While there are a lot of great women in the anime industry, it is still mostly dominated by men. And that’s why Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is so important. Not only are the passionate and talented main characters in the anime all girls but, like the girls in all the other series on this list, they don’t use that to their advantage nor do they let it hinder them. It’s never even mentioned.

Midori, Tsubame, and Sayaka form the Motion Pictures Club and set on to make their own brand of anime no matter what anybody has to say about it! They rise up to challenges, make things happen, and sneak their way to their dreams just like the pros. You go girls!

Airsoft and paintball aren’t necessarily boys-only activities, but we can confidently say that most of the people that participate in survival games are male. Sabage-bu! Introduces us to the classic ‘girl gets roped into club she doesn’t want to because she owes someone something” when Momoka is forced to join the Survival Game Club but don’t be fooled, this isn’t cute girls doing cute things. The members of the club are badasses, and they play hard!

Not only is it refreshing to see girls playing and enjoying a game that usually would be thought of “too violent” for them but they have the attitude and personality for it, making Sabage-bu! an enjoyable girl-power anime to watch.

Camping is fun, usually done in a group, and there are usually guys who will “do the heavy work”. Well, Rin doesn’t agree. All Rin wants is to camp by herself like she always does and enjoy nature and Mt. Fuji on her own. Unfortunately, a lost girl, Nadeshiko, appears and they end up camping together. The whole thing is such a success, the girls decide they want to do it again!

If we imagine a “lone camper” one would immediately imagine a man camping alone. Most of us wouldn’t assume a woman would camp by herself, much less a young girl! Yuru Camp says “bah” to those gender norms and shows that camping can be done and enjoyed by anyone regardless of sex. A camping trip? With no boys? Sounds great!

Fresh this Spring 2020—and temporarily delayed at the time of writing—Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater introduces us to a trope we know well: MC moves from the big city to a small town and gets forced into a school club they don’t care for. Except this time, it’s the fishing club! Complete with how-tos! Hina is tricked into joining the Breakwater Club instead of the arts and crafts club. Before she can back out, however, club president Yuuki asks her to experience a day before quitting outright. Turns out it’s not so bad!

One would usually imagine a fishing club to be made up of at least mostly boys, if not entirely. But the Breakwater Club is made up of all girls! They can reel in big fish, know all the techniques, and—other than Hina—they don’t squirm when it comes to handling tackle or slimy fish! (She’ll get there. We know she will).

An industry still very much led by men is gaming. But that doesn’t stop Aoba Suzukaze from applying for a job at the company that makes her favorite video game. Eagle Jump is a successful gaming company run exclusively by women, the head of which has been a personal inspiration to Aoba herself.

New Game! not only shows us women as a part of the gaming industry but a big, influential one. Not a ragtag team of misfits struggling to stay afloat but a strong team of intelligent, successful women.