Have you ever heard of Yuri anime? It’s a genre of anime that’s all about portraying the development of intimate relationships between female characters. The best Yuri anime to watch is inclusive of both the friendly and LGBT varieties. And the stories are so engaging and heartwarming, you can’t help but keep coming back for more.
What Is Anime?
For those of you that don’t know, the term “anime” refers to the original hand-drawn animations of Japan. Although in Japan itself, it simply refers to all animated works regardless of origin. But that’s a technical definition, it doesn’t draw out what anime really is.
Because anime is a lot of things; you can’t describe its essence in one word. There’s something for everyone in the forever-expanding universes of manga and anime. Anime like the big 3 including Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach only scratch the surface.
The most popular and mainstream genres of anime include:
• Shonen (Action/Adventure)
• Seinen (Mystery/Psychological Thrillers)
• Shoujo (For Young Girls)
• Josei (For Adult Women)
• Kodomomuke (For Kids)
Why Watch Yuri Anime?
If you’re looking to go off the beaten path with anime, why not try Yuri Anime? The anime culture has, for decades, been inclusive of LGBT-friendly themes to make sure no one is excluded from being able to enjoy an anime series.
The anime industry has also strived to present worldviews and conflicts from the perspective of the most unique people in our society today.
8 Best Yuri Anime to Watch
#1. Bloom Into You
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Bloom Into You is a genuine love story, not a story of romance that mushroomed out of nowhere. The main protagonist, Yuu Koito, is obsessed with the romantic Shoujo manga culture and all its stories and love songs. She hopes that, one day, someone will confess their love for her and a romantic journey can take root in her life too.
Her wish is soon granted when a classmate confides his feelings for her. But Koito doesn’t feel a thing and can’t understand why. An unexpected love connection forms when she decides to hit up the student council president Touka Nanami for some advice.
#2. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
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Valkyrie Drive is set in a world where there are five artificial islands and Mamori, who is a mermaid, is being transported to one of them. She reaches the mysterious island, only to be set on by a dangerous island inhabitant.
Mirei, who is also a newly transferred girl, attempts to rescue her but when she realizes she can’t, for some odd reason, she decides to kiss her. And this turns her body into a weapon.
You heard it right, sexual arousal awakens powers in this anime. Definitely an intriguing concept.
#3. Yuri Yuri
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Yuri Yuri is a loli anime so you won’t get a lot of “yuri” scenes from it. This slice-of-life anime follows the story of a group of girls who start an “amusement” club.
The sole purpose of this club is to keep each other entertained, so it’s pretty straightforward compared to most clubs. This club gets right to the point. One of the girls, Akari Aaza, is younger than the other girls and quite lonely until she joins the club and develops her boisterous side.
#4. Adachi To Shimamura
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Adachi To Shimamura is an ordinary but genuine love story with by far some of the cutest characters ever showcased in Yuri anime, or perhaps anime altogether.
It’s about two girls, Sakura Adachi and Hougestsu Shimura, who meet in the gymnasium of their school one day and foster a budding friendship.
At first, these two girls with contrasting personalities become great friends until one of them develops feelings for the other and the relationship can no longer remain platonic.
#5. Kiniro Mosaic
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This slice of life anime has more yuri scenes for you eye-candy lovers. It follows the story of Shinobu Oomiya who leaves Japan to participate in a homestay in England, kind of like CouchSurfing but more formal.
During her homestay, she meets and befriends a girl named Alice Cartelet. Despite the short time and language barrier, the two develop a strong friendship.
Five years later, after Shinobu’s return to Japan, she receives a letter from Alice that she will be coming to Shinobu’s place for a homestay. It’s a journey of friendship and exploring each other’s cultures.
#6. Konohana Kitan
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Konohana Kitan is a relatively simple but beautiful anime. Yuzu is a cheerful fox cosplayer girl starting her first day as an attendant at a hot springs inn in the magical world of Konohanatei.
She meets Kiri, a fellow co-worker and fellow cosplayer, who shows her the ropes at the new place. Over time, Yuzu starts to feel at home with the people at the inn and especially with Kiri, which matures into something deeper.
#7. Riddle Story of Devil
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Riddle Story of Devil is a masterpiece of the Yuri genre. A classic among classics. Tokaku Azuma is not your average yuri girl. She’s a ruthless assassin, enrolled in a school for assassins.
Their objective is to eliminate a fellow student named Haru Ichinose. Whoever kills her can have any wish they want granted. As things get complicated, Tokaku ends up falling in love with Haru, and instead of killing her, she now has to protect her from all their classmates.
#8. Sakura Trick
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Want to watch an anime that relates to all your middle or junior high school problems? Two best friends, Haruka Takayama and Yuu Sonoda, plan to attend Misato West High School together but a cruel twist of fate puts them far apart in the classroom’s seating arrangement.
Yuu’s charming and friendly personality quickly endears her to the other female classmates, making Haruka jealous. To make her stop feeling this way, Yuu openly kisses her in front of the entire class to showcase their solidarity as best friends.
Where Can You Watch Yuri Anime?
There are a number of platforms where you can legally stream Yuri anime in high definition. Some of them are such as Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Funimation. These platforms are troves for rare Yuri anime and include both the dubbed and the subbed versions for seasoned otakus.
A Few Parting Words
Yuri Anime is nothing short of a national treasure for Japan. It cherishes the beauty and authenticity of romance between women in a way no other shows do. The goal is to show the audience the other side of romance that can happen and is every bit as real as the love between people of the opposite sex.
Hopefully, you found this list of the best Yuri anime to watch helpful to begin your exploration of this lovely genre.
