Steven UniverseĬreated by nonbinary animator Rebecca Sugar, Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe focused on its titular lead, Steven Universe (Zach Callison), raised by a trio of alien warriors known as the Crystal Gems (and one human dad) and saving the world from destruction with positivity and light. The Legend of Korra is streaming on Netflix.
Though there’s been criticism of how the show could have more overtly presented their relationship, it’s important to remember the series ended before same-sex marriage was even legal, and that Korrasami walked so other queer ships could run. But more important for the purposes of this list, The Legend of Korra introduced Nickelodeon’s first bisexual protagonist, Korra (Janet Varney), and ended with her in love with Asami Sato (Seychelle Gabriel) in the series finale.
In addition to beautiful animation and martial-arts choreography, it extended Avatar’s legacy through the elements of peace and balance - while navigating a more technologically advanced world - with relevant political themes.
The long-awaited sequel to one of western animation’s greatest hits, Avatar: the Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra carried a lot of expectations, leaving fans wondering if the show would honor its predecessor’s legacy. Luckily, in the special Distant Lands - Obsidian, their relationship is explored in more detail and inspires one of the best love songs in western animation, “Monster.”Īdventure Time is streaming on HBO Max. Though their feelings for each other were hinted at throughout the series, it wasn’t until the series finale that the two finally kiss and are confirmed to be a couple. One of Cartoon Network’s longest and most successful franchises - running for ten seasons with follow-up specials - the show is also well-known for its most popular ship, Bubbline, the femslash ship between Marceline and Princess Bubblegum. Pendleton Ward’s Adventure Time follows adventurer Finn (Jeremy Shada) in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, where he hangs with his friends Jake (John DiMaggio), Princess Bubblegum (Hynden Walch), Marceline the Vampire Queen (Olivia Olson), and more. Unfortunately, much of the original show’s dubbing in English erased its queer coding, transforming the queer couple into “cousins.” Created in the ’90s, the series was groundbreaking in its presentation of queer characters, shipping butch-femme favorite Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune and later introducing the gender-bending trio the Sailor Starlights. Created by legendary mangaka (manga creator) Naoko Takeuchi, the series focuses on schoolgirl Usagi Tsukino (Kotono Mitsuishi), otherwise known as Sailor Moon, as she fights alongside her friends, the Sailor Scouts, defending the planet Earth against the forces of evil. With this in mind, several shows have been added to this list - both new and old - so anime fans can find a show that represents them on screen.This list couldn’t exist without Sailor Moon. While many western cartoons still fight to include queer characters in any capacity, anime has continued to release amazing series with them at the forefront. Updated Jby Borealis Capps: There is never a better time than when Pride Month begins to take a fresh look at the amazingly diverse world of anime stories once more. While there are many shows out there that qualify, some stand out above the rest for their impressive representation of gender and sexual minorities. Related: LGBTQ+ Twitch Streamers You Should Be Followingĭuring Pride or any other time of the year, it can be meaningful to connect with queer characters and stories for those in the LGBTQ+ community.
This extends to anime series as well with shows like Yuri on Ice ( which has a movie in the works) and Revolutionary Girl Utena being extremely popular among fans. From fantastic gay movies like Doukyuusei to manga like The Bride Was A Boy, Japan is no stranger to amazing queer representation in media and stories.