Female friendship and queerness across girl-centered anime

In mid-August, queer media critic Kira Deshler wrote on her newsletter, Paging Dr. Lesbian, about how many queer fans of Wednesday believe that titular character Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) loves her best friend, Enid Sinclair (played by Emma Myers). Undoubtedly, fans of this popular ship, known as Wenclair, will be disappointed by the recent season. An article in Them was even aptly entitled “Sorry, Wednesday Lesbians. The Creators Confirm There Will Be No Gay Love Story.” Back to Deshler’s newsletter, she noted that series co-creator, and screenwriter, Alfred Gough, described the series as focusing on female friendship. He said that although people can read whatever they want into the series, the show staff intended Enid and Wednesday only as friends. When asked about romance, he stated this even more directly. He described Wednesday as a show exploring female friendship, not female romance, between Enid and Wednesday.

Deshler responded to Gough’s claim. She criticized when people (assumedly creators) highlight the importance of female friendship in fiction so they can explain “why certain relationships shouldn’t be gay.” This comes with the implication that a piece of media can’t “include queer women and also still be about friendship.” Her suggestion is to, instead, “write more women” in series. As I didn’t have a paid subscription to her newsletter, I couldn’t read the rest. However, I’d like to use her comments as a springboard for this article, which examines recent examples of female friendship in anime. It morphed from a post listing my top ten anime with female friendship for 2025 into the current piece, which includes more analysis. As a warning, this post will discuss trauma, murder, physical violence, and other mature topics.

Each series examined in this post has female friendship at the center. Some have more romantic undertones than others. This includes Mono, Maebashi Witches, Witchy Pretty Cure!! ~Mirai Days~, Sorairo Utility, Lycoris Recoil, Flower and Asura, Mono, Ruri Rocks, You and Idol Pretty Cure, and Anne Shirley, all of which aired episodes this year. Many of these series are streaming on Crunchyroll and others on HIDIVE. Some ended and others are currently airing. I will talk about additional series, which did not air this year, such as Mitsuboshi Colors, Bodacious Space Pirates, and Asteroid in Love. These anime remain relevant as stand-out series when it comes to female friendship.

The year began with Witchy Pretty Cure!! ~Mirai Days~. It’s a sequel series to the fifty-episode Witchy Pretty Cure! (also known as Maho Girls PreCure!), which aired from February 2016 to January 2017. This series began airing on January 12th, on Crunchyroll, running for twelve episodes. It was directed by Takayuki Hamana, written by Isao Murayama, and had music by Hiroshi Takaki. Hamana famously directed The Prince of Tennis, along with Arte and Power of Hope: PreCure Full Bloom, and worked on Library War. Murayawa wrote seven of the Tropical-Rouge PreCure episodes, two Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure episodes, and worked on twelve other PreCure series since 2006. Some reviewers noted that the first episode included a kiss between Liko and Mirai, perhaps the first same-sex kiss I’ve ever seen in a PreCure series. That episode sets up the conflict to come. This series serves as a callback, in more ways than one, to Witchy Pretty Cure!. As such, this series would be more enjoyable for those who have watched that series in contrast to coming to this series fresh.

Prior to watching this series, I have viewed most of the PreCure series since 2021, particularly Tropical-Rouge Pretty Cure, Wonderful Pretty Cure!, Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure, Power of Hope: PreCure Full Bloom, and You and Idol Pretty Cure. This series begins when Mirai Asahina (voiced by Rie Takahashi), also known as Cure Miracle, leaves her friends so she can practice riding a broom as a witch. She is helped by a talking teddy bear (Mofurun). She has to put out a fire on her own without any help from her friend, Liko Izayoi (voiced by Yui Horie). The latter, who is also known as Cure Magical, is teaching at a magic school. Mirai is very careful since magic, and witches, have to be kept secret from the magicless world. The villain, Ire, appears, and captures Mother Rapapa and reverts her back into a previous form, seemingly wanting to turn back time. People on social media ask the magical girl (actually Mirai) for help and Liko’s sister, named Miss Liz (voiced by Kaori Nazuka), shows up. Mirai and Liko reunite, transform, and have a lightspeed kiss (almost missed it!). They defeat the huge monster bear together, using their PreCure powers, thanks to their joint magical attack.

In later episodes, a mysterious girl with green hair follows Liko and Mirai back to the magical world, specifically to the Magical School. Mirai begins to have visions of the past (like her first meeting with Liko). Mirai and Liko have another joint magical spell while Liko starts to have past visions as well. They begin to suspect that their visions will actually happen. As such, they help the aforementioned young girl. She looks eerily similar to someone they used to know (Hi-Chan). Mirai and Liko fight off Ire, who wants to change time (and travel freely through it). By the end of the sixth episode, his efforts seem to be successful. In the seventh episode, a time beast, a monster that can erase any beings by eating their time appears. At the same time, Mirai and Liko visit the library where Ire has been hiding.

In the episodes that follow, it is revealed that the Hisui/Hi-Chan is within their friend Ha-chan (a manifestation of Rapapa). Kay (voiced by Maya Yoshioka), a reporter from the magical world, who tries to learn what is happening to people in the magicless world, is introduced. She can’t complete her goals because the magical world is soon under attack, with beasts preying on people’s insecurities, including Kay. The final few episodes involve Mirai and Liko trying to free everyone in the magical world from being frozen in stone. All time is halted. In a series twist, they end up saving everything by rebirthing themselves. This connects to the theme in this series that memories, and the past, give you power and aren’t a hindrance. This is similar to what is stated in Maebashi Witches, which I’ll talk about later in this post. Female friendship shines through in this series, but there’s no queerness. In fact, this series could have featured queer characters and female friendship, did it did not, falling into the same trap as Wednesday, as Deshler noted earlier.

Two other series also aired during a similar period of months (January to March): Sorairo Utility and Flower and Asura. These series both aired on HIDIVE. The first is a golf anime centered around women. It was promoted by some yuri fans on social media, due to its similarity with Birdie Wing. In fact, there’s even a mini-anime series on YouTube, which brings in characters of both series. Well-known yuri reviewer Erica Friedman pointed this out on her blog. This series goes further than the 14-minute short film of the same title, directed by Kengo Saitō, which came out in December 2021. Saitō also directed this series, while the cast from the film returned. Yū Satō serves as series composer, along with script writers Aya Satsuki, Aki Mizuki, and Kota Nozomi. This series came at a great time. Tonbo! surprised me by airing its final episode on January 4th. I believed that the episode “Winner and Courage” was the series capstone, but it was not. Unfortunately, the final episode of that series mostly consisted of flashbacks and clips from previous episodes.

Sorairo Utility is like Tonbo! in that it centers on female golfers. But it’s more than that. It begins with the blue-haired protagonist Minami Aoba (voiced by Miyu Takagi). She is disappointed that the fantasy game she likes is ending its service. Her friend, with dark blond hair, Izumi Akina (voiced by Yumiri Hanamori), thinks this will push Minami to do something else instead and act “like a teenager.” Minami tries many extracurricular clubs at the all-girls high school she attends, but none of them seem to suit her. She continues to look for something special and comes across a golf club, which she is immediately entranced with. In the process, she meets Haruka Akane (voiced by Yurina Amami), who helps her learn how to play golf. She is drawn into the game and wants to play more, going from being an amateur to someone who is more skilled.

This series mixes Minami’s journey to become a golfer, her new friends, and elderly male golfers who joke about playing the game. It is almost a coming-of-age story in some ways (with clear yuri subtext). Haruka vows to help Minami search for “something special,” even bringing her to a nearby golf course in the first episode. In later episodes, she hangs out with Haruka at a golf course and enjoys playing even though she isn’t very good. Haruka calls her a “cute girl” and hooks her up with a part-time job to pay for her golf fees (working at the driving range). Haruka’s friend, Ayaka Hoshimi (voiced by Ayasa Goto), a minstagrammer, is introduced, and they help her with modeling work.

Later, Minami gets her own special golf driver, studies for her midterm exams, and plays with Ayaka and Haruka at a golf course. They meet a caddy named Megumi at an expensive golf course. Takagi previously voiced characters in D4DJ (Shinobu Inoyose) and Healer Girl (Shinobu Honosaka). Hanamori voiced Nadeshiko Kagamihara (Laid-Back Camp), Ai Hayasaka (Kaguka-Sama: Love is War), Sorao Kamikoshi (Otherside Picnic), Sango Suzumura/Cure Coral (Tropical-Rouge Pretty Cure!), and Hitomi Koshigaya (Magilumiere Co. Ltd.). Other voice actors for this series lent their talents to characters like: Professor Ozpin and Taiyang Xiao Long in RWBY: Ice Queendom, Matthew McMahon in Spy x Family, Hiromu Fujiyoshi in Welcome Home, and Tōfū Ono in the new Ranma 1/2 adaptation. The latter series is coming back in October (as is Spy x Family), for a second season, and has no female friendship.

Sorairo Utility is very different from Flower and Asura. Also known as The Flower Blooms, Like Ashura, it is based on Ayano Takeda’s manga, which Musshu illustrated. Takeda is best known for writing the Sound! Euphonium novel series (later adapted in a three-season anime) and many others. She often centers her works on female friendship and camaraderie. This series was in good hands, with Studio Bind producing this anime, Kazuyuki Fudeyasu as show writer, Ayumu Uwano as director, and Masaru Yokoyama providing the music. Fudeyasu previously wrote stories for Encouragement of Climb, Do It Yourself!!, and ‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess. These series all center on female characters. Uwano directed Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu and Otaku Elf episodes. Yokoyama did music for Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night.

The series begins with Hana Haruyama (voiced by Minori Fujidera). She becomes inspired, as a kid, to recite stories to children after seeing a live performance on television. The series fast forwards to Hana doing exactly that. She enthralls children on the island she calls home with her storytelling. This catches the interest of Sumomogaoka High School broadcasting club president, and second-year, Mizuki Usurai (voiced by Miyuri Shimabukuro). While Hana is unsure at first, Mizuki declares she will keep asking her to join until she accepts. She continues persisting, after Hana begins attending Sumomogaoka. They even have a sleepover together. Some time after, Hana deals with her lackluster self-confidence and self-loathing, with help from Mizuki, and joins the club. Otherwise, one teacher, named Hiromi Kichijoji (voiced by Kōji Yusa) tries to playfully recruit some club members into the drama club, to the chagrin of Mizuki. They all become better friends as the series goes forward. Hana gains more confidence along the way.

In later episodes, of this “beautifully directed, psychologically rich hobby anime,” other officers of the broadcast club (Ryoko Totonoi and Setaro Hakoyama) are introduced. The same is the case for new members and first-years. There’s skilled announcer An Natsue (voiced by Fūka Izumi), curious Shūdai Tōga (voiced by Shōya Chiba), and studious top-student Matsuyuki Akiyama (voiced by Seiichiro Yamashita). Through it all, they learn the basics of reading text, how read text for public announcements, voice projection, and balancing artistic integrity with completing deadlines. There’s also budding female friendships. This includes one between Mizuki and Hana, with some yuri subtext in the process.

Many of these voice actors are familiar to me. Shimabukuro voiced characters in female-centered anime like Harukana Receive (Narumi Tōi), Carole & Tuesday (Carole Stanley), I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level (Musura), The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess (Karla Amatsu), Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night (Mei Takanashi), and The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio (Wakana Kawagishi). She also voiced Ayame Sakuya in Momentary Lily, Otoha Kurogane in Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty, and several other series this year. Additionally, Yamashita voiced Lambert Balance in From Bureaucrat to Villainess.

By April, Flower and Asura, Sorairo Utility, and Witchy Pretty Cure!! ~Mirai Days~ had ended. They would be replaced by two series: Mono and Maebashi Witches. Both series aired on Crunchyroll. They would be joined by an original net animation (ONA) for Lycoris Recoil, entitled Lycoris Recoil: Friends are thieves of time. It had six short episode and ran from mid-April to mid-May. As it so happened, I had, prior to the premiere of this ONA, rewatched Lycoris Recoil. I decided to do so rather than rewatching Noir, another series with female friendship and possible romantic subtext (depending on your interpretation). I purchased the Blu-ray, which included a booklet and other special features, last year.

In August 2022, I described Lycoris Recoil, an original anime by Spider Lily (with Asaura writing the original story and Japanese animator Shingo Adachi directing), as “all the rage.” People were, in part, drawn to the yuri subtext. Simply put, “the show’s story, characters, animation, and dialogue make it easy to like.” The series pulls you in. Since the anime adaptation first released, a manga series by Yasunori Bizen began, and two light novels have been published (Lycoris Recoil: Ordinary Days and Lycoris Recoil: Recovery Days). They are both by Asaura. The former novel is the only one, so far, to have an official English translation. Also, a short anime series, as described earlier, released this year. It emphasized, again, the sometimes rocky, sometimes sweet friendship between the two female leads. The latter fuels yuri shipping to this day due to the chemistry between these two characters.

The anime begins in a bold way. In the first five minutes, Takina Inoue (voiced by Shion Wakayama) kills arms dealers with a machine gun. This angers another Lycoris (i.e. a trained assassin/executioner told to help keep “peace” in Japan) named Fuki Harukawa (voiced by Maki Kawase). It also dashes the plans of Lycoris Chisato Nishikigi (voiced by Chika Anzai) to capture the arms traders. Following this, Takina is transferred to a cafe named LycoReco. It is a front for the DA (Direct Attack), a secret organization which gives orders to the Lycoris. While there, she meets a former intelligence agent named Mizuki Nakahara (voiced by Ami Koshimizu), her supervisor Mika (voiced by Keigo Kitamura), and Chisato. It turns out that Chisato uses rubber bullets rather than actual ones since she values people’s lives. Later, the mysterious Alan Yoshi of the Alan Institute is introduced. Mika’s feelings for him are implied. That’s only episode one. The feelings between Mika, a Black man, and Alan, are explored in other episodes.

In later episodes, Chisato, Takina, and Mizuki (in a costume) barely escape a car which a hacker named Robota takes over. A new character named “Kurumi” (voiced by Misaki Kuno) is then introduced. Takina punches Fuki in the face during a training exercise, with Fuki deserving the punch after being a jerk to Takina. Surely there’s internal politics within DA. What sticks out in these episodes are the mix of slice-of-life, drama and action sequences, which sometimes works together but other times does not. This includes the plots by Majima to kill scores of Lycoris or Kurumi’s hacking. Unfortunately, there’s some unnecessary fan service. Luckily, this is balanced out by a date-not-date between Takina and Chisato at an aquarium, Mika and Yoshi revealed as the “dads” of Chisato, and the nice times they have together, including at Chisato’s safe house/home. That makes the series shine.

Episodes after this involve Chisato’s artificial heart being overcharged by a woman working for Majima. As a result, she has less time to live, than before, only two months at most. Majima attempts to expose the Lycoris (which DA covers up). The series briefly introduces of LilyBell (boy version of Lycoris). In the final part of the series, there’s a showdown between Chisato and Majima. Both somehow survive. The series ends with Mika, Mizuki, Kurumi, Takina, and Chisato in a decked-out food truck in Hawaii. Through it all, the friendship between Takina and Chisato continues, serving as a bright spot in the series itself. The Blu-ray version of this series is a special edition. Each disc has special features. This includes character trailers (Chisato, Takina, Kurumi, and Mizuki) trailers, textless endings for each episode, and commercials. There’s also two discs containing the original soundtrack, a small booklet with notes on the characters and locations used in the series, and some selected artwork.

Moving onto a series which aired this year, I’d like to talk about one of my favorite anime with female friendship at the center: Maebashi Witches. It differs from another series which aired at the same time: Food and Soul. That series has a nice slice-of-life feel, focusing on a food club research. Five young women try to eat and make tasty and delicious food (and sometimes echoes Encouragement of Climb or Laid-Back Camp). That series was produced by P.A. Works. That studio produced recent series centering on female friendships, such as Mayonaka Punch, Narenare: Cheer for You!, and The Aquatope on White Sand. The studio also produced series like Skip and Loafer, Canaan, and Shirobako. In contrast, Maebashi Witches is a coming of age series which centers on women. It begins with Yuina Akagi (voiced by Sakura Kasuga) who likes to take photos of things which have the most emotional impact.

She meets an abrasive girl fascinated by fashion and cosmetics named Azu Niisato (voiced by Hinano Sakikawa). There’s also a cheerful girl named Choco Mitsumata (voiced by Haruka Minami), and two students named Kyōka Kitahara (voiced by Rena Motomura) and Mai Kamiizumi (voiced by Honami Momose). They are brought together by a strange frog named Keroppe (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita) who gives the girls magical powers. One of the most unexpected developments is at the end of episode two. It’s revealed that Azu is overweight. She uses magic to make herself look thin and beautiful, despite its negative effects on her as Keroppe warns her. As a result, she says something fatphobic to a customer, projecting her insecurities. She later comes to terms with herself and has a talk with the customer, a successful plus-size model. The latter says that even she has to smile when people make fun of her appearance. Ultimately, there is a positive end, with Azu realizing her internal worth. She does a song and dance number with the girls to help fulfill the customer’s dream.

As the path to becoming a witch seems further and further way, they begin to question Keroppe, skeptical of what he has roped them into. This is especially the case after he subtracts the “cost” of their uniforms and magic he’s used from the magic they have gained (known as mapo) from helping people. This series also stands out because of who created it. Sunrise, a division of Bandai Namco Filmworks, a company known for all seasons of Love Live! Superstar!!, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Love Live! School Idol Project, and Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror, Cowboy Bebop, and Dirty Pair, produced this series. In a later episode, Mai is revealed as the thief of mapo from their shop. Mai’s old friend, Yua, appears. She is a person described as “Azu to the extreme” due to her obsession with her own self-image. That episode ends with their failure to make her dream come true. They later fulfill her dream and get through a crisis, involving them turning back into normal girls as their mapo begins to run dry.

Cy Catwell of Anime Feminist rightly praised the series. They described it as focusing on women who transform into magical girls and have the capability of “blooming into whoever they want to be.” However, they have to undergo trials to become witches. Magic serves as a “vehicle to personal freedom,” allowing them to be themselves. This is turned on its head toward the end of the series. The characters lose their memories after Eiko Zen comes in to hijack their magic powers for her own gain. While the series wrapped up nicely, I wish they had stretched out the ending more and perhaps not forgiven Eiko for what she did. The series suffers from what many anime tend to do: trying to wrap up everything quickly in the last episode since there’s no guarantee they will get renewed. If there had been even a few more episodes, they could have explored Eiko’s motivations more and had a stronger story.

Maebashi Witches aired at the same time as Mono. That series features acclaimed voice actors Aoi Koga, Hikaru Tono, Reina Ueda, and Maki Kawase. They voice An Kiriyama, Sakurako Shikishima, Haruno Akiyama, and Kako Komada. This series begins with An and Satsuki Amamiya (voiced by Haruna Mikawa) joining the Photography Club. Satsuki is drawn in by the photography of Makinohara/Makki, with Satsuki taking many photos of her. As such, she is devastated when Makki graduates. Later on, An cheers up Satsuki, who she says she loves seemingly as a friend and wants to be with into their old age. This is, arguably, some possible yuri subtext. An gives Satsuki the motivation she needs to do her best for the club, causing her to buy a digital camera, rather than taking photos with her phone. The new camera lets her take 360-degree photos. Later, An buys a special camera as well.

The protagonists soon meet Haruno Akiyama, a struggling manga artist, an her grandmother, who cooks for them. Satsuki enjoys her new camera and they meet a cat named Taishou which lives there. They use the latter to, sometimes, take photos. Satsuki and An agree to work with Akiyama as models-of-sorts for the manga she is writing. They take photos together and go on adventures, even though Akiyama is a terrible driver. The series has a nice slice-of-life feel, even if the animation is limited at times. Surely, the series isn’t anything to write home about, but it balances out the other series this year which are more dramatic. In later episodes, Satsuki makes a kite so she can take photos and they recruit Sakurako Shikishima into their club. The club is then renamed the Cinephoto Club. Kako Komada, the cool motovlog rider, is introduced (and is friend of Haruno). At another point, the characters go to locations where a manga adaptation will be set. Later, they travel to a winery, even though many of them are underage, and go on other sojourns, sometimes involving ghosts.

The character interactions and the music, composed by Hajime Hyakkoku, make this series stand out. The same can be said for the voice acting, whether that of Mikawa, Koga, Tono, Ueda, or Kawase. This year, Mikawa voiced Satoko Kusagakure this year in Ninkoro and Kasahara in Tonbo!. Last year she voiced assorted characters in Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night. Koga previously voiced characters such as Sayuri Ibe (Asteroid in Love), Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-Sama: Love is War), Princess Ellee/Cure Majesty (Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure), Konoha Akisato (16bit Sensation: Another Layer), and Miki Mizuguchi (Whisper Me a Love Song). This year she voiced Lucas Vierge (From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!), Lululee Ashford (I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time), and Xiangling (Flower and Asura). Other voice actresses lent their talents to characters like Momoka Tamano (Rinkai!), Hinako Yaotose (This Monster Wants to Eat Me), Mayu Nekoyashiki/Cure Lilian (Wonderful Pretty Cure!), Elianna Bernstein (Bibliophile Princess), Shima Iwashita (Bocchi the Rock!), and Fuki Harukawa (Lycoris Recoil).

There’s another major series which aired this year with female friendship at its core: Anne Shirley. It is scheduled to air for 24 episodes, beginning on April 5th, and likely will end sometime this month or early next month. This series was praised by all reviewers on Anime News Network. It centers on an orphan girl named Anne Shirley (voiced by Honoka Inoue), who is mistakenly taken in by Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. They live on Prince Edward Island in Canada. Anne makes their house (known as “Green Gables”) her home. She has a rough childhood before this in the orphanage where it is alluded that she may have been abused in some way, since she believes that no one loves her. Some months ago, I wrote a review for Erica Friedman’s Okazu for this series. I noted the yuri-ish focus in the first four episodes, and how it centers on female friendship. I said, in part:

…[in] the second episode…Anne meets Diana for the first time and they agree to be “very best friend[s].” They solemnly swear to be faithful bosom friends, i.e. very close, cherished, or intimate companions, “as long as the sun and moon may endure,” while holding hands. There’s a certain romantic aura to it, which reminded immediately of the beautiful scene between two protagonists [Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long] in RWBY‘s most recent volume…Anne gushes about Diana to Marilla, and signals to Diana in Morse code before going to sleep, again showing their connection…In the episode thereafter, Diana’s painting (that she gifted to Anne) is hung in Anne’s room. Later, at the Sunday school picnic, Diana calls Anne her “dearest friend” and places a flower crown upon her head. For two days in a row, Anne walks to school with Diana and the other neighborhood girls, and all of them have fun together…the series opening sequence…features Anne and Diana dancing together, and enjoying one another’s company, leaning against a fence, when both are older, with Diana holding a flower crown in her hands…While the original novel and previous adaptations have a heterosexual ending…there is no denying that the strong and intimate female friendship between Anne and Diana will remain a key part of the series going forward.

The voice acting by Inoue, and Anne’s actions, really sells the series more than anything else. It makes you want to come back and watch more. After the first episode really blew me away, the second did the same with animation by The Answer Studio and apt dialogue. Anne meets another girl her age named Diana Barry (voiced by Yume Miyamoto). Diana soon becomes her female confidante, as she swears to stay her friend forever. She also comes across a male rival named Gilbert Blythe (voiced by Yasunori Matsumoto). She rightfully hates him after he makes fun of her hair. Even so, the female friendship between Anne and Diana blossoms. It goes so far to have Anne pledging to be Diana’s friend forever and seeing Diana as her “bosom friend,” with Diana pledging the same. Their intimate friendship becomes a bright spot of the series and a vital part of the story.

Anne explores around her new home. Her imagination runs wild, charming Marilla, Matthew, and others in the process. Having well-known voice actors like Inoue, Yasunori Matsumoto, and Miyamoto, helped, as did Hikari Ōta. This balanced out Hiroshi Kawamata. This anime was his first big production. After all, Miyamoto voiced Rouge Redstar in Metallic Rouge last year and Yui Mitsuya in I Have a Crush at Work this year. Although I haven’t watched any other adaptations of Lucy Maud Montgomery‘s classic 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables, I was excited to dive into this series. I may even read the original books by the former and watch the other anime adaptation in the 1970s and see how it compared to this one. From the postings I’ve seen online, female friendship seems strong in the original books and that anime adaptation. Even so, I can’t completely verify that.

I liked how the series follows the trajectory of Anne who grows as a young woman from someone who is offended when people make fun of her looks to someone who becomes more self-confident. She retains a sense of wonder and navigates social pitfalls along the way. Anne often expresses her emotions time and again. She even fakes a confession so she can attend to a garden party (which she enjoys), and quits school to make a point, in order to show her independence. She gains a strong ally in Diana, and they remain close, even when certain circumstances begin to pull them apart. The fifth episode introduces a new teacher named Ms. Stacy after Anne recovered from falling off a roof.

Anne gives Diana confidence, when Diana appears to be lacking it, while Anne gets over her stage fright when she stares at Marilla and Matthew. All the while, Anne detests Gilbert, refusing to talk to him, and she begins  a story club. She attempts to dye her hair, which results in a very short haircut (a very bold statement), after she cuts off the wrongly-colored hair. As time goes on, she moves ahead on her ambition to become a teacher. She suffers loss after Matthew passes away from a sudden heart attack, and cares for Marilla as a result.

Despite previous tensions, Anne ultimately reconciles with Gilbert. She forgives him, becomes romantically closer to him, although she bristles at the idea of being with him forever, and becomes a teacher. She attends Redmond College, where she meets new female friends, and does well academically, but faces new challenges. A man named Charlie Sloane proposes to her in 18th episode. To his shock, she turns him down since she never had an inkling of romantic feelings for him. She does the same to Gilbert near the end of the series, in the 20th episode. She is visibly angry at him for busting apart their friendship, even though he believes that she wants to marry him. He does not understand that she wanted to maintain their friendship rather than begin a relationship. No one seems to sympathize with her, not even Phil. Luckily, she has the cats to confide in.

Basically, the mores of heterosexual society are forced upon her while she continues to try and carve her own path. The latter includes friends who mean well like Diana, who submits Anne’s story without her permission to a publication so it can become an advertisement, which horrifies her. At the same time, she suffers sadness from loss of other friends, continuing her sadness at an early age, impacting her psychologically. This includes one of her closest female friends, Ruby. As one reviewer put it, “death has been on the periphery of Anne’s story from the start.” Female friendship remains important to Anne throughout the series, whether with Diana, fellow girls in Green Gables, or others at college. The series will undoubtedly continue this dynamic until the end, even though Gilbert and Anne getting together is endgame.

Apart from Anne Shirley, there were other anime with female friendship as a key theme which aired this year. This included Ruri Rocks, You and Idol Pretty Cure, Secrets of the Silent Witch, and Turkey! Time To Strike. Some had a stronger focus on female friendship than others. The first of these series begins with Ruri Tanigawa (voiced by Miyari Nemoto). She strikes up a friendship with mineralogy college student Nagi Arato (voiced by Asami Seto) over finding precious rocks. In the process, she matures even though she still wants flashy rocks to show off as jewelry. She becomes friends with Yōko Imari (voiced by Yume Miyamoto), who works as Nagi’s assistant/fellow researcher.

Later, she becomes close with another girl in her class, Shōko Seto (voiced by Saki Hayashi), who has an interest in rocks. She, Nagi, and Yōko even go on rock research expeditions together. All the while, she maintains a friendship with Aoi Kasamaru (voiced by Misuzu Yamada). Some of these voice actors, like Nemoto, Seto, and Miyamoto, have lent their voices to characters in stories centering on female friendship, with varying degrees of romantic subtext. This includes Ippon Again! (Nene Koide), Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure (Asuka Takizawa/Cure Flamingo), Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night (Koharu), the above-mentioned Anne Shirley (Diana Barry), and The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians (Yuzu Ede).

Otherwise, You and Idol Pretty Cure centers around the female friendship among the three girls at the center. These are: Uta Sakura/Cure Idol (voiced by Misato Matsuoka), Nana Aokaze/Cure Wink (voiced by Minami Takahashi), and Kokoro Shigure/Cure Kyun-Kyun (voiced by Natsumi Takamori). They work with fairies, two of which later transform into Pretty Cures themselves, and others, to protect the world from evil. Secrets of the Silent Witch and Turkey! Time To Strike similarly share close friend groups of women, more the latter than the former. In fact, the latter is a mix of partial-isekai and bowling. The five main characters are sent back in time by a bowling ball to Japan’s Sengoku period (1467–1615).

Each character has their own personality. There’s the bowling club’s president, Mai Otonashi (voiced by Hana Hishikawa) who is skilled at bowling but tends to not succeed in tournaments. Then there’s skilled bowler Rina Godai (voiced by Kana Ichinose) who is angry at other club members for not taking it seriously and often clashes with other members. Also, there’s a shy girl who is childhood friends with Mai, named Sayuri Ichinose (voiced by Haruki Iwata). The latter becomes friends (and arguably romantically drawn toward) with Suguri (voiced by Kikuko Inoue), a woman who is posing as a man so she can become the family heir. Another bowling club member is a popular girl, and Mai’s childhood friend, Nozomi Mitaka (voiced by Yuuki Temma). Lastly, there’s Nanase Nikaidō (voiced by Ayasa Itō), who is nerdy, an academic climber. Nanase warns them to not make any changes to the past, before they return to the future (their present). They quickly violate this, with unknown consequences for the “present” timeline.

There are other series of note with female friendship which did not air this year. They are available as Blu-rays and on streaming platforms. One of those is Mitsuboshi Colors, which originally aired from January to March 2018, and is currently streaming on HIDIVE. This is a nice slice-of-life series to watch and it doesn’t have drama which is inherent to many of the series described in this article. Years ago, I described one of the anime’s main characters, Yui Akamatsu (voiced by Yuki Takada), as extremely shy. She leads a group of elementary school-age girls, including Saki “Sat-chan” Kise (voiced by Marika Kōno) and Kotoha Aoyama (voiced by Natsumi Hioka), and a panda-like cat named Colonel Monochrome. They go across the town performing errands and deeds. The animation is okay, but other parts of this series make up for it. Yui is the most level-headed of the three girls, and is respected by a local police officer, Saito (voiced by Atsushi Tamaru), who works in a police box. She is often pulled into schemes put on by Sat-chan and Kotoh more times than not.

Despite her shyness, Yui easily converses with people in town, differing from other similar characters. Although she often wears a shirt with the star in the middle, reminding me of Steven Universe, she isn’t as autistic-coded him. She doesn’t have as much self-confidence as him either. Even though Steven is very different, because he goes through many traumatic situations, he shares one characteristic: living a relatively care-free life. Yui, and the other girls, embody the latter than Steven, however. The manga’s author, Katsuwo, also wrote Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu. That series which focuses on a girl named Bocchi Hitori with social anxiety who struggles to talk to others. As such, there’s a connection-of-sorts between both of these series, even though there never was a crossover.

A-Real completed key animation for this series. That anime studio also did key animation for Kaguka-Sama: Love is War, Shy, Spy x Family, Stars Align, and Lycoris Recoil. The main studio which produced this series, Silver Link, is known for their work on WataMote, Non Non Biyori, Yurikuma Arashi, Bofuri, and Tearmoon Empire. The series cast members previously voiced recognized characters. This included Yuu Koito (Bloom Into You), Masaki Fujiyoshi (Welcome Home), Nonomiya (Library War), Vipere (Birdie Wing), Shoko Nagisa (Healer Girl), and Akira Hino (Adachi and Shimamura). Furthermore, they voiced characters such as Yuna Naganawa and Brenda Aisaki (A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics), Shii Eniwa (Super Cub), Domino Walker (Cowboy Bebop), Suirei (The Apothecary Diaries), and Hazuki Katō (Sound! Euphorium).

This brings me to another one of my favorite series, which centers on female friendship: Asteroid in Love. While I watched it in a Blu-ray I purchased, it can also be streamed on Crunchyroll. I remember this anime fondly from when I originally watched it back in 2020. Back then, Erica Friedman described the series as having a “cute little club + childhood promise Yuri story.” The first episode hinted at the latter. Mira Manaka (voiced by Tomoyo Takayanagi) finds out that the person she met on a camping trip once, Ao, wasn’t a boy, but was a girl all along. Her friend, Moe Suzuya (voiced by Reina Ueda), works at a local bakery. She supports Mira getting closer to Ao Manaka (voiced by Megumi Yamaguchi), as Mira dedicates herself to finding an asteroid with her. The story’s plot reminds me a little of Stardust Telepath but without all the angst involved. That makes it much more calm and easy to watch. The latter made me like it much more, although the latter series has its own charm in a different way.

Ao and Mira are joined by Mai Inose, Mikage Sakurai, and Mari Morino, members of the earth sciences club. The latter combines the activities of the former astronomy and geology clubs into one. Each one of them has unique personalities, including the club’s advisor, Yuki Endo (voiced by Lynn). This fun anime is thoroughly enjoyable and has strong slice-of-life themes. Each character has their own special interests, with some liking geology more than astronomy, or vice versa. That hints that some, or all of them, could be, presumably, autistic, making this series that much better. Although there is no canon yuri, intimate female friendship is a major part of this series. At the very least, Suzuya has a crush on Mira’s sister (Misa Konohata). Other examples of such friendship include the club having a BBQ, watching a meteor shower, and putting together a newsletter. The English dubbed voices, including seasoned voice actresses like Lindsay Seidel, Morgan Berry, Bryn Apprill, Dani Chambers, and Megan Shipman, are just as good as the original original Japanese voices.

In later episodes, they visit a space center, visit a beach, look at rocks, and explore their interests. While the newspaper club is chaotic and characters watch the stars together, the close female friendship between Ao and Mira becomes stronger. Suzuya continues to push Ao and Mira closer together, romantically, whether they are fully aware of it or not. She likely ships them on some level. There’s tension between Ao and Mira, at one point, but it is quickly resolved, showing that their friendship can weather any storm. They begin living together in the ninth episode, so Ao doesn’t have to move away with her family. New characters appear in the tenth episode: Yuu Nanami and Chikage Sakurai (who Mira gives nicknames). Also Mari and Mikage graduate and go to college and seem to live together. It’s accurate to say this series is a “cute, fun, educational, uplifting and fluffy gay show” as one user put it. Voice actors for this series went on to voice characters in Oshi No Ko, Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night, The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio, Whisper Me a Love Song, Train to the End of the World, Wonderful Pretty Cure!, Spy x Family, My Master Has No Tail, and Ascendance of a Bookworm.

There’s one more series with female friendship worth noting in this article: Bodacious Space Pirates. While it is streaming on Prime Video, for purchase, a Blu-ray with all the episodes of the series, and the movie, can also be purchased. I decided to rewatch this series rather than Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. The latter is a classic anime with transgender themes (and characters), complete with a romantic triangle between the protagonist and two girls. I was convinced to watch Bodacious Space Pirates, again, after reading reviews. Critics described the series as colorful, fun, and exciting. They also noted drama between characters and tense privateer missions. There’s even a perfect yuri couple between secondary characters Jenny Doolittle (voiced by Rina Satō) and Rin/Lynn Lambretta (voiced by Yōko Hikasa). The series gives them time to shine.

The series centers on a high school girl named Marika Kato (voiced by Mikako Komatsu). She takes up the mantle of her reportedly late father Gonzaemon (voiced by Rikiya Koyama). Specifically, she is chosen to be the captain of Bentenmaru, a space pirate ship. In this series’ world, colonization and space travel have become normal, with one planet recruiting individuals to bolster their forces. Space pirates have become legal, with these individuals issued letters of marque, effectively making them privateers in galactic space. As such, said pirates remain respected within society, even though their activities can be relatively limited. Even so, they have an important and valued societal role. This is the case to such an extent that the pirates have carved out certain areas for themselves, as is shown at multiple points in this series.

Marika is assisted by two individuals at the school she attends (Hakuho Academy): Misa Grandwood and Kane McDougal. They are voiced by Shizuka Itō and Masaya Matsukaze respectfully. Misa acts as the school doctor an Kane as advisor to the Space Yacht Club. On the ship, Misa is the medic and Kane is the helmsman. They are assisted by radar/sensor specialist Hyakume (voiced by Keiji Fujiwara), nerdy electronic warfare specialist Corrie (voiced by Yui Horie), cyborg tactical officer Schnitzer (voiced by Kenta Miyake), engineer San-Daime (voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka), and navigator Luca (voiced by Kaoru Mizuhara) who gives cryptic warnings at times. Marika becomes friends with another schoolgirl named Chiaki Kurihara (voiced by Kana Hanazawa). The latter has a weakness for ice parfaits and is heir to the pirate ship Barbaroosa. Additionally, Marika becomes close with members of the Space Yacht club and Lamp Café co-worker Mami Endo (voiced by Chiaki Omigawa), who makes new uniforms for the Bentenmaru crew.

With assistance of her crew, Marika helps royalty like Gruier Serenity (voiced by Haruka Tomatsu), Grunhilde Serenity (voiced by Hisako Kanemoto). At the same time, she is on good terms with fellow space pirates like Barbaroosa captain Kenjo Kurihara (voiced by Yasunori Matsumoto), and Marika’s mom Ririka Kato (voiced by Yuko Kaida). She faces foes like Grand Cross captain Quartz Christie (voiced by Yūko Sanpei) who wants to eliminate all space pirates, using their ships as target practice. One of the worst enemies she faces is Jenny’s uncle Robert Doolittle (voiced by Eizou Tsuda). He tries to arrange a marriage between Jenny and a man she doesn’t like! This fails as Marika helps Jenny get with Lynn, who are both in a relationship with one another. At other points, Marika negotiates with flamboyant insurance agent Show (voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto), chefs, and additional people.

In this twenty-six episode series, female friendship blossoms, especially between Marika and Chiaki. This includes when they spend time in the Lamp Café (with Chiaki loving parfaits) or with fellow school girls, primarily space yacht members. This series was followed up by film, in 2014, coming out two years after the series ended. Entitled Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace, it ties up the series loose ends. Even so, it doesn’t fit exactly with the series, so it is a bit awkward. Despite that, the film improves the animation quality from the original series. Through it all, female friendship remains central. The series and film are examples of animation featuring queer women and female friendship, something which too many anime do not do. Instead, they either rely on subtext, only have female friendship, or only queer characters. Hopefully this changes in the future.