Parijat Ghosh 
2026 is shaping up to be a delightful year for shoujo anime/rom-com anime lovers. From bittersweet high school love stories to glittery magical transformations (and even a tragic mermaid or two), next year’s anime lineup is shaping up to be a whole mood. I went through some official announcements and picked 5 upcoming titles you should keep on your radar.
1. I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class
This one’s pure rom-com gold: the light novel of the same name is getting a TV anime in 2026.
Plot = Maki Maehara is the loner boy; Umi Asanagi is the class’s “second prettiest girl” and she asks him to be her friend. Cue awkward Fridays together, shared love of B-movies, junk food & heart fluttering.
This one feels grounded, slice-of-life with a dash of sweetness. If you’re in your last year of college and reminiscing about high school crushes, this will hit.
2. Goodbye, Lara
This anime is a bit more of a fantasy romance
Story: A re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid — a mermaid princess is reborn centuries later, in modern times, and… yeah, there’s romance, identity, and magic.
Why does it stand out? Shoujo + fantasy + a known fairy-tale backbone = that classic dreamy vibe.
3. Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly
This one is a huge throwback to magical-girl goodness.
Plot = Two sisters, Fu and Rui Nonoyama, used to be close, but are now kinda distant. One day, they both get magical powers — and surprise! they transform into the adults they admire… BUT the magic lasts only one year, and no one can know. They each go “idol mode” without knowing the other is magical too.
Good for you if you like cute visuals + transformation + emotional sibling dynamics.
4. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha EXCEEDS: Gun Blaze Vengeance
Big one for the magical-girl action girls: This is a new TV anime in the iconic Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha franchise.
This new installment promises an edgier twist on the traditional magical-girl formula, pairing transformation sequences with heavy firepower and emotional scars. The teaser visuals show a lone magical girl standing in a crumbling cityscape, gun in hand, and that’s basically all fans needed to start screaming.
While I said “shoujo”, we’re broadening it slightly to include magical-girl shows with emotion and transformation. Like, more to empowerment.
5. Magical Girl Raising Project Restart
And, worry not. Darker themes on the magical-girl spectrum.
Inkling of the plot: A new series in the “magical girl raising” universe — probably with tension, survival elements, and… romance/spiritual feeling. It’s not traditional frothy shōjo, but it’s still about girls, magical powers, emotional stakes. Good variety.
In case you ever thought, “What if a magical girl brings in emotional drama?” — here it is.
Conclusion: Get Your 2026 Shoujo Calendar Ready
All in all? 2026 = very decent year if you’re into shōjo or magical-girl anime. Whether you want soft, heartwarming high-school vibes, or something more magical, or full on transformation + sisterly bonds — you’ve got options.
So: mark your calendar, maybe set “remind me” for any of these, clear space in your streaming queue, and let’s get ready for next year’s anime flood.
If you have any Shoujo Anime you would recommend, feel free to mention them in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe, and share our articles as we here are trying to build a community of people High on Cinema!
