9 Banme no Musashi
Hana no Kishi
Jigoku Shoujo (also an anime)
Anne Freaks
Full Metal Panic! (although officially she isn't the main character, the whole plot revolves around her, this is also an anime, btw)
He Dedicated to Roses
Midnight Secretary
Ouran High School Host Club (also an anime, but it's a real shoujo, so not many serious scenes here, but I enjoyed it anyway)
Saver (a must for strong female lead and my top recommendation, since it has all your demands)
Duds Hunt (although you think that the female doesn't have anything to do with it, it all becomes clear in the end, no romance, it's a oneshot of 2 chapters)

hope I helped!

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26/01/2011 = MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE IN TILBURG!
18/12/2011 = DEAD BY APRIL IN AMERSFOORT

Some of these might already have been mentioned but:
Gokusen
Ooku (primarily from book 2 onwards. Book 1 has a male lead, but there's a strong female protagonist too.)
Grand Sun
Red Lion maybe? mangwha
1/2 Prince manhua, both the manga and the novels are hilarious.

I am going to recommend a some anime

Watch Kemono no Souja Erin. It does have romance although it is not the focus.

Crest of the Stars and all the sequels. (only implied romance though)
Allison and Lillia
Cross Game
His and Her Circumstances
Nodame Cantible (she is crazy but strong)
Ouran High School Host Club
Whisper of the Heart

And manga
Akagami no Shirayukihime
1/2 Prince
Dengeki Daisy
Vampire Game

the prince's cactus, if that hasn't been mentioned yet.

http://anymanga.com/the-prince-cactus/

Superior
Savage Garden
Secret Garden<--kdrama haven't watched it but I think it fits your descriptions

Films

Two Miazaki movies - you probabaly know both of these, but in case you don't I'd say don't miss them

Howl's Moving Castle - Sophie is strong; she only momentarily lets the curse faze her

Spirited Away - Sen is put in an unimaginable situation, but instead of being paralyzed by fear she faces it and keeps moving forward.

Live action:
Strictly Ballroom - my favorite movie. About competitive ballroom dancing, the heroine, who until then has been just a extra partner in dance class, dares to ask the star dancer to be his partner in competition.

Anime
Basara (finishes early and the manga is much better, you don't get to see how the romance pans out in the anime)
Fruits Basket (though it finishes early and the manga is better because you don't see were the romance goes)
Blood +
Itazura na kiss

Movies (that are not anime movies)
The Inner Sunshine of the MInds Eye (adult)
The Adjustment Bereau (adult)
most disney movies

TV Dramas from classic english literature
Pride and Predudice by Jane Austin (also a book and a movie, book is the best, then the tv series)
everything else by jane austin
Little Dorrit by Charls Dickens (this was amazing by the way, also a book, but i haven't read it, the main girl is strong in some ways, but not in others.)
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Books that are english/Australian

By Juliette Marillier
The Sevenwaters Trilogy:

Daughter of The Forest
Son of The Shadows
Child of the Prophecy
Heir to Sevenwaters
Seer of Sevenwaters
The book on its own:

Hearts Blood

The Bridei Chronicals
The Dark Mirror
Blade of Fortriu
The Well of Shades

By Isabel Carmody: (this is kind of young adult, for older young adults?)

The Obernewtyn Chronicals
Obernewtyn
The FArseekers
Ashling
The Keeping Place
Wavesong
The Stone Key
The Sending
The Red Queen (forthcoming 2012)

A book on its own:
Alyzon Whitestarr

By Mary Hoffman:

The Stravaganza Series: (this is young adult)
City of Masks
City of Stars
City of Flowers
City of Secrets
City of Ships
City of Swords (forthcoming 2012)











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We work in the dark, we do what we can, we give what we have, out doubt is our passion and our passion is our task, the rest is the madness of art. Henry james

7 Seeds - Very strong female characters, excellent story. The female lead for the first volume is definitely the weakest character so read past vol 1.

Juuni Kokki - Seconded. She starts out as a weak character, then goes through some tremendous growth and comes out a smart and strong leader.

Basara - Seconded. Written by the same mangaka as 7 Seeds. Very strong female lead.


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Image from Gangsta -> Full Image Link http://www.k4.dion.ne.jp/~babyrock/page030.html

Yeah, I have to agree that Juuni Kokki will probably be your best Strong and actually Smart female lead. It's not the type of female lead with fake smart only to fall into stupidity. The main character went from your average weak and timid girl into a full blown warrior + empress. I watched the anime then read the novel and I really really hated her when she was timid but really like the change in her once she started to grow. This is Josei, I guess, even though the novel seems to aim at a younger reader.

Seirei no Moribito female lead is more harden/tough and experienced/mature rather than strong and smart. Excellent animation with a seinen feel to it.

Both of these have a few romance moments if you try to read between the lines but they aren't romance stuff. They never really go over the awkward, blushing and uncomfortable level of romance. So you won't be finding any warm and fuzzy romance here.

Kemono no Souja Erin same author as SnM so you might get the same vibe. This anime is aimed at a younger audience but it's still a masterpiece that smart anime lovers should watch at least once. There are some romance here but the female lead is like 10 years old so it's not a lot or very deep.

Honorable mention: Fate/Stay Night (and Fate/Zero);

Time to repeat what people have said
Manga:
Lovely Complex is a great comedy
Nana - NANA was cool punk rocker...(until later). Then again...there is Hatchi who doesn't come off as strong at all...

Anime:
Kino no Tabi - Independent female lead who travels the world to observe different cultures/world views~

Dennou Coil - feels like a Ghibli film drawn out into a series.

Toki o Kakeru Shoujo - wonderful movie about a girl who gets an ability to leap back in time

Karigurashi no Arrietty - Newer Ghibli film based on The Borrowers

I second/third Juuni Kokuki and Seirei no Moribito.
Juuni Kokuki (12 Kingdoms) started off on a rocky start but the characters grew so much over the series. Seirei no Moribito? Balsa just kicks ass~


Novels:
Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris was entertaining, especially in the beginning. Starts with Dead Until Dark. True Blood series by HBO is based on the books. Latest books are meh~

I would also argue that the Dresden Files has smart/strong female leads/cast. Starts with Storm Front. It's about the adventures of a wizard private detective in Chicago (and how everything just seems to go wrong for him ). Quite hilarious. Huge cast full of strong female characters that slowly get introduced throughout the series.

If you do not mind a fantasy series that moves a bit slowly, Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb was great. First book is Ship of Magic.

@RattixEmpire
How was the Sevenwaters Trilogy? I have been meaning to start the series but never got around to it.

Last edited by BlueHaro at 11:44 pm, Mar 1 2012

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In books Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson (Available for free download legally on his website) Two! yes Two! strong kickass female leads.

For anime and manga, I second (0r third) Ouran High School Host Club. Also Gokusen and W Juliet

Half Prince: The manhua is good but there is hardly any romance. The novels are a better bet and the translation group has finished translating most of it.

Red Eye, the movie too is worth a watch. Amazing chemistry between the two leads. And Tangled. the best Disney Princess Movie ever made.

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Hobbies include impersonating fictional characters and sucking on ketchup packets.

On the Sanderson topic, Vin from Mistborn was pretty kickass too Sanderson writes beautiful action scenes *eyegasm* and his magic systems are creative/fun

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I second Kaze Hikaru and also think Oishii Kankei might be good as well.

LAST GAME for sure

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Is this me in a nutshell?
Pretty much.

I can't believe no one has mentioned Ciel yet. One of the best strong female leads I've seen in a long time.

Too often the so called "strong female leads" only appear strong and independent at first, but degenerate into the typical shoujo heroines in distress as soon as the love interest comes along.

Actually, most of the manga mentioned in this thread fall into that category. I personally hate that sort of crap.

Last edited by Chome at 2:24 am, Mar 2 2012