Bloom Into You - Tumblr Posts
I’m so happy Sayaka got this moment.
This anime’s one of the most relatable I’ve seen.
One of my favorite scenes from Bloom Into You, but with the text blanked out. You can clearly tell what's going on even without it
I love how this series uses the environment in the storytelling... I always pay a lot of attention to it when reading
⊹ ⋆ﾟ Anime of the Day!!
Bloom into You
Genre: Yuri (GL), Romance, slice of life
Languages: both Sub and Dub
Has 1 season with 13 episodes
Yuu Koito thought love would be something amazing and magical, but when a male friend asks her to date, she feels nothing. She doesn't even know how to respond until she overhears the student council president of her new high school, Touko Nanami, turning down a similar request. With Touko's help, Yuu manages to let her friend down gracefully, but then Touko confesses that she, herself, is starting to have feelings for Yuu, leaving Yuu in a quandary. Yuu doesn't think that she's in love with Touko, but she does feel something. As Yuu joins the Student Council, and she and Touko become closer, her confusion about her feelings only continues to grow. Because you can't control who you love, or who falls in love with you. (Source from Sentai Filmworks)
‧₊ ❁ཻུ۪۪.;:୭̥.
༺❀༻
Something like that
Character: Maki Seiji
From: Bloom Into You
Representation: Aromantic
Their Importance: Aromantic representation is pretty hard to find in media, especially in series like Bloom into you, where the main focus is on romance. Maki describes himself as not able to love anyone romantically, and he seems completely fine with it. There are also no suggestions that he is “weird” or “broken” for not wanting to date anyone. A common stereotype about ace/aro people is that they are cold, and Maki is the opposite of that, he is a good friend to the protagonist and cares about others.
Thanks to anon for the write-up!
Guide To Gay Content
Just a little guide to gay content so we can start the year off right! Obviously there’s a lot of musicians and films that didnt get included, but these are some favs!
Animation
Aoi Hana
Bloom Into You
Danger and Eggs
Doukyuusei
Freedom Fighter: The Ray
Girls Last Tour
In A Heartbeat
Izetta: The Last Witch
No. 6
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Riddle Story Of Devil
Rin: Daughters Of Mnemosyne
Rosaline (hulu)
Sailor Moon
Sakura Kiss
She-Ra & the princesses of power
Star Vs The Forces Of Evil
Stevens Universe
Super Drags
The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived
The Legend Of Korra
Wandering Son
Whispered Words
Yuri on Ice
Comedies/Rom-Coms
4th Man Out
Alex Strangelove
Almost Adults
Blockers
But I’m a Cheerleader
D.E.B.S
Duck Butter
Edge of Seventeen
Handsome Devil
Lez Bomb
Life Partners
Love, Simon
Saving Face
The 10 Year Plan
Documentaries
100 Men
Gayby Baby
Gender Revolution
I am the Ambassador
How Gay is Pakistan?
Matt Shepard is a friend of mine
The freedom to marry
Musicals
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Falsettos
Fun Home
Gay Bride of Frankestein
Rent
Romeo is Not the Only Fruit
The Color Purple
The Prom
Period Pieces
Atomic Blonde
Call me by your name
Carol
Colette
Desert Hearts
Farewell, My Queen
Heavenly Creatures
Professor Marston & the wonder women
Tell it to the Bees
The Girl King
The Handmaiden
The Hours
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Romantic Dramas (Modern Setting)
Boy Erased
Disobedience
Fire
I Can’t Think Straight
Moonlight
Naz & Maalik
Pariah
The Wound
Tv Shows
Andi Mack
Black Lightning
Brooklyn 99
Champions
Degrassi: Next Class
Grace & Frankie
Insatiable
Instinct
Marvels Runaways
Modern Family
Noah’s Arc
One Day at a Time
Orange is the New Black
Queer Eye
Rupaul’s Drag Race
Schitt’s Creek
Sense 8
Shadowhunters
Shameless
Supergirl
The Bisexual (Hulu)
The Bold Type
The Fosters
The McCarthy’s
The New Normal
The Real O'Neals
Young Adult Books
A Line In The Dark by Malinda Lo
Ash by Malinda Lo
Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets Of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Far From You by Tess Sharpe
Fat Angie by e. E Charlton-Trujillo
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg
Jerkbait by Mia Siegert
Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
They Both Die At The End-Adam Silvera
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
We Are The Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli
Graphic Novels/Comics
Adrian & The Tree Of Secrets by Hubert
Are You My Mother by Alison Bechdel
Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
Blue Is The Warmest Color by Julie Maroh
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Home After Dark by David Small
Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash
Kim & Kim by Magdalene Visaggio
Snapshots Of A Girl by Beldan Sezan
Moonstruck by Grace Ellis
Moto Crush by Brenden Fletcher
My Brothers Husband by Genjoroh Tagame
My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness by Nagata Kabi
My Solo Exchange Diary by Nagata Kabi
No Straight Lines edited by Justin Hall
Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O’Neill
The One Hundred Nights Of Hero by Isabel Greenberg
Transposes by Dylan Edwards
Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal
Children’s Picture Books
A Tale Of Two Daddies-Vanita Oelschlager
A Tale Of Two Mommies-Vanita Oelschlager
ABC: A Family Alpabet Book-Bobbie Combs
And Tango Makes Three-Justin Richardson
Daddy, Papa, and Me-Leslea Newman
Felicia’s Favorite Story-Leslea Newman
Heather Has Two Mommies-Leslea Newman
In Our Mothers’ House-Patricia Polacco
Jacob’s New Dress-Ian Hoffman
King & King-Linda De Haan
Large Fears-Myles E. Johnson
Mommy, Mama, and Me-Leslea Newman
My Princess Boy-Cheryl Kilodavis
The Different Dragon-Jennifer Bryan
The Family Book-Todd Parr
The Great Big Book Of Families-Mary Hoffman
This Day In June-Gayle E. Pitman
Middle-Grade Books
Alan Cole Is Not A Coward by Eric Bell
Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot by Dan Pikey
Drama. by Raina Telgemeir
Drum Roll Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender
Ivy Aberdeen’s letter to the world by Ashley Herring Blake
Kiss by Jaqueline Wilson
My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer by Jennifer Gennari
Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee
Star Crossed by Barbara Dee
The Accidental Adventures Of India McAllister by Charlotte Agell
The Boy In The Dress by David Williams
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
The Trials Of Apollo Series by Rick Riordan
LGB Musicians
Christine And The Queens
Ezra Furman
Frank Ocean
Frankie Simone
girl in red
Halestorm/Lzzy Hale
Halsey
Hayley Kiyoko
Ieuan
Janelle Monae
Ji Nilsson
Kehlani
Keiynan Lonsdale
Kevin Abstract
King Princess
Kodie Shane
Lauren Sanderson
Maddie Ross
Mary Lambert
Matt Fishel
MIKA
MNEK
Moaning Lisa
Partner
Perfume Genius
Princess Nokia
Rett Madison
Sam Smith
St. Vincent
The Internet/Syd
Todrick Hall
TORRES
Torrey Mercer
TWINKIDS
Tyler Glenn
Zolita
Trans Musicians
Ah Mer Ah Su
Anohni
Black Dresses
Girls Rituals
G.L.O.S.S
ItsBambii
Jake Edwards
Joe Stevens
Kim Petras
Laith Ashley
Laura Jane Grace
Left At London
Mina Caputo
Mya Bryne
Namoli Brennet
Peppermint
Quay Dash
Ren Stedman
Ryan Cassata
Sateen
Schmekel
She/Her/Hers
Shea Diamond
SOPHIE
Vivek Shraya
NB Musicians
Adore Delano
Adult Mom
Angel Haze
CJ Run
Ezra Furman
imbi the girl
Jinkx Monsoon
King Princess
Mal Blum
Ness Nite
Porch Cat
Rachel Maria Cox
Rae Spoon
Sam Smith
Shamir
She King
Sir Babygirl
Tash Sultana
The Scary Jokes
Worriers
My Yuri Collection speaks for itself
Did you know that Vanessa’s favorite anime genres are josei romance, shoujo-ai, and shounen? She enjoys shoujo romance too because it tends to be very soft and sweet!🌸 What kind of anime do you like?!💘
ꕥ TOUKO NANAMI & YUU KOITO ꕥ
▷ Bloom Into You Illustration Works ◦ Astrolabe
I’m rewatching Bloom Into You cuz it’s peak romance and all I could think about in the scene when they go into the restaurant and their teacher walks in and Sayaka realizes that she is in a relationship with the owner is that tik tok sound where it’s like, “I’m a closeted lesbian and a judgemental bitch, which means one thing. I have awesome gaydar”
My words are really long here (despite the fact that I've been quiet lately) so I warn against my chatter here. Happy reading for the persistent ^_^
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I really liked this anime and I don't remember when I finished watching it (maybe two years ago?). Yuu and Touko relationship is beautiful, but it's a shame their story in anime is short. I haven't read the manga, but there is more about their life. I don't know why anime can't be made exactly like manga >_>
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Looking at the fact that it's night at my place, and I'm adding this post to some people during their day (where they don't see it), this is because I don't have larger views, and later at night I don't have the strength to just wake up and post my stuff (because I'm lazy), even I'm too lazy to post something for a week and even month xd
I haven't spoken for a long time, but I haven't put anything specific here for a long time.
I would do something about it and try, but I haven't had the desire to create renders for a long time, and editing and exporting different models for my future "arts" that interest me is getting pretty fun and cool. Also I don't feel like writing fics, which I write only for myself in my own language :)
It's so long that I should have finished writing my thoughts here for someone here, and I just have too many of them!
You know, I write too much and we know that no one will read it to the end and will not write any comment or message, but something needs to be clarified so that it is not too quiet as it's with most posts recently!
Anyway, if anyone has read to the end, then congratulations! Instagram cuts my views just like Tumblr, so let these sites fuck themself! (Fuck me too)
i've been playing mario & luigi and watching bloom into you at the same time so this was inevitable i suppose
Thoughts: Yuri Fan?
Welp over the course of three days I’ve read and caught up on the yuri manga...Bloom Into You, LILY and Begin With Your Name! I may have a problem, maybe just a bit...also the new opening for Black Clover is fucking amazing like holy shit, also it’s pretty nice to listen to while reading. Another side note but im reading Miss Komi Is Bad At Communication and it’s cute as shit.
FULL ENGLISH UPDATE
Y'all are really going to take 4 years out of my life and just say bye huh?
Yuri Anime Masterlist (as of Oct 2022)
(For those not familiar with the term "yuri" (百合), it is used to refer to anime, manga, light novels etc. which focus on the close relationships - often romantic - between female characters. However, as it is considered a genre in itself, the term is both looser and more restrictive than one might expect, e.g. a work concerned with platonic and not particularly intense relationships between female characters may still be considered "yuri" if it fits the genre tropes and/or if it is marketed as such.)
One day I thought it'd be good to have a masterlist of yuri anime which included commentary on the show, to give people a better idea of what might appeal to them (or what to be wary of). "It'll be easy," I thought. "There aren't that many specifically yuri anime out there," I thought.
Turns out, 22 series may not be a lot if you're looking at all the anime out there, but it certainly doesn't feel that way if you have to write a proper entry for each one. Here it is, a list of all the anime which are specifically marketed as being yuri (i.e. labelled as such on Anime News Network), with commentary, in no particular order.
Edit: Added links to the corresponding Anime News Network and MyAnimeList pages!
At-a-glance list:
Revolutionary Girl Utena (39 episodes + 1 movie, 1997)
Bloom into You (13 episodes, 2018)
Maria-sama ga Miteru (39 episodes, 2004)
Kase-san (58-minute OVA, 2018)
Aoi Hana (11 episodes, 2009)
Otherside Picnic (12 episodes, 2021)
Simoun (26 episodes, 2006)
Yuri Kuma Arashi (12 episodes, 2015)
Akuma no Riddle (12 episodes, 2014)
Citrus (12 episodes, 2018)
NTR: Netsuzou Trap (12 10-minute episodes, 2017)
Adachi to Shimamura (12 episodes, 2020)
Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san (12 5-minute episodes, 2014)
Sasameki Koto (13 episodes, 2009)
Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl (12 episodes, 2006)
The Executioner and Her Way of Life (12 episodes, 2022)
If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die (12 episodes, 2020)
Kannazuki no Miko (12 episodes, 2004)
Strawberry Panic (26 episodes, 2006)
Fragtime (60-minute OVA, 2019)
Sakura Trick (12 episodes, 2014)
Bonus: Yuri is My Job! (upcoming anime)
Details under the cut!
1. Revolutionary Girl Utena (39 episodes + 1 movie, 1997) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
Okay, so this series was not actually marketed as being yuri, but it’s far too ubiquitous for me not to put it in this section. When she was a child, Tenjou Utena (Kawakami Tomoko) was saved by a passerby prince, so she decided that she too wanted to become a prince as an adult. Fast forward to high school, and she hasn’t forgotten that conviction: Utena gets sucked into a series of duels while trying to protect her best friend’s honour. After winning the first duel, she becomes ‘engaged’ to the eccentric “Rose Bride” Himemiya Anthy (Fuchizaki Yuriko), and the two start living together in the same dormitory.
First things first: there are a million content warnings for this series, including implied rape, sexual assault, incest, and homophobia. Although the issues are handled well (in my opinion), it does go to very dark places, so those wanting a light, fun anime to unwind to should look elsewhere. Second, this series is very much a psychological drama utilising the episodic duels as a way of hone in on Utena’s opponents and their stories, so Utena and Anthy’s relationship – though important – is definitely not the focus of the anime. Third, the TV series is limited to hinting at the romantic relationship between Utena and Anthy, not to mention that they spend most of the series being little more than acquaintances rather than actual friends. The movie Adolescence (which can be taken as a retelling or sequel, depending on your perspective) is much more explicit on this front, but also suffers from a significantly shorter runtime and a much more opaque approach to storytelling.
That being said! If you’re okay with all of the above, this series is pretty much a must-watch. The simplistic premise belies a much more complex and nuanced story about gender roles, sexuality, and human relationships and remains one of the smartest anime ever made, over twenty years on.
2. Bloom into You (13 episodes, 2018) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
Probably one of the slickest-looking yuri anime out there, Bloom into You is a beautiful, polished adaptation of a manga of the same name by Nakatani Nio. Main character Koito Yuu (Kanemoto Hisako), who hasn’t experienced romantic love before, thinks student council senior Nanami Touko (Kotobuki Minako) is the same way until Touko suddenly confesses to her. The story follows the two girls’ trials and tribulations after that confession, and in particular how Yuu grows into her romantic feelings for Touko. The story can be messy at times but it’s got plenty of heart, and I really really love the other explicitly queer side characters – they’re so good that this series is worth watching even if you don’t click with the main couple IMO.
3. Maria-sama ga Miteru (39 episodes, 2004) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
A list of yuri works would be incomplete without mentioning this genre-defining juggernaut of a series created by light novel author Konno Oyuki, which is responsible for reviving the Class S genre and ensuring that yuri was for a long time – and to a large extent still is – associated with genteel all-female schools and girls calling their older targets of affection “onee-sama”. It starts with the elegant and aloof Ogasawara Sachiko (Itou Miki) inviting the main character Fukuzawa Yumi (Ueda Kana), an ordinary junior from the year below, to become her “petite sœur” (“little sister”, essentially a mentee), but branches out into more of a slice-of-life ensemble piece looking at Yumi and her friends and the various “sœur” pairs of the prestigious Lilian Girls’ Academy. Due to the “sœur” system, there is a whole fleet of F/F ships to pick from, but do note that only one character out of the very large cast is overtly queer.
Personally, I found the anime a bit dull, but the light novels and drama CDs were much more to my taste. Either way, anyone with an interest in the history of yuri as a genre should definitely check this series out in one way or another.
4. Kase-san and Morning Glories (58-minute OVA, 2018) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
The popular manga by Takashima Hiromi has sadly never received the full anime treatment, but at the very least there’s an OVA which adapts part of the story. The OVA starts with two high school sweethearts having recently entered into a relationship together, but Yamada Yui (Takahashi Minami), the timid one of the pair, is plagued with doubts over her relationship with the sporty Kase Tomoka (the eponymous “Kase-san”; Sakura Ayane). Famous for being teeth-rottingly sweet.
5. Aoi Hana (11 episodes, 2009) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
Despite the somewhat misleading OP, Aoi Hana is a character-focused slice of life show about lesbian high schooler Manjoume Fumi (Takabe Ai), her crush on the prince-like Sugimoto Yasuko (Ishimatsu Chiemi), and her coming out to her childhood best friend and first love Okudaira Akira (Gibu Yuko). You might be wary as this anime is an adaptation of a series by queen of messy LGBTQ-related manga Shimura Takako, but the story ends before it gets into the real melodrama, leaving viewers with an open but hopeful conclusion. The gentle pastels of the anime also look very nice IMO, it’s a great fit for Shimura’s art.
6. Otherside Picnic (12 episodes, 2021) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
Adapted from the ongoing light novel series by Miyazawa Iori, Otherside Picnic opens with college student (in a yuri anime! I know!) Kamikoshi Sorawo (Hanamori Yumiri) poking around in the supernatural “Otherside” and nearly being killed by a monster for her efforts. Her rescuer is the gun-toting Nishina Toriko (Kayano Ai), a young woman who happens to attend the same university. Since Sorawo is deeply interested in urban myths and Internet creepypasta, she decides to team up with Toriko, who is trying to search her friend who went missing in the Otherside. Otherside Picnic draws on existing Japanese urban myths and the Russian SF novel Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, but is also, though nobody seems to mention it, very much influenced by certain parts of the massive Touhou franchise – specifically the exploits of Renko and Merry (Sorawo in particular is strongly reminiscent of Renko). Although the anime doesn’t adapt enough to get to the explicitly romantic aspects of their relationship and has been criticized for undermining the horror elements with cheap CG, it has been praised for its college-age leads (though you wouldn’t know that from the character designs) and genre fiction focus, which are unusual in yuri.
7. Simoun (26 episodes, 2006) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
In the original SF anime Simoun, viewers are introduced to the nation of Simulacrum, which is embroiled in a bitter war against two other nations. On the front lines of this conflict are the main characters, a group of under-seventeens who pair up to pilot Simulacrum’s mecha (the titular “Simoun”). It’s a bit of an interesting case because although it is known and marketed as a yuri anime, for the duration of the series, the majority of the cast are not known to be female – the pilots come from a species where they are born monogender (although the designs skew feminine, similar to the Asari in Mass Effect) and pick their preferred gender at the age of seventeen (honestly, this sounds like a very sensible system). Don’t worry though, since sources say that a bunch of the endgame pairs do end up being F/F. Actually I’ve never watched this anime before as it’s known to be fanservice-heavy, but it does sound rather intriguing on paper.
8. Yuri Kuma Arashi (12 episodes, 2015) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
Directed by Ikuhara Kunihiko of Sailor Moon and Utena fame and with character designs by prolific out yuri mangaka Morishima Akiko, Yuri Kuma Arashi is a surreal tale set in a world where bears can take on human form and are feared and reviled by the human population, who have constructed the “Wall of Severance” to keep them out. Amidst this, main character Tsubaki Kureha (Yamane Nozomi) is a bear-hating human who finds out that two of her classmates – Yurishiro Ginko (Arakawa Miho) and Yurigasaki Lulu (Ikuta Yoshiko) – are actually bears in disguise. The anime is generally well-received, with critics praising its handling of homophobia, prejudice, and exclusion, but I personally felt that the series suffered from its length (it was by far the shortest of Ikuhara’s outings at the time) and heavy use of imagery and symbolism in place of character-building and narrative construction, so YMMV. Please also be warned of that there’s some rather gratuitous fanservice, especially in the first few episodes. The three-volume manga of the same name by Morishima Akiko was good though – it uses the same premise but takes it in a very different direction!
9. Akuma no Riddle (12 episodes, 2014) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
A rare case of a yuri anime which manages to cover the entirety of the series it was based on, Akuma no Riddle is an adaptation of the manga written by Kouga Yun and drawn by Minakata Sunao. Assassin-in-training Azuma Tokaku (Suwa Ayaka) is exceedingly skilled but suffers from a career-ruining mental block: she can’t ever bring herself to land the killing blow, no matter how much she wants to. Tokaku is given the chance to prove herself by entering a girls’ school battle royale where she is to compete with other young assassins to kill a certain target – the bafflingly ordinary-seeming Ichinose Haru (Kanemoto Hisako). On an impulse, the otherwise cold Tokaku swears to protect Haru from the others, and becomes her bodyguard. As with Maria-sama ga Miteru, the series comes with a lot of pre-packaged F/F pairs for your shipping pleasure, but only one pair is overtly romantic. (Also, I was very unlucky and latched onto a pair which happens to feature the only character who has a male love interest… RIP.) The story needed a bit more space to breathe IMO, but others have enjoyed it for the action, fun premise, and for being one of the few yuri anime that isn’t yet another high school coming-of-age romance.
10. Citrus (12 episodes, 2018) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
An adaptation of the hit manga by Saburouta, Citrus focuses on the tumultuous relationship between rule-breaking gyaru Aihara Yuzu (Taketatsu Ayana) and uptight student council president Aihara Mei (Tsuda Minami) – who, it turns out, is Yuzu’s new stepsister. It is controversial for its frequent depictions of non-consensual kissing and other physical contact, and for the generally melodramatic, titillating approach taken to the relationship between the two leads, but some queer women really love this series and I’m not here to police, so here it is.
11. NTR: Netsuzou Trap (12 10-minute episodes, 2017) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
One of the most infamous yuri series out there, this is an adaptation of the manga by Kodama Naoko. It’s essentially a daytime soap opera dressed up as a high school drama: Okazaki Yuma (Kakuma Ai) and Mizushina Hotaru (Igarashi Hitomi) are childhood friends who both have boyfriends but end up messing around with each other. There’s cheating, abusive boyfriends, toxic relationships, and melodrama galore – very rare for yuri anime. If you enjoy soap operas this might be just the thing, although there’s probably more fanservice than normal.
12. Adachi to Shimamura (12 episodes, 2020) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
Quiet slice-of-life series “Adachi and Shimamura” is an adaptation of an ongoing light novel series by Iruma Hitoma. The story depicts the everyday life of high school student Adachi Sakura (Kitou Akari) and her friend Shimamura Hougetsu (Itou Miku), who she has feelings for. Adachi’s feelings towards Shimamura are overtly romantic, but be warned that their relationship is more open-ended than in the light novels due to only the first few volumes being adapted. Received praise for its atmosphere-building, but this is tempered by there being a lot of fanservice throughout.
13. Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san (12 5-minute episodes, 2014) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
A series of vignettes adapted from the yonkoma (4-panel) manga by Kuzushiro, Inugami-san and Nekoyama-san is about the relationship between the dog-like cat-lover Inugami Yachiyo (Uesaka Sumire) and cat-like dog-lover Nekoyama Suzu (Toyama Nao). I haven’t seen it myself, but judging by the reception, it’s a good pick for those looking for a quick, fluffy watch.
14. Sasameki Koto (13 episodes, 2009) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
This adaptation of Ikeda Takashi’s manga follows high school student Murasame Sumika (Takagaki Ayahi), who has a crush on her female best friend Kazama Ushio (Takamoto Megumi). The twist is that she knows Ushio is into girls… so what’s the problem? Well, unfortunately for Sumika, Ushio can’t stop going on about how she likes very cute, “feminine” girls, and Sumika just doesn’t fit that type. And on a meta level, time is Sumika’s worst enemy, because this is another case of the main couple not getting together by the end of the anime due to the limited runtime. The series’ scope extends beyond the romantic storyline, however, and touches upon homophobia and queer media (okay, yuri doujin). On the downside, a lot of the humour is dated, and a cross-dressing character is dealt with in a poor manner.
15. Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl (12 episodes, 2006) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
Part of the 2006 yuri anime boom, Kashimashi is based on the manga by Akahori Satoru. The story starts with young boy Osaragi Hazumu (Ueda Kana) having a rather confusing day: after being rejected by his female classmate Kamiizumi Yasuna (Horie Yui), he is killed in a freak UFO accident, and then resurrected – albeit in a female body. The anime shows the gradual process of Hazumu coming to terms with the new body and becoming mixed up in a gentle love triangle with Yasuna and female childhood friend Kurusu Tomari (Tamura Yukari). Apparently it’s quite sweet despite the decidedly mid-2000’s premise.
16. The Executioner and Her Way of Life (12 episodes, 2022) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
A twist on the usual isekai formula by light novel author Sato Mato, Executioner is centred on Menou (Saeki Iori), the eponymous Executioner tasked with eliminating with magically-gifted people from another world, i.e. isekai protagonists. One day, a routine job goes awry when Menou discovers that her target – a Japanese schoolgirl named Tokitou Akari (Kahara Moe) – has the ability to control time and thereby reverse her own death. Unwilling to let a person with such dangerous powers roam free, Menou joins Akari on a journey through the country, albeit one that ends before anything much happens – the anime adapts only the first two volumes of the ongoing light novel series. Also, somewhat surprisingly given the premise, the show is apparently an ensemble piece which focuses more on its world-building and action-packed plot, although Menou and Akari’s growing closeness does get some screen-time.
17. If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die (12 episodes, 2020) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
One of only three series on this list which do not mention school at all (the others being Simoun and The Executioner and Her Way of Life, to my knowledge), OshiBudo is an adaptation of the ongoing manga by Hirao Auri where protagonist Eripiyo (Fairouz Ai) overworks herself at part-time jobs in the name of supporting her fave Ichii Maina (Tachibana Hina), the least popular member of already-unpopular local idol group ChamJam. Despite the uncomfortable implications of the initial setup, the anime dodges the most obvious pitfalls as Maina’s relationship with Eripiyo is strictly that of idol and (overzealous) fan even until the end, and there’s actually more of a focus on Eripiyo bonding with her idol fan friends (sadly all male). Obviously there is only subtext in this show, and not anything heavily hinted at that, but it’s not a bad thing in this case.
18. Kannazuki no Miko (12 episodes, 2004) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
Ah, Kannazuki no Miko, adaptation of a manga by Kaishaku. Famed as a yuri classic, nobody told me that it was actually a mecha anime (!) with a third, male protagonist (!!) in which one half of the F/F couple we’re supposed to be rooting for rapes the other and the story just glosses over it (!!! - rage). And it’s a pity, because the premise is solidly of the mecha genre and therefore refreshingly different to the usual yuri fare! An ancient evil looms over Japan as the Orochi mecha pilots begin to awaken, forcing main character Kurusugawa Himeko (Shitaya Noriko) and her classmate and friend Himemiya Chikane (Kawasumi Ayako) to work together as the sun and moon priestesses to seal the threat away. Unfortunately, in practice, it’s mainly Himeko’s male childhood friend Oogami Souma (Majima Junji) doing the fighting, and the anime spends more time building up a budding (straight) romance between Himeko and Souma before the sudden pivot in the last few episodes – a pivot which is difficult to be happy about due to the sexual assault. Watch if you’re interested but be warned that it definitely has the problems of mid-2000’s yuri and then some.
19. Strawberry Panic (26 episodes, 2006) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
An adaptation of the light novels by Kimino Sakurako, apparently this is basically Maria-sama ga Miteru done in a moe style and with fanservice. I don’t have any more to say as I haven’t watched it and the summaries don’t clarify much beyond it being a slice-of-life character drama set at a girl’s school (possibly multiple girl’s schools).
20. Fragtime (60-minute OVA, 2019) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
Fragtime adapts the manga by Sato about Moritani Misuzu (Itou Miku), a girl who can stop time for three minutes every day, and Murakami Haruka (Miyamoto Yume), a classmate who isn’t affected by Misuzu’s power. Audiences seem split between those who appreciated it as a slightly supernatural-driven coming-of-age romance and those who found it superficial and male-gazey (there is a very juvenile obsession with underwear).
21. Sakura Trick (12 episodes, 2014) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
This adaptation of a yonkoma manga by Tachi follows best friends Takayama Haruka (Tomatsu Haruka) and Sonoda Yuu (Iguchi Yuka) who, worried about drifting apart due to a change in the classroom seating, fall into a kissing-focused friends-with-benefits arrangement. Some find it sweet, others find it male-gazey, it’s a tale as old as time when it comes to yuri.
Bonus: Yuri is My Job! (upcoming anime) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList
The recently-announced anime will adapt Miman’s ongoing manga about Shirasagi Hime (Ogura Yui), a high school student who gets pressured into working at a yuri-themed café where the waitstaff pretend to be students at a girl’s school who are in ambiguously gay relationships with each other. Hime is paired up with Ayanokouji Mitsuki (Uesaka Sumire), who plays the perfect onee-sama when working but hates Hime’s guts behind the scenes. Part human drama – like many a yuri series before it, the manga delves into the various characters inhabiting the café rather than just Hime and Mitsuki – and part metatextual riffing on the yuri genre, this should be one to look out for.
