History Main / BaitAndSwitchLesbians

Tends to raise the hackles of a show's {{Yuri Fan}}dom, who tend to crop up more infrequently, but also makes them paranoid in the long run. Any male friend of one of the girls becomes the SwordOfDamocles; a possible route of escape for the writers via LastMinuteHookup. So [[DieForOurShip expect malevolence.]] It takes frustratingly little for a male character to become a love interest. A single scene, a WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue, can instantly make {{canon}} to overturn entire seasons of interaction.

** The manga almostmoved into this territory. Of all the (potential) yuri pairings, it seemed only the one between Hinako (the girls' adult teacher) and her girlfriend Orie would survive the author's penchant for [[KudzuPlot odd plot twists]], only for the ending to reveal [[spoiler: Fumi and Akira got back together and are in a live-in relationship after graduation]].

** The manga almost seems moved into this territory. Of all the (potential) yuri pairings, it seemed only the one between Hinako (the girls' adult teacher) and her girlfriend Orie would survive the author's penchant for [[KudzuPlot odd plot twists]], only for the ending to reveal [[spoiler: Fumi and Akira got back together and are in a live-in relationship after graduation]].

** The manga also seems to moving into this territory. Of all the (potential) yuri pairings, only the one between Orie and Hinako seems to have survived the author's penchant for [[KudzuPlot odd plot twists]].

* [[{{Tsundere}} Tohsaka]] appears to be bisexual in one of the hentai scenes in the Fate route of ''FateStayNight'', but this is never mentioned or addressed outside of that particular scene.

* A constant criticism of ''Series/{{Sherlock'' is that the copious amounts of HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday and NotThatTheresAnythingWrongWithThat between Sherlock and John is an attempt at queerbaiting, especially since both characters are quite obviously never going to kiss and get various female love interests. However, the first episode to give Sherlock a female love interest (Irene) delved quite deeply into the heartache caused by the various IncompatibleOrientation-dependent romantic attachments that he, Irene and John had stumbled into, pushing it further into being actually queer, if also loaded with UnfortunateImplications depending on how you feel about out lesbians falling in love with men.

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This trope is also occasionally applied to male characters, in order to appeal to the SlashFic fans, in which case it's usually known as queerbaiting.

* ''HidamariSketch'' has a mild example, in that Miyako sometimes flirts heavily with Yuno, just to let things fizzle out because of her unfocused nature. And then of course there is the relationship between Hiro and Sae, although that is more a clear case of RomanticTwoGirlFriendship.

* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' shocked fans by giving them what they wanted, but through a conclusion that suggested more than it showed. Utena and Anthy are engaged, share a room, share a bed, make a wonderfully handsome couple on campus, and gaze at each other adoringly during the opening credits. Their feelings for each other grow more and more intense as the series progresses. And, in the end, they do choose each other over any male love interest! [[UnpleasableFanbase Many fans believed, however, that the way it was depicted wasn't explicit enough]], despite the show still being marketed as a {{shoujo}} series. Among other [[MindScrew infamous oddities]], the movie's depiction of the relationship is explicitly physical mostly care of an extroverted Anthy. Paradoxically, many fans [[UnpleasableFanbase now claimed to dislike it because it was somehow TOO obvious and thus fanservice]].
** And lets not forget Kozue's car scene with Anthy.

Outside of canon this trope is invoked a lot especially in H-doujins due to a rather persistent tendency for [[MostWritersAreMale male writers]] to be intimidated by the idea of girls who don't find them sexually attractive (though generally only mildly). This is the reason why a disturbingly large number of popular lesbian characters and characters who are popular in part because of their [[RomanticTwoGirlFriendship near lesbian tendencies]] are depicted in huge amounts of heterosexual porn with a random [[AuthorAvatar male insert]] or more and very frequently in the form of rape instead of [[GirlOnGirlIsHot with each other]].

* ''BubblegumCrisis: Tokyo 2040'' spent its first half building the SempaiKohai relationship -- and RomanticTwoGirlFriendship -- between Priss and Linna. The final half of the series drops this subplot like a hot potato for a [[LastMinuteHookup sudden romance between Priss and Leon]] that fits the "offscreen explanation" part of the trope to a T; Leon shows up at her club while she's on stage, does a smarmy clap for her, Priss grins a bit, and from thereon in they're treated as dating.
** Ironically, it was the original ''BubblegumCrisis'' {{OAV}} that gave rise to the mantra among many early anime fans that "All women in anime are lesbians. Unless they're bisexual."
* ''{{Nana}}'' has, at its core, the interesting relationship between the two titular Nanas: [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl one a tough punk-rocker, the other a girly girl who likes frilly fashion]]. Disappointingly, most of the manga depicts the two girls' relationships with comparatively bland or annoying guys, to the point where the carefully set up romantic tension between them is all but thrown overboard--which isn't helped by the fact that one of them [[spoiler:gets knocked up]].
** One ''{{Nana}}'' develops an infatuation with her roommate later in the series, encouraging her to get together with (and get back to) the one decent opposite-sex relationship that she finds... because [[ValuesDissonance the man in question is close to both of them, and that will keep them together]]. She moons over her in a way that she doesn't moon over the man she eventually marries. Nothing comes of it though and both women do eventually marry.
** In later chapters of ''{{Nana}}'', however, we find that, after a short while, both women ''do'' separate from their husbands. One of them leaves Japan, and the other plans to go after her, claiming that she "loves" her.
*** Ultimately, the theme of the series is that [[LoveHurts love is a hell of a thing to sort out]].
* The OVA for ''Anime/SaberMarionetteJ'' introduced Marine, a new Marionette who somehow imprinted on Lime as her Master -- and therefore, her implicit love interest. Although there is plenty of {{subtext}} in their relationship, Marine eventually realizes that her true [[strike:love]] master was the ocean, the first thing she saw when she awoke (underwater). Complicating this is Lime's perception of affection is generally much more childlike than the other androids. The more likely explanation is the {{OAV}}s are {{Non Serial Movie}}s whose topics [[PutOnABus couldn't be put into the next season of the show]].
* The opening credits of ''Manga/VenusVersusVirus'' combine this with BaitAndSwitchCredits, although the two girls never really have that kind of relationship in the show, which isn't helped by the GeckoEnding of the anime.
** Despite all this the manga is licensed as a GirlsLove manga. The two have quite the RomanticTwoGirlFriendship - not helped by all the touching, blushing, and lampshades- and by the end it's all but stated Lucia is in love with Sumire. [[spoiler:However Sumire's bond with Lucia took a turn for the worse late into the series and even when it's rekindled it's ambiguous whether her affections are the same]]
* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' shocked fans by giving them what they wanted, but through a conclusion that suggested more than it showed. Utena and Anthy are engaged, share a room, share a bed, make a wonderfully handsome couple on campus, and gaze at each other adoringly during the opening credits. Their feelings for each other grow more and more intense as the series progresses. And, in the end, they do choose each other over any male love interest! [[UnpleasableFanbase Many fans believed, however, that the way it was depicted wasn't explicit enough]], despite the show still being marketed as a {{shoujo}} series.
** Among other [[MindScrew infamous oddities]], the movie's depiction of the relationship is explicitly physical mostly care of an extroverted Anthy. Paradoxically, many fans [[UnpleasableFanbase now claimed to dislike it because it was somehow TOO obvious and thus fanservice]].

* The opening credits of ''MagicalPokaan'' feature TWO pairs of BaitAndSwitchLesbians. Although the four main female characters are paired up and almost-kiss each other while [[BarbieDollAnatomy sort of naked]], nothing even close to this happens in the actual show... but then again the entire OP seems [[BaitAndSwitchCredits deliberately misleading]].
* Used in an episode of ''RentalMagica''. In order to ensure the safety of her mage corporation, Addie plans on getting married - to Honami. Almost the whole episode is spent on them preparing for this girl-girl wedding. Then Itsuki interrupts, runs off with the brides, and declares that he'd rather [[MarryThemAll marry them both. It was an AlmostKiss too...
* A lot of relationships between the girls in ''OniisamaE'' (which ''is'' a manga of TheSeventies) get blown up prematurely by various degrees of human failings. In the end [[spoiler:all female main characters - with the exception of Rei, [[BuryYourGays who is dead by this point]] - enter relationships with men]].

* The relationship between Mikan and Hotaru in ''GakuenAlice'' has something of this. Despite both girls becoming ever closer in the course of the series, leading to [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming numerous heartwarming moments]], it is becoming very clear that the writer intends to hook Mikan up with Natsume, a boy. Sure, all of the characters are [[PuppyLove relatively young]], but still...

* A somewhat mild version occurs in [[PrettySammy Magical Project S]] between Sasami and Misao, since the characters are underage. They're very close friends, and there's subtext there, but the end of the show very haphazardly pairs them up with their Ryo-ohki and Rumiya respectively, even though they didn't know either boy had human forms until the end of the show.

* ''YoureUnderArrest'' features a very intimate relationship between two LovelyAngels. The couple gets a lot of ShipTease from manga omakes, endings of the anime, and official artwork. However, they both have male love interests and don't express any romantic feelings for each other. Compared to their male love interests, which tend to be forced and they typically have an awkward relationship with, their relationship is the main cause of troubles in the series.
* Rika and Hanyuu come millimeters away from kissing -with hands intertwined and eyes closed, no less- in the the closing theme of ''HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi: Kai''. Rika is fairly AmbiguouslyBi but it's never so obvious.
* After all the heightened emotions, almost-declarations of love and subtext between them, {{Canaan}} and Maria choose to separate because their lifestyles are too different--and they don't even once contact each other again. A lot of yuri fans felt this was quite a cop-out. At least the makers decided not to [[BuryYourGays kill any of them off]] or suddenly give one of them a straight option out of nowhere...
* ''{{Dears}}'' combines this with BaitAndSwitchCredits with an on screen kiss between Ren and Miu during the credits.
* ''{{Hyouka}}'' has a lot of implied romance between Chitanda and Ibara in the ''ending'' [[BaitAndSwitchCredits credits]]. Strangely, this isn't even shown until the end of the second episode, and by then it's pretty clear that they don't even have a RomanticTwoGirlFriendship in the series itself.
* Comes up often in ''RinneNoLagrange'', especially in the scene where Madoka and Lan make dramatic {{Love Confession}}s to each other...[[ShowWithinAShow for a movie]]. That last detail was left out of the episode preview. They were actually supposed in a relationship at some point, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen but this was written out of the show before it aired]] and replaced with lots of subtext and this trope.

* On the DVD commentary for ''BringItOn'', the director notes that a scene showing Kirsten Dunst and ElizaDushku (who has a strong lesbian fanbase) in bed together wasn't intended to hint at girl-on-girl action. Really!
* The Israeli movie ''Walk on Water'' is about a Mossad agent who is sent to assassinate an aging former Nazi, then meets the man's grandson, who gives him a new outlook on life. They get really close. I mean, ''[[HoYay really]]'' close, and then it is revealed that said grandson is gay. Then, in the end, the Mossad agent gets together with the grandson's sister, an until-then-minor character. The HoYay between the agent and the grandson, however, was so blatant that I couldn't help but wonder if the grandson was originally intended to be the agent's LoveInterest.

* A rather old example, from a 1930s play-gone-movie. Karen and Martha from ''TheChildrensHour'' share a close intimate friendship, though Karen is engaged to a man. Their friendship is full of subtext on both sides [[spoiler:but only Martha is revealed to be gay]].
* The trailers for ''JennifersBody'' tended to focus heavily on the LesYay kiss between Jennifer and Needy. In the actual movie, Needy is completely straight and Jennifer is a literal [[ImAHumanitarian man eater]]. It is possible that the kiss was shoehorned into the film explicitly for trailer material.
** That said, Jennifer's true orientation is left ambiguous. It's possible that she dates a lot of men simply because of social-jockeying and indeed, some of her lines hint that she's bisexual or a closeted lesbian. Given that she frequently [[MomentKiller interrupts]] intimate moments between Needy and Chip and is [[ClingyJealousGirl incredibly possessive]] towards her, there is a lot of evidence to support the latter theory.

* The majority of the advertizing for the show ''RizzoliAndIsles'' seems to be created with the mandate "do everything you can short of blatantly lying to convince prospective viewers that the leads could end up making out at any moment." Anyone actually tuning into the show will discover that, despite copious amounts of LesYay, they are both, in fact, heterosexual.
* ''AllyMcBeal'' copped a lot of shit when it turned Ally and Ling's kiss into an AbortedArc.

* Pop group t.A.T.u did this for early marketing. Horny guys think the two singers are lesbians, buy the [=CDs=], find out they're a pretty good group. Continued onstage after they were known not to be, sort of an odd musical equivalent of {{Kayfabe}}.
* KatyPerry's "I Kissed A Girl", which is pretty unambiguous in its title and rode to success on being a mainstream song about girl-on-girl action, backs away from the idea in the video by not showing any girls kissing each other and finally turning out to be Katy's [[AllJustADream dream]] as she wakes up beside her boyfriend. Her ''boy''friend, you see? Okay.

** There was a spoof of the song featuring KarenGillan as Katy Perry called "Why I Kissed a Girl" where she claims she only kissed a girl to get a hit. At the end of the video she is picked up by her boyfriend and rudely ditches the female dancers she was performing with up to that point.

* Since your typical {{hentai}} game has one or two major male characters and boatloads of pretty girls, the marketing images often involve multiple female characters looking mighty friendly, even if there's not even a romantic friendship between them in-game. For that matter, several games play up a romantic friendship between two girls and teasingly suggest that one of them may be gay for the other, only to eventually drop that subject without so much as a girl/girl kiss ever being shown. Obviously some authors do not agree that GirlOnGirlIsHot.
** Or are using GirlOnGirlIsHot to advertise.

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* While the original ''LightNovel/MariaSamaGaMiteru'' novels are a bit more lenient in {{subtext}}, the anime only has one canonical pairing, derailed when one member ''went off to become a nun,'' and when two girls are about to kiss, the camera cuts away as if it were [[SexyDiscretionShot something much more]] HarmfulToMinors. This is especially unusual, as ''[[PortmanteauSeriesNickname Marimite]]'' is pretty much defined by its GirlsLove fandom.

* ''RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' shocked fans by giving them what they wanted, but through a conclusion that suggested more than it showed. Utena and Anthy are engaged, share a room, share a bed, make a wonderfully handsome couple on campus, and gaze at each other adoringly during the opening credits. Their feelings for each other grow more and more intense as the series progresses. And, in the end, they do choose each other over any male love interest! [[UnpleasableFanbase Many fans believed, however, that the way it was depicted wasn't explicit enough]], despite the show still being marketed as a {{shoujo}} series.

* ''SoulEater'' arguably does this with Jaqueline and Kim. Ox was [[DoggedNiceGuy crushing on Kim the whole time]], but she always shot him down while appearing to be an item with her weapon. Then, Ox [[RescueRomance saved Kim from Arachne]], and she began to reciprocate his feelings. ''SoulEaterNot'' had insane levels of LesYay with Jaqueline seemingly attracted to then-jerkass Kim, desperately wishing to become her partner, only to reveal that her feelings were not actually romantic (although they really, [[NotWhatItLooksLike really appeared that way]] up to that point).

* ''SoulEater'' arguably does this with Jaqueline and Kim. Ox was [[DoggedNiceGuy crushing on Kim the whole time]], but she always shot him down while seeming to be an item with her weapon. Then, Ox [[RescueRomance saved Kim from Arachne]], and she began to reciprocate his feelings. However, ''SoulEaterNot'' had insane levels of LesYay with Jaqueline seemingly attracted to then-jerkass Kim, desperately wishing to become her partner, only to reveal that her feelings were not actually romantic (although they really, [[NotWhatItLooksLike really appeared that way]]).

* ''SoulEater'' almost does this with Jaqueline and Kim. Ox was [[DoggedNiceGuy crushing on Kim the whole time]], but she always shot him down while seeming to be an item with her weapon. Then, Ox [[RescueRomance saved Kim from Arachne]], and she began to reciprocate his feelings. However, ''SoulEaterNot'' had insane levels of LesYay with Jaqueline seemingly attracted to then-jerkass Kim, desperately wishing to become her partner, only to reveal that her feelings were not actually romantic (although they really, [[NotWhatItLooksLike really appeared that way]]).

* ''SoulEater'' almost does this with Jaqueline and Kim. Ox was [[DoggedNiceGuy crushing on Kim the whole time]], but she always shot him down while seeming to be an item with her weapon. Then, Ox [[RescueRomance saved Kim from Arachne]], and she began to reciprocate his feelings. However, ''SoulEaterNot'' had insane levels of LesYay with Jaqueline seemingly attracted to then-jerkass Kim, desperately wishing to become her partner, only to reveal that her feelings were not actually romantic (although they really, really looked that way).

** In more recent chapters of ''{{Nana}}'', however, we find that, after a short while, both women ''do'' separate from their husbands. One of them leaves Japan, and the other plans to go after her, claiming that she "loves" her. It should be noted that the manga is still going on -- and, as for now (February 2008), only author Ai Yazawa knows what's going to happen in the end.

-->-- '''Brian Safi''', ''[[http://current.com/items/90732681_thats-gay-lady-kisses.htm That's Gay]]''

* Rika and Hanyuu come millimeters away from kissing -with hands intertwined and eyes closed, no less-, in the the closing theme of ''HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi: Kai''.

** Despite all this the manga is licensed as a GirlsLove manga. The two have quite the RomanticTwoGirlFriendship - not helped by all the touching, blushing, and lampshades- and by the end it's all but stated Lucia is in love with Sumire. [[spoiler]]However Sumire's bond with Lucia took a turn for the worse late into the series and even when it's rekindled it's ambiguous whether her affections are the same[[/spoiler]]

** The manga is licensed as a yuri manga, actually. The yuri subtext is much more apparent in the manga too. It's [[SugarAndIcePersonality very]], [[InnocentInnuendo very]] apparent. Lucia quite noticeably has feelings for Sumire by the end of the manga, though fans think they sparked around volume 2, but Sumire's feelings are a case of YMMV.

** The manga also seems to moving into this territory. Of all the (potential) yuri pairings, only the one between Orie and Hinako seems to have survived the author's penchant for [[KudzuPlot odd plot twists]]. Even the relationship between [[spoiler:Fumi and Akira]] is uncertain.