Yuri News This Week

April 19th, 2008

A few people have sent in the news that J-Drama Last Friends has a Yuri couple, but I think I’m the first to comment that they are named Michiru and Ruka – and that Ruka rides motocross. Hmm….sounds so familiar somehow…

Seriously, I was watching the first episode and started to laugh. We never got the Outer Senshi in the Live-Action Sailor Moon, but if you don’t mind a totally fanfic-y setup where Michiru is in an abusive relationship and Haruka’s lost part of her name, then you ought to be happy with this show. The opening credits make it plain that this will not be a happy story for anyone – but so far there has been one straight kiss that looked like the people actually enjoyed touching each other – never seen that before! – and at the end Ruka kisses a sleeping Michiru. Two firsts for Japanese TV, surely.

While we’re talking live-action, the ironically named Water Lilies was nominated for an award at Cannes. This story is perfect for the live-action moe fan, a coming-of-age and hopping-into-one-another’s-bed story about three girls. (The original title Naissance des pieuvres means “Birth of Octopuses”, but somehow I think the English title is more…fitting. Wonder why that is? lol)

And Lightnovel.org has announced the first few of Ichinjinsha’s “Girls’ Novels” line. Just to be clear – I do not believe that these are “girls love” novels, just that these are the first in their imprint “for girls.” Of these Loveless is the only one I’m familiar with and we can only hope that it will include Kouya and Yamato’s arc. If anyone knows any of these titles are specifically GL, do let us know! (I’ll take a look at the report in Yuri Hime when I get a chance to order it and report back, otherwise.)

Every week I think “what on earth am I going to write about this week…” and every week, somehow, we have a bunch of news. Cool, huh?

5 Responses

  1. Anonymous says:

    Speaking of live action. Do you plan to review Cutie Honey The Live again now that it’s finished?

  2. If I remember to, yes. ;-)

  3. Anonymous says:

    None of these titles seems to be Yuri, but I can’t say for sure. Well, if that’s the case, it just means they will be released later.

    For a moment, though, I was thinking that Ichijinshi could be regretting having announced the Yuri novels as shoujo. After all, YH’s editor did say (last year, in Cyzo) that he thinks the success of Yuri depends on the male readership. However, the official Ichijinsha Bunko website still lists the Yuri novels as part of their Girl’s (shoujo muke) line. So my worries seem to be unfounded; maybe I’m just a bit paranoid ^^.

    Not that I care so much about the intended audience, though. It’s just that lately “male-oriented” seems to mean a free past for a load of moe shit and whatnot.

  4. Anonymous says:

    mmm) “Last Friends” looks good.
    Written by a woman.
    Actresses are top-class.
    And Soundtrack is partly done by SENS (Katsuki Yukari, who did the OST for KURAU is in it).

  5. Anonymous says:

    Actually, a lot of people watching Last Friends have been noticing the whole “Ruka and Michiru” thing. As a matter of fact, (hope this isn’t a spoiler) Ruka is in a motocross race in episode 2, and her number is 27 (January 27 being someone’s bday), in addition to visual references. Many theorize that she’s inspired by you-know-who. I’m starting to keep a running tab on the many “coincidences.”

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