Thread: Anime/manga with a strong female lead

I can't even begin to explain how much i hate series with a wussy girl heroine. I'm sorry, not every girl in the world cries at every single thing. Please quit expecting a guy to come and save you and get a backbone, woman!

Anyways, as you can see, I'm sick of series with a weak heroine. Therefore I am begging for recommendations of series with a strong female lead. Some that I've read is:
Skip Beat
Perfect Girl Evolution
Tokyo Crazy Paradise

I also love series that include fantasy/magic and romance elements

Go read Claymore, now! ^^
Its a Fantasy/Adventure. Got a female lead, the manga wont disapoint you! Its about a secret organisation who creates 'superhumens' to protect the mankind against creatures called the Yuma. These superhumens got a large claymore sword, that no normal humans can swing.

Its a´n ongoin manga, with about 13 Volumes, and 70 some chapters.

Yes, Claymore ftw.

But... the Organization creates hybrids, not superhumans... and their weapons aren't really claymores, more the size of Zanbatou (or anywhere within the range of Ichigo's sword in Bleach.)


Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu. Strongest female lead I've seen... and Negima's Kagurazaka Asuna kicks too much ass for one like... strong lead.

Hmm... I presume shoujo would be more appealing than shounen? Romance I have, but fantasy/magic is a little harder to find... I'm pretty sure you've read Hana Yori Dango, so I'll skip that.

Penguin Brothers has a pretty strong female lead. She enters a school whose students have been completely split into factions of Black and White, gets bullied when she refuses to join, then gets mad enough to found her own faction - the Greys - and vows to eliminate both Black and White within the year. And she starts off by kicking the Black leader in the balls and causing the White leader to kneel. (5 volumes, complete)

Actually, quite a number of Korean manhwa portray strong female leads, because of the jjang-type school stories. Of them, Hot Blooded Woman and Red Lion are probably the strongest. Hot-Blooded Woman tells the story of a very strong female jjang (gang boss) who gets into an accident and gets her soul put into the body of a delicate, weak beauty. Despite the body, she's determined to win back the position of jjang in her new school, and repeatedly challenges the current jjang - who just happens to be her body's fiance. (24 volumes, complete) Red Lion is about a girl who was reputed to be the strongest jjang in middle school, but is now trying to hide in anonymity and leave her past behind in high school. Unfortunately, former enemies keep on trying to catch her, and a trio of bishounen slowly gather around her to provide aid. Think of it as a bizarre cross between Rurouni Kenshin and Perfect Girl Evolution. (7 volumes, ongoing)

Then there's this simple-yet-funny series that wanderlustee introduced me to - Kirai. A playboy and a shrew are classmates, and they constantly get on each other's case. To make matters worse, her mother marries his father, and they end up being brother and sister, living together in the same house - though they hide the fact from their schoolmates. Of course, this means that they are mistaken for going out together... but the alternative - admitting that she's now related to the guy she despises - is just as bad. (2 volumes, ongoing)

Gokusen is like the josei version of GTO. The daughter of a yakuza boss wants to become a high school teacher.

And uh... I wonder if Pretty Face counts? XD What if the "strong female lead" is a trap character?

Angel Densetsu has a couple of extremely strong and tough-minded martial-artists in the female supporting character roles - think Akane of Ranma 1/2 and you get the idea.

Gunsmith Cats has two strong female leads playing bounty hunters - one's a crack shot with a pistol, the other is an explosives expert.

Katsu! is Mitsuru Adachi's work about a female boxer, and the young fellow who takes up boxing for her sake.

Rose Hip Rose and Rose Hip Zero are about a female crimefighter in high school.

That's all I can think of for now...

-Dizzy-

Check out Yotsubato&! She doesn't take crap from no one. And the story is very entertaining you will definitely love it.

Hmm Diebuster? Probably the strongest female (hell more like strongest anything) lead ever.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds' Nausicaa is the most likeable female character I've encountered. Great manga to with an awesome story, great artwork and interesting pacifistic propaganda.

Edit: I second Yotsubato! by the way since it kicks serious ass.

Dizzy and boredgwntd named most of what I was going to suggest. I'll add

Penguin Revolution
Land of the Blindfolded

both by the same mangaka, both shoujo fantasies. The heroines may look small and frail, but they're anything but. And while I'm at it, even though it's been mentioned before, she bears repeating:

Yotsuba&!

(I sometimes think she's as strong as Suzumiya Haruhi.)

Originally Posted by pseudorandom

And while I'm at it, even though it's been mentioned before, she bears repeating:

Yotsuba&!

(I sometimes think she's as strong as Suzumiya Haruhi.)

She is stronger. She has proven it in her battles against that evil asshole guy.

I think the main characters of Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō are quite strong (although they make mistakes - but if they did not mistakes they wouldn't act humanly).