It’s the first week of 2019 on the date this post is written and due to my not being ready to post my “Favorite Anime of 2018” list yet I asked myself “What would be a neat topic to discuss? Hmmmm. I KNOW! My favorite taboo yuri couples (since 2018)! Kick off the year with some spice.”. So here we are. Excluding the final two the couples mentioned won’t be in any particular order.
WARNING! The following post features couples that go against societal norms in regards to age and social relationships. Viewer discretion is advised.
You all knew this couple would be included.
Most of the couples will fall under three categories which readers will notice. Let’s start with the above couple and arguably the most well known taboo couple:
- Kanade and Yukino Sakurai.
- Series: Candy Boy
- Taboo: Twins
This is a straightforward couple. The fact they’re related is brought up a couple of times but ultimately doesn’t have much influence in their developing romance. It’s more about two people who have known each other for a very long time finally embracing their feelings for each other and acting out on them in a fluffy manner with some small drama sprinkled in. There’s even a third sister who sort of wants in on the action.
Nurse X Student
- Nanao and Miss Matsumoto
- Pure Water Adolescence
- Taboo: Student X Teacher/Nurse
If there’s one kind of age-gap I’m a sucker for it’s student/nurse X teacher. When it comes to age-gap romances where the older of the two is an adult woman I have four requirements:
- The teacher and student are equals in understanding the concept of romance and are equally “hungry”.
- The student is not the dominant of the two. (I dislike hapless adults. They can be horny but not completely incapable of taking care of themselves)
- The student must have at least hit puberty.
- Their romance is taken seriously.
More often than not these romances have a deeper dilemma than simply “I can’t fall for my student because I’m not only much older but it’s against the law“. This is the first story I noticed this trend in student x teacher yuri romances and rarely does it go in a different direction, which in all honesty I do not mind as the “main reason” is often the more interesting story. Lastly the reason why I like these kinds of romances are because the older woman often lives up to the “aura of sexiness” the younger girl visualizes them in.
Sisters
- Kyo and Asu Yamada
- Series: Binbou Shimai Monogatari
- Taboo: Sisters
This next one is iffy on some levels. The first one being Asu is 9 years old. Whether she understands the concept of romance is kind of unknown. Secondly their relationship is super dee duper fluffy. It wouldn’t be surprising for some to only see their relationship as “sisterly love” and not romantic…but I see them as lovey-dovey. Readers who have seen the show MAY get where I’m coming from. I don’t talk about these two very much but believe me, every time I see them together I can’t help but imagine them becoming so much closer than they already are once Asu grows to be about Kyo’s age. At the time of the series came out she had 6 years to go. Since the sisters live in poverty it comes as no surprise they have rich counterparts. For the sake of argument I ship those sisters as well but not as much as Kyo X Asu.
Student X Teacher
- Eiko Tokura and Miss Kiyose Enami
- Series: Slow Start
- Taboo: Student X Teacher
Back with another student x teacher pairing. This one is at the time of this writing still a ship. Plus there are some on Team Kamuri who want to see Team Sensei sink to a watery grave but that’s not what we’re here to discuss. Eiko X Kiyose are like a cat and mouse with Eiko being the “chick magnet” who can easily woo any girl in sight (Whether intentionally or not)…except Miss Kiyose. Miss Kiyose may look uninterested and lethargic but when push comes to shove she becomes a clever tactician, always having a counter to Eiko’s flirting, refusing to lose. Even when Eiko gets the advantage she finds a way to come out on top with her adult wiles and charms. Basically it’s their constant war to see who is the “top” along with their age difference that won me over.
Cousins.
- Haruka Ozora and Kanata Higa
- Series: Harukana Receive
- Taboo: Cousins
Don’t take my word on the following but I think cousins don’t have as much difficulty hooking up as siblings do. While rarer than lesbian sisters/twins there are some lesbian cousins in media. My favorite of them by far are Haruka X Kanata. Why? simple, super adorable and badass together. Plus their confession scene was one of the sweetest I’d ever seen. Not much else to say. The two work together to become the best gay beach volleyball team in Japan (Though they have plenty of strong competition) while growing closer together as a couple.
Student X Teacher 2.
- Kiri Tsurugimine and Miss Tsukuyo Sonou
- Series: Kindred Spirits on the Roof
- Taboo: Student X Teacher
Another student x teacher with the familiar “I can’t fall for her because she’s my student” setup but there being more to the story. It is also interesting seeing the student accepting the truth about herself in that she isn’t obsessed with Miss Tsukuyo just because she’s adorable.
Mother X Daughter.
- Asuka and Ayako
- Series: 1 X 1/2 (Haven’t reviewed this one)
- Taboo: Mother X Daughter
Possibly the most polarizing couple on the list. I freely admit the main reason I like this couple if sheer curiosity. There are two kinds of yuri couples I’m super iffy on:
- Age-gap where the younger girl is a minor (Uzamaid! for example)
- Maternal incest (Mother/Aunt X Daughter/Niece)
Normally reading (Highly doubt we’ll get any of the 2nd in anime form) a story with this kind of romance has me feeling a bit iffy. However, like with Satou X Shio from Happy Sugar Life, if done well and taken seriously I can get on board. 1 X 1/2 currently has my attention because I’m curious to see where it goes. Obviously it is much more than “My daughter is in love with me but I’m not doing very much to discourage her or push her away…I, for some reason welcome it.“. The story is still ongoing as of this writing and whether the two successfully find a way to work things out and get away with becoming a romantic couple remains to be seen. I can’t help but be intrigued. It is also intriguing because usually when it comes to Mother X Daughter porn/hentai they usually the older woman be a stepmom. Rarely, outside of doujinshi, are there legitimate stories about a mom and daughter romance…for obvious reasons. Heck, there is more than one legit aunt X niece comic.
Twins 2.
- Aya and Ai Kimishima
- Game: A Kiss for the Petals: The New Generation
- Taboo: Twins
Here we have another twincest couple but I personally consider Aya X Ai my favorite twin couple of all time. While the “But we’re sisters” plays a slightly more important role than with Kanade X Yukino it is everything else between the two that sets them apart from other twin couples. I will not say more than that because their tale is definitely a doozy.
Now for my top two Taboo Yuri Couples.
Sisters 2.
- Iris and Zoey.
- Series: Love Ribbon
- Taboo: Sisters.
While Aya X Ai have the best twincest love story Iris X Zoey have arguably the best love stories between sisters I have ever experienced. There are several other yuri wincest tales out there but this one remains the creme de la creme. It is not because the “But we’re sisters” setup is the main focus this time but because of how well it is told, how entertaining both sisters are and how steamy and enticing their romance is. The two face most of the challenges one would expect from a story like this and through it all my eyes were glued to the laptop monitor.
Before we get to #1, some Honorable Mentions:
- Kaede X Sara Kitajima (Cousins): A Kiss for the Petals 2 and 4, Maidens of Michael and Snow White’s Knight.
- Satou Matsuzaka X Shion Koube (Age-Gap with Minor): Happy Sugar Life.
- Claire X Emily Thomas (Twins): Harukana Receive.
- Kiri X Sakura (Age-Gap with Minor, I think. Not sure how old the gay foxes are.): Konohana Kitan
And now, my #1 Taboo Couple iiiisssss…
Student X Teacher 3/Age Gap.
- Otome Matsuda and Miss Minato Nakagawa
- Series: Hoshikawa Ginza District 4
- Taboo: Student X Teacher and Age Gap
Remember the above mentioned four requirements? All of them are met in this manga and then some. The two are equals in romantic logic and “hunger”. Miss Minato isn’t incapable despite needing Otome’s help at times and vice-versa. Otome hit puberty long ago and their developing romance is taken VERY SERIOUSLY. Not angsty drama serious, but “let’s talk about how we can get this relationship of ours to work” seriously. The two go through every length possible alongside their own personal dilemmas on their journey to having “Sensei” become much more more than Otome’s guardian. The drama is not hardcore angsty, the steamy moments build up gradually as the bond between the leads grows stronger, the side-characters are interesting in their own ways (especially one in particular) and their romance is believable. This is my second favorite manga of all time when I first read it and it still is to this day. Octave is my #1 btw.
These anime, manga and visual novels will not appeal to everyone but that’s always been the case in Top/Favorite lists.
By the way. There are two other reasons I made this list. First was after seeing Macho Chikorita’s Favorite Yuri Couples of 2018 list. I know it’s a taboo couples list but that’s how I came up with this list so…here you go. I’m sure this list (other than my top 2) will change in 2028 but for now this is it.
The second reason was this tweet by Baroness SethLiony.
https://twitter.com/BaronesaDelYuri/status/1077299154605559808
The Yuri Empire 
Did someone say… taboo?! One of my guilty pleasures/weak-spots… I really love all of these couples LOL did not expect this post, but maybe I just haven’t been here long enough.
I’m impressed with the “1 x 1/2” and “Love Ribbon” picks especially; very cultured picks indeed! I can’t wait for Razz’s “Bloom” to come out as well (not taboo, but sadism, so almost as good). The one not lasted here I’m personally a huge fan of is the Kill la Kill Ryuko/Satsuki/Mama trio. 2/3 of it is canon, at least!
Wish there were more canon taboo pairings sigh; most of my favorites are just plain crack/femslash.
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Love Ribbon is fantastic and 1 X 1/2 is an interesting anomaly.
I was on Team Mako from day 1 when it comes to Ryuko’s love life and was glad they ended up together. Never was on board with RyuSatsu. Ragyo having her way with the girls was a guilty pleasure though.
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I can respect Team Mako as well; I might be a bit of a conspiracy theorist, but I’d wagger that RyuMako is actually more popular amongst the silent majority. It’s just hard for me to argue with mature experienced women having a time with young does, though I’m sure you fully understand the appeal already.
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But of course. I just never saw RyuSatsu as romance material even after the truth about them was revealed. I rarely join foe-yay bandwagons, especially yuri ones. Think I’ve only done it twice.
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Good list. I agree with the studentXteacher age gap you mentioned. Large age gap like “happy sugar life” or “Uzu maid” makes lose any interest in the relationship. Octave was a great story that annoyed the hell out of me. I liked it and hated it. I get a bit invested in story’s.
This post reminded me of “My Joy” for some reason. Not really taboo, but maybe it’s just my reaction from reading it felt taboo. High class drama which should come with a warning label to not be near anything expensive while reading because it will be thrown.
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The gap between Satou and Shio is much smaller than Tsubame and Misha’s. Plus their story is taken more seriously than the latter. Hence why I said it’s an exception.
I’ll keep what you said about My Joy in mind.
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glad 1 X 1/2 made it on the list, it’s one of the better manga that’s come out recently and handles it’s themes really well, although writing has been super slow on it since the author has been busy with other things, I would hate to see it die like so many other manga have.
I would have liked to see Itou Hachi’s work, Master and Mel on here, but I can understand the reluctance to include hard-boiled oneeloli on the list.
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Will wait and see how 1 X 1/2 ends before deciding whether it’s really good or not.
Haven’t read Master and Mel. They remind me of Kiri X Sakura from Konohana Kitan though. I shall add KiriSaku to the honorable mentions.
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First of all, interesting topic. Second of all, I always have a soft spot for twins. Don’t ask me why I have no idea. You got two of my favorites couple there, Kanade x Yukina and Aya x Ai. I think we’re the same when it comes to taboo love I don’t have any preference or specific genre. It’s always about the story. That’s why I like Happy Sugar Life a lot more than Uzamaid. The age gap main problem like Teacher x Student relationship it’s not always about the law. If the love strong they’re gonna do something about it. And I think teachers allowed to date students from another school? I’m not sure tho. It is because the older one thinks this person is too young for her, they don’t trust teenagers. At least that’s how I see it.
While I like 1 x 1/2 story I think they’re not gonna end up together. I don’t know but I have a strong feeling about that. Maybe I’m wrong. Yuri cousins relationship is fine, nothing’s wrong with that. At least in Asia. And this is from someone who had one of those. So yeah, nothing is taboo for me as long as the love is mutual.
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Don’t worry. I completely understand the draw of twin sisters falling in love with each other.
In HSL I could believe the two wanted to live together as lovers. Had things gone their way I’m sure they’d eventually go beyond kissing but of course wait till Shio came of age.
The thing about teachers dating students mostly applies to college students after graduating. Teachers dating high school students post-graduation is also possible but I imagine they’re less open about it.
It’s like Bloom Into You in a way. We’ll see what happens in 1 X 1/2.
I like yuri cousins.
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due to the fact I’ve read all of these taboo stuff,
Im scared of myself now xD lol
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Great list.
One taboo yuri couple that worked its way into my heart in 2018 has to be Sakuya & Kaguya Shirayuri from Aikatsu Friends!.
Sakuya believes that she can shine brightest if she takes the stage together with her twin sister, which leads to them forming Reflect Moon. Kaguya is entirely devoted to her sister; the two have always been together since birth. They are rarely ever seen apart, and that kind of devotion is why I think they make an excellent couple.
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Normally for twin characters the “never be apart from each other” is a trope but I can tell that in Reflect Moon’s case it’s a different kind of need to always be together. It took me some episodes but I joined the SakuKagu bandwagon. Aikatsu Friends is our first entry in the series and it’s a darn good one.
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I’m generally fine with incest yuri as long as it’s shown to be a healthy relationship. DiaRuby and SarahLeah from Love Live, SayoHina from BanG Dream, Sakura and Tomoyo from CCS (way better than that other love interest), HaruKana and Eclair from Harukana Receive, and ElsAnna from Frozen.
Age gap I can only get into if the younger girl is past a certain age, although it’s really more a portrayal than an age. Happy Sugar Life would have been quickly dropped if it wasn’t so great at being a dark show. For me, Satou and Shio were just another messed up part of that world.
Student x teacher I can get into, although with power imbalance relationships I tend to prefer when the person with less power can keep the other on her toes. As for Eiko and Miss Enami, Miss Enami is the final boss, and she’ll be added to Eiko’s harem around the time Hana tells her friends about her gap year.
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Great post. Agreed on most points, although I’m not huge on DiaRuby, SarahLeah, or SayoHina. I respect your opinion though.
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When it comes to sisters and twins I need context before going all the way with them. The Aqours and BanG Dream siblings haven’t given me enough reason to see them as more than sisterly.
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Taboos? Haha. GxG forever ! 😀
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Yup.
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I think how much I can stomach taboo content depends mostly on how it is presented. As most others on this thread have commented, it’s about consent. If I perceive that free consent is given, I’m generally ok with the ship (although TBH, the only taboo ship I’ve ever gotten into is Elsanna, and that was mostly with unrelated AUs too. I’ve been introduced to Bang Dream’s SayoHina and Saki’s TeruSaki, but those never really appealed to me)
Sibling incest with no age-gap is a little easier to tolerate because the power imbalance is minimal. This is especially true if it’s the “accidental sibling incest” type, such as siblings by marriage post-puberty (YuzuMei from Citrus), or siblings who did not grow up together (IrisZoey from Love Ribbon). I can more readily believe free consent is given in those cases. I don’t really like it when either the source material or derivative works introduce angst by implying coercion though…that’s just wrong.
Age gaps are a little harder, especially when it’s age-gap involving pre-puberty characters and/or incest. I get the “delicious controversial angst” sort of appeal, I guess. Personally, I just can’t get behind those ships though.
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Takes strong willpower to like these couples, yes.
I don’t go all the way sister or twin couples either. I need context before doing so.
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I am a fan of incest yuri, so all those pairings have my full support. Age gap and student teacher are trickier things… there’s some criteria they need to meet before I can feel comfortable with them. However, I am VERY much a fan of the EikoxSensei pairing from Slow Start. The chemistry between those two is AMAZING and I loved every time they interacted onscreen.
Also, Hoshikawa Ginza District 4 is one of a very small collection of age gap yuri manga that I REALLY enjoyed. A lot of time is spent developing these two characters and their relationship. …I’m too tired to think of the words to talk about it properly, but it is a really well-done series.
I like most of the picks here, and the ones I can’t say that about are also the ones from series that I haven’t seen/read/played. Thanks also for giving Emily and Claire recognition in honorable mentions, as well as just about any pairing from Konohana Kitan (great series! need more!).
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Again it takes strong willpower to support these couples and ships.
It’s an excellent story.
Both couples deserve attention.
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No mention of Ririka and Mami, from Bodacious Space Pirates? (That’s Age Gap I can believe in!) 😜
I’d say Pure Water Adolescence is my favorite on the list. I like that both parties seriously think about their love and the consequences.
Also, the author highlights what the younger Nanao brings to the relationship. She isn’t just being strung along by her teacher. She makes the case for them being together. Even if she is naive, her youthful desire to put everything on the line for love is exciting and adorable.
The teacher, Matsumoto, who shoes away from deep attachments, is energized by Nanao’s love, but tempers that with common sense and a world weary attitude. She can also be clingy and a bit selfish when it comes to Nanao. That Man so brings out this side of the relatively cool Matsumoto is so cute it hurts! (The bandage. Just the bandage!)
This manga NEEDS to be animated. Preferably by the same studio that did Kase-San. (I would die! I would SO die!) It’s cute without being cloying. It’s sexy without being salacious. It’s dramatic without resorting to melodrama. In short, Pure Water Adolescence is the perfect age gap story.
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With a husband like Blaster Ririka’s I’m sure she’d be interested in some “fresh meat” on the side.
PWA getting an anime like the Kase-san OVA would be awesome
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I got the feeling that they’re no longer together. An amicable separation or divorce. Ririka seems happy living her own life, while Gonzaemon is interested in Marina’s future, while not interfering.
He should visit his daughter though.
Ririka just trips all my Lesbi-senses for some reason. 😁 She drives an El Camino for Madoka’s sake!
The Ririka/Mami ship exists in my fever dreams.
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Yup. He should at least tell Marika how proud he is of her awesomeness.
Ririka is one of the coolest, sexiest and most badass anime moms out there so you women falling for her is no surprise. Who knows? Maybe Ririka noticed Mami’s glances at some point and invited her for a special drink.
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Delicious… Sister yuri is one of my favourite kinds of yuri ^^
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Great post! Love all these couples.
Binbou Shimai Monogatari, now that’s a series I hardly ever hear people talk about. But i love it, and agree totally with the siscon ship.
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Definitely an underrated feel good show.
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It’s funny cause my favorites couples aren’t taboo, but have a little sister-like relationship.
The first one is Illya and Kuro. Some may describe it a incest since they sometimes refers to the other as “big and little sister”, but I never saw it like that since they’re basically the same person.
It also doesn’t help that they both totally act all tsundere, like they both have a crush on the other.
Plus their relationship basically goes from “my goal is to kill you/I just you want out of my life” in season 2, to “I don’t want to be apart from you ever again” in season 4, and I’m a sucker for growth over an entire show rather than stay the same after a couple of episodes (that’s why I find Illya and Miyu boring)
The second one is Chino and Cocoa. And while Cocoa’s goal is obviously wanting to be the best onee-chan possible, it’s really easy to imagine Chino wanting something more than just being sister-like, but acting all tsundere about it.
I tink that’s the reason why despite having a platonic relationship in the show, it’s currently one of the most popular yuri pair from the last few years in terms of doujins and fanarts.
The third one is a little special since it’s from My Little Pony, with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. They’re total opposites in terms of personality yet always hang around together, and they always are confortable and tease each other like they were sisters, since they know each other from childhood. But I think it only makes the yuri tension between the two of them even better, like lovers is the natural next step in their relationship
Tthe fun part is, while it’s not THE most popular pair in terms of fanfiction/fanarts in the US, the fan stuff coming from Japan is always about the two of them, like their relationship in the show is typically what yuri fans from Japan are looking for.
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I care imagine Kuro sharing Illya and Miyu after they get married.
Cocoa X Chino I feel nothing for myself.
Rainbow Dash X Fluttershy is a good ship though not taboo since they aren’t related.
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Well yeah, Kuro x Illya and Cocoa x Chino aren’t taboo either
And yet, they all have some kind of different sisterly bond, that makes me ship them even more than any other other ‘normal’ yuri ship would.
I guess that if whenever I see two girls in an anime, if they act like sisters without being related, I’m gonna ‘intensely’ ship them ;p
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That’s cool.
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Tbf I completely forgot for the whole anime that Haruka and Kanata are cousins since it’s mentioned one time at the beginning and that’s it. Still a good ship.
I really like Student teacher pairing and Eiko x Enami was really good.
Do you know the anime IRODUKU The World in Colors? In it the main girl gets sent back in the past by her grandmother and meets her when she was the same age as her. They are pretty cute together, there is not anywhere near enough to ship them together but some of their interactions are cute.
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Can’t call it a ship after they declared their love but I get what you meant.
So good.
Your description of Irodoku sounds familiar. Yes indeed.
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Pingback: The Direction of Yuri Anime – The Lily Garden
Are you aware that 1 x 1/2 got an english license by Sekai Project? Rejoice. I hope they eventually come out in print.
https://mobile.twitter.com/sekaiproject/status/1098035775399174145
https://sekaiproject.com/pages/1-x-1-2-my-half-of-you
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I am aware and it is great news.
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