Japan Crowns the 10 Best Yuri Anime of All Time

Over the past few decades, the yuri genre (also commonly referred to as girls’ love, or GL) has flourished, bringing the anime world dozens of deeply moving love stories. Recently, a major Japanese ranking site uncovered which 10 yuri titles have garnered the most love among modern-day anime viewers.

Earlier this month, Anime!Anime! conducted a user survey titled “What is your favorite yuri anime? 2026 Edition.” The site characterizes yuri as any work that involves “intimate relationships between women…ranging from depicting romantic feelings to those focusing on trust, friendship and irreplaceable bonds.”

From June 4-11, the site compiled responses from a total of 396 participants, the majority of whom (roughly 60%) identified as male. The official top 10 rankings can be viewed below.

Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Crowned Japan’s Top-Ranked Yuri Anime

Japan Crowns the 10 Best Yuri Anime of All Time — Suletta and Miorine together, wearing their wedding rings in Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury
The Executioner and Her Way of Life
Cosmic Princess Kaguya!
There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless…
Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk
Bloom Into You
Sakura Trick
Whisper Me a Love Song
(two-way tie) Maria-sama Watches Over Us and Lycoris Recoil
Adachi and Shimamura

Despite hailing from a franchise that has very few female leads, Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch From Mercury secured the #1 spot with roughly 23% of the vote. Set in the alternate “Ad Stella” timeline, the series features an economically divided society split between two main space colonies: the Earthians and the Spacians. When Suletta Mercury leaves her planet behind to join the student body at the Asticassia School of Technology, she meets Miorine Rembran, another young woman with ties to the school’s Gundam program.

After winning a duel in Episode 1, Suletta and Miorine are formally engaged according to the protocol of Asticassia’s “Holder” system. However, a genuine romantic relationship forms between the pair over the course of the series. This bond, which is based on the concept of “shared destiny,” left a powerful impression on viewers.

“Despite being tossed about by a harsh fate, Suletta and Miorine complement each other’s weaknesses and forge a secure future…” one voter commented. Notably, The Witch from Mercury is the first mainline Gundam anime to star a canon yuri couple.

Second place winner, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, is based on the titular light novel series by Mato Sato (story) and Nilitsu (art). Initially released in 2022, the anime tells the story of Menou — a young executioner who is tasked with eliminating the “lost ones” who are reincarnated from other worlds. One day, she comes across a girl named Menou, who, unlike others of her kind, is seemingly immortal. Despite her knowledge of Menou’s grim quest, Akari tags along with the executioner on a quest to end her own life.

The Executioner and Her Way of Life secured its position with approximately 14% of the vote. According to comments left by participants, the series stands out as a highly unique entry in the oft-criticized isekai sub-genre. “I thought it would be just another isekai reincarnation story, but I was drawn in by the unexpected twists and turns…” one person wrote.

Viewers were also deeply enamored by the bond between Akari and Menou, which is strong in spite of their circumstances. “The premise of a road movie between the one who tries to kill and the one who is targeted is fantastic,” one voter commented. “I was also thrilled by the process of gradually uncovering Akari’s abilities.”

The Executioner and Her Way of Life is available on HIDIVE. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury is streaming on Crunchyroll.