Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – June 13, 2026

June 13th, 2026

A blue silhouette of a girl with a white flower in her hair, embracing the earth. Blue block letters read YNN Yuri Network News. Art by Lissa P. For Okazu. Yuri Manga

Viz has licensed Gal x Gal Yuri manga for print, with an expected release of Spring 2027! I love these gals so much, they are just so charming. 

Woot! Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 6 (作りたい女と食べたい女) is hitting Japanese shelves this week.

Kodansha has re-released Osamu Tezuka’s two-hearted girl prince classic in one collection, the Princess Knight Omnibus Edition. Read the original manga before you watch the upcoming anime loosely based on it, The Ribbon Hero, on Netflix this summer.

Galette No. 38  (ガレット) is up on the Yuricon Store and so is a new collection of cover and color art from the magazine, Galette Illustration Book No.6. Someone at GaletteWORKS has been busy, because issues No. 35, No.36, and No.37 have been added to more purchase options after quite a long while. 

Tsumetakute Yawaraka, Volume 5  (冷たくて 柔らか) is on the Yuricon Store.  Takara has to face her feelings about Emma.

YNN Correspondent A Talking Bush From Vietnam wants you to know about Boita Boine, a series about boyish girls who love women, Volume 1 has just been released, but you can read a sample chapter in Japanese on, well a lot of platforms, but I chose Bookwalker JP for the link. ^_^

Yuri Navi has a full on PR piece  for a music x time leap school life series in  Kimi to Deatte, Watashi wa ‘Jibun no Koe’ o mitsuketanda―― Ongaku × Seishun × Time Leap Kimitonara, Ashita o Utaeru no (君と出会って、私は「自分の声」を見つけたんだ”――音楽×青春×タイムリープ「君となら、明日を歌えるの」). Sample chapter is up on Comic Walker!

Via YNN Correspondent Lena Tama, Morishima Akiko has a new manga on her note.mu site,  Even Though I’m Bisexual, I’m Not Twice As Popular (バイなのに倍モテないッ).

The July issue of  Comic Cune has Atashi-tachi ‘tte Tsukiatteru yo ne!? (あたし達って付き合ってるよね!?) which  is a Yuri romantic comedy that depicts the battle between two complicated girls. 

 

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Yuri Anime

After some delays, Kimi wo Tsumugu is getting a short anime adaptation, after all. A promotional trailer is up on Youtube.

Viz Media has announced Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Seasons 1-3 in a collected set.  

The upcoming Kimi ga Shinu Made Koi wo Shitai anime has a Promotional Video on Youtube and Key Visuals.

DO NOT MISS Revolutionary Girl Utena in North American theaters on June 21-22!

 

LGBTQ Comics

Via The Comics Beat, we learn that Melanie Gilman has a new sapphic horror comic, The Goblin Queen. “When a young woman cornered and out of options makes a pact with the Goblin Queen for peace and safety, she initially thinks herself prepared to pay any price. But when confronted with the true cost of her contract, she breaks her word and flees to start a new life far from the strange old creature. What she doesn’t realize is that all roads lead to the Goblin Kingdom—and its Queen will always find you. One way or another.”

Via The Comics Beat’s Samantha Puc, a review of Charity and Sylvia, Tillie Waldens’ GN adaptation of the Rachel Hope Cleeve’s  book. My copy is on the way! Woot.

 

Yuri Light Novels

Yen has announced a license for Ren and Shino (Future), the sequel to their previous license. Ren and Shino are living together now as adults.

 

Yuri Sales and Merch

My book, By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga is on sale for 20% off until the end of the month!

Humble Bundle has 2 Yuri sales running right now: 

Yuri in Luck: Waifus for Laifus Bundle—a colorful collection of LGBTQ+-themed Yuri visual novels 

Kodansha is offering 61 books as a bundle for Pride in their Kodansha Presents: BL, Yuri & More from Ichijinsha

Tokyopop offers 20% off their Pride Collection with the code Pride20.

Yen Press is offering 40% off selected titles for Pride.

Via Jae on X.com 50 free sapphic books you can download right now!

And Queen of Swords wants us to know about a Tabletop Gaymer Humble Bumble with tons of fun stuff, including Thirsty Sword Lesbians. ^_^

Via Sr. YNN Correspondent Matt Marcus, PRS Guitars has launched the RockLady, a Rock is a Lady’s Modesty-inspired Custom 24-08. Limited models are selling out fast. The video about the creation of the guitar is fab.

On a white background, the Okazu mascots feed each other, while say "I love Yuri" in English and Japanese. Orange letters say "Become and Okazu Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/OkazuEssays on Yuri

wall has a terrific essay “Gender” issues in the yuri genre (I): Controversies surrounding the reader’s position and the perspective of aromanticism” (百合ジャンルにおける「ジェンダー」問題（Ⅰ）――読者の立場をめぐる論争とアロマンティシズムの視座) on their note.mu. This is in Japanese, but you can always use a translation tool. wall is also a fantastic commenter on X and is worth following, if you are still there.

Also in Japanese, Actresses “Shiho Kato, Kanna Mori, and director Yuuka Eda talk about the charm of “Ayahiro 2”! My desire to deliver a GL drama now” (“加藤史帆×森カンナ×監督・枝優花が「あやひろ2」の魅力を語り尽くし！いま、GLドラマを届ける思い”) has the leads and director talking about their goals for Ayaka Loves Hiroko Season 2 live-action on So-En Online.

 

Other News

Battan posted a few pieces of art on X celebrating being at TCAF.

Via YNN Correspondent pepsi, Tsukimizu is serializing a prequel to Girls Last Tour, called Kaisoutoshi Danpen-shuu (階層都市断片集) to run in Kurage Bunch magazine.

 

Your support for Yuri journalism and research has never been more important than right now. Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

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Horon of the Closed Country, Volume 1

June 12th, 2026

On a background of sepia clouds, a woman in brown outer rode, with gold embroidery at the cuffs, holds a thin double=bladed sword in her right hand, while clutching a child in her left, as the wind blows her hair.Today I am indulging in a little self-interest. I am Managing Editor for Manga Mavericks and I am the editor for the book I’m talking about today. So of course I’m going to tell you that I love it and you should get it. ^_^ Horon of the Closed Country, Volume 1 by Sen, published by Manga Mavericks, is my pride and joy.

But seriously, if you are a reader here on Okazu, you should get this book. ^_^

The story begins with a fairy tale that goes very, very wrong. The story is beautiful; haunting and human.

The eponymous character, Horon, is ungendered, another of the main cast, Kera, is non-binary and the third of our protagonists is Darshna, a woman who, in the Closed Country is uncommonly tall and strong. Their stories will weave into and through one another’s, until it becomes obvious that this journey is meant for all three. This is a fantastic book to pick up for Pride.

The translation by Trish Ledoux is fantastic. Mercedes McGarry did a brilliant job as letterer. It may look simple, but believe me, it was not. As an editor I love this book, truly. Sen-sensei’s art and characters feel so real.

Luckily, you don’t have to just trust me, Rebecca Silverman gave the book 4 stars in her review for the ANN Spring Manga Guide: “There’s a lot of intrigue here, wrapped up in a gentle pace and simple, beautiful art.”

It’s not an action series, but it does have some action. It is not a romance, but… and this is not just a quest, although these three are looking for things of importance to them. I hope Okazu readers will give this book a chance! 

My ratings this time would be hopeless skewed by being in love with this series. 10s all around. ^_^

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The Delinquent and the Transfer Student, Volume 1

June 10th, 2026

A girl in school uniform kneels properly and smiles gently, next a delinquent who squats in the same uniform, with a long skirt, dyed hair and a scowl.If you are a regular reader of Okazu, you are probably aware that one of my greatest pleasures in manga is reading stories about the worst people. I love lesbian assassins and psychotic queers, woman who have just fucking had it, and women who cause trouble. I especially love the tradition of girl gangs, delinquents and girls who rule the school. 

It is very apparent to me that Fujichika feels exactly the same way. In The Delinquent and the Transfer Student, Volume 1 we are indulged in our love of this stereotype, with a broad stroke of attraction between our protagonists.

Riri is a recent transfer student into this school and, from the moment she met Atsuko, a girl with a reputation as the fiercest fighter among all the school, Riri is captivated. She loves listening to Atsuko, in her gruff gang patois, saying the most ridiculously cute and fluffy words.

As Riri and Atsuko come in to contact with one another in class, and handling school activities, they start to find that their feelings for one another are maybe more than just friendship. They both realize that they really, really, want to hang out with the other…a lot. All the time. Maybe, forever?

This is an impossibly cute book. Not only are Riri and Atsuko fun, the students around them seem pretty normal…except when Atsuko’s second takes exception to Riri taking up so much of her time. But even she has to admit that Atsuko gets to make her own decisions. 

You don’t need to be steep in girl gang lore to follow this book, but if you are…it won’t hurt. There are a few jokes that land better if you get the reference. 

Because I do love the world of  1980s Japanese girl gangs and delinquents, I was always going to like this series. ^_^ I had read some of the chapters when it came out in Japanese, but forgot to keep up, so I am very thankful to Seven Seas for picking it up in English. As I said of this manga in my ANN review for the Summer manga guide, my only criticicsm is that they didn’t bother trying to approximate the gang patois. It is a reasonable choice to avoid that, but it is kind of the key point in Atsuko saying words like “giggle” and “tiny” in that rough way. Even with that, this is a very enjoyable, shockingly wholesome, series.  

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Service – Delinquents are service for me, YMMV
Yuri – 3, with plenty of room to grow

Overall – 8

Thanks to Seven Seas for proving the reviewer copy to ANN. 

Delinquents and Yuri are a perfect match. ^_^

Posted in English Manga, Yuri Manga | No Comments »


Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)! Volume 1

June 7th, 2026

A smiling dark-haired maid, holds a broom aloft as she stands in front of laundry hanging under a bright blue sky. Behind on cover right is blonde girl in a blue dress admiring her, while on the left are two boys, one with long blonde hair and the other with short black hair, both wearing green school uniform jackets, with silver filigree.I had the opportunity to read this for ANN reviews. Oddly, at the end of speed-reading 6 volumes of the light novel series, I was still enjoying it. ^_^ So check out my review on ANN. 

While I would not call this a Yuri series in any meaningful way, it had enough Yuri decoration to make it worth mentioning here on Okazu. 

A privileged and absurdly young talented Japanese woman gets on to a plane with a bunch of otome game otaku and is never seen again. Reborn into the the game world, with a new name, she is raised by a single mother who is – so obviously – the former Saint. After her mother dies, the girl decides to fully engage in the one thing she actually cares about – being a maid. As Melody Wave, she takes on the rehabilitation of an impoverished family of nobles with her even more absurdly overpowered Maid Magic. 

Completely unaware that the entire game revolves around her, Melody’s Saintly powers are spent on clothes and cleaning and occasionally creating portals through space and time. While the otaku on the plane, now reborn into the game world as nobles good and bad, flail to understand who the main characters are and why the game plot has gone off the rails. The author, Atekichi, is not above inserting comments, both about maids and Melody, and also is having so much fun with the story that it ends up being fun to read.  The translation is likewise rather amusing. Matthew Jackson includes some banger lines, like the “legally distinct-from-Doraemon Everywhere Door. ” Absolute perfection.

While the story could not be sillier if it tried (it does try), the characters are mostly likable. Melody’s powers are just too, too much  – like creating life out of nothing so she can have help in the house that isn’t just one of her 50 clones… so the family she serves has a meeting to try and explain why she should she tamp them down. 

As for Yuri, Melody’s mistress and she have a pleasantly intimate friendship, but the Yuri tends to be scattered about as Melody and later her disguise, Cecelia (and of course, her true form,) gain male and female admirers. The Prince’s potential fiancée, Anna-Marie, is said to be interested only in women. Later, we are introduced to a Princess from the neighboring country who acts as if she is a Prince and is not above seducing women if it serves her purpose.

The only downside, as I say in my ANN review, is that the art and story are wholly, irreparably, not in sync. We are repeatedly told that Melody is magnificently beautiful, as Cecilia  she is even more so, and as her truest form, she is beyond gorgeous, so of course all we see is a blob-face moe girl. It is, frankly, enraging. Good art would elevate the books, but no. Blob faces it is. 

There is a hefty amount of hand-waving needed to make the plot move, but the author has no compunction about just making a thing happen to have it happen, so as long as you are comfortable with that, this is a very fun light novel series.

Ratings: 

Art –  5.84 Not bad, but just not good for the words on the page
Story – 9.75 It’s ridiculous
Characters – 9.75 
Service – For maid obsessives 10 otherwise, .62
Yuri – 3.03

Overall – 8.26
 

Posted in Light Novel | No Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – June 6, 2026

June 6th, 2026

In black block letters, YNN Yuri Network News. On the left, in black silhouette, a woman with a broad brim hat and dress stands, a woman in a tight outfit sits against the Y. Art by Mari Kurisato for Okazu

My book, By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga is on sale across all formats and platforms!  Get 20% through the month of June. ^_^

 

Yuri Events

I’ve honestly never seen so many Pride events in my life. And the vibe this year is definitely “Resistance” and Fuck the Haters” more than I have seen in years! Remember, Pride began as an uprising against corruption and hate, and kept going as a way to be seen and heard when the forces around us want us silent and gone. This year stand, up and stand out!

Continuing my scan of IG for Yuri events, if you are in the Chicago area, there is a Yuri cafe at OMI cafe on June 13th! Can’t find a Yuri cafe near you? Run one and let me know!

Toronto Comic Arts Festival is this weekend in Toronto, Canada. Admission is free. Battan, creator of Run Away With Me, Girl,  is one of the guests!

Comic Yuri Hime’s 20th Anniversary art exhibit is open now in Osaka! Check out their promotional video on Youtube. (I think it comes off as kind of creepy, honestly.)

COMITIA 156 is taking place on June 7, at Tokyo Big Sight, and plenty of Yuri circles will be there. 

Revolutionary Girl Utena Movie: The Adolescence of Utena is in theaters on June 21. This is must-see anime. ^_^

Rica Takashima and Morishima Akiko will be talking about Yuri in the 90s and Yuri in America at loneliness books on June 18, in Nakano.

The next Girls Love Fest is on June 21. It’s back in Keikyu Kamata/Ota Ward Industrial Plaza PiO, Ota Ward, Tokyo. They’ve shared their specific themes and future dates on X.

Atelier LILIUM, is hosting an inaugural art  exhibition by Hirao Auri. Loads of Yuri creators and fans have been visiting this first permanent Yuri cafe in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Check out their X feed for comments and pictures. 

At ANCHOR rainbow port Tokyo, in Shinjuku, they are doing a Pride month menu. ^_^

 

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Yuri Manga in English

Via  Sr. YNN Correspondent Matt Marcus Yen Press is doing a Pride sale of their BL, Yuri, LGBTQ(ish) books.

Kodansha is doing a Humble Bundle Pride sale of their BL, Yuri, LGBTQ(ish) books, too. ^_^

Via OASG on X, Fanfare/Ponent Mon is reprinting a number of their books, including Kiriko Nananan’s  1997 Yuri work, Blue. 

Toronto’s The Beguiling comic and manga store is leaping in to doujinshi publishing with Battan’s The Golden Fly (Kinbae). The Kickstarter has already exceeded its goal and has 15 days to go.

Lucky Cavity would like you to pay what you want for their Yuri comic Leftovers,”a one-shot yuri/GL comic about running into your ex but she’s being possessed by a freaky alien.”

 

Yuri Manga in Japanese

Big news, Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna / She Loves To Cook and She Loves to Eat, has reached 1 million copies in print…with only 5 volumes. How about them lilies? Kadokawa has put together a special celebration page.  CandleA is making the manga free to read in Japanese to celebrate and as part of their pride month event. And Volume 6 is hitting Japanese bookshelves on June 15!

Via Matt, COMIC OGYAAA!! has a new comic about two women who become roomates in order to bet on the horses. Sure, why not? ^_^ Sample chapters of Kimi to Mitai Race ga Aru (きみと観たいレースがある,) Original work: Rei Watanabe, Kyo Shumachi and manga by Tamotsu Kuwabara  can be read online in Japanese.

Speaking of CandleA, they nod to Yuri Navi for mentioning Rival Arrival (ライバルアライバル) a new manga  about former idols, who broke up after a fight. Now that they are in their 60s, they team up once again. Obviously, I am going to have to read this. ^_^

Hanakage Alt’s Sempai to Kohai (先輩の後輩) is 505 off in Japanese, English and Spanish!

 

Yuri VNs

Via Sr YNN Correspondent Sasori, The Toxic Yuri Game Jam 2 is on! Sasori is participating, how about you? 

 

Yuri Novels

Tokyopop’s LoveLove imprint is making a foray into novels with Rokakoen’s psychological horror Yuri, Ugly Girls.

 

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Yuri Webcomics

Last Beat by Hawker is up on Tapas.  “Akira Hirano is a mysterious ronin who, after losing everything, seeks to find a new purpose to her blade. However, ‘Aki’ carries a curse with every heartbeat”

 

Yuri Merch and Pop-Ups

Obviously the Comic Yuri Hime 20th Anniversary Exhibit has all kinds of goods. 

Geestore has items from the Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau pop-up for the 20th anniversary, as well

Watashi o Tabetai Hito de Nashi / This Monster Wants To Eat Me has a pop-up store in Akihabara Gamers.

 

Yuri & LGBTQ Articles

Battan has been in the US for MINT Manga series and TCAF. Yatta-Tachi’s Adam Wescott caught up with Battan and Sumire Nobuhiro for a MINTERVIEW. 

Via YNN Correspondent Haryu, here is an article from The Diplomat: The Politics Behind Taiwan’s Soft Power: “Taiwan Travelogue” and its Booker Prize win highlight the nuances – and controversies – of contemporary culture in Taiwan. 

Anise and Phryne magazines publisher Hagiwara Mami has an article about her motivation for publishing those first lesbian magazines in Japan in ETC, Volume 13. 

 

Other News

A brand new book on the history of the Japanese LGBTQ+ community is coming out in Japan. LGBT History Book Nihon-hen Byoudou o Motomete Koe o Ageta Hitobito no Tatakai (LGBTヒストリーブック日本編 平等を求めて声を上げた人々の闘い).  I’m totally going to get a copy.

A Yamagishi Ryouko Tribute Book is being released by Kawade Shobo. Essay authors will include shoujo superstar Moto Hagio, Yamagishi-sensei is revered not only as a brilliant shoujo manga artist, but also a fine art painter. I consider her work Shiroi Heya no Futari the first Yuri manga.

 

Your support for Yuri journalism and research has never been more important than right now. Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

Posted in Yuri Network News | 3 Comments »