Mostfemale characters in shounen mangaand anime tend to take the backseat - it is a male-targeted demographic after all. However, this can also mean their characters don’t receive as much development as their male counterparts.
In worse cases, some of them are only one-dimensional love interests and are just there to be eye candy. Having fanservice here and there isn’t at all bad, and even well-written characters can have those moments, but if that’s all they’re there for, it can get irritating for the viewer. Luckily recent shounen anime has begun to do away with that and develop characters equally,Kuroko’s Basketballbeing one of them.
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Riko Aida
She’s Seirin High School’s coach, and she does her job well. Sometimes during competitions, she manages to surprise the opposing team with her presence as a high school girl - butdon’t let looks deceive you- it’s thanks to her teachings and faith in them that Kuroko and Kagami were able to reach the top.
With her father being a former professional basketball player, she doesn’t hesitate to come to him for help when she needs it. Teamwork is a must, and she’s not afraid to put her head together with her subordinates when in a pinch. In addition to this, she knows who she is and what’s she capable of, whether she’s a woman is irrelevant.
Satsuki Momoi
A girly girl, she’s not afraid to show off her feminine side. Cute clothes, a bubbly personality, and openly showing her affection is not something she’s afraid to do. She is certainly attractive andmanages to catch the attention of the men around her, and has a great figure to add on. But Momoi is far from a ditz. She’s just as intuitive as Riko is as a coach and excels at reading people. As the coach of Touou’s basketball team, she analyzes her opponents in two ways: memorizing their patterns and using her women’s intuition. The latter isn’t just a phrase for nothing, her team manages to defeat Seirin in their first game and come close to the second, after all.
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Though they may butt headsas rivals here and there, Momoi and Riko don’t let their occasional bickering get in the way of the bigger picture. They even have each other’s backs, as at one point Momoi came looking for Kuroko in the rain, Riko, noticing her clothes were wet, lent her a shirt. Girls gotta have each other’s backs, after all. It’s a friendly rivalry, but not enough to ruin their integrity as characters.
Alexandra Garcia
Most definitely a stereotypical American in the sense that she’s touchy-feely, sexually liberated, and acts overly familiar. Like Momoi, she has a good figure, but she has some muscle on her too. Being a formerWNBAplayer, Alex knows what she’s about, and trained Kagami and Himuro in the art of basketball.
Alex is the reliable older sister figure, and the primary mentor the two go to for advice. Alex’s character is presented in such a way that gives her depth. As stated previously, there’s nothing wrong with a little fan service and there, but she’s so much more than just that. Like Riko and Momoi she’s written with dignity and respect.
Still Shounen
Kuroko’s Basketballis an example of a good franchisethat doesn’t change itselfto “cater” to an audience it’s not directed at. It keeps its characters and goes forward with its narrative, and avoids treating it like a checklist. There doesn’t always have to be a female character in the lead of a story. Support characters are just as important, and you don’t have to be a central character to be well-written.
