Shōjo (少女 lit. young woman), often spelled shoujo, is a style of anime and manga intended for girls and may have some crossover appeal to boys as well.
Typically, "pure shōjo" manga revolves around love stories and strong female protagonists; however, some shōjo anime and manga are more plot/action oriented to attract a wider audience. For instance, a lot of older salarymen were drawn to a manga called Banana Fish for its hard-edged yakuza action (which is more often found in seinen manga). What kept female audiences interested in this work was a gentle relationship between two gay bishōnen lovers amongst all the violence.
Shōjo anime and manga often contain elements of shōnen-ai or even yaoi (sexual relationship between male characters) not to mention shōjo-ai and, recently, yuri (sexual relationship between female characters). The aesthetic of the bishōnen is very prominent. Another very popular genre is Magical Girl, of which the famous series Sailor Moon is a prime example.
Shōjo should be distinguished from bishōjo (pretty young girls); the latter term refers, somewhat confusingly, to content rather than target market. Shōjo is manga/anime for girls; bishōjo is manga/anime that has pretty girls, usually targeted towards a male audience.
Many shōjo titles are often described as dark and moody, which is sometimes counterintuitive from a Western viewpoint.
See also shōnen, anime and manga intended for boys; josei, anime and manga intended for adult women; and seinen, anime and manga intended for adult men.
List of shōjo anime and manga
Shojo are also sea demons from Filipino myths.
