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. [2025 List]
- 20. Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo
- 19. Happy Sugar Life
- 18. Yuru Yuri
- 17. Yagate Kimi ni Naru
- 16. Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou.
- 15. Citrus
- 14. Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita!
- 13. Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road
- 12. Mnemosyne: Mnemosyne no Musume-tachi
- 11. Sakura Trick
- 10. Yuru Yuri San☆Hai!
- 9. Hoshikuzu Telepath
- 8. Akuma no Riddle
- 7. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
- 6. Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo: Reo x Mai Diaries
- 5. Kannazuki no Miko
- 4. Asagao to Kase-san.
- 3. Strike Witches
- 2. Tatakae!! Iczer-1
- 1. Oshi ga Budoukan Ittekuretara Shinu
20. 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
19. 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
18. 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
17. 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
16. 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
15. 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
14. 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!
13. 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.
12. Mnemosyne: Mnemosyne no Musume-tachi
For normal people, getting stabbed to death would constitute the end of the road. For Rin Asogi, it's a mere inconvenience. Rin is immortal, a nice perk to have when you're a private detective constantly finding yourself in dangerous situations.
Rin has eaten a "time fruit": a fruit from the guardian tree Yggdrasil, which, when consumed by a woman, makes her unable to die. Rin's immortality doesn't stop others from trying to kill her, of course; over her long lifetime she has been shot at, cut up, maimed, tortured, and suffered countless other violent deaths.
This time, it's different. The year 1990 sparks the beginning of a series of events in Rin's life that sends her spiraling toward her fate. Someone is hunting down immortal women like Rin, and Rin's life may be in actual danger.
Mnemosyne no Musume-tachi spans 65 years in Rin's life, during which she watches those around her get old while she herself remains unchanged. Higher forces are after her, and Rin must use every means at her disposal—or her next death may just be her last.
And it all begins when she goes searching for a lost cat, but finds the amnesiac Koki Maeno instead...
Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne has finished airing and it has 6 Episodes. It is also Known as: Mnemosyne－ムネモシュネの娘たち－, Mnemosyne: Daughters of Mnemosyne
11. Sakura Trick
Love is in the air when the story of Sakura Trick begins. Haruka Takayama and Yuu Sonoda were best friends in middle school, and are now attending Misato West High School together. They are assigned to the same class in their first year, but are given seats on opposite sides of the room! If that wasn't enough, it is announced at the entrance ceremony that the school will be closed in three years. This doesn't bother either of them, as they still plan on having lots of fun together during their high school years.
Haruka gets jealous of Yuu making new friends though, so the two decide to deepen their bond. "Let's do something we'd never do with other girls," Yuu says, and they share a kiss in a vacant classroom after school one day. After that one kiss leads to many kisses, the two begin to realize that the relationship they share has changed completely. But what will happen to their relationship once a disapproving older sister begins to suspect that something is going on between the two?
Sakura Trick has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 桜Trick, Sakura Trick
10. Yuru Yuri San☆Hai!
Third season of Yuru Yuri.
Yuru Yuri San☆Hai! has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ゆるゆり さん☆ハイ！, Yuru Yuri 3rd Season, Yuru Yuri Third Season, Yuru Yuri-san High!: YuruYuri S3
9. Hoshikuzu Telepath
Fifteen-year-old Umika Konohoshi is having a hard time socializing at school, but she hopes her words will someday reach other people. When self-proclaimed alien Yuu Akeuchi enters her life, Umika will learn more about being open.
Stardust Telepath has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 星屑テレパス, Hoshikuzu Telepath
8. 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
7. 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
6. Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo: Reo x Mai Diaries
Short picture episodes of Reo and Mai during their daily life as a couple.
Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo: Reo x Mai Diaries has finished airing and it has 10 Episodes. It is also Known as: その花びらにくちづけを 玲緒麻衣だいありぃ, Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo: Reo x Mai Diaries
5. Kannazuki no Miko
Kannazuki no Miko begins in the village of Mahoroba, where time passes slowly for both man and nature. Two students from the village's prestigious Ototachibana Academy might as well be night and day. Himeko is shy and unassertive, while Chikane is bold and elegant. Despite this, they love each other, and nothing can come between them, no matter how hard they try.
On the two girls' shared birthday, a sinister voice corrupts one of their friends into attacking them, and just when it seemed grimmest, the lunar and solar priestess powers that lay dormant in the two girls awaken, dispelling the evil. That was only the first hurdle, however. The two must now fend off the countless others who would threaten their well-being—even the people closest to them!
Destiny of the Shrine Maiden has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 神無月の巫女, Kannaduki no Miko, Priestesses of the Godless Month
4. 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
3. Strike Witches
Strike Witches is set in an alternate version of 1944, where the events of World War II are very different than what we know to be true. Alien invaders known as the Neuroi came to Earth in 1939. This is not the first appearance of the Neuroi as they have appeared at seemingly random intervals throughout human history. While the Neuroi primarily attack humanity using aircrafts, their mothership is able to produce a deadly miasma, a chemical that is fatally poisonous to humans, forcing the populations of affected areas to flee their homes. The Neuroi then use the poisoned areas to plunder Earth's natural resources to use against humanity. Luckily the miasma cannot spread across water, making the ocean humanity's main line of defense against the Neuroi.
With normal humans unable to fight in the miasma, witches have become the forefront of military defense against the Neuroi. Each witch is able to deploy a defensive field around themselves that not only blocks the miasma but protects them from physical attacks as well. Utilizing leg mounted machines called Striker Units to fly into combat, the witches use their magical abilities to wield devastating weapons too large and ungainly for a normal person. The series follows the battles fought by the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, who battle on the front lines to defend the British Isles from the Neuroi. Will humanity be able to take back Earth and bring peace to their home? Find out in Strike Witches!
Strike Witches has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ストライクウィッチーズ, Strike Witches TV
2. Tatakae!! Iczer-1
Nagisa is a schoolgirl with schoolgirl tendencies, waking up late, rushing off to school and meeting up with friends upon the way. One morning Nagisa comes across a woman dressed in a strange uniform who seems to stare at her, unnerving Nagisa. Later that day, whilst staring out the window, Nagisa becomes aware of a ball bouncing by itself which flings itself towards her window seat, shattering the glass yet not harming her... Turning back to the front she finds a gaping mouth bristling with teeth inches from her face and no-one else about. She screams and the world returns to normal with her standing and the centre of curiosity of her class... why did she scream?
Fight!! Iczer-1 has finished airing and it has 3 Episodes. It is also Known as: 戦え!! イクサー1, Iczer-One, Fight! Iczer-One
1. Oshi ga Budoukan Ittekuretara Shinu
The story centers on a woman called "Eripiyo," who is an extreme idol fan. She is wildly enthusiastic about Maina, the shy and lowest-ranking member of the minor underground idol group Cham Jam that performs in Okayama Prefecture. She gets so wrapped up in her love for Maina during a particular performance, that she has a major nosebleed. Eri will continue to give her complete devotion to Maina until the day she can perform at Budōkan (a major performing venue in Tokyo).
If My Favorite Pop Idol Made it to the Budokan, I Would Die has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 推しが武道館いってくれたら死ぬ, Oshi ga Budoukan Ittekuretara Shinu
