Representation within the entertainment industry has become an important goal in Hollywood, but the trend is more global than you may know. For instance, Japan has embraced LGBTQ issues in its own way through yuri (lesbian) and yaoi (gay) anime, and a big award was gifted to Puella Magi Madoka Magica as such.
There’s just one issue… Madoka Magica isn’t a yuri title first and foremost.
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Recently, Anime News Network shared the results of a massive fan-voted poll conducted by goo Ranking in Japan. The site tallied a couple thousand votes from anime fans about the best yuri anime from the Heisei era. It was there Madoka Magica shined and took the top spot with a narrow win.
For those who’ve forgotten the title, Madoka Magica is a magical girl series that debuted back in 2011. The TV venture was a critical hit as its tonal shift stunned fans. After all, Madoka Magica follows a slew of middle school girls after they sign contracts to become magical girls, but they are blindsided by the negotiation’s fallout. When dark forces threaten to overtake the world, each girl is traumatized, and the show’s brutal violence shocked fans to say the least.
Still, Madoka Magica did hold some solid yuri undertones. The girls all bonded in their trauma, and their close-knit relations did border on romantic at times. However, some fans are surprised the magical girl title would get first place when other titles like Revolutionary Girl Utena were in the running. You can check out the full fan-voted list below to see where you stand with this yuri ranking:
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Maria Watch Over Us
Is the order a rabbit?
Yuruyuri — Happy Go Lily
Bloom Into You
Girls and Panzer
Kakegurui
Happy Sugar Life
A Certain Scientific Railgun
Loe Lab
Ms. Koizumi loves ramen noodles
Sound! Euphonium
Sakura Trick
Aikatsu Friends!
Fate/kaledi liner Prisma Illya
Saki
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
Kinmoza! Kiniro + Mosaic
Citrus
So, do you agree with this list? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
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