Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games (Japanese: 対ありでした。 ～お嬢さまは格闘ゲームなんてしない～, Hepburn: Tai Ari Deshita: Ojō-sama wa Kakutō Gēmu Nante Shinai; 'Thanks for the Match: Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eri Ejima. It follows a group of high school girls who secretly play fighting games together at a prestigious academy where video games are forbidden. The manga has been serialized in Media Factory's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Flapper since January 2020, and is licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment.
A live-action web drama adaptation aired from May to July 2023. An anime television series adaptation produced by Diomedéa aired from July to September 2026. The adaptations feature real life fighting games and brands in place of the original ones created for the manga, most prominently Capcom's Street Fighter series.
Contents
Plot
Aya Mitsuki and Mio Yorue are high school students who attend Kuromi Girls' Academy, a prestigious all-girl school where video games are banned. Despite this, they discover that they are both avid fans of fighting games, and begin playing together in secret. The series follows the two as they bond through their rivalry and improve their skills, finding others who share their passion and entering tournaments, all while keeping their activities hidden from the academy's disciplinary committee.
Characters
Aya Mitsuki (深月 綾, Mitsuki Aya)
Voiced by: Fairouz Ai (PV), Ikumi Hasegawa (anime)
Portrayed by: Mizuki Kayashima
A common girl who received entry into Kuromi Girls Academy via a scholarship. Aya has played fighting games since elementary school, but gave them up to attend Kuromi. Her passion is reignited upon meeting Mio, who has her own secret love of fighting games. Aya specializes in fast characters who are good at rushdown. In the live-action and anime adaptations, she mains Cammy in Street Fighter V and Street Fighter 6 respectively.
Mio Yorue (夜絵 美緒, Yorue Mio)
Voiced by: Rika Nagae (PV), Kana Ichinose (anime)
Portrayed by: Ririka Tanabe
The most popular girl at Kuromi Girls Academy, known as "Shirayuri-sama" (白百合さま; lit. 'White Lily') due to her elegance and beauty. Behind this persona, however, she is a ruthless hardcore gamer who is passionate for extreme competition. She is drawn to the main characters of fighting games when she plays. In the live-action and anime adaptations, she mains Ryu in Street Fighter V and Street Fighter 6 respectively.
Yuu Inui (犬井 夕, Inui Yū)
Voiced by: Sayaka Senbongi (anime)
Portrayed by: Akana Ikeda
A fun loving student and member of Kuromi's dorm disciplinary committee. She has loved fighting games since childhood. As such, she gets drawn to the girls playing. In the live-action and anime adaptations, she mains Ken in Street Fighter V and Street Fighter 6 respectively.
Tamaki Ichinose (一ノ瀬 珠樹, Ichinose Tamaki)
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Eri Ejima, Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games has been serialized in Media Factory's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Flapper since January 4, 2020, with eleven tankōbon volumes were released as of July 2026. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga for an English release.
Drama
A live-action web drama adaptation was announced on October 21, 2022. It was directed by Ryoma Ouchida and written by Anna Kawahara. The series was streamed on the Lemino streaming service from May 19 to July 7, 2023, and ran for eight episodes. Iron Senpai 4, the fictional fighting game featured in the manga, was replaced by in-game footage of Capcom's Street Fighter V in the adaptation.
Anime
An anime adaptation was announced on January 21, 2021, which was later confirmed to be a television series produced by Diomedéa and directed by Shōta Ihata, with scripts written by Wataru Watari, characters designed by Mayuko Matsumoto, and music composed by Kana Hashiguchi. The series was originally scheduled to premiere in 2025, but was later delayed due to schedule adjustments of the various parties involved in production, and aired from July 7 to September 22, 2026, on AT-X and other networks. The opening theme song is "Inochi Mijikashi Tai Suru Otome yo!" (命短し対する乙女よ; "Life is Short, Fight Each Other, Maidens"), performed by Hanabie., while the ending theme song is "New Game", performed by Halca. Crunchyroll is streaming the series. Similar to the live-action series, the anime features in-game footage of Capcom's Street Fighter 6.