Shoujo anime is known for being based on love and relationships. One moment, they can make one’s heart flutter, the next moment, we can be consumed in heartbreak. The stories are sometimes simple, sweet, and occasionally bitter. They show the varied dynamics of relationships in their plots. Shoujo animes also have a nostalgic vibe, which often enchants us. Listed below are 10 Shoujo anime adapted into live-action movies, dramas, or both. These live adaptations will surely rekindle your affection for Shoujo anime, whether you're a devoted follower of the original series or a curious novice hoping to experience the charm!
1. Mischievous Kiss
Mischievous Kiss is one of the best-adapted anime. It has adaptations in various languages and many dramas across China, Japan, and Korea inspired by it. It has three adaptations in Japanese: twice as a drama and once as a three-part movie. The movies are the most recent releases from 2018. Mischievous Kiss is a cute and cliche story where a happy-go-lucky girl, Kotoko, falls in love with a perfect boy from her school, Naoki. Both their families know each other, and after a devastating situation at her family home, Koto and her father move into Naoki's family home. She is treated well by everyone but Naoki and his younger brother; however, she perseveres. For years, Naoki had denied any feelings for Kotoko and rejected her coldheartedly. In the end, the two of them got married! It is a classic Shoujo story and has received a lot of love worldwide.
2. Wolf Girl And Black Prince
Wolf Girl And Black Prince is another famous Shoujo anime. It received fame because of the dynamics between a cold male lead and a bright, warm female lead. Erika is a girl who lies to her friends about dating a good-looking stranger by showing them a picture of him. She had taken the picture without him knowing and did not know that he was from her school. Realising this, Erika begs him to fake date her. He agrees to make it a deal, but only if she pretends to be his literal dog. Indeed, the story has a strange theme, but it's a usual convention in romantic comedy shōjo mangas to have a cold and 'tsundere' with a cold and dark aura. The live-action of this anime is also called Wolf Girl And Black Prince.
3. Kimi Ni Todoke
Kimi Ni Todoke is one of the cutest and softest shōjo anime ever. It is about a quiet and introverted girl, Sawako, who appears like a ghost to her classmates because of her long hair and soft, unpredictable steps. Mostly, she's invisible to them. In high school, she started to open herself up and make friends. Kazehaya has always had feelings for her, and he cheers her on and becomes a good friend to her before they confess to each other. The story is a heartwarming one. It is worth it to watch both the anime and the live-action.
4. Lovely Complex
Lovely Complex is another classic anime that is very sweet and heartwarming. It is about a tall girl and a short boy who are constantly at each other's necks and are nicknamed after a comedian duo by the teachers. They become best friends despite always fighting, and at some point, the girl, Risa, falls in love with the guy, Otani. The story is about both of their complexes since they do not have the height conventional to their genders, and yet, despite what anyone says, they fall for each other and make it work. The story is cute in its delivery, and the live-action did its best to replicate it just as cutely.
5. Hana Yori Dango
Hana Yori Dango is another anime that received several adaptations in several countries and languages. The story is about a middle-class girl who finds herself in an elite school where her mother sends her so she can have a better education and peers. This school is head over heels for four very handsome male students called F4, where F stands for flowers because they are beautiful like flowers. Makino, the girl, starts getting bullied by one of the boys, and she falls for another. The story turns into a love triangle of sorts. It's a classic Shoujo plot line where the bully turns into a lover.
6. Your Lie In April
Your Lie in April is a melancholic Shoujo anime. It follows the story of a young pianist who became incapable of playing the piano after losing his mother because he was too saddened and traumatised. Even when he tries to, it is difficult for him. His suffering continued until he met a slightly younger violinist. She is free-spirited but has a terminal illness. The pianist starts falling in love with her playing style and understands that he must allow himself to let go while experimenting with his piano. The story has twists that would make one shed tears and feel comforted at the same time. The live adaptation tries to convey all emotions just as well as the anime and succeeds. It's a very famous story now.
7. Ao Haru Ride
Ao Haru Ride is a shōjo anime that follows the story of a young girl, Futaba. Futaba was bullied by her middle school peers for being too popular with the guys in her class. In high school, she decided to mask her feminine charms to appear unappealing with a loud and rowdy character. However, when she reunites with her first love, Kou, she falls into a dilemma. Futaba wonders if she should revert to her previous self so that he will notice and recognise her. It proves to be a difficult feat because now that he's grown up, he's become distant, no longer the sunny boy she knew. The anime and the live-action share the same name.
8. Sukitte Li Na Yo
Say "I Love You," or Sukitte Ii Na Yo, is a shoujo with a female lead who is known for being quiet and distant from the rest of her class. She's a big introvert and can't speak up for herself a lot, which makes her the target of a lot of bullying. When one of the most popular guys in his class notices her, he feels a need to protect her. He is kind to her, befriends her, and tries to introduce her to his friends too. She has various ups and downs, and it includes her feelings for her new friend when he confesses that he loves her and wants to be with her. The story is soft and warm, and their relationship is very adorable.
9. Orange
Orange is an anime film that features themes like time travel and parallel universes. It is about a girl from 2024 sending letters to her past self in 2015 so she can stop the death of one of her closest friends that haunts her and her other friends in the present. Through the letters, she and her friends in 2024 decide to keep their dead friend alive in a parallel universe by making their past selves save him. The story is sad and heartwarming, and the ending is sweet and relieving.
10. Bokura Ga Ita
Bokura Ga Ita is a complicated love story between two high school students. One of them, the male lead, has suffered a lot in his short life, which has made him mature faster. Yet he ends up falling in love with a girl who is very different in personality—very childish but adorable. This, of course, ends up creating many problems in their relationship, as they are two people from different walks of life, despite their similar ages. Both live-action and anime share the same name. The story is very psychological, despite being set in a school.
