We be bloggin'

The morning sun shines for our second Niji Night! You know what the world doesn’t have enough of in the world? Girls love. We tend to be a somewhat heavy on the BL blog when it comes to our holidays and posts (it’s me, Luna’s, fault). So today we decided to bring back an old post and update it with some more recommendations. If you’re a fan of Girls Love, wanting to get into it, or even if you just want to see a good romance, here are 5 more recommendations that we think you’ll really enjoy. And if you want to see our original five, click here!

I’m in Love with the Villainess

I’m not going to say that this one is perfect by any means. This is an anime based on a manga that was based off of a light novel. The first thing I’ll say about this entire anime is that…it might be hard to like either of the lead characters when you first get into it. Rae and Claire aren’t exactly…likeable to me. The premise of this story is an office worker getting reincarnated into her favorite otome game–the catch is that she is in love with Claire, the villainess character. When Rae finds herself in the game, she uses the knowledge of the game to essentially manipulate her way into being closer with Claire. Their characters, and their relationship, certainly improves over the anime but more than the love story, I think this show does an excellent job about talking about LGBTQIA+ topics in a meaningful way. Rae isn’t afraid of identifying as a lesbian nor does she try to hide her feelings for Claire. Other characters talk and ask pretty frankly about her sexuality. I really like how frank it is in that manner, and that’s why I think it’s a definite watch.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

The one thing I can say about this anime is: WOW. This show was a very light isekai and a certifiably fun and fantastical ride. The main character, Anis, is hinted at having come from a different world, though it never quite matters. The story here begins when Anis’ brother breaks off his engagement with the other main character, Euphillyia. At this time, Anis “kidnaps” Euphillyia and claims that she will become her bride. They then begin living together. What made this series so great to Star and I though, was that this was NOT bait. Now, we’ve been watching shows that seem like GL stories only to have the characters never get together or for the shows to 180 the relationships into being sisterly or straight. This show, however, displayed a true and tender relationship between Anis and Euphillyia over the course of the much larger magical storyline. The chemistry was there, the blushing, the romantic situations, the bond. But we were so happy for the ending to actually give us an onscreen kiss and true declaration of the relationship between Anis and Euphillyia. If you’re a fan of fantasy, magic, and GL, this is a show you don’t want to miss.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch of Mercury

I cannot tell you what this show is about in terms of the mech storyline. I watched it–I really did. But scifi just isn’t always my cup of tea. However, I found that I watched all of Witch of Mercury mainly for Suletta and Miorine. Similar to the The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Suletta and Miorine end up engaged at one point early on in the series. The two girls essentially roll with it. They become closer and closer over the course of the anime, having their ups and downs throughout the plot. It’s all very obvious in their connection and chemistry but also very subtle. But because they still insist they are engaged, I kind of kept watching it to see what would happen. And the good news? It totally pays off because they do indeed end up together. It’s because of this that I highly recommend it for gundam lovers as it really just threads the GL elements into the otherwise grand storyline in a very believable and normalizing way. As a writer myself, I love to see same-sex relationships written in as a norm within other canon just as much as I love romances that highlight them heavily.

Strawberry Panic

One of the quintessential GL anime out there. Okay maybe not quintessential but definitely one of the classics. Strawberry Panic is anime that based around an entire universe known as Strawberry Panic–collections of stories and spin-offs that all happen in the Strawberry dorm at an all-girls school. This anime consists of multiple love stories between multiple characters in the dorms. Strawberry Panic is a good watch because it’s the exact opposite of the subtle I was talking about as it purely highlights all forms of GL. From showing intimacy and kissing in the show, to showing couples just getting together vs. those already established. This really does feel like a GL that is essential to the world of anime and a must-watch for anyone who is a fan. Just–maybe don’t let this be the intro for you if you’re just getting into it.

Whisper Me a Love Song

The only anime I will put on this list without having watched the full thing. Why? It’s airing as we speak. This show combines GL with a genre of anime that I absolutely adore: music. The main character Himari hears the singer of a band called SSGIRLS and falls in love with her. She then runs into Yori, aka that main singer, and confesses she fell for her. Cue their love story! Yori thinks it’s a really confession and also instantly falls for Himari only to find out that Himari meant she fell for her music. This begins a tale in which the two girls (mainly Himari) navigate their feelings. One thing I find particularly lovely is a theme I also found in the music-oriented BL, Given, which is Himari needing to distinguish between her love of music–and her admiration of Yori’s talent, and her feelings of actual love for the other girl. Again, this show hasn’t finished yet but I think it’s a MUST watch. There’s so many good things about it.

Those are my five Girls Love recommendations for our 2024 Niji Nights! I hope that you found one or two to watch. Tune into the blog tomorrow for day three of our Pride Celebration here at YCK!

xoxo

Luna