Many fans think shonen is the only best genre when it comes to anime, but there are many anime genres that are not mainstream and less popular among fans but have great character development and amazing as well as complex storylines. Yuri is not like most of your girl on girl action stereotype, but they are very much like all other romantic and ecchi anime.
Yuri means ‘lily’ in Japanese and it’s also a feminine name in Japan, Yuri genre in anime, manga & novels is a romantic relationship between girls. Same-sex relations are still somewhat taboo in Japanese society, so having feelings for your friend of having gender is mostly the main plot of the Yuri genre in anime. But in my perspective, if you are not familiar with Yuri Anime you should try watching at least one. I promise you will not regret watching it.
Here is a list of top 22 best Yuri anime you should watch and must not skip.
22. Asagao and Kase-san
The best yuri anime list is starting with Asagao and Kase-san.
SYNOPSIS: The romance between Yamada and Kase-san, the school’s athletic star. Although the girls don’t have much in common, they both start a romance in which they will learn from each other.
The reason I love this anime is that it is not overly sexualized by the creator. It’s just 2 cute girls, who fell into love with each other. The animation of this anime is very beautiful with bright colorful scenes. Asagao and Kase-san anime is a very good point to start if you are new to the yuri anime genre in general. You will also like it if you are already into the yuri genre of anime.
Watch Asagao and Kase-san Yuri Anime :-
21. Netsuzou Trap
Next on the best yuri anime list is Netsuzou Trap.
SYNOPSIS: Yuma and Hotaru have been friends since childhood, so it’s only natural that when Yuma is nervous about her new boyfriend, she turns to Hotaru for advice. But when Hotaru starts turning to Yuma for something that she feels like more than just ‘practice’, what does it mean? With boyfriends in the foreground but a secret and passionate date in the background, will Yuma and Hotaru try to forget what happened between them, or have they fallen into the trap of true love and betrayal?
Animation and visuals are very well created by the animators of this anime. The animation goes pretty smooth and you can tell animators have put effort while the production process. The original opening and ending of the anime are pretty pleasant and the sound design is good as well. The original background score is forgettable when you are invested in the show.
Watch Netsuzou Trap Yuri Anime :-
20. Yuri Kuma Arashi
Next on the best yuri anime list is Yuri Kuma Arashi.
SYNOPSIS: In the manga, Sumika is a girl with a collection of teddy bears who has romantic feelings for Kureha, but decides to remain her friend and helps her help Ginko.
Yuri Kuma Arashi anime has stunning visuals, many fine details by the creators of the anime are visible in the first place. The anime is overall a visual treat because of its beautiful scenes and editing. The anime has a significant amount of fan service and lewd scenes, but the creators don’t take it to the level of an ecchi anime. The thing I liked was the opening as it was calm and joyful at the same time. The nice background music complements the anime story.
Watch Yuri Kuma Arashi Yuri Anime :-
19. Canaan
Next on the best yuri anime list is Canaan.
SYNOPSIS: Three women, Canaan, a murderer from the Middle East, Alphard, leader of a terrorist group and Canaan’s nemesis, and Maria, the victim of a terrible terrorist attack, cross paths at a counter-terrorism summit in Shanghai.
It is an action-based thriller yuri anime. The anime has very modern animation as man CGI techniques are used by the creators of the anime, as the animation goes smooth and consistently throughout the course of 13 episodes. Character development and backstories are very well written as it has connections to armies, assassins, and mafia. The anime is brilliantly voiced, each character’s voice is perfect, as it makes for their personality perceived by the audience. Overall sound including opening, ending, and background was good, but I won’t say it extraordinary.
Watch Canaan Yuri Anime :-
18. Citrus
Next on the best yuri anime list is Citrus.
SYNOPSIS: Elegant Yuzu imagined the first day at her new school that she transferred to after her mother’s remarriage a little differently; she didn’t know it would be an ultra strict and conservative girls’ school. So instead of a sweet high school romance, she takes on the stern student council president Mei, who turns out to be her new stepsister. Now, she has to learn that hatred and attraction are often not so far apart.
Citrus is another example of modern-day romantic lesbian stories. The art and animation are very good, but won’t call them anything extraordinary. The music is complementary to the story development of the anime. The main focus of this anime is on Yuzu and Mei the center characters of the show. The story follows sad backstories and a romantic relationship between two stepsisters. It is a must-watch because it only focuses on the relationship and in every sense, it is a true yuri anime.
Watch Citrus Yuri Anime :-
17. Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san
Next on the best yuri anime list isInugami-san to Nekoyama-san.
SYNOPSIS: Yachiyo Inugami is a dog-like girl who loves cats, while Suzu Nekoyama is a cat-like girl who loves dogs. When the two meet, an instant attraction forms between the two.
The anime is very enjoyable, to be honest. The animation is cute and pretty general of a comedy anime, the animation is simple and smooth for all 12 episodes. The anime shines at the character interactions, the anime is really lively as it a comedy anime. Yuri element of the story is very cute and enjoyable as well.
Watch Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san Yuri Anime :-
16. Destiny of the Shrine Maiden
Next on the best yuri anime list is Destiny of the Shrine Maiden.
SYNOPSIS: The noble Himemiya Chikane is cold and aloof, the perfect well-bred young lady. Kurusegawa Himeko is dedicated to her and secretly to her friend. Her lives are not disturbed at her school, until an ancient evil suddenly rears its head. To combat it, Chikane and Himeko must assume the role of maidens of the sanctuary of the Moon and the Sun.
Watch Destiny of the Shrine Maiden Yuri Anime :-
15. Riddle Story of Devil
Next on the best yuri anime list is Riddle Story of Devil.
SYNOPSIS: Tokaku Azuma is a heartless teenage assassin on a death mission. She has been sent to a prestigious boarding school for girls to compete in a murder game against eleven other beautiful killers. She there her atrocious mission: to send the innocent and cheerful Haru Ichinose to an early grave.
Watch Riddle Story of Devil Yuri Anime :-
14. El Cazador De La Bruja
Next on the best yuri anime list is El Cazador De La Bruja.
SYNOPSIS: The story centers on two female characters: Ellis and Nadi. In the premise, Ellis is a murder suspect and is on the run from an underground society called “Hunters.” At some point, she meets Nadi, a bounty hunter who initially seeks the bounty on her head, but ultimately decides to help her search for the truth about her past. Although in doing so, Nadi also draws the Hunters’ wrath on herself, she also accompanies Ellis to the Hometown, where she was supposedly born.
Watch El Cazador De La Bruja Yuri Anime :-
13. Konohana Kitan
Next on the best yuri anime list is Konohana Kitan.
SYNOPSIS: Hidden in a village inhabited by yokai, there is a beautiful hot spring inn waiting to welcome travelers from all over. Several mononoke foxes work here, including their most recent employee, Yuzu. Clumsy and somewhat unconscious, Yuzu charms everyone around him as he learns what it takes to work at this high-class inn.
Watch Konohana Kitan Yuri Anime :-
12. Noir
Next on the best yuri anime list is Noir.
SYNOPSIS: Noir is a tale of murderers, particularly one named Mireille Bouquet, a hitman who receives a message from a young woman with no memory about herself but is an incredibly efficient killing machine. The story takes us on a pilgrimage into the past of both girls, which takes them to Paris, France, and someone is trying to stop them …
Watch Noir Yuri Anime :-
11. Kiniro Mosaic
Next on the best yuri anime list is Kiniro Mosaic.
SYNOPSIS: Shinobu Omiya is a Japanese high school girl who, five years ago, lived in England with a girl named Alice Cartelet. One day, Shinobu receives a letter from Alice saying that he will come to Japan to live with her. Surely, Alice appears and joins Shinobu and her friends at her school.
Watch Kiniro Mosaic Yuri Anime :-
10. Sakura trick
Next on the best yuri anime list is Sakura trick.
SYNOPSIS: Haruka and Yuu are best friends. But after starting high school together and realizing the need to meet new people, they decide to share a special moment that most other friends wouldn’t share: a kiss. From there, their relationship flourishes.
Watch Sakura trick Yuri Anime :-
9. Adachi and Shimamura
Next on the best yuri anime list is Adachi and Shimamura.
SYNOPSIS: The second floor of the gym: this was where we always met. It was time for classes, but of course, there were no classes in a place like this. This was where Shimamura and I became friends. We hang out here, talking about TV shows and cooking, playing ping pong. This is where we foster our friendship. Keeping my head against the wall, I let out a small sigh. What was this feeling? Yesterday, I dreamed of Shimamura and me kissing. It’s not that I’m like that. I’m sure Shimamura isn’t either. It’s not even something worth repeating, but it’s not really like that.
The anime is super casual and relaxed, it develops slowly with casual interactions between 2 female friends. The thing I really liked about this anime is its good sound. Overall sound really matches with the scenes and story development. The other thing that is really good is its beautiful art and animation. The visuals are really stunning and overall anime is a visual treat.
Watch Adachi and Shimamura Yuri Anime :-
8. Strawberry Panic
Next on the best yuri anime list is Strawberry Panic.
SYNOPSIS: Aoi Nagisa, a young redhead, has just been transferred to a Catholic school for girls, Starrawberry Dorms. The school is divided into three sections (Lulim, Miator, Spica) all of which have their own president, uniforms, and activities. Assigned to Miator, Nagisa attracts the attention of the entire school through a series of incidents involving the student Etoile (representative of the three parts of the school), Shizuma, a long silver-haired beauty who is the idol of all the other girls. Nagisa and shizuma begin to fall in love, but a love triangle slowly breaks out. Soon Nagisa discovers a sad secret from shizuma’s recent past that will bring them even closer.
Watch Strawberry Panic Yuri Anime :-
7. Yuru Yuri
Next on the best yuri anime list is Yuru Yuri.
SYNOPSIS: After a year in elementary school without her childhood friends, first-year student Akari Akaza finally reunites with second-year Yui Funami and Kyouko Toshinou at girls’ high school. During the duo’s first year, Yui and Kyouko formed the “Amusement Club” that occupies the room of the now-non-existent Tea Club. Shortly after Akari joins in, one of her classmates, Chinatsu Yoshikawa, pays a visit to the trio under the impression that they are the Tea Club; Only once the three girls explain that the Tea Club has been disbanded can they convince Chinatsu to join the Amusement Club, a group with no other purpose than to provide entertainment for its members.
Based on the manga of Namori’s life, Yuru Yuri is an eccentric comedy about a group of girls who spend their free time drinking tea and praising each other, without even realizing the supposed main character Akari among them.
Watch Yuru Yuri Anime :-
6. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
Next on the best yuri anime list is Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid.
SYNOPSIS: Tokonome Mamori is transferred to Mermaid, an artificial quarantine island for people with superpowers. When Mamori is attacked, a newly transferred girl named Mirei saves her. However, the enemy does not stop and the two are soon cornered. Just when they think all hope is lost, Mirei kisses Mamori and Mamori turns into a sword. Mirei then wields the sword and launches a counterattack against her enemies.
Watch Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid Yuri Anime :-
5. Sasameki Koto (Whispered Words)
Next on the best yuri anime list is Whispered Words.
SYNOPSIS: The story takes place in a high school. The main character, Murasame Sumika, is secretly in love with her best friend, Kazama Ushio. Kazama has been interested in other girls for years, but is often rejected. She is always looking for a girlfriend and has not realized that Murasame loves her.
Watch Whispered Words Yuri Anime :-
4. Bloom into you
Next on the best yuri anime list is Bloom into you.
SYNOPSIS: Yuu has always loved shoujo manga and looks forward to the day when she gets a confession of love that makes her heart flutter with bubbles and blushes, and yet when a high school classmate confesses his feelings to her … she feels nothing. . Disappointed and confused, Yuu enters high school still not knowing how to respond. That’s when Yuu sees the beautiful student council president Nanami reject a suitor so maturely that she is inspired to ask him for help. But when the next person to confess to Yuu is Nanami herself. Has your shoujo romance finally started?
I really loved both characters Yuu and Nanami. The way love springs b/w them was really beautiful. Some of you might think it is boring and show because it is not meant to be a romantic show, it explores the complexities in the love. The animation is smooth and modern, visuals and romantics scenes are beautifully created. You will love the background sounds in the key moments, as they are soft, elegant, and perfect for that particular scene. The opening song is really awesome and it’s better than the ending song. If you want to try something new in the romance genre, then try Bloom Into You.
Watch Bloom into you Yuri Anime :-
3. Aoi Hana (Sweet Blue Flowers)
3rd on the best yuri anime list is Sweet Blue Flowers.
SYNOPSIS: The story centers on Fumi Manjōme, a high school lesbian girl, and her close childhood friend Akira Okudaira, who tries to keep her friends happy during difficult times. When Shimura was writing her manga Dōnika Naru Hibi, she became interested in a story between girls, which led her to create Sweet Blue Flowers. While she felt that the story should focus on girls for yuri’s works, she Shimura also wanted to introduce some men, as she thought she would add an interesting aspect to the series.
Watch Sweet Blue Flowers Yuri Anime :-
2. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Runner-up on best yuri anime list is Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
SYNOPSIS: One night, 14-year-old Madoka Kaname has a terrible nightmare: against the backdrop of a devastated city, she sees a girl fight a losing battle against a hideous being that lives above, while a magical cat-shaped creature tells her tells Madoka the only way to do it. changing that tragic outcome is for her to make a contract with him and become a magical girl. The next day, the teenage girl’s dream seemingly comes true when the girl she saw in her dream, Homura, arrives at Mitakihara High School as a transfer student, mysteriously warning Madoka to stay the way she is. But when she and her best friend Sayaka later encounter the same magical cat-shaped creature from their dream, posing as Kyubey, the pair discover that magical girls are real and what’s more, they can choose to become one. All they have to do is sign a contract with Kyubey and agree to take on the duty of fighting abstract beings called ‘witches’ who spread despair to the human world and in return, each of them will be granted whatever wishes they wish. However, as Homura’s omen suggests, there may be a lot more to becoming a magical girl than Madoka and Sayaka realize.
Watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica Yuri Anime :-
1. Shoujo Kakumei Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
1st on our yuri anime list is Revolutionary Girl Utena. It is considered as the best Yuri Anime among fans.
SYNOPSIS: This series is about a girl named Utena who was helped through a difficult time by a handsome prince. She was so impressed with him that she vowed to become a prince herself. She attends boarding school where she stands out for her gender-bending style and her boyish uniform and she befriends other students at school, most notably a strangely submissive Indian girl named Anthy. When one of her friends is publicly humiliated by the person she likes, Utena protests and the boy calls her to a duel in a strange arena. With some difficulty, she wins and discovers that Anthy is now “engaged” to her as the “Pink Bride”, which is the key to a world revolution. She now is forced to fight Anthy’s repeated challenges, she faces similar rivalries in her personal life and tries to help Anthy gain some will of her own. Meanwhile, the duels she must fight from her lead her to a goal of world revolution that has implications that she is not yet aware of.
This anime is undoubtedly on the top of the yuri genre. The art is a bit heavy and old compared to many yuri anime in this list, but it does justice to the time period it was created in. The best thing about this anime is how beautifully the storyline is executed, I mean every character and incident has a different layer to it. The other thing I really enjoyed was its upbeat music. While the music is beautiful, the translation of the lyrics doesn’t make any sense. Anyway, it was one of the very first anime exploring this genre, I would highly suggest you check it out.
Watch Revolutionary Girl Utena Yuri Anime:-
These were the best 22 Yuri anime according to me. You guys can let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Which of these Yuri Anime is your favorite? What is the best Yuri Anime according to you? let me know in the comment section. Also, check Out
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What is your reaction?
yuri anime recommendation please