The earliest instance of yuri as a genre was found in women’s magazines, where women would anonymously publish poetry and short fiction about Sapphic relationships. These stories, much like in the west, would often end with heartbreak or sadness in order to appease Japan’s ideals on homosexuality.
The 90’s and onward saw a rapid increase in male mangaka in the genre and, more importantly, a tightened focus on the feminine, youthful purity of school girls. This shift reflected the mainstream ideas on lesbianism within Japan; that it is normal for young girls to have “practice” relationships with one another before they grow up and marry men. This kind of yuri is often described as sister-like.
Today, yuri has expanded into a heavily diversified genre that has found accessibility to a wide variety of individuals. With more people clamoring for more dynamically written characters in fiction, yuri has begun to answer the call in its own way; incorporating commentary on what it is like to be LGBT in contemporary Japan within its works. Here is a short list of celebrated work under the yuri genre that transcends the typical themes and content we find in yuri fiction written by LGBT mangaka.
The Private Report of My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness is a series that has found critical acclaim through online publishing. The story is an autobiographical account of mangaka Nagata Kabi, coming to terms with her lesbian identity while also gracefully tackling subjects such as mental illness, adulthood and what it means to be emotionally fulfilled. Kabi illustrates what it feels like to derail from the expectations society has burdened you with, barring her unfiltered feelings for the reader to experience. While an absolutely heavy read, Kabi does not hesitate to inject light and relatable humor in order to breath more life into her experiences and to emphasize how she has grown from the earlier periods of her life. The manga is as hopeful as it is sad, as relatable as it is distinct and as honest as it is self-aware.
Honey and Honey is an autobiographical work that follows the daily life of mangaka Takeuchi Sachiko and her girlfriend, Masako. Unlike our previous entry, Honey and Honey is a consistently lighthearted endeavor. The manga explores Sachiko’s experiences with Japan’s thriving LGBT community as well as the trials of lesbian dating. In Japan where sexual minorities are often misunderstood, Sachiko aims to explain to the reader what it means to be gay or transgender – often using her trans men friends as a vehicle to demonstrate complex nature of gender. The simplistic art style may cross those who demand more visual stimulation, but Sachiko’s lively flamboyant storytelling more than compensates for the lack of detail. While one may not find a striking drama in Sachiko’s dates with Masako or their participation their LGBT events, they will find a lightness and a sense of ease.
In spring 2013, Higashi Koyuki and Masahara Hiroko made history by being the first same sex couple to hold a wedding ceremony in Disneyland. While their marriage is not legally recognized by the Japanese government, Koyuki and Hiroko remain strong advocates for LGBT rights and acceptance in Japan’s current political climate. Our Journey to Lesbian Motherhood chronicles the aftermath of Koyuki and Hiroko’s wedding. As the title suggests, the story follows Koyuki and Hiroko’s decision to have a child. A short, sweet, slice of life orientated tale, Koyuki and Hiroko lovingly depict the communication, trust and support flowing between them as go through the motions of wholesome lesbian family planning. Being activists themselves, Koyuki and Hiroko assert the conditions imposed upon them by society in between bouts of humor and love.
Shimanami Tasogare is a seminal piece of magical realism. Created by x-gender mangaka Yuhki Kamatani, Shimanami Tasogare follows an emotionally vulnerable young gay boy as he stumbles upon a lounge of people with similar afflictions to himself curated by a mysterious woman. Shimanami Tasogare is not yuri centered, but features a lesbian couple trying to move forward with their relationships while dealing with the social stigma of lesbianism as well as the psychological scars it burdens them with. While yuri is often described as lesbian content without lesbian identity, Kamatani reels in struggle of lesbians in a mature, adult romance that desires vindication and resolve. While sweet, Shimanami Tasogare illustrates the tumultuous headspace of being closeted through lush imagery and striking visual detail.
Gunjou is a manga that requires patience to describe. Written by Nakamura CHING, Gunjou follows an unnamed woman and her lesbian lover on the run after orchestrating the murder of the former’s abusive husband. Exploring what it means to make sacrifices and amends, the story is more bittersweet than tender. Our main characters at times seem more drawn to each other out of a sense of necessity as opposed to yearning; yet, in spite of it all, there remain steadfast kernels of genuine care at the heart of their relationship. Gunjou is impactful, tense and dark, drawing from the emotions that CHING has stated she had to come to terms with when she came out as a lesbian. Gunjou will leave you exasperated; emotionally wrung like a particularly taxing episode of Black Mirror. The pathos, however, that arrives when our protagonists renew their desire to live, is powerfully cathartic.
