime is arguably a bit late to the dance, although a sequel novel series ended its run in 2024.
One of the few josei anime to air in 2024,Nina the Starry Brideshowcases that the demographic is not married to adult protagonists but rather focuses on telling stories that can be enjoyed by adult readers. Nina, the female lead, is a young orphan who is pushed to play the part of Princess Alisha after the latter dies, a situation that comes with grave risks for not only the MC but also the nation in general.
While dropping hints of a potential romance between the protagonist and her handler, Azure, the anime primarily focuses on Nina’s attempts to adapt to her new life and the political machinations of two kingdoms that do not have a great relationship. Nina is the best part of the show.
It’s a cliché that every child has potential, and films and anime about teachers trying to draw out the potential in their students is a beloved trope.Gokusenunabashedly plays with that trope, but the show puts a spin on it: the teacher is the granddaughter of a Yakuza leader.
The art style leaves something to be desired, and the character design can fall on the generic side, but this isa great anime despite its weak aesthetics. Perhaps the show’s greatest strength is its protagonist, a woman just as capable of beating the snot out of thugs as teaching a class full of rowdy youths.
While josei may be organized and discussed as a genre, it is as much a style as anything, as this anime proves. Unlike someanime which are great but nonetheless generic,this one comes with a twist that its title makes obvious:Petshop of Horrorsis horror.
This story of a mysterious petshop contains poignant themes about humanity and the darkness within, and josei fans shouldn’t dismiss it simply because of its macabre trappings.To be sure, the series is dark, and those who don’t care for horror in any form will want to give it a pass. Those who give it a chance, however, will be rewarded with a rich, detailed, and disturbing josei.
Saiyukiis a bit of a weird one, as the manga was originally released through a shonen magazine, only for the sequels to shift to a josei publication. Every anime season that has “reload” in the title is josei, while the originalSaiyukiseries is shonen. While that might sound complicated, newcomers should just start with the 2000 series and gradually make their way through each subsequent release. The anime seasons feature the same characters, following four adventurers as they go through multiple escapades that are somewhat inspired by literature. The end goal is to stop the resurrection of a demon, but that is just the primary motive and is mostly pushed to the side for smaller storylines.
Although nothing extraordinary,Saiyukiis generally entertaining, at least in a “turn off your brain” type of way. The four core characters are loud and somewhat static, but they generally fall short of being obnoxious. The animation improves considerably as the series progresses too.
The vast majority ofvillainess isekai animeare based on light novels, and nearly all of them have manga adaptations. Unsurprisingly, they tend to be published in either shojo or josei magazines. For example,Villainess Level 99andThe Most Heretical Last Boss Queenhave josei manga, and both anime are entertaining. If someone is specifically craving an OP isekai story, they should go withVillainess Level 99since it might just feature the most powerful female lead in the genre.
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!is arguably the most famous villainess anime and serves as a suitable entry point into this peculiar subgenre. Reincarnated as an otome game’s villain who is destined for a bad ending, Catarina must carefully manage her relationships to ensure she avoids a death sentence. Leaning heavily into humor and featuring a likable protagonist who is regularly forced to use her wit to get out of tough situations,My Next Life as a Villainessis a delight. Season 1 is especially strong.
My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!could be regarded as a shojo anime, but the manga adaptation was published inMonthly Comic Zero Sum, which is generally associated with josei.
Anime needs more workplace comedies, and if they happen to feature anthropomorphic animals, then that’s a bonus.Polar Bear’s Cafecenters around a cafeteria’s owner, Shirokuma, and the various colorful patrons that liven its seats. Consisting of unfiltered fluff, Pierrot’s anime is slice of life through and through, with nothing resembling a cruel bone in its body. The characters are all generally likable, particularly the main trio of Shirokuma and his two friends, Panda and Penguin.
Polar Bear’s Cafeis just one of those shows that has the ability to permanently paint a smile on a viewer’s face. The anime also lasted for an impressive 50 episodes, which is way more than the average slice of life or josei anime.
Josei is no stranger to intense drama or high-stakes, but not every story needs to go down that route.Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spiritsdelivers exactly what its title advertises: a bed and breakfast for non-humans. Stuck under crippling debt, Aoi decides to make good use of her ability to see spirits by starting a nice little getaway specifically for them. Being human, she automatically garners distrust from her clientele, although that is nothing a warm bowl of ramen cannot fix.
Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spiritsis a warm blanket in anime form. Most episodes tell supernatural-themed slice of life stories free of anything resembling tension, allowing viewers to just immerse themselves in the show’s cozy setting.
OK, this one is a bit of a weird josei recommendation.Mr. Osomatsuis based on Fujio Akatsuka’sOsomatsu-kunmanga, a shonen property revolving around six identical brothers. The sequel debuted in 2015 as an anime, with a manga adaptation launching a year later inYou, a josei magazine. In 2018, the manga shifted over toCookie, a shojo magazine. Consequently,Mr. Osomatsuis an anime original sequel to a shonen classic with a josei and shojo manga adaptation. So, which demographic is this series for? Honestly, it is for everyone and nobody.Mr. Osomatsuis an unapologetically over-the-top parody that turns the fairly “cute” sextuplets into six monsters who bring chaos everywhere they touch.The anime’s comedy is somewhat similar toGintama, albeit with generally darker humor that is more hit-and-miss.
Ultimately,Mr. Osomatsucannot be recommended to people specifically craving josei stories. The anime has very little in common with the demographic’s typical output, including featuring only “men” as protagonists. Totoko Yowai is the most prominent female character in the series, but she is very much a supporting figure who can disappear for multiple episodes at a time. As a sketch comedy,Mr. Osomatsuswings wildly from hilarity to painful cringe; however, when the jokes land, they land hard.
One of the more famous josei anime,Paradise Kissexplores the rarely touched-upon fashion industry through the gaze of Yukari, a female student who is recruited to be a model. The story stumbles a bit while setting up its main characters and core relationships, leading to a somewhat rough opening stretch of episodes; however, things improve significantly once the prep work is complete.
Even though somewhat exaggerated, the anime’s characters are relatively grounded, at least when taking into account that they exist in a space that rewards overt passion and aggression. Yukari and George’s relationship carries most of the show’s emotional weight, and it follows an interesting trajectory.
Five socially awkward teenagers grow up to be five socially awkward adults, leaning on the unbreakable bond of their friendship to make it through a world that doesn’t appreciate them for who they are.
Princess Jellyfishis about an unemployed otaku, and it’s as cute and charming as one would expect. The characters and their relationships are the stars in this slice-of-life josei. What does being oneself look like when the world isn’t accepting? Can love come to those who don’t fit in? These are the questionsPrincess Jellyfishasks, and its answers are always worth it.
