Class S – The Biggest Cliché in Yuri Anime
The Japanese believe that young girls are expected to have friendships with each other that emulate boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. This is considered safer and temporary, and is known as “Class S” (pronounced exactly that way). This is similar to the Western concept of bi-curious teenagers, though the latter is rather played to demonstrate open-mindedness.
The given cultural explanation is that they can then graduate from these friendships to real relationships with boys, now that they have the confidence and experience. To remain in a “Class S” relationship is seen as a sign of immaturity. If especially overdone, the implication is that the girls should stop being close period, romantically or no.
This type of romance was typically seen as fleeting and more of a phase in growing up rather than true homosexual behavior; as long as these relationships remained confined to adolescence they were regarded as normal, even spiritual. These relationships were common, and it has been proposed that eight out of ten schoolgirls had Class S relationships.
The creation of girls schools was very rapid at the time: by 1913 there were 213 such schools. The western novels Little Women and A Little Princess were translated into Japanese in 1906 and 1910 respectively, in order to educate the girls to become “good wives, wise mothers”. However, these works also introduced western concepts of sisterhood, sentimentalism, and romance to the girls of Japan. The tomboyish Jo of Little Women particularly gave Japanese girls a different idea of adolescence. In 1936, Class S stories were banned by the Japanese government. As co-educational schools became more prominent, Class S relationships became more discreet
A modern-day yuri light novel series which strongly borrows from the Class S genre is Maria-sama ga Miteru. It is considered to be a modern equivalent to Yoshiya’s Hana monogatari
Other anime which portray Class S relationship:
- Strawberry Panic!
- Ultra Maniac
- Futari Wa Pretty Cure
- Gokujou Seitokai
- Azumanga Daioh
- Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl
- Cardcaptor Sakura
- Puni Puni Poemi
- Mai-HIME
- Blue Drop
- Revolutionary Girl Utena
- Ikkitousen
- Candy Boy
- Kannazuki no Miko
- Saki
- Aoi Hana
- Sasameki Koto
Source: Wikipedia
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