Schoolgirl Lesbians: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

Girls having crushes on other girls is, while not common, nothing that raises eyebrows in the Japanese school system. Sometimes matters go beyond simple crushes to explicit romance; even then eyebrows remain unraised as long as participants aren't too indiscreet. Note that this is less a [[Japanese Media Tropes|Japanese media trope]] than a reflection of real-life behaviors and attitudes—the Japanese refer to this as a Class S Relationship, which teaches the young ladies about "real" relationships and is meant to be outgrown eventually. Retaining a Class S Relationship as one grows older [[Unfortunate Implications|is a sign of immaturity]] (note the number of immature [[Clingy Jealous Girl]]s whose lesbian crush has suddenly noticed Boys). Thus, it is not uncommon to find such girl-girl relationships in anime, especially with the frequency of adolescent characters. Also see [[Romantic Two-Girl Friendship]] for a more ambiguous relationship with a similar cause.

 

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* ''[[Bleach]]'': Chizuru's very open infatuation with Orihime. Unfortunately for the [[Shonen]] audience, her advances are invariably thwarted by the protective Tatsuki, who Chizuru has commented she would also find quite attractive if not for her boyish persona. Regardless of her primary crush, Chizuru has also ogled other female members of her circle of friends, namely [[Moe Moe]] Mahana and [[Tall, Dark and Bishoujo]] Kunieda.

** She was literally drooling over Rukia at the start of the Bount arc.

* B-ko Daitokuji in ''[[Project A-ko]]''.

** Possibly unintentional; the director admitted in an interview for the US DVD re-release of the film that he didn't think about how the scene featuring B-ko in a giant bath, thinking about C-ko, could be interpreted.

** Based on the differences between the dubbed and subtitled versions, if it was unintentional it can only be because it's so common in the genre that it got put in without being thought about. The dub takes this aspect of the complicated relationship between A-ko, B-ko, and C-ko out, and makes C-ko seem a bit weird and creepy as a result.

** It isn't so much unintentional as it is a leftover from when the film was supposed to be part of the ''[[Cream Lemon]]'' series of erotic films, where indeed B-ko was infatuated with C-ko.

* Kirika and Mireille from ''[[Noir (anime)|Noir]]'' are not shown being physically intimate, but they share a bed and by the end of the series are emotionally dependent on each other. Also, Chloe exhibits a rather warped (and mostly frustrated) desire for Kirika.

* ''[[Steel Angel Kurumi]]'' features Saki, a female android who because of the circumstances of her activation has a romantic fixation on the titular character, another female android. The sequel series ''[[Steel Angel Kurumi 2]]'', tops that with what is either an oversized [[Love Triangle]] or a small [[Love Dodecahedron]]: Kurumi Mk. II is fixated upon young cellist Nako, who activated her. Nako's friend Uruka also has a crush on her, and out of jealousy activates Saki Mk. II in order to battle Kurumi; Saki, however, ends up pining for both Kurumi and Uruka. Eventually, Nako comes to return Kurumi's feelings.

* Chanohata Tamami in ''[[Mahoraba]]'' admits to Shiratori Ryuushi that she is in love with Aoba Kozue (who is completely oblivious), explaining her mean-spirited attitude.

* In ''[[Azumanga Daioh]]'', Kaorin has an immediately obvious crush on Sakaki that seems one-sided; however, considering Sakaki's addiction to cute things, it's possible that it would be reciprocated (or at least not minded) if she wasn't [[Chaste Teens|entirely oblivious]].

** According to the newest manga, Kaorin is either in denial or in denial and in the [[Transparent Closet|closet]].

** Other than that, it contains some mindbreaking hints at a possible relationship between Sara and her ''doll'' Emily. Things get worse when {{spoiler|we discover that the "doll" actually contains the living brain of an alien girl. Whose race shares a common hive mind. So by acting nice to her, Sara acts nice to a whole goddamn [[One-Gender Race]]. Is this someone's weirdest yuri harem fantasy or what?}}

* In ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', Setsuna serves as Konoka's [[Battle Butler|protector]], and admits it precludes hooking up with anyone else. Naturally, other characters assume this is a complicated way of saying that they are a romantic couple, or will be. Konoka certainly has no problem being her (kissing-activated) partner in their magical contract. It's pretty much just Setsuna who isn't aware of this.

** {{spoiler|The last chapter implies, but does not explicitly state, that they are married to each other in the future.}}

** Shizuru's popularity in this series [[Sure Why Not|likely led to]] her ''[[Mai-Otome]]'' incarnation [[Official Couple|actually hooking up]] with that universe's Natsuki.

* Parodied in an episode of ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]''. After being cast into a [[High School AU]], [[Magical Girl]] Sasami shoots the bickering Ayeka and Ryoko with a "beam of friendship". The sequence just gets more suggestive as two begin gazing into each other's eyes, proclaiming their mutual love and admiration, and [[Almost Kiss|almost kissing]] before being cut off by the end of the episode.

* ''[[Revolutionary Girl Utena]]'': Juri's secret obsession with Shiori consumes her entire life. Possibly Anthy and Utena in the series, though it's canon in the movie. Tons of girls also fawn over Utena and in one episode (and only one episode), Anthy.

* Pretty much the entire cast of ''[[Oniisama e...]]'', at least [[Bait and Switch Lesbians|until the end.]]

* ''[[Mariasama ga Miteru]]'' has only one explicit case of a lesbian love affair. The rest of the relationships often ''seem'' to go in that direction, but generally stop at the [[Romantic Two-Girl Friendship]] level, which raises suspicions of [[Bait and Switch Lesbians]] among part of the fandom.

* Hiyori in ''[[Lucky Star]]'' is a [[Yuri Fangirl]]/artist, though it's apparently nonsexual for her.

** [[Lucky Star/WMG|Some people]] assume that Konata and Kagami, despite the personality clash, may secretly be these. Konata [[Romantic Two-Girl Friendship|playfully flirting]] with Kagami and Tsukasa after a ''[[Mariasama ga Miteru|Marimite]]'' session doesn't exactly help her case.

**** [[Word of God]] says either Konata or Kagami has an unrequited crush on the other, without specifying whom.

*** It appears to be on Kagami's side since Konata has said she's [[Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?|straight]]. She could always be wrong or lying though..

* Nene, the [[Class Representative]] from ''[[Hyakko]]'', claims to be bisexual—but she is mostly shown drooling over ''girls''.

* Sakuya from ''[[Candy Boy]]'' has a major crush on Kanade and has no qualms about letting everybody know about it. Alas, she has [[Official Couple|lost by definition]] to [[Twincest|Kanade's twin sister, Yukino]].

* Makina in ''[[Shikabane Hime]]'' once found herself being stalked by a [[Gainaxing|large-breasted]] lesbian schoolgirl who was attracted to death.

* Kanako in ''[[Maria Holic]]''. She has a [[Does Not Like Men|strong dislike of men]] and attended a girls' school purely to find a female love interest. She has a tendency to have [[nosebleed]]s at the thought of that.

* ''[[Hidamari Sketch]]''. Natsume is painfully [[Tsundere]] for Sae but can't catch a break, being the losing corner of a [[Love Triangle]]. Played up to the hilt in episode 12 of x365 when Sae joins Natsume for lunch, with the latter first getting combative before quieting down. We even get a few [[Male Gaze]] shots in that episode; when Natsume watches Sae enter the cafeteria (focusing on her hips), watching her eat (focusing on her lips), and again as Sae walks away... The flowers the spring out of her hair and the [[Luminescent Blush]] seem to put it straight into Schoolgirl Lesbians territory. The very last episode has her praying at a shrine to become more honest with her feelings. And {{spoiler|guess who wrote that passionate fan letter that Sae got}}?

* Possibly hinted at in the ending credits of ''[[SHUFFLE!]]'' episode 24, where Lisianthus and [[Yandere|Kaede]] share an [[Accidental Kiss|"accidental" kiss]].

* In ''[[Kannazuki no Miko]]'' the two main characters are a pair of [[Reincarnation Romance|eternally reincarnating]] Schoolgirl Lesbians.

* Yurika Kochikaze in ''[[Akikan]]!'' is blatantly lesbian for Najimi.

* Eto Hachibe and Arata Tagoto in ''[[Iono the Fanatics]]''. [[Cast Full of Gay|Everyone else is just a lesbian]].

* Shinobu of ''[[Ninin ga Shinobuden]]'' assuming it isn't just being played for parody.

* [[The Reveal]] in one of the chapters in ''[[Franken Fran]]'' was that the focus characters were lesbians who didn't know how to properly express their love for each other. [[Dead Lesbian Syndrome|Surprisingly]], it managed to be one of the few chapters with... [[Everybody Lives|a fairly happy ending]]. [[Parental Incest|Squicky, but happy]]. Compared to the [[Body Horror|usual]] [[Fate Worse Than Death|alternatives]], anyway.

* Nodoka of ''[[Saki (manga)|Saki]]'', especially in the animated version which took her subtextual crush towards Saki in the manga then jacked it up to bleedingly obvious. Hell, most of the girls have the same thing going on. Saki very obviously returns Nodoka's feelings, all of the Kazekoshi girls want their "[[Fan Nickname|kyaputen]]" who may be in a [[Romantic Two-Girl Friendship]] with Kana and certainly has a big crush on Hisa. Hisa and Mako have rather obvious crushes on each other. Touka is almost [[Psycho Lesbian]] for Nodoka, not to mention Ryuumonbuchi's Hajime/Touka/Ayumu/Jun Love Dodecahedron. And then there's the [[Ensemble Darkhorse]] couple of Momoko and Yumi. All of the relationships are subtextual, but are still very obvious.

* In a similar vein to the above, there is ''[[Sasameki Koto]]''. The focus is on the tall and awkward Sumika's crush on her lesbian but oblivious friend, Kazama, who herself is constantly on the lookout for cute girls to crush on. There are also their classmates Miyako and Tomoe, who are in a relationship. Lastly, [[Yuri Fan]] Aoi Azusa appears to have a crush on Sumika.

* Tomoyo Daidouji in ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura]]'', though it was toned down a bit in the anime. The manga actually had her telling Sakura that she loves her in ''that'' way, [[Oblivious to Love|though it went right over the heroine's head]].

** Risa swings between [[Bi the Way]] and [[Depraved Bisexual]] (mostly the former), but her [[The Tease|daily interaction]] with Rito and Haruna is especially [[Black Comedy Rape|unhealthy]].

** Mio is rather [[Ambiguously Gay]] due to her lack of Risa's [[Memetic Molester|expression]] when doing these. And she has a [[Fetish]] for [[Meido]] [[Cosplay]] with [[Moe]] [[Fan Service with a Smile|appeal]]...in a men-oriented cafe.

* ''[[Hanjuku Joshi]]'' is an erotic manga about the relationship between Chitose and Yae, two students at an all-girls school.

* ''[[Shoujo Sect]]'', where the [[Cast Full of Gay|entire cast]] are Schoolgirl Lesbians in an [[One-Gender School|all-girl school]].

* ''[[Hanaukyo Maid Tai]] La Verite''. Yashima Sanae's feelings for her boss Konoe Tsurugi.

* ''[[Husky and Medley]]'' chronicles the budding romance between the eponymous pair of high school students who attend an all girls school, and is supposedly [[Based on a True Story]].

** And then there's [[Chivalrous Pervert|Jun]], the [[Lovable Sex Maniac]] of the cast who, despite having jokes made about her being bisexual, has never once given any indication that she is anything but lesbian. She and her partner [[Ill Girl|Yuuho]] were also polled as the most popular pairing in the fandom, despite being half-sisters.

* ''[[Hen]]'': Chizuru for Azumi.

* Hikaru and Megu in ''[[Prism (manga)|Prism]]''.

* Suruga Kanbaru from ''[[Bakemonogatari]]'' is this for Senjougahara. But she also works as [[The Tease]] [[Bi the Way|for Koyomi]] and generally acting as a full-blown [[Lovable Sex Maniac]].

* This is the entire plot of [[Yuru-Yuri]].

* [[Bodacious Space Pirates]] gives us Jenny Dolittle and Lynn Lambretta, who keep it on the down-low while Jenny is President of the school's Yacht Club, but are hardly shy about expressing it after Jenny blasts her way out of an [[Arranged Marriage]] and rendezvous with the Bentenmaru.

 

== Comic Books ==

* ''[[Y: The Last Man]]'': In a [[Flash Back]] about Dr. Allison Mann's college days, she's part of a [[Shock Value Relationship|shock and aww couple]] until her girlfriend "grows up" and "ungays". Mann didn't take this well.

 

* Naomi and Michelle in''[[The Secrets]]'', an Israeli film that takes place in an Ultra-Orthodox women's seminary.

* The 1968 film ''Therese and Isabelle'' about a a pair of young women in a French girls' school (Essy Persson and Anna Gael) whose Romantic Friendship becomes a love affair, an affair which ends when Isabelle leaves because her family moves.

 

== Literature ==

* S.M. Stirling provides a Western version of this trope in ''[[The Draka]]'' series. In Draka boarding schools, schoolgirl crushes and romances are very common. Just as commonly, the girls grow out of it when they reach adulthood (Yolanda Ingolfssen in ''The Stone Dogs'' is a [[Ax Crazy|rather notable]] [[Psycho Lesbian|exception]]).

* In ''[[Carmilla]]''-reimagining ''[[The Moth Diaries]]'', the pupils of an exclusive girls' boarding school have relationships similar to this as practice for the real world and boys. The unnamed diarist is romantically obsessed with her best friend Lucy ... as is the 'vampire', Ernessa.

* In Colette classic ''Claudine at School'', various girls are interested in one another. Claudine first falls in love with the pretty teaching assistant Aimee, then switches her affections to Aimee's sister when she goes off with the Headmistress. I Am Not Making This Up. Considering this is set in France in the 1890s, no one seems to bat an eyelid at these goings on between girls. The affair between Aimee and the Headmistress is another story.

** Though some interactions later on indicate that they do sometimes continue.

* Maybe, just maybe, {{spoiler|Bill and Clarissa}} in [[Enid Blyton]]'s ''[[Malory Towers]]''. Fandom is more definite, and not without justification.

* ''[[Annie on My Mind]]'' by Nancy Garden is about two Schoolgirl Lesbians, Annie and Liza, and is one of the first Western books to present lesbianism in a positive light. Needless to say, the [[Moral Guardians]] are on the phone.

* Even with all the [[Les Yay]] and [[Romantic Two-Girl Friendship]] floating around in the ''[[Gemma Doyle]]'' Trilogy, there's a canonical and very deep romantic love between {{spoiler|Felicity}} and {{spoiler|Pippa}}.

 

== Live Action TV ==

* Emily and Naomi from ''[[Skins]]''. Well, College Lesbians, but plenty close enough - it's stated that they kissed at a party while they were still at their previous school. Emily claimed she was high at the time, although she later admitted to Naomi that she just wanted to kiss her. After half a dozen episodes of Emily chasing and Naomi running (including one episode where they made out when they really were both high), they finally got together, although Naomi wasn't sure about the relationship for at least a good few episodes after that (Emily definitively considers herself gay, while Naomi has absolutely no clue what she is). As of the end of series 3, they've both come out to everybody important (Emily to her family, Naomi to herself) and [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|left the Love Ball hand in hand]].

* Sophie Webster and Sian Powers from ''[[Coronation Street]]'' also paired up near the end of their standard schooling. Sian may be bi-sexual, or [[Single-Target Sexuality|Sophie-sexual]] as they are, thus far, too focused on each other to even acknowledge other people exist. The last few months of 2010 saw the couple, now at college but still both under 18, making their relationship public before sleeping together in the New Year's Eve episode.

* Though not outright stated in ''[[Dollhouse]]'', this is strongly implied in the college relationship between Caroline and Bennett, at least from Bennett's side of things. The fact that Bennett tries on clothes she would never normally wear because Caroline bought them for her, helps Caroline infiltrate Rossum because she was Bennett's "friend", and develops an ''intensely'' bitter hatred for Caroline after she abandons her only strengthens the notion.

{{quote|'''Santana''': Sex isn't dating.

'''Brittany''': If it were, Santana and I would be dating. }}

** Elaborated on even more so in "Sexy", which is almost completely Brittany/Santana-centric.

* Part of the backstory of Frankie and Cat in ''[[Lip Service]]''.

* Emma and Jenny from the German show ''[[Hand Aufs Herz]]'' have been headed towards this for a while. A [[Slap Slap Kiss|slap slap almost-kiss]] relationship led to an actual first kiss, then more kisses, then catastrophic misunderstandings and broken hearts. Recently, they both managed to get over it and as of episode 147 are a couple, alebeit secretly.

 

== Music ==

* The Russian band [[t.A.T.u.]] was a rather crass attempt by producer Ivan Shapovalov to cash in on this trope. It takes a turn for the sordid when you consider that both girls were 13 years old when the band was formed. Outright [[Nightmare Fuel]] is achieved when you learn that before forming the band Shapovalov was a child psychologist.

** In their documentary, ''Anatomy of t.A.T.u.'', Lena and Yulia revealed that [[Bait and Switch Lesbians|they aren't actually lesbians]], and that it was [[Girl-On-Girl Is Hot|just a stage act]]. In the same month, they also broke off from Shapovalov. Apparently, they weren't too happy about being used.

 

== Video Games ==

** Played completely straight though with an NPC just outside the classroom who has [[Stalker with a Crush|a very obvious (and at times disturbing) crush]] on Mitsuru Kirijo.

* We mentioned ''[[Grim Grimoire]]'', didn't we? {{spoiler|Amoretta and Lillet?}} Yup. It's canon. The [[Ho Yay|hints were there]] from the beginning, though.

* Seiko Shinohara of ''[[Corpse Party]]'' hides behind her feelings for her best friend Naomi behind a [["Just Joking" Justification]], since she knows that Naomi doesn't return her feelings. {{spoiler|After Seiko's death, it can be [[Invoked Trope|invoked]] if you [[Guide Dang It|correctly]] meet the requirements for a scene in which Seiko appears in Naomi's dream, where she apologizes for their fight and explains that she wants to make up with Naomi before she leaves this world. She has just one request: a kiss. The game gives you the option ([[Sarcasm Mode|Because you're totally going to say no to Seiko's final wish]]) to have Naomi grant her request.}}

* {{spoiler|Misha}} from ''[[Katawa Shoujo]]''.

 

* In ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'', {{spoiler|1=[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-09-29 Nanase and Ellen]'' and apparently Catalina}}.

* Cheesecake St.-Cherrywell from ''[[Gorgeous Princess Creamy Beamy]]'' is a particularly over-the-top parody, particularly of Chizuru from ''[[Bleach]]''.

* {{spoiler|Fuuko's}} from ''[[Red String]]'' unrequited crush on an upperclassman sports star {{spoiler|Maaya}} causes a big scandal at their school. Fortunately for her she later moves to Tokyo where she meets someone {{spoiler|Hanae Niijima}} who does return her feelings.

* [[Manic Pixie Dream Girl|Missi Fuller]] from ''[[Misfile]]'' dived headlong into dating Ash after being aproached by [[Our Angels Are Different|Rumi]]. The problem is, Ash [[Gender Bender|isn't exactly a girl]] and is stuck in a perpetual identity crisis, so Missi got dumped almost immediately. Missi has refused to give up though, and is currently somewhere in [[Stalker with a Crush]] territory.

** She's getting more public with her affections [http://www.misfile.com/index.php?page=1687 lately]...

* ''[[Heliothaumic]]'' has Cassandra and Lydia, who first paired up in High School as Lydia rebelled against her [[Ancient Egypt|ancient Egyptian-themed religion]], broke up later on, and have recently gotten back together.

* ''[[YU+ME: dream]]'' is, at first, a Schoolgirl Lesbians themed story, with the slight twist that they're at a Catholic school (and it's also hinted that one of the girls' parents is homophobic). But, after the [[Drama Bomb]] of issue 9, turns out to be more than that...

* Rachel Einhorn in ''[[Kevin and Kell]]''. It's a bit of a surprise to her when [[Samus Is a Girl]] ends up reversed, genderwise. The fact she's lesbian is only highlighted here; no-one really cares otherwise (although the male target of her misdirected affections starts going for more masculine attire).

* ''[[Questionable Content]]'' [http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=726 seems to assume] many of the students of the [[Real Life]] Smith College are this.

 

== Web Original ==

* ''[[Ilivais X]]'' has Mille and Iriana. Neither of them are in school, but they're the right age for it. They're not official per se, but everyone can see what's going on with them, and the entire Aztec army refers to Mille as Iriana's girlfriend at a certain point.

* ''[[Mitadake High]]''. ''All the time''.

* [[Whateley Universe]] - given that the main characters live in a special dormitory for gay students, this was [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|inevitable]].

 

== Real Life ==

** Leaving one to wonder: was the the 27th cheating on her other girlfriend or part of a threesome, or did the 28th get away with it?

* Historically, the phenomenon was somewhat common in Western female-only colleges where the students were completely sequestered from opposite-sex contact.

** See [[wikipedia:Lesbian until graduation|Lesbian until graduation]], or just go visit certain women's colleges, e.g. Mt. Holyoke and Smith.

** Heck, it happens even at normal mixed sex colleges, especially ones that segregate the dorms. A fair number of women get really curious at that time, and end up at least giving it a try, but eventually settling down with a guy later.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Queer As Tropes]]

[[Category:Always Female]]

[[Category:Truth in Television]]

[[Category:Turn-On Tropes]]