Despite the widespread belief amongst fans that Shonen is the only good kind of anime, there are several subgenres that are far less well-known yet nevertheless have excellent character growth and fascinating, sometimes intricate plots. Yuri is not a conventional girl-on-girl action anime, yet it is quite similar to Ecchi and loves anime.
Yuri anime is a common subgenre of Japanese animation. If you’re here because you’re interested in watching some steamy Yuri anime, you’ve come to the perfect spot.
I’ve included manga that deals with mature love stories along with those that celebrate first kisses and teenage romance. Those interested in Yuri should not waste any time and start reading. I recommend for mature readers our selection of the 20 Best Yuri Manga.
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1. Kämpfer
Natsuru, the protagonist, is a boy who, in the course of the tale, learns that he can transform into a lady and fight as a Kampfer. Because of this setup, the first few episodes do not advance the story.
There, the story takes on a more mysterious form as the anime progresses in presentation, and overall, fanservice is separated to place more emphasis on the mystery.
To say that Kampfer was a tremendous letdown and a monumental squandering of time would be an exaggeration; this may sound like a harsh remark, but coming from a program I never anticipated anything from, it couldn’t be more accurate.
Given the idea of a battle between selected warriors, all of whom are females, it would be easy to assume that the story is a straightforward Yuri harem. It’s a novel take, but, as I noted before, it doesn’t redeem an otherwise dismal series.
In the opening sequence of Kampfer, a redhead with a pistol and a blue-haired girl on the run face off against one another.
It’s a thrilling introduction to what promises to be a world of fierce conflict. Natsuru, the blue-haired girl, acts as the series’ major protagonist; nevertheless, Natsuru is a boy, and here is where the series’ real events occur.
Natsuru is a boy, but for a particular reason: only girls can become Kampfers, and whenever he does, his body and character mysteriously switch to those of a girl. He must continue to keep this gender-swapping talent a secret from everybody, which is difficult given that he has no control over it.
It’s a really insane plot, and I found watching it to be quite boring. Instead of rivals teaming up and arguing over Nasuru, as could have been expected, we find campers working together and resorting to violence to safeguard their secrets.
Some ‘amusing’ repercussions arise from this like Natsuru being moved to the girls’ side of the school or Kaeda trying to attract Natsuru in her female form; nevertheless, there’s absolutely nothing here beneficial sticking around for, and even whenever they do battle, it’s throughout so quickly that it seems like you might have regretted it before it started.
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2. Classroom of the Elite
Classroom of the Elite contains several good concepts, but its execution is all over the place. The idea is that Japan has established a very selective high school from which all graduates are assured admission to their first-choice universities.
The living conditions are first-rate, and each student is given a budget to live on, but pupils are not permitted to leave the school during their time there, and all contact with the outside world is severed.
Students are evaluated as a group and given points at the beginning of each month, depending on their performance. If they don’t want to, they can do anything they want. Many Class D freshmen waste their first month’s allowance on unnecessary expenses since they know they are going to receive the same amount again the following month.
Some students, realizing that their instructor won’t say anything if they nod off during class, actually do so. Students should not be under any illusion that this system is more forgiving than it really is. The majority of the class has either run out of money or is about to flunk a test severely enough to get no credit toward the following month’s rent and utilities.
Students who haven’t earned any points get free food and other necessities, but they can’t purchase anything of value, and those who fall too far behind are kicked out of school. Their teacher emphasizes once again that students must earn their points via merit, along with the fact that they may use their rewards to buy anything in the school.
It was disappointing that Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, the protagonist, wasn’t as lame as he seemed at first since he seemed to be an introverted man who was bad at making friends.
Kiyotaka was entertaining because, unlike many “everyman” heroes, he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Instead, we had a blasé everyman who felt obligated to introduce himself to his new students, so he said something as unremarkable as possible.
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3. Fragtime
Every day since she was a tiny kid, Moritani has been able to pause time for three minutes. Having this power at her disposal allows her to avoid any conversation, argument, or other kind of social interaction that makes her feel awkward.
After utilizing her powers to sneakily observe the other students at her new high school, Moritani rapidly falls for Murakami, a beautiful and popular girl who seems to be the complete antithesis of herself.
Because Murakami exudes such elegance and warmth, Moritani’s admiration for her quickly develops into an intense obsession. She once attempts to utilize her power to see Murakami’s underpants when time is paused, but Murakami is resistant to her chilling effects.
Moritani, feeling guilty about her skills, promises to use them to Murakami’s benefit, and the two develop an odd connection as a result. Since Moritani’s talent is only a plot device, we don’t learn why she has it or, later, why Murakami has it.
We can rule out both witchcraft and superpower-granting injections as possible explanations for her abilities. The story isn’t about the origins of Moritani’s skills, but rather about how two timid women find the courage to be themselves while still falling in love.
Moritani is a nervous introvert. She becomes anxious in crowds and tries her best to avoid interaction with people, resorting to her time-freezing power when necessary. She longs to be less alone and more like Murakami, but she isn’t sure what to do to make it happen.
Murakami, on the other hand, has committed so much of himself to making other people happy to the point where she isn’t even sure who she is anymore, despite being excellent with those around her and making an effort to be sociable and put others at ease.
She is certain of one thing, however: no one could love the true version of her since she is not the ideal girl everyone believes she is.
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4. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
The first four episodes of Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid stick closely to this pattern. Mamori Tokonome, the protagonist of this novel, is first characterized as suffering from an unnamed chronic ailment. The following scene finds her being abducted by G-men and taken to an unknown island location.
She arrives, and very soon thereafter, she encounters two ladies who seem antagonistic to her. There is intense touching and kissing between the two ladies until one of them transforms into a big weapon.
The moment this mysterious lady aimed her gun at Mamori’s head, a girl ran frantically ashore from the water.
The newcomer to the beach places herself alongside the armed lady and Mamori as soon as she arrives. And it’s not something that happens just in Episode 5! The next episode features Mei Fon, a little bit feisty supporting character who is my favorite and easily the show’s funniest character.
Since she is an Ecsta, she can only assume the form of a weapon and not really use it. She fixes this dilemma by kissing a pile of cash, which supposedly makes her excited enough to transform into a weapon since she loves money so much.
In case you’re confused, allow me to elaborate: The stack of bills became her personal liberator! A stack of bills is holding her captive. That’s not all, however. The subsequent episodes include terrorists as well as strange life forms reminiscent of Dragon Ball.
The original plot had been all but abandoned by the time the series concluded. The program has morphed into a very bleak vengeance tale with an emphasis on increasing characters’ levels of strength in a manner reminiscent of Dragon Ball.
The breakdown in narrative rhythm made the episodes seem more independent of one another, which allowed me to take each one at face value rather than speculating on some future payout and spoiling the fun.
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5. Hyouka
Hyouka is a slice-of-life anime that focuses on riddles like these. Houtarou, in particular, has his energy-conservationist credo tested as the story develops, leading him to a greater understanding of himself.
The four major characters are enjoyable to watch since they are all likeable, and their personalities work well together. Those who visit Hyouka with the intention of solving the mysteries ahead of the characters may be disappointed to discover that the plots are not always presented correctly to those who are not acquainted with that region of Japan.
During the course of their checks, the characters often brought up material that was vital to solving the puzzles, but of which I had been completely unaware. However, I find great pleasure in seeing the puzzles being solved since it allows for deep character growth.
Sometimes they are so drastically different that they actively work against one another’s way of life. Houtarou, the protagonist, shows little interest in or effort in anything that requires exertion. However, as the story progresses, he reveals a facet of his personality that instantly elevates his character.
To make his friends happy and pleased, he would display indications of life and alter his behavior. Kyoto Animation has unquestionably gone above and beyond to ensure that this anime looks good. The colors, the contrasts—they all scream at you to look closely.
It’s easy to become lost in the picturesque views of rural America. The level of quality in the visual design is almost unmatched. The ability to recreate these magnificent passages from a book series is remarkable. In every way, it’s impressive.
Even the crescendo music exhibited important moments in the musical curves. The tenors stood out clearly, making it easy to spot the tense spots, while the sopranos rose above the bass line. The way they shifted from one topic to another at just the perfect time truly piqued my interest.
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6. Kuttsukiboshi
After an incident, Kiiko Kawakami developed psychic abilities. Saitou Aaya, the girl she has a crush on, is the one person who knows. Happily, it seems like he feels the same way about her. The couple’s happiness is in jeopardy, however, due to issues in Saitou’s private life.
The issues with the tale itself will be our starting point. The first thing that jumps out is that Kiiko’s psychic abilities are basically a convenient story device that Ishikawa uses whenever he’s at a loss for what to do. The second glaring problem is that the relationship isn’t very good.
The girls’ relationship is artificial from its foundation up, and it becomes poisonous and harmful very quickly without ever addressing the underlying causes. Another less serious problem is that the finale is terrible. The whole effect is one of haste, sloth, and disappointment.
Only three of the people in this story deserve special note. Kiiko is the elder sibling of Aaya and Aaya. They’re all rather simple and lack any real intrigue.
What ultimately affects the characters is the clunky and poorly performed nature of their relationships. The entire article seems like it was written by an extra-terrestrial race with no concept of human thought or behavior.
It’s clear that a single animator worked on this. It seems as if a novice Flash animator was responsible for the artwork and animation. The visuals are jerky and sluggish. In general, the artwork is sloppy. Ishikawa may have deserved a break, given the circumstances at hand.
Aya reveals that she and her brother are the sole occupants of their home. Due to the distance between their homes, Aya often travels with Kawakami to the train station.
Aya receives a call from her brother shortly after she and Kawakami board the train. From a narrative standpoint, the program takes a sharp turn at this moment. Kawakami realizes later in the episode that she left her at Aya’s house by accident.
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7. A Certain Scientific Railgun
In Railgun, protagonist Mikoto Misaka and her pals investigate the mysterious goings-on in their city. Like many anime shows, this one is broken up into arcs, some of which are more compelling than others.
Nonetheless, Railgun connects its many narratives to form a unified whole. Ideas introduced at the beginning of the episode often return later on to play crucial roles.
Railgun is a continuation of A Certain Magical Index, and it does a respectable job of emulating its predecessor. But that’s not always a negative thing. The narrative structure of Railgun allows it to function well on its own. You may skip Index and still get valuable insights by watching this.
Some minor characters would be missed, but the story wouldn’t suffer too much otherwise. At the same time, viewers familiar with Index will find new material of interest. The show’s protagonist, Touma Kamijou, appears quite rarely.
A few of the tales, however, present issues. Some are exciting and fast-paced, while others drag on and on for no good reason. But they were all masters of creating anticipation. It was difficult to turn away from each storyline once it started unfolding.
There was always a stunning turn of events or cliffhanger at the conclusion of each episode that made me want to keep watching. The only problem was having to wait for the plot to become exciting. As a character, Mikoto, the “Railgun of Tokiwadai,” is a mixed bag.
She’s got some great qualities and others that really get on my nerves. She’s the protagonist, so she receives the bulk of the focus and the greatest growth. The finest illustration of one of her remarkable qualities is provided by her gradual disillusionment with Academy City.
However, she does have flaws. For me, the greatest turnoff was her obvious effort to be humorous. The authors made an effort to use her interest in “childish things” for laughs.
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8. Blue Drop
A strange tragedy left just Mari Wakatake alive after destroying the whole island she once called home. Complicating things further, she has no recollection of her life prior to this tragedy. After five years, Mari is going to the exclusive all-girls Kaiho Academy, a decision she takes with little enthusiasm and expresses openly.
Among Mari’s other pupils, Hagino Senkoji stands out as the target of much of her first frustration. Despite getting off on the wrong foot, Mari and Hagino find they have a lot in common.
When Mari learns Hagino isn’t who she claims to be, strange and out-of-this-world events begin to unfold. Hagino was really leading a reconnaissance expedition for an extraterrestrial invasion as the captain of the alien battleship Blue.
But after the disaster on Mari’s home island, it seems that Hagino is now focusing on her allies and is attempting all she can to preserve Earth. This is the only part that seems to serve a purpose and make sense.
Everything you needed to get involved was there: mystery, conspiracy, cunning, and deception. It also explains several other elements of the story. For example, the chemistry between the two characters really shines while they’re discussing how Hagino’s extraterrestrial background influences their relationship.
While watching Blue Drop, you may have fleeting feelings of awe and wonder, followed by extended stretches of indifference. The consequences of a failing exam were never an issue for me.
One character’s troubled past with her dad is never interesting to me. When the whole planet was being enveloped in interplanetary combat, the excellent performance of a school festival play was the last thing on my mind.
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9. Kantai Collection
The last chapter of the Kantai Collection is here, and in it, Fubuki trains ferociously to level up. Perfect timing for Operation MI, the huge attack to retake land from the Abyssals. Despite Akagi’s fears, the time leading up to the execution was reasonably calm.
However, once the conflict starts, the Kan-musume find themselves in a precarious situation due to their exceptionally strong adversaries and Yamato’s tardiness.
Nagato, seeing she is outmatched, decides to join the fight and reveals to the girls that the admiral is still alive. Despite their newfound vigor, the Kan-musume’s opponents continue to shrug off the barrage of bullets they fire downstream.
The Kan-musume must keep fighting the Airstrip Princess and her allies until they are defeated. Even though the Kan-musume won their battle against the Abyssals, their victory was meaningless. The last segments don’t fit the tone of the rest of the show, and Kantai Collection isn’t the right medium to explore the spiritual issues of destiny.
To what extent the animated rendition of Kantai Collection will be successful in getting viewers interested in giving the game a go is a topic worth asking. Some parts of the game made me want to give up on this mission, but that’s beside the point; the important thing is that Girls und Panzer got me interested in tank combat.
After the controversy surrounding Japan’s whaling activities, it’s easy to see why a cultural movement would want to sneak up on the Japanese young and recruit them into their ranks.
The impoverished NEET and Otaku youngsters who watch these programs are swayed by the alluring but deceptive depictions of the Japanese Navy to enlist in the brutal whale-killing fleets. It’s no surprise why, since their nuclear-armed neighbors in North Korea constitute a constant danger to their territorial seas.
The anime helped me get a general understanding of the various ships, but that’s about all it did. Within this context, however, the characters’ eccentricities stand out more than their contributions to Fubuki’s development as a Kan-musume.
Regardless of being the show’s protagonist, Fubuki seems to have borrowed too much from other anime’s leading ladies rather than developing her own unique character.
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10. Yurikuma Arashi
The first few chapters of Yuri Kuma Arashi get off to a brisk start, establishing a number of major characters and narrative elements early on while also introducing a number of new and interesting ones.
Having so many recognizable characters buzzing about in the first minutes without a clear objective makes for a lively but crowded experience.
However, when Kureha overcomes the first enemy and forms a bond with the bears Ginko and Lulu, the story’s fundamental theme becomes clearer.
Since Lulu and Ginko serve as the major vehicle through which the series’ themes are addressed, it’s important that they share screen time to develop their characters and make their relationship with Kureha seem straightforward and meaningful.
The film’s deep emotional core and important performers are undermined by the artificial atmosphere and symptoms, despite the fact that the message is presented effectively and with the best of intentions.
The first thing that stands out is how unnatural the school and the students’ actions are; it seems that everyone in the school whose work isn’t Kureha, Sumika, or a bear is required to show just how great of a jerk they can be.
The anime makes a point of showing the spectator that the human world is generally secure and peaceful, therefore it’s unclear why everyone there is able to use guns.
In addition, there doesn’t appear to a single male character, thus the perspective of men on homosexual women isn’t explored, which limits the societal critique’s potential reach.
Although previously mentioned character interactions are constant highlights, the cast members aren’t always engaging on their own. Kureha Tsubaki is a powerful, independent female character who has strong principles and a background that is deeply embedded in the tale of Yuri Kuma.
Memes of the Day
Koumi-jima: Shuu 7 de Umeru Mesu-tachi
Seika Jogakuin Kounin Sao Ojisan
Kyonyuu Hitozuma Onna Kyoushi Saimin
