6 Yuri Starter Packs
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As a long time yuri fan, i come across a lot of people interested in the genre who don't know where to start. Personally, i think a lot of you would really benefit more from learning how and where to tag surf more than from getting specific recommendations, but it's definitely easier once you're invested in the genre already.
But there's also a very marked lack of variety in most of what gets recommended to individuals who ask, so I figured i could use my big brain knowledge about the genre to help people on their way. And to make it easier for people to find what they want, I'll organize it in starter pack format. You can mix and match as you please, but having a bunch of starter packs for different genres or subject matter should make it easier for those of you who really want to see what yuri can offer beyond the basics.
I'll also keep it to stuff that is officially licensed, whether it's already released or getting a release soon. For politeness sake, please do not mention piracy sites by name in the comments, it's rude to both authors and pirates.
And as with any recommendation list, know that my recs will be biased by my tastes in media. If you think i missed something, you can mention it in the comments.
Or maybe make your own video? Yuritube is a little lonely right now and it's not *that* hard to make simple videos if you have at least a laptop.
But for my biases, i get bored easy so long schoolgirl romances are very hit or miss and I won't list a few classics that fit this because i just can't judge them fairly. There are ones i like, but there are definitely good ones i will miss because they're simply not my thing. There's also stuff I'll miss because i haven't read it yet.
Yeah sometimes it's daunting to start a series i know I'll like so i just don't do it for a very long time. I also have a preference for manga, so while there will be anime, light novels, and visual novels in here it will mostly be manga that may or may not have an anime adaptation. I buy books off bookwalker for the most part, so if I don't mention where a book is sold I probably found it there and it's probably elsewhere too.
I will also be counting stories that have strong subtext as yuri for the sake of this list. I'll note when a yuri is subtext, but also. A lot of what gets called "subtext" is waaay too gay to ignore, and especially in stories that aren't focused on romance straights often get treated similarly without so much questioning of their canonicity.
Each entry I'll put the synopsis on screen, then say what I like about it, what I don't like, and mention if it's subtext. I'll also try to mention if bigoted tropes are involved and to what degree, but I've got blind spots and also might forget if it's not a major story beat or if I forgot. Which happens with a lot of things, my memory isn't great, so if there's anything that will really piss you off or hurt you even in small amounts still exercise caution.
I'm trying to keep it brief mostly, so some may only get a couple sentences.
But with that out of the way, lets start with the basics!
The Basics:
Slice of life romance. Maybe drama, but generally just focused on the relationship. The type of thing heartstopper gays might be able to jump in with. If you complain about yuri all being the same and sanitized skip and look at the other categories. You're still wrong about these, but I'm not gonna convince you.
Bloom Into You: Started as a manga, there's an anime adaptation on Hidive and a spinoff light novel trilogy.
"Yuu has always adored shoujo manga and yearns for the day when someone might give her a love confession that would send her heart aflutter. Yet when a junior high school classmate confesses his feelings to her - she feels nothing. Disappointed and confused, Yuu enters high school, where she sees the confident and beautiful student council member Nanami. When the next person to confess to Yuu is Nanami herself, has her romantic dream finally come true? "
The weird psychological limbo Yuu and Touko play with each other is quite entertaining, and the well drawn kiss scenes don't hurt. The spinoff focuses on the side character and love triangle victim saeki sayaka, who is much more relatable to me. Nothing *I* especially disliked, but the main pair starts kind dubiously consensual which can put people off. I just find it too believable given my experiences with teenage lesbianism.
Adachi and Shimamura: Started as Light Novels, there's also a manga and anime adaptation. Anime on Crunchyroll.
"Adachi is skipping class when she first meets fellow truant Shimamura in the gym loft, and just like that, a friendship is born. Except now Adachi's having dreams about kissing her, and she doesn't know what that means, but she's pretty sure it's not something you do with a friend. What are these strange feelings she has when she thinks of Shimamura? And is it possible Shimamura feels the same way?"
This one will be really hit or miss. As an autistic lesbian who grew up rural and developed attachment issues, it hits pretty hard though. Shit goes hog wild in the later volumes, but it's still fun, just a lot more surreal than you think it'll be on the outset. I personally prefer the novels, because there's nothing better than seeing Adachi's brain completely dissolve from within her own mind. Adachi is so sad wet dog abandoned in a cardboard box in the rain coded and I love her for it.
The Moon on a Rainy Night: Manga
"A high school girl's chance encounter with an enigmatic female classmate whose musical aspirations were complicated when an accident almost completely took her hearing leads to the slow blossoming of love. Perfect for fans of yuri series like Whisper Me a Love Song and sweet, sophisticated romances like A Sign of Affection. One rainy night, Saki is rushing to a piano lesson when she crashes into a beautiful, long-haired girl, dropping her sheet music in the process. Saki stutters an apology, but the girl simply hands back her sheet music and leaves without a word. Saki begins her first day of high school the following morning, only to find the stranger from the night before sitting at the desk next to hers. She learns that the girl's name is Kanon and that she is not quite completely deaf, but very hard of hearing. Though Kanon needs to be close to people to read their lips, she tends to push people away with her icy demeanor. Through one kind gesture, Saki slowly begins breaking down the walls around Kanon, even as she feels something new blossoming within her."
It's very cute, i can't vouch for how it portrays deafness but from what i do know it seems like a pretty decent portrayal. Sometimes the exposition relating to deafness for the audience is a bit heavy handed, but it's not always happening and i think it tapers out further in. They're very cute, and really easy to root for. It's also very funny seeing Saki misinterpret her attraction to Kanon as ableism. Those things can certainly overlap, but girl it's not ableist to be in love with a deaf girl you just haven't realized it's love.
Bocchi the Rock!: Started as manga, anime on Crunchyroll.
"Hitori Gotoh, “Bocchi-chan,” is a girl who’s so introverted and shy around people that she’d always start her conversations with “Ah...” During her middle school years, she started playing the guitar, wanting to join a band because she thought it could be an opportunity for even someone shy like her to also shine. But because she had no friends, she ended up practicing guitar for six hours every day all by herself. After becoming a skilled guitar player, she uploaded videos of herself playing the guitar to the internet under the name “Guitar Hero” and fantasized about performing at her school’s cultural festival concert. But not only could she not find any bandmates, before she knew it, she was in high school and still wasn’t able to make a single friend! She was really close to becoming a shut-in, but one day, Nijika Ijichi, the drummer in Kessoku Band, reached out to her. And because of that, her everyday life started to change little by little..."
It's subtext entirely by technicality. Despite lacking a defined end game main pairing, the lesbianism just oozes from the whole thing. Kita joins the band because she's horny for ryo, ryo attracts women as a matter of course, bocchi fantasizes about girls being in love with her, and nijika has ryo attached to her like a barnacle. I am also not reading into or exaggerating any of this, it's all literal text. The animation is very creative, the comedy is on point, and when it wants to hit an emotional beat it succeeds. Also the songs are great and the adults are hot. The fandom is also nuts, Heaven for Death is a cool angsty fan game and also turned nijiryo into an angsty supernatural metaphorical type pairing for a significant number of people. I recommend it, it's on itch.io
Demon girl next door: Started as manga, anime on Hidive.
"One morning, fifteen-year-old Yoshida Yuko wakes up to discover she has sprouted demon horns and a tail! Not only that, she learns from her mom that she has supernatural powers and an important mission--to restore her family's glory by defeating the local magical girl. The magical girl in question is Chiyoda Momo, a student at Yuko's school. With strength that is only mediocre at best, Yuko's task to vanquish Momo will prove more challenging than she realizes in this topsy-turvy magical girl comedy."
I'm biased, but this is a 10/10 for me, one of my favorite anime and manga ever. It's such an optimistic story in the way that can only be achieved in a cruel world. It's technically still subtext but only by the most stringent definitions, they are so painfully in love i can't stand it. By season 2 it's basically a romcom. It's hard to put into words just how much love is in this show, and I'm planning a video on it even. Some day in the possibly distant future.
A small warning though, this is a surprisingly good racism metaphor but I'm not certain the author is aware of this, or at least she definitely wasn't aware in the beginning. Why is a good racism metaphor bad? I mean it makes things more interesting in a lot of ways, but also. Some early gags that could've come across lighthearted to people who didn't catch that metaphor, become fridge horror once you're a little further in or immediate horror if you caught on.
Run away with me girl: Manga
"Maki's first love was her high school classmate, a girl named Midori. But Midori broke up with Maki at graduation, saying they were now "too old to be fooling around dating girls." Ten years later, Maki still can't get Midori off her mind, and when the two women reconnect after a chance encounter, Maki realizes that, while her feelings haven't changed, Midori has long moved on—in fact, she's engaged. Yet the more Maki hears Midori talk about her soon-to-be-husband, the more red flags she notices. And Midori has another secret, one she hasn't yet shared with Maki. Will it be the last blow to Maki's hopes that their romance might be rekindled? Or will it be the push that sets them on a new path—one they'll travel together?"
This one's a lot more drama heavy, but if you want an adult yuri romance with drama directly related to queerness this is your guy right here. A pretty anxiety inducing read for me, but in the good way.
Throw away the suit together: Manga, coming to english in July.
"Getting into university and job hunting is what they’re expected to do, because that’s what “everyone” does—but what do they really want for themselves? When Haru and Hii-chan decide to take life into their own hands, they toss their resumes into the sea and move to an island together. They soon learn that island living isn’t all blue skies and sunny days…and yet, whatever the future holds, they will face it together."
This hits hard when you're personally also fucking done with feeding yourself to the child crushing machine in service of capital, even with the unfortunately rushed ending. Also seven seas is lying, no way it's an american 15+ they fuck a LOT in their cottage.
There's a lot more that could go in this category, but I'm trying to pace myself.
The Themes and Analysis Lover:
Revolutionary Girl Utena: Anime, free on youtube, uploaded by Nozomi Entertainment.
""Never lose that strength or nobility, even when you grow up." When Utena was just a child and in the depths of sorrow, she found salvation in those words. They were the words of a prince, who bestowed upon her both a ring and the promise that it would lead her to him again. She never forgot the encounter. Now a teenager, Utena attends the prestigious Ohtori Academy; however, her strong sense of chivalry soon places her at odds with the student council and thrusts her into a series of mysterious and dangerous duels against its members."
Of course it's here, if you wanna do queer analysis of animation it's basically required reading and free on youtube so get on it. The music is great, the characters are all so funny and silly until they're not and it's scary and sad. And when it all comes together in the end and the sequel movie (yes it's a sequel) you feel in your bones why utenanthy is so iconic. You also realize why Anthy is the fan favorite character, she has a LOT going on that is really interesting.
Cons are there's a LOT of serious topics covered, I think most or all handled well but if you can't handle horrifying depictions of rape, pedophilia, incest, animal abuse etc. even or especially when they discuss the realities of their harm then sit it out. They aren't visually explicit, but at a certain point metaphors hurt more. Also the black rose arc makes no fuckin sense at all and youtube comments only help a little, I know there's thematically relevant stuff set up but it's TOUGH to get through it. The Apocalypse arc is worth pushing through for though.
Flip flappers: Anime on Amazon for some fucking reason, used to be Crunchyroll then it was Hidive. Fuck these fuckin companies man.
"Cocona is a model honor student, cautious and slow to embrace new opportunities. This makes life complicated when a mysterious girl named Papika suddenly appears, fearlessly searching for a wish-granting crystal called the "Shard of Mimi." When fates collide and they're given the ability to transform into powerful fairy-like beings, where will the dangerous journey into "Pure Illusion" take them?"
You can watch it as wacky bullshit or analyze the hell out of it, it's fun either way! This hit extra hard in middle school, seeing Cocona discover, accept, and thrive in her sexuality was great. And it still is, especially when it jumps genres every episode. Horror one week, mecha another, hard-hitting drama a third, all animated in beautiful and creative ways. Cons are the ending is either great or terrible depending who you ask, and there can be some horny shots of these middle schoolers so ymmv.
Yuri espoir: Manga
"After finding out she is to be forced into an marriage of convenience as soon as she graduates high school, Kokoro sees her life ending before her eyes at her father's wishes. And so in her final year of high school, she decides to indulge in her love of other women, and create an incredible sketchbook of lesbian romance to leave behind as her legacy. As she observes the young women of her town, she learns more about their desires, their struggles, and the unpredictable whims of love."
I don't see much discussion of this one but it's so fuckin good. The art is beautiful, and the angst with the time limit on Kokoro's ability to indulge in her lesbianism is fittingly painful and apparent. The setup lets you see a bunch of different yuri dynamics with various good or bad endings. I also love the juxtaposition of how thoroughly this man is destroying Kokoro inside and out with how normal or even kind he comes across to his peers. He doesn't have to physically abuse or even talk to her to harm her deeply, so everyone thinks it's fine. Because that's what abuse is sometimes, often even. What is a whim for him is a death sentence for her, but nobody takes high schoolers seriously. He's a nice guy, she's certainly overreacting right? But she isn't, they're undereacting.
Revue starlight: Anime on Hidive.
"Childhood friends Karen and Hikari made a promise that, together, they would one day become the next theatrical stars. Real life got in the way of their childhood dream when Hikari moved away, but Karen never forgot her promise. Years later, the two friends finally have their chance when they’re invited to a mysterious audition. However, the two are not the only ones who have trained for this moment, and they must now compete with others whom all share the same dream of performing on stage."
The prominent themes are mostly related to the nature of stories I think is what's agreed upon, but if you look at it with a queer lens it also works. Got a video in the pipeline with that reading. The songs are great, the animation averages out to decent except the sequel movie which is god tier. The movie is 10/10 in general. Technically subtext but if you have eyes it's not, Mahiru is textually in love with Karen anyway.
Her Tale of Shim Chong: Manhwa, currently on Tappytoon but manhwa licenses are an ever fluctuating nightmare.
"Based on a Korean folktale, two very different women find themselves making the same wish - to leave this world behind. One is Shim Chong, a young beggar living off the kindness of others to support herself and her blind father. The other is the bride-to-be of old Chancellor Jang, sold off to him for the sake of her family. When Shim Chong rescues this new bride from the river, their relationship triggers both love and hidden intentions. But will these two women be able to find their way forth in a world that favors men?"
After learning about the true ferocity of the Korean gender war, I have only gained more respect for this author for such a frank depiction of systemic misogyny. The mind games among the noblewomen especially stood out to me, because despite the fact these women are doing genuine harm it is made viscerally clear why they are pushed to these lengths. And as someone living in a culturally christian society, there's often a fetishization of buddhism as some kind of kinder religion. So it's interesting seeing the ways it can and has been used to cause harm like any organized religion.
Fantasy
I'm in Love with the Villainess: Started as Light novel, then there's a manga adaptation and anime. Anime on Crunchyroll.
"Ordinary office worker Oohashi Rei wakes up in the body of the protagonist of her favorite otome game, Revolution. To her delight, the first person to greet her is also her favorite character, Claire Francois--the main antagonist of the story! Now, Rei is determined to romance Claire instead of the game's male leads. But how will her villainous ladylove react to this new courtship?!"
I still need to finish past the first couple volumes, but even with just those 2 I can attest it's a fun read. It's certainly got the jank of a web novel turned published, but you can really feel inori hit her groove in volume 2. Subverting expectations in some very unconventional ways as far as villainess stories go. At least, I haven't heard of many that go as far in this direction as this one does, and it's great.
This Monster Wants to Eat Me: Manga, coming to english stores in June.
"“I’ve come to eat you.” So softly utters the mermaid Shiori, as she emerges from the sea and takes high school girl Hinako by the hand. Hinako lives alone in a town by the sea, and possesses an unusually delicious body that is irresistible to nearby monsters. To ensure that she matures to the best condition, Shiori seeks to protect Hinako—all so that someday, she can devour every piece of her. What will become of Hinako’s feelings as this looming unjust death closes in on her...?"
The monster designs are truly delightful, and cannibalism as love is always fun. I'm also a sucker for an MC who is just really sad and not recovering from it. But the star of the show is obviously the monster girls congregating around her, I can't emphasize enough how cool these girls look when they're morbing out.
Sister and Giant: A Young Lady is Reborn in Another World: Manga, coming to english stores in June.
Reincarnated in another world, Hinako declines the abilities offered to her by the Goddess, and instead takes a vow of sisterhood with the giant Eiris, becoming known herself as “the smallest giant.” The two may be different species, born on different worlds, but they share one goal―searching for the precious siblings they lost. But they must be cautious, for just as their bonds and strength win them fame, they also bring attention from the knights of the church…"
I've only read a little but it's looking very promising in the vein of violent fantasy yuri. Same vein as Roll Over and Die, take that as a side rec because I don't wanna crowd the fantasy list. I just love seeing a girl with no regards for her own safety growing a small party of outcasts, some of which may or may not be interested in her. And giants are cool on their own. But be warned, the giants culturally seem to be a noble savage archetype which is really not good. Issues with race, transphobia, etc seem to be a theme with isekai and adjacent fantasy and yuri is unfortunately not an exception. At least the yuri seem to think slavery is bad more often. It's a start.
Mage and Demon Queen: Webcomic on Webtoon.
"Adventurers seek to take the demon queen’s head, but a love-struck young female mage wishes to take her hand. Join us won’t you, for this bawdy tale of love and persistence set inside a real-life RPG."
I'll admit it, i like it for horny reasons. But even if you aren't as horny as i am, it's fun to follow Malori on her quest for the demon queen's heart, which eventually effects the entire struggle between humans and demons. It's a bit clumsy at the political aspects and some plot details, but if you can get invested in Vel and Malori it's not that big of an issue.
It Gets so Lonely Here: Visual novel on itch.io.
"You are running through a forest. It is late at night and the sky is as black as pitch. The trees which surround you, jutting out of the earth like eerie monuments to a foreign god, are blotting out most of the moonlight. You do not know where you are going. You have no map; no route; no plan. You have no desire, as you run, save to escape. You cannot let yourself be caught. All you can do is run, on and on and on... But, despite all of your hard work, your best efforts will, invariably, be in vain. It’s already too late for you. After all... You’ll never be able to escape from me."
Short since it was made for a game jam, however it was made for the yandere game jam and does it very well. The art is beautiful, and so are the ladies. You get to choose 1 of 3 yandere girls to get the violent attention of. My personal favorite is the grave digger, but a lot of people also liked the cannibal. The mermaid's route is a little lackluster, but still a good time.
Touhou Project: With so much fan work it exists in pretty much any medium you could want. The official stuff is just the games (bullet hell and fighting games), a few manga series, and the music albums.
"The setting of the Touhou Project lies in a haunted region of Japan called Gensokyo, sealed away from the outside world by the Great Hakurei Barrier. Reimu Hakurei is the protagonist of the project, who lives at the Hakurei Shrine that lies on the said barrier. She, along with the secondary character Marisa Kirisame, set out to solve various incidents that happen throughout the land, mostly caused by youkai. With this, they're both youkai exterminators."-From the Touhou wiki
There is a frankly insane amount of high effort fan media out there depicting these women in situations, and if you learn how and where to find it you have what it takes to become a full fledged yuri warrior. If you're someone who wishes fictional women got the same respect as fictional men in terms of randos deciding their lacking canon characterization actually hides a complex inner turmoil, touhou project is the right place for you.
I started by looking for touhou yuri doujin and just flipping through them until found various pairs I liked, but you could also look at the relationshipping page on the Touhou wiki (NOT on Fandom) and see if any dynamics click. Then look for yuri of them. My personal favorite is the hifuu club from the music albums. Seija and Shinmyoumaru are also great though. And Zanmu x Hisami is canon on Hisami's end and also hot.
Really just explore, music, fanfic, doujin manga, games, anime etc. Sky's the limit when it's Touhou
Side note: if anyone knows what happened to "utopia beneath a starry sky" or something that sounds like that, please tell me. I need my Renmerry.
(Nevermind, I found it. It's a trailer for a fanfiction on the youtube channel of the circle Tumeneco and once i learn japanese i'm on it)
Heart of the Woods: Visual novel on itch.io and Steam. There's also a free patch to add a couple sex scenes.
"A fantasy yuri visual novel filled with magic, fairies, and a ghost girl. When Maddie and her best friend, Tara, journey to a remote forest village to investigate rumors of the supernatural, they find a whole lot more than they bargained for."
This visual novel is very good at drawing you into this unsettling snowy village, the atmosphere is on point. The very end of it I found a little anticlimactic, but far from experience ruining. You can also patch some sex scenes in. But i haven't seen them yet. Also Tara is transgender, for people wanting trans yuri. In general if you want trans yuri itch.io is a good place to look, I still need to play Coquette Dragoon and Hopeless Junction though I've heard good things. And studio elan made a bunch of other visual novels to check out too.
The Executioner and her Way of Life: Started as light novel, has a manga and anime adaptation. Anime on Hidive.
"The Lost Ones are wanderers who come here from a distant world known as "Japan." No one knows how or why they leave their homes. The only thing that is certain is that they bring disaster and calamity. The duty of exterminating them without remorse falls to Menou, a young Executioner. When she meets Akari, it seems like just another job... Until she discovers it's impossible to kill this girl! And when Menou begins to search for a way to defeat this immortality, Akari is more than happy to tag along! So begins a journey that will change Menou forever..."
I've only read the first few volumes but man the concepts are so cool. Subversions of isekai tropes are commonplace these days, but you don't see Catholic assassins dedicated to murdering Japanese school children who wander into another world every day. And they have good reason for it too, with the information provided it is genuinely a moral dilemma. Akari is great too, she's more than she seems at the start in some intriguing ways. However, the prose is boring, I think the plot should have started in a different place, and the anime adaptation was a bit lackluster.
Sci fi
Otherside Picnic: Started as light novel, also has a manga and anime adaptation. Anime on Crunchyroll.
"Her first encounter with Toriko Nishina was on the Otherside after seeing “that thing” and nearly dying. Ever since that day, exhausted university student Sorawo Kamikoshi's life changed. In this Otherworld, full of mystery, which exists alongside our own, dangerous beings like the Kunekune and Hasshaku-sama that are spoken of in real ghost stories appear. For research, for profit, and to find an important person, Toriko and Sorawo set foot into the abnormal."
Supernatural Scifi about japanese creepypastas existing in an unsettling and mysterious pocket dimension. What doesn't kill you changes you permanently in ways you will never fully comprehend. Sorawo is such a fun loser to live in the head of, and the prose and description works perfectly for both the horror and romance. The anime is silly, and the manga sounds ok, but the light novel is the ideal experience since you get all of Sorawo's maladaptive thought patterns in HD.
Last and First Idol: Novel
"This existential widescreen yuri baroque proletariat hard sci-fi idol story has carved out a new legend in science fiction history! “Bye-bye, Earth! My idol activities here were so much fun!”"
Hard scifi bullshit, now a 3 for 1 pack entirely composed of yuri! The ideas are batshit insane, the women are morally questionable, the humans have transcended humanity in magnificent and grotesque ways. The prose is strange and the plotting nonsensical, but at least for me something about the sheer creativity at work is just mesmerizing.
Girls Last Tour: Started as manga, Anime on Amazon prime for some fucking reason.
"Civilization is dead, but not Chito and Yuuri. Time to hop aboard their beloved Kettenkrad motorbike and wander what's left of the world! Sharing a can of soup or scouting for spare parts might not be the experience they were hoping for, but all in all, life isn't too bad..."
The end of the world seems so relaxing. The remains of the skyscraping city are beautifully decaying even in a world with no life left. It's more of a philosophical vibe than anything, so it's hard to say much more than just give it a shot. It's subtext, but Chito and Yuuri have a special relationship outside of societal expectations. Because there is no society left. Also Shimeji Simulation (the kind of sort of probably sequel) doesn't have an official translation yet but it's explicitly yuri and also really fucking cool so someone please get on that.
Soundless: Visual novel on itch.io.
"—Despite all the singing around her, her world was soundless. A small village cut off from the rest of the world, Phada, spends its days slowly, idling away time by speaking with one another, eating with one another, and dedicating all their attention to studying scripture. With a population of only 145, the governing body of the town is the Group, the name of the miniscule clergy that inhabits the church at the top of the hill. They worship a protective God comprised of two halves: the "Barrier" defensive energy and the "Expulsive" offensive energy. In a town where all you can do is socialize, young Mercy is denied this. Since birth, she has seen the unseen, and was taken in by the Group after losing her parents. Upon turning 10 her vision seemingly became corrupt, causing panic among the villagers. It was decided by the Head Priest and the Holy Woman that the only way to deal with this curse is to aggressively apply the "antibiotics." In other words, isolate Mercy until she stops seeing things. Now an empty shell of who she once was, 15 year old Mercy attends school and is constantly bullied by her classmates, some truly afraid of her, but most seeing her as an easy target. The sudden death of the 25th Holy Woman startles the village, causing many to believe Mercy's curse is spreading and for her abuse to become more aggressive. Then, one day, the Head Priest reveals God has given them two young Holy Women rather than one. When classes end the next day, one calls out to Mercy. "I can see it, too.""
Heavy angst and violence, and I was debating whether it fits more in scifi or fantasy but I think the vibe is more scifi. Inspired by the denpa genre, it conveys that feeling of not knowing reality from fantasy or if you're going crazy until it's too late pretty well. Much like other denpa games (especially ones retroactively labeled as such), it also suffers from indie jank and overexplaining it's hand occasionally. The creators, milk+ visual, have also made a few other yuri visual novels you can check out, I still need to play them though.
Qualia the Purple: Started as Light novel, has manga adaptation, both are good but the manga might be a little more readable if you don't tolerate blocks of exposition well.
"Through Yukari's uncanny purple eyes, all people look just like robots. Her talent is both a blessing and a curse--she's an asset to the police, with her "skill" allowing her to evaluate humans at a glance, but her strange sight has cost her the friendship of her peers. Luckily, she does have one friend in her corner" Hatoru "Gaku" Manabu, a girl at school who cares deeply for Yukari. But when Yukari is recruited to join a secret organization, the real trouble begins. Gaku is thrust into a realm of mystery, quantum experimentation, and alternate universes, with only her wits--and her love for Yukari--to guide her along the way."
You like hard scifi bullshit? Here it is, plus lesbians. Seems normal until shit gets wild, you'll know when you're there. Timeline hopping doomed yuri. The con is it's hard scifi, there will be pages of exposition about physics that is half true, half bullshitting for the story and entirely boring if you aren't into that. But if you are, it's great.
Gundam: the Witch from Mercury: Anime on Crunchyroll.
"A.S. (Ad Stella) 122― An era when a multitude of corporations have entered space and built a huge economic system. A lone girl from the remote planet Mercury transfers to the Asticassia School of Technology, run by the Beneritt Group which dominates the mobile suit industry. Her name is Suletta Mercury. With a scarlet light burning in her pure heart, this girl walks step by step through a new world."
Lesbian gundam, I watched it as a standalone so you can too. Sulemio are great, and robot fights are a lot of fun. Cour 1 worked really well at setting up its story. But cour 2 fumbled most of the themes and plotlines, but it's still fun enough if you know that ahead of time.
Action
Canaan: Anime on Amazon prime now for some fucking reason.
"Maria meets a mysterious stranger named Canaan. A gifted assassin with synesthesia, Canaan is under orders from an unknown organization for an unspecified mission, and Maria is along for the ride in this mysterious adventure!"
It's a lot like Lycoris Recoil if Lycoreco sacrificed a little bit of romantic tension for more cohesive theming. Great action with a plot good enough to carry it. It's subtext, but you get a good bit of romance to work with. Canaan actually has two options for shipping, a cute dynamic with Maria or an enemies but weirdly horny dynamic with Alphard. It was quite funny watching this after LycoReco and realizing. Shit. Yeah I would've shipped Chisato and Majima if Majima were a girl. But I don't have to, because Alphard is objectively cooler and hotter.
Lycoris recoil: Anime on Crunchyroll.
"For these peaceful days――there’s a secret behind it all. A secret organization that prevents crimes: “DA - Direct Attack”. And their group of all-girl agents: “Lycoris”. This peaceful everyday life is all thanks to these young girls. The elite Chisato Nishikigi is the strongest Lycoris agent of all time. Alongside is Takina Inoue, the talented but mysterious Lycoris. They work together at one of its branches–Café LycoReco. Here, the orders this café takes range from coffee and sweets to childcare, shopping, teaching Japanese to foreign students, etc. It's mostly tasks unbefitting of Lycoris. The free-spirited and optimistic pacifist, Chisato. And the cool-headed and efficient Takina. The chaotic everyday lives of this mismatched duo begin!"
The action is tense and generally well done, the story carries it along perfectly for most of the anime, and ChisaTaki is just such an amazing ship with such perfectly depicted tension throughout. Downside is the story falls apart in the last couple episodes, the themes are what you'd expect from a buddy cop show, doesn't address the child soldier shaped elephant in the room, and it's technically subtext. But as with many subtext anime it's subtext entirely by technicality. Did you know Takina almost has a wet dream about Chisato in the spinoff light novel? And while the ending was disappointing, it's nowhere near retroactively ruining the whole show. Just really clumsy.
Murcielago: Manga
"Mass murderers may not have much by way of career skills, but Kuroko Koumori seems to have landed her dream job as a hitwoman for the Tokyo police! A license to kill other killers? That's some serious job satisfaction, right there!"
Sex, violence, crime, everything I imagine you want if you're someone who complains about yuri not being edgy enough. Kuroko is the most evil possible person you can imagine, which is both a warning and an advertisement. Murder, torture, pedophilia, sexual assault, you name it she is not above considering it, even if her handlers rein her in before she can act. Regardless of how that bit makes you feel, the action is amazing, just a lot of fun to follow even when she's being despicable. It's also great because she's surrounded by girls who are also fucked up, but when they're next to her they look practically saintlike.
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: Anime franchise, seems to be on Amazon prime for some fucking reason.
"Nanoha Takamachi, an ordinary third-grader who enjoys spending time with her family and friends, rescues an injured ferret that she had dreamed about the night before. The next day, the ferret cries out to her telepathically, asking Nanoha to save him. The ferret reveals himself to be Yuuno Scrya, a mage from another world who is trying to collect the dangerous 21 Jewel Seeds that he accidentally scattered across the world. He enlists Nanoha's help, gifting her the magical wand Raising Heart, and teaches her how to become a powerful mage. Days later, after reclaiming a few of the Jewel Seeds, another mage appears: Fate Testarossa. Stronger than Nanoha, Fate refuses to divulge her reasons in trying to collect the Jewel Seeds. Nanoha senses a melancholy in her eyes, but Fate refuses to communicate. Directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha is a story about the clash of emotions when goals collide. "-From MAL
To be honest, something about the structure and pacing of this show put me to sleep. Which doesn't change the fact that NanoFate is a god tier pairing and they adopt a child together. Lots of people love this show, so I bet many of you would not have my issue and would in fact love it a lot. So give it a try. Be aware it gets a little weirdly horny about it's child protag at the start, but if that's not a deal breaker there's plenty of stuff to enjoy.
SHY: Started as manga, anime on Crunchyroll.
"In an age when superpowered defenders from each country have brought peace to the world, Japans representative is a timid young girl known as Shy. She may be embarrassed by the mere thought of slipping into spandex, but shell prove that despite it all, she still has the heart of a hero!"
Superheroes but the MC is an introvert lesbian. It's a very kid's show premise, but sometimes it's nice to see a girl use the power of active listening to save someone while she gets her ass beat to a pulp. Subject to the same pro status quo themes as any superhero show, but that's to be expected. Technically subtext, but if one was a guy there'd be no doubt. I mean Teru's got girls throwing themselves at her. It only happens more in the manga, and she's not exactly opposed beyond over heating.
Symphogear: Anime, on Crunchyroll.
"Tsubasa Kazanari and Kanade Amou—the idol duo known as Zwei Wing—use their songs to power ancient weapons known as "symphogears" to combat a deadly alien race called the "Noise." While the general public is aware of the Noise's existence, knowledge of the symphogears are kept a secret. When the Noise attack one of Zwei Wing's concerts, Kanade sacrifices herself to protect a young girl named Hibiki Tachibana, leaving Tsubasa devastated and a fragment of her symphogear embedded within Hibiki. Two years pass and Hibiki is once again dragged into a Noise attack. While rescuing a young girl who has been left behind during the evacuation, she awakens the power of Kanade's symphogear lying within her. Although Tsubasa still grieves over the loss of Kanade, both girls must now learn to work together using their powers to defend humanity against the Noise."-From MAL
You like mecha adjacent magical girls? What about musicals? Symphogear is a fun combo of those and some absolutely wild story beats. It's not an intricately woven story by any means, but if you wish meathead shonen was about lesbians instead it's right here. Technically subtext, but like c'mon they share a bed and Miku thinks Hibiki's ass is a strong point of hers. Know that it's got horny outfits and camera angles though not near enough to be ecchi, and season 3 (aka GX) sucks ass but I liked it plenty anyway. GX's issues can be solved pretty easily by skipping forward whenever a father figure is onscreen too.
Also note I'm really missing some key entries here because my brain's 20 mb of RAM makes it hard starting anime. A few of the key yuri action classics i need to watch are Noir, El cazador de la bruja, and Madlax. Know that they're often hailed as classic yuri action, and also know that i don't know enough about them to give a proper rec. There's also Read or Die. I watched the OVA which was fun, but it's not officially available streaming anywhere as far as I know.
Horny
Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels: Manga
"Sweet but awkward college student Asumi never got over her childhood crush on her old friend Mai. Their first and only kiss couldn't have gone worse. So when she learns that Mai may be working at a nearby brothel, she sets her sights on redemption! But there's one catch: none of the women on the brothel's website use full photos or real names. Thus begins a journey of self-discovery and sexual exploration as nervous Asumi sets out to find her one that got away."
College girl on a quest to find her childhood crush by buying every lesbian prostitute, learns the meaning of good sex. It's a fun ride, really hot sex scenes, and Asumi is a lovable dork. Eventually there are even some cute relationships, which are also full of sex.
Gushing over Magical Girls: Started as manga, anime on Hidive.
"Hi, I'm Hiiragi Utena. I'm a normal magical-girl-loving middle school girl—or at least I was, but then some talking mascot showed up out of the blue and cast a spell on me! Now's my chance to join my beloved magical girls as...a villain? Hang on, something's wrong with my outfit! This can't be happening! Watch this shy magical-girl fan transform into a sadistic dominatrix! When good and evil collide, who will be the one to submit?!"
Ever joke about how kid's shows are hilariously prone to using some extremely kinky premises to avoid violence? This takes it to the next level. There's still violence, but the goal of baiser is just to do kinky things to magical girls and they do NOT hold back on the kink, they go AO3 on this shit it's great. There's also some great comedy, compelling character writing, and some of these pairs are just super cute. But be aware that these are textually 14 year olds, so if that bothers you do not try this.
Is it Wrong to Lose your Virginity to an Android?: Manga
"Beautiful, brainy Tsuda Akane is indispensable at the robotics manufacturer where she works, but her colleagues never saw her private side. At home, Akane’s a hot mess with an apartment that looks more like a landfill than a living space. When she drunkenly orders a maid to help her tidy up, the lady android who arrives is a horny hottie who’s about to give Akane more service than she bargained for!"
Office lady accidentally buys an illegal sex bot while drunk, and the bot is *extremely* down to fuck. The office lady however, would prefer to keep a bit of plausible deniability. There's some fun and comedic developments as it goes along, as well as a bit of angst. Overall very hot.
Breasts are my Favorite Things in the World!: Manga
"Chiaki Ichihara is the princely heartthrob all the girls crush on, but she's got a not-so-charming secret: a serious boob fetish! Chiaki is so obsessed with breasts, she can hardly function without copping a feel. To satiate this need (and keep her classmates from finding out), she has enlisted Hana Harumi, whose perfectly sized and shaped bust may just be everything Chiaki's ever wanted...Will their odd partnership bloom into a bosom bond like no other?"
What it says on the box, a girl is extremely autistic about the concept of boobs and enlists a big boobed girl to help her get her fill. A big boobed girl with an unsubtle crush on her, but she's too dense to realize it. It actually turns into a cute little romance eventually, but we know what the real draw is here. The beautifully rendered large tits. They are high schoolers though so if you don't like that don't bother.
Moonlight Garden: Manhwa on lezhin.
"The enchanting flower maidens of Moonlight Garden are coveted by all, as they are known to provide sexual pleasures beyond the imagination. But Dohwa, a young flower maiden who has not yet “bloomed,” concocts potions in the hopes of escaping her destined fate at the brothel. One night, she is caught stealing ingredients for her potions by Lady Hyewon, the new mistress of the Garden. But it turns out Dohwa isn’t the only one with an agenda. Lady Hyewon harbors a few terrible secrets of her own."
A premise kinda like omegaverse in that there's women who go into heat and need to have sex with women to feel better, but otherwise almost entirely different. Really drama heavy and genuinely a good story! Intertwined neatly with the smut, of course. Also note that the flower women come of age when they're 20, so rest assured the MC is like 19 even though they talk about her like a high schooler.
My Girlfriend's not Here Today: Manga, coming to english stores in May.
"Pent up and tired of her apathetic girlfriend, Asahina Yuni turns to an anonymous online account to let it all out. It’s just another day of doomscrolling after class when Asahina gets swept away in conversation with the beautiful, outgoing Taki. When Taki turns out to be following Asahina’s private account, it’s cute…right? Taki would never blackmail Asahina…right? With every new lie, the web of secrets and erotic desire grows ever-tighter!"
NTR yuri but the partner getting ntr'd is also a girl, cue toxic yuri fun. Everyone involved here is so shitty but in a kind of reality TV way where you can't look away. Yuni is spineless, Nanase is bad at girlfriending, and Fuuko is a cunningly horny bitch who can play Yuni like a fiddle.
Conclusion and How to Find More
For reference on finding more yuri, bookwalker has a yuri/gl tag you can dig through for interesting stories, just make sure to flip the "show mature content" switch if you wanna see anything kinda smutty. With visual novels itch.io, mangagamer, and jast usa have yuri tags to look through and don't put drm on your games as far as I'm aware. MyAnimeList has some stupid and inconsistent logic for what is or isn't yuri (or shoujo ai because they still use that dumbass term) but you can use it in tandem with other databases. At a glance I think AniList (which is only anime), Anisearch, and Anime-Planet are better bets.
Also, as an addendum to the horny list I was looking for some anime I've heard of being good horny yuri and learned that Valkyrie Drive either used to be on or is coming to Tubi? Seven Mortal Sins seems to still be on crunchyroll but in the recommendations list Tubi gave for Valkyrie Drive I saw that Yamibo is currently on Tubi!? I don't know how the yuri is in it but I didn't think it was officially available! They also have Project Ako, I don't know if it's horny or how much it's yuri but I also didn't know it was officially available! They also have a lot of non-yuri anime I've heard interesting things about like The Twelve Kingdoms, Paprika, and Ghost in the Shell.
So in general as an anime fan keep in mind that Tubi is a fucking gold mine of freely available anime, old and new, trash and classic, porn and children's shows. Grab your friends to watch random Tubi anime for a fun time. You could watch Cardcaptor Sakura, if you get tired of it you could also try. Kite. Or maybe Eiken.
Alright, that's far from a comprehensive list but it's a start and I hope from here you might get enough interest to get better at search engines and tag surfing. I will again ask people to avoid name dropping piracy sites in the comments. If you really wanna find a piracy site, they're not hard to find on a google search. Though I would recommend buying these books not just because it's money for the author, but also because the official translations are 9 times out of 10 so much more readable. Other than that though go ham on tagging on recs in the comments.
I made this video to use instead of writing a paragraph every time someone asks and more recs means more effectiveness.