The new WordPress Gutenberg editor bites. My apologies if things look really messed up for a while as I try to wrestle this all into shape. (So much cursing…)
Okazu News
The invitations for the Okazu Patron Holiday Party have gone out! If you are an Okazu Patron and did not receive an invitation by email or Patreon post, please contact me and I’ll shoot you the invite!
I know I’ve been iffy about podcasting, but I plan on doing a big 2018 round up /2019 anticipatory podcast at the end of the year. Bear with me, we’ll have a lot to talk about!
I will be doing a humongous pile of Lucky Boxes for the New Year as well. I have so much cool stuff laying around this house. Clearfiles and postcards and Yuri manga and video box sets and artbooks and cels and stuff. So save a few bucks up to get yourself a box full of 100% pure stuff! Because they will be special. (And I’m going back to Japan in February, so there’ll be more 100% pure stuff for spring! ^_^)
Yuri Manga
Via YNN Correspondent Christian L, Comic Alive is reporting that volume 10 of Anoko no Kiss to Shirayuri wo (Kiss and White Lily For My Dearest Girl) will be the final volume. The final volume will be given a deluxe edition with a special booklet. I just want to take a moment to note that Canno-sensei now has two remarkable and successful series under her belt and I am very interested to see what she’s going to do next.)
I’m super excited to tell you about a special Éclair volume that’s being released this month! Éclair Special Sukinanoha Onna no ko ~ Kitao Taki Sakuhin Kessakusen (エクレアSpecial 好きなのは女の子 北尾タキ百合作品傑作選) is a collection by Kitao Taki, aka circle BQ, formerly of Sakuraike, an artist I have followed for almost twenty years. I’m very happy for Kitao-sensei and wish her great success!
Comic Natalie gives us something new online to read, Kujira’s Sekai no Owari to Majyou no Koi (世界の終わりと魔女の恋) is free (in Japanese) on Comic Walker.
Also from Comic Natalie, Kadokawa Webmanga Site Young Ace has another new digital comic (in Japanese) for us to try out, Akamaru’s Watashi-tachi ha Koi wo Kakenai (私たちは恋を描けない) about a high school girl who is interested in a female manga artist. The description called it a “pseudo-love affair” so YMMV.
Yuri Visual Novel
Little Viktoria wrote me on Twitter to tell me of the new Yuri VN, A Beautiful Ride to Carlisle. “Dana’s summer vacation has just started and she’s on her way to volunteer on an organic farm. But she’s not expecting something wonderful to happen on the train…” It looks sweet and pretty and apparently, I am more interested in road trip stories than school stories. ^_^
Sukera Sparo has a teaser up for a new Yuri VN called Kudano Folklore. The little text on the page reads Girl + Yuri + Urban Legend = Kudano Folklore. Coming Spring 2019, we’ll keep our eyes open for this.
Other News
Animate News has an interview (in Japanese) with Takada Yuuki and Kotobuki Minako who play, respectively, Yuu and Touko in Bloom Into You (streaming on HIDIVE.) They talk about what they think is the best scene in the first six episodes.
You know how sometimes the universe snorts with amusement in your general direction? Well here’s this week’s snort. There will be a Maria-sama ga Miteru 20th anniversary collaboration cafe in Ikebukuro at the Animate Cafe and it will end about a week before I arrive. Doesn’t it make you just want to scream? Thanks, universe. (-_-); I’m gonna just hope that some of the leftover goods make their way over to the store. But really, boo.
Anime Feminist launched a major crowdfunding effort this week and it sailed through the their first goal in mere days. They’ve got a very clear plan for where the money is going (mostly to pay people who work on/for the site) and I hope you’ll take a look!
Do you have questions about Yuri? Write in and ask and I’ll do my best to address them on the Okazu YNN Podcast!
Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to! Our YNN podcast is now available, in which I take a look at some key news items this week..
Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!
I understood correctly, yuri navi publishes news not only about the “canonical” yuri manga, but also for those works that are can be interpreted to have yuri or are interesting for yuri fans?
Much like the YNN news report, Yuri Navi aggregates news that they believe will be of interest to their readers.
There is no such thing as “canonical” Yuri. The Yuricon definition of Yuri is clear on this:
“Yuri can describe any anime or manga series (or other derivative media, i.e., fan fiction, film, etc.) that shows intense emotional connection, romantic love or physical desire between women. Yuri is not a genre confined by the gender or age of the audience, but by the *perception* of the audience.”
You keep asking about precise definitions, but Yuri is a literary quality, not a mechanical engine. It is, was and all ways be messy, used however and wherever by people who wish to use it, in any way thy feel like doing so. No matter how long you search for the “thing” that is Yuri, you will only find the thing you think is Yuri.
I’m very careful here to not say “This is or is not Yuri.” I say, rather, “I don’t think this is Yuri.” There is a massive distinction here, when I make it clear that *I* do or do not see Yuri.
Thank you for your reply. I just got used to the fact that yuri is often called works with a portrayed or supposed romantic girl-girl relationship, so it surprises me when works is referred to as yuri without any romance at all.
In that case, if I understood you correctly, what can be attributed to yuri, baiting, etc, depends on each person and their interpretation of yuri as a definition?