The 8 Best Yuri Anime on Crunchyroll

Childhood friends Yuma and Hotaru are happy with their respective boyfriends. They love to hang out and go on double dates like any normal high school couple would.

But what people see on the surface might actually be far from the truth: Yuma and Hotaru's connection goes way beyond just friendship.

The public's reception of the show is quite varied, with most of the hate being because of the show's netorare elements.

Netorare is a subtheme in anime that involves a person, usually female, cheating on their partner.

The show's subtitle, NTR, which is short for Netsuzou TRap, is also a play on the theme, which is mostly referred to using the same initials.

While that can be off-putting, a lot of the show's fans have only high praises for it, especially since Netsuzou TRap has unbelievably attractive main protagonists who have great chemistry together... if you could get past the whole adultery thing.

If you're not so sure NTR would be your cup of tea, it would be helpful to know that each episode only runs for about nine minutes. You can easily get on or off it depending on how the show makes you feel!

Related: The Best Yuri Anime to Watch in 2022

Inugami and Nekoyama don't have that much in common.

In fact, on a limited scale, the two would each be on either ends: Inugami is an extrovert, while Nekoyama is an introvert; Inugami likes cats, while Nekoyama likes dogs.

If their surnames bearing the Japanese words for the other's favorite animal isn't much of a giveaway, Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san is a wild and colorful interpretation of the classic 'opposites attract' trope.

Along with other characters whose names and personalities are also based on animals, Inugami and Nekoyama go through the tangles of friendship while also exploring the reaches of their own intimate relationship with each other.

Now depending on your own preferences, the anime's 3-minute episodes can be a turn-off. But while most anime shorts are hit-or-miss, Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san is definitely on the must-watch list.

Not only are the characters and their interactions absolutely enjoyable, the show's art and animation styles are also quite cute and pleasing.

If you're a yuri fan who also happens to like anything lighthearted and sweet, you most definitely can't go wrong with Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san.

Another story where opposite characters attractt, Kase-san and Morning Glories is a feel-good yuri anime that induces the butterflies-in-stomach feeling more than it does sexual tensions.

The shy and gentle Yui who loves plants and gardening gets into a relationship with the schools school's spirited track team ace Tomoka. Though hardly similar, the two high-schoolers seem to have no problem supporting each other.

Kase-san and Morning Glories plays into the enchantment that is first love. Even the conflicts in the movie are natural, realistic even—unlike in other shows that could have done just as well without forcing annoying issues onto to their viewers.

I may be speaking for myself when I say this, but it definitely brought back the cutesy feelings of high school romance.

The 58-minute OVA was absolutely a joy to watch, and I dare say even non-yuri fans would enjoy it. Therefore, if you're looking for an anime to get you into yuri, Kase-san and Morning Glories would be the perfect gateway.

After separating and then reuniting with her elementary best friend, Fumi, Akira is determined to make their friendship the way it was. But going to different high schools and living separate lives doesn't make it easy.

Timid and soft-spoken, Fumi has often found herself running to Akira for help and advice, especially now that she has become the subject of a pretty forward senior's love pursuit. Fumi must now learn to start being less of a crybaby and become someone who can decide and do things for herself.

The show realistically portrays the fun and pain that come with young love and juvenile friendships.

Though relatively underrated, Sweet Blue Flowers is widely praised by those who've seen it. Everything—plot, art style, characters and character design—screams realistic, and unlike most yuri titles, it lacks the fanservicey scenes that can sometimes leave a bad taste on viewers, especially if it's the story they're in for.

At the time the anime was running, its source manga was still ongoing. In such cases, animation studios would usually craft up an original ending.

J.C.Staff steered clear of that path and made it an open ending. It might have been for the best, but it sure had fans fuming for a time.

Still, if you're a fan of yuri titles and haven't seen Sweet Blue Flowers yet, you're definitely missing out.

You might enjoy: 12 Anime with Controversial Endings

YuruYuri is one of the more popular titles in this list. Centered around a school's wacky Amusement Club which has no other purpose than to amuse its members, this light yuri is the right combination of comedy, moe, and Girls Love subtexts and is absolutely an enjoyable watch.

Akari, Kyouko, Yui, and Chinatsu make up the eccentric quartet. While there are obvious crushes among them, it doesn't cross the line of inappropriateness given that they they're only in middle school.

Fans enjoy YuruYuri mainly because of its wholesome, light-hearted nature that doesn't overshadow its yuri elements.

With three seasons, a movie, and a coupla OVAs, the show has a myriad of iconic moments, but the undying joke is how Akari is supposedly the main character but is almost always invisible.

If I'd have to say anything about the show, it would be that it truly deserves all the hype surrounding it. Definitely go give it a watch soon!

Related: The Funniest Comedy Anime Ever

We've talked about five great yuri shows, but if you're still looking for something with more straightforward yuri elements, Sakura Trick would be your pick.

When I say 'straightforward', I mean it quite literally. In the very first episode, viewers are already given a kissing scene involving the two main characters, Yuu and Haruka, and there are only more make-out sessions as the show goes on.

Aside from the feel-good atmosphere that encompasses the whole series, what makes Sakura Trick a widely enjoyed yuri anime are its deep characters with even deeper bonds and connections, and the show's slice-of-life nature that's nothing like the usual bland daily life.

citrus, stylized in all-lowercase, is another popular title in this list, and it's also one that received distinctly polar reactions from its viewers.

The anime tells the story of two troubled high schoolers who suddenly became sisters after their parents married each other.

Though outwardly different, the two share a secret that nobody else would possibly understand if it were to ever come out.

The show's fans argue that the hate the show gets stems from the fact that people are quick to dismiss it for its mature elements without really understanding how they're in the story for a reason that moves the plot forward.

It would help, then, to realize that citrus deals with topics that go way beyond just yuri and sexuality. It would take a more mature outlook to truly take the show for all that it could give and not stop at its surface offerings.

Related: The Top 10 LGBTQ+ Anime of All Time

Sumika is in love with her best friend, Ushio. But while Ushio also likes girls, unfortunately, the smart and strong Sumika is far from the cute, girly, type that Ushio is attracted to.

If that's not reason enough for them to not end up together, Sumika is reluctant about opening up about her feelings, for fear that she might ruin their friendship.

So goes the story of Sasameki Koto: friendship, love and heartbreak all go together to tell a tale that's more than just simple yuri.

Released in 2009, Sasameki Koto is many fans' first introduction to yuri. Obviously, lots of yuri shows have come out since then, but nothing can truly replace the experience given by this classic.

Related: The Best Yuri Anime Movies to Watch