Natsuno Hanabi has moved from Tokyo back to her hometown to study start a fresh new life as a high school student. At Tachibanakan, a high school dormitory, Hanabi is reunited with her childhood friend Konomi, and is greeted by a cast of girls who, to put it simply, have no shame in decency. Hanabi must brave this new world as two girls vie for her love and at the same time mustn’t be tempted by sights of the beautiful and red cherries.

Think of a comedy harem anime featuring a male main character with a tendency to fall in front of girls while they’re naked. And now, replace the main character with a female one and bam, you practically get Tachibanakan To Lie Angle, an anime that is almost close to being a genuine yuri harem anime. Hanabi (a girl) always end up in awkward situations like being stuck in the closet half-naked with a girl, always slips and her face in close proximity to a girl’s private spots, and two girls vying for her attention through seduction, and many more.

Unfortunately, Tachibanakan To Lie Angle failed to become that “spark” that will ignite interests in more yuri harem anime adaptations because the anime has a runtime of 3 minutes per episode, killing any potential and fan attachment to the series. Taken as a whole though, Tachibanakan To Lie Angle is a funny little experience with extremely lewd fanservice, like uncomfortable crotch shots with only a water drop that stops the anime from going hentai. Lastly, if you didn’t see any boob shots or crotch shots in the anime, then sadly you’ve watched the wrong version. Just an FYI.

Nagisa Aoi transfers to one of the three affiliated all-girl Catholic schools on Astraea Hill, St. Miator's Girls' Academy. There, she meets the beautiful Hanazono Shizuma, the Etoile (French for “star”) of the academy and unsurprisingly enough, the Etoile is drawn to the new girl. With a huge cast of characters, there’s love, heart breaks, school politics, betrayal, and true love. Strawberry Panic is one, uh, panicky story.

Remembered (fondly, perhaps) as the first yuri anime fans experienced in the early 2000s, Strawberry Panic was also one of the first anime to be exclusively yuri, even outclassing the fan-favorite Maria-sama ga Miteru. Strawberry Panic features a cast of all-female characters with no signs of male characters in any form, and the anime tells a tangled web of stories from the Etoile’s past, relationships from supporting characters, and school politics that lead to various conflicts and breakups. Some of the side stories aren’t memorable, or the characters get the same amount of screentime, but Strawberry Panic did try to create a diverse world where every girl have their own unique personality, featuring more couples apart from the main one, and all of them are extremely gay.

Okazaki Yuma and Mizushima Hotaru have been best friends since childhood and by the time they reached high school, Yuma got herself a nice boyfriend. New to this experience, Yuma asks Hotaru for advice, but things start getting complicated when Hotaru kisses her. Conflicted with her feelings, Yuma doesn’t know what to do with Hotaru and her boyfriend vying for her love. Will Yuma cheat on her boyfriend so she can fool around with Hotaru, or will her boyfriend find out and feel devastated by the betrayal? NTR is a story of searching for true love and how to attain it, betrayal, and deception.

Netsuzou TRap is another victim of getting short-length episodes and it severely affected the storytelling of an intriguing story of betrayal, sexual abuse and true love. What’s the reason why studios are doing short-length anime? It could be anything from the studio playing it safe with a small budget, or perhaps they’re testing the waters to see if yuri is popular and profitable enough. Regardless of the reason, NTR is one of the recent yuri titles that is laying the groundwork for more yuri titles to get adapted to anime, and let’s cross our fingers the new upcoming shows will not suffer the same and perhaps we’ll get a remake of NTR and other yuri anime.

Sakura Trick tells the love story of Takayama Haruka and Sonoda Yuu and how they slowly build their newfound love for each other. Their love life isn’t really easy as they battle against a jealous big sister and hide their relationship from everyone… and Haruka is always finding ways to get a few smooches from Yuu.

Sakura Trick made it back to the list for the 3rd time because Sakura Trick is one of the new generation of yuri anime that focuses on actual, grade A yuri romance, and didn’t suffer from low budget and short length per episode. In fact, one of the selling points of Sakura Trick’s anime adaption is very loyal to the source with every chapter from the first 3 volumes were all included and the only difference is being the adaptation has animation and voice acting. The story didn’t reach a definite conclusion (obviously) but the adaption was great at telling a simple love story between two girls and how they’re characters develop as they encounter obstacle after obstacle (in some cases, it’s usually Haruka desperate to kiss Yuu). Plus it’s a lighthearted story with funny moments and a ton, A TON of kissing. This is what you’ve came for, after all. Are you not entertained?!

Cocona is the odd apathetic girl in class who can’t decide what to do with her life. Her life turned completely and literally upside down when she met an energetic girl who has a flying surfboard Papika. We then soon find out that Papika is part of a mysterious organization Flip Flap and her job is to find magical fragments called amorphous in dimensions called Pure Illusion, and Cocona happens to have similar power like Papika. The two became partners and they risk their lives exploring these logic-defying dimensions for that thing that will grant anyone’s wishes.

Underrated and probably an anime you’ve heard of before, Flip Flappers is an action adventure anime featuring a group of young girls travelling bizarre worlds in search for fragments that have the power to grant any wish. Each episode is mainly focused on Cocona and Papika exploring worlds with their own set of rules, and with their own set of obstacles to defeat. As for the yuri side of things, the developing relationship between Cocona and Papika is interesting and at the same time a very confusing one. Why was Cocona, just a random girl at school, chosen by Papika as her partner in retrieving the amorphous? Is there a reason why Papika is so attached to a girl she just met? And why is Cocona has the same power as Papika, only she didn’t realize it from the start? There’s also a bit of a love triangle where a third girl is competing against Papika for Cocona’s attention. Flip Flappers is rather unique and the adventures are both out-of-this-world and gives you an idea the writers were high on drugs when writing the story.

Tokonome Mamori is a special kind of girl who was transferred to a mysterious island chain in the middle of the ocean in the most unconventional way. The young cast away was suddenly attacked by the island inhabitants, but then was luckily saved by a girl named Shikishima Mirei. As their assailants pressed on with their attack, Mirei suddenly kissed Mamori, and Mamori turns into a sword! The girls who are exiled to these islands are infected by the mysterious Armed Virus that grants them unique abilities. The girls who are affected by the virus are divided into two classes: the Exters, who can transform into weapons called Liberator Arms when sexually aroused, and the Liberators, who has the ability to wield the Exters and harness their powers. Yeah, you read that right: Unimaginable powers using lezzy sex!

The first few minutes of Valkyrie Drive is more than enough to tell you that this anime isn't messing around. A mix of elements from Queen’s Blade and Ikkitousen, Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid is an action anime which involves girls transforming into weapons of mass destruction through sexual arousal--groping, kiss, masturbation and even sex. Yes, that's right and Valkyrie Drive isn't shy about showing every bit of bodily secretions, degenerate human acts and tons of nudity. The nudity is so overwhelming, you'll end up forgetting that the anime has a story to tell, and wonder how the hell this anime was aired on public TV and was not qualified as pornography. The studio has found a loophole, and it was a huge gaping one at that. Anyway, this anime may not appeal to everyone, but as a yuri fan, it is essential that you check out Valkyrie Drive because you will not see this sort of yuri anime for a while.

Due to some various circumstances, one that involved getting drunk and stranded in a forest at night, Kobayashi, an overworked office lady, has hired a dragon named Tohru to become her house maid. Apart from Tohru feeding Kobayashi her own cooked dragon tail, Tohru is loyal, hard-working and is in love with Kobayashi. The story focuses on Kobayashi, her maid Tohru and various dragons who decided to hang out in the human world.

You could say Maid Dragon is a low-key yuri because the story doesn’t focus on the actual romance. You have to be in a certain mindset to see it. Does a yuri anime always need to have fanservice and sex? That’s the current and an acceptable trend of yuri, but maybe one day yuri stories will tell stories that doesn’t involve any lesbian jokes. It’s the heart of the matter that counts, and a lot of fans of all genre see that and create their own fanfiction. Tohru and Kobayashi are your typical couple, and every can see that they’re a couple at the way they talk, argue, and have fun… But not to be a stick in the mud, Maid Dragon offers a hearty amount of fanservice, like Tohru finding ways to win the affections of Kobayashi by, well, cooking her tail. And there’s the young love between Kanna and her classmate Saikawa.

Kaname Madoka is your everyday pink-haired middle-school girl doing what every girl does in her age, until she and her friend Sayaka meet a cat-like creature named Kyubey and the mysterious girl named Homura Akemi. Kyubey offers Madoka and Sayaka a proposition: Make a contract with him to become magical girls and fight witches that bring disaster to the world. However, witch hunting is only part of a grand scheme that Madoka was never prepared for.

Famous for the “deconstruction” of the mahou shoujo genre, complex and sad story, and also famous for a ton of pervy Homu-Homu Homura fan art, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is an anime with magic, friendship, suffering and subtle yuri undertones. The yuri is so subtle that you can watch the anime and enjoy it for what it is without knowing yuri had been thrown around as symbols and body language. If you’re a fan of yuri, you can easily pick up the signs, especially around Homura Akemi and her purpose in the overall plot. Not to spoil much: Akemi was a timid girl until her life changed after she made a contract with Kyubey to become a mahou shoujo. Blessed and at the same time cursed by her unique power, Akemi relived the same tragic event over and over again. Supporting characters like Sayaka and Kyouko and their tragic relationship as mahou shoujo, and while not as tragic as Homura, you can sense that the two share a romantic feeling with each other. Be prepared however! Puella Magi Madoka Magica is not for the faint of heart!

After her mother remarried and moved to a new place, the highly fashionable gyaru Aihara Yuzu is excited to attend her new school, meet new friends, get a boyfriend along the way and meet with her new sister. Things didn’t turn out so well for Yuzu as she finds out the school is an all-girls school with a strict policy on clothing within the school premises. There, she encountered the most stuck up girl in the school--the student council president Mei. After a grueling first day of school, Yuzu’s mother introduced her new sister--the student council president Mei. Aihara Mei. Love and confusion are well on its way as Yuzu starts developing a romantic interest in Mei.

Citrus is one of the most popular yuri manga and the only current series that got adapted into a 12 episode anime with a runtime of more than 3 minutes per episode. It was a miracle, really, because a lot of yuri-centric anime adaptions like Tachibanakan To Lie Angle with a runtime of 3 minutes per episode. As for the story, Citrus takes lesbian relationships a bit more “realistic” as in the yuri is more grounded and takes time to develop. Yuzu was shocked how sexually aggressive Mei is, but at the same timem she's a complete enigma. Things start to unravel as Yuzu finds out that Mei has a checkered upbringing and Yuzu slowly realizing that, despite having no interest in women, she is in love with Mei.

Fun fact: The manga is finished, so if you enjoyed the anime, definitely check out the manga!

The story starts in a quiet little town somewhere in Japan where Yamada Yui, an everyday high school girl and Kase Tomoka, a tomboy school athlete has started going out.

Due to the OVA’s short length at one hour, a lot of the story from the manga was left out, but thankfully, the OVA has selected some of the good ones that highlight key moments of Kase and Yamada’s relationship from Yamada making lunch for Kase, a bit of sexual tension between the two, fear of breaking up, and to the touching finale. Asagao to Kase-san may not have a dramatic love story that contains tragedy, betrayal and gut-wrenching breakups, but Kase-san doesn’t need to because telling a simple love story between two clumsy lovebirds are all that’s need to provide good quality yuri.

Yuri, as we’ve mentioned at the start of this article, is many things and each one appeal to anyone. If you only cared for the fanservice, then anime like Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid is the top tier choice with tons of boob shots and extremely raunchy scenes. If you want some down-to-earth story that involves drama and complex character interactions, then Citrus is a perfect example. But if you want a simple, straightforward and cute yuri with no third-wheel getting in their way, then Asagao to Kase-san is a pure and modern example.

Starting off this list involves a story that focuses on Suzu Nekoyama, an apprehensive tsundere type girl who has a strong affection for dogs. Enter an air-headed girl named Yachiyo Inugami, who just so happens to like cats. One day the two girls meet up and quickly realize there is a mutual attraction between the two, despite their noticeable differences. Yachiyo makes advances early on towards Suzu but she is just too shy to reciprocate. Throw in a mutual friend named Aki, who pokes fun at their situation and you have a recipe for a true yuri comedy.

This series is short and sweet. It’s the only entry on this list that has episodes run at 3 minutes apiece. The great thing about this running at such a short length is that the anime is able to convey the central plot without adding too much filler. Yachiyo is a pervert most of the time and goes through some crazy antics to get what she wants. On the other hand, Suzu is the exact opposite but still has the same feelings for her. Aki plays off the affection and awkwardness that the two girls share with each other. It really comes together nicely in such a short span. If you don’t have a lot of time to spare and just want some fun yuri action, this one is for you.

A high school student and assassin by the name of Tokaku Azuma transfers to Myoujou Academy where she and 11 other skilled assassins are tasked with trying to kill a sweet girl named Haru Ichinose. The catch is, they only get one crack at it and if they fail, they will be expelled. If they succeed however, their greatest desire will be granted. Despite being cold and detached Tokaku’s feelings grow for her target, Haru. Tokaku’s fondness for Haru gets put to the test and instead of following through with killing her; she decides to protect her from the other impeding assassins.

Akuma no Riddle brings a more intense outlook and hits hard with the action than our previous selection. In fact, you could say this anime is for a more mature audience. With that being said, there are still great moments of endearment played out between the two love interests, including a certain pool scene that shows how much the two have grown for each other. This series isn’t without its faults, but if you lean more on the action side of anime and still want a likeable yuri story, this one should keep things interesting for you.

Our number eight choice brings us an anime that has humans and bears no longer coexisting with each other. After a meteor shower crashed down on the earth, there was uncertainty about what effect it would have. The shards of an asteroid smashed into millions of pieces and it left the bears on the planet more hostile and hungry for human meat than ever before. Consequently, there was a wall of severance that was erected to separate the two civilizations to try and keep this mass hysteria at bay.

Kureha Tsubaki hates bears with a passion. Eleven years prior to the start of the anime, her mother was attacked and mauled by a bear. When she meets Sumika Izumino, things are made clear that there is a connection right away between the two. Sumika is an extremely kind and strong-willed girl that would do anything for Kureha. This anime takes such a silly concept and relays a serious message. The story offers many symbolic qualities that some people should notice after watching the first couple episodes. We can bet that this drama-filled anime will move you emotionally throughout its twelve episode run.

Before we delve into the story behind this anime, we wanted to point out that this is the second season of the anime Kiniro Mosaic. We opted to go with the second season because we thought it had more substance. The yuri in this anime is great. You never feel like it’s just a one on one intimate relationship, as jealously rears its ugly head numerous times throughout the series. This is a wonderful example of a comedy meeting up with a slice of life and then throwing in some yuri to top it off. It has cute characters that do cute things.

When it comes to a plot for this anime, well there really isn’t much of one. It’s an all-female led cast of characters who all make a return from the previous season. The story follows five girls’ daily lives as they go through high school, relationships and misunderstandings. They visit such places as a park, a beach, a fast food place and of course, school. So sit back and relax, it’s an anime you don’t have to take too seriously to enjoy.

After being reunited with her childhood friends, first-year student Akari Akaza relishes in the fact that she has Yui Funami and Kyouko Toshinou by her side at an all-girls school. During that one year absence between Akari and the other girls, Yui and Kyouko formed the “Amusement Club.” The only clear purpose of the group is to provide pure entertainment between the members. Akari, now the third member of the club has fellow classmate, Chinatsu Yoshikawa, misinterpret the club for something else. Upon meeting with Chinatsu, the club is compelled to have her join up with the trio.

Yuru Yuri can be considered one of the most successful yuri series to date in terms of total televised episodes and OVAs. The newest club member Chinatsu has an intense crush on Yui. Chinatsu generally acts cute around Yui, but she is known to break character from time to time. As you can imagine, based on the club name alone, the plot doesn’t always remain consistent. This anime stays true to its slice of life genre tag. The yuri in this show is jovial and amusing. However, if you’re expecting a ton of physicality you might be disappointed.

Now we’re entering the midway point of this fantastic gathering of yuri anime. The story takes place as two longtime best friends; Haruka Takayama and Yuu Sonoda attend Misato West High School together. In order to quell Haruka’s jealousy over all the friends Yuu is making, she suggests doing something they wouldn’t do with other girls. The two of them share a kiss with each other in an empty classroom. After that edgy proposition from Yuu, feelings start to elevate. They learn not everything is peachy when a disapproving older sister looks to interfere.

Remember when we said that the last selection wouldn’t be the best choice for someone looking for a lot of female contact? Well, we’re happy to say that this one will fit that bill. Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves, by no means is this a hentai, it just offers more physicality and romance than our number six selection. The anime mostly focuses on Haruka and Yuu’s relationship. It starts off as a ‘friends with benefits’ kind of take and then generates into a more complex relationship, as feelings start to grow from that standpoint. If kissing is something you like to see, strongly consider this anime.

Our number four choice uses a theme of unrequited love. Sumika Murasame is a smart and athletic girl who has a secret crush on her classmate Ushio Kazama. Ushio also shares an interest in females, but can be stubborn with the criteria she has for girls, that being cute, small and innocent. With that in mind, every time Ushio finds people like that, she is often turned down. Therein lies the problem for Sumika. She doesn’t feel she meets those qualities, partial due to her practicing karate, as it’s not deemed “cute” by most peers.

Sasameki Koto is very much a comedy. The anime starts off a bit slow, but it gets funnier as the series moves on. As for the yuri, it’s played out like we mentioned before, unrequited. Sumika doesn’t want to endanger her friendship with Ushio, so she remains the crutch for Ushio when she gets heart broken and needs someone to console her. Later on in the series, a lesbian club is formed with both girls joining it, in hopes of finding better results. Whispered Words is an appropriate title for this anime because it almost feels like Sumika’s words are going unnoticed.

This next entry on our list comes in the form of a military drama that has a unique view on genders. In a tranquil theocracy known as Simulicram, everyone is born female. When the maidens reach the age of 17 they are able to choose their desired sex. Girls who have yet to decide their gender can pilot these ancient flying ships called “Simoun” to protect their homeland. After an enemy nation decimates the squadron known as Chor Tempest, Aaeru is recruited to become a pilot of a Simoun. Now, Aaeru must find her way into the heart of Neviril, who recently lost her beloved partner in battle.

Simoun is a supreme example of a powerful story about tough decisions and breathtaking characters. This anime will leave you asking many questions, and at the same time wanting more answers as this series develops. This selection is one of the largest anime on this list and it definitely deserves more episodes. The circumstances of this anime that influence the story are very well done. You witness character loss and then a feeling of resurgence when the pair of Aaeru and Neviril pair up. It’s fair to say when it’s all said and done, Simoun will give a good tug at your heartstrings. Give this one a shot and find out what we are talking about.

We’re really starting to get down to the nitty-gritty of these recommendations. Our number two selection is a profound take on the coming of age for these young girls. The story consists of an introverted bookworm by the name of Fumi Manjoume, who is beginning her first year at Matsuoka Girls' High School. She reconnects with her best friend from ten years ago, Akira Okudaira, while Akira attends Fujigatani Girls' Academy. Upon reuniting, they both aim to assist each other with their own failed romances from the past.

This series is a blast of reality to some lesbians that have to deal with some of the contexts during this stage of their life. Fumi is a prime example of this. She understands that she likes other girls, but is very much in the closet about the situation, in fear of rejection or simply because she is too reserved. Fumi deals with heartbreak from her family and later on by students from her school. She feels that she is the only one giving it her all in relationships and in the end gets dumped on for it. It’s a true coming together for these two protagonists in this anime, and a superb examination of yuri.

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for; we’re now at our number one ranked yuri recommendation. To some older fans of yuri, this probably comes as no shock, since this is universally known to be one of the best yuri anime out there. After the death of her parents, Utena Tenjou was graced by the presence of a traveling prince, who comforts her during rough times. Following that encounter, she vowed one day to become a prince herself. Several years later Utena finds herself in a deadly game where duelists with matching crests on their rings compete for prizes. The prince that she met previously left her with a special ring with a strange rose crest. Utena is now on a mission to revolutionize the world by winning these duels at the peculiar Ootori Academy where she attends.

There is something surreal about this anime. From the time Utena wins the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya, to the developing connection between the two. It’s nothing short of remarkable. The loss of purity, both sexual and otherwise is showcased as a life altering event. The hints at incest, blatant use of innuendos and abuse are some of the prominent themes that you will experience throughout. With 39 episodes and one movie, Shoujo Kakumei Utena should keep you busy for a little while. You owe it to yourself to watch this one!