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We love our anime girls, especially those who take on the herculean task of being the protagonist of an entire show. From cute comedies to romances to thrillers, anime in 2019 starred some exceptional female leads who carried their shows with aplomb. Let’s celebrate them together by counting down our favorites!

5. Bocchi Hitori from Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu

• Episodes: 12
• Aired: April 2019 – June 2019

Bocchi is so painfully shy that, when she enters middle school, she shivers at the very thought of introducing herself to the class. Nevertheless, she tries her hardest to make friends with everyone… somehow… even if she has to practice greetings over and over or imagine that the whole class is a bunch of potatoes. Her adorable struggles are so relatable that we can’t help but root for her and love her to pieces. You can do it, Bocchi!

4. Kaguya Shinomiya from Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen (Kaugya-sama: Love is War)

• Episodes: 12
• Aired: January 2019 – March 2019

As the oldest daughter of the well-to-do Shinomiya family, Kaguya can’t simply debase herself to confess her feelings to the boy she likes. She’d rather play mind games with him instead, subtly trying to manipulate him into confessing first so that she can come out on top. Unfortunately, her crush Miyuki acts the exact same way! We can’t get enough of Kaguya’s increasingly convoluted plans to trip up Miyuki (the umbrella “battle” is our personal favorite), even though we sometimes wish they would just drop the act and get together already!

3. Carole and Tuesday from Carole & Tuesday

• Episodes: 24
• Aired: April 2019 – October 2019

In a world where most music is churned out by artificial intelligence, the soulful keyboard and guitar tunes that Carole and Tuesday create in their makeshift studio are what will eventually lead them to stardom. The two girls couldn’t be more different—Carole is a confident part-time musician, while Tuesday is timid and sheltered, but wishes for something more. The record industry may want to chew them up and spit them out, but we know that with their stellar teamwork, they can make their dreams a reality.

2. Tooru Honda from Fruits Basket 1st Season

• Episodes: 25
• Aired: April 2019 – September 2019

The members of the cursed Souma family have been living under the heel of their abusive leader for their entire lives, but everything changes once Tooru enters the picture. She subtly encourages the Soumas to love themselves and take charge of their own futures, all while going through tough times herself. Yuki and Kyo eventually realize that she’s suffering as well, so they use their newfound self-worth to support her in her time of need (in the most adorable way possible). And with the new anime’s modern animation and voice acting, Tooru is even more lovable than before!

1. Emma from Yakusoku no Neverland (The Promised Neverland)

• Episodes: 12
• Aired: January 2019 – March 2019

Along with her friends Ray and Norman, Emma is one of the smartest orphans that Grace Field House has ever seen. Once she finds out the true nature of the orphanage, she’s determined to escape with all of her “siblings” at once—even if the others say that it’s impossible. She remains levelheaded and cheerful throughout all of the show’s vicious twists and turns, always serving as the leader for the other kids to rely on. Without Emma’s combination of confidence and cunning, the plan would never have worked.

Final Thoughts

We also can’t forget Ristarte from Cautious Hero and her comical overreactions to Seiya’s antics or the hilarious relatability of the girls from O Maidens in Your Savage Season. But what were your favorite female leads of this year? Let us know in the comments, and thanks so much for reading!