Summary
Anime has a history of pioneering LGBTQ+ positivity ahead of its time. Shows like Princess Knight and Patalliro! broke down barriers in the depiction of transgender relationships and MLM. Despite censorship, Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena continued to become iconic for their strange couples and themes.
There’s more LGBTQ+ anime has aged surprisingly well than most viewers expected. After all, in our rapidly evolving cultural age, it’s not uncommon to look back at a piece of media from even a year ago and find it a bit dated. This is especially true when depicting gay people.
Thankfully, anime is a boundary-pushing medium, meaning many shows championed positive LGBTQ+ representation years before it became mainstream. No anime series can age 100% perfectly, but there are plenty that are inspired, nuanced, and drive with strange stories at their heart.
10 Princess Knight is said to be the first anime with a transgender main character
Animated by Mushi Production and based on the manga by Osamu Tezuka
The first magical girl anime aired in 1967, and its gender-neutral hero, Sapphire, made the theme of Princess Knight ahead of its time. Born with a girl’s pink heart and a boy’s blue heart, Sapphire pretends to be a boy to defeat the comedic villain, Duke Duralumon. Sapphire was directly inspired by the Takarazuka Revue, a theater troupe where women performed both male and female roles. Despite Princess Knight’s success, some critics believe it depicts the misogyny typical of 50s and 60s Japan. However, others consider the anime a must-watch in favor Feminist.
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9 Pataliro! Making history for MLM representatives
Animated by Toei Animation and based on the Manga by Mineo Maya
When Patalliro! First broadcast in 1982, it made waves as the first anime to present the theme of shounen-ai, or boy love, on television. The series follows Patalliro, the 10-year-old king of Malynera, and his bodyguard, Bancoran, who bears notable similarities to James Bond. Bancoran and his lover, Maraich, often participate in heists involving jewelry that Patalliro has them involved in, and their hijinks are delightfully strange and eccentric. While the boy romance genre is more stigmatized than a straight gay love story, the impact of Patalliro! Yes on behalf cannot be denied.
Sailor Moon’s 8 same-sex couples are more iconic than ever despite being censored
Animated by Toei Animation and based on the Manga by Naoko Takeuchi
Sailor Moon is more than just a classic magical girl, it also features same-sex couples which were censored when the film was first brought to America. Many people will chuckle when recalling Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus, a couple in the Japanese version, depicted as cousins in the English dub. Villains Kunzite and Zoisite were also lovers in the 90s anime, but Zoisite was changed to a woman for American audiences. Thankfully, times have changed, and more than 30 years later, American audiences are more sympathetic to the series’ strange themes.
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7 Revolutionary Girls Utena brings credibility to LGBTQ+ love stories
Animated by JCStaff and created by Be-Papas
Surreal and avant-garde, the Revolution Girl Utena is no ordinary watch and that is precisely its appeal. The film revolves around Utena Tenjou, a high school student who finds herself playing the role of a prince in the tradition of royal love. She fights a series of duels to rescue the girl she loves, Anthy., who is known as the Rose Bride. Allegory, subversion, and nods to experimental theater abound in this LGBTQ+ classic. It’s no surprise that a show willing to take narrative risks also proudly took the opportunity to center a gay couple, especially in the late ’90s.
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6 Cardcaptor Sakura explores bisexuality
Animated by Madhouse and based on Manga by CLAMP
Cardcaptor Sakura not only has many strange characters, but most of them are quite young. Ten-year-old protagonists Sakura and Syaoran express concern for both boys and girls throughout the series., and their friend Tomoyo also seems to have a crush on Sakura. The anime prioritizes interpersonal relationships, meaning the queer love elements are one of the more important parts of the series, along with catching the elusive Clow Cards. Sakura’s older brother, Toya, even has a gay sidekick with his best friend, Yuki, and the supernatural creature Yue, who comes between them.
WATCH ON NETFLIX
5 Ouran High School Host Club’s gender theme remains relevant
Animated by Bones and based on the manga by Bisco Hatori
OHSHC’s main character, Haruhi, says that even though she is biologically female, it has never mattered to her one way or the other. In her eyes, how people treat each other is more important than appearance. More than 15 years later, the term “non-binary” has entered the mainstream and many people do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. Simply put, Haruhi was and remains one of the most iconic gender-neutral characters in anime and challenges audiences’ notions of a typical shoujo protagonist.
WATCH ON HULU
4 Brilliant Land features a completely non-binary cast
Animated by Orange and based on the manga by Haruko Ichikawa
Land of the Lustrous takes place in a distant, meteor-ravaged future, where Earth is inhabited by a race of humanoid gems. The main character, Phos, seeks to prove his worth in battle and find a sense of belonging. None of the gems in the series are gendered and The futuristic setting creates space for viewers to think deeply about today’s gender structures. Action-packed, beautifully animated and character-driven, Lustrous only gets better when viewed through a strange lens.
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3 Doukyuusei is a healthy alternative to harmful LGBTQ+ groups
Animated by A-1 Pictures and based on the manga by Asumiko Nakamura
The Doukyuusei film adaptation aired in 2016, a year in which the representation of marginalized identities was coming under more direct scrutiny. There is a notable lack of cheerful stories about gay people in the media, which makes the wholesome story of classmates Sajou and Kusakabe a breath of fresh air. The film has a relatively simple premise – romance blossoms between two boys as they prepare for a school music festival – but its candor is part of its appeal. Doukyuusei’s subdued, minimalist art style is another big draw for audiences, making the film an absolute must-see.
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2 Banana Fish aims not to romanticize abuse
Animated by MAPPA and based on the manga by Akimi Yoshida
When Banana Fish was first published in 1985, it was praised for its treatment of themes of trauma and abuse.. In a genre where abusive behavior between men is often romanticized, the manga and anime adaptation treats the experiences of the main character, Ash, with some refreshing flair. Between action-packed gang wars, a mysterious volatile drug, and the touching, hidden relationship between Ash and Eiji, this series has something for everyone . However, this is also an anime that is guaranteed to make you cry, so viewers should have tissues ready.
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1 The Case Files of Richard the Jeweler explores the realities of being gay in Japan
Animated by Shuka and based on the light novel by Nanako Tsujimura
While Jeweler Richard never fully commits to a romantic relationship between its two main characters, there is notable LGBTQ+ representation throughout. In episode 2, A female customer engaged to a man visits Richard’s appraisal shop and it is revealed that she is in love with a woman.. The episode explores the challenges of being a gay woman in Japan and even ends on a hopeful note. Another episode is dedicated to the main cast member, Tanimoto, who shares that she never wanted to be in a romantic relationship. Upon hearing this, many viewers considered her a perfumer, an identity that is underrepresented in popular culture.
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