The Summer 2025 season is just around the corner, and if you’re still putting together your watchlist, then try Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games. And no, you don’t need to be a fan of fighting games to like this one.
I don’t really play fighting games all that much, so I thought some of the appeal might fly over my head. But thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all. After watching the first episode, it was actually a lot of fun and did everything it needed to do to get me invested.
The series does a great job introducing its main cast and the setting. We get a clear picture of what kind of academy this is and why playing fighting games would be considered unladylike in a place filled with elegant and refined young ladies. The episode also gives enough backstory and characterization for one of the main girls to set up the whole plot.
I can’t really say much about the story yet since we’re only one episode in, but the premise alone is enough to get me excited. There’s just something amusing about watching girls who are expected to embody grace and sophistication secretly locking in and throwing hands in fighting games. It reminds me a little bit of Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty. Instead of hiding their love for rock music, these girls are hiding their passion for fighting games.
The production also deserves a mention. Studio Diomedéa continues to prove that they know how to handle these kinds of stories. Their adaptation of The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady was one of my favorite yuri anime in recent years, and based on this premiere, Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games seems to be in very good hands.
The voice cast was another highlight for me because Kana Ichinose and Ikumi Hasegawa were both fantastic, but Kana especially stood out. Mio’s personality changes depending on the situation, and Kana captured those shifts perfectly. The tone and loudness in her voice smoothly changing after getting caught larping is just insane. Whether Mio was trying to maintain her refined image or let her true self slip out, you could immediately hear the difference in her performance.
Overall, Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games had a really strong start. Whether you’re a fighting game fan, a yuri fan, or just someone looking for a fun new anime this season, I think this series has something for you.
Anime Corner was given an advanced screening of Episode 1. The anime is set to debut on July 7 and is available to stream on Crunchyroll. Screenshots in this article are from the trailers.
© 2025 Eri Ejima/KADOKAWA/”Tae Ari Deshita.” Production Committee
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