there are so many issues with shojo manga it's so stupid. like cliche much?
anyway a list of recurring plot things i can see. (you might not want to read this, it's insanely long. i'm not joking here. IT'S REALLY LONG.)
In this rant/essay/lesson, i have created some dot points to show you which subjects i shall cover. This includes these major topics:
1. the protagonist - our shojo heroine
2. the main love interest - what's shojo without a hot guy?
3. the best friend - cause every girl has one
4. cliche plots - it's like english ext, look for the recurring motifs guys.
the protagonist.
there are various types of protagonists. most shojo manga, (unless, for once in a rare 200 mangas, we actually have an individual author) fall into these categories
1. The Ditz.
Absolutely useless, this girl cannot do anything by herself, and if she tries, she most likely falls over or fails and starts crying. She usually likes a "perfect" guy, usually the most popular in her class, and they grow closer through some fateful encounter which we later find out that was actually engineered by him/he's always been watching her anyway. She thinks of herself as useless&stupid (correctly) and also not pretty (ridiculously) and is therefore inferior to the man she loves. However, he likes her because "she always tries her hardest" (even though she always fails) and her "honesty and purity is a refreshing thing"
example: practically every second manga you will read. One that comes to mind is Love Monster's Hiyo Osara
2. The Slut
Having been out with many guys (and most likely slept with most of them) this girl is unhappy with males and sees them all as chauvinistic bastards who do not care for girls and don't know how to treat them properly. With a fateful encounter, she meets a guy who seems nice, but she doesn't believe, being so obviously shown by all her previous boyfriends that guys as perfect as this can't possibly exist. However, she is proven wrong when he confesses that he fell for her long ago, and that her beauty as always charmed him, he's hated seeing her with other guys and he's so happy she's finally seen the light.
Example: I can't remember any, because i don't really like this type of main, she pisses me off.
3. The Nerd/The Loner
This poor girl has no friends because she is nerdy and "plain-looking." Often type casted as glasses wearing with two plaits, she is in love with some perfect guy who is the 'idol' of the class/school. However, she can only look from afar, as she knows she is very ordinary. Believing that she might catch his attention if she studies hard, because she can't get it via looks/personality, she either reads alot, or studies alot, often resulting in her being in the library alot. (not to mention he's usually there too.) However, one day, as she is walking home, she trips over, her glasses fall off, her plaits fall apart, and she falls down into the arms of the 'perfect guy'. and lo and behold, she's beautiful as soon as her hair is out and the guy instantly falls in love with her. Terrified, she runs away, he chases after her, she escapes, he catches her, and they go on a date. They promise too meet the next day, but she's sad because he only fell in love with her beautiful side. he is there waiting for her the next day. she thinks he won't recognise her, with her nerdy look, but he does. because obviously he's known all along that she's adorable.
Example: SUKI DESU SUZUKI-KUN!!
4. The sporty/manly girl
This variety usually is in a sport that is usually only for males, like kendo, taewkondo or karate. She thinks she is too manly, and most guys do too. However, she likes a guy that's either in her class or in her club and very popular because of his sporting ability. However, unknown to everyone, she has a very girl secret, perhaps an obsession for baking, or little fluffy toys, or pretty phone clips, or something. anyway, this secret is discovered by the guy she likes, and then he either blackmails her with it to be his 'slave' or promises to keep it a secret, she he becomes the outlet for her to give/talk about her obsession with. Later her secret is discovered, and depressed she starts crying. suddenly he comes to her rescue, proclaiming that all girls like this sort of stuff anyway. then he confesses to he confesses to her.
Example: The greatest example of all time is High School Debut, aka Koukou debut
5. The perfect girl/ the ice queen
This girl has got it all; the looks, the smarts, the friends, the money. A regular princess, and she's even referred to that sometimes. However, no one knows how much effort that takes for her to keep up. Holding a part time job, studying late into the night, she makes sure that she is loved by all. So why does she feel so empty inside? obviously it's cause she hasn't found love yet! (duh) enter perfect male, just like her, and she finds in absolutely insufferable. he finds her equally insufferable. One day, in her part time job, she turn around to serve the next customer, and WHAM there he is! shocked, he runs out of the store. BUT OBVIOUSLY, part time jobs aren't allowed, so she worries he will tell. But mysteriously, he doesn't! The next day, he's there again. and the next. and the next. Gradually they get to understand each other, he's not as bad as she thought. She's fallen in love with him. She confesses, and he admits he only teased her because he liked her. And then they become A POWER COUPLE! and rule the school.
Example: Kaicho wa maid sama, Special A, Kare Kano
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The next most important part of a shojo manga:
The main love interest
this is the whole reason shojo exists. If not for love, what is a rom com? And thus, a hero emerges, a hero who falls into one of the main categories:
1. The prince charming (often a sempai)
A sempai in jap is someone who is older than you. "sempai" theory is that if he's older than you, he's immediately cooler, smarter, and more mature than any guy in your grade (usually true, actually) Sempais are usually perfect in every way, knowledgeable, kind, a regular 'prince charming' and is usually partnered with the ditz or the sporty/manly girl.
2. The playboy
The playboy is exactly as he sounds, However, the charming part of the playboy (usually partnered with the nerd/loner, but can be partnered with the ditz) is that just for the protagonist, he changes his player ways to love the one and only girl. It goes without saying that he's unbelievably good-looking, cheeky, often bludges school, and obviously very sporty.
3. The genius (OFTEN A TSUNDERE TYPE)
Nerds are off-putting in girls, but sexism dictates that nerdy, glasses wearing guys can still be hot. And this it what this character is based on. Often the smartest in the school (even possibly topping state - or often NATIONAL- rankings) this character is often partnered with the slut or the ditz (hey, she's malleable) It goes without saying that he mostly uses his intellect to solve issues, but obviously he is strong physically as well as good looking.
4. The class clown
Frustratingly stupid, yet adorable, hilarious and very kind, this guy knows how to have fun, which is something our perfect girl/ice queen doesn't usually know. He can also be partnered with, you guessed it, the ditz.
5. The dangerous angry gangster
"watch out! there goes so-and-so!" "wow isn't he scary!" This type of guy, although he has extreme physical strength and often good looks, because of his bad temper, he often explodes and terrifies girls. usually he has some bad street cred, being quite a proficient fighter. However, he softens around his girl, and only she knows his kind side. Often partnered with the nerd, the slut or the ditz.
6. The childhood friend
A special category aught to be awarded just to this character. Always beside our protagonist, he can be paired with any of the main types. Usually cannot be thought of as a guy because of some silly event when they were younger, he suddenly wins her approval when she realises they are no longer children and he's probably on top of her after the fall down or something equally ridiculous. He often is a combination of a prince charming and a class clown, or a playboy.
NOTE: You can see all these personality types in Ouran High School Host club, with the exception of a childhood friend.
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The best friend(s)
A special section must go to the best friends. And usually, there are 4 types, in order of most common to rare:
1. the bitch/the boyfriend stealer
This girl is a fascinator and ultimate fake. She is friends with our heroine so she can ruin all her relationships (cause obviously, that's why you make friends.) Usually, she'll try and steal our hero away from our heroine, but he'll reject her, and thus this girl will learn stealing boyfriends is not the way. And everyone will be great friends! (cause that's the way it works. obviously)
Examples: Best example of all time is Absolute Boyfriend
2. the slut
NOTE: THIS FRIEND IS NEVER EVER FRIENDS WITH THE SLUT AS A MAIN CHARACTER. (That's just too much slut) She's usually paired with either the nerd or the ditz (who obviously doesn't know about *gasp* sex at all) This friend usually puts pressure on our poor main about "never having had a boyfriend." and once our main gets the man, it's this friend that is scandalised that they haven't "done it yet", because all couples obviously do it straight away, and if you don't he doesn't love you, duh.
Example: Koukou debut
3. the good friend who has a hot boyfriend that our main falls for but she didn't know he was her boyfriend until it was too late
Ridiculously, this happens ALOT.
To plot it out, this girl will be sooo bestie and she's sooooo happy that she has a new boyfriend, she wants to show her best friend. On her way to meet him, she meets a hot guy, and they fall in love at first sight. Then, she runs off to meet her best friends boyfriend, and LO AND BEHOLD. it's the mysterious male. They'll try to stay away from each other in forbidden love. But they won't. The best friend will hate her, and then be her supportive best friend again. (again, i don't know how this works AT ALL.)
Example: 37 degrees celsius
3. An actually good friend.
Very rarely do we ever find one of these gems, and i think this reflects true life as well. When do we really find absolute besties that we can share everything with? When you find one, keep them, because if you ever have drama (and if your life is like a shojo manga, you sure will) you'll need one of these girls to get you through. (GAWD I LURVE MY FRIENDS RIGHT NOW)
Example: After School Wedding, hiyoko
cliche plots and occurrences
ACTUALLY I SHALL LEAVE THIS FOR ANOTHER DAY, because i cannot be bothered.
Thank you to my ultimate bestie and fellow shojo enthusiast/analyser mh.
ALSO because i'm having a doctor who thee, i really can't resist all these pictures i've found :)
Just for those kingdom hearts & doctor who fans out there. ;) [hell we need to meet up sometime, if you actually exist.
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