New to yuri manga? You’re in the right place. The Sapphic Manga Guide covers 28 top-rated yuri and girls’ love (GL) series with official English releases — from foundational classics like Revolutionary Girl Utena and Girl Friends to modern masterpieces like Bloom Into You and current favorites like Whisper Me a Love Song. Every entry lists the author, completion status, English publisher and the tropes that define the reading experience, so you can pick your next read with confidence instead of guessing from a cover.
Yuri (百合, “lily”) is the Japanese term for manga and anime centered on romantic relationships between women. In Korea the same genre is usually called GL (Girls’ Love), and in China baihe (百合). This guide uses “yuri” and “GL” interchangeably and includes Japanese manga, Korean manhwa and webtoons.
This guide is a companion to the in-depth Lesbian Manga and Yuri Manga guide on Lesbian Romance Reads, which covers the genre’s history, terminology and dozens more recommendations. Use this site to browse and filter quickly, then head there for longer reviews and themed reading lists.
28 series featured, every one with an official English release
3 sub-genres: School Romance (12), Adult & Workplace (9), Fantasy & Supernatural (7)
21 completed series and 7 ongoing
Print publishers and digital platforms, from Seven Seas and Yen Press to Webtoon and BookWalker
20 reader-preference tropes explained, from Happy Ending to Unrequited Love
Browse Series — filter all 28 yuri manga by sub-genre, status and format
Find by Trope — happy endings, slow burn, age gap, angst and more
Where to Buy — official English publishers and legal reading platforms
New to Yuri? — terminology, first reads and how to avoid disappointment
How this guide works — selection criteria, sources and update policy
The heart of the genre. Stories of first love set in high schools, student councils, clubs and school festivals — from the gentle slow burn of Sweet Blue Flowers to the drama of Citrus. Start here if you want classic yuri. See all 12 school romance yuri manga.
Women with jobs, apartments, marriages and histories. These series tackle coming out later in life, compulsory heterosexuality, second chances and cohabitation, with a tone that ranges from cozy to raw. See all 9 adult and workplace yuri manga, or read Lesbian Romance Reads’ longer list of adult lesbian and yuri manga about grown women.
Villainesses, demon queens, dragons, cupids with guns and fairy-tale duels. Fantasy lets yuri explore power, class and identity through allegory. See all 7 fantasy and supernatural yuri manga, and find more magic in the yuri fantasy manga list on Lesbian Romance Reads.
Want a guaranteed happy ending? Filter the Trope Mapper for Happy Ending, or read yuri manga with happy endings that won’t break your heart.
Want something darker? Citrus, Run Away With Me, Girl and Revolutionary Girl Utena carry real emotional weight. For psychological, horror and toxic girls’ love, see dark yuri manga.
Prefer full-color vertical scrolling? Mage & Demon Queen and Her Tale of Shim Chong are Korean webtoons. Explore more in yuri manhwa and GL webtoons.
Brand new to the genre? Our beginner’s guide pairs well with the best yuri manga for beginners on Lesbian Romance Reads.
The modern gold standard for yuri manga. Yuu has never felt romantic attraction until she meets student council president Touko, who falls for her precisely because Yuu doesn’t feel the same way. A thoughtful story about identity, performance and what love actually feels like. Complete at 8 volumes from Seven Seas Entertainment. More school romance.
The definitive friends-to-lovers yuri manga. Quiet Mari is taken under the wing of outgoing Akko, and their friendship slowly becomes something neither of them expected. Sweet, emotionally honest and ideal for first-time readers. Complete at 5 volumes from Seven Seas. More like this.
A gentle, music-filled school romance. Himari tells singer Yori she loves her voice; Yori hears a love confession and falls hard. What follows is a warm, funny slow burn about catching up to your own feelings. Ongoing from Kodansha, with an anime adaptation that brought many new readers to the genre. More like this.
A surrealist fairy tale in which Utena, a girl who wants to be a prince, is drawn into sword duels over the mysterious Rose Bride, Anthy. A foundational classic about power, gender and bonds between women, created alongside the landmark 1997 anime. Complete from Viz Media. More fantasy yuri.
An adult yuri anthology of linked stories about office workers, bartenders and friends navigating desire, sex and the blurry line between a fling and love. Frank, messy and very grown-up. Complete in Japan at 10 volumes; published in English by Yen Press. More adult yuri.
Bloom Into You is the most common recommendation because it is complete, beautifully drawn and emotionally rich. If you want something lighter, try Girl Friends or Kase-san and Yamada. The beginner’s guide explains how to choose.
Mostly, but not always. Yuri covers any story centered on romantic or intense emotional bonds between women, and some series stay ambiguous. Every title in this guide features a clearly sapphic relationship at its core. The Lesbian Romance Reads manga hub explains the differences between yuri, GL, shoujo-ai and lesbian manga in detail.
Print and digital volumes are available from Seven Seas, Yen Press, Kodansha, Viz Media and One Peace Books, while Webtoon, Lezhin, Tappytoon and BookWalker offer digital-first options. See official publishers and where to buy.
No. Many modern yuri series end with the couple together, but older titles and darker stories can be bittersweet. Check the Happy Ending and Angst flags in the Trope Mapper before you commit.
Last updated: September 2026. Always support official English releases when available — sales are what convince publishers to license more yuri. Read how this guide was compiled, and visit Lesbian Romance Reads for more sapphic book and manga recommendations.