The Yuri genre has really come into its own. Gone are the days of subtle hints and innuendo. Today’s Yuri anime wears its heart on its sleeve and sometimes right on its lips. These storylines appear in both shoujo-ai series, where romance is the main focus, and in more broad series, where same-sex couples are featured alongside traditional pairings.
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Thriving at the intersection ofLGBTQIA+and anime fandom, the genre has cultivated a loyal fanbase internationally. By showing that all love stories deserve the spotlight, Yuri anime clarifies its belief that one day, all relationships might live openly and without judgment, even in animation. Yet, the genre’s moral message never spoils its entertainment value.
Updated by Omar Faruque on June 29, 2025: Yuri genre’s growth in popularity has been fueled by changing societal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ relationships, increased representation in media, and the evolving narratives in anime storytelling. This has also led to the yuri genre crossing over with other genres more frequently, such as fantasy, action, and drama. As a result, we have updated this listicle!
15Revolutionary Girl Utena
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 8.20
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Why Watch Revolutionary Girl Utena?
Revolutionary Girl Utena follows the adventures of Utena Tenjou, a teenage girl who aspires to be a princely hero. After meeting a mysterious prince as a kid and being enchanted by him, Utena decides to attend the Ohtori Academy, where she wears a boy’s uniform and is known for her sports skills and strong sense of justice. The academy is full of secrets and strange happenings.
Utena gets entangled in a series of sword duels with the student council, who are all vying for the power to revolutionize their fictional world. This power is believed to be held by the mysterious Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya, who becomes engaged to the winner of each duel. Utena, driven by her sense of chivalry and her desire to protect Anthy, becomes a duelist. Revolutionary Girl Utena is notable for its highlystylized visual presentation, which includes surreal landscapes, theatrical dueling arenas, and a distinctive rose motif.
Release Date
Episode Count
Where To Watch
Jul 17, 2025
Crunchyroll
14Whispered Words
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 7.06
Whispered Words
Why Watch Whispered Words?
Whispered Words focuses on theromantic relationshipsand friendships among a group of high school students, with an emphasis on the experiences of two girls who are in love with each other. The main characters are Sumika Murasame and Ushio Kazama, both high school students.
The story follows their daily lives as they navigate friendships, love, and their feelings for each other. It also introduces several other characters who add complexity to their relationships. Whispered Words is known for its sensitive and realistic depiction of youth, friendship, and romantic love between girls. It addresses various issues, such as coming out, societal prejudices, and self-acceptance.
Aug 02, 2025
13Destiny Of The Shrine Maiden
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 6.81
Destiny of the Shrine Maiden
Why Watch Destiny of the Shrine Maiden?
Destiny of the Shrine Maiden combines elements ofmagical girl,mecha, andromance genres, with a focus on the relationship between two shrine maidens who are destined to save the world. The main characters are Himeko Kurusugawa and Chikane Himemiya, two girls born on the same day and said to be the reincarnations of the Solar and Lunar Miko (shrine maidens).
Despite their different backgrounds – Himeko is shy and clumsy, while Chikane is elegant and comes from a prestigious family – they share a deep bond. On their shared 16th birthday, an old legend awakens. The evil god Orochi awakens, and the girls learn about their destiny as shrine maidens. Throughout the series, Himeko and Chikane must confront not only the threat of Orochi but also their feelings for each other. There is a secondary male character, Souma, who has feelings for Himeko, but the main emotional and narrative focus is on the yuri relationship.
Jul 23, 2025
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 7.44
Why Watch Simoun?
Simoun is a Japanese anime series that combines elements ofscience fiction,fantasy, and yuri genres. The series is set in a world where everyone is born as a female. When individuals reach the age of 17, they undergo a ritual at a sacred spring, where they choose their permanent sex.
However, there is a group of girls who have chosen to postpone this decision to pilot ancient flying warships known as Simoun. The main characters are Aer and Neviril, two Sibyllae who pilot one of the Simoun aircraft. The plot follows them and their fellow pilots as they face the pressures of war, the coming of age, and their evolving feelings for one another.
Jul 26, 2025
11Yuri Bear Storm
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 7.04
Why Watch Yuri Bear Storm?
Yuri Bear Storm is a Japanese anime series directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara, who is also known for his work on Revolutionary Girl Utena and Mawaru Penguindrum. The series is known for its surreal narrative style, symbolic content, and exploration of themes such as social exclusion and sexual orientation. The story is set in a world where humans and bears are separated by a ‘Wall of Severance’ due to a long-standing conflict.
However, two bears – Ginko Yurishiro and Lulu Yurigasaki – manage to disguise themselves as humans and infiltrate Arashigaoka Academy, a human school, to eat humans. At the academy, they meet Kureha Tsubaki, a girl who has a deep hatred for bears after they kill her mother and her lover. Unbeknownst to Kureha, Ginko is a bear who has been in love with her since they were children.
Jul 16, 2025
Funimation
10Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 8.0
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
Why Watch Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid?
Kobayashi, a woman married to her job, finds herself increasingly charmed by dragon-maid Tohru bent on devotion. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid avoids heavy-handed metaphors for LGBT relationships and lets Kobayashi and Tooru’s moments of casual intimacy speak for themselves.
We see them do little things like making meals together, teasing each other in their playful banter, and ultimately professing how much happier they are by each other’s side. Buried in this odd couple’s whimsical humor and hijinks, we find a love story for the everyday.
Jul 03, 2025
9Yuru Yuri
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 7.6
Why Watch Yuru Yuri?
Yuru Yuri is a standard cute-girls-doing-cute-things show. The show follows a ragtag group of middle school misfits in the Amusement Club, whose mission in life is… silliness. Led by the delightfully oblivious Akari, the club’s grand purpose is poorly defined.
But it mainly involves cracking jokes, cosplaying, and driving their school’s administration to the brink of madness. However, the show’s real stars are the idiot duo of Kyoko and Yui, whoseunending comedyof errors in their pursuit of friendship (or is it love?) will leave you in stitches. Kyoko in particular has a penchant for dramatic stunts to win Yui’s affection that frequently end in over-the-top disaster and hilarity.
Season Count
Jul 08, 2025
8Kase-san And Morning Glories
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 7.70
Kase-san and Morning Glories
Why Watch Kase-san And Morning Glories?
Yamada and Kase feel like real teenagers, awkward and endearing, rather than “types.” We see Yamada’s passion for gardening and gentle spirit, while Kase’s expressiveness hides inner vulnerability. A locker room conversation where they admit their attraction is funny, awkward, and deeply relatable. Thebeautiful animationsare also striking, not just for their prettiness but for how they mirror the characters’ inner lives.
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Mundane settings like a garden or classroom are rendered with such loving detail that they become oases of meaning. A bike ride under cherry blossoms becomes a whirl of pink petals, capturing the giddiness of new love. Shadowed interiors represent the weight of family expectations. These details, more than just being a Yuri romance, create a window into human intimacy in all its forms.
May 30, 2025
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 6.4
Why Watch The Citrus?
Citrus follows Yuzu Aihara whose mother remarries and forces her to transfer to a new all-girls school. On her first day, she meets thecold-heartedstudent council president Mei Aihara – her new stepsister. Watching these polar opposites attract and battle through teenage angst, family drama, and forbidden love makes for a highly entertaining ride.
That said, Citrus has its fair share of questionable moments and controversy. Some find the stepsister relationship too taboo, even without the blood relation. Certain fanservice-heavy scenes seem to only appeal to the male gaze. And Mei’s dominating behavior can make the power dynamics with Yuzu feel off. The plot also requires a healthy suspension of disbelief to accept these teens acting more like characters in a harlequin romance novel.
Aug 11, 2025
6Sakura Trick
My Anime List (MAL) Score - 7.0
Sakura Trick
Why Watch The Sakura Trick?
When it comes to heart-racing romance between two girls, no anime does it better than Sakura Trick. Haruka Takayama and Yuu Sonoda have been thick as thieves since middle school. But when they start high school, the cruel hand of fate places them in separate classrooms. How can they stay close to each other now? By sharing a kiss every day.
What starts as a playful pact soon blossoms into deeper feelings for each other. There is no inappropriate fan service, just a natural progression of young love. While some Yuri anime focus heavily on emotional angst or melodrama, Sakura Trick keeps things light and fun. It captures the giddy experience of a first romance.
