# Citrus (2018)

> A brash high school gyaru transfers to an all-girls school and is thrown into a tense romance with her composed new step-sister, the student council president.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/65904

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, comedy, drama, romance
- Network: AT-X
- Cast: Ayana Taketatsu, Minami Tsuda, Hisako Kanemoto, Ikumi Hayama, Kana Ueda, Rei Matsuzaki, Shiori Izawa, Tomoaki Maeno
- TMDB rating: 6.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7521578/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: playful, sincere, tender, comedic, awkward

## What critics say

Audience reception is mixed, with viewers split over its provocative premise and the handling of its romance between stepsisters.

## Synopsis

Citrus (2018) is a Japanese animated romance series adapted from the manga of the same name, produced for AT-X and running for one twelve-episode season of roughly twenty-four minutes each. Yuzu Aihara (voiced by Ayana Taketatsu), a flashy high school gyaru who has never had her first love, transfers to an all-girls academy after her mother remarries. Her hostile first meeting with the composed student council president Mei Aihara (voiced by Minami Tsuda) quickly turns sour when the two discover they are now step-sisters sharing a home. The engine of the series is the push and pull between two opposite personalities, with Yuzu's bold pursuit of romance colliding with Mei's guarded restraint. Episodes are built from everyday school life, friendships with supporting classmates such as Mei's circle and Yuzu's friends, and small domestic frictions that slowly reshape both girls' feelings. Set in a present-day Japanese school and home, the series keeps a light comedic touch while letting awkward tenderness and longing carry its emotional register. Its tone is playful and sincere, with a bright palette and a steady focus on the nervous intimacy of first attraction. Fans of Sweet Blue Flowers and Bloom Into You will find the same shoujo-ai sensibility here, along with the comic energy of a school slice of life.

## Shows like Citrus

- [The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/178658)
- [Adachi and Shimamura (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/79739)
- [Sasaki and Miyano (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/105642)
- [Pseudo Harem (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/143520)
- [There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless… (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/184111)
- [Say "I Love You." (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/47383)
- [Bloom Into You (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/70742)
- [A Condition Called Love (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/155895)
- [Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/134222)
- [Strawberry Panic! (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/33244)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt