2024 was an amazing year for Yuri, no doubt. We’re getting licenses faster than we ever have (even if sometimes it doesn’t feel like it!). Yen Press, Kodansha USA, Seven Seas Entertainment and Viz Media are all still jockeying to put out Yuri, which is fantastic to see. ^_^

As usual, it was nearly impossible for the Okazu staff to whittle this year down to just a few titles – in fact, we’re still talk about how complicated and fraught picking a few “best” are on the Okazu Discord as I type this.

There was a lot of Yuri that we read and watched this year and some we haven’t yet gotten to, so if we’ve left your favorite off our lists, we welcome your lists in the comments! But here we are, with the Okazu Staff picks for Best Yuri of 2024. ^_^

Christian LeBlanc

The Moon on a Rainy Night by Kuzushiro, published by Kodansha. Four volumes of this series came out in 2024, and while I haven’t gotten a chance yet to read the volume that just came out in mid-December, I can safely comment on what a realistic and affecting series this is.

A major trend in this story is people noticing and recognizing other people who are dealing with something heavy, and the different ways in which they offer to help lift some of that heaviness. Sometimes it’s clunky and offensive, other times it’s blunt and constructive. Sometimes it’s an older queer-coded character reaching out to someone who they suspect is struggling with coming out, and other times it’s one single parent reaching out to another. While background characters in romance comics often end up being one-dimensional plot devices, every character in The Moon on a Rainy Night is important. Watching how characters impact each other and help each other grow, even if it’s by adding to their heaviness, leads to a seriously compelling story with well-earned emotional beats.

I Can’t Say No to the Lonely Girl by Kashikaze, published by Kodansha

Impressively, the first five volumes were released in English during 2024, which was fantastic for me, as this was a pleasant surprise of a series I couldn’t get enough of. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a story that uses coercion to initially drive its plot, but it progresses into a wholesome portrayal of a healthy and supportive relationship, told via bright, cheerful and confident artwork. (It doesn’t hurt that introverted/mopey girl and outgoing/cheerful girl is one of my favourite pairings.) The series tentatively dips its toes into real-world LGBTQ themes, but almost in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it way; I’d like to see a little more realism as we go along, but I expect that I’ll be happy with whatever we get.

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games by Eri Ejima, published by Seven Seas

This is a weird series. Two volumes came out in 2024. Volume 6 spends the entire book on ONE MATCH and it is INTENSE and it excels at that sports-manga trick of making you care intensely about a sport (or e-sport) you may not necessarily know everything about – it explains what’s going on, it shows how the participants are in The Zone, it shows how good they are by how the commentators and crowds react, etc etc. By contrast, Volume 7 takes you out of that intense competitive spell you were pulled under and back to reality, and I mean…I don’t care that the girls are in trouble because they got caught playing video games in their dorm rooms when they weren’t supposed to, that’s just not as compelling as the tech and minutiae we were seeing in volume 6. While I hope that later volumes work out the balance between plot and competition better, this series still makes my list based off the strength of Volume 6 alone. I said this about Volume 5 last year, but it’s very rare for me to get shivers of excitement outside of listening to music, and for that alone I am happy to single out this book.

Eleanor Walker

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat, by Sakaomi Yuzaki, published by Yen Press

Volume 5 is releasing next month so look for that on next year’s list. But for now, every new volume of this series as is delightful as the last. Quite simply, I love everything about it, the characters, the premise the story. It’s also accompanied by one of the best ever live action adaptions of a manga I’ve ever seen. I’ve often found in the past that live action manga adaptions can be a bit too corny and overdone, but this one is perfect and I’m very much looking forward to both the next volume and having some time for season 2 of the drama.

I Can’t Say No To The Lonely Girl by Kashikaze, published by Kodansha

This one has been a long time coming in English, having finished serialising in Japan in 2022 but I’m glad we’ve finally got it. (May 2025 be the year we finally get 2DK, G-pen, Mezamashitokei). It originally came onto my radar from Erica’s reviews of it in Japanese and I agree that it’s a much better story than the initial premise would suggest.

Unlike The Summer You Were There, this one didn’t make me want to throw the book at the wall in frustration. The final volume is something to look forward to next year as well.

I Don’t Know Which Is Love by Tamamushi Oku, published by Yen Press

This is one of the silliest things I have ever read, and I’m so happy it exists. It’s every over-exaggerated harem trope ever, but turned up to 11 and made gay. Serious dramas are all well and good, but sometimes you just want the candyfloss. I also really like the author’s afterwords in this one, they seem super aware of how silly it is and I hope they’re having as much fun making it as I am reading it.

Although Volume 2 was released in English,Yen Press hasn’t listed volumes 3+ yet, I’m living in hope because they did eventually release I Want to Be a Wall 3, more than a year after volume 2.

Frank Hecker

The Loyal Pin

Against the backdrop of 1950s and 1960s Thailand, Princess Anin (Rebecca Patricia Armstrong) and Lady Pin (Freen Sarocha Chankimha) find that the course of true love does not run smoothly. They struggle with the expectations and restrictions placed upon them and try to win the approval of their (fictional and idealized) Thai royal family, in this lesbian storybook romance from Idol Factory, the company that put Thai yuri on the map with GAP: The Series.

The production values are top-notch (thanks to funding from the Thai Ministry of Commerce), the scenery is beautiful, the cuisine looks scrumptious, the love scenes show why “FreenBecky” are Thai yuri’s most celebrated “love team,” and the overall message of LGBTQ acceptance ties in quite nicely with the advent of Thai marriage equality. Overall The Loyal Pin has hit the trifecta: it’s an effective commercial for Thai tourism for international audiences, an excellent example of positive government-sponsored propaganda for the Thai domestic audience, and (most important for our purposes) one of the best Thai yuri live-action series ever.

Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born

This may seem an odd choice for a “top yuri series of 2024” list, since it’s a live-action adaptation of a Korean yuri webcomic that deliberately erased that comic’s explicit yuri (and more generally, queer) content in deference to a conservative domestic audience. Nevertheless, I’m including it here for three reasons: First, its setting and premise—a newcomer trying to break into an all-female theatrical troupe in 1950s Korea—should be of interest to anyone also interested in the Takarazuka Revue, whose all-female productions have influenced many yuri works without being themselves yuri. And although the explicit yuri elements are gone, yuri subtext is almost omnipresent in this series, especially in the relationship beyond the titular Jeongnyeon, the would-be “prince” of the troupe, and her would-be “princess” Joo-ran.

Finally, Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born is a top-notch series all around, with a uniformly excellent cast (headed by Kim Tae-ri, who previously starred in the Korean lesbian drama The Handmaiden), high production values, and a compelling if often bittersweet plot. Yuri fans who can look past the (self-)censorship of a canon yuri story will find an entertaining and emotionally resonant drama elevated by standout performances, along with splendid recreations of classic theatrical performances.

Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord

After the sturm und drang of Thai live-action yuri, it’s nice to experience a story without superfluous melodrama, in which the characters generally behave like mature and responsible adults (even those characters who aren’t technically adults yet) and the conflicts that do arise are resolved by people communicating with each other instead of relying on implausible plot contrivances (like many Thai series, not excepting The Loyal Pin). In some cases this might make for a boring read, but Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord (by Yadokawa) succeeds based on the strength of its characters, older manga editor Asako and young idol-turned-landlord Miyako (the central couple) and their friends and associates, Ruri, the new center for idol group Elm, and mangaka (and Elm uber-fan) Hato.

Those without Japanese will have to wait for the concluding volumes 4 and 5 to appear in English from Yen Press, but based on the first three volumes the final volumes of Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord should confirm its position as one of the best yuri manga of recent years, a very well-executed blend of slice of life, comedy, idol intrigue, and romance.

Luce

Mayonaka Punch (anime)

MayoPan, as it has been affectionately shortened to, cannot be called high art, but it was fun, and it was memorable. Even though it was perhaps lacking in Yuri content, considering that Live seems to want a bit more than to drink Masaki’s blood, it was an interesting look at the dangers of placing your self worth in the comments section of social media.

It was also incredibly daft, but somehow managed to be heart-warming at the same time. Masaki is a gremlin enough that it’s entertaining rather than off putting, and the last two episodes actually threw me. I’d like a session 2, but I’m happy with this one if that’s all we get.

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat, Volume 4,

I must confess, I’m not much of a fan of food manga. If it’s basically recipes with set dressing, I’d rather not read it. But the lure of Yuri pulled me in, so I was reading along as it came out, but not quite seeing the huge draw. Then this volume comes out, and opens up new ground – a character states on the page that they are asexual. It ceased to be about the food alone, but the connections it can and had brought to our characters, including Nagumo who had issues with eating, but in the warm and supportive environment fostered by the other three, is able to start to explore it. This is the volume that caught me on this series, so it’s earned its spot!

The Guy She Was Interested Tn Wasn’t A Guy At All

Boy has this one been hyped. Dubbed ‘green Yuri’ by some, the powerful use of the colour really punctuates the volume and elevates the already good art. Two teens start to bond over rock music, and although Aya mistakes Mitsuki for a boy initially, the misunderstanding is resolved by the end of the volume – and fairly realistically, too, which is unusual for these types of plot contrivances.

I’m excited to see where it goes next (and hoping it becomes more available in the UK!)

Matt Marcus

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Volume 5

In this final volume, the years slip by and things slowly change. Children grow into adults, relationships evolve, and humanity’s imprint on the world further fades. As with the rest of this series, there isn’t much plot development. We don’t learn any more about the apocalypse or the mysterious ship gliding above the earth. But little of that mattered before, and it really doesn’t matter now. YKK offers a space where we can slow down and soak in the feeling of gentle contentment, with perhaps a touch of warm sadness.

It’s a series I can see myself going back to on slow Saturday mornings, alongside a nice cup of coffee.

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t A Guy At All, Volume 1

It’s been hard to be in yuri spaces and not be aware of this stylish manga. Never has a series been so laser-targeted on my nostalgia. The Western rock music that the protagonists bond over brings me right back to driving to high school in my ‘98 Camry with no AC, flipping the radio between 99.1 PLR and Radio 104.1. A little Aerosmith here, a little Radiohead there. The only generational divide between these girls and my own experience is that back in my day, awkward music-based flirting required the use of a CD RW drive. Kids have it so easy these days.

There isn’t much story or character work to be found here; this series runs heavily on vibes alone, but they are my vibes, damnit! Sometimes pandering works!

The Moon On A Rainy Night, Volume 5

Like Christian above, I also had to give a nod to this series, which is a known favorite among the Okazu staff. (If you didn’t know, Erica has a pull quote on the back cover of every volume!) It’s thoughtful, well researched, full of likeable characters, and certainly well-drawn. Each volume has been a really pleasant surprise, and I’m thrilled that it’s getting an anime adaptation in the near future.

I wanted to highlight volume 5 in particular among the four (!) volumes that were released this year because of how it handled Tomita, a classmate who appears at first to merely be a bully, but is also struggling with hearing loss. There are no villains in this series, merely people with their own struggles who fail to do better. It makes me hope that with a little work and understanding, everyone can learn to be kinder to each other. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Erica Friedman

I have a few Honorable Mentions this year, which I don’t want to ignore entirely, but my criteria for “Best” this year is the same as last year, which means the benchmark is veray high.  If I was putting together this post by myself as I used to, these would all have landed in my Top Ten, for sure!

Whisper Me A Love Song Anime – based on the manga by Takeshima Eku, Published by Kodansha. On the positive side, we did, finally get to see the complete anime series, something that was not a given.  On the down side, an exceptional, ongoing manga was rendered meaningless by absurdly low budget, poor treatment of staff, unreasonable deadlines.

If I were Takeshima Eku, I would be devastated. It should have been delightful and charming and something you point tweens towards. At least we have the manga, which is delightful and charming! Shoulda, woulda, coulda, but I’m tired of Ichijinsha cheaping out on Yuri anime. All that said, this anime is still extremely cute and Yuri. ^_^

The Loyal Pin

This Thai live-action series based on the novel of the same name by by Mon Maw, made a case for the legitimacy of same-sex lives, just as Thailand was considering the same issue in real time. In this case, love won the day in both the series and the law. Popular actress/ pairing Freen and Becky did some of the best acting of their careers to date. While the story was not perfect – and I’d really like to see some queer actresses take up the mantle of Thai GL stars sometime soon – this was an undeniably excellent live-action series.

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All by Sumiko Arai, published by Yen Press

Manga, Drama CD and upcoming Anime. This visually arresting manga has made one of the most undeniable splash in Yuri marketing that I have ever seen. I hope it will continue, of course. The characters are lovable and we all are rooting for them very hard. The art is vibrant, dynamic, and the soundtrack is Gen X in a playlist. It’s absolutely a fabulous fun Yuri series. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing it as an anime.

Galette Magazine in English

The Okazu Staff were talking about how insanely difficult it is to pick “best”series and titles for this list.At which I suddenly realized I had left off an incredible title! There were a lot of fantastic Yuri Kickstarters this year – Mutsumi Natsuo, Aneido, Yorita Miyuki, Hanakage Alt all ran successful campaigns. Galette Magazine ran a hugely successful campaign, raising almost $45K for their first project. As I write this I was waiting for my copy to arrive, which has just arrived in time to post. ^_^  I very much look forward to this perfect example of the power of the global Yuri market. ^_^

This English-language volume is so stylish I want to show everyone I know how good it looks. I’m excited for you all to be able to enjoy something I have been enjoying for more than 5 years now. I am very gratified to see so many familiar names among the backers. We made this happen. Wow.

In 2024…and indeed, going forward into 2025, “the girl gets the girl” is bare bones. We want to see it, we expect it in our Yuri, but it is not enough. Not for me, at least. I am not opposed to coming of age, coming out stories, or bildungsroman in my narratives – I’ve certainly read and enjoyed my share of those. What I want in my Yuri  are exceptionally well-conceived three-dimensional characters whose lives are not rendered into one simplistic concern of “will they or won’t they”.

My choices for Best Yuri of 2024 treat the characters as if they are people, and treat the readers as if they are intelligent and interested in learning about those people.

She Loves To Cook And She Loves To Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki, published by Yen Press

This narrative centers adult women in our world, the real world, dealing with real issues – the kinds of casual homophobia every queer person encounters, as well as other obstacles of physical and mental health. When we read this series, we are watching as a family creates itself, and the people in that family supporting and loving one another in different ways. I’ve written about this series over and over with the Original JP edition, the EN edition and the live action drama. I wish this series could last forever, because I think it has a lot to teach us. Every issue of this manga is a delight, every episode of the live-action drama was equally as wonderful.

Yuzaki Sakaomi has set a high bar for LGBTQ manga excellence with this series. I look forward to the series that beats it. ^_^

The Moon On A Rainy Night by Kuzushiro, published by Kodansha

Like She Loves To Cook and She Loves To Eat, I have spent a great number of words explaining just exactly why this series by Kuzushiro is an exceptional series and everyone needs to read it. ^_^ Please indulge me while I continue to exhort you all to read this manga. ^_^

The first queer representation most young people encounter in their media is a portrayal of a young person like themselves, wondering what they are feeling. There is nothing wrong or trite about that – every generation needs their own coming out stories. I hope that every generation gets a coming out store this sensitive and affirming. Saki has an adult she can speak to about her feelings, Kanon’s circle of friends widens to include peers who experiences are the same as hers and those whose are different, but help them to understand how complicated life can be.

The Moon On A Rainy Night centers disability and chronic conditions in the very same way it handles queerness, that is to say…they are portrayed as normal things that exist. Queer people exist, people with disability exist, these are perfectly normal things in human society and it is up to all of us to create a society that is more inclusive and adaptive so everyone can participate. Hopepunk, ftw.

We can anticipate an anime for this series in the new year. Let us hope that the animation studio treats it well and gives it the love it deserves. ^_^

Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāngzǐ, translated by Lin King, published by Grayworlf

In the 20+ years I have written Okazu, I’ve been pretty honest about what makes a “good story” in my opinion. I’ve never stopped being the Comparative Literature student of my college years – honestly, this is why so many manga and anime that seem super unique and innovative to others seem fairly predictable to me. I admit, I ask a lot of “literature.” ^_^ When I encounter something that is that well-written, I’ll shout about it to the heavens. This is me shouting. Right now.

This year, it was my incredible pleasure to read Yáng Shuāngzǐ’s Taiwan Travelogue.

This book has deep roots in Class ‘S’ and early Yuri tropes, and is both an homage to and criticism of Yoshiya Nobuko. It is a pointed commentary on the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, (with reverberations into today’s situation of a Taiwan poised in between China, Japan and the US) and a loving guide to the food, people and places of Taiwan.  It is a tragedy that is not tragic and a comedy that is bittersweet at best. It is…a love story, by an award winning contemporary Baihe author.

In a year in which it was almost impossible to chose among all the amazing Yuri, Taiwan Travelogue is a must-read book for anyone interested in Yuri as a genre.

Many thanks to all of the Okazu Staff and Guest writers for their efforts and to Okazu Patrons and Supporters for making this and all our reviews possible. And thank you to our Okazu readers – you make this all worthwhile.

Happy New Year and happy new Yuri to all of you!