Yuri Network News (百合ネットワークニュース) – January 11, 2014

January 11th, 2014

YNN_MariKThis week’s report is going to be a dump of all the cool stuff I’ve found in the last few weeks – women and comics-related news. I keep bookmarking this stuff, then never getting to talk about it.

Birz Comics is planning a Yuri Anthology for the spring called Yuri Tokushuu (百合特集). Birz is known for kind of weird manga, so it should be interesting. ^_^ As soon as I get a link to it, I’ll give it to you.

In case you missed it, yesterday I wrote a quickie piece on the recent news about the upcoming Sailor Moon anime.

Speaking of anime, I tried and failed to watch episode 1 of Sakura Trick on Crunchyroll. The thigh-staring and breast-bouncing gagged me in what is supposed to be a sweet story. I am looking for volunteers to review the series as a first look, or end of season, since if I reviewed it, the review would read like this: “Thighs, thighs, thighs, breasts, breasts, squeaky voices, banal dialogue. I had to stop.” If you’re interested, please read the Guest Review Guidelines and email me. You don’t have to convince me the anime is worth reviewing, you have to convince me you are capable of writing the review. ^_^

Some concept art floating around suggests that someone had the idea of adding The Valkyrie to Thor 2. Shame it didn’t happen. I like the armor, but I love the wings.

Sayaka and Kyouko shippers rejoice! You have been validated.

New comic for you and/or a girl in your life, The Lumberjanes, which I keep jokingly describing as like My Little Pony ~ Friendship is Magic with people. There a few queer contributors to the project and we’re promised queer content, if that’s important to you.

Crunchyroll’s Scott Green reports on a Revolutionary Girl Utena tribute book sponsored by Pixiv, in conjunction with Be-Papas collaborator Ikuhara Kunihiko that was sold at Winter Comiket. With a cover by Hoshino Lily, this book looks amazing.

Put this on your must-read pile. Marvel’s new Ms. Marvel, Kamila Khan, is a Moslem teen from New Jersey. I love love love the art which forgoes sexualizing her and focuses on her personality and powers. Read the preview here, then call your Local Comic Shop and order it!

Samuel L. Jackson is an anime and manga fan and has already been involved with the Afro Samurai project. Now he’s involved in a live-action Kite movie.

From YNN Correspondent Erin S, a few webcomics of note:  A bittersweet tale of love and loss – Fairyfail by Maya Kern and the much more cheerful  The Dwarf Bride, by Sammy Montoya (which made me go “Awww….”).

Fake Geek Girls Invade the University of Chicago! Well, a panel about the fake geek girl phenomenon does, on January 30th. If you’re in the area see if you can manage this.

Here’s a comic that explains how not to be a dick when you talk about comics.

Comics Alliance Andrew Wheeler presents 10 Diversity Resolutions for Superhero Comics in 2014. And we all slow clap, knowing this would change everything, but it will not be happening. How do we know that? Because this Tumblr exists: Has DC Done Something Stupid Today?

For the Yuri gamers/VN fans out there, here’s a new circle to watch – Innocent Grey. Their newest work, Flowers, is slated for April 2014.

In Japan in January, it is customary for 20 year-olds to go to a Coming of Age celebration, the Seijinshiki. Well, let’s face it, if you’re LGBTQ, your coming of age presentation was probably heteronormative and not, really, *you*. Last year two groups independently decided it was time for Coming of Age to include people’s real selves. Re-bit in east Japan and the Kansai LGBT Seijinshiki are fixing this with ceremonies for any age, “dress code: like yourself.” Here’s a clip from last year’s ceremony, hosted by trans model Satou Kaya. The tears, they will not stop.

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That’s a wrap for this week! Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge. Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

6 Responses

  1. Jin says:

    With relative good news about the upcoming Sailor Moon anime, 桜trick did not surprise me. After the AoiHana/Sasamekikoto anime year the poor sales would be a good excuse to vote against/purposely mishandle a genre that most of the little man-boys of the industry despise to begin with. I expected ‘K-On!’ style lobotomies for the characters and some sort of fan-service/ecchi pleasing to the loser fan trash males. Still, it is troubling what has been done to “what is supposed to be a sweet story” in only one episode and with many more to come. What bothers me the most is what “the lowest common denominator males” as you say thoughtlessly and happily continue to do to the industry.

    • BruceMcF says:

      I made it through episode one of Sakura Trick, but I don’t expect that I’ll be turning on episode 2. It was just too damn hard to find the story behind the icky camera gaze.

  2. Yeah. I was pretty convinced we’d get what we got. The manga is easier to deal with.

  3. Salion says:

    The Valkyrie link leads to the Ms. Marvel preview.

  4. Lucía says:

    I don’t understand very much about the last video, but I’m glad that people in Japan are feeling comfortable enough to dress as they like. I think clothes are so important for the identity of some people.
    For what I’ve watched in anime and movies, some oriental cultures have this kind of non-repressive philosophy about youth, and I think most western cultures are the opposite to that.
    As an admirer of Japan I envy you, because you can speak Japanese.

    Hey, do you like vakyries? Check out this game: http://images.wikia.com/valkyrieprofile/images/b/b8/Valkyrie-profile-valkyrie-profile-8806106-1680-1260.jpg
    Is called Valkyrie Profile, I like the design for the female characters, and the lesbic fanservice is good, respectful. The first one for PS1 is my favourite.

    Forgive for my bad english. I like your blog, I hope it lasts for many many years more, thanks you for all of this hard work, and happy new year!

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