Anime is one of the most varied genres of media. If you’re a fan of fantasy, sports, action, or even romance, there’s going to be an anime for you. That said, anime doesn’t often carry a reputation for having many shows aimed at or featuring LGBT+ people. Even those anime that do feature LGBT+ people sometimes rely on stereotypes and objectification when introducing queer characters.
Nevertheless, there are several anime featuring LGBT+ people that everyone should watch. These anime span several different genres, so while romance will definitely feature, there is also an abundance of fantasy, action, sci-fi, and even some Olympic sports.
10 Sukisho!
The story follows a high school student known as Sora Hashiba who falls from the fourth floor of his school building, waking up in a dorm without any of his prior memories, with a strange boy that Hashiba hasn’t seen before in his life.
The show follows Hashiba as he tries to regain his memories from before the fall. The boy he awoke to is Sunao Fujimori, one of Hasiba’s oldest friends, and strangely, both boys have alternate personalities known as Yuru and Ran. These personalities form a romantic and passionate bond.
9 Gravitation
One of the earliest LGBT+ anime to be released, Gravitation follows Shuichi Shinzo, a singer in a rock band who ends up becoming romantically attached to a romance novelist known as Eiri Yuki.
While Gravitation is an uplifting, funny, and insane anime there are also serious undertones of homophobia and violence that make this a far more thoughtful anime.
8 Dakaichi
Taking place in the cutthroat world of acting, veteran actor Takato Saijo loses the title of ‘World’s Sexiest Man’ to an up and coming young actor called Junta Azumaya. The series follows the two characters as they find themselves in the center of a scandal.
While this is far from the most serious anime on this list, it is a funny and lighthearted anime that will certainly brighten a Sunday afternoon.
7 No. 6
Based on a dystopian novel series, No.6 takes place in a world in which class divides have become incredibly stark and violent. The story follows a boy named Shion from the privileged class, discovers another boy named Nezumi breaking into his home on a night time.
As the two begin to explore the issues surrounding this dystopian society, they grow close and eventually form a romantic bond. Fans of dystopian young adult fiction will definitely enjoy this anime!
6 Citrus
Adapted from the popular manga of the same name, Citrus follows a young woman named Yuzu Aihara after her mother remarries and she gets transferred to an all-girl school. Yuzu hates this school and gets constantly berated by the Student Council President, Mei (who also happens to be her step-sister).
The two girls eventually grow close and begin to form a more romantic relationship and explore their own sexualities. While the show is problematic to some degree, it is still worth watching for fans of LGBT+ anime.
5 Antique Bakery
Antique Bakery follows the life of Keisuke Tachibana, a pastry chef who hates cake after a traumatic childhood experience, and Yusuke Ono, a famed chef who constantly finds himself out of a job due to the fact he is irresistible to men, leading his coworkers to fight over him.
The story is fantastic and the LGBT+ relationships that form in the show aren’t necessarily the central focus either, making it a more normalized TV series.
4 Aoi Hana
Aoi Hana follows a shy young woman called Fumi Manjōme who reconnects with her childhood friend after a toxic relationship, Akira Okudaira, after 10 years. Fumi Manjōme is a lesbian and the series does well to follow and flesh out this character without delving into the stereotype.
The series does well to combine all the usual high school drama in a manner that is fun to watch, with every character being compelling in their own right.
3 Hourou Musko
This anime follows the lives of a transgender boy and a transgender girl. Based on the manga of the same name, this anime follows the two characters as they grow up, focussing on their trials and tribulations, each struggling to come to terms with their own gender dysphoria.
The anime is very uplifting in scope which will make this an incredibly enjoyable anime for those who’re looking for shows with transgender characters.
2 Sasameki Noto
Based on the manga of the same name, Sasameki Noto is a slice of life anime that follows a young woman named Sumika Murasame, who has been in love with her best friend, Ushio Kazama, since the two started attending middle school together.
In addition to exploring the struggles of lesbians in Japanese society, the anime also explores the emotional pain of unrequited love.
1 Yuri On Ice
Yuri on Ice is one of the most popular anime of recent years. The story follows a figure skater named Yuri as he finds himself on the verge of quitting the sport. However, an embarrassing turn of events leads Yuri’s ice skating hero, Victor, to fly to Japan to become his coach.
The two eventually grow very close and form a romantic relationship. While the show does this with more ambiguity than is necessary, it is still necessary viewing for fans of LGBT+ anime.