In short
- GL is the platform label for female/female romance, the counterpart to BL.
- Yuri, in Yuricon's definition, covers emotional connection, romantic love or physical desire between women.
- The word comes from the 1970s yurizoku, the "lily tribe".
- Webtoon platforms tend to say GL; manga stores and hentai publishers tend to say Yuri.
GL meaning
Girls' love is the shelf name. We found no dictionary or publisher definition of GL itself, so the meaning here comes from how platforms use it: as a genre tab for romance between women, set next to BL. Tapas, Lezhin, Lalatoon, INKR and WebComics all have a GL tab.
GL and yuri
Yuricon, the yuri fan organization, gives the broad definition: Yuri can describe any anime or manga series (or other derivative media, i.e., fan fiction, film, etc.) that shows intense emotional connection, romantic love or physical desire between women.
It traces the term to yurizoku, the "lily tribe", in the 1970s.
Older glossaries draw a different line. Anime News Network's lexicon defines yuri as pornographic and shoujo-ai as the non-explicit version, a split that no longer matches how the words are used. Yuri can mean a quiet romance or an explicit doujinshi, and GL works the same way.
Where GL and yuri appear
On webtoon platforms, GL usually sits in the main genre menu, with the adult versions behind an 18+ switch or account: Lalatoon sells GL episodes for 3 clovers each and gates 18+ content behind sign-up. Manga stores use the yuri label: MangaPlaza and BookWalker both list Yuri as a genre.
At the explicit end, FAKKU and Irodori Comics both carry a Yuri tag on licensed hentai and doujinshi. Among western erotic comics, Filthy Figments, a members site focused on queer and women's perspectives, filters by pairing, F x F included.
For reading lists, see erotic webtoons, erotic comics and adult manga sites. Explicit manga is covered under hentai manga, and more terms are in the glossary.
FAQ
What is the difference between GL and yuri?
Mostly who uses which word. GL is the label on webtoon and some manga platforms; yuri is the older fan and genre term. Both cover romance between women at any level of explicitness.
Is yuri always explicit?
No. The old definition that tied yuri to pornography is dated. Yuricon's definition includes emotional and romantic stories with no sex at all.
Where can I read adult yuri legally?
FAKKU and Irodori Comics tag licensed adult yuri in English; webtoon platforms such as Lezhin and Lalatoon have GL tabs with an 18+ mode.