Ladies of Shounen: A Look at Female Characters and Mangakas

When you think of Shounen characters you probably think of the main male characters. You know, the dudes that get stronger through the power of friendship, or the grumpy "kill em all" loners, or that way too overpowered buff boy. But how often do you think about the female characters? Are they more than just a boss queen or a love interest? Do they even have a personality at all? Today, as part of International Women's History Month, I want to showcase some women of old-ish Shounens that I really think showcase what a female character should be. I also want to hilight two of my favorite female mangakas of the genre. 

Now I may be biased as a lot of these are also core favorite series for me but I think each one has at least one, if not more, epic female characters. So let's start at the bottom and work our way to the top eh? 

Twin Star Exorcists

Benio Adashino 

Benio is one of the two mains in Twin Star Exorcists, the other being her partner Rokuro. But Benio is more than just his partner and the love interest. She is one of the strongest exorcists and the prophesied one. She is the great Yin. She can kick your butt and look amazing doing it. She loves sweets especially ohage dumplings. 

Mayura Otomi

Mayura, while not a main, is another core character. Yes she is the fanservice and at first comes off as nothing more than Rokuro's childhood friend but she grows to be so much more than that. As she watches Benio and Rokuro grow and fight she decides she wants to join in too. Going from the weakest of the crew to one of the 12 guardians over the course of the series, she seriously kicks butt. She cares greatly about those around her, especially those important to her. She's always there to lend an ear and offer advice too. 

D.Gray-Man

Lenalee Lee

Lenalee Lee is one of the four mains in D.Gray-Man and one of the few female exorcists we see. Her innocence gives her increases in speed, power, and jump in regards to her feet as her's is equipment based. But she's so much more than just the power of her shoes. No matter what comes her way, she has stayed kind and caring. She's always ready to help anyone who needs help and cares deeply about her friends, brother, and the rest of the black order. Every time she gets knocked down, she gets back up. 

Fullmetal Alchemist 

Winry Rockbell 

Winry is probably my second favorite on this whole list. She's such an interesting character. I wish we got to see more of her through the series.  She might not be the greatest in a fight, but that doesnt mean she won't hit you, hard, with her wrench if you misbehave. Her hands though were made for making. She's a character that works in what most would consider a "mans" field. She's an automail mechanic and a dang good one too. She cares deeply about those around her, has a lil bit of sass at times, and isn't afraid to show her emotions. She even makes a mean apple pie! I love that she had such a fun storyline and was so much more than just childhood friend turned lover but also yes I do love that she ended up being Edward's wife. 

Riza Hawkeye 

How could I talk about Fullmetal Alchemist and not mention Hawkeye. She's such a boss without ever giving off the icky annoying vibe. She's a strong fighter but she also owns the cutest dog ever! Okay maybe that's not the most valid point but it had to be said!  I love how she can take down enemies one moment then mess around with the Colonel the next. She is so strong but also the moments where we see her outside of works showcase that she has so much more. From laughing with friends to teasing Ed, she brings a lot of fun to the table. 

Olivier Armstrong 

Last but certainly not least for Fullmetal Alchemist is Olivier Armstrong. She might seem cold, but she just cares in her own way. This makes her perfect for leading the troops in that frozen land. She is never afraid to kick butt often looking forward to it. She's also not afraid to do what has to be done. Her fights with her brother though are probably my favorite moments. They offer such an interesting insight into her character (and his) and why she is the boss that she is. 

Fairy Tail/Fairy Girls

Juvia Lockser 

Oh Juvia, my best girl. I have to admit I love Juvia. I know she's a tad controversial, but I really think she's an absolutely great character. I could honestly write an entire blog post just about her but I'll try and keep it short. Juvia is the type of girl who knows exactly what she wants out of life. And while it may seem the answer is Gray Fullbuster, there is more too it than that. She wants people who care about her and who she cares about in return. She wants love and friends. And it's amazing to see what having those two things does for our girl. Gone are the days of being cold and depressed and dark. In are the days of happiness, of caring about others, of smiling. And beyond this she also is a super powerful wizard! She kicks butt from day one but continues to grow stronger as she forms these bonds. She's such an asset to the series and truly a female character I want to be.

Erza Scarlet 

Erza Scarlet is the strongest Fairy Tail girl of them all. She can kick butt no matter how she fights, but each outfit she pulls out levels her up in the coolest of ways. You never catch her losing points for style during a battle. Caring deeply about those she considers family, the guild, she is always there to help, even if her advice is sometimes a little odd. She's always ready to help knock some sense, sometimes literally, into the guys in the guild. She's also not afraid to forgive and let past mistakes stay there. 

Lucy Heartfelia 

I have another confession to make, Lucy is actually my least favorite of the main Fairy Tail girls. I just feel she's not as exciting compared to the others. But she has a lot of good qualities too. You can never knock her down, no matter what happens she gets back up. She's quite powerful herself too even without her keys. She might be a solid bit of the fanservice, but she'd probably beat you up for viewing her that way. She's also the type that's always ready to lend a had, and I love that she has a whole life outside of Fairy Tail. In her spare time, she works on writing, dreaming of being an author. 

The rest of the Fairy Tail gals

What's really great about Fairy Tail is there are so many girls! In fact, they even got a spin off. The main girls are obviously the focus of it but we get to see so many other amazing gals too. Levy, our sweet reader always working hard to do what she can for the ones she cares about. Cana, our chaotic drunk that's always kicking butts and cracking jokes (and being a lil bit of a perv). Mirajane, the only one who could give Erza a run for her money on being the strongest, but prefers now to take care of he siblings. Though don't get on the bad side of her or the guild cause she will come for you. Wendy, our youngest dragon Slayer and basically little sister of the main crew. She's always there to kick butt and look cute. And to heal whoever might be injured. And that's by no means everyone. Fairy Tail and Fairy Girls has so many fun ons. 

Yu Yu Hakusho 

Keiko Yukimura

Keiko is such a neat addition to the Yu Yu Hakusho crew. She's the only one with no spirit powers or even energy but that doesn't stop her from getting involved. From fighting aggressive zombie like teachers to annoying demons at the dark tournament, she isn't gonna let everyone else do all the work for her. She's always right there cheering everyone on, and making sure Yusuke actually shows up to school (a feat that only she can do). She's got sass for days too never letting the boys get one over on her if she can help it. 

Botan 

I'm sorry Botan. You deserve your own picture but you have to share with Keiko as I don't actually own Yu Yu Hakusho yet hahaha. I love Botan though. She's such a fun character. Of course she fights and is a working gal as a grim reaper already making her epic enough, but she is also such a jokester. She loves to mess with everyone and her cat impressions are to die for. She's always cheering everyone on when she gets stuck on the sidelines. 

Shizuru Kuwabara

I do have to admit, I've only watched Yu Yu Hakusho so my discussion about Shizuru is based on the anime. But I love her. She is such a unique mature character for the series. She can kick butt, sense spirits, and adds just an extra something to the crew. I love her commentary on everything. I also love the way she takes care of her brother, never being afraid to yell at him or bribe him.

Female Mangakas 

I also promised a brief discussion on female mangakas of the shounen genre so I want to hilight 2 in particular, Hiromu Arakawa and Katsura Hoshino. If you think these two names sound famiiar well they should! They each wrote a series mentioned in this post. 

Hiromu Arakawa 

Hiromu Arakawa is a famous Mangaka. She's written several series but probably her most well known is Fullmetal Alchemist. She created a series that defined early 2000s Shounen, showcasing a range of strong female characters. 

Katsura Hoshino

Katsura Hoshino is the Mangaka behind D.Gray-Man. While this is a series I've definitely heard talked about less lately it is a masterpiece. Blending the exorcist subgenre with 1900s Brittian was such a unique twist. 

Conclusion 

In today's age I think it's important to look at characters and creators like these and really wonder what makes them great. I think we are losing the art of creating solid female characters and in some cases solid stories in general. But that's just my opinion. What's yours? Whose your favorite female Shounen characters? Favorite female mangaka?