Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / Josei

Go To

1%%
2%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16766579320.98840900
3%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
4%%
5[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joseicollage.png]]
6[[caption-width-right:349:Long work days, life troubles, and (un)lucky lovers --\
7It's a woman's world out there.\
8[[labelnote:L-R, top to bottom]]''Manga/ParadiseKiss'', ''Manga/{{Chihayafuru}}'', ''Manga/WotakoiLoveIsHardForOtaku'', ''Manga/SevenSeeds''[[/labelnote]]]]
9%%
10Josei is a [[UsefulNotes/MangaDemographics demographic category]] of {{manga}}, {{anime}}, and other Japanese entertainment aimed at female audiences aged 18 to 40. Like its SpearCounterpart {{Seinen}}, Josei is notable for more realistic, less idealized portrayals of romance and life than in [[ShoujoDemographic works for young girls]].
11
12It typically uses a more realistic artistic style than Shoujo manga, though it retains some common traits like sparse use of ink and detailed character designs. While they often still look invariably gorgeous, they're more "hot" than "cute": the men tend to edge more into PrettyBoy territory while the women look more mature. Stories typically portray everyday life for young Japanese women -- usually adults, but occasionally high school age.
13
14Common settings include the workplace (often featuring surly businessmen and confident or put-upon {{Office Lad|y}}ies if it's an office), city nightlife, university campuses, and other mundane areas. Like its younger counterpart, historical dramas remain as popular a topic to write about as the modern day: the tales of hardened warriors and the daily struggles of the people both have room to flourish. Horror is also no stranger to this demographic -- acclaimed horror writer Creator/JunjiIto even wrote some of his stories for women's horror magazines. Romance is more nuanced here than the Shoujo style of "never been kissed", with its heroines often either unlucky in love, working through relationship troubles, or generally experienced. On the flip side, its more blue offerings (known as "Ladies Comics") can get steamier than even the most borderline Teens Love -- harems getting sexual, pent-up coworkers, women with "pet"-like subordiates -- with a subgenre even dedicated to adapting [[RomanceNovel Harlequin romance]]. More mature and explicit works in the YaoiGenre also tend to be published for this demographic.
15
16There is some overlap with Shoujo fans, as there are writers that put out content for both demographics and magazines that cater to both at the same time. While the overlap with Shounen and Seinen isn't as pronounced, works like ''Anime/MichikoAndHatchin'' or ''Manga/{{Servamp}}'' carry some of the same themes those demographics are familiar with, and some anime can even air alongside them in the West.
17
18Josei manga get adapted into anime far more rarely than other demographics, more often getting [[LiveActionAdaptation live-action TV series]] if they make it to television at all. However, Creator/FujiTelevision's Creator/{{noitaminA}} anime block is notable for focusing on this demographic.
19
20Compare {{Seinen}}, which is aimed at men in the same age range; and {{Shoujo}}, which is aimed at a younger female audience. {{Shounen}} is aimed at a younger male audience.
21----
22
23!! Popular Josei Magazines
24* ''Cocohana''
25* ''Cookie''
26* ''Dessert''
27* ''Monthly Comic Zero-Sum'' (intentionally made to cater to both josei and shoujo markets, in an odd case)
28* ''You''
29
30!!Examples
31[[index]]
32* ''[[Manga/PlusSi +C: Sword and Cornett]]''
33* ''Manga/ZeroSevenGhost''
34* ''Literature/TwoPointFourThreeSeiinHighSchoolBoysVolleyballTeam'': The manga adaptation runs in ''Cocohana''.
35* ''Manga/SevenSeeds''
36* ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}''
37* ''Manga/AkatsukiNoAria''
38* ''Manga/{{Amatsuki}}''
39* ''Manga/{{Amakusa 1637}}''
40* ''AudioPlay/AreYouAlice''
41* ''Manga/{{Aruosumente}}''
42* ''BaraNoTameNi''
43* ''Manga/{{Blue}}''
44* ''Manga/BokuraNoKiseki''
45* ''Manga/BrutalSatsujinKeisatsukanNoKokuhaku''
46* ''Manga/BunnyDrop''
47* ''Manga/ButterfliesFlowers''
48* ''Literature/TheCaseFilesOfJewelerRichard''
49* ''Manga/{{Challengers}}''
50* ''Manga/CherryMagicThirtyYearsOfVirginityCanMakeYouAWizard''
51* ''Manga/{{Chihayafuru}}''
52* ''Manga/ACruelGodReigns''
53* ''Manga/DameNaWatashiNiKoishiteKudasai''
54* ''Manga/DawnTsumetaiTe''
55* ''Literature/DeepLove''
56* ''Manga/DekaWanko''
57* ''Manga/DevilsAndRealist''
58* ''Manga/{{DOLL}}''
59* ''Manga/Dolls2005''
60* ''Manga/DoubleHouse''
61* ''Literature/EndoAndKobayashiLive The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte'': The manga adaptation runs in ''B's-Log Comic''.
62* ''Manga/EvenThoughWereAdults''
63* ''Manga/FinderSeries''
64* ''Manga/FireflyWedding''
65* ''Manga/FreeSoul''
66* ''Manga/FushigiYuugiByakkoSenki''
67* ''Manga/{{Futago}}''
68* ''Manga/GachiKoiNenchakujuu''
69* ''Anime/GenjiMonogatariSennenki''
70* ''GenjuNoSeiza''
71* ''Manga/{{Given}}''
72* ''Manga/GoForItNakamura''
73* ''Manga/{{Gokusen}}''
74* ''Manga/HanaNoAsukaGumi'' - All sequels to the original manga run in Josei publications.
75* ''Manga/HappyMania''
76* ''Manga/HappyMarriage''
77* ''Manga/HelterSkelter''
78* ''Manga/TheHighSchoolLifeOfAFudanshi''
79* ''Literature/HokuouKizokuToMoukinzumaNoYukiguniKarigurashi''
80* ''Manga/HoneyAndClover''
81* ''Manga/HotarusWay''
82* ''Manga/IThinkOurSonIsGay''
83* ''Manga/TheIceGuyAndHisCoolFemaleColleague''
84* ''Manga/IdolDreams''
85* ''Manga/IndigoBlue''
86* ''InorihimeWaSoraNiWarau''
87* ''Manga/AnInvitationFromACrab''
88* ''Manga/IsLoveTheAnswer''
89* ''Manga/ISOtokoDemoOnnaDemoNaiSei''
90* ''Manga/JunjiItoKyoufuMangaCollection''
91* ''Manga/KagerouDaze''
92* ''Manga/KakeochiGirl''
93* ''Literature/KakuriyoBedAndBreakfastForSpirits'' (manga adaptation runs in ''B's Log Comic'')
94* ''Manga/{{Karneval}}''
95* ''Manga/KaseiYakyoku''
96* ''Manga/KazeHikaru'' - Started out in the shoujo magazine ''Bessatsu Shoujo Comic'', but it later moved to the josei magazine ''Monthly Flowers'' in 2002, where it continued until its end.
97* ''Manga/KidsOnTheSlope''
98* ''Manga/KiryuuSenseiWaRenaiGaWakaranai''
99* ''Manga/LegendOfChunHyang''
100* ''Manga/LifeLessonsWithUramichiOniisan''
101* ''Manga/{{Loveless}}''
102* ''Manga/LoveMyLife''
103* ''Manga/LoveStage''
104* ''Manga/MassuguNiIkou''
105* ''Manga/{{Mellodia}}''
106* ''Anime/MichikoAndHatchin'': Despite being an original anime, creator and director Sayo Yamamoto has said she especially wanted adult women to watch it; since it aired late at night, she had a feeling that "office ladies would be returning home, and worn out from the day, they could have a beer and watch it".
107* ''Manga/MidnightSecretary''
108* ''Manga/MyLittleSisterStoleMyFiance'': Runs on ''B's-Log Comic''.
109* ''Literature/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'': The manga adaptation runs on ''Comic Zero-sum''.
110* ''Manga/MySenpaiIsAnnoying''
111* ''Manga/NatsuyukiRendezvous''
112* ''NightOfTheBeasts''
113* ''Manga/NinaTheStarryBride''
114* ''Manga/NodameCantabile''
115* ''Manga/OhanaHoloholo''
116* ''Manga/OishiiKankei''
117* ''Manga/OkaneGaNai''
118* ''Anime/OnlyYesterday''
119* ''Anime/OsomatsuSan'' (the manga, at least)
120* ''PapaToldMe''
121* ''Manga/ParadiseKiss''
122* ''Manga/PerfectWorld''
123* ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors''
124* ''Manga/PhantomOfTheIdol''
125* ''Manga/{{Pieta}}''
126* ''Manga/PlanetLadder''
127* ''Manga/{{Plica}}''
128* ''Manga/PoisonBerryInMyBrain''
129* ''Manga/APolarBearInLove''
130* ''Manga/{{Pride}}''
131* ''Manga/PrincessJellyfish''
132* ''Manga/PrivateActress''
133* ''Manga/PrivatePrince''
134* ''Manga/ReikoTheZombieShop''
135* ''Manga/RistoranteParadiso''
136* ''Manga/RougeNoir''
137* ''Anime/RilakkumaAndKaoru''
138* ''Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure''
139* ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'' - Only from ''Reload'' onward; the first series is {{shounen}}.
140* ''Manga/SakuraGari''
141* ''Manga/SatouKunToTanakaSan - The Blood High School''
142* ''Manga/SekaiichiHatsukoi''
143* ''Manga/SensualTrigger''
144* ''Manga/SeigiNoMikata''
145* ''Manga/{{Servamp}}''
146* ''Manga/SheLovesToCookAndSheLovesToEat''
147* ''ShinGalboy''
148* ''Manga/ShirokumaCafe''
149* ''Manga/ShitsurenChocolatier''
150* ''Manga/ShouwaGenrokuRakugoShinjuu''
151* ''Manga/SpottedFlower''
152* ''Manga/StrangePlus''
153* ''Manga/{{Stretch}}'' - A romantic, YuriGenre, SliceOfLife series.
154* ''Manga/{{Suppli}}''
155* ''Anime/TheTaleOfGenji1987''
156* ''Manga/TwitteringBirdsNeverFly''
157* ''Manga/TheTyrantFallsInLove''
158* ''Manga/VampireDoll''
159* ''Literature/VillainessLevel99'': The manga adaptation runs on ''B's-Log Comic''.
160* ''WalkinButterfly''
161* ''Manga/WithTheLight''
162* ''Manga/TheWizeWizeBeastsOfTheWizardingWizdoms''
163* ''Manga/WotakoiLoveIsHardForOtaku''
164* ''Manga/YoureMyPet''
165* ''Manga/YumeNoShizukuKinNoTorikago''
166* ''Manga/{{Zetsuai 1989}}'' - Both the original and the sequel ''Bronze'' began as {{shoujo}}, but ''Bronze'' later shifted to this genre.
167[[/index]]
168
169!! Series sometimes mistaken for josei:
170
171* ''Manga/ChisSweetHome'' is a cute series about the domestic life of a family as seen through the eyes of their pet cat, which would seem to make it prime Josei material, but it's actually {{Seinen}}.
172* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'': ''Very'' close, but the involvement with ''Comic Birz'' pulls it closer to the {{seinen}} category. Though now it's closer to {{shonen}} thanks to the involvement with ''Shonen Jump''.
173* ''Manga/{{Nana}}'', which is really close to a josei, but it's a {{shojo}}.
174** Similarly, ''Manga/ParadiseKiss''. It's an Creator/AiYazawa thing.
175* ''Manga/BlackButler'' seems to be a mix of {{Shoujo}}, more so in the anime, and {{Seinen}}, more so in the manga. As such it is often thought of as a {{Josei}} but it's actually a {{Shounen}}.
176* Comic Zero Sum is a magazine targeted at women of all ages. This often leads to confusion as to whether a work is shoujo or josei. These include ''Manga/{{Amatsuki}}'', ''Manga/{{Loveless}}'', ''Manga/ZeroSevenGhost'', ''Manga/{{Karneval}}'' and ''Manga/{{Dazzle}}''.
177* Works by Creator/MayuShinjo like ''Manga/SensualPhrase'', ''Manga/HaouAiren'', ''Manga/LoveCeleb'' or ''Manga/AkumaNaEros'', due to the extremely high [[HotterAndSexier sexual content]] that often includes SexualHarassmentAndRapeTropes. The melodramatic storytelling and the fact that the protagonists tend to be girls in their late teens, however, sets them as full-blooded shoujo.
178* ''Manga/HatarakiMan'', due to featuring a female protagonist and written by Creator/MoyocoAnno, who is well-known for writing Josei manga. It actually runs in a {{Seinen}} magazine, however.
179* ''Manga/BitterVirgin'' is about a boy who finds out his classmate was [[ParentalIncest raped by her step-father]] and [[TeenPregnancy became pregnant]]. It delves into topics like abortion, molestation, [[spoiler:miscarriage]], and teen pregnancy but is not a josei or even a shoujo manga. It's seinen.
180* ''Manga/Life2002'' is on the thin line between seeming shoujo and seeming josei. It's about a bullied high school girl that [[SelfHarm cuts herself]] and has a fair amount of graphic sexuality and violence to the point where Tokyo Pop upgraded the rating from "Older Teens" to "Mature". Still it's a shoujo manga.
181* ''Manga/EmmaAVictorianRomance'' is a female-lead romance about an ordinary maid with three gorgeous men interested in her (though she's only interested in one of them). It seems a lot like a josei series, but it's actually seinen.
182* ''Manga/WanderingSon''. It's a calm SliceOfLife about kids going through elementary to college. It delves with topics like bullying, gender roles, growing up, and other topics more common in female geared works. Its anime adaptation has a watercolor look and aired on ''Creator/{{noitaminA}}''. Signs point toward josei, maybe shoujo, but it's really a seinen series.
183* ''Manga/FromFiveToNine'' tends to be mistaken for josei since most of the characters are adults who deal with adult problems, but the manga ran in the shoujo magazine ''Cheese!''. The live-action drama adaptation, however, ''is'' aimed at adults and aired late at night.

Top