The shojo genre is often associated with melodramatic romance flicks greatly limited by the genre’s thematic constraints. The drama-filled wallowings of shojo heroines seldom mix well in the audience’s minds with the lightheartedness of comedy. Yet, it’s wrong to assume that shojo anime can’t be funny.
An unexpectedly multifaceted genre, shojo offers fans some of the funniest series in anime, ranging from easy-going situational romcoms to over-the-top slapstick spectacles. While a rare shojo makes humor its selling point, with shows that feature comedic elements in the background being far more common, these shojo series excel at enhancing their stories through sidesplitting comedy.
10 Cardcaptor Sakura
70 Episodes
Known for its tremendous influence on the magical girl genre, the shojo classic Cardcaptor Sakura has more to offer fans than a simple fantasy adventure. Comedic elements of Cardcaptor Sakura shine through in almost every episode, bringing its characters to life through witty humor.
Most jokes in Cardcaptor Sakura revolve around the clashing personalities of the main cast. Sakura’s cheerful temperament subjects her to constant teasing from characters like her bossy companion, Kero, and jestful but overprotective brother, Touya, amounting to a large portion of the series’ entertainment.
9 Kodocha
102 Episodes
Wacky and endearing in the best traditions of late-’90s shojo romcoms, Kodocha follows the story of 11-year-old Sana Kurata, her class’ rising star and a successful child actor. The only thing disturbing the order in her perfect life is Akito Hayama, her rowdy classmate whose antics continuously interrupt their lessons.
On top of Akito and Sana’s hilarious enemies-to-lovers dynamic, the show is full of vibrant side characters, each with their own unique gag. Even if the cast can feel a bit one-dimensional, they succeed at always making viewers laugh.
8 Baby And Me
35 Episodes
Fifth grader Takuya Enoki of Baby and Me lives an unorthodox life for a typical preteen. After his mother’s death, he is tasked with taking care of his beloved baby brother while their dad works endless hours in the office. Yet, Takuya’s challenging life is not devoid of humor.
Even between cooking, cleaning, and worrying about his carefree little brother, he finds time to laugh together with the audience. An endearing slice-of-life comedy, Baby and Me perfectly captures why valuing one’s family is so important.
7 Kiss Him, Not Me!
12 Episodes
A rare shojo to prioritize comedy over romance, Kiss Him, Not Me! tells the story of Kae Serinuma, an obsessive fujoshi who fantasizes about her male classmates falling in love. Devastated by a character’s death in her favorite show, Serinuma locks herself in her room for an entire week, only to come out transformed into a striking beauty.
Now, boys at school battle for her attention, while Serinuma wishes they’d fall for each other. A bit repetitive with its gags, Kiss Him, Not Me! remains one of shojo’s funniest shows.
6 School Babysitters
12 Episodes
School Babysitters starts with a tragedy, as its teen hero, Ryuuichi Kashima, and his little brother, Kotarou, lose their parents in a plane crash. Determined to become a worthy guardian for his sibling, Ryuuichi seizes the chance to enroll in a prestigious academy.
In exchange for housing and education, Ryuuichi leads the school’s babysitters club. Now responsible for a hoard of toddlers on top of his brother, Ryuuichi begins his hilarious lesson in responsibility, and the energetic children don’t plan to make the job easy for him.
5 Skip Beat!
25 Episodes
Kyouko Mogami’s rise to fame in Skip Beat! is an unexpectedly hilarious one. After getting betrayed by her crush, Shou, an aspiring idol and the girl’s childhood friend, Kyouko decides to get back at him by conquering the entertainment industry herself.
Vengeance powers Kyouko to face the good, the bad, and the ugly of showbiz, all to surpass her ignorant love interest. While Skip Beat! rewards Kyouko for her hard work, it’s never afraid to make fun of her misfortunes, laughing both at and together with the hilarious heroine.
4 The Wallflower
25 Episodes
Determined to make fun of every shojo romance stereotype, The Wallflower follows Sunako Nakahara, a shut-in girl with a passionate hatred for beauty. Ever since her crush rejected her, Sunako locks herself in her dark room and falls into the rabbit hole of all things occult.
To Sunako’s dismay, her aunt forces four gorgeous bishonen to make her into a proper lady. Each of the boys is an exaggerated archetype of shojo love interests, which makes their interactions with socially awkward Sunako utterly hilarious in every episode.
3 Lovely Complex
24 Episodes
Love is hard for high schoolers Risa Koizumi and Atsushi Ootani from Lovely Complex. Koizumi towers over all the other girls in class, and Ootani is much shorter than the average boy.
Labeled a perfect comedy duo due to their clashing personalities and dramatic height difference, Koizumi and Ootani try to help each other find love — but mostly bicker and get into hilarious antics. The interactions between the mismatched pair never get stale, even as their relationship progresses from close friendship to something more intimate.
2 My Love Story!!
24 Episodes
Despite being the hero of a conveniently named shojo romcom My Love Story!!, high school freshman Takeo Gouda is a far cry from the genre’s typically dreamy love interests. Intimidating, tall, and muscular, Takeo unintentionally scares most of his potential romantic partners away with his mean face.
Yet, Takeo’s heart is as tender and courageous as any picture-perfect shojo hero. The hilarious mismatch between Takeo’s personality and appearance hinders his relationship with his cute crush, Rinko Yamato. Rinko, however, sees past Takeo’s frightening exterior.
1 Ouran High School Host Club
26 Episodes
The cult classic of shojo comedies, Ouran High School Host Club introduces the viewers to its titular establishment run by the academy’s most handsome and charming boys. Haruhi Fujioka is nothing like their typical clientele — she is androgynous, timid, and far from wealthy.
Yet, when Haruhi breaks one of the Club’s expensive vases, Haruhi’s boyish features help her to join the Club as a host to repay her debt. The incident kickstarts Haruhi’s hectic shenanigans alongside the Club’s eccentric hosts — each more extravagantly unbearable than the last.