Shojo manga has a very long history and always targeted a young female demographic in its readership. These manga have a strong female character as the protagonist and use the theme of romance as their focal point to attract female readers. Its counterpart, shonen, has dedicated itself to the young male demographic by depicting intense action scenes and humorous plots while following a male protagonist. Even though these two traditional manga genres started out with a desired audience they were dedicating their work to, nowadays the audiences have crossed over to explore the world opposite of the norm.
With the increasing popularity of shojo manga, it is
starting to interest a wider audience. Its roots and defining purpose may be
romance but it has developed into something much more. Many shojo manga have
added subgenres to their work such as historical drama, supernatural and
fantasy to compliment the theme of romance. This adds more dynamic to the
storytelling, welcoming new readers to the shojo genre.