Shoujo anime has given us countless iconic characters, but some of the best get overshadowed by flashier personalities or more popular anime. These underrated characters bring heart to their respective series, yet rarely make it into “favorite character” discussions. From loyal friends who deserve their own story arcs to protagonists with hidden complexity that fans overlook, these 10 shoujo anime characters prove that being underrated doesn’t mean being any less compelling.
Shoutout to Samuella for the idea behind this article and for contributing some of the picks. Thanks for the inspiration and support!
1. Momo Adachi (Peach Girl)
Peach Girl is pretty underrated among shoujo fans, and so is its beautiful and spunky heroine, Momo Adachi. Her tan skin from swimming and bleached hair from chlorine get her stereotyped as a “party girl,” facing constant harassment despite being shy and sweet. She’s extremely self-conscious about her appearance, refusing to confess to her crush until achieving her “desired self-image,” but eventually accepts herself.
Throughout the series, Momo goes through awful treatment but stays strong and never gives up. She knows how to stand up for herself and has self-respect, refreshing for melodrama shoujo. Many viewers find her “inconsistent with her emotions” or “whiny,” which ironically contributes to her being underrated. Her realistic complexity gets dismissed as annoying when it actually makes her one of shoujo’s most human protagonists.
2. Takashi “Mori” Morinozuka (Ouran High School Host Club)
Mori may not be as outspoken or popular as Tamaki and the rest, but he’s one of the best boys in the anime. As a Host, he’s considered the “Strong-Silent” type, rarely seen without his cousin Honey perched on his shoulders. He’s a national kendo champion and skilled karate practitioner whose stoic demeanor hides a peculiar connection with animals.
His quiet strength and protective nature have made him a fan favorite, though he’s tragically sidelined. Mori’s loyalty and protective behavior towards Honey is his number one weakness, as Honey’s well-being is the only issue that truly bothers him to his core. He’s perceptive and wise, offering advice and immediately helping others like Haruhi and Kasanoda. The manga hints at romantic feelings for Haruhi, but his reserved personality means development gets overlooked while flashier characters dominate screentime.
3. Satoshi Miwa (Marmalade Boy)
Many fans preferred Satoshi for Meiko over Namura, whom she ultimately chose. Student body president Satoshi is only interested in Meiko despite many girls wanting him, trying to help her forget her teacher Namura. He supports Meiko far more than Namura ever did, yet loses because the author Wataru Yoshizumi needed to justify the controversial teacher-student relationship.
Reviews specifically mention Satoshi as a fantastic and humorous character, while fans voted him highly as “Yuu’s loyal companion, a supportive presence for both Yuu and Miki”. One fan lamented, “he’s got the looks, the moves, the money, the smarts, and the attitude… he’s da man!” yet gets no romantic resolution. Classic losing love interest syndrome makes him criminally underrated despite being arguably the best male character in the series, who genuinely cared about Meiko’s happiness over his own desires.
4. Yue (Cardcaptor Sakura)
The Moon Guardian and Judge of the Clow Cards initially appears cold, stoic, and reluctant to accept Sakura as Clow Reed’s successor. While his temporary form Yukito is cheerful and kind, Yue’s personality is almost the exact opposite, being very cold and antisocial. His serious and aloof nature contrasts sharply with Kerberos, and while Kero is very fond of Sakura, Yue remains distant.
Over time, he somewhat warms up to others, especially Sakura, after testing her, but displays no hint of Yukito’s fondness for Li or love for Touya. His intimidating demeanor makes him less beloved than cheerful Kerberos, and fans focus more on sweet Yukito than Yue’s separate entity. After the Final Judgment arc, his serious personality means less screentime, making this powerful guardian criminally overlooked despite being one of Cardcaptor Sakura’s most complex characters with fascinating duality.
5. Ayane Yano (Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You)
Ayane is considered one of the most misunderstood characters in Kimi Ni Todoke, overshadowed by Sawako and Kazehaya’s slow-burning romance. She’s intelligent, beautiful, and mature-looking enough that she appears nearly 10 years older than typical high school girls. Despite her popularity, Ayane has deep insecurities and serves as a calm, collected voice of reason in a school full of drama.
Her relationship with an older guy ends in disaster because they’re in completely different life stages, and he’s also a major jerk. Her intelligence and empathy make her relatable, with abilities in reading people coming in handy when helping Sawako navigate socializing. One reviewer admitted, “the title of your favourite character will most likely be reassigned several times throughout the series, for me it has finally settled on Ayane”. Unfortunately, her complex emotional depth gets overlooked while everyone focuses on the main couple.
6. Hikari Hanazono (Special A)
Despite Special A being “so underrated,” Hikari is frequently reduced to just another competitive shoujo heroine. Ranked 2nd in school, she declared Kei Takishima her rival after losing to him at pro-wrestling when they were six, and she’s been trying to beat him at everything ever since. Stubborn, proud, hardheaded, kind, and good-spirited, she never backs down from a challenge. Despite her high academic intelligence, she’s quite air-headed in non-academic situations, especially regarding Kei’s obvious feelings for her.
Her competitive spirit, boundless energy, and selfless willingness to help others make her beloved, yet she rarely appears in “best shoujo protagonist” discussions. She’s good at sports and academics, but horrible at teaching and cooking. Her density about romance gets played for laughs, but underneath is a hardworking girl from an ordinary family attending an elite academy, proving herself worthy through effort rather than privilege.
7. Fakir (Princess Tutu)
Probably the best example of a male tsundere done right in anime, what with his sinister and cold introduction shattered into smithereens by his blushing moments with Ahiru. Fakir is the reincarnation of the knight from Drosselmeyer’s story, destined to die protecting Prince Mytho, with a scar-like birthmark across his chest. He starts controlling, hostile, and abusive towards Mytho, locking him in basements to stop him from regaining painful emotions.
His wonderful character arc shows him becoming less of a jerkass as the plot progresses, with undying loyalty extending to Ahiru. Fans remain divided: either a sexy cold man deserving his own happy ending or an abusive tsundere who shouldn’t have ship tease. People tend to write off his complexity as “just tsundere”, making him criminally underrated despite being Princess Tutu’s most developed male character, who genuinely protects those he loves.
8. Shuurei Hong (Story of Saiunkoku)
Shuurei dreams of becoming a government official to help change Saiunkoku into a better place, but women are barred from taking imperial examinations. She becomes the first woman in history to take the exams, passing with the third-highest score. Her pluck, intelligence, and self-sufficiency in a governmental position despite constant antagonism in a highly patriarchal setting won admiration.
Some critics complain she’s “too perfect” with “little to no development,” making her bland despite being important to the story. Romance disappoints viewers as her political ambitions mean relationships go nowhere for 60 episodes. Some worry she’ll end up lonely, sacrificing intimacy for a career. All in all, her ambition delays the romance, which makes her story less conventionally shoujo‑like and contributes to both her and the series being underrated.
9. Yuki Yoshikawa (Horimiya)
Yuki is a cheerful, bubbly girl who immediately befriends Hori and later becomes close to Miyamura. She’s always there to support her friends, offering advice and comfort whenever they need it. Despite her outgoing personality, she struggles with her own romantic feelings for Tooru Ishikawa, creating a slow-burning subplot that often gets sidelined.
Fans call her “the ultimate supportive friend” who deserves more screen time. Her development takes a backseat to Hori and Miyamura’s relationship, making her feel like a plot device rather than a fully realized character. When she finally gets moments to shine, viewers realize how much depth she actually has. Her kindness and loyalty make her beloved by fans, yet she remains criminally underrated simply because the main couple dominates attention, leaving this sweet character in the shadows despite being the emotional glue holding the friend group together.
10. Maya Kitajima (Glass Mask)
Called “Stage Storm” for her innate ability to drown out other actors’ importance even while in a bit part, and “Chibi-chan” by Masumi Hayami due to their age disparity, Maya never earned the recognition she deserves in shoujo discussions online or among casual fans. She thinks herself unremarkable and “useless” as her mother constantly told her, compelled to pursue acting because “acting is all she has”. Despite feeling inferior to the beautiful, talented, rich rival Ayumi, Maya harbors no malice.
Plain-looking, boring, clumsy, and good for nothing in her own eyes, she discovers acting allows her to become someone else. Her method acting involves becoming the character completely, including living in wild mountains and even scavenging food to play wolf-raised Jane. Because Glass Mask has been running for decades without a formal conclusion and has gone on long hiatuses, newer shoujo fans often miss out on Maya.
