History Main / GoGetterGirl

* Yukino Miyazawa from ''Manga/KareKano'' maintains a facade of outward perfection in order to obtain praise from others. Arima's accidental discovery of the girl behind the mask kicks off both the plot and her own path to self-discovery.

* Sumire in ''Manga/KimiWaPetto'' is an interesting case. As a woman in her late 20s, she represents the older age limit of this type. While she is well on the way to achieving professional success, she finds herself facing multiple personal anxieties due to the compromises and life decisions she had made along the way. [[spoiler: The epilogue shows a happy ending, where she has managed to combine a fulfilling career with a loving relationship, albeit with the very last type of man she would have expected.]]
* Hiroko Matsukada from ''Manga/HatarakiMan'' is practically an expy of [[Manga/KimiWaPetto Sumire]]. Same driven attitude to work (in practically the same job, no less!), same struggles with balancing work and personal life (and the fact that her professional ambitions have partially contributed to her being single in her late 20s), same issues with sexism where her co-workers value her contributions but see her as not feminine enough.

* Makoto Tsukauchi from ''Manga/VigilanteMyHeroAcademiaIllegals'' is a college student working on her thesis, but at the same time she is investigating the activities of the Naruhata vigilantes, helping a wannabe idol singer with her stage debut, and managing a major superhero's PR.

She [[TheBGrade gets straight A's in her classes]], while also [[ExtracurricularEnthusiast taking charge of multiple school clubs and volunteering at a homeless shelter in her spare time]]. She's unfailingly polite to her peers, older adults, and younger children alike. She might not be a [[TheFashionista fashion plate,]] but she never steps outside her home without looking perfectly presentable. Nobody doubts that big things are to be expected of her.

If the Go-Getter Girl is in high school, she is very often a ClassRepresentative or StudentCouncilPresident, as well as focused on entering the UsefulNotes/IvyLeague, UsefulNotes/{{Oxbridge}}, or UsefulNotes/TokyoUniversity. College Go-Getter Girls will be racking up internships and academic distinctions as they position themselves for an appealing job when they graduate. The oldest a Go-Getter Girl is likely to be is her late 20s or early 30s; by this time, if they have continued to stay on the path to success, they will have begun to take on real responsibilities and grown into [[IronLady a different trope]].

* Amber Atkins in ''Film/DropDeadGorgeous''. She's a good student, holds two jobs, volunteers at the anorexia wing of the hospital and still has time to practice her tap dancing!

* Class persident Summer from ''Film/SchoolOfRock'' is so ambitious and driven, she doesn't see a point to goofing around and playing music. She is only ten.

* Quite a few of the girls in Creator/EnidBlyton's ''Malory Towers'' books take their turns at this. Darrell Rivers, Sally Hope and Alicia Johns are the cream of the all-rounders; most of the other girls who stand out for their achievements are known for one particular talent.

* Laura Palmer from ''Series/TwinPeaks'' is a subversion of this. She does well at school, has a part time job, a boyfriend, and regularly volunteers with a local Meals on Wheels... But the deeper the investigation into her death probes, the darker her life seems.

* Spencer Hastings from ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars''. She has straight A's, is an Academic Decathelon champion and plays lacross and field hockey. Eventually she persues a career in politics.

* On season 2 of ''Series/VeronicaMars'', Angie Dahl is one of Veronica's rivals to a desirable scholarship. Angie dips into all of the bad aspect of this trope to get it, but Veronica uncovers her lies.

** Season 6 gives us Jane, a girl so ambitious she manages to turn an all-male prep school co-ed by insisting on her right to good education.

* Rin Tohsaka from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. Drive to excel? Check. Need to present a perfect front to her peers? Check. Secret impolite, slacker side? Check. Willingness to put personal relationships aside in order to attain her goals? Check (sorry, Sakura). Luckily for her, she has a good heart and a resilient personality which sees her through even after running into setbacks.

** Azula is a good example of why this is a bad thing to be if you grow up in an environment that fosters inhumanity, cut-throat competition, and sheer unbridled ''ruthlessness''. Not only does meeting people's expectations in this case mean being an abominable human being, but [[spoiler:the need to throw friendship, love, and morality itself aside in the name of obedience and ambition is enough to cause mental instability at the first hint of a true setback]].

* When extreme, this trope may be a diagnosable mental illness. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive[=%E2%80%93=]compulsive_personality_disorder Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Disorder]] (not to be confused with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder OCD]]) is "A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency."
* There is evidence to suggest that even today girls at school are expected to be all round perfect (for instance get good grades, be good at sports, music and acting, have a part-time job/volunteer) far more so than boys, who are more expected to be good at just one chosen field, which leads to girls being effectively forced into becoming go getter girls. [[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9683412/Girls-at-risk-because-of-pressure-to-be-perfect-at-school.html This is detailed in articles like this one.]]

* Androssi from the Manhwa ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'', as a result of a training regimen that boiled down to 'achieve, or starve'.

* ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'': Judy Hopps was the top student at the police academy and even when she's assigned to parking duty on her first day she still gives her best to show what she's made of. She willingly works harder to compensate for her small stature and discrimination she faces as a bunny.

That being said, TropesAreNotBad. Although the Go-Getter Girl must deal with a certain amount of pressure, her personality also allows her to accomplish things others of her peers cannot. If she is able to find balance in her life, she has the potential to become a true leader.

* Rachel Berry is set on becoming a broadway diva, no matter what. She is active in every possible extracurricular and has straight A's.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* Rachel Berry from ''Series/{{Glee}}'' is set on becoming a broadway diva, no matter what. She is active in every possible extracurricular and has straight A's.

* Season 6 gives us Jane, a girl so ambitious she manages to turn an all-male prep school co-ed by insisting on her right to good education.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Hermione Granger is an example of how someone can navigate through the pitfalls of this trope and end up a mature, balanced woman.

If the Go-Getter Girl is in high school, she is very often a ClassRepresentative or StudentCouncilPresident, as well as focused on entering the UsefulNotes/IvyLeague, {{Oxbridge}}, or UsefulNotes/TokyoUniversity. College Go-Getter Girls will be racking up internships and academic distinctions as they position themselves for an appealing job when they graduate. The oldest a Go-Getter Girl is likely to be is her late 20s or early 30s; by this time, if they have continued to stay on the path to success, they will have begun to take on real responsibilities and grown into [[IronLady a different trope]].

* Rachel Berry from ''Series/{{Glee}}' is set on becoming a broadway diva, no matter what. She is active in every possible extracurricular and has straight A's.

[[caption-width-right:350:[-You know someone who went to the trouble of individually icing all these cupcakes deserves to be Class President!-]]]

* Courtney from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland'' and its sequels. She's ThePerfectionist who has ambitions to get into law school.

She gets straight A's in her classes, while also taking charge of multiple school clubs and volunteering at a homeless shelter in her spare time. She's unfailingly polite to her peers, older adults, and younger children alike. She might not be a [[TheFashionista fashion plate,]] but she never steps outside her home without looking perfectly presentable. Nobody doubts that big things are to be expected of her.

[[caption-width-right:350: You know someone who went to the trouble of individually icing all these cupcakes deserves to be Class President!]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/{{Election}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flick_1089.jpg]]]]

She gets straight A's in her classes, while also taking charge of multiple school clubs and volunteering at a homeless shelter in her spare time. She's unfailingly polite to her peers, older adults, and younger children alike. She might not be a fashion plate, but she never steps outside her home without looking perfectly presentable. Nobody doubts that big things are to be expected of her.

* Courtney from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland'' and its sequels. She's a perfectionist who has ambitions to get into law school.

* When extreme, this trope may be a diagnosable mental illness. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive%E2%80%93compulsive_personality_disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder]] (not to be confused with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder OCD]]) is "A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency."

Compare also with AcademicAlphaBitch. Also not to be confused with female characters who work with [[Manga/GetterRobo Getter Rays]].

* Lisa Simpson from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' often will behave like this, although she is still young enough to balance it out with moments of acting like a normal girl.

* WesternAnimation/KimPossible.

* Blossom of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''. "Power-Noia" revealed that she has a serious complex for being perfect.
* Courtney from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland'' and its sequels.
* Twilight Sparkle of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. Before the start of the series, her only care was perfecting her mage studies, actively shunning anything that could get in the way of that, which meant no social life for her.
** And, [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E3LessonZero in the second season]], [[SanitySlippage a brief grasp of insanity]] when she is about to fail her ''homework''.

* Mitsuru Kirijo from ''{{Persona 3}}'' may have originally have taken on this role because of her family responsibilities, but she certainly pulls it off (even if she sometimes thinks about what it would be like otherwise).

* ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'': Judy Hopps was the top student at the police academy and even when she's shunned as a meter maid, she gives her best to show what she's made of. She willingly works harder to compensate for her small stature and discrimination she faces as a bunny.

* Eilonwy from the ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain'' is very devoted to achieving excellence as an enchantress, and, like Hermione, can be somewhat snotty to those she sees as slacking off.

* Helga from ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' is a deconstruction. While Olga has good leadership skills and regularly gets straight As in college, she is held to extremely high expectation by her parents. Also, she is driven to a mental breakdown over a B grade (which Helga forges, mind you).