Women have always had inherent value owing to their ability to birth children. By contrast, men have always had to accrue value unto themselves by their works and deeds. I think this fundamental reality is reflected in our media depictions of male versus female protagonists.
The hero’s journey is essentially the coming-of-age story of boys becoming men via trials and suffering. We become worthy of our stations in life, and our women and our families, through accomplishment and overcoming challenges. Or we fail, and we die, literally or spiritually. Either way, it’s interesting.
Women don’t experience the same climb. They begin the game with tremendous, society-sustaining value. It literally cannot be overstated. It is, however, automatic and requires no effort. There’s no progression or arch or triumph. The only potential for drama is the tragedy that results when a woman squanders her greatest value.
Injecting women into traditionally masculine “hero’s journey” stories is a recipe for boredom. Because women begin the story with all of the value they require to be accepted and promoted by the tribe. Whatever motivations are concocted for these female protagonists are inevitably shallow and pointless. Their arcs are flat and uninspiring. The most they can muster is obnoxious and entitled subversion; they rebel against the “unfair restrictions” placed upon them by nature - as if men are so privileged in their mandatory pain and labor.
I think this theory maps pretty well onto modern girl boss characters. I’m sure it has been explored. Just connecting my own personal dots on this one.
You're pretty much correct (though there's more than one type of storytelling device than the Hero's Journey).
Women are different than men and accordingly women's values (both morally and what value they bring from a societal perspective) are different from men's values.
The times when they are in a more protagonist-like role in a hero-style work and don't suck, is usually when the cast is mostly female to begin with and the focus is on other things and not "oh look at us owning the men", and a lot of effort is put into entertainment value, comedy, style, sex appeal/cuteness, and flashiness. It also helps when the values expressed in maturity are different from a man's heroic journey.
Some works I can think of like this are Kill la Kill, Gunbuster, and Re:Cutie Honey.
Though that also has to do with Japan fundamentally understanding that a core part of a woman's value to society is beauty.
There are also certain archetypes that can possibly work well too, but its difficult. (Think "Queen", "Princess", "Sister", "Only daughter of someone with a great legacy to live up to", "Girl/woman who is fundamentally different or lacks societal value from the others", etc.)
But I generally agree, women are usually best in supporting roles or protagonists for works that are not heroic or masculine in nature.
The ones you listed, forced conscription or desperation-sign-up mages, are almost always deconstructions.
Magical Lyrical Girl Nanoha has an interesting blend of the Hero's Journey and what is proposed up-thread as the "Woman's Journey": Nanoha, in tandem with Fate, basically co-op the Hero's Journey together... And once that journey is completed, almost seamlessly they blend it into the "Woman's Journey". Went to hell, gained respect, self-actualized, mended relations with parental figures... Then raises some kids, becomes a trainer of magical girls and a mentor-as-a-job, and how she overcomes THOSE trials and tribulations where the real journey is the social one and raising the next generation, not the introspective one of raising yourself.