Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games, an anime that loves Street Fighter 6

Young ladies don't play fighting games! And could we ever call that statement correct? Absolutely not, and let's face it, it's always worth playing a few rounds of our favorite video game. The collective imagination, however, deviates from the concept that well-behaved young ladies attending a prestigious and elegant school could play a video game where various opponents are beaten up around the world (and Street Fighter is a master at what it does).

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games is the new anime series coming to Crunchyroll from July 7, 2026, with a new episode released every Tuesday. A series, apparently, much anticipated and inspired by the manga of the same name, written and drawn by Ejima Eri and never published in Italy. And how could it be otherwise, if you love video games (specifically competitive fighting games) and, of course, Japanese manga and anime.

The protagonists of the first episode (which we watched) are two girls who attend a prestigious institution, one of those that only girls from good families with a fat credit card can access. What if, in addition to studying, they also dedicated themselves to perfecting their skills in Street Fighter 6? After all, competitive fighting games must be studied in minute detail, and mastering them is not a feat for arcade pinball beginners.

Anything can happen in a prestigious school

Let's be honest: the ingenuity of Japanese authors sometimes knows no bounds (and thankfully!), and is capable of creating situations that make the viewer or reader laugh. And that's what happens in Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games, an anime set (at least in the first episode) in Kuromi Girls' Academy, a place where there are very specific rules to follow, as is right, after all.

Students are strictly forbidden from bringing smartphones into the dormitories; they must be left in designated lockers. The reason is simple: video games are not allowed, they cause distractions, and some girls have been expelled in the past for being caught playing with game consoles (probably a brand new PS5, we assume).

The protagonist of this story is Aya Mitsuki, an ingenious young lady who gained access to Kuromi thanks to a scholarship. And she excels at this, no doubt, but she hopes one day to acquire the same charm as her kohai, Shirayui, called White Lily-sama by all her classmates. However, Aya often finds herself in truly amusing situations, especially due to the different social statuses with the richer young ladies: instant ramen, for the latter, represents an "exotic" food, accustomed as they are to French cuisine.

The fact is that one fine day, Aya hears a sound coming from a dimly lit classroom: it's a Shoryuken! Curious, she peeks through the door and sees Shirayui cheering colorfully after literally crushing an online opponent 2-0 (probably in a "best of 3" match). From here, without telling you more than necessary, the two girls will form a somewhat peculiar friendship, based mainly on the beauty of competition.

And in this first episode, Aya and Shirayui will clash in an FT3 - First to 3 battle (the first to win three times triumphs), discovering themselves to be pretty good hardcore players. Apparently, the two girls are going against school rules, but it doesn't matter: anyone who is a gamer knows very well that they cannot resist this thrill, and, even more so, Aya will also be able to discover the secret of her rival's charm and what makes those eyes shine so enigmatically (always according to her conviction, of course).

What can we expect from the anime?

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games is an intriguing anime that showcases the love for Street Fighter 6 and all the technicalities of the production, examined by a voice-over that gives us a literal "explanation" of what is really happening. This device will surely delight fighting game lovers, but also those who know very little about the competitive scene and will be able to discover a somewhat unknown world. After all, Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games is not the first anime to focus on video games: just think of the very original Hi Score Girl, which has already delighted lovers of these two mediums.

The first episode of Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games gives us a small taste of what could happen, proposing hilarious situations of a girl who is doing her best to be a true "lady," even if her gamer soul will come out more often than expected. During the first twenty minutes, the direction frequently shifts to the ongoing match, making us understand even better the influence that Street Fighter 6 will have throughout the season. In short, we had a small taste of the narrative context and the first moments of the relationship between the two protagonists. It must be said that the premises seem interesting, and we will certainly witness other events that will intertwine the "forbidden" with heart-pounding competition.

The anime of Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games was produced by Diomedéa, a studio that has already worked on several successful adaptations, from comedies to sports anime, without missing a few isekai. The character design is quite convincing, the faces are absolutely expressive, and the various locations are shown with very vibrant colors. The blood coming out of the mouth when something unexpected happens instead of the nose is curious. This is a clear reference to Street Fighter video games, when characters are vigorously beaten, although in this case it is just an effect due to a kind of fascination.

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games seems fun, with protagonists to discover who are madly in love with competitive fighting games. And we can't wait to see the next episodes from July 7, 2026, on Crunchyroll.