What is this genre all about? Shoujo Ai means girls love, and thus explores what happens when two girls (or women) fall in love. This is not to be mistaken for Yuri which is (or, at least, how this term is often used by the western audience) used in adult works. This is not; that means there is no graphical sex.
The male version is Shounen Ai.
We present you the list of Shoujo Ai anime you should watch right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 20 Shoujo Ai anime you should watch right now. [2026 List]
- 20. Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou.
- 19. Yagate Kimi ni Naru
- 18. Akuma no Riddle
- 17. Yuru Yuri
- 16. Adachi to Shimamura
- 15. Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo
- 14. Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road
- 13. Eien no Filena
- 12. Citrus
- 11. Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru!
- 10. Happy Sugar Life
- 9. Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita!
- 8. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
- 7. Ice
- 6. Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san
- 5. Kämpfer
- 4. Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru!: Uchi no Maid wa Yappari Mou Honto Uzainda naa...
- 3. Asagao to Kase-san.
- 2. Uchuu Kaizoku Mito no Daibouken: Futari no Joou-sama
- 1. Maria†Holic
20. Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou.
The story of a reincarnated gamer pursuing her villainous lady love at a fantasy girls’ academy!
Ordinary office worker Oohashi Rei has just woken up in the body of the protagonist of her favorite girls’ otome game, Revolution. To her delight, the first person to greet her is her favorite character, Claire Francois–who just so happens to be the main antagonist of the story. Now, Rei is determined to do what the game never allowed: romance Claire instead of one of the male leads. But how will her villainous lady love react to that?!
I'm in Love with the Villainess has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 私の推しは悪役令嬢。, WataOshi, ทำไงดีเกมนี้นางร้ายน่ารัก, Me Enamoré de la Villana
19. Yagate Kimi ni Naru
Yuu has always dreamt of receiving a love confession but feels nothing when a boy gives her one. Confused, she starts her first year of high school and meets the beautiful student council president, Nanami, who makes her heart skip a beat.
Bloom Into You has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: やがて君になる, Eventually, I Will Become You
18. Akuma no Riddle
Tokaku Azuma has just transferred to the elite Myoujou Academy, a private girls' boarding school. But there's a catch: she, along with 11 of her fellow students in Class Black, is an assassin taking part in the challenge to kill their sweet-natured classmate, Haru Ichinose. Whoever succeeds will be granted their deepest desire, no matter the difficulty or cost. However, each assassin only gets one chance; if they fail to kill her, they will be expelled.
Despite the extraordinary reward, Tokaku decides to take a different course of action. Though Haru is her target, the young assassin soon finds herself drawn to the very girl she is supposed to kill. With the entire class out for Haru, Tokaku refuses to let her friend die, vowing to protect her from a growing bloodlust.
Riddle Story of Devil has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 悪魔のリドル, Akuma no Riddle
17. Yuru Yuri
After a year in grade school without her childhood friends, first year student Akari Akaza is finally reunited with second years Yui Funami and Kyouko Toshinou at their all-girls' middle school. During the duo's first year, Yui and Kyouko formed the "Amusement Club" which occupies the now nonexistent Tea Club's room. Shortly after Akari joins, one of her fellow classmates, Chinatsu Yoshikawa, pays the trio a visit under the impression that they are the Tea Club; it is only once the three girls explain that the Tea Club has been disbanded that they can convince Chinatsu to join the Amusement Club—a group with no purpose other than to provide entertainment for its members.
Based on the slice-of-life manga by Namori, Yuru Yuri is an eccentric comedy about a group of girls who spend their spare time drinking tea and fawning over each other, all while completely failing to even notice the supposed main character Akari amongst them.
YuruYuri: Happy Go Lily has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ゆるゆり, YRYR
16. Adachi to Shimamura
The second floor of the gym―this was where we always met. It was class time, but of course, there weren't any classes going on in a place like this.This was where Shimamura and I became friends. We hung out here―talking about TV shows and cooking, playing some ping pong... This is where we fostered our friendship.Keeping my head propped against the wall, I let out a small sigh.What was this feeling? Yesterday, I'd dreamt of me and Shimamura kissing.Not that I'm like that. I'm sure Shimamura isn’t either. It’s not even something worth repeating myself about, but really, it’s not like that.It's just that when she hears the word "friend," I want her to think of me first. That's all.
Adachi and Shimamura has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 安達としまむら, Adashima
15. Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo
The royal life of Princess Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi was as idyllic as the life of a sixteen-year-old princess could be. Beautiful, talented, athletic, loved by her people, and soon to be baptized in honor of her ascension to the throne of the Misurugi Empire, Angelise had everything. Even her kingdom was in a blissful age of peace and prosperity thanks to the utilization of an extremely advanced technology materialization force known as "mana."
However, everything Angelise has come to know soon crashes to the ground around her after she is revealed to be a "norma," a member of society resistant to the effects of mana and unable to use it herself. Just like the rest of the norma, Angelise is arrested and removed from society. Now she's being forced to work as a soldier based out of the prison camp, Arzenal, and fly a transforming robotic vehicle called a "Paramail."
To survive, Angelise will have to adapt to several different aspects of her new life in Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo, coping with prison society, relationships with other "norma" women, and piloting her Paramail against giant beasts known as DRAGONs. Will revenge be a great enough motive to encourage her to overcome these challenges? Or will the hate for those that betrayed her tear her apart in the process?
Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Dragons has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: クロスアンジュ 天使と竜の輪舞〈ロンド〉, Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo
14. Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road
The Lost Ones are wanderers who come here from a distant world known as "Japan." No one knows how or why they leave their homes. The only thing that is certain is that they bring disaster and calamity. The duty of exterminating them without remorse falls to Menou, a young Executioner. When she meets Akari, it seems like just another job...until she discovers it's impossible to kill this girl! And when Menou begins to search for a way to defeat this immortality, Akari is more than happy to tag along! So begins a journey that will change Menou forever...
The Executioner and Her Way of Life has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 処刑少女の生きる道〈バージンロード〉, Shokei Shoujo no Ikiru Michi, Virgin Road, The life of an executioned girl - and yet, she lives.
13. Eien no Filena
The story is centered around Filena, a princess who was raised as a boy after her kingdom was conquered.
Eien no Filena has finished airing and it has 6 Episodes. It is also Known as: 永遠のフィレーナ, Eternal Filena, Eien no Filerna, Filena
12. Citrus
Yuzu, a high school gyaru who hasn't experienced her first love yet, transfers to an all-girls school after her mother remarries. She's beyond upset that she can't land a boyfriend at her new school. Then, on her first day, she meets the beautiful black-haired student council president Mei in the worst way possible. What's more, she later finds out that Mei is her new step-sister, and they'll be living under the same roof! And so the love affair between two polar opposite high school girls who find themselves drawn to one another begins!
Citrus has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: citrus, Citrus
11. Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru!
Misha is an elementary school girl who lives with her father, having lost her mother at a young age. A new maid has joined their household, and on top of being an unusually muscular woman, she also has an excessive love for young girls! Thus the not-so-heartwarming comedy starring a pervy maid versus a half-Russian schoolgirl begins!
UzaMaid! has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: うちのメイドがウザすぎる, Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru!
10. Happy Sugar Life
This is a shivering pure love psycho horror story of a girl named Satou Matsuzaka, who has someone she likes. She experiences a sweet feeling when she sleeps with her, and thought it must be love. Everything will be forgiven as long as she protects this feeling, even if she tricks, commits crimes, steals, or even kills, she thought.
Happy Sugar Life has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ハッピーシュガーライフ, White Sugar Garden, Black Salt Cage
9. Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita!
Miyako is a shy college student who is also an otaku. One day she happens to meet some angelic grade school kids! When Miyako sees her little sister's new friend Hana-chan, Miyako's heart won't stop racing! Miyako tries to get along with them but struggles... A sketch comedy all about trying to get along with the super cute girl is about to begin!
WATATEN!: an Angel Flew Down to Me has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 私に天使が舞い降りた！, Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita!
8. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
Naïve 16-year-old Mamori Tokonome is accustomed to being teased at school for having an unfortunate surname that can also be read as "virgin." However, young Mamori will soon have to get used to being teased in other ways...
Kidnapped during gym class, Mamori wakes up only to find herself stranded and under attack on the exotic island of Mermaid. Luckily, enigmatic fellow castaway Mirei Shikishima knows exactly how to take the lead—through a passionate kiss, Mirei unleashes Mamori's Exter transformation abilities, turning the innocent red-head into a battle-ready cutlass through the power of arousal.
The duo will need to tap into that power as Mermaid Island is full of potential friends and foes: Charlotte, the sadistic Liberator of an Exter harem; the gluttonous and crafty Meifon; the mysterious but charismatic Akira Hiiragi; and the erotic biker duo Lady Lady. Mamori and Mirei's powerful and intimate embrace is the only way for the pair to ensure their survival on this scandalous island.
Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ヴァルキリードライヴ マーメイド, Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
7. Ice
By A.D. 2010, all men have died off quickly due to a dramatic change in the environment and an unknown contaminant. The population decreased to the lowest number ever seen...until only the women were left alive.
They live huddled in small corners of a world mostly reclaimed by nature.
There are those who accept their inevitable extinction and live a carefree life...
There are those who try to continue on the race with the help of science...
It is a society of constant conflict over their differences of principles and policies.
The story takes place in the center of Tokyo. It is one of the places left for them. The conflict over the specimen of "ICE" and the chance it may provide to save humanity begins.
Ice has finished airing and it has 3 Episodes. It is also Known as: ICE - アイス -, ICE: The Last Generation, Project Ice
6. Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san
The story revolves around Nekoyama Suzu, a timid, shy tsundere girl who loves dogs, and Inugami Yachiyo, a super masochistic, air-headed, friendly girl who loves cats. One day, after a fateful meeting, the two find themselves attracted to each other. In response to Inugami's instinctive approaches, Nekoyama is always bashful. Their friend Aki has to work hard to make jabs at some of the situations of the two, and also to stop Inugami from going berserk.
Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 犬神さんと猫山さん, Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san
5. Kämpfer
Waking up transformed into a beautiful girl might be the stuff of some guys' fantasies, but when the suddenly effeminatized Natsuru is informed by a stuffed tiger that he's now a Kampfer, a mystical fighter who has to fight other Kampfers in female form, his life becomes a living nightmare!
Putting aside the obvious "plumbing" issues, Natsuru's best childhood friend turns out to swing the other way and SHE has a crush on his new female body. Not complex enough? Natsuru's school has separate sections for boys and girls, so he and she are now double enrolled. The rumor-mill has it that he's dating herself. And there are other Kampfers attending the school who want to take her out, and he's not sure which ones mean "on a date" and which ones mean "permanently." Oh, and did we mention that some Kampfers use swords and guns?! Hormones, fists, and other body parts will fly as the daring, new gender-bender defender must become a contender or die!
Kämpfer has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: けんぷファー, Kampfer, Kaempfer
4. Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru!: Uchi no Maid wa Yappari Mou Honto Uzainda naa...
Special Episode Swimsuit-Featured included in the fourth DVD/Blu-ray volume.
UzaMaid! My Maid Is Still Seriously Way Too Annoying... has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: うちのメイドがウザすぎる！うちのメイドはやっぱりもうホントウザいんだなあ......, Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru!: Uchi no Maid wa Yappari Mou Honto Uzainda naa...
3. Asagao to Kase-san.
While tending to her campus’ morning glories, shy, reserved Yui Yamada has a chance encounter with the vivacious, sporty Tomoka Kase, star of the girl’s track team. Yamada and Kase could not be more different, but soon after meeting, they begin to date! But dating isn’t as easy as it looks, and the pair must weather the storms that all couples eventually face. Will their relationship continue to bloom as college entrance exams threaten to keep them apart?
Kase-san and Morning Glories has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: あさがおと加瀬さん。, Morning Glory and Kase-san
2. Uchuu Kaizoku Mito no Daibouken: Futari no Joou-sama
Aoi was raised as a normal boy on Earth. Little did he know he was the heir apparent to Mito, the Queen-turned-Space-Pirate of an alien race that chooses their sex at puberty! Aoi fell in love with Mutsuki, the police officer who was chasing Mito, and the three of them saved the Universe. The only side effect was that Aoi blossomed into a beautiful young woman.
Now a malevolent entity calling herself the true Queen of the Universe appears with enough power to destroy entire planets. Aoi must defend her new throne, but she needs Mutsuki's help. Mutsuki must come to terms with her own feelings for Aoi so they can defend Earth together and become the galaxy's first royal pair of queens.
Space Pirate Mito 2 has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: 宇宙海賊ミトの大冒険 2人の女王様, Mito no Daiboken: Futari no Jou-sama, Mito's Great Adventure: The Two Queens, Stellar Buster Mito 2, Uchuu Kaizoku Mito no Daibouken 2, Aoi & Mutsuki: A Pair of Queens, Aoi and Mutsuki
1. Maria†Holic
In search of true love, Kanako Miyamae transfers to Ame no Kisaki Catholic school, inspired by how her parents fell in love with each other there. There is just one difference, though: because men make Kanako break into hives, she has actually come to the all-girls school to find a partner of the same sex.
When she meets the beautiful Mariya Shidou, Kanako believes she has found that special someone; however, there's more to Mariya than meets the eye—it turns out that Kanako's first love is actually a cross-dressing boy. Mariya threatens to expose Kanako's impure intentions unless she keeps his real gender a secret, and to make things worse, he also replaces her original roommate so that he can now keep a close eye on her.Maria†Holic follows Kanako as she looks for love in all the wrong places and searches for the girl of her dreams—that is, if she can survive being Mariya's roommate!
Maria†Holic has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: まりあ†ほりっく, Maria+Holic, MariaHolic
