The anime world is full of amazing shows and animated films, but there’s an underappreciated subgenre that I adore. That’s right; I’m talking about Yuri. And in this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the yuri anime!
Anime yuris covers various stories, from relationships between two female characters to more ecchi content.
So, let’s take a closer look at what yuri in anime is, and where you can watch the best yuri anime in 2023.
What does Yuri Mean in Anime?
Yuri is a broad term to describe romance between women. This can include anything from strong friendship to passionate love. Most yuri anime feature lesbian relationships between girls still in high school or college.
In other words, Yuri is the Japanese equivalent of “lesbian,” but with less stigma attached to it.
Not all yuri anime contain explicit sexual content; some are very tame and only hint at romantic feelings between characters without showing physical intimacy.
However, many do contain explicit sex scenes and nudity (or at least implied nudity).
What are the Best Yuri Anime Characters?
Here are some of the top yuri anime characters from modern-day yuri anime. Each one of these is the perfect yuri waifu in her own right.
6. Kurumi Tokisaki (Date A Live)
- Age: 17-18 Years Old
- Height: 5’1”
- Voice Actors: Alexis Tipton
The series follows Shido Itsuka, a high school student who summons a spirit named Kurumi Tokisaki. She makes a contract with her to save his family from an unknown entity called Spirits.
Kurumi is an extremely powerful spirit that can manipulate time and space. She can also summon the other spirits of the world to her side. She creates clones of herself using “spirit energy.“
In the start, she’s manipulative and doesn’t hesitate to use sex appeal to lure someone into doing what she wants them to do. But then Kurumi has a change of heart after hearing of Shido’s kindness towards her and his desire for peace between humans and spirits.
5. Kuroko Shirai (A Certain Scientific Railgun)
- Age: 13 Years Old
- Height: 4’11”
- Voice Actors: Alison Viktorin
Kuroko is a middle school student of the Academy City’s Public Safety Department. She has an ability called “Teleport,” which allows her to move at high speed and teleport instantly to any location without being seen.
Kuroko is also very friendly and kind towards others, especially her friends. She is also very intelligent and can easily solve most problems, but she sometimes feels inferior compared to her friends in terms of physical strength.
In A Certain Scientific Railgun, Kuroko has a crush on Mikoto Misaka (another character from the same series), but she only shows it later in the story.
4. Valmet (Jormungand)
- Age: 28 Years Old
- Height: 5’7”
- Voice Actors: Sayaka Ohara
Valmet is a member of the Jormungand team and the most recent addition to the cast. She’s a quiet girl with a mysterious past but also extremely powerful and dangerous.
Valmet was raised by her father, who taught her everything he knew about killing people with guns. Koko and Yuri met when they were hired as bodyguards by a wealthy businessman named Franklin Nelson and his daughter Lutz.
Yuri then traveled with Koko to Iran. They helped Franklin win the contract and defeat an Iranian terrorist group known as “The Chosen.” Yuri also helped Koko fight off a rival arms dealer named Zavarov, who tried to steal money from Franklin’s company after he left Iran.
3. Touko Nanami (Bloom Into You)
- Age: 16 Years Old
- Height: 5’4”
- Voice Actors: Minako Kotobuki
The relationship between Touko and Yuu has been the subject of much discussion since the series began, with many viewers speculating about its nature.
Touko is a student at Kamiyama High School who has been in love with her classmate Yuu since they were children. She is very shy about expressing her feelings for Yuu. However, she can be very direct and assertive when she does manage to express herself.
Touko is shown to be quite smart as well, as she’s often helping out Yuu with her studies or assisting her in any way possible. Her family runs a flower shop named “Flower Bud” near their house where they grow their flowers. Touko often helps out at the shop when it’s not busy to help out her father while he works there.
2. Kanbaru Suruga (Monogatari)
- Age: 17 Years Old
- Height: 5’3”
- Voice Actors: Miyuki Sawashiro
Kanbaru Suruga is a third-year Naoetsu Private High School student and a track and field team member. She has a complicated relationship with her teacher, Araragi Koyomi, her former childhood friend.
Kanbaru is an interesting yuri character. She’s conflicted about her identity as both a woman and a kunoichi. In her constant struggle, she is constantly forced to choose between fulfilling her family’s expectations and being true to herself. But at the same time, she doesn’t know what it means to be true to herself.
However, one thing’s for sure- fans of Monogatari absolutely love her. Kanbaru’s popularity among fans comes from her witty personality, love for Araragi, and shared interest in literature.
1. Tohru (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid)
- Age: 16 Years Old
- Height: 5’2”
- Voice Actors: Laura Bailey
What makes Tohru a great yuri character isn’t just her relationship with Kobayashi and how she acts around other people. She’s kind, warm, and always looks out for her friends.
The first episode of the anime shows us what a kind person she is when she saves Kobayashi from being hit by a truck after she steps out into traffic.
Even though she’s an alien from another world who can turn into a dragon, she still has human feelings and emotions. These emotions make her relatable as a character. Her friendship with Kobayashi makes her so endearing to viewers who want to see two girls fall in love with each other.
Best Yuri Anime To Watch in 2023
Yuri is a genre that has been gaining popularity in recent years. So, it’s not surprising that there are plenty of anime with yuri themes. However, not all that’s being made is worth it.
Here are some of the best yuri anime that is actually good.
8. Kase-san and Morning Glory
- Author: Hiromi Takashima
- Studio: Zexcs
- Release Date: May 7, 2017
- Season(s): 1
- Episodes: 13
- Where To Watch: Anime Planet
The story begins with two girls named Hiromi Takashima and Yukari Yukino, who are in their second year of high school. They both attend the same school but have never spoken to each other before until one day, Hiromi falls from a tree and lands on top of Yukari.
Hiromi is shy and doesn’t want people to know about her secret hobby: making sweets! Yukari helps her find out what kind of sweets she wants to make by giving her different ingredients to try out with different recipes. If a recipe turns out well, then it means that you’re compatible with that person!
After going through many trials with their mutual love for sweets, Hiromi starts getting closer to Yukari and eventually confesses her feelings for her!
7. Ms. Vampire Who Lives In My Neighborhood
- Author: Amatou
- Studio: Studio Gokumi
- Release Date: October 5, 2018
- Episodes: 12
- Season(s): 1
- Where To Watch: 9Anime
In this anime, you can expect a lot of comedy and romance. The main character is a girl named Akari who, after moving to a new town, has discovered that her next-door neighbor is a vampire! But this is different from your typical vampire story because Akari becomes friends with the vampire, Yui.
The two girls become best friends and try to keep their relationship secret from everyone else at school. As they get closer and closer together throughout the series, it becomes more obvious that Yui also has feelings for Akari.
In fact, several hints throughout the series suggest these feelings may also be mutual! If you enjoy watching Yuri anime with cute characters and lots of romance, this is one show you should check out!
6. Yuyushiki
- Author: Komata Mikami
- Studio: Kinema Citrus
- Release Date: April 9, 2013
- Episodes: 12
- Season(s): 1
- Where To Watch: HIDIVE
Yuyushiki is one of the best yuri anime series out there. It focuses more on friendships rather than relationships.
Unlike other anime with similar themes, Yuyushiki has no drama or angst to bog down the story. Instead, it offers a lighthearted comedy that’s easy to watch, even if you’re not into anime or manga.
One of the best things about this anime is that it has no annoying fan service or gratuitous nudity (which is common for some anime). And since there aren’t any male characters in this series, it won’t bother anyone who hates seeing men in their anime (like me).
5. Riddle Story of Devil
- Author: Yun Kōga
- Studio: Diomedéa
- Release Date: April 3, 2014
- Episodes: 13
- Season(s): 1
- Where To Watch: 9Anime
Riddle Story of Devil is another great anime for yuri fans with a lot to offer. The story is about a girl named Yuu who transfers to a new school and meets the beautiful Miho. She’s the smartest student in her class.
One day Yuu finds out that she has been living a lie all this time when she discovers that Miho has feelings for her too! The two girls finally confess their feelings for each other and stop hiding their love from each other.
Ending of this Best Yuri Anime Riddle Story of the Devil is sweet and romantic. But it also leaves you wanting more because there are still so many unanswered questions that need to be answered!
4. Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru!
- Author: Kanko Nakamura
- Studio: Doga Kobo
- Release Date: October 5, 2018
- Episodes: 12
- Season(s): 1
- Where To Watch: Anime Planet
The series follows the everyday life of Tachibana Kyouko, who works as a maid at the café “Café Eclair.” She’s clumsy and shy, but she greatly loves her work. Her boss at the café is also her landlord, and he’s good-looking but lazy.
He once dropped out of high school, but he’s now working hard to make up for lost time.
Keiichirou wants to be more than friends with Misaki. But she doesn’t want anything serious with him because he is younger than her. He becomes an elementary school teacher at their high school so he can be around her more often.
3. Bloom Into You
- Author: Nio Nakatani
- Studio: Troyca
- Release Date: October 5, 2018
- Episodes: 13
- Season(s): 1
- Where To Watch: HIDIVE
The story begins with Yuu noticing that her female friend Touko has a crush on their classmate Nanami. Touko wants to confess her feelings for Nanami but cannot find the courage to do so. Yuu tries to help her by giving her advice and encouraging her to tell Nanami how she feels about her.
Yuu’s first attempt at helping Touko is unsuccessful. She accidentally kisses Nanami before telling her how she feels about her! This causes Touko to start avoiding Yuu because she thinks Yuu has feelings for her too!
Touko starts avoiding Yuu after that incident. So Yuu decides to try again by buying a yellow ribbon for herself to get closer to Shouko, who also likes yellow!
Also Read: 10 Unforgettable Anime Kisses You May Have Missed
2. Cross Ange
- Author: Tatsuto Higuchi
- Studio: Sunrise
- Release Date: April 4, 2014
- Episodes: 25
- Season(s): 1
- Where To Watch: Justwatch
The anime, Cross Ange, is a great yuri anime that features a lot of action. It is a story about an island called the “demon world.” The people on this island have been deemed heretics and are forced to live under harsh conditions.
You follow a young woman named Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi, who has just arrived on this island with her brother after being rescued from drowning.
Angelise soon discovers that she has special powers and uses them to fight against those who oppress her people. She also forms bonds with other girls who share her desire for change and freedom for everyone on the island.
1. Destiny of the Shrine Maiden
- Author: Kaishaku
- Studio: TNK
- Release Date: October 2014
- Episodes: 12
- Season(s): 1
- Where To Watch: Justwatch
The story follows Yumi Shirakawa, a high school student obsessed with her classmate, Mio Naganohara. She confesses her love to Mio but Mio rejects her and tells her that she only sees Yumi as a friend.
Heartbroken, she tries to move on from this experience by joining the student council to make new friends. But she ends up meeting two girls who will change everything about her life.
The main characters are all cute girls, so if you’re looking for something with more romance and less action, this is a good choice.
We’ve seen incredible growth in the yuri anime genre. And with the genre really going mainstream, expect more entertaining yuri anime in the future.
Until then, try these anime I’ve listed above. You’ll definitely get your dose of yuri anime.
