Bubblegum Crisis/Ho Yay


 * In the original OVA, there were mountains of it. This series was tied with Dirty Pair back in the day for being infamous for all the implied lesbianism.
 * Most obviously, Priss and Sylvie. Sylvie and Anri were also clearly close.
 * Viewers also saw subtext between Priss and Sylia.
 * And there's still more; fans in The Nineties parodied it with an Epileptic Tree that the Sabers were all "kangaroos".
 * Meanwhile, on the "Ho Yay" side of the fence, there's Leon and his partner Daley. Leon's willingness to play along with his partner's obvious flirting left plenty of room to speculate whether they were just Platonic Life Partners, friends-with-benefits, or in an open relationship (considering Leon's flirting with Priss). The only clear thing is that the Ho Yay here is one of the most memorable things about the original series.

"Sylia (leaning suggestively over Nene, lifting her chin with one finger): What I need, Nene dear, is someone with whom I share a very special physical bond.
 * In the Ultimate Universe version of Bubblegum Crisis, BGC: Tokyo 2040, some fans have noticed that lead character Priss Asagiri seems to have more chemistry with her partner, fellow Knight Saber Linna Yamazaki (and it seems reciprocated) than with her given love interest, cop Leon McNichol. Given Linna's questionable orientation, it may be more than subtext...
 * On the other hand, Sylia Stingray, despite her daddy issues and her friends-with-benefits relationship with her mechanic and right-hand man Nigel, seems to be much more Les Yay incarnate. Sylia shamelessly flirts with Linna during their first encounter, gets Priss in a dress, is quite coquettish towards her cute female customers, and her explanation of why she made the Knight Sabers all female was... well... special.

Nene (leaps away, babbling -- and blushing): I mean I like you and all, but I'm just not attracted to you in that kind of way, well not at least the way you and Linna are.

Linna: (grimaces)Thanks a lot!

Macky: Let me try and explain... (gives technobabble explanation on the importance of a pilot syncing with her hardsuit, with an assist from Sylia.)

Nene: Oh right...that's what I thought you meant..."


 * There was the whole...explaining to her mother why the arranged marriage wouldn't work out. Very... well... text-texty.
 * It's not that Linna wasn't bi-curious but that Priss never seemed to respond to it. If Priss is gay she keeps it hidden.
 * When Linna goes backstage after a concert looking for Priss, one of her bandmates makes a comment along the lines of "why is it always Priss the girls come back here to see?"
 * And as for Linna and Nene, they do end the series naked and hugging on a beach...
 * BGC spinoff/prequel OAV AD Police: Protect And Serve had some serious Ho Yay between the main (male) characters Kenji and Hans, despite both having canon love-interests. Of course, one's girlfriend is pretty much only around for exposition (and so her boyfriend can talk about his partner to her) and the other is... not what she seems. Kenji is a Jerk with a Heart of Gold who works alone; Hans is a Casanova who's suffering a Loss of Identity due to ; together, they confide in each other, hold hands, talk about where the other was last night, and fight crime. It starts out like the het version of Slap Slap Kiss, and then they become Heterosexual Life Partners and well, it's a buddy-cop movie gone anime, what else should you expect?