must admit that while I’d like to consider myself an anime fan, it was really hard for me to pick out an anime that had strong female bonds or friendships—other than yuri and some other moe out there like Madoka Magica (please don’t kill me, I’m sure it’s a great anime, I just haven’t watched it yet). Actually, after a bit of research, I’ve found that it is rather difficult to find anime out there like that—outside of moe (or is it loli?) and yuri. There are a lot of slice-of-life anime that focus on the everyday high school life of a close circle of friends including boys and girls, and even more that include close friendships among a group of boys, yet I rarely see any significant interactions among the girls that clue into a deeper friendship beyond acquaintance.
1. Nana and Nana in NANA
Nana is a story of two girls who move to Tokyo at the same time, sit together in the same booth on the same train, just happen to have the same name, and end up living in the same apartment. While the plot simply portrays both girls’ lives like a typical drama anime, there is an underlying theme of friendship, a strong female bond that seems to have been strengthened by fate. No matter what tragedy or drama befalls them, they always end up turning to each other for an inner, unspoken support that had me wishing I had someone who—regardless of all my flaws and stupid mistakes—I could turn to without receiving malice or judgment. Unlike the rest of the anime on this list, Nana is probably the only one that has a story solely revolving around such a relationship.
2. Sawako, Ayane and Chizuru in Kimi ni Todoke
Kimi ni Todoke is mostly known for being a high school romance between an extremely sweet but socially awkward girl, and a friendly, popular boy who is constantly surrounded by people. The anime has a cute, innocent vibe that makes you squeal with glee at the prospect of Sawako and Kazehaya holding hands (much less kissing). It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions between two people who take FOREVER to confess to each other, and that leaves a lot of room for building Sawako’s confidence through successful relationships with others—including her two closest friends, Ayane and Chizuru.
Whenever Sawako begins drowning herself in the sea of overthinking social situations, these two are here to ease tension and bring a smile to her face. There’s nothing too deep about their friendship, and that’s probably what makes it so refreshing; their presence just highlights the simple joy of having fun with someone without holding back, knowing that they’ll always have your back, and that there’ll never be a dull moment while they’re around.
3. Maya and Ayumi in Glass Mask
Glass Mask portrays the story of Maya Kitajima, a young girl with an unwavering passion and a natural talent for acting. Along her journey to become a professional, she bumps into Ayumi Himekawa, the daughter of a famous actress and a well-known director. The two become rivals, and although they meet many people along their path, their strongest bond seems to be with each other, as they both have a fierce determination to become better actresses at whatever cost. Unlike many rivalries among women, their connection has a strong foundation of respect instead of malice, which makes it much easier for them to focus on their goals to reach their highest point, rather than being at each other’s throats all the time.
4. Kyoko and Kanae in Skip Beat!
Kyoko Mogami is a sixteen-year-old girl looking to become famous in order to get revenge on her childhood friend, teen idol Sho Fuwa, for betraying her love and trust in him. During her quest, however, she finds she has a genuine passion for acting, and decides to pursue it professionally. She meets Kanae Kotonami in a competition awarding a position in a renowned Showbiz agency, and the two quickly become rivals, and then slowly friends as they realize how similar they are. Kyoko and Kanae both have a strong passion for reaching the top of the ladder to stardom. They take pride in their hard work and refuse to back down in the face of a challenge—even from each other. Their rivalry leaves no room for holding back because of their friendship, and yet that’s what makes their bond even stronger.
5. Hitagi Senjougahara and Tsubasa Hanekawa in The Monogatari Series, Second Season.
The first few episodes of the second season of the Monogatari Series were extra fun for me because I got to see these two fascinating individuals share so much screen time together! Hanekawa and Senjougahara couldn’t been any more different from each other—and that’s what makes their friendship work so well. It’s such a small part of the season, so there’s not much I can explain without giving away how fun they are. Long-story-short, it’s super refreshing to have a friend who can speak with you frankly about certain topics. Because Senjougahara is so bold, and Hanekawa is so open-minded, they can be blatantly honest with each other without holding back.