Looking for mature shoujo-ai series

[Last Sinner]

Ones I am aware of:

Simoun
Maria-sama ga Miteru
Kashimashi
Kannazuki no Miko

Basically I'm after some series with two females that become very close friends or lovers, preferably lovers. I'd prefer a series that has a mature take on it. A bit of ecchi is okay but I definitely don't want an ecchi-fest like Strawberry Panic.

[Autumn Demon]

shoujo kakumei utena. i wouldn't call it shoujo ai, but it's still a great series.

[Matrim]

This is something rather difficult to find, even soem of those you mention hardly qualify as mature shoujo-ai series. You might want to try manga instead, the yuri/shoujo-ai choice there is a lot bigger.

Anyway, I recommend Blue Drop, though it doesn't deliver much in the romantic department. If you are fine with shoujo-ai subtext only - check out Noir.

[Fevvers]

Like what Matrim said above, there are a lot more choices (really well-written ones at that) with manga. What little yuri anime series we do have tend to be more pandering than anything else.

[Last Sinner]

Yeah, I've read the 12 Days manga, which I thought was very well done. Seen Noir, thought it became boring quickly and the yuri undertone was rather weak/silly in the scheme of things. Saw a bit of Utena, not my kind of series.

Doubt I could follow up the manga side, spent too much money on manga recently, I'm limiting my purchases from now on.

I forgot about Blue Drop, I never did check that one out. That I will follow up. THanks for the tip. ^^

[Cynor]

I haven't seen it in awhile so I can't fully remember how "Mature" it is (and how much ecchi is in it), but you could check out Mai Hime and Mai Otome. Otome is sort of like Tsubasa Chronicles in that it takes the same characters from Hime and places them in an alternate universe, along with introducing new ones. You'll really need to watch both though to fully get a couple things and know who is who.
In both (really emphasized/admitted in Hime but a constant undertone in Otome I believe) there is an admitted Yuri relationship, and in both the first and second there are several very close friendships that develope between 2 or more girls.

There really isn't a lot of romance to the series however, despite the admitted Yuri relationship, so it really isn't a true shojou-ai... However it does fit the "series with two females that become very close friends" bill nicely.

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

if you are like me and really care about yuri and want to see genuinely good yuri, you shoudl watch or better yet read shoujo sect. Yes, it's hentai. However, it's deeper than any other henti I've heard of and easily on the Marimite/simoun/blue drop level of actually good yuri. If you don't mind that there's sex it should be fine. It's not like fucking Strawberry where the ecchi is only there for fanservice, the sex is actually romantic and, dare I say, adult.

[jedinat]

^eh... I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with that. The relationship developments are fairly nonexistent.

Read Pieta--one of my favorite shoujo-ai stories. It only says "friends" in the synopsis, but they become much more than that.

[Last Sinner]

The two Mais, especially Hime, are ecchi fests and every bloody anime cliche done to the nth degree. Few series invoke more hatred in me that Mai-Hime does. And since I despise Tsubasa Chronicles, I wouldn't touch Otome. Thanks for trying, though. It's just I really get driven bonkers by it. -_-

One I've heard of that has some elements of it, but not the main part of, is Bakuretsu Tenshi. I was always interested in seeing that one. So I'm getting hold of that.

Pieta looks interesting. I'll check the local manga store. Thanks for the tip.

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

Originally Posted by Last Sinner

The two Mais, especially Hime, are ecchi fests and every bloody anime cliche done to the nth degree. Few series invoke more hatred in me that Mai-Hime does. And since I despise Tsubasa Chronicles, I wouldn't touch Otome. Thanks for trying, though. It's just I really get driven bonkers by it. -_-

lol you missed the point of the mais! the whole idea was to take all of animes cliches and show that they could be done right with good writing!

[Last Sinner]

That then becomes completely dependent on opinion. And I didn't like it one bit. Sue me.

[Fevvers]

Well, if you don't mind manga, then you should definitely look up Blue when you get the chance. Heck, anything by Kiriko Nananan is a must for her honest yet subtle portrayal of relationships.

Also, check out Aoi Hana by Takako Shimura (yep, the author of Hourou Musuko), a very sweet yet realistic tale of teen romance.

Helter Skelter and River's Edge by Kyoko Okazaki has yuri undertones in them, but much more focused on the dark and bleak side of human nature without glorifying and pandering to the readers. Okazaki's one of the best storytellers around, such a shame she doesn't write anymore.

[Matrim]

Pieta looks interesting. I'll check the local manga store. Thanks for the tip.

Judging by your location, I'd venture this trip to the store would be frutiless, considering that Pieta is not licensed. Scanlation or reading in Japanese are your only choices, alas.

[nadare]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned Candy Boy yet?

I also refer this thread to you

GirlXGirlXBoy is also realistic.

[Last Sinner]

Nice, nadare...I don't know how you pre-empted me coming across Girl Friends in a search but not finding out much about it. Is that available to buy in English or just via the 'other' ways?

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

Originally Posted by Last Sinner

Nice, nadare...I don't know how you pre-empted me coming across Girl Friends in a search but not finding out much about it. Is that available to buy in English or just via the 'other' ways?

only available on internet and very worth obtaining, personal favorite yuri manga probably. It kind of answers my question of 'what if the yuri implicaations from hidamari sketch were put into action' lol.

[Last Sinner]

Awww. What the hell is it with the licensing of yaoi series yet they won't license the decent/clean yuri ones? Seriously, the industry and the countries responsible for licensing seem to frown on lesbians/shoujo-ai so much more than they do on the male version. So much for the 21st century - plenty of medieval mentality still left over. *sigh*

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

Originally Posted by Last Sinner

Awww. What the hell is it with the licensing of yaoi series yet they won't license the decent/clean yuri ones? Seriously, the industry and the countries responsible for licensing seem to frown on lesbians/shoujo-ai so much more than they do on the male version. So much for the 21st century - plenty of medieval mentality still left over. *sigh*

Well you see, the male audience tend to look for a male main character in their romance so that they can relate to it. For women, they may like female main characters, but many also like to see feminine men as the main characters because they are still relatable with the addition of being attractive. Men don't have as easy a time of relating to women. This has been proven by polls and is easy to see - there are tons and tons of yaoi manga and anime whereas I can count the number of decent yuri series in my head. It basically counts down to while yaoi appeals to most women, yuri really only appeals to lesbian women.

[Matrim]

Tons of yaoi anime? Really? I am pretty sure that the number of yaoi anime is very low.
Now manga is apparently quite a different case.

It basically counts down to while yaoi appeals to most women, yuri really only appeals to lesbian women.

So? Most of it yuri is aimed at men anyway. I don't really get your point.

[Deus ex Digital Boy]

Originally Posted by Matrim

Tons of yaoi anime? Really? I am pretty sure that the number of yaoi anime is very low.
Now manga is apparently quite a different case.



So? Most of it yuri is aimed at men anyway. I don't really get your point.

only it doesn't. Yuri doesn't appeal to most men at all. That WAS my point. And it isn't aimed at men either - the only yuri I can think of that's aimed at men is Strawberry Panic! and Kannazuki which are the opposite of mature yuri. And yeah, there are an assload of yaoi anime or do I have to call it shounen-ai?