As the endlessy rainy days of summer (here, at least) draw to a close, we look at bright sunny days of Yuri!
Yuri Magazine News
Based on the number of magazines that are covering Yuri and GL, I think we can say that Yuri is just about the new Black. There was Davinci last week and this week:
YNN Correspondent Katherine reports that the September 2009 issue of Manga Erotics F is going to be a “special edition” Aoi Hana issue with some bonus Aoi Hana content by Shimura-sensei! Plus, according to the Aoi Hana website Goods Page, an Aoi Hana official guidebook will be coming out in September. The street date is September 4, but I don’t see an entry on Amazon JP for it yet.
George R. also wants you to know that the September issue of Newtype has an 8-page article on “Girls x Girls!” about how relationships between girls are now the rage in anime. (Now!?!) He says “They start with K-On! pointing out that it led the “Girls Anime Movement” in ’09, but that this century has seen an unpredicted rise of “bishoujo anime” or “moe anime” in contrast to the previous harem anime. For K-on!, they discuss the relationships between the main girls as, “laughing, crying, spending time together in a warm, firm friendship.”
Aoi Hana is used as an example of “Sincere Love” between girls, pointing out that Maria-sama ga Miteru brought this to the fore for modern fans, and also discussing some of the attraction of a pair of girls compared to a hetero-couple. They also call out couples in Kannazuki no Miko, Strawberry Panic, Natsu no Arashi and Sasameki Koto as examples.
Kanamemo shows “Comical Bonds”, where “girls activities are loved by the god of laughter.” A friend saw this and the previous and commented, “Oh, we’ve got dramatic Yuri and comical Yuri.” Here they call out couples in Kore ga watashi no Goshujinsama, Ichigo Mashimaro, Hidamari Sketch, and Bamboo Blade.
KITTY GIRL-AND shows “Admiration able to be born from strife,” where the line is blurred between joining forces to fight and fighting for the sake of love. Here they call out couples in Card Captor Sakura, Kiddy Grade, Strike Witches, and Ga-rei Zero.
To Aru Majutsu no Index is used to show “Girls anime has endlessly broadening possibilities,” where they talk about other ways “Girls Anime” can turn. Here they call out couples in Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru, Maria+Holic, Saki, and Taisho Yakyuu Musume.
Finally, Sengoku no Basara takes the last two pages to make the point that “relations between guys are fine too.”
In KC Dessert, a manga magazine targeted toward older teen girls that often has sexual relationships and deals with relationship “issues,” there are a number of Yuri and related stories these days. At least one deals with a MtF Yuri love story. Here’s a link to the September Special Volume.
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Yuri Anime
Well, not that it’s brimming with Yuri or anything, but YNN Correspondent George R. reports that a third season of Hidamari Sketch appears to be on the way.
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Other Yuri News
AnimeVice has subbed clips of the recent Phonix Wright Takarazuka show. Avoid the “chicks playing guys?!???? It’s unpossible!” comments and enjoy the clips.
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Snatches of Yuri
This is here because I honestly can’t remember if I posted it yet – Maria-sama ga Miteru: Little Horrors is out and filled with stories about characters that are not “our” Yamayurikai, with a Yamayurikai wrapping.
Man, if Degurai didn’t look so repulsive, I’d probably get it, because it sounds like crack. Girls’ school, crazed lesbians, food…something like that.
Tadaima Benkyou-chuu is neither erotic nor moe, Yurina Hibi says, which already makes me happy, but Volume 2 seems to heat up a bit into a strong case of Girls Love.
Corpse Party – Blood Covered looks less Yuri than horror, but if you like that mixed with moe, it could hold high appeal for you.
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That’s a wrap for the week.
Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com.
Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!
Parts of that article sound cringe-worthy (K-On! led the “Girls’ Anime Movement”? Maria+Holic represents “endlessly broadening possibilities”? O_o?!) but any domestic publicity is good I guess, and kudos to them for plugging guy/guy relationships too. ^_^
Well, the article didn’t come across to me quite as “cringe worthy” as I might have made it sound, though there are pieces which were. And the “endless broadening possibilites” talked more about the the number of different forms things “girls anime” can take, not just the few listed previously in the article. I won’t put Maria+Holic on any pedistal, but I it is part of the larger landscape where thare good, bad, excellent and terrible. And if that landscape has more Yuri in it this century than last, I’m not complaining at all.
@Cryssoberyl – What I found interesting in that, was that KON! represented good old-fashioned close friendsship, according. to acknowledge that an anime is about a bunch of girls in a firm friendship is actually pretty significant, I thought.
Sure, some of thise series aren’t really ones I would chosse, but overall, a more coherent and expansive look at GL than I would have expected from Newtype.
Tokyopop has updated its’ out of print page – Steady Beat is now officially OOP. Some nioi-kei titles that were also discontinued include Girl Got Game (girl dresses as boy, gets girl admirer), RG Veda, and Kim Possible. Don’t know about the Yuri quotient of the rest.
Oops, forgot link:
http://www.tokyopop.com/corporate/biz_dev/447
@Anonymous – Thanks for the news! Between that and Marvel, Twitter was all a-twitter yesterday. :-)
Egads, ADV has shut down too! Yuri and Yuri-ish titles which were licensed by ADV include New Cutey Honey, Sailor Moon, Bubblegum Crisis 2040, the Sukeban Deka OVA, Azumanga Daioh, Devil Lady, Madlax, Noir, You’re Under Arrest! Kaleido Star, and likely a whole bunch of other stuff too. Luckily, the assets of ADV (including licenses?) will be transferred to other companies.
Proof: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-09-01/adv-films-shuts-down-transfers-assets-to-other-companies
Sentai Filmworks have just licensed Blue Drop for a November release, it says here.
Blue Drop? DVD release? Whole season for forty dollars? Result! Hell has frozen over!
Still nothing on Amazon, but Animate says the Aoi Hana fanbook has been delayed to the 8th.
Just a reminder – If you’d like to see your news items added to next week’s news report, please email them to me, rather than putting them in the comments on last week’s report. Thanks!
The “comical bond” section is dedicated to the show that use the yuri element for laughter? I just do not quite understand what Hidamari Sketch has in common with shows that have yuri mostly in a form of obsessive lesbian stalker or some gay jokes.