Nicole. Inner pages of Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura.
What Are Shoujo Manga Tropes?
Shoujo manga tropes are simply events, plot points, or characterizations that happen frequently in stories with similar genres. In this post, I’ll be specifically talking about manga tropes often found in romance. Not all shoujo is romance, but what I read usually is!
Readers often have specific tropes that they enjoy reading more than others, so I wanted to talk about my personal favorites! These aren’t in any particular order, nor am I claiming these to be the best or only good tropes. They are just tropes that I have come to love over the years as a manga enjoyer!
Although these tropes aren’t exclusive to shoujo manga, they are commonly found or well-known in romance shoujos. Also, there is such thing as a trope being done well or not done well at all, so I’ll be sure to be specific in my descriptions. I’ve also included links to any manga reviews I’ve done for titles that fit these tropes, so I hope you enjoy!
For reference, I’ll be abbreviating “female lead” as FL and “male lead” as ML.
1. Slow Burn Romance
If you’ve read some reviews on my website, you’d know that I absolutely love slow burns. It is one of my most favorite shoujo manga tropes ever. While mangas that get started quickly on the romance are enjoyable too, something about slow burns just makes a romance so exciting!
The characters get time to grow and become who they are first, get to know each other, and find things that they like about each other. They overcome struggles, achieve goals, and I personally just love to see individual character growth outside of the romance, too.
Sometimes there are obstacles to the romance that have to be solved first that help push a slower romance. Or perhaps the characters just enjoy taking things slow, and that’s cute, too! No matter which kind of slow burn it is, I’m usually loving it.
Skip Beat! is a fantastic example—it’s practically the epitome of slow burn romance mangas.
2. Tsundere Characters
“Tsundere” is a term that refers to a character who is usually cold, distant, or uninterested—but towards their crush acts soft and sweet (although not always immediately). Tsundere characters are a type of shoujo manga trope that can be done either very poorly or really well.
I know a lot of people actually really dislike tsundere character in general, and often for very valid reasons. For one, tsundere characters are sometimes depicted as violent.
Personally, I really dislike tsundere characters that are overly mean like that. It’s just cringey for them to be so rudely in denial of their feelings, especially if they hurt others as a result of their embarrassment. It just feels so childish.
The type of tsundere I do enjoy is simply the type that didn’t think they would fall in love, but when their walls are slowly torn down, they melt. My ideal tsundere acts cold, stoic, or perhaps tough on the outside, but is actually freaking out on the inside.
They often can be a very cool, strong, level-headed, or reliable character… who actually is just a doting sweetheart towards their lover. Something about this gap moe is very cute and fun to me! When done correctly, this shoujo manga trope is one of my absolute favorites to read.
However, I can understand how the slow romantic progress often associated with tsundere characters may be frustrating for those who don’t enjoy slower romances.
One great example of a good tsundere character is Yusuke Kusaka from Studio Cabana.
3. Blushing ML / ML Falls First
A blushing ML refers to a male character who is easily embarrassed by romantic activities or advances. Very often in male-female shoujo romances, the male characters are written to be the “lead” in the relationship and are expected to be very smooth or capable. I actually love when the opposite happens.
Romance is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, and someone’s gender identity does not define how they perform in these aspects (which is why GL or BL stories are a bit refreshing in how they don’t restrict characters to societal gender norms).
An easily embarrassed ML is so fun and really cute! This shoujo manga trope can often be paired with a more daring, confident FL who takes the lead instead (but not always).
A good example of a blushing ML is Kazehaya from Kimi ni Todoke. His shyness and silly reactions to dating is just so endearing and cute. The male lead from Re-Living My Life With a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me is a good example, too.
Closely related to the blushing ML trope is the ML falls first trope. This is simply where the male lead falls in love with the female lead first. Because this is similar, I didn’t list it separately, but wanted to add it in here. Something about the ML falling first or even seeing their point of view in a shoujo is incredibly fun and refreshing.
4. Strong or Weird FL
Shoujo manga are known for often featuring a sweet, innocent FL. This is totally fine, however, I typically prefer stories with strong (physically, emotionally, or mentally) leads or perhaps “weird” female leads.
Having a dependable, intelligent, and confident FL is really enjoyable and very fun in shoujo. It feels as though the author is putting a lot of thought behind the character and their experiences, rather than just making their main character traits kind or sweet (which is fine sometimes, too).
Personally, my favorite shoujo heroine of all time is Kyoko from Skip Beat! Not only does she exhibit tons of different emotions, goals, and motivations, but she is still capable of being a kind and sweet female lead while also having tons of other sides to her personality. I think she is so well written and hilarious!
I also really like the female lead from Tokyo Crazy Paradise, which is another series by the same author as Skip Beat!
5. Opposites-Attract Romance
This trope is pretty straightforward… it simply follows a romance between two characters with very different personalities. It’s so much fun and can make a manga really funny, too.
Often when it comes to romance manga, this trope is used to pair up polar opposites, such as: a popular and unpopular character, a friendly and tsundere character, a shy and outgoing character, a good student with a bad student, and more!
The opposites-attract shoujo manga trope is fun because the characters often really contrast each other and sometimes they even have to figure out how to get along. It adds extra interest to the plot! Sometimes they even end up opening each other’s worlds to new perspectives and values, which is really great.
One of my favorite opposites-attract mangas is The Story of Our Unlikely Love, which follows a romance between a class representative and a delinquent.
6. Enemies to Lovers Romance
This lovely shoujo manga trope involves all the fun parts of angst and denial. Two characters, for whatever reason, really dislike each other or are on opposing “sides.” But perhaps due to circumstances, they run into each other often, are forced to be within proximity of one another, or are just unaware of each other’s true identities.
Whatever it may be, they end up curbing their dislike for each other, begin to see the good sides of each other, and eventually grow romantic feelings. Bonus points if the characters pine for each other mutually as a result of the enemies to lovers shoujo manga trope!
An iconic enemies to lovers shoujo is Basara, an incredible series that you cannot miss out on!
7. Fake or Contract Relationships
This trope simply involves an agreement of some sort between two characters that inevitably drives them closer together! This shoujo manga trope is almost like enemies to lovers, but doesn’t always involve a rivalry (although it often does).
It can be a fake dating agreement, an arranged marriage, or simply a deal to work together on something. The forced proximity and shared tasks often allows each party to see the good sides of each other, and eventually leads to romantic feelings or tension.
8. Female Friendships
Out of this list of shoujo manga tropes, this one is not directly related to romance, but is often included in the genre. Shoujo mangas love to bring in love rivals or troublesome characters to stir up the pot of romance.
Sometimes these are female characters who don’t always get a redemption, but sometimes they do and it can lead to a fantastic friendship witht the main character.
Friendships between girls or women in manga are just so wholesome to me, whether they are a rejected rival, a long-time childhood bestie, or simply a new friend they make along the way.
I think including this in any manga truly levels it up, especially if they were a rival beforehand. One of my favorite examples is Kurumi from Kimi ni Todoke! She even gets her own spinoff later on, called Kimi ni Todoke: Soulmate.
9. Crossdressing or Gender Bender
The crossdressing manga trope involves a character who dresses to appear as a different gender, regardless of whether or not they wish to identify as that gender.
The gender bender trope involves a character who (intentionally or unintentionally) has an appearance that is the opposite of what society expects of them, or who perhaps is androgynous.
These two shoujo manga tropes are similar in that they sort of give the same result of eliminating any conformity to gender norms or social norms, and often help normalize this nonconformity. They also often provide representation for bisexual characters or characters with identities that are not always included in shoujo manga.
These tropes are a bit unique in how they help normalize the hobby of crossdressing, as well as break down the societal expectations for how a gender identity is “supposed” to look or act. I really like the use of these tropes in Cinderella Closet and Maybe Akira-kun, Maybe Akira-chan.
Basically, mangas that are more inclusive and welcoming of all identities, or that break down stereotypes are often more fun and more relatable to the reader community! Plus, these shoujo manga tropes often include a really fun, dramatic revelation at some point that can send one or more characters into a humorous panic.
10. Disliked Character Who Changes For the Better
This one is oddly specific, but amongst all the shoujo mangas out there where both lead characters are simply perfect, I think it is more fun to have characters who need some personal growth. If I dislike a character at first, then I get to hope for character growth.
Some examples could be: A snobby character who becomes less of a jerk over time. Or perhaps an uppity rich character who becomes more understanding and less of a stereotype. A character who hates boys or hates girls, learning that they are just making assumptions based on past experiences or perception. It can vary widely!
One title that’s a good example of this shoujo manga trope is A Condition Called Love. In this manga, the ML is very obsessive and overbearing, but changes over time thanks to healthy communication and boundary-setting in the relationship.
Another example could be Yona of the Dawn, where the FL starts as a weak, whiny princess who becomes stronger and more determined as the series progresses (and actually makes a difference for her country).
While cute, likable, “perfect” characters are great for fluff and easygoing reads, sometimes it is extra fun and interesting to see characters climb their way towards bigger and better goals, or bloom into new versions of themselves.
Final Thoughts
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my personal favorite shoujo manga tropes commonly found in the romance genre! It may give you some insight into what sort of things I recommend on my site, or perhaps encourage you to try something new. If you enjoyed this blog, feel free to check out the shoujo romance tropes that I dislike, too!
