Shoujo-ai

Shoujo-ai (pronounced /So:dZoai/) (from shoujo, girl, and ai, love, coined by analogy with shounen-ai), refers to anime or manga that deals with love between teenage girls or young women. Shoujo-ai is usually thought of as less explicit or sexual than yuri.

Shoujo-ai is much less common than shounen-ai; when it does appear, it is usually as part of shoujo anime or manga. Series famous for shoujo-ai content include Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena; the latter focuses on a female couple. Although less well known, Serial Experiments Lain also features a poignant shoujo-ai strand.