Highlights
- Yuri and GL stories have been popular in Japan for decades, offering a different kind of romance between two women.
- There are some noteworthy Girls’ Love Isekai Light Novels available for readers looking for portal fantasy with a twist of romance.
- These light novels explore various themes such as parallel worlds, otome games, reincarnation, and princesses, offering unique and engaging storylines.
Isekai manga, anime, and light novels are everywhere, offering plenty of adventure, dramatic twists, and even romance. But love can come in many forms. What if, instead of a boy meeting a girl, two women met each other? Yuri and GL (Girls’ Love) stories have been popular in Japan for decades, if not longer, in a variety of media, from the ‘Class S’ novels of the early 20th century to the Year 24 Group’s manga in the early 1970s.
There are also plenty of GL light novels, though most of them have stuck to the regular world rather than the fantasy lands of the isekai subgenre. However, the few that are around have received widespread acclaim, with some even being trendsetters in their own way. So, if anyone is looking for a portal fantasy story with a different kind of romance, they have some great Girls’ Love Isekai Light Novels to choose from.
5 The Executioner And Her Way Of Life
Novel Updates Score: 3.4/5 Stars (56 Votes)
- Written by Mato Satō.
- Illustrated by Nilitsu.
- 9+ Volumes, 34 Chapters.
- Available in English via Yen Press.
The Executioner and Her Way of Life saw its parallel world get gradually inspired by Japanese culture thanks to the significant number of Japanese people, or ‘Lost Ones,’ who were summoned by its inhabitants. Some of them even gained superpowers, or ‘Pure Concepts,’ in the process. However, these powers were too strong for many of them to handle, causing four disasters that have gone down in the land’s history as ‘Human Errors.’ Because of this, summoning more ‘Lost Ones’ has been forbidden on pain of death.
So, when a Lost One called Akari turns up, Menou the Executioner is sent to dispatch her. Except, Akari has gained the Pure Concept of Time, which can reverse time to undo any death that befalls her. So, Menou takes her along on her journey to find a way to end her life. Things change as they get to know each other and realize their meeting may have been ordained by fate.
4 A Lily Blooms In Another World
Novel Updates Score: 4/5 Stars (54 Votes)
- Written by Ameko Kaeruda.
- Illustrated by Shio Sakura.
- 1 Volume, 34 Chapters.
- Available in English via J-Novel Club.
The term ‘Yuri’ (百合, meaning ‘lily’) became associated with GL when Japanese Romance-era novels used white lilies, or ‘yuri,’ as a symbol of beauty in women. It then became associated with lesbian romance when the men’s magazine ‘Barazoku’ (Rose Tribe) called its female readers ‘Yurizoku’ (Lily Tribe). So, when Ameko Kaeruda called their light novel A Lily Blooms in Another World, they weren’t talking about flowers.
Instead, when Miyako’s two-year-long engagement gets broken off, she isn’t put off. In fact, both that and getting pulled into the world of her favorite otome game were part of her plan. Now, she’s free to charm its villainess, Fuka, and hopefully run away with her to a life of romantic luxury. Surprisingly, Fuka agrees to do that if Miyako can make her say “I’m happy” within 2 weeks. With rivals, magic, and other obstacles in her path, it’s a feat easier said than done.
3 Did I Seriously Just Get Reincarnated As My Gag Character?
Novel Updates Score: 4.2/5 Stars (103 Votes)
- Written by Kanade Otonashi.
- Illustrated by Azu-taro.
- 2 Volumes, 22 Chapters.
- Available in English via J-Novel Club.
When it comes to GL, Did I Seriously Just Get Reincarnated as My Gag Character is a roundabout case, as its lead was originally a man. Feeling unfulfilled by university and his dead-end job, Toru only feels alive when he’s playing the VR MMORPG Real World Online as his nigh-on invincible warrior. Though he originally played the game as Nacht, a dragon princess he made as a 14-year-old.
Fate intervenes when he gets struck by a runaway bus and ends up being reincarnated in Real World Online. Unfortunately, he came back as Nacht, his teenage fantasy character who’s more built for charming than fighting. Now she has to get by in the game’s world with her awkward, magic-heavy stats. However, Nacht may be more capable than she thinks, especially with her servant, Aisha, by her side.
2 I’m In Love With The Villainess
Novel Updates Score: 4.4/5 Stars (596 Votes)
- Written by Inori.
- Illustrated by Hanagata.
- 5 Volumes, 268 Chapters.
- Available in English via Seven Seas Entertainment.
If A Lily Blooms in Another World sounded familiar, that’s because it was likely inspired by I’m In Love with the Villainess. It became one of the standout light novels in the subgenre’s ‘villainess’ tales, as instead of having them find a path to redemption directly like in My Next Life as a Villainess, it sees them receive it through love, namely, when office lady Rei Ohashi dies from overwork and gets reborn as Rae Taylor, the star of the otome game Revolution.
However, she retains all of her old memories and her sexuality. So, instead of trying to charm the Bauer Kingdom’s princess, she tries to woo the game’s antagonist Claire instead and uses her knowledge of the game’s events to do so. This way, Rae can forge a new path where the villainess can get a happy ending. On top of its manga and anime adaptations, it also got a spin-off light novel, IILWTV: She’s Cheeky for a Commoner, that retells the original story from Clare’s perspective.
1 The Magical Revolution Of The Reincarnated Princess And The Genius Young Lady
Novel Updates Score: 4.6/5 Stars (218 Votes)
- Written by Kurasu Piero.
- Illustrated by Yuri Kisaragi.
- 6+ Volumes, 36+ Chapters (still ongoing).
- Available in English via Yen Press.
Getting reincarnated as the princess of a fantasy land would be a dream for some, especially if they are heir-apparent to its throne as well. But for Anisphia ‘Anis’ Wyn Palettia in The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, it wasn’t so grand. She loved magic in her old life, but now she’s in a place where it’s real, she discovers she’s got no talent for it at all. Instead, she cedes the throne to her younger brother Algard to study magic scientifically instead.
Using her knowledge from the old world, she spends her time creating magic-powered devices. Though a mishap with one made her accidentally barge in on Algard while he was breaking off his engagement with the noble Euphyllia ‘Euphy’ Magenta. To help restore her name, Anis offers Euphy a place to stay in exchange for helping her with her research. At first, they seem like an odd couple – a tech-obsessed, open lesbian and a smart but aloof perfectionist. But as time passes, the two gradually form a bond that goes beyond being roommates.
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