Thread: Any really good Yuri/Shoujo-ai Manga?

I feel like I have to qualify this because no one ever knows what I'm talking about. Okay, first of the main character has to be a girl and the center of the romance for the story to count. Second, there's 4 kinds of Yuri/Shoujo-ai manga:

- Two or more female characters share a close friendship with no or very vague romantic undertones. Not looking for this.

- Two or more female characters have a romantic relationship but the story is dominated by them trying to hide from society's cruel disapproval. Also not interested.

- The cast is entirely female and live at an All Girl School that also exists in its own time/space bubble. Men and boys do not attend, work at, visit, pass through, or live anywhere in the school or surrounding area. The school's internal society idolizes and encourages girl x girl relationships. Do. Not. Want.

- Two or more female characters (man this sentence is getting played out) are in a close friendship where one or both realizes romantic feelings for the other. She at first hides her feelings out of fear of rejection or denial. Society sort of frowns on same-sex relationships but the idea takes a backseat to the story. This is where I want to be.

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I've read a few stories that live in the sweet spot. Sasameki Koto, Honey Crush, Girl meets Girl, Ebisu-San and Hotei-San, Candy Boy to name what I can think of right now. But there has to be more than that.

The thing that bothers me whenever I ask is that I always get off the wall suggestions. Someone once offered Bleach as a good Shoujo-ai manga, which earned them a cold blank stare. If you think Bleach is a story about a girlxgirl romance we are not talking about the same thing.

I also always hear things like Strawberry Panic and the Yuri Himes and not to knock some works that a lot of people obviously like but ya know... Space/Time bubble.

In your classic romance manga you've got this male "hero" who has his Crush, his best-female friend, and probably like nine other girls who show up as possible love interests for the first two to compete with and hint at a Harem ending that is probably not going to happen but you couldn't blame the guy for hoping.

These stories tend to pace themselves pretty well. Characters are either unaware of their feelings or too afraid of rejection to act on them. Even after they confess it's not like things just resolve right away, usually things get even more complicated and nobody just falls into bed with each other. But you want them to!

This is generally good storytelling. The writer at least understands things like Romance, Attraction, and Seduction.

- Romance is about doing things that make another person feel special, loved, or just happy in a way that was usually not expected.

- Attraction is about highs and lows of emotion more than it is about how people look. Hot and Cold, a high of loving or even lusting feelings followed by near indifference. Hills and valleys. It's the day to day casualness of a relationship that makes the high points even more exciting and gives them a context to be meaningful. This counts for everybody, but girls are especially sensitive to it. That's why 9 in 10 times the guy who is sweet as candy 24/7 doesn't get the girl while the guy who plays it cool and does something unexpectedly nice once in a while does. Being sweet all the time makes it all fade to gray and not seem as special anymore. It stops having an impact or being memorable. Where as playing it cool makes it seem MUCH more special, and in a way earned. People get suspicious of things that are just handed to them and they feel good thinking they worked for something.

Look through some of your favorite anime and manga romances and tell me I'm wrong. Heck, think about your experiences in life. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

- Seduction is about convincing someone to be intimate (physically or emotionally) when they're reluctant or hesitant. They want it but for whatever reason have a wall up holding them back. Seduction is about chipping away the wall like an artist, not a wrecking crew.

This is where manga I don't like falls flat. If person one says, "Let's do it." And person two says, "Sure!" That is not seduction. But way to go person one.

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These three things build on each other in a good romance story. It's just hard to find that kind of story where the lead is a Girl so I need some help.

P.S. Did I really just write an essay? I need to go get lunch. Thanks for reading.