Anime Expo weekend is the weekend that a lot of the news I planned on reporting gets set aside for more urgent announcements. ^_^;
Yuri Anime
Top story already from Anime Expo, Sentai Filmworks has licensed the Morning Glories and Kase-san OVA! I’ve got requests in to them for a timeline on that release, although since the subtitles are already in existence, I hope for a 2019 premier. I’m also hoping that we can coordinate a release event, whether it be a streaming event or a contest, or…something. I’ll let you know if I hear back.
The 8-Bit panel announced that they’ll be handling the animation for Hirao Auri’s Oshi ga Budōkan Ittekuretara Shinu (If My Favorite Pop Idol Made it to the Budokan, I Would Die) anime, with a 2020 television debut. (See, Sentai, that’s how a timeline works..) I’ve reviewed Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, and Volume 5 of the manga here on Okazu.
Funimation and Nozomi RightStuf have entered a streaming agreement, which means that Revolutionary Girl Utena and Aoi Hana/ Sweet Blue Flowers will be available on Funimation.
Viz has released a follow-up statement about the Sailor Moon Stars (Season 5) booklet. Read it carefully and remember, the Japanese publisher gets the final say as to what we see. The relationship indicator probably came from them originally…and we could be asking for a change to something that was not there in Japanese. Could be interesting. ^_^
Yuri Light Novel
Also from Anime Expo, Seven Seas announced that they have licensed the Bloom Into You: Saeki Sayaka ni Tsuite light novels! Woot! I reviewed Volume 1 and Volume 2…and am awaiting Volume 3 with baited breath. ^_^
Yuri Manga
Big news for lovers of classic Yuri via Yuri Navi, Himitsu no Hanazono (秘密の花園) Fujii Mihona’s 1999 Cinderella fantasy is now available on JP Kindle and Bookwalker Global! I reviewed this book back in 2004 – it was one my foundational Yuri series, so I’m feeling positive about the news. ^_^
Last week, in conjunction with Tsukino Usagi’s birthday bash, Kodansha announced a world-wide digital release of the Sailor Moon Eternal Edition manga in 10 languages. I give you the details over at The Comics Beat.
Not quite Yuri, but in our wheelhouse, this May Seven Seas licensed the Penguindrum manga by Ikuhara Kunihiko, Shibata Isuzu and Hoshino Lily. tr Expo, they announced the license of Citrus+ for fans of that series. Super exciting news, they’ll also be publishing Morishima Akiko’s Rakuen no Jouken, as The Conditions of Paradise! This is a lovely little adult-life one-shot. Click the Japanese title link to read my 2008 review.
A few new items up on the Yuricon Store!
Canelé Souer Yuri Anthology (カヌレ スール百合アンソロジー) – we haven’t had a “souer” collection in years. Fun, huh?
Watashi Igai Jinrui Zennin Yuri, Volume 1 (私以外人類全員百合) is a alternative world science-fiction Yuri manga in which a girl who loves ordinary things, finds herself in a world of women where love between women is ordinary.
Dekisokonai no Hime-tachi, Volume 2 (できそこないの姫君たち), Kaede and Nanaki find themselves being drawn together, despite not actually being friends.
Hentai publisher FAKKU has announced a “LGBTQ” imprint of manga, Kuma. I put quotes around “LGBTQ” for what I consider obvious reasons. Japanese porn is not ever intended as representation and I think they are stretching the truth quite a bit to consider what they publish “LGBTQ” in any meaningful sense. ^_^
Yuri Events
100 Years of Yuri Tour of Japan is happening in Sept, 2019 and there’s still room for you to join us! The dead-dog last day to sign up is July 9th, so please don’t miss this opportunity!
I’ll be making my only west coast appearance at Crunchyroll Expo. If you’re planning on being there, let me know in the comments. I’m looking for a roommate.
Our Lily is a Yuri event being held in Seoul, Korea in 2020. How cool!
Other News
Via YNN Correspondent Sean G. Yuri Made me Human, part 2, an interview with Iori Miyazawa and Gengen Kusano (Part 1 can be found here) has been translated and put online. This is connected to the publication of the Yuri issue of SF Magazine and the current Science Fiction Yuri boom in Japan.
For UK fans who love Japanese pop culture, summer 2019 is fairly awesome. The British Museum’s Manga Exhibit is wowing crowds and HYPER JAPAN event is coming your way, as well!
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 with your name and an email I can reply to!
Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!
“Via YNN Correspondent Sean G. Yuri Made me Human, part 2, an interview with Iori Miyazawa and Gengen Kusano (Part 1 can be found here) has been translated and put online. This is connected to the publication of the Yuri issue of SF Magazine and the current Science Fiction Yuri boom in Japan.”
I do not know how popular my opinion is, but I feel somewhat uncomfortable when yuri turns into a cliche or even a peculiar fetish. I mean, I liked the first part of the interview and even found quite a lot of interesting things in it, but when I read about heterosexual idol doing “yuri fanservice” to entertain male fans, it sounds…
In general, I don’t want to sound like an arrogant “true connoisseur of the genre”, but for me personally it sounds like a depreciation of the genre and attempts to turn it into another pop moe.
We’ve had nearly a century of girls in private schools. I think we can cope with a few science fiction stories.
I’m sorry, you misunderstood me. I am fine with any genres and setting in yuri, but I feel a little uncomfortable when yuri is used simply as a fanservice without any special reason. I haven’t read this SF Magazine’s issue, but as far as I can tell from the interview and your review, all the stories in it are pretty good.
Wow, Funimation’s getting huge.
It’s too bad their streaming service, Funimation Now, is really terrible.
Yeah. Their website has always been terrible, so its not surprising that their channel is, as well.