The word yuri [百合] is literally lily — and in anime it is the catch-all for romances between girls, from a shy crush in a hallway to something much heavier. Search for yuri anime and you get a pile that mixes those two worlds without asking permission.
This list keeps hentai out of the main recs (there is a short pile at the end if you are only curious about that) and still has to admit a second split: some of these shows are written as girls' love, and some are just fanservice aimed at guys.
Contents 11
What is the Difference between Yuri and Shoujo-Ai?
Yuri is a genre that describes romantic or sexual relationships between women. Japan typically uses this category for any anime with girls in love, with or without sexual content. In practice the catalogs split into three messy piles: light romance, stories with real kisses and tension, and explicit material.
In the West, the term shoujo-ai usually marks stories that stay on the emotional side, while yuri is the word people reach for when the kiss gets heavier — or when the show slides into ecchi or even hentai. In Japan that split barely exists as a genre label: yuri covers the lily from a school crush to explicit work. And shoujo-ai is not a safe synonym there. it can point at something much uglier than a girls' romance.
Despite this distinction between yuri animes and shoujo-ai animes, many end up not taking these differences into account and generally mix the animes of both genres as if they were one, just like the Japanese do. I will try to avoid that!
Many animes on this list are really aimed at lesbians, but some are just fanservice for perverted boys. Unlike yaoi animes, men do not feel emotional attraction to opposite homosexual relationships like girls do.
Yuri Animes with Kisses
Ready to see the best Shoujo-ai or Yuri animes? We will separate the recommendations of this article by sub-genres. The Yuri animes below have plenty of kisses, let's briefly summarize each of them.
Sakura Trick. - A cute romance between Haruka and Yui. The anime is basically that, 2 girls kissing and comedy. However, this is considered one of the best Yuri animes of all time. (Cover Photo)
Strawberry Panic. - The anime tells the story of 3 all-girls schools, the main character Aoi Nagisa ends up feeling an attraction for the representative. The anime has everything, romance, drama, comedy, intrigues, etc. Another very popular yuri anime among the audience, dominating the top positions in yuri rankings and lists.
Aoi Hana. - Tells the story of 2 childhood friends who reunite after 10 years, the 2 friends restart their friendship while dealing with the problems of adolescence, until things happen...
Gokujo. - An anime full of comedy, fanservice, and yuri insinuations without much seriousness. The anime tells the story of Akabane, an arrogant girl who wants to surpass her classmates.
Honorable mention: Oniisama e... (Dear Brother). One of the oldest yuri-adjacent TV dramas, from Riyoko Ikeda — the same author as The Rose of Versailles, not Osamu Tezuka.
Light Shoujo-Ai Animes (Light Yuri)
The shoujo-ai animes below have only a basic romance, they shouldn't even be called yuri animes, but people generally do not make a distinction:
Yuru Yuri. - A light anime that tells the story of a group of girls who spend their free time drinking tea in a school club that has no purpose.
Maria-sama Ga Miteru. - The anime takes place in a Catholic school for girls only. A light anime with romance, drama, and slice of life with a hint of yuri.
Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. - Tells the story of a boy in love with a girl, but ends up being rejected. After that, he gets involved with aliens and ends up being transformed into a girl, but he does not give up on his love.
Sasameki Koto. - In this troubled yuri, Sumika is in love with her friend who is a lesbian. However, this friend keeps picking up other girls, without noticing Sumika's feelings.
Candy boy. - The story revolves around two non-identical teenage twins. They enjoy the days they spend at school with their friends, one of whom is in love with one of the sisters. The story tells about the daily life of the girls.
Maria Holic. - Miyamae Kanako, a high school girl who is allergic to boys, enrolls in an all-girls school, hoping to find a female romantic partner. However, the girl she wants to get close to is actually a boy in disguise. A comedy anime with plenty of references and school life.
Yuri Animes with Action
Koukaku no Pandora. - An action anime where a rich inventor and cybernetic characters come together to fight against a threat. Yuri is not the focus of the anime, but it was the second most voted in a Japanese yuri ranking.
Kannazuki no Miko. - Everyone idolizes the perfect girl named Himemiya Chikane, until an ancient evil appears and curses the city. The anime shows priestesses, giant robots, and fight scenes with fan service.
Yurikuma Arashi. - A Kumaria asteroid exploded in the depths of space, causing bears to start attacking humans and eating them. Until 2 friends from a school find the Yuri Flower and many things happen...
Valkyrie Drive. - The anime takes place on five artificial islands, where a mermaid is attacked and a girl saves her, ends up kissing her and transforming her into a sword to fight against enemies.
Simoun. - In the world of Daikuri, everyone is born female and chooses which sex they want to have from the age of 17.
Mnemosyne. - Asougi Rin may seem like an ordinary secretary on the outside, but she is actually a private detective with various jobs, from searching for runaway cats to infiltrating high-security corporate laboratories.
The yuri anime people name first now
The recs above are the older skeleton of this page. If you arrive today asking where to start, these five titles are the ones that keep showing up in conversations — not as a new podium, just as the gap this list used to leave open.
Bloom Into You (Yagate Kimi ni Naru, 2018). Yuu does not feel the spark she was told romance would bring, until student council president Touko confesses. The show is about not knowing how to want someone, and it is the title most starter lists now put first.
Citrus (2018). Yuzu transfers to an all-girls school and discovers the icy student council president is her new stepsister. It is a TV yuri with a lot of kissing and a messy, often uncomfortable power dynamic — not hentai, even if old lists dumped it there.
Adachi and Shimamura (2020). Two girls skip class on the gym rooftop and slowly notice the friendship is not staying still. Quiet, awkward, and closer to a real crush than a fanservice reel.
Kase-san and Morning Glories (Asagao to Kase-san, 2018). A short film about a track star and the girl who tends the school garden. Small, sunny, and finished — useful when you want yuri that actually resolves.
The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (2023). A princess who wants to be a magician and the genius noble she is supposed to marry. Fantasy, politics, and a couple that is actually the point of the show.
Lesbian Characters in Animes
Besides Shoujo-Ai animes, it is also common to find lesbian characters in animes of other genres. It might be of interest to follow the animes in which they appear. Below we will leave a list of the most popular lesbian characters:
- Suruga Kanbaru - Bakemonogatari
- Kuroko Shirai - Index and Railgun
- Shion Karanomori - Psycho-Pass
- Tohru - Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
- Ymir - Shingeki no Kyojin
- Yayoi Kunizuka - Psycho-Pass
- Mao Nonosaka - Mirai Nikki
- Cthuko - Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
- Ayano Sugiura - Yuru Yuri
- Nobara Yukinokouji - Inu x Boku
- Haruka Tenoh - Sailor Moon
- Chizuru Honshou - Bleach
- Michiru Kaioh - Sailor Moon
- Valmet - Jormungand
- Shizuma Hanazono - Strawberry Panic
- Riko Saikawa - Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
- Kirie Motoba - Himouto! Umaru-chan
- Miku Izayoi - Date A Live
- Otome Saotome - Shimoneta
- Kaori - Azumanga Daioh
- Miharu Shimizu - Baka to Test
- Ikuno - Darling in the FRANXX
- Chizuru Ikeda - Yuru Yuri
- Sanae Ebato - Kuzu no Honkai
- Nami Aoi - Aki Sora
- Ume Shiraume - Ben-to
- Mio Kusakai - Keijo!!!!!
- Sumika Murasame - Sasameki Koto
- Mirei Shikishima - Valkyrie Drive
List of Shoujo-Ai Mangas
A historical map of shoujo-ai manga that used to circulate on this page — treat the dates as a snapshot, not a live popularity ranking:
| Name of Shoujo-ai Manga | Date |
| Ring My Bell | 2017 |
| Kase-san and Yamada | 2017 |
| Bloom Into You | 2015 |
| Lily (Yy) | 2016 |
| Soulmate | 2020 |
| Mage & Demon Queen - Part 2 | 2019 |
| SQ: Begin W/Your Name! | 2014 |
| Mimi Mix! | 2016 |
| Amongst Us | 2017 |
| Kase-san and... | 2010 |
| Mage & Demon Queen | 2018 |
| Oomuroke | 2012 |
| Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau | 2019 |
| Tsuki ga Kirei Desu ne | 2015 |
| Adachi and Shimamura (Light Novel) | 2012 |
| Lala - Part 2 | 2019 |
| Fluttering Feelings | 2014 |
| Yuru Yuri | 2008 |
| Konohana Kitan | 2014 |
| A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow | 2017 |
| Blooming Sequence | 2017 |
| Whispered Words | 2007 |
| Kaketa Tsuki to Doughnut | 2019 |
| Ishuzoku Joshi ni OO Suru Hanashi | 2019 |
| Still Sick | 2018 |
| Teiji ni Agaretara | 2018 |
| Touko-san wa Kaji ga Dekinai (Doujinshi) | 2017 |
| Kanojo no Idea | 2019 |
| Lonely Girl ni Sakaraenai | 2019 |
| Hana ni Arashi | 2017 |
| Magan he Danai | 2015 |
| Hana & Hina After School | 2015 |
| Koushin Koinu ni Koibumi wo | 2018 |
| If I Could Reach You | 2016 |
| Ikemen Girl to Hakoiri Musume | 2019 |
List of Yuri Mangas
Same idea for yuri manga: a snapshot of titles that used to sit on this catalog, not a fresh MAL podium:
| Name of Yuri Manga | Date |
| Lily Love 2 | 2018 |
| Houkago (Tomo OSHIMA) | 2018 |
| Pulse | 2016 |
| Tsuki to Suppin | 2019 |
| Her Tale of Shim Chong | 2017 |
| Soul Drifters | 2020 |
| Lily Love | 2014 |
| Moonlight Garden | 2017 |
| Fuzoroi no Renri | 2017 |
| Vampeerz | 2019 |
| Girl Friends | 2006 |
| Miss Angel and Miss Devil | 2016 |
| Yurikon | 2018 |
| My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness | 2016 |
| Salieri & Mozart | 2018 |
| Dear My Teacher | 2012 |
| Murciélago | 2013 |
| Sakura Trick: Anthology Comic | 2014 |
| What Does the Fox Say? | 2015 |
| Citrus+ | 2018 |
| Beauty and the Beast Girl | 2016 |
| Watashi no Kawaii Koneko-chan | 2017 |
| Dare nimo Ienai Futarigoto | 2017 |
| Kanojo no Kuchizuke Kansensuru Libido | 2015 |
| Lilith 2 | 2019 |
| Moonlight Flowers | 1989 |
| Citrus Comic Anthology | 2018 |
| Our Teachers are Dating | 2018 |
| Just Right There! | 2017 |
| Beloved | 2016 |
| How Do We Relationship? | 2018 |
| Seasons | 2009 |
| Chouchou Nannan | 2014 |
| Partition | 2015 |
| Rental Shop de Onee-san wo Rental Suru Hanashi | 2019 |
List of Yuri Animes
The animes below are of the Yuri genre, they are heavier than Shoujo-ai, but not as heavy as Hentai. They may have sexual relationships, but nothing explicit. A historical catalog of yuri anime that used to circulate as a ratings list — treat it as a map, not a live ranking.
- RIN: Daughters of Mnemosyne 2008
- Kuttsukiboshi 2010
- Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid 2015
- Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid Specials 2015
- Love to Lie Angle 2018
- Netsuzou Trap 2017
- Bikini Warriors OVA 2 2018
- Bikini Warriors Special 2015
- Body Jack: Tanoshii Yutai Ridatsu 1987
List of Shoujo-Ai Animes
The animes below are of the Shoujo-ai genre, they are lighter than Yuri, usually only featuring a romance between two girls, with little or no focus on the couple's sexual relationships. Again: a historical catalog, not a live ranking from best to worst.
| Name of Anime | Year |
| Kase-san and Morning Glories | 2018 |
| Yuru Yuri San☆Hai! | 2015 |
| Maria Watches Over Us Season 4 | 2009 |
| Bloom Into You | 2018 |
| Yuru Yuri ♪♪ | 2012 |
| Maria Watches Over Us Season 3 | 2006 |
| Maria Watches Over Us Season 2 | 2004 |
| Yuru Yuri | 2011 |
| If My Favorite Pop Idol Made it to the Budokan, I Would Die | 2020 |
| Maria Watches Over Us Season 4 Specials | 2009 |
| Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de | 2008 |
| Maria Watches Over Us Specials | 2004 |
| Kimi no Hikari: Asagao to Kase-san. | 2017 |
| Yuru Yuri, | 2019 |
| Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Adolescence of Utena | 1999 |
| WATATEN! an Angel Flew Down to Me | 2019 |
| Maria-sama ga Miteru ~Haru~ Specials | 2004 |
| Maria Watches Over Us Season 3 Specials | 2006 |
| Maria Watches Over Us | 2004 |
| Sasameki Koto | 2009 |
| Strawberry Panic | 2006 |
| Simoun | 2006 |
| Sweet Blue Flowers | 2009 |
| Otoboku: Maidens Are Falling For Me! | 2006 |
| Maria Holic | 2009 |
| Happy Sugar Life | 2018 |
| Sakura Trick | 2014 |
| Candy Boy | 2008 |
| Fragtime | 2019 |
| Maria Holic Alive | 2011 |
| Riddle Story of Devil | 2014 |
| Neon Genesis IMPACTS | 2015 |
| Citrus | 2018 |
| Candy Boy EX01 | 2008 |
| Kanamemo | 2009 |
| Candy Boy Episode 0 | 2007 |
| Candy Boy EX02 | 2009 |
| Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl | 2006 |
| Kanamewo | 2015 |
| Kasimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~: A Girl Falls in Love with a Girl | 2006 |
| Blue Drop | 2007 |
| Destiny of the Shrine Maiden | 2004 |
| Yurikuma Arashi | 2015 |
| Mysteria Friends | 2019 |
| Puni Puni Poemy | 2001 |
| Yamibo: Darkness, The Hat and the Travelers of the Books | 2003 |
| Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san | 2014 |
| Riddle Story of Devil: Who Is the Winner? (Pop Quiz) | 2014 |
| Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san Special | 2014 |
| Nem: I am a broken umbrella | 2013 |
| Yuru Yuri: Mini Yuri | 2019 |
| ICE Movie | 2008 |
| Nem: Kouhaku Manjushuka | 2013 |
| ICE | 2007 |
| Nejishiki: Piña Colada | 2017 |
| Love Bites | 2016 |
| Vlad Love | 2021 |
| Adachi to Shimamura | 2020 |
List of Yuri Hentai Animes +18
The titles below are yuri that actually sit in the hentai lane — explicit sex, not a TV romance that happens to kiss a lot. Plenty of hentai throws girls together as a fetish beat. this is only the pile built around that.
- Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo: Anata to Koibito Tsunagi
- Discipline
- Shoujo Sect
- Futa-bu
- Nikutai Ten
- Honoo no Haramase Doukyuusei
- G-Taste
- Cream Lemon
- Choukou Senni Haruka
- Star Jewel
- Nageki no Kenkou Yuuryouji
- Onmyouji Ayakashi no Megami: Inran Jubaku
- Inko
- Stainless Night
- Bakuhatsu Sunzen!! Tenshi no Countdown
- Mitama:Nin
- Houkago Mania Club: Koi no Hoshii no
- Parade Parade
- Soushitsukyou
- Ogenki Clinic
- Utsukushiki Sei no Dendoushi Reirei
- Tsuki Kagerou
- Kojin Jugyou
- My Life As
- Shinseiki Cream Lemon
- Suashi no Houkago
If a title here still feels like bait, skip it. If you have a yuri that actually earned the lily, leave it in the comments — the old catalogs always miss something living.
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