Aoi Hana
Title: Aoi Hana (Sweet Blue Flowers)
Mangaka: Takako Shimura
Director: Ken'ichi Kasai
Episodes: 11
Volumes: 4
Characters: Fumi Manjoume, Akira Okudaira, Kyoko Ikumi, Yasuko Sugimoto, Pon, Mogi, and Yassan.
LGBT+ Characters: Fumi Manjoume, Akira Okudaira, Kyoko Ikumi, Yasuko Sugimoto, Orie Ōno, Hinako Yamashina.
Summary: The story follows the childhood friends Fumi and Akira as they reconnect ten years later, and the development of their romantic relationship. They deal with their own relationship issues, as well as others' relationship issues.
Content Warnings: Fumi used to be in a incestous relationship with her cousin, until said cousin got married. This isn't talked about after the first volume, but Fumi seemed to struggle emotionally with the fact. Sex is also mentioned here and there, and implied, with a "fade to black."
Personal Review: This is by far one of my favorite LGBT+ series focusing on lesbian relationships. It's realistic with the way it's portrayed, with Fumi and Akira's feelings towards one another. The character development is also super interesting, you can really see them change over the novels. I also feel like it’s realistic in the way it portrays teenagers and their relationship with romance, it's relatable. However, if you like fast-paced manga, this not be the manga for you. It’s slow and very depressing at times.