Girls are supposed to be prim and proper; at least that’s the stereotype a lot of people believe. They aren’t supposed to like anime or video games either, but that’s not accurate at all. Still, that doesn’t stop people from thinking that those things are true, and frowning upon it when they find that it’s not. Thankfully, Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games takes the usual stereotypes and flips them on their head. While the anime may not be for all audiences, the message it showcases is one everyone should pay attention to.

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games follows the story of Mitsuki  Aya, a new student at a prestigious all-girls boarding school. She doesn’t fit in though, and has a rough time making friends among the elite. One day however she discovered by accident that the most popular girl in school Yorue Mio, also known as the White Lily, secretly plays fighting games on her laptop during school hours. Not only that, but she rages while doing so.  Mio asks her to keep her secret, and Aya reveals that she used to like fighting games herself and has tried to stop. After all, proper ladies don’t game. Together the two help each other discover who they are while developing a strong friendship.

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games is not for everybody. It’s very much focused on the lives of young girls, and how they try to combat the prejudice and expectations from everyone around them. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have something to teach both male and females watching the show, but it does mean one will have a stronger interest in the show than the other.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the show is the inclusion of real video games. Most anime of this kind would create a brand new video games as the focal point of their story. But in this case Street Fighter 6 is the game of choice, and the anime even includes footage from the game. Even more shocking, is that first episode takes the time to walk you through the mechanics of the game, without dumbing it down for newbies. Fans of the game should be impressed by the love it is shown.

The animation style of Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games is nothing ground breaking. It’s cute, in a been there, done that sort of way. It doesn’t need to be something new though to get its point across. The story is the focus after all, and it does exactly what it needs to do. Tells a good story that can inspire the younger generation.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the series plays out. It hooks you in pretty quickly, especially after bringing in the big guns. Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games should impress both anime and gaming fans, without alienating either group. It’s a fun series that will drive the imagination of young girls around the world, while teaching them that they can be, and do, anything they want.