Shojo Manga is one aimed at a female audience, and this is more the case in the United States than in Japan. In other words, graphic novels that are most commonly read by females. These types of manga are not necessarily written by girls or about girls but about subjects that tend to be of a more interest to the female population such as human emotions, innocence, fanciness, etc.

The word Shojo in Japanese means "girl" or "girls" but unlike the word "onna no ko," which means "female child," Shojo entails a cultural connotation of being a female.

Shojo-style manga is noted for its fine lines, and its artists are considered excellent illustrators because they're capable of achieving very fine and delicate details within each panel, such as hairstyles, flowers, embroidered designs on clothing, fancy eyes, tears, etc. They also tend to have a high sense of fashion.

These types of comics tend to put emphasis on love and romance but not all follow these patterns. In Shojo comics such as Banana Fish there is also live action and violence, typically found in Shonen Manga.

In the following instructional tutorial, I have compiled several images that will take you, step by step, through a simple process of creating your first Shojo character.

Please click below to begin your lesson.