Complexity in Yuri visual novels
Yuri and yaoi are words that cause disgust or apprehension in some Japanese fiction lovers. I have noticed that this is because these genres are usually associated with sex, like hentai. But yaoi and yuri works are far from that. They are merely stories that focus in homosexual relationships. Same-sex relationships. That is all. There is not box for sexual relationships, the just have to identify as the same sex or gender. Of course, there are many many series that cater to the audiences that just want to see two people getting it on. There is perhaps much more of this content than healthy homosexual stories.
This kind of content sexualizes... not even characters who have same-sex attraction because their sexuality is not stated upfront... but like in a weird way. It's like they didn't have a sexuality before X thing happened and the characters themselves never show having same-sex attraction to any other person but the romantic interest.
In reality, that is a niche, and works that portray solid and well-rounded LGBT+ characters are on the rise. Perhaps you have heard of Bloom into You, a yuri manga that got an anime adaptation in Fall 2018. If you have watched it, you might have realized that it is different from the type of stories I just mentioned.
The main character, Koito Yuu, is a girl who loves romance manga. She dreamt of that moment when someone confessed to her and her world would turn rose-colored and bright and she would feel her body float. But when it happened--a boy from her middle school confessing to her the last day of school and she didn't feel anything--she began to think she was broken, and she felt isolated from her peers when she moved to highschool. To her, contrasts Nanami Touko, the student council president. Beautiful and a nice person, a lot of boys (and girls) have confessed to her. Yet, she turned them down. The two met when Yuu stumbled onto a confession, and Touko's reply about her constant rejections was that she merely wasn't interested. Yuu believed the president was like her, unable to fall in love, and the relief that washed over her made Touko's confession a few episodes later much more cruel. Yuu could not accept her feelings; she did not understand how Touko could stare at her with doe eyes. In a world where people are told that falling in love is a beautiful thing that happens to everyone, not having that experience can be pretty devastating to some.
That is merely the start of the story. Bloom into You, apart from romance, focuses on self-worth and identity among other topics. The rest of the characters have agency and personality, like the female couple which serves as some sort of mentor to another character which is attracted to women as well. This "history" of attraction is what I believe put LBGT+ works apart from the yaoi and yuri work's stereotype.
This post isn't about anime, but about visual novels! I made a list of yuri visual novels as LBGT+ works which focus on more things than romance. I wanted people to know about them because they are really good, and if you are the person who shies away from yuri as a genre with the thought of seeing girl on girl action fear not, there will be none in here. And if there is, I will mention it. But the relationship is definitely not the focus of the story, these girls got other priorities ;D.
FLOWERS-le volume sur primtemps
First and foremost, it is perhaps the most beautiful visual novel I have read hands-down. The pastel colors take my breath away and the music makes me feel as if I am in a magical place. Like in the Harry Potter verse.
Shirahane Souh is a girl does not have friends. She stopped going to school after terrible experiences and became homeschooled. In "anime" terms, you can call her average. But she truly stands out among... wow, I believe she can hardly be considered a kuudere. Suoh is shy, and it is quickly established she has social anxiety with her initial interactions. She chose to attend a Catholic all-girls school which has a system called "amitie" which aims to form long-lasting friendships among students. Amitie partners are chosen based on a student's answers on a questionnaire and a private interview. Suoh is determined to make friends and overcome herself.
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