9 must-watch LGBTQ+ shows for anime fans

Last Updated 25.03.2021
10 min read
Taimi

Yaoi and yuri, anyone?

You could find LGBTQ+ characters in anime even in the 1980s, so anime has always been ahead of its time. There are so many gay and lesbian anime movies and shows out there that choosing a real gem is not an easy task. That’s why we’ve prepared for you a list of 9 LGBTQ+ shows that every anime fan will enjoy.

Yuri!!! on Ice© Poster. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Source: TMDb

Yuri!!! on ICE

If you are a big (or even moderate) anime fan, you have probably heard about Yuri!!! on Ice. It is a gay boy anime show about a Japanese figure skater called Yuri. After hitting a low point in his career, Yuri considers retiring, but then a miracle happens. His idol Viktor Nikiforov sees a viral video of Yuri performing Viktor’s figure skating routine. Viktor, who is a Russian world champion in figure skating, thinks that the best part of his career is already behind him, so on a whim decides to move to Japan and become Yuri’s coach. Yuri!!! on ICE is a great romantic show that does a great job of showing a gay relationship, and its beautiful animation, choreography, and music make it even better.



Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl© Poster. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Source: TMDb

Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl

Unfortunately, there are not many transgender anime series, but you can still find some amazing LGBTQ anime series with transgender characters. One of them is Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. At the beginning of the show, we meet Hazumu, who is a shy, heartbroken boy with low self-esteem. But Hazumu’s life changes forever when he’s hit by a spaceship that can only bring him back to life as a woman. Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl is an incredible story of coming to terms with yourself and your gender identity, so it’s a much watch for every queer person and ally.


Ouran High School Host Club© Poster. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Source: TMDb

Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High School Host Club is one of the best anime series of all time. It follows a girl called Haruhi, a scholarship student in a prestigious high school, who ends up “accidentally” becoming a member of the school’s all-male host club where boys entertain their female classmates. There’s always something going on in the club, and some scenes might make you laugh out loud. While Ouran High School Host Club is not necessarily gay anime or lesbian anime, it has several LGBTQ+ characters and frequently touches on topics like sexual orientation and gender identity. Although the show has 26 episodes, once you get into it, you’ll wish there were many more.



Wandering Son© Poster. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Source: TMDb

Wandering Son

Wandering Son is another great LGBTQ+ anime series with not just one, but two transgender protagonists. Shuuichi is a boy who wishes he were a girl and Shuuichi’s classmate Yoshino is a girl who wishes she were a boy. Alongside each other, they explore their gender identities, come out to people around them, and develop romantic feelings for other people. Both of them are just starting puberty, which makes Wandering Son one of the very few shows that depict what is like to be a transgender teenager in a very accurate and delicate way.⠀⠀



Citrus© Poster. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Source: TMDb

Citrus

Citrus is a lesbian anime series centered around the relationship of two high-school students. After her mom has remarried, Yuzu enrolls in a new school, which turns out to be a conservative all-girls school. To put it mildly, she’s not thrilled about it. She has a confrontation with Mei, the student council president who also happens to be her new step-sister. Yuzu and Mei are very different, so their first impression of each other is not very positive. However, as time passes, their feelings for each other change a lot. Besides being an exciting love story, Citrus has also got beautiful animation and interesting side characters. Warning: it’s so addictive, you might end up buying the manga as well.



№6© Poster. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Source: TMDb

№6

If gay anime series about high school students are not your cup of tea, don’t worry — we’ve got something for you too. Actually, we bet that yaoi series №6 is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. №6 is the name of a “perfect city” where Shion, a boy from an affluent family, gives shelter to Yazumi, a young boy who turns out to be an escapee from a local prison. Over the years, they get to know each other, become friends, and eventually, develop romantic feelings for each other, so their love story doesn’t feel too rushed or too cheesy. There’s a sci-fi aspect to №6 as well — together, Shion and Yazumi uncover the city’s secrets and realize it’s not so perfect after all.



Bloom Into You© Poster. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Source: TMDb

Bloom Into You

If you’re looking for a heart-warming anime lesbian series, look no further than Bloom Into You. Bloom Into You is a new yuri series that tells the story of two high school students, Touko and Yuu. Yuu is a first-year student and she can’t quite grasp what love is yet. At school, she meets Touko, who is a confident second-year student, and the girls instantly realize how much they have in common. As they grow fonder of each other, Yuu realizes that Touko is not quite the person she seems to be. While it may seem like the plot of Bloom Into You is kind of basic, it’s one of the best lesbian animes out there and one of the most touching love stories we have seen in a while.



Kakegurui© Poster. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Source: TMDb

Kakegurui

While it can be pretty hard to find gay anime shows on Netflix, there are some gay anime Netflix shows with queer characters and anime lesbians. One of the most exciting ones is Kakegurui. While Kakegurui is a show set in a high school, Hyakkaou Private Academy is far from an ordinary high school because gambling is the most important subject for its students. The show follows a group of girls who are exceptionally good at poker. They all have their tricks, and they know how to win, even5 though their methods are quite unconventional, to say the least. While Kakegurui is not necessarily gay anime, girls at Hyakkaou get united by their craziness and eventually develop feelings for each other.



Gravitation© Poster. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Source: TMDb

Gravitation

Gravitation can sometimes work in mysterious ways. It can draw two completely different people to each other and change their lives forever. And that’s exactly what Gravitation is about. Shuuichi is thrilled — his band, where he is the singer and the lyricist, has signed a contract with a record company. They are preparing their first single, but Shuuichi just can’t get the lyrics right. One day, by some twist of fate (and gravitation), Shuuichi meets Eiri Yuki, one of the most prominent Japanese romance writers. The relationship between Eiri and Shuuichi is messy, complicated, and mysterious, but most importantly, it’s full of love.



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9 must-watch LGBTQ+ shows for anime fans was originally published in Taimi Lifestyle & Community on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.


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