‘Tis the season of strong female protagonists…and we can’t get enough of them.
We are a few weeks into the Summer 2026 anime season, and to say it has been exciting would be an understatement.
One of the defining qualities of this season has to be the number of female protagonists. From a reimagination of The Little Mermaid, to a romcom centering around a girl that can turn into a kaiju; from a little girl using her wits to survive in an occupied Mongolia, to a genius woman getting revenge on the people who let her down–we have it all!
Whether you are a fan of action, heartbreak, character development, engaging storytelling, or a good old-fashioned romcom, the Summer 2026 season has everything you'd ever want. And if you have been looking for more strong female anime protagonists, then there are some gems in this list that you absolutely cannot miss.
The Cat and the Dragon
Animation studio: OLM
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
Let’s get one of the few non-female led anime series out of the way first. The Cat and the Dragon’s protagonist is a…dragon…who was raised by a cat. Does that pique your interest? Because it sure did ours, and we are glad we gave this unique anime a chance. From adorable fluffy cats to a massive, powerful dragon who can also turn into an adorable fluffy cat, this series is a must-watch for animal lovers.
The story of this series is quite simple. A dragon once hatched inside a cave and was found by a cat mother who raised him like one of her own. Years later, he is grown and is furiously protective of the cats in the jungle, who all call him uncle. We follow along these cats and their giant uncle across various generations and see their magical daily lives. The show is quite serene despite its unconventional premise and delivers some great comedic scenes as well.
Oh did I mention that the dragon is voiced by Takehito Koyasu, the voice actor of Dio Brando? All JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fans are in for quite a shocking treat!
Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games
Animation studio: Diomedéa
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
This title is the first one of this season’s three, yes three, main yuri (aka Girls Love anime). But this anime is not just for GL fans, but also for those who grew up playing the Street Fighter games.
The story revolves around a girl named Aya Mitsuki, who attends a respected girls’ academy. Aya gave up playing fighting games after she joined the new school. However her passion is re-ignited when she meets the school’s most popular girl, Mio Yorue, known as the White Lily. Together, they meet up to play Street Fighter 6 in secret and form a close bond.
The series has a very unique promise that focuses more on the girls’ passion for fighting games than the romance aspect. Their bond grows stronger due to how much they love playing games that have been deemed “unladylike” by others. The show also has incredible animation and gameplay. Aya and Mio’s journey will also attract the attention of other characters and I for one, can’t wait to see where their relationship goes from here.
Victoria of Many Faces
Animation studio: Studio Deen
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
The first on our list of strong female leads this season is Chloe, aka Victoria. A 27-year-old woman who served the kingdom of Hagl as a spy for years. After being betrayed by the person she trusts the most, Chloe ditched her identity to become Victoria and settle in the kingdom of Ashbury. There, she meets a young, abandoned girl named Nonna and takes her under her wing. But for someone like Victoria, trouble is never far behind.
Despite its underwhelming animation, the series is able to portray how strong Victoria is pretty well. Her bond with Nonna is also precious, as is her newfound and slow-burn romance with the handsome knight captain Jeffrey. Seeing an adult protagonist in anime is pretty rare, but Victoria being a working woman who is trying to get used to civilian life is quite heartwarming. If you love strong, smart, and capable protagonists with a twist of spy thriller, then this anime would be perfect for you.
Sparks of Tomorrow
Animation studio: Kyoto Animation
Streaming platform: Netflix
Sparks of Tomorrow takes place in an alternate reality where steam power is the main source of energy instead of electricity. During the Meiji Era in Japan, a young boy and his older brother dream of bringing in a world run by electricity and create the 20th Century Electrical Catalogue. But before their dreams are realised, the older brother Seiroku goes off to war, leaving the younger Kihachi behind. After meeting a young lady named Inako, Kihachi begins dreaming of electricity again. But there are some insistent people hell-bent on taking his passion away from him.
This unique series has a slow build-up when it comes to the story. The plot moves through several incidents taking place over the past and the present, and takes some time to pick up pace. However, Sparks of Tomorrow never gets boring due to its phenomenal animation, which doesn’t let you look away from the screen. From the artistic cinematography to the expressive characters, everything about this show is captivating. With the story finally picking up pace, this series might end up being one of the best anime to come out of this season.
A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even: How I Crushed My Homeland with My Mighty Grimoires
Animation studio: Studio Comet
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
A good revenge story will never fail to grab my attention, and if you are in the same boat then you need to start watching A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even right now.
The series has a simple premise: the protagonist Elizabeth Leiston is a young woman from a noble family who is engaged to the Haldoria kingdom’s crown prince Friede. She is an incredibly smart and gifted lady who is basically in charge of the country’s administrative duties. Even when Friede starts a romance with another woman named Sylvie, Elizabeth is undeterred from her duty.
But one day, Sylvie frames her for trying to kill her, and blinded by lust, Friede sends her to prison. There, Elizabeth learns from her loyal maid Mireille that the people she worked so hard for have turned against her. Finally livid due to the abandonment by not only her fiance and her father, but even the people of Haldoria, Elizabeth leaves the country in secret and starts planning a revenge that will bring the whole kingdom to its knees.
Seeing Elizabeth thrive away from her kingdom with her wit and magical prowess is already a gift. The anime also does a good job of making the audience feel animosity towards the people of Haldoria, especially Friede and Sylvie. Although her revenge hasn’t started properly yet, I can’t wait to see what Elizabeth and Mireille cook up after gathering enough power to overthrow their old kingdom. For now, I am enjoying this magical fantasy with an incredibly smart protagonist with an iron will.
I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day
Animation studio: Roll2
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
Our second Yuri/ GL anime of this season is vastly different from the first one. I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day lives up to its ominous title. The story takes place in a magical world where orphaned children are trained in an academy to fight in a magical war. The protagonist, Sheena, is a 14 year old with very little magical power. The day her roommate dies, she meets a mysterious girl covered in blood. It turns out that the girl’s name is Mimi, and according to rumors, she cannot die.
The story of Sheena, who is the weakest in her class and Mimi, who is probably stronger than all of them combined, is one written in blood. So far, we have only gotten a taste of the carnage and grief that is to come. However, the series is somehow still able to portray the sweetness of youth despite the bloody premise. With stellar animation and depressing themes, this series is for people who like their anime on the darker side.
Kaiju Girl Caramelise
Animation studio: Liden Films
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
Don’t worry if you are not a fan of ponderous and likely tragic love stories, because this season isn’t lacking in the romcom section either. Kaiju Girl Caramelise centres around a gloomy teenager named Kuroe whose body starts to manifest weird deformities when she feels strong emotions. When Arata Minami, the popular boy in her class, pays attention to her and holds her hand, Kuroe turns into a massive Kaiju. Kuroe struggles to keep her identity hidden and live a normal life, but keeping your ever-changing body in check is harder when a handsome and over-enthusiastic boy is always looking at you!
Kaiju Girl Caramelise takes all teenage problems (changing bodies, hormonal imbalances, mood swings) and dials them up to 100. Despite its bizarre and wacky premise, the series delivers on both the romantic and comedic fronts. The romance in this series is sweet and adorable, just what you would expect from a good high-school romcom. But the added element of Kuroe turning into a kaiju just takes the series from adorable to downright hilarious.
Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia
Animation studio: Science SARU
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
This historical fiction anime takes place in the 13th century in the city of Tus in Persia. A young girl named Sitara is sold as a slave to a family of scholars. Although she is unwilling to learn in the beginning, Sitara slowly understands the importance of education. A few years later, the Mongols invade Tus and the scholar family is all but wiped out. After she is taken to Mongolia as a slave, Sitara takes on the name of Fatima and uses her intellect to plan the downfall of the Mongols.
The series has a very unique and stylised art style that might remind you of older western cartoons. However, the story of Jaadugar: A Witch’s Life in Mongol is anything but childish. Diving deep into themes of slavery, misogyny, and colonialism, the show makes an apparently normal girl like Sitara into a shining star of hope. Sitara’s knowledge and wisdom helps her lie to and cheat those in power. Although the story is only picking up pace, this series is already one of the most interesting titles of this season. Paired with Science SARU’s amazing animation, the anime has a bright future.
Though I Am an Inept Villainess
Animation studio: Doga Kobo
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll, Netflix
If you are a big fan of The Apothecary Diaries, then Though I Am an Inept Villainess will definitely pique your interest. Much like the beloved title, the new series takes place in a country similar to ancient China. In the inner palace of the kingdom, five beauties from all over the country are gathered to become the next queen. The prince is Ei Gyōmei, whose favourite is the kind but sickly Kou Reirin, the beautiful “court butterfly” from the Kou clan.
On the other end is the “court rat” Shu Keigetsu from the Shu clan, a cruel and jealous maiden. During a festival, Keigetsu pushes Reirin down from the balcony. But when Reirin wakes up, she realises that Keigetsu has used ancient magic to swap their souls. Now in the body of Keigetsu, a criminal, Reirin has to survive the inner palace where everyone is out to get her.
Reirin’s kind positivity shines all through the series. Despite being pushed to the far end of the inner palace, she is happy that she has a strong and healthy body now. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she starts to use her knowledge to grow crops and medicines. On the other hand, in Reirin’s weak body, Keigetsu struggles to even do the most mundane tasks. The series is a unique take on the body-swap storytelling device. Reirin using her intellect and newfound strength to survive her new harsh reality is really inspirational. The politics of the inner palace is also well-portrayed with a clear hierarchy existing between the court maidens. Overall, this series shows a lot of potential with its first few episodes.
Goodbye, Lara
Animation studio: Kinema Citrus
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
The final entry on this list is an original anime by Kinema Citrus and a modern take on the evergreen story of The Little Mermaid. Lara, the youngest daughter of the mermaid king Rowan, is interested in humans. When she falls in love with a human prince, she drinks a potion to become human given to her by the witch, Grace. Despite her family’s warnings, Lara spends her days with the prince. But as she is unable to experience true love, the potion expires. The prince is disgusted by her real body and Lara turns into sea foam. Two hundred years later, she regains her form and learns that her entire family is now under a curse that only she can break. Lara sets out to find true love again and meets a human girl named Mari who introduces her to the modern world.
Goodbye, Lara is our final yuri anime of the season, though we are not quite sure if Lara's relationship with Mari is platonic. However, it might be good for Lara to learn different forms of love while living with the humans. This series is a heartfelt love letter to not only a beloved fairytale story, but also anime in general. The classic anime artstyle and storytelling gives this anime a truly unique dimension. Lara’s heartbreaking origin and her hopeful endeavour to find love again will tug at your heartstrings.