So, I've searched the forums and saw a lot of people trying to find strong female leads. I did look through the posts, but it wasn't really what I was looking for. I'd like a female lead that's emotionally strong (i.e. doesn't break down at the prospect of her man leaving her), and intelligent. I don't want her strength to be because of her physical capabilities, but to be defined by the fact that her character isn't created for the sole purpose of living for another person.

What I mean is, I don't want her actions to all be done in accordance to the male lead. Example: Kyoko from KHR! anime cooks for the men, cleans for the men, cheers the men on in their battles, and is the love interest of Tsuna. She has little to no desire/ambition for her own interests to be voiced. I want a woman who has her own career goals, who earns what she gets, and has her own hobbies that have no relationship to the male lead.

As for earning what she gets, I mean she's not suddenly endowed with a magical artifact/skill/whatever that she didn't earn herself. I'd like her to go through her own struggles to get what she wants.

Lastly, personality-wise I'd like her to be a little less vocal than most female leads, simply because I find that "chatty" girls tend to bitch a lot. Oh, and a sense of humour would be a huge, huge, plus. I'm sick of girls that can't crack jokes, and only nag.

Tl;dr:

- intelligent, emotionally strong
- have their own ambitions separate from what the male lead's doing
- works hard to get what she wants
- quiet and/or funny would be a huge bonus, but not necessary

As for what genre, I'd prefer shoujo or josei, though not too picky about it.

Examples:

Akagami no Shirayukihime: Shirayuki
Yotsuba!: Yotsuba (not intelligent, I guess, but a very well-crafted character that stands on her own)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: Nausicaä

I always suggestRed River because it is a classic and can fit any description of "strong female lead"

Also try the Emotionally Strong Female Lead category as well

I wonder if Gokusen counts? She's hilarious and has an interesting philosophy...

Taiyou no Ijiwaru focuses mainly on the female's mindset... it's a more serious read...

Technically, the female lead in Ouran High School Host Club works hard for what she wants... it's just "unfortunate" that she gets caught up with the host club...

And all female leads in Hayao Miyazaki films...

Try Saver.

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maybe akuma to love song - she is emotionally strong but I don't think she has a ambition.

Ashita no Ousama - this fits

Ingènuo

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

Last edited by xxkuroxx at 5:58 am, Jul 3 2011

I tend to suggest Kisshou Tennyo.
Sayoko is the deadly silent type.
The focus isn't always on her, but it contributes to her mysterious persona.

Last edited by NightSwan at 12:22 pm, Jul 5 2011

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Red River The taste of classic.


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A delicious relationship but she does like to talk a lot. She is quite funny tho and I do like her. She may seem simple but she uses her brain too sometimes. Kind of Nodame from Nodame Cantabile but more on the simpler, ordinary side



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Help! I'm looking for... manga with dangerous guys http://www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=39874&pa ge=1#post594033

Hmmm. Well, I guess Maka from Soul Eater fits some of your criteria. She's partners with a weapon named Soul, but she's not completely dependent on him. It's a shared relationship. She cares about him, but the whole romance thing is barely existence. It's just friendship, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. She cares about her friends and pushes herself to her limits. She's also a main protagonist of a shounen manga along side her friends, so she's hardly ever the sole point of all the drama. The fact that she's only around 15 and acts like that is a major plus. Might not be your cup of tea but I really like her.

How about Rin from Usagi Drop? She's a little girl for the first half of it but even then she's strong in spite of having lost both parents from a young age. She's intelligent, level headed and knows her own mind (much better than her guardian and male friend in fact :haha.

Best of all the story is very realistic with regards to all the characters even if some of them are little strange (so what?) and you never feel that any of them act in a way that a real person wouldn't.

Kyoko from Skip Beat

Tsukasa from Tokyo Crazy Paradise

Miura Ito from W-Juliet

Shirayuki from Akagami no Shirayukihime

Yvienne from Ciel

June Narcieq from Girl Queen

well these are all my fave Manga

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Maybe Adventure and Trouble Diary?

try normal city very beautiful story with a calm yet aggressive female lead

Kyoko from Skip Beat. Umm try White garden there are 2 mangas with this title dnt pick the yaoi one and try delinquent cinderella

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Balsa from Seirei no Moribito
Youko from Twelve Kingdoms (later on that is)
Erin from Kemono no Souja...

If romance is a requirement, I can only think of Ten no Ryuu Chi no Sakura right off the bat.