nobahn's Anime

• slice-of-life
• impressive animation

[...]
I am going to recommend a little-known woman called Hiroko Matsukata, who was the lead character from the also little-known series Hataraki Man. She's a stronger female lead than most of the badarses I suspect people will talk about. That's because despite her being just a normal person with realistic flaws (who can throw rather pathetic tantrums), she can still stand strong and forge her path in a male-dominated workplace. [...]
Hiroko's femininity is utterly crucial for who she is and what she does. The entire plot of the show would have been different had Hiroko been a man, which is not something you can say about most female leads outside of romance shows. She's undeniably feminine despite her often masculine outlook on life and her occasional difficulty in bonding with other women. Yet she is so strong she still outshines all the men; she is successful not because of her masculine demeanour but because she is a strong person and a strong woman. She knows what it is like to be underestimated and treated as inferior just because of her gender but she's having none of that. She'll openly challenge anyone who looks down on her or her female colleagues. And besides giving her fortitude, her gender also motivates her and is a crucial part of her ambition.