Josei Genre and the Famous Mangakas of the Genre

Do to a recent survey I have just done of about, say 40 people, it has come to my attention that a lot of anime fans are unaware of what the genre/term, "josei" means.

I'm not even sure if this is josei or not but

wow, my kokoro just did all of the dokis.

Okay, first things first.

Direct Translation

josei- woman, female, feminine, womanhood

Manga Definition/As a Genre

josei- genre that generally depicts a more realistic approach/ portrays more realistic romance versus that of shoujo which is more of an idelized version of romance in most cases. (keywords, most cases and generally), a genre aiming towards more mature female audience

There you have it. That's josei. Yes, it is different from just regular romance. Just because it is a josei does not neccesarily mean it has to have Princess Jellyfish anyone? Or maybe Honey and Clover? I personally have only seen Kuregehime (Princess Jellyfish) but whatever. Also, the mangaka who makes that has also made another manga series, called Kakukaku Shikajika, another josei series but strangely is an autobiography. It's really interesting, realistic, and extremely tear jerking. Also a really good example of a josei series without a main focus (really any focus) on romance. It could be classified as a slice of life, but for me personally I'd perfer not to. It's more drama than anything. Ironically enough. (maybe I'll do a genre discussion on the slice of life genre later)
romance in it. There are some shoujos that do not feature romance just as there are some joseis that don't do it. And by the usage of 'more mature female audience', it means it's not overly soapy or has a more realistic vibe to it. That's it. That is what the genre is. Although josei is not generally made into anime often, there is a famous one that some of you might have seen.

Princess Jellyfish
Kuregehime

Anyway, some of the greatest joseis aren't even recongnized as josei. Nana is a josei, but also a drama, which it is generally labled as (because it is dramatic as all heck) and so is Paradise Kiss. I do believe that is just because the author really likes drama. Either way, her stories are great. Both Nana and Paradise Kiss have been turned into anime series. Paradise Kiss is completed as a manga series, and has 12 episodes in it's anime. Nana on the other hand is still ongoing in the manga and it's anime series, although 47 episodes, is still not really complete. They say that it'll have a second season after it's manga series has finished, but who knows. It's not that it wasn't popular. It has a live-action adaption to it! Plus it's freaking amazing.

Okay, but less on the actually great stuff and more on the people who made that great stuff. The authors of these series that I have mentioned (excluding Honey & Clover) is Akiko Higashimura and Ai Yazawa. Akiko Higashimura made Princess Jellyfish and Kikakika Shikagika. Although her updates are less than regular or frequent, she is an amazing artist, with and interesting and unique art style, and a great story teller. I've already done a review of Princess Jellyfish and praised it highly. She is somewhere in her 30's and I completely reccomend both of her mangas. Although Princess Jellyfish is fairly recent, the show is slowly making it's rise into being an amazing new classic (the josei of now, vs Nana josei classic of around 2007)

A live adaption is being made of Princess Jellyfish if it's not already complete.

Gokinjo Monogatari
(prequel to Paradise Kiss)

Next is Ai Yazawa. She who shall be praised. Nana was the most amazing thing ever! Hitting home to everyone who's every been in a serious relationship. It seems that everyone is praising Golden Time for being a romance set in college versus highschool, but seriously. College is just a bigger version of highschool! Plus Cheese in the Trap is way better than that weird, surprisiningly sci-fy, show excuse for "realistic relationship goals".

Paradise Kiss
(sequel to Gokinjo Monogatari)

Okay, so it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't really for me. Probably because I've never been in a relationship. But Nana does what Golden Time does and makes it more dramatic and relevant, and also hits a lot more elements, without all of the weird, sci-fy stuff. The main character is the one you might find yourself relating to most, even though you know she's just so messed up in the head. And not in the way you think. She's selfish, she's clingy, and she's desperate but tries not to show it. She wants everything but doesn't want to put in the effort to get it. She's a child living inside the body of a 26? year old. That's the kind of stuff Yazawa makes. Paradise Kiss, although not as well known as Nana was also really good. And surprise, surprise, it doesn't really revolve around highschool. Highschool is featured in it but so is college. It challenges the ideas of a perfect life and the hard things that every person carries without making them over the top, ridiculous. I'm looking at you clice handsome boy with a suprieroty complex and daddy issues. Though I would reccomend the manga for better passing and more likeable characters. Ahem, coughYukaricough.

All my feelings for Yazawa summed
up in a Tumblr post.

Yazawa is amazing and reading, or watching actually, any of her things will be completely worth your time. And for Paradise Kiss, the ending in the anime was anythign BUT satisfying.

Anyway, I guess I'll end it there. Yay, josei. Akward close. Woo.