Shoujo/Shounen Q & A
My first e-mail question! Kate sent in this query about shoujo manga, more specifically in Shounen Jump:
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Q: Can a manga star a magical girl and still be classified Shounen? Could it be published in Shounen Jump? Has Shounen Jump published a manga starring a girl? Does Shounen Jump publish non shounen manga? Thanks.
A: Magical girl manga stories are classified as shoujo 99% of the time. Not to say that a magical girl can’t exist in a shounen manga, that’s not out of the question. But since shounen magazines are made to appeal to boys, and magical girl anime usually doesn’t, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Shounen Jump has published a few mangas with girls as co-stars, but not as the leading character, as far as I recall. And SJ has published a few “ambiguous” stories (such as Hikaru no Go) which could appeal to either gender. I suppose that’s counted as “non-shounen“, but it isn’t a very feminine manga either. Hope this answers your question!
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Feel free to e-mail me with your own questions, or leave a comment!
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