The December 2014 issue of Eureka magazine (ユリイカ ) is entitled “The Current State of Yuri Culture” (百合文化の現在). It is the first collection of essays specifically about Yuri as a genre, that I am aware of in any language. To say that this is a ground-breaking look at Yuri is absolutely reasonable.
But, more importantly, it is a stunning collection of people who are immersed in creating, studying and promoting Yuri and, as such, it’s going to be an amazing read. I’m practically bouncing out of my skin with anticipation for this collection! If you are interested interested in the study of Yuri, this magazine is going to be a must-have.
To give you a hint of why I’m so damn excited, I’ve decided to translate some of the contributors/contributions, as listed on the official Seidosha website, so you can see exactly what has me jumping around my house. My translations, as always, are approximate, rather than definitive. This is the first time I’ve ever attempted to translate writing at this level, and these titles (and punctuation) were…difficult*. Thanks to James Welker for some help with this – and please feel free to suggest better translations. ^_^
Eureka December 2014
The Current State of Yuri Culture
[The Soul of Girls Novels]
Looking at Maria-sama ga Miteru: A Place Where “Sisters” Sigh – Konno Oyuki, transcribed by Aoyagi Mihoko
A Symbol of Partial Destruction: Yoshiya Nobuko and the Community of Yuri Desire – Kawasaki Kenko
A Viewpoint of “Suddenly [there was] Yuri”: Tawada Youko, Yoshiya Nobuko, Miyamoto Yuriko – Kimura Saeko
From Yoshiya Nobuko to Himuro Saeko: Genealogy of Novels for Girls and “Pride” – Saga Keiko
Yuri as a Liberated Zone – Nakazato Hajime
[The Tangent of Being “Realistic”]
The Representation of Women’s Relationships: Notes of A Look Around at Lesbians – Horie Yuri
Yuri-Lesbian Controversy Battle Picture Scroll – Makimura Asako
[Her Friendship, or Love, Possibly]
Love of /for a Woman, The Issue of Observation in Yuri – Amano Shuninta, transcribed by Aoyagi Mihoko
“Yuri” in the Past: How Has Manga Drawn “Women’s Love”? – Fujimoto Yukari
Girl’s Breakthrough – Kawaguchi Harumi
Japan, Fertile Ground for the Cultivation of “Yuri” – Takashima Rika
read between the lines – Nishi UKO
It’s The Same Story, So Why Does It Taste Like Alienation?: Analysis of the Movie Version of LOVE MY LIFE – Mizoguchi Akiko
[Intersecting with “Yuri”]
If It’s Love, it’s Necessary: About Her and Her and Him Depicted in Kanojo to Camera to Kanojo no Kistesu – Tsukiko, transcribed by Tamaki Sana
Yuri: A Genre Without Borders – Erica Friedman translatd by Shiina Yukari
Thoughts on the Representation of Yuri Fandoms in Yuri Danshi by Uso Kurata – James Welker
The Blooming of a Variety of Yuri Is Good, I Want To See Yuri the Color of Blood – Tamaki Sana
The Dust Which Constitutes The World of Manga. Can We Draw A Border Around Yuri? – Hidaka Toshiyasu
[Girl(s) Whereabouts]
Looking Everywhere for Yuri – Ayana Yuniko, transcribed by Kitsukawa Tomo
Pretty Girl Fighters Shouting Out, And Then Yuri – Ishida Minori
Freeing the Inner Girl: Simoun and Solidarity in Loneliness – Ueda Mayuko
Your Pain Is Mine, The Joint Struggle – The Tranquility of (Magic) Girls – Sugawa Akiko
[NO YURI, NO LIFE]
In Order to Categorize Yuri Culture: A Guide to Works, People and Media – Aoyagi Mihoko, Tamaki Sana, Nagato Yuusuke
***
Being included in this volume with a number of my favorite writers, artists and scholars = Squee. >_<
* This took me about 4 hours, no fooling and that’s just for the titles. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to translate academic articles.Thanks very very much to Shiina Yukari-san for translating my article. I know I’m in good hands with her.
I would love to read those articles. I wish this would get translated into English.
You’ve been saying “I wish” for a long time now. If you started learning Japanese when you first said “I wish” you wouldn’t need translations for regular manga anymore. ^_^
To be honest, it’s pretty unlikely that this magazine will ever be translated. Academic writing is well beyond the pale of what scan groups can do.
I’ll be posting my article on the Yuricon Essays page and, with luck, James’, as well. But If you are truly interested in Yuri, learning Japanese is really something you’ll want to do, or you will spend your entire life waiting for someone else to do something for you and be disappointed when they don’t.
I wish my Japanese reading were better, so I could tackle writing on this level?
This sounds amazing. I am going to try to pick up a copy.
@Jenny – Me too. ^_^;
@Saki – I hope you enjoy it!
This magazine issue does sound like a treasure. Thank you for all your work highlighting it, and congrats on being a contributor!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it! It should be quite awesome.
How exciting! Any hints on who did the cover illustration?
No, and don’t think I haven’t looked. ^_^
Shimura Takako. I finally learned when I got the darn thing. ^_^
Add me to the people lamenting about never getting to read this. What a feast of information…all of it fascinating, but I’d be especially eager to read the essay on Simoun. If any show other than Utena deserves scholarly reflection, it’s Simoun.
When one studies archaeology, German and French are needed in order to read source materials. If you study the classics, you’d need to read Latin and Greek. Even at a undergraduate level, knowing the language the research documents you use are in is required.
If you had started studying Japanese when you first began reading Okazu, you might be able to read this now. Why not start today? ^_^