Loads of wonderful things this week from the Yuri Network. I barely know where to begin. ^_^ So, let’s start with…
Yuri Manga
YNN Correspondent Verso S has written in with a ton of news about the upcoming Kase-san manga volume. I’m going to editorialize a bit first. The Kase-san manga is a real success story. After Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari was taken out of print, it could well have simply disappeared. But Shinsokan clearly believed – as I did – that this was a series worth investing in. Takashima-sensei has continued to work on the series as a digital release and the third volume was collected from chapters released online. Now Shinsokan is actively finding digital venues to release the new chapters, including their digital FlashWings magazine, Line Manga, Kindle, Nicovideo. (In fact, you may remember that Shinsokan was one of the earliest adopters of JManga. They *clearly* believe in digital.) For the full line up of chapters and links, check out Verso’s informative comments on my recent Kase-san review. BUT, the main point I want to make is 1) the new storyline is called “Yamada to Kase-san” which made me burst out in applause and 2) the news of that included a short note to watch the animation clip, because…we don’t yet know why.
And the official account for Asagao to Kase-san has started asking questions in English like – are we planning on going to Anime Expo 2017? Hrm…should we be? Or what do we like about the series? Check that out and throw them a response!
In addition, Yurimate over in Ikebukuro just had Kase-san specially made “can badges” (pins) and yes, I was annoyed as hell that I was not there to get one. But, I believe that I will, eventually, find myself there. ^_^
From the official Yagate Kimi ni Naru Twitter account, the August issue of Dengeki Daioh (which already runs Yagate Kimi ni Naru,) will the see the debut of “Kago no Shoujo ha Koi wo Suru”(籠の少女は恋をする).
Also from the same account is news that Yuri anthology Eclair (エクレア) is getting a second volume Eclair: blanche Anata ni Hibiku Yuri Anthology (「エクレア blanche あなたに響く百合アンソロジー」)
Which brings me to my last point in this whole thing. With the advent of these Yuribu, these Yuri clubs out of bookstores, and the official series accounts, for the first time there is a shockingly well-developed “Yuri Twitter.” I’ve kept a non-comprehensive running Twitter list for years with Yuri anime and manga creators and magazines, and the like, but I find that more and more these Yuribu accounts are quickly becoming centralized points of information dissemination (no surprise, they *are* bookstores) and loads of interaction from Yuri fans and creators are centered around them.
I love it. ^_^
Because of all the new additions, I’ve renamed my Twitter List the Yuri Resource List. Feel free to follow or cop accounts from it!
Hana and Hina Afterschool, Volume 2 is available on the Yuricon Store, awaiting it’s English-language release in July.
Also on the Store is Yuri Hyakkei (百合百景), “100 Views of Yuri” a riff on the famous work 100 views of Mt. Fuji. This book claims to contain 100 hyper-short Yuri stories. Also, we’ve added Shouraiteki ni Shindekure (将来的に死んでくれ).
Kickstarter Watch
Molly Ostertag and Brennan Lee Mulligan are pitching for the funds for Strong Female Protagonist, Volume 2, a print version of their fabulous webcomic. I very much enjoyed Volume 1 when I read it, and look forward to the next volume.
Resistance News
Here we are, at Day 100 of what I can only hope will be seen as the turning point in American history, when the country finally confronted it’s own systemic misogyny and racism and chose to change for the better.
The Republicans, determined to repeal Obamacare, which is by design the very least good healthcare reform that they could have created in the first place – are now flogging themselves to come up with en objectively even worse one. HR 1628 is *so* bad that Congress has amended it to say that Congress, their families and staffers will not be affected by it.
I want to recommend a tool I have been using constantly. In addition to emailing, tweeting, writing physical letters and calling my spineless Congressional Representative (my Senators are imperfect, but in the normal pre-2016 way) I am using Resistbot. Obsessively. It does ask for some personal info – name, address so it can identify your Congressial Rep and Senators, but it is a fantastic tool that I recommend highly. The more you use it, the more useful it becomes. You can target messages to your House Rep or Senator(s). These will be faxed and can also be mailed, or send as Letters to the Editor to local papers. Try it. Resistbot is free, but I use it so much I’ll be donating to support it.
Call, write, text, email, but do something. Resistbot makes it easy to pound your Rep with a reminder that you will not be forgotten and your voice will be heard.
Other News
Coherent Cats has written up their take on LGBTQ Anime and Manga with Beyond Yuri on Ice!
Geeks Media has a fantastic interview with Jennifer Camper on the Queers & Comics conference, with illustrations. I’m thrilled that the idea of archiving the discussions and content is baked into the event, so these folks and their stories will be preserved for future generations. And Dan Avery of New Now Next has his own write-up of the event, as well.
MTV has a column worth reading on How Female Cartoonists Are Changing Mainstream Publications.
YNN Correspondent Michaelangelo H. sends us a link to a fun bit of digital animation called Golden Blond and Jet Black.
I’ll wrap up today with a link to the Podcast discussion of Monstress, Volume 1 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda I was honored to be able to participate in with Okazu Superhero and Guest Reviewer Louis P and his friend Huw, both of whom I cheerfully add to my list of shockingly funny British men I know. (Adam, you’re also on the list.) This discussion is rambling and silly and a probably a horrible waste of time if you like the comic, but we laughed and laughed…
Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? 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!
