YuruYuri (ゆるゆり, lit. "Easygoing Yuri") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Namori. The series began serialization in Ichijinsha's Comic Yuri Hime S magazine on June 12, 2008, before being moved over to Comic Yuri Hime in September 2010. An anime adaptation by Doga Kobo aired in Japan between July and September 2011, with a second season airing between July and September 2012. An original video animation by TYO Animations was released on February 18, 2015, followed by two TV specials that aired in August and September 2015. A third TV season by TYO Animations aired between October and December 2015. Another OVA by Lay-duce, announced to celebrate the manga's tenth anniversary, was released on November 13, 2019, and was televised on AT-X on February 23, 2020.[1] A spin-off original net animation titled Miniyuri by DMM Futureworks and W-Toon Studio premiered on YouTube on September 25, 2019. A spin-off web manga, Ōmuro-ke, began its release on Nico Nico Seiga in July 2012. Two anime film adaptations of Ōmuro-ke by Passione and Studio Lings premiered in February and June 2024.
Plot
Taking place at the fictional Nanamori Middle School in Takaoka, Toyama,[2] the series revolves around the daily lives of the Amusement Club (ごらく部, Goraku-bu), consisting of Akari Akaza, her childhood friends, Kyōko Toshinō and Yui Funami, and her classmate, Chinatsu Yoshikawa, along with the school's Student Council, which is made up of its own set of characters.
Akari is a polite, fun-loving, and benevolent red-haired girl. Despite being portrayed as the main protagonist of the series, she is often overshadowed by the other characters and lacks prominence in the spotlight. She is well-known for her trademark hair buns, and her unassuming presence is humorously teased by the other characters.
An optimistic and energetic blonde girl who is a year older than Akari is the more substantial main protagonist. She has a lively personality and never passes up an opportunity for a laugh, which often involves causing Yui trouble. She has a crush on Chinatsu, who resembles her favorite anime character, Mirakurun. She is the object of affection for Ayano, the student council vice president, who is in many ways her opposite. Despite her lazy attitude, she often gets high scores on tests after cram sessions. She enjoys eating rum raisin ice cream and is also a talented dōjin artist.
A cool-headed girl with dark hair often acts as the voice of reason in the amusement club. She is a childhood friend of Akari and Kyōko. Yui has a passion for video games and is portrayed as an exceptional cook, leaving Chinatsu enamored with her food. She is a reliable and dependable friend who lives alone in an apartment complex. Although she never openly admits it, Yui occasionally experiences a sense of loneliness, particularly when Kyōko is not around. While generally reserved, Yui can't help but burst into stifled laughter when Ayano makes puns.
Akari's pink-haired classmate. Originally interested in joining the Tea Ceremony Club, she ends up joining the Amusement Club because the former club was already disbanded. Kyōko, who has a crush on her due to her resemblance to the anime character Mirakurun, often pursues her. However, Chinatsu herself has a passionate crush on Yui, whom she looks up to and often fantasizes about. While generally cute, benevolent, and overly happy, especially in Yui's presence, she can sometimes be selfish and occasionally show dark thoughts. Her lack of artistic skills can be quite disturbing to others and frequently leaves them horrified and in shock whenever she tries to draw something.
Ayano is the Student Council's vice president, known for her uptight and high-strung demeanor. She tends to hide her true feelings for Kyōko, often referring to her by her full name and exhibiting occasional acts of hostility. However, this behavior is unintentional, as Ayano is not comfortable openly expressing her affection. Despite being a diligent student who sees herself as Kyōko's rival, Ayano is consistently outperformed by Kyōko in tests, despite Kyōko's seemingly carefree attitude. Privately, Ayano harbors romantic and affectionate feelings for Kyōko, but she perceives showing her friendly and responsive side as a weakness. While Ayano may not openly display it, she genuinely cares about those around her and is selfless, often sacrificing her time and energy for others' sake. She also inadvertently makes puns that elicit laughter from Yui. Ayano's fondness for crème caramels is evident, as she keeps one refrigerated in the Student Council's room, although it often ends up being consumed by Kyōko or Sakurako.
A member of the Student Council who is almost always seen alongside Ayano. Despite her gentle disposition, she is a passionate yuri fangirl and often imagines romantic pairings, especially involving Kyōko and Ayano. Whenever she starts fantasizing, Chitose removes her glasses, and these daydreams cause her to have near-fatal nosebleeds. As Ayano's closest friend, Chitose is fully aware of Ayano's feelings for Kyōko and actively supports their getting together, although Ayano herself is often unaware of Chitose's efforts. She speaks in a soft Kansai dialect and likes tsukemono (Japanese pickled vegetables). She has a low tolerance for alcohol and tends to go on kissing sprees whenever she gets intoxicated. In the anime, this is only portrayed through alcohol-filled chocolates, however.
She is an enthusiastic candidate for the position of Student Council vice president next year. She has dark blond hair and a petite build, which she is complex about. Having been childhood friends since kindergarten, she shares a close bond with Himawari. While the two view each other as rivals and are competing for the student council vice president role, their constant bickering and apparent animosity belie the fact that they actually consider each other as friends and share a deep affection. In terms of schoolwork, she harbors a strong dislike for it and exhibits even greater laziness than Kyōko. When confronted with homework assignments, she often throws tantrums in protest.
Another candidate is vying for the position of Student Council vice president next year. She possesses navy blue hair and is well-endowed, which often leads to teasing from Sakurako, who is jealous of her early physical development. Despite her graceful demeanor, refined speech, and use of sophisticated vocabulary, she does not actually come from a wealthy background. In many ways, she is the opposite of her childhood friend Sakurako, with whom she frequently engages in arguments. However, her tendency to speak directly and aggressively only toward Sakurako reflects the deep intimacy the two share. In fact, she holds genuine affection for Sakurako and often assists her with school assignments.
The current student council president has very little presence and often speaks in a whisper-quiet voice that only a few people, such as Nana, can understand. She is Nana's "Explosive Friend," because she always suffers the explosions she causes.
She is the daughter of one of Yui's relatives. She is a fan of Mirakurun and initially mistakes Chinatsu for her, but she does not take kindly to Chinatsu after learning that her personality doesn't match her image.
Himawari's six-year-old sister. Kaede is shown to be quite even-tempered and wise beyond her years.
Chizuru Ikeda (池田 千鶴, Ikeda Chizuru)
Voiced by: Momo Kuraguchi
Chitose's twin sister, who looks identical to her except for eye color, is shown to be very cold and distant towards most people, though she has a strong bond with her sibling. Much like Chitose, she often takes off her glasses to invoke yuri fantasies, pairing Ayano with Chitose and drooling instead of having nosebleeds. She strongly dislikes Kyōko, who constantly tries to play pranks on her and is seemingly a barrier against her fantasies.[4]
Akari's older sister who is 19 years old and attends a university. She is secretly infatuated with Akari, with her room almost completely covered in photos of her, often doing various perverted things with her belongings when she is not around and reading many doujins about sisterly incest.
Tomoko Yoshikawa (吉川 ともこ, Yoshikawa Tomoko)
Voiced by: Ayano Ishikawa
Chinatsu's older sister. She's a friend of Akane and has strong feelings for her.
Sakurako's older sister who is eighteen years old. Like Sakurako, she also has a petite build, but she is also taller, and unlike Sakurako, she is intelligent and responsible. She is in a romantic relationship with one of her friends, though it has not yet been revealed who.[5]
Sakurako's younger sister who is an elementary school student, and is eight years old. She acts very mature for her age, but also has some childish tendencies. Both Hanako and Nadeshiko tend to think Sakurako is lazy, abrasive and stupid, though they are shown to miss her when she's not around.
A faculty member at Nanamori Middle School who is constantly trying various experiments, often using Rise as a test subject and has a love for explosions, which are generally caused by her experiments. She is one of the few people who can understand Rise's quiet voice.
Akari and Chinatsu's classmate, who is an admirer of Kyōko's doujin works and is the heroine of Namori's other manga, Reset!.
Aoi Isurugi (葵石動, Isurugi Aoi)
She is Akari and Chinatsu's classmate, who is trying to find a way to make money. She is the secondary protagonist of the YuruYuri spin-off Reset! and Hiro Takaoka's best friend.
The heroine of the fictional magical girl series, "Majokko Mirakurun". When transformed, she greatly resembles Chinatsu. She attacks by turning her magic wand to a blunt weapon and beat them.
A spherical robot wearing a pair of sunglasses. He is Rivalun's boss, and is the only character with a male voice.
Books and publications
YuruYuri began its serial run in Ichijinsha's Japanese manga magazine, Comic Yuri Hime S, on June 18, 2008. In September 2010, YuruYuri was moved to Comic Yuri Hime when Comic Yuri Hime S ended its publication.[8][9] The series went on an indefinite hiatus starting on July 18, 2018,[10] but resumed publication in January 2019.[11] As of December 2011, over a million copies of the manga had been sold.[12] The manga was briefly released in English on the online reader site JManga before it shut down.[13]
Another manga series set in the same universe, Reset! (りせっと!, Risetto!), began serialization in Caramel Febri magazine's first issue, released on July 24, 2010,[14] and went on hiatus after the fourth issue, on January 25, 2011.[15]
A spin-off web manga by Namori focusing on the Ohmuro sisters, titled Ōmuro-ke (大室家), has been released on Niconico's Niconico Seiga service. The series first released chapters alongside episodes of the second anime season between July 2, 2012, and September 17, 2012, before resuming on Ichijinsha's Niconico Yuri Hime web manga publication on February 17, 2013.[16] An isekai spinoff manga series titled Tensei Shitara Akari dake Slime Datta Ken (転生したらあかりだけスライムだった件, That Time Only Akari Got Reincarnated as a Slime), a parody of the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime light novel, was teased as an April Fools' joke on April 1, 2020, before being officially announced on April 17, 2020. The series will be drawn by Naya Minadori and released on Kodansha's Suiyōbi no Sirius section of Niconico Seiga. A prequel spin-off by Namori centering around the teachers featured in the main series, titled Touzainanboku! (東西南北！, East, West, South, North!) began release on July 31, 2020.[17]
An anime television adaptation of the manga series was announced in the May 2011 issue of Comic Yuri Hime.[18] Animated by Doga Kobo and directed by Masahiko Ohta,[19] the series aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between July 5 and September 20, 2011.
A second season, titled YuruYuri♪♪, aired in Japan between July 2, 2012, and September 17, 2012.[20][21] Both series were simulcast by Crunchyroll.[22][23] The series won the television award at the 17th Animation Kobe Awards.[24]NIS America has licensed both seasons in North America, releasing the first two seasons on Blu-ray Disc on September 3, 2013, and January 7, 2014, respectively.[25] Later, NIS America released it on Blu-ray and DVD on January 7, 2014.[26]
An original video animation titled YuruYuri Nachuyachumi! (ゆるゆり なちゅやちゅみ！, YuruYuri Summer Vacation!)[27][28] was screened in five theaters in Japan on November 29, 2014,[29] before being released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 18, 2015.[30] Unlike the series, the OVA is animated by TYO Animations instead of Doga Kobo, with Hiroyuki Hata replacing Ohta as director, Michiko Yokote replacing Takashi Aoshima as scriptwriter, and Motohiro Tanaguchi replacing character designer Chiaki Nakajima and serving as chief animation designer.[31] Two additional episodes, titled Nachuyachumi!+, aired on August 21 and September 18, 2015.[32]
A third anime season, titled YuruYuri San☆Hai!, also produced by TYO Animations, aired in Japan between October 6, 2015, and December 21, 2015.[33][34][35] Like the previous two seasons, it was simulcast by Crunchyroll.
A new OVA, titled YuruYuri (pronounced "YuruYuri Ten"), was announced on April 22, 2018, to celebrate the manga's tenth anniversary.[36][37] The OVA is animated by Lay-duce instead of TYO Animations, with Daigo Yamagishi as director, Takahiro as scriptwriter, and Kazutoshi Inoue serving as character designer and chief animation designer. The new OVA was crowdfunded and completed its goal in February 2019.[38] It was released on November 13, 2019,[39] and had its television premiere on AT-X on February 23, 2020[1]
A four-episode original net animation series produced by DMM Futureworks and W-Toon Studio, titled MiniYuri, began streaming on Pony Canyon's YouTube channel on September 25, 2019. The series is directed by Seiya Miyajima, with Takahiro as the scriptwriter, and Yasuhiro Misawa composing the music.[40]
On August 4, 2023, it was announced that the Ōmuro-ke spin-off manga would be adapted into two anime films, titled Ōmuro-ke: Dear Sisters and Ōmuro-ke: Dear Friends. The films will be produced by Passione and Studio Lings and directed by Naoyuki Tatsuwa, with scripts written by Masahiro Yokotani, character designs handled by Kazuyuki Ueda, and music composed by Yūsuke Shirato.[41] The first film premiered on February 2, 2024,[42] while the second film premiered on June 21, 2024.[43]
Music
The main opening and ending themes are performed by the Nanamori Middle School Amusement Club (七森中☆ごらく部, Nanamori-chu Goraku-bu), a unit consisting of the four main voice actresses, Minami Tsuda, Rumi Ōkubo, Shiori Mikami and Yuka Ōtsubo. For the first season, the opening theme is "Yuriyurarararayuruyuri Daijiken" (ゆりゆららららゆるゆり大事件, The Great YuriYurarararaYuruYuri Incident) while the ending theme is "My Pace de Ikimashō" (マイペースでいきましょう, Let's Go at My Pace). For the second season, the opening theme is "Yes! YuYuYu☆YuruYuri♪♪" (「いぇす！ゆゆゆ☆ゆるゆり♪♪, Iesu! YuYuYu☆YuruYuri♪♪)[44] while the ending theme is "100% Chū~gakusei" (１００％ちゅ～学生, 100% Middle Schooler).[45] The opening theme for episode six is "Yonde Mirakurun!" (よんでミラクるん!, Call Me Mirakurun!) by Ayana Taketatsu while the ending theme for episode eight is "Girl's Power" (ガールズパワーで, Gāruzu Pawā de) by Minami Tsuda and Rumi Ōkubo. For the OVA, the opening and ending themes are "YuruYurinrinrinrinrin" (ゆるゆりんりんりんりんりん) and "After School Days" (アフタースクールデイズ, Afutā Sukūru Deizu), both performed by the Nanamori Middle School Amusement Club. For Nachuyachumi! +, the opening and ending themes are "YuriShuraShuShuShu" (ゆりしゅらしゅしゅしゅ) and "Ohirune Universe" (おひるねゆにばーす, Naptime Universe).[46] For San☆Hai, the main opening and ending themes are "Chochocho! YuruYuri Capriccio!!!" (ちょちょちょ!ゆるゆり☆かぷりっちょ!!!) and "Atchu~ma Seishun!" (あっちゅ〜ま青春！) by the Nanamori Middle School Amusement Club. The ending theme for episode 12 is "Kimi ga Kureta Shiny Story" (きみがくれたシャイニーストーリー, The Shiny Story You Gave Me) by the Nanamori Middle School Amusement Club. For the 10th anniversary OVA, the opening and ending themes are "YuruYuri Tenya Wanya☆" (ゆるゆり、てんやわんや☆, YuruYuri Tenya Wanya☆) and "Ribitte Chime♪" (リピってチャイム♪, Ribitte Chime♪), both performed by the Nanamori Middle School Amusement Club.[47]
Appearances in other media
Characters and songs from YuruYuri appeared alongside other anime characters in the rhythm game, Miracle Girls Festival, which was developed by Sega for the PlayStation Vita and released on December 17, 2015.[48][49] The series also had a collaboration with Release the Spyce: Secret Fragrance, a mobile game based on the anime series Release the Spyce that Namori had a hand in creating.[50]
The YuruYuri manga is referenced in episode 5 of the anime adaptation of Shomin Sample and plays a role in one of the episode's gags.
Reception
The anime adaptation of YuruYuri received generally positive reviews on user-based review aggregation platforms. On MyAnimeList, the first season of the series holds a rating of 7.5/10, with user reviews praising the comedy and cast.[51] On Crunchyroll, the series holds a rating of 4.6/5, and on IMDb, a 7.6/10, with similar user reviews.[52][53] All seasons received similarly positive reviews.
^The club members' addresses are written on New Year's cards in episode 7 of the first anime season.
^声優をめざす専門学校 - 東京アナウンス学院 - 放送声優科 [College aims to voice actor - Tokyo announcement Academy - broadcasting voice actor Department]. Toho Gakuen (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
