Archive for September, 2005


Totally Random Tidbits

September 9th, 2005

Hi everyone – life is blowing up at the moment. I’m not so self-absorbed that I think that you all care what’s going on. :-)

I will say this – there are so many exciting things happening at Onna!, that it will definitely be *the* place to be this October. We’ve got new guests joining us daily – they are emailing us and *asking* if they can come! These women work in comics, in gaming design, and film. It’s not an all-star cast – but these are the women who make it all happen. Pre-registration is going to stay open until just about a week or so before, but don’t wait until the last second to join us for this fantastic 3-day festival of women’s roles in animation and comics!

So, instead of a yuri review, I’ve decided to empty my phone and digital cameras and share the pictures with you – I think it’ll be fun. Here goes:

This is a picture of Alice Wu from the NYC premier of Saving Face. I reviewed that back in in May.

This is a scene you probably don’t see too often. This is the day before Otakon in the Dealer’s room.

It’s so empty and bright and full of bland, brown boxes. (And a huge multicolored bus…I’m not sure if you can see that in this picture. It’s in the next one, but kind of far away)

Isn’t it kind of cool and weird? In less than 24 hours after I took this picture, this room was filled with people, and noise and colorful, weird *stuff.* Like the psychedelic bus, which you can just make out.

This is a random picture I took before the Yuri panel at Otakon of one half the room.

And here’s the other half. Shifty-looking folks, aren’t they? But in reality, I think this was a very decent audience. The questions are always impossible to answer – but no weirdos who monopolized the Q&A, or hostility, or extreme stupidity. Mostly just folks who were really interested in yuri.

This is Sean Gaffney, yuri panelist extraordinaire. And he owes me a review, but since we’re working him weary for Onna!, I’ll cut him some slack. This picture was taken as he pontificated over dinner after Otakon.

Imagine these shelves with three-foot high piles of manga and anime, filled with DVDs and manga shoved into every corner, overflowing from every nook.. That was the situation.

You felt this coming, right? Here they are! My new shelves. (lovelovelove) Aren’t they wonderful? LOL

That’s it for today. If things don’t become more complicated than they already are, I’ll update this weekend with a real review. :-)





Maria-sama ga Miteru Drama CD 5 – Rosa Canina

September 8th, 2005

Apologies for the long delay! Lots of things happened, including me growing another year older, and not a day wiser. ^_^

I actually listened to the Maria-sama ga Miteru, Rosa Canina Drama CD ages ago, but am just getting around to telling you how wonderful it is. And this time, it’s very easy to tell you why – Noto Mamiko, the voice actress for Shimako, really gets to shine in this version of the story.

Chalk it up to the fact that the anime aired out of order and that the Rosa Canina arc was moved up slightly in the episodes, but Shimako’s character seems particularly watery in the anime version of this arc. Maybe because the actresses were only just getting warmed up by the time the anime was over. In any case, in this Drama CD, Shizuka (now much more blatantly hitting on Sei, now that we know that *everyone* knows about her) is even more mysterious and cool, and Shimako has a hell of alot more backbone.

I bought this Drama CD as a “special box set” and got two little dolls as extras – little SDs of Yumi and Sachiko. They now stand, with quiet grace and charm in front of my Maria-sama ga Miteru collection on my new shelves! (I know, I should let go of the shelf thing…but they are SO great! I am going to put this in writing – thank you Charlie Lawler for the fabulous shelves. I love them!!! Now I will move on, but I make no promises that I won’t mention them again. )

There’s little else I can say about this story that wasn’t in either anime or manga (except that the manga has some internal monologuing by Shimako that exists nowhere else). If you like Noto Mamiko’s voice – and how could you not? – this is a great way to spend a few more hours having it tickle the inside of your ear. ^_^

The only down side – we *still* didn’t get the scene of Shizuka’s classmates cheering her on.





Yuri Manga: Sneak Peek – Yuri Monogatari 3

September 2nd, 2005

Because this is a long weekend, and I’m not going to be able to post until next week, I thought I’d leave you with a little teaser. ^_^

ALC Publishing is hard at work on our next 100% Yuri manga anthology, Yuri Monogatari 3 – and I think it is absolutely amazing! These are some of the best Yuri stories and art by some of the best Yuri artists in the world and I can’t wait for you to see them all. There’s alot to be proud of in this volume and I just *had* to share some of what you can look forward to.

Our first story is by a young lady named Hiromi Nishizaka. Hiromi is the winner of the Waki Yamato prize in the Manga Koshien contest for young manga artists. Her story, “Hydrangea” is her premiere as a Yuri artist.

“It Takes All Kinds” is a wacky look at long-term relationships and the life of a sexy space pirate, by Beth Malone. Beth has contributed to all three Yuri Monogatari volumes, but this is the first time she’s included a tentacle monster. ^_^

Sergio Aviles has provided a funny, eclectic and creative look at life on the run. How often are you ever going to be able to read a romantic yuri story told, in part, in imabic pentameter?

Rica Takashima was so busy running Yuricon 2005 in Tokyo, that she couldn’t find time to give us a new story, but she did send us a darling picture of Yuricon mascot Yuriko and her author girlfriend Midori.

Another exciting addition to this volume is an English-language version of the Yuricon 2005 in Tokyo report drawn (and written) by Akiko Morishima. Morishima-san is a well-known manga artist in Japan, who works on shoujo manga by day, and draws for yuri doujinshi circle Girlish in her spare time. And yes, you read that right – Morishima-san wrote the English for her story, as well. It’s a damn sight better than my Japanese, I can tell you. ^_^

Another three-time contributor to the Yuri Monogatari series, Kristina K., offers us a dream-like look at love across cultures (and an impression of tourism that we can all identify with!).

Finishing up our book is another veteran of the series, Althea Keaton, with a poignant, emotional and brilliant take on girl gangs and tenderness.

And, of course, there’s the usual great cover and incidental art by Yuricon Staff Artist, Kelli Nicely. ^_^





Yuri Manga: [es] ~ Eternal Sisters, Volume 2

September 1st, 2005

Anyone notice the advertisement in the Google Ad block on the right of Okazu this week? “Kissing Techniques” – assumably because of the post on Transistor ni Venus :-) You gotta read the site – it’s a *scream*. And I’m not just saying that to make you click the ad – it’s really, unintentionally, funny in its sexism.

So, here’s a little known fact about [es]. It was bought by Ichijinsha, the same folks that bring you Yuri Hime. I assume it was an independent yuri anthology before that.

I wasn’t blown away by the first volume of [es], but I didn’t hate it. This, the second volume, is pretty much more of the same, but slightly blander.

I’m sitting here going over the stories and there’s barely anything to hang on to. Some marginal confessions, a little embracing, lots of the usual high school tropes and fetishes. Sweet, cute, etc, etc.

There is one interesting point – the story “Pops” which ran for two parts in Yuri Shimai is continued here as “Someday the Sun Shines”.

But otherwise, like the first collection, this volume of [es] is the same harmless, sweet, stereotypical stories over and over. There’s the clingy younger girl, or the admired/desired older girl, the sick best friend, the slacker best friend, the genki best friend, the bathing suits and uniforms and lunchtimes and gym clothes. Nothing we haven’t seen a thousand times by now.

Perfect for moe-Yuri fanboys and those who hate the thought of adult women in love. Also not a bad birthday present for your favorite babydyke otaku-in-training. ^_^