WITH anime growing more and more popular in the Philippines, it’s no wonder streaming sites are starting to widen their selections of the popular Japanese shows. It was even revealed in 2020 that more than half of the Philippine population watches anime, and it’s very easy to see why.
Anime tells stories with visuals like no other. Just like any other medium of storytelling, anime on its own is a work of art that people have been coming to appreciate. The shows capture emotions and experiences in a way a live-action film would never be able to do, with their detailed backgrounds and expressive characters.
But aside from offering stunning visuals, anime shows are also different because these tell stories that people don’t always see highlighted in other media, and queer stories are included in that scope. This is very important considering that like the Philippines, Japan is a conservative country.
Despite the conservative culture, queer creatives in Japan continue to fight for the right to have their stories shared with the masses, just as they deserve. And to celebrate their bravery, here are some anime shows with LGBTQIA+ themes that you can watch online.
- Princess Jellyfish
Genres: Comedy and romance
Perfect for: Those in the mood for a funny, light-hearted watch
Princess Jellyfish is an anime set in a small, cozy apartment shared by a group of women who are all otakus, or people with consuming interests or fixations. Amongst this group is a girl named Tsukimi, a meek illustrator that shies away from men and pretty people in general.
One day, Tsukimi meets Kuranosuke, who she thinks is a woman but is eventually revealed to be a man. Between them, a friendship starts to form as she invites Kuranosuke to start living with her and her roommates.
Gender-nonconforming Kuranosuke slowly teaches Tsukimi to be more confident with herself, while Tsukimi does her best to hide Kuranosuke’s secret of actually being a man wearing drag from the other people living in the apartment.
Princess Jellyfish is an anime that teaches viewers that you don’t have to conform to expectations for your gender just to be happy; one’s clothing, behavior, or whatever else shouldn’t dictate your identity, because only you can do that for yourself.
Many trans people have talked about how much they appreciated the show; this post from Trans Girl Media, for example, discusses how the author appreciated Kuranosuke because not once was his dressing as a woman played out to be some sort of cheap joke, nor was it used for shock value.
“Even if I personally do not fully view him as a trans woman, it is certainly no stretch to say that his character has a huge potential to be very empowering to trans viewers,” the author, a trans woman, wrote.
- Banana Fish
Genres: Drama, thriller, and suspense
Perfect for: Those who prefer a dark, gritty, intense watch
In this anime, viewers are first introduced to a young street thug who goes by the name of As. He is on the run and has for years faced the abuse of a mafia godfather named Dino Golzine.
Ash spends his freedom trying to rebuild a new life for himself. He becomes strong enough to form his own mafia, and at the same time tries to figure out the meaning of the words “banana fish,” the only phrase his brother has been able to say since his return from war.
In his quest for knowledge, he meets Eiji, the assistant of a photographer trying to make a report on street gangs. Ash struggles to protect Eiji as well as his relationship with the man when Golzine starts trying to track him down.
Ultimately, he has to decide whether or not to continue to be a part of Eiji’s life, because he knows that the longer he spends with him, the more he puts Eiji’s life in danger.
There are many dark themes found within Banana Fish, which one may not expect given its cute title. Despite these, Banana Fish is a show packed with both action and passion, and the love between Ash and Eiji is simply something viewers must not miss.
- Bloom Into You
Genre: Drama and romance
Perfect for: Those in the mood for something light and sweet but still deeply touching
Yuu is someone who loves the idea of romance but has never actually experienced it herself. She spends her time reading books on romance, waiting for the time wherein she’ll be able to experience what she’s only ever read about.
But when she finally experiences it after one of her male classmates confesses his feelings for her, it’s not at all like the butterflies and fireworks that she expected.
Unsure of how to respond to her suitor, Yuu approaches the student council president, Nanami, for help. But what she doesn’t expect is for Nanami to suddenly confess her own feelings for her.
Yuu has to deal with her confusion about her newfound feelings, trying to figure out where exactly on the spectrum she lies.
More than a love story between two girls, many have started to believe that Yuu is also a representation of asexuality in anime, given that she struggles to form a sexual attraction toward anyone. This is also why some have labeled her to be a “grey ace” – someone who may sometimes experience sexual attraction but oftentimes do not, or simply do not see sex as important when it comes to choosing a partner.
Though it hasn’t been confirmed whether or not Yuu really is asexual, the anime still stands as a beautiful love story between two young girls trying to figure themselves out as their relationship and bond grow deeper and deeper.
- Given
Genre of anime: Drama and romance
Perfect for: Those looking for something more musical
Given is an anime separated into three stories, one of which is that of Sato and Uenoyama.
Serving as the first arc of the series, the story of Sato and Uenoyama begins through their shared love for music.
Uenoyama is a guitarist for a band, and he soon becomes a guitar teacher for his soft-spoken classmate Sato after the latter’s strings break, and Uenoyama tasks himself with repairing them.
Uenoyama realizes that Sato is an extremely talented singer, so he quickly invites him to join their band. With each band practice and songwriting session, the pair start to grow closer and closer to one another.
Sato, however, still struggles with fully opening up to Uenoyama and the rest of the band after experiencing a traumatic event in his past, which he is still actively trying to heal from. Meanwhile, Uenoyama struggles to regain the passion for music that he once felt so deeply. Together, the two start to heal one another without even realizing it.
This arc of Given teaches viewers about love but also teaches that it’s okay to have pain in your life because you can always take that pain and turn it into something beautiful. It’s a great example of a BL, Collider’s Anime Feature writer Sebastian Stoddard writes, because of how realistic and well-written the characters are.
Ueonoyama and Sato are great characters because they are flawed; they both have sh*t that they’re trying to deal with, but that’s okay because they’re dealing with it together.
- Yuri On Ice
Genre of anime: Sports, comedy, drama, and romance
Perfect for: Fans of sports animes
If you want something that makes you feel like getting out of your seat, Yuri on Ice says hi. Set in the world of men’s figure skating, Yuri on Ice is about the journey of a figure skater named Yuri, who is trying to get back on his feet after losing in his latest competition.
Due to his loss, Yuri stops skating despite still having a love for the sport. But one day, he performs once again, and a video of it is posted by a group of kids and leads to Yuri going viral online.
This is where Viktor, Yuri’s past competitor, comes in; he immediately offers to be Yuri’s coach, urging him to perform for one last season.
The two work so well together because while Yuri has lost his drive to perform due to his loss, Viktor has lost his passion for the sport because he keeps winning.
Many have labeled the show to be groundbreaking given how openly it depicts the relationship of Yuri and Viktor, focusing on the romantic aspect of it instead of the sexual side often prioritized (sadly) in animes that depict male romance; in fact, the boys’ love or yaoi genre in Japan is characterized by its inclusion of sex in its plot. Yuri on Ice breaks that mold.
The chemistry between the characters is definitely what’ll draw viewers in. But aside from this, the show is beautifully animated, which is no surprise since many of the characters were actually inspired by real-life figure skaters.
