Yuri (genre)

***Yuri*** (百合?, "lily"), also known by the wasei-eigo construction **Girls' Love** (ガールズラブ *gāruzu rabu*?),[3] is a Japanese jargon term for content and a genre involving love between women in manga, anime, and related Japanese media.[4][5] *Yuri* focuses on the sexual orientation or the romantic orientation aspects of the relationship, or both, the latter of which sometimes being called *shōjo-ai* by Western fandom.[6]

The themes *yuri* deals with have their roots in the Japanese lesbian fiction of the early twentieth century,[7][8] with pieces such as *Yaneura no Nishojo* by Nobuko Yoshiya.[9] Nevertheless, it is not until the 1970s that lesbian-themed works began to appear in manga, by the hand of artists such as Ryoko Yamagishi and Riyoko Ikeda.[1] The 1990s brought new trends in manga and anime, as well as in dōjinshi productions, along with more acceptance for this kind of content.[10] In 2003, the first manga magazine specifically dedicated to *yuri*, *Yuri Shimai*, was launched, and this was followed by its revival *Comic Yuri Hime*, which was launched after the former was discontinued in 2004.[11][12]

Although *yuri* originated in female-targeted (shōjo, josei) works, today it is featured in male-targeted (shōnen, seinen) ones as well.[8] *Yuri* manga from male-targeted magazines include titles such as *Kannazuki no Miko* and *Strawberry Panic!*, as well as those from *Comic Yuri Hime'*s male-targeted sister magazine, *Comic Yuri Hime S*, which was launched in 2007.[13]

## Definition and semantic drift

### Etymology

The word *yuri* (百合?) literally means "lily", and is a relatively common Japanese feminine name.[4] In 1976, Bungaku Itō, editor of *Barazoku* (薔薇族?, lit. rose tribe), a magazine geared primarily towards gay men, first used the term *yurizoku* (百合族?, lit. lily tribe) in reference to female readers in the title of a column of letters called *Yurizoku no heya* (百合族の部屋?, lit. lily tribe's room).[14]
 It is unclear whether this was the first instance of this usage of the
term. Not all women whose letters appeared in this short-lived column
were necessarily lesbians, but some were and gradually an association
developed. For example, the *tanbi* magazine *Allan* (アラン *Aran*?) began running a *Yuri Tsūshin* (百合通信?, "Lily Communication") personal ad column in July 1983 for "lesbiennes" to communicate.[15] Along the way, many dōjinshi circles incorporated the name "Yuri" or "Yuriko" into lesbian-themed hentai (pornographic) dōjinshi, and the "zoku" or "tribe" portion of this word was subsequently dropped.[6]
 Since then, the meaning has drifted from its mostly pornographic
connotation to describe the portrayal of intimate love, sex, or the
intimate emotional connections between women.[16]

### Japanese vs. Western usage

As of 2009, the term *yuri* is used in Japan to mean the
depiction of attraction between women (whether sexual or romantic;
explicit or implied) in manga, anime, and related entertainment media,
as well as the genre of stories primarily dealing with this content.[5][16] The wasei-eigo construction "Girls Love" (ガールズラブ *gāruzu rabu*?), occasionally spelled "Girl's Love" or "Girls' Love", or abbreviated as "GL", is also used with this meaning.[3][16] *Yuri* is generally a form of fanspeak amongst fans, but its usage by authors and publishers has increased since 2005.[3][5] The term "Girls Love", on the other hand, is primarily used by the publishers.[16][17]

In North America, *yuri* has initially been used to denote only the most explicit end of the spectrum, deemed primarily as a variety of hentai.[6] Following the pattern of *shōnen-ai*,
 a term already in use in North America to describe content involving
non-sexual relationships between men, Western fans coined the term *shōjo-ai* to describe *yuri* without explicit sex.[6] In Japan, the term *shōjo-ai* (少女愛?, lit. girl love) is not used with this meaning,[6] and instead tends to denote pedophilia (actual or perceived), with a similar meaning to the term *lolicon* (Lolita complex).[18] The Western use of *yuri* has broadened in the 2000s, picking up connotations from the Japanese use.[16] American publishing companies such as ALC Publishing and Seven Seas Entertainment have also adopted the Japanese usage of the term to classify their *yuri* manga publications.[19][20]

## Thematic history

Among the first Japanese authors to produce works about love between women was Nobuko Yoshiya,[9] a novelist active in the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan.[21] Yoshiya was a pioneer in Japanese lesbian literature, including the early twentieth century Class S genre.[22] These kinds of stories depict lesbian attachments as emotionally intense yet platonic relationships, destined to be curtailed by graduation from school, marriage, or death.[21]
 The root of this genre is in part the contemporary belief that same-sex
 love was a transitory and normal part of female development leading
into heterosexuality and motherhood.[23] Class S stories in particular tell of strong emotional bonds between schoolgirls, a mutual crush between an upperclassman and an underclassman.[22]

Around the 1970s, *yuri* began to appear in shōjo manga,[1] presenting some of the characteristics found in the lesbian literature of the early twentieth century.[7] This early *yuri*
 generally features an older looking, more sophisticated woman, and a
younger, more awkward admirer. The two deal with some sort of
unfortunate schism between their families, and when rumors of their
lesbian relationship spread, they are received as a scandal. The outcome
 is a tragedy, with the more sophisticated girl somehow dying at the
end.[7] In general, the *yuri* manga of this time could not avoid a tragic ending.[24][25] Ryoko Yamagishi's *Shiroi Heya no Futari*, the first manga involving a lesbian relationship,[1] is a prime example, as it was "prototypical" for many yuri stories of the 1970s and 1980s.[26] It is also in the 1970s that shōjo manga began to deal with transsexualism and transvestism,[27] sometimes depicting female characters as manly looking, which was inspired by the women playing male roles in the Takarazuka Revue.[28] These traits are most prominent in Riyoko Ikeda's works,[29] including *The Rose of Versailles*, *Oniisama e...*, and *Claudine...!*[30] Some shōnen works of this period feature lesbian characters too, but these are mostly depicted as fanservice and comic relief.[31]

Some of these formulas began to weaken during the 1990s:[10] manga stories such as *Jukkai me no Jukkai* by Wakuni Akisato, published in 1992, began to move away from the tragic outcomes and stereotyped dynamics.[32] This stood side-by-side with dōjinshi works, which at the time were largely influenced by the immense popularity of *Sailor Moon*,[33] the first mainstream manga and anime series featuring a "positive" portrayal of an openly lesbian couple.[8][29] Furthermore, many of the people behind this show went on to make *Revolutionary Girl Utena*, a shōjo anime series where the main storyline focuses on a *yuri* relationship, which is widely regarded today as a masterpiece.[34] Male-targeted works such as the *Devilman Lady* anime series, based on a homonym seinen manga by Go Nagai, began to deal with lesbian themes in a more "mature manner" too.[35] The first magazines specifically targeted towards lesbians appeared around this period, containing sections featuring *yuri* manga.[36] These stories range from high school crush to lesbian life and love, featuring different degrees of sexual content.[36][37] It is at this point (the mid-1990s) that lesbian-themed works began to be acceptable.[29]

The later 1990s brought Oyuki Konno's *Maria-sama ga Miteru*, which by 2004 was a bestseller among *yuri* novels.[38] This story revisits what was being written at the time of Nobuko Yoshiya:[39]
 strong emotional bonds between females, mostly revolving around the
school upperclassman-underclassman dynamic, like those portrayed in
Class S.[39]
 Another prominent author of this period is Kaho Nakayama, active since
the early 1990s, with works involving love stories among lesbians.[38]

Around the early 2000s, the first magazines specifically dedicated to *yuri* manga were launched,[11][12] containing stories dealing with a wide range of themes: from intense emotional connections such as that depicted in *Voiceful*, to more explicit school-girl romances like those portrayed in *First Love Sisters*,[40] and realistic tales about love between adult women such as those seen in *Rakuen no Jōken*.[41] Some of these subjects are seen in male-targeted works of this period as well,[42][43] sometimes in combination with other themes, including mecha and science fiction.[44][45] Examples include series such as *Kannazuki no Miko*, *Blue Drop*, and *Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl*. In addition, male-targeted stories tend to make extensive use of moe and bishōjo characterizations.[13]

## Publications

Sun Magazine published the *yuri* manga anthology magazine *Yuri Shimai* between June 2003 and November 2004 in quarterly installments, ending with only five issues.[11] After the magazine's discontinuation, *Comic Yuri Hime* was launched by Ichijinsha in July 2005 as a revival of the magazine,[5] containing manga by many of the authors who had had work serialized in *Yuri Shimai*.[12] Like its predecessor, *Comic Yuri Hime* is also published quarterly.[12] A sister magazine to *Comic Yuri Hime* named *Comic Yuri Hime S* was launched as a quarterly publication by Ichijinsha in June 2007.[46] Unlike either *Yuri Shimai* or *Comic Yuri Hime*, *Comic Yuri Hime S* is targeted towards a male audience.[13] Ichijinsha will start to publish light novel adaptations from *Comic Yuri Hime* works and original *yuri* novels under their shōjo light novel line *Ichijinsha Bunko Iris*, scheduled to begin on July 19, 2008.[47] Some Japanese lesbian lifestyle magazines contain manga sections, including the now-defunct magazines *Anise* (1996–97, 2001–03) and *Phryné* (1995).[36] *Carmilla*, an erotic lesbian publication,[36] released an anthology of lesbian manga called *Girl's Only*.[48] Additionally, *Mist* (1996–99), a ladies' comic manga magazine, contained sexually explicit lesbian-themed manga as part of a section dedicated to lesbian-interest topics.[36]

The first company to release lesbian-themed manga in North America was Yuricon's publishing arm ALC Publishing.[49] Their works include Rica Takashima's *Rica 'tte Kanji!?*—which in 2006 was course material for Professor Kerridwen Luis' Anthropology 166B course at Brandeis University[50][51]—and their annual *yuri* manga anthology *Yuri Monogatari*; both were first released in 2003.[49]
 The latter collects stories by American, European, and Japanese
creators, including Akiko Morishima, Althea Keaton, Kristina Kolhi,
Tomomi Nakasora, and Eriko Tadeno.[52][53] These works range from fantasy stories to more realistic tales dealing with themes such as coming out and sexual orientation.[53] Besides ALC Publishing, the Los Angeles-based Seven Seas Entertainment has also incurred in the genre, with the English version of well known titles such as the *Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl* manga and the *Strawberry Panic!* light novels.[20] On October 24, 2006, Seven Seas announced the launch of their specialized *yuri* manga line, which includes works such as the *Strawberry Panic!* manga, *The Last Uniform*,[20] and *Comic Yuri Hime'*s compilations such as *Voiceful* and *First Love Sisters*.[40]

## Yuri series

These lists display stories according to the role *yuri* plays in them. The first list shows series in which interpersonal attraction between females and/or lesbian themes or tropes play a central role in their storylines; most of which are labeled by publishers as *yuri*. The second list contains stories in which the same subjects are used mostly for comic relief, as fanservice, subtext, or for character development in a larger, sometimes unrelated context; these are generally recognized by the fandom as to contain prevalent elements of *yuri* (even if the series is not marketed as such).