As the mother of two teenage daughters who have been reading manga since they were 9 or 10, I can tell you that there are many manga out there that are girl-centered—Fruits Basket and Azumanga Daioh are two that my kids really enjoyed. And like many Japanese girls, my daughters cross genres and read shonen manga as well. That’s the paradox of these genres—they dictate content and form, but the readership is wider than you might think.

Yes, Hikaru No Go is an excellent (and thought-provoking) take on the cerebral world of Go (the Korean strategy game). HOWEVER, even though it technically presents no objectionable material for middle-elementary ages, a closer look reveals a troubling undercurrent that I have found in many of the manga stories I’ve read. Of all the characters in Hikaru No Go, only MALE characters seem to carry any importance to the storyline, and FEMALE characters are frequently treated as light-weight, comedic, dumb, or romance-obsessed sidekicks. It’s troubling to find this kind of treatment in what is otherwise such a deep, dramatic, and enjoyable work! (Maybe I just haven’t read the whole series, but what volumes I have read are all disappointingly consistent with this issue.)

For stronger female characters and more encouraging role models, I’d suggest Hiyao Miyazaki’s unparalleled NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WINDS. It carries some pretty heavy messages about the environment and the effects of war on society, as well!