I have returned from AnimeNYC, which was fabulous. I am moving this event up to the No. 1 must-attend anime/manga event in North America, along with TCAF, which is my recommendation for  No. 1 must-attend comics event.  This event has it all. If Javits wasn’t the worst convention center in America it would be perfect. (The fact that it is the worst is because of its design, which was meant to host several smaller events, not one gigantic pop culture event that needs lots of space for free movement and spaces to stand in costumes with wings that don’t block stairs and escalators. Also, people, do NOT stand in front of or on stairs and escalators for photos. Take them to the side. Please.)

Because the event was so good, I’m going to break the event report up into two pieces. Today, we’ll talk about some of the licenses that were announced and a few other Yuri tidbits. To begin with, let me remind you that  every single major western manga (and light novel) publisher currently is now putting out Yuri. Seven Seas, Viz, Yen, Kodansha, Tokyopop and J-Novel Club have really embraced Yuri. Sentai Filmworks is on our side as well, snapping up all the Yuri anime.  Going to an event like AnimeNYC once upon a time, would have netted us a list of one or two things of interest, but this event, I could not go anywhere without seeing Yuri represented. It was…really nice.

Part 1 of the report is something I have *never* done before – a round up of just Yuri licenses announced at this event!

On Viz‘s plate this week saw the release of Makoto Hagino’s A Tropical Fish Yearns For Snow, a slow-burning romance in a seaside school’s aquarium club. You can read a preview of the English volume on their website!

The Yuri OVA Fragtime premiered at AnimeNYC and, at the beginning of the showing, Pony Canyon read a statement from Sentai announcing that they had licensed the anime. Seven Seas followed up with an online announcement that they have acquired the Fragtime manga for digital and print release. I will do a review of Fragtime later this week. I did not enjoy it.

Square Enix announced a manga adaptation of Wandering Witch. Yen Press will be localizing the light novels next year. I know absolutely nothing about this series, but trust Yurimother’s reporting.

Speaking of Yen Press, they announced Nikurashii Hodo, Aishiteru, as  which I genuinely enjoyed, as I Love You So Much, I Hate You.

J-Novel Club revealed that Sexiled will be getting a print release! I am genuinely thrilled about that. I spent all  weekend proselytizing it. This is an absolutely must-read book for any woman and all men. Someone called it a “power fantasy” novel for women and I absolutely wholeheartedly agreed. Fabulous, fabulous book. Second volume will be released digitally next month.

And this morning Kodansha rounded out the announcements with….I’m super excited for this, Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, which I just reviewed, as Whisper Me a Love Song!

It was a really great event for me as a person, as a comics journalist, as an otaku and, most especially as a Yurinin, a Yuri fan!