Anime with canon gay characters
LGBTQ+ relationships in anime either come across as tender or facetious. Non-binary anime characters, when they show up at all, often never experience requited love. When a association does blossom, they often follow unhealthy dynamics that aren't reflective of real-world relationships, relying instead on yaoi and yuri tropes.
That said, there are some awesome LGBTQ+ anime couples that work for as positive representations of their respective communities. Some of these couples are the main characters in their own gay anime shows, whereas some are featured in series that aren't inherently LGBTQ anime. Yuri Katsuki and Victor Nikiforov of Yuri!!! on ICE are deeply committed and wholly in adoration, pushing each other to be their best selves both on and off the ice. Ymir and Krista of Attack on Titan are forced into roles that don't suit them, but they find meaning and comfort in each other. Mitsuyo Akechi and Michi Inukai of A Centaur's Worries have a much more relaxed approach to love. They're just high university girlfriends who like each other, proving that same-sex attracted relationships don't have to be dramatic to be worth showcasing.
These relationships vary in tone and intensity, but all of them
8 Anime Characters You Didn't Know Were Canonically LGBTQ
Summary
- Dio Brando from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is confirmed bisexual by series maker Araki, adding to the show's drama and flair.
- My Hero Academia includes Tiger, a gender nonconforming man, treated no differently by his team for his identity.
- Ghost In The Shell features a bisexual protagonist, Motoko Kusanagi, whose identity adds depth to the exploration of inhuman bodies.
Since anime encompasses all of Japanese animation, there's a large span of genres and thousands of alternative character types. That means there are subsections of anime dedicated to telling LGBTQ stories and prominently featuring queer characters. But even in other genres, where you might not expect to see as much representation, like shonen, there are still quite a few examples.
12 Best Gay Characters In Games
Are they... you know...? Yes, yes they are. These are the best gay characters in video games.
While you may know some of them, or several more widespread examples not included, enjoy Revolutionary Girl Utena, there's probably at least one character that will be a surprise to you. All of these traits
Interest Stacks
TV, 1992, 46 eps Me:-Author:6
Haruka Tenou - WLW, Nonbinary (Main)
Michiru Kaiou - Queer woman (Main)
Kou Seiya - WLW, Nonbinary (Supporting)
Kunzite, Zoisite - MLM (Supporting)
NOTE. I used the first season but some of these characters only show up in sequels
TV, 1998, 70 eps Me:-Author:10
Shaoran Li - Bi/Pan (Main)
Yukito Tsukishiro - MLM (Supporting)
Touya Kinomoto - Bi/Pan (Supporting)
Nakuru Akizuki - Nonbinary (Supporting)
TV, 2007, 24 eps Me:-Author:9
Seiko Kotobuki - Transgender (Supporting)
CW. transphobia coming from a main nature
TV, 2008, 26 eps Me:-Author:-
Shimizu Raikou - MLM (Main)
Meguro Gau - MLM (Supporting)
NOTE. goes more in-depth in the manga
TV, 2006, 26 eps Me:-Author:9
Ryuouji Fujioka - Trans (Supporting)
CW. transphobia, outdated terms and t-slurs
ONA, 2022, 10 eps Me:-Author:5
Mizuki Akiyama - Transgender (Main)
NOTE. goes more in-depth in the game (don't act it tho it's gacha)
TV, 2019, 11 eps Me:-Author:7
Enta Jinnai, Reo Niiboshi, Mabu Akutsu - MLM (Main & Supporting)
TV, 2011, 24 eps Me:-Author:8
Ruka Urushibara - Transgend
The Best LGBTQ Characters in Anime
Like I’ve said before, anime is rife with some amazing LGBTQ series. So many, in fact, that this author hasn’t seen them all. What did you expect? Just because I’m queer that I’ve seen EVERY queer anime ever?
I’m sorry, y’all, I’ve been too busy doing other queer shit. And sometimes just normal shit too? Enjoy cooking? Taking a shower? Sleeping? Although those things could all be gay, I guess. I could be counting gay sheep before bed, but most of the hour, to be truthful, I’m lying stir wishing that my favorite queer anime characters could be real so that we could attach.
Here is a list of my personal favorite LGBTQ anime characters. And if you contain any dark magic available to construct them real, I would appreciate your help.
Gren, Cowboy Bebop
Gren is one of the most beautiful and complex portrayals of a transgender character in anime that I have ever seen. A character from the greatest anime of all period, Cowboy Bebop, Gren is a jazz musician living in the frozen small town of Azure Crow on Callisto. While the traits presents as male (and for wonderful reason; Blue Crow is an all-male tow
20 Crucial Queer Representations In Anime (For Better Or Worse)
In terms of sheer quantity, there are a lot more queer characters in anime than there are in American cartoons. Until recently, queer advocacy in American animation has faced two ridiculous obstacles: the idea that cartoons are just for kids, and the idea that it's inappropriate to reveal kids to the life of queer people. Thankfully that first obstacle started being challenged in the '90s with shows love The Simpsons and South Park, and the second obstacle's being challenged now thanks to shows appreciate Steven Universe and The Loud House. In Japan, however, neither of obstacles exist. There's been anime for adults almost as long as there's been anime, and kids anime have long featured openly queer characters.
As for the quality of queer advocacy in anime, it's a mixed bag. While there isn't the same "think of the children!" panicking as in America, Japan still has a unbiased deal of cultural stigma around the queer society. Because of this, while including queer characters is less taboo, they're often portrayed as jokey stereotypes. Sometimes these stereotypical characters are written well enoug