I recently caught up on Fusoroi no Renri, which at its core is about an age gap romance between Iori Tanaka, a 28 year old OL (Office Lady) and Minami Sendou, a troubled 18 year old who works at a bar.
Personally, I find the fact that the two ladies are a couple to be wonderful. Sure, the relationship is off to a rocky start since Tanaka drunkenly comes onto Sendou… who then obliges and thus takes advantage of Tanaka… okay, it’s initially a messy situation that can be hard to swallow for some readers. The fact that Tanaka first tries to dismiss their relationship because of their gender (i.e. the typical heteronormative exclamation that is almost guaranteed to show up in any yuri medium or media) doesn’t help.
Early on in the series, Tanaka despairs over the fact that she has never experienced a honest love before (which is undoubtedly due to the fact that she was having affairs with married men) and loudly wishes for someone to have eyes only for her. But after she and Sendou have an involuntary parting, Tanaka finally realizes that she wants to be with Sendou, who is only serious about Tanaka.
Similarly, Sendou is scared that Tanaka would reject her due to what she’s done in the past as a delinquent, but Tanaka is still willing to welcome her home and love her regardless, which Sendou appreciates.
Put in another way, Tanaka and Sendou could be described as having ulterior motives behind their love for one another. For instance, one could say that Tanaka is thrilled that her partner (Sendou) cherishes her by not cheating on her and that Sendou still likes her despite her many flaws (she teeters on the edge of alcoholism, is prone to impulsiveness, etc). For Sendou, one could say that she’s looking towards Tanaka as someone who could give her a sense of familial love, which is something Sendou in turn has never truly experienced due to growing up in a broken home.
In short, both women offer each other what they long for. From one viewpoint, their love is a bit selfish. But from another perspective, love isn’t something to be reasoned out. Love isn’t entirely logical; in fact, I’d dare to say it’s often highly illogical. Even if those sensations could potentially explain their relationship, I want to believe that what they feel towards each other doesn’t simply stop at such practical and pragmatic reasons and extends onwards towards something more emotional.
To them, it’s enough that they need and love each other. And for me, that’s enough, too.
The Lily Garden 
Very well done!
I cannot imagine two people loving each other without something selfish in it for both of them. Sometimes people love because their lives are so synchronized. They have vast amounts of things in common to share. Others fall in love because they are supplementary. One is strong where the other is weak and they fill the needs of the other and provide strength where the other is weak.
Either way, nobody falls in love with someone who has nothing to offer them.
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That does seem to be the case. A bit of a letdown considering how love is often portrayed as altruistic, but that seems to be the pragmatic truth of things.
Sorry for the late response.
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If you can imagine the vast realm of emotional behavior that might contribute to the survival of the family, the tribe and the species, much of it might appear to be altruistic. The various flavors of love are all included in this.
But it all goes back to the fact that our very genes are selfish. Not selfish in a moral sense because genes don’t have a moral code. Selfish in a purely mathematical sense.
I just enjoy the “feels” and while I understand the science, I don’t let it get in the way of a good cry or a laugh. Happiness is found in the full acceptance of the language of the head and the heart.
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Agreed, but also would like to add that sometimes the person themselves is what they have to offer and while it may seem altruistic, I believe in that strongly.
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