The rising popularity of anime has allowed us to come across many unknown terms. Due to the increasing social media influence, you must have noticed such terms as ‘senpai‘ or ‘Baka.’ Similarly, many different genres exist in anime. If you are familiar with anime culture, you must have heard of such kinds. Some favorite genres include shounen, shoujo, isekai, seinen, ecchi, harem, and yaoi. Today we will be discussing the “yuri” genre. Although the term is not very popular, it is a genre enjoyed by fans worldwide. Let us get to know the meaning and origin of the term in detail.
Definition Of The Term Yuri
The literal translation of the term yuri is lily. You might have noticed yaoi is also referred to as Boys Love. Similarly, yuri is referred to as Girls Love. Like the name suggests, the genre consists of anime and manga, which revolve around unique relationships between two women. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always about romantic or sexual relationships. Sometimes, it just represents friendship and the emotional connection between two women. Unlike the yaoi genre, which comprises homoerotic male relationships, yuri focuses on relationships between two women. That being said, countless yuri masterpieces exist that are capable of moving watchers.
Numerous artists have represented lesbian relationships by manga and anime throughout japan. Most of the works were inspired by the year 24 group, including female manga artists who wrote shoujo manga. There have been a lot of complications in finding the correct term to depict the genre. ‘Lesbian,’ ‘Girl X Girl,’ ‘Woman X Woman’ -these terms could be often mistaken for sexual relationships between women.
Moreover, the fetishization of such relationships among men is another reason why these terms were considered problematic. It became somewhat hard to find a name that could be suited to the genre. The word ‘yurizoku’ or anything associated with the flower lily has been correlated to lesbian relationships. Moreover, the 1970s gay men magazine renowned as Barazoku included a column for lesbians named Yurizoku no Corner. These points and the resemblance of lesbian relationships to the word lily were the main reasons the genre’s name was called yuri.
Best Yuri Anime Series
Anime and manga culture has never failed to show support to the LGBTQ+ community. We know this because we have seen innumerable masterpieces dedicated to the community. Here I have listed a few of the best yuri genre (GL) anime series:
- Riddle Story Of Devil
- Sakura Trick
- Kase-San And The Morning Glories
- Ms. Vampire Who Lives In My Neighborhood
- Bloom Into You
- Inugami-San To Nekoyama-San
- Yuri Kuma Arashi
- Kakegurui
- Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
- Yuru Yuri
- Adachi to Shimamura
- Konohana Kitan
- Kiniro Mosaic
- Strawberry Panic
- Netsuzou Trap
- Tachibanakan To Lie Angle
- Citrus
- Destiny of the Shrine Maiden
- Canaan
- Noir
- Whispered Words
- Sweet Blue Flowers
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica
- Revolutionary Girl Utena
If you are a manga reader, there’s no need to worry. Here are a few best Yuri (GL) manga series:
Best Yuri Manga Series
- Girl Friends
- Kase San And…
- I Love You So Much I Hate You
- The Conditions Of Paradise
- How Do We Relationship?
- Whenever Our Eyes Meet: A Woman’s Anthology
- Why Does Love Do This To Me?
- Beauty And The Beast Girl
- Opium
- Lily Love 2
- What Does The Fox Say?
- Soul Drifters
- Kill Switch
- Dear My Teacher
- Female General And Eldest Princess (Novel)
- On A Leash
- Hello, Melancholic!
- Best Friends
- My Girlfriend’s Ex-Boyfriend
- Kimi To Tsuzuru Utakata
- Best Served Cold
- Our Teachers Are Dating
- Kanojo No Kuchizuke Kansensuru Libido
- Hate Me
Conclusion
If you have watched any anime from the yaoi genre, you will find many uncensored sex scenes. They tend to be more explicit. However, yuri has close to no sex scenes. Like I have mentioned before, it focuses on the emotional aspect of the characters rather than the physical side. One of the reasons why it isn’t that famous is probably the fact mentioned above. However, in my opinion, it is good that the genre doesn’t have many sex scenes due to the constant sexualization of lesbian relationships. Even though some fans specifically want such displays, the genre is enjoyed relatively well by yuri fans.
As I have mentioned before, the genre isn’t as famous as it should be. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not competent. We have received a few straight-A masterpieces from the genre, and hopefully, we will continue to receive them.
