1)Better written characters and having more importance in a series are two different demands- I agree they can have them better written and it's limitation of the writers themselves to an extent ( FMA Females are great but it's also written by a woman

). No, not all shonnen MC are male either but shonnen means
for the male audience. So it depends on the script and it should appeal to enough of the male audience. Like:
That's cartoon network talking-problem was they figured more girls were watching the show than they liked. In the writer's note for Rurouni Kenshin, the mangka was worried his manga had more female fans than he was looking for.
And some of the toys they sell for these anime females cannot even be linked here..
Did you miss the recent uproar with a couple of Star Wars movies that have a female lead? So many people are claiming that feminists are pushing their agenda?
These are the problems that makes WSJ take easier route - that's my guess anyway. I am posting in a hurry-- I hope my point is clear though. Sine newer manga and animes are changing the trends let's see if they can do it more with less fan service.