Yuri, also known as girls' love, is a genre of Japanese media that focuses on intimate relationships between female characters, encompassing themes of emotional and spiritual connections beyond just romantic or sexual aspects. Originating from early twentieth-century Japanese lesbian fiction and the Class S genre, yuri gained popularity in the 1970s with the emergence of manga artists like Ryoko Yamagishi and Riyoko Ikeda. The genre saw wider recognition in the 1990s, with the establishment of dedicated magazines like Yuri Shimai and Comic Yuri Hime, leading to the formation of a distinct yuri fan culture.
Unlike its male-targeted counterparts yaoi and gay manga, yuri as a genre does not exclusively cater to a single gender demographic. While initially aimed at a female audience, there are yuri works created for male readers as well, as seen in publications like Comic Yuri Hime S.
