Archive for January, 2021


Go Nagai’s DevilMan Lady, Disk 2

January 17th, 2021

Things fall apart rapidly in the second half of Go Nagai’s DevilMan Lady.The center was never meant to hold.

Jun advocates for the humanity of those people who show signs of the Devilbeast Progress, while the humans that are creating the afflicted – then dehumanizing them and hurting them – become less and less human themselves.

Having saved and lost Kazumi several times and only for one brief night allowed to acknowledge their love – Jun becomes despondent, then ultimately enraged, as society crumbles. As Asuka pushes Jun to her limits, Jun finds some strength at last.

In a deeply dark and violent ending, Asuka, who is intersex, rapes Jun, then forces her into a hell of Asuka’s making. There Kazumi is able to speak with Jun one last time and Jun sheds the very last of her inhibitions to become the Devilman Lady that defeats Asuka’s distorted form of godhead, saving what is left of humanity.

Through the final arc, as Asuka’s past comes to light, I was reminded so very much of Apos in Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne. Also portrayed as a evil “hermaphrodite” (a word that has had a long road, from tragic Greek figure to slur,) Apos and Asuka also share megalomania and disinterest in humanity other than as tool for their own ambitions. I now wonder how much Apos was influenced by Asuka…and how much Rin: Daughters of Menmosyne was influenced by Go Nagai Devilman franchise. The Devilman himself, Akira, makes a cameo appearance here, and where the rest of this series is very 1990’s, he is purest 1980s.

This series remains a dark, violent and often depressing look at humanity’s inability to treat others well, very similar to Devilman Crybaby. Sure the monsters are scary, but armed men with guns threatening innocent children is far more terrifying  because it is something we all actually see on a daily basis. But. Unlike Devilman Crybaby, it has hope. It is true that Jun does not have a happy ending with Kazumi, but because of her, Jun is finally able to accept herself. The world is not destroyed. Children play, humans evolve after all, despite themselves. There is hope for the future, for Jun…and for us.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9 Horror in every form.
Characters – 9
Service – 8 Yes, very. This is Go Nagai we are talking about.
Yuri – 9

Overall – 9

As I have said elsewhere, “All of the Devilman franchise seem to be about humanity’s complicity in its own destruction. By that standards, Devilman Lady has a happy ending as Jun only loses everyone she’s ever met, and both arms, but Tokyo/Earth survives.”





Yuri Network News (百合ネットワークニュース) – January 16, 2021

January 16th, 2021

Yuri Anime

YNN Correspondent Evie wants you to know that upcoming anime Aquatope of White Sand states it is “Girl-Meets-Girl”. The plots seems quite similar to Hagino Makoto’s Nettaigyo ha Yuki ni Kogareru / A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow. Daryl Harding has details, trailer and links on Crunchyroll News!

Senior YNN Correspondent Verso S. wants you to know that Liz and the Blue Bird is getting a Blu-Ray release in Japan! There’s some minimal changes to the packaging and a few extras, so if you’re interested in getting the JP release of this film, now is a good opportunity.

 

Yuri Doujinshi

I went on a bit of a spending spree this weekend and *finally* managed to get myself a copy of mkBooks’ dual-language doujinshi The Life of a Yuri Couple in Love (おさななじみの百合夫婦生活). This is legitimately available on booth.pm as an electronic download in both Japanese and English for a mere $2.50. 

Lilyka has a new doujinshi available by TWA, about a police officer and criminal, in Baby, Wanted. Now, there’s a plot that I hadn’t yet added to Yuri Manga Bot… . (Speaking of Yuri Manga Bot, someone wrote a short story based on one of the plots! Thanks Musesana!)

 

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Yuri Manga

Nagata Kabi has a new book coming out in Japan and one on the way in English! This spring, Seven Seas will be releasing her fourth comic essay volume, My Alcoholic Escape From Reality. Following on her previous three volumes, Nagata-sensei has been through a lot and now, she’s dealing with the physical consequences. I reviewed the Japanese volume of this book in February 2020.

Her upcoming volume in Japan is titled Meisou Senshi – Nagata Kabi (迷走戦士・永田カビ) and I think, for a lot of us here, it will be an “ah” moment. Nagata-sensei has started to think about love, and finds herself and thinking about sexuality, and gender and weddings and who she is. YNN correspondent CW wants you to know that you can read chapters from this book right now in Japanese on Comic Action‘s online platform Web Action, where it is the #1 title right now. Also interesting, this book marks a third publisher Nagata-sensei has worked with. I think she’ll find Futabasha a better fit than Shogagukan. East Press seems to be pretty open to whatever creators want to do, but Futabasha has the magazines and the promotion power that East Press doesn’t.

Via YNN Correspondent Megan and Comic Natalie, we have news of Hon no Mushi (本のムシ) a manga about a girl who works at a publishing company who falls in love with her coworker…who keeps paper-eating bugs for some purpose…. It’s certainly an original idea.

I have no idea what this is about, because I just grabbed due to the title. ^_^ Kawai Roh has a new Yuri collection called  Girls in the Hell, (ガールズインザヘル).

LINE in Japan is offering a set of 2DK, GPen Mezamashitokei (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。) stamps by Ohsawa Yayoi. Comic Natalie has the details. I just bought it (50 coins, so 99 cents US) and it’s a massive stamp set. Yes, I scrolled through it to make sure we got Tanihara Yuuko and her coffee. ^_^

Kita no Onna no Tamesaretai (北の女に試されたい), by Kaido Minoda, appears to be about two women on a road trip through Hokkaido picking up women. You can read it for free in Japanese on Comic Walker. I think I will definitely give it a try. ^_^

ANN’s Rafael Antonia Pineda reports that Yuni’s Shakaijin Yuri comedy Hitogoto Desukara!, licensed by Manga Planet in English as It’s Personnel! will come to an end this week, wrapping up with Volume 3.

 

Sailor Moon News

Reader Super noticed last week that I had added the Sailor Moon Eternal trailer to the regular Yuri Anime category. I honestly hadn’t noticed. ^_^  I am sorry for any confusion. Sailor Moon Eternal isn’t Yuri, in any way, really, except in the sense that Haruka and Michiru are themselves the reigning Queens of Yuri. But I am pleased to see that the Outers will get their rightful place in the story.

On Crunchyroll news, Kara Denison covers the new music video from Momoiro Clover Z,  Tsukiiro Chainon. Definitely watch the video for some nicely animated transformations.

The movie launched this week in Japan with a whole lot of tie-ins and collaborations. I’ve been enjoying look at the Wendy’s display and other goods.

Bunshun.jp has an interview with Mitsuishi Kotono, the voice of Sailor Moon, in Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon ‘Tsukino Usagi wa Jinsei no Doushi” Mitsuishi Kotono ga Miseru. (美少女戦士セーラームーン「月野うさぎは人生の同志」　三石琴乃が魅せる“セーラーパワー” の輝き). The interview is in Japanese, but you should be able to understand well enough with a translation tool.

The Japan Foundation of New York is holding an online talk Sailor Moon: How These Magical Girls Transformed Our World, on January 28th. Registration is free. The talk features two of my favorite people, Kathrynn Hemmann as moderator and translator Mari Morimoto as a panelist.

In case you need a calendar to keep track of all your Sailor Moon fan events, here is the official Sailor Moon Eternal 2021 calendar, with character pop-ups. ^_^ Sadly, they are not ordered by birthday month…which I know wouldn’t work, but still.

 

Queer Media

Via YNN Correspondent Verena Maser, we can share the German-language Comics aus den Queeren Welt Project, Ach, so ist das?!.

We’re going to close out this week with some great news, from Senior YNN Correspondent Eric P! Queer Japan, the documentary about LGBTQ+ life in Japan will be released on Blu-Ray in March! I’m a backer for this project…and was there when some of the interviews took place, so I’m really looking forward to seeing it.

 

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Comic Yuri Hime, January 2021 (コミック百合姫2021年1月号)

January 15th, 2021

The cover of Comic Yuri Hime, January 2021 (コミック百合姫2021年1月号) begins a new Yuri cover story. Where 2020’s cover story was art-focused, with few words that just gave context to the image, this year we have separate stand-alone short stories in a ridiculously small type size that forces me to use a magnifying glass to be able to read it. It is a vaguely time-wimey story that uses a desk as a point of contact between young women in different times. The stories are by Ren Hanna, with quirky illustrations by Kesshin. If it were in 12-point type I’d probably be enjoying it. ^_^

This issue starts off with a new concept  manga from Usui Shio. In “Onna to Tomodachi Kekkonshitemita” Sera is an freelance writer who needs a good idea to write about. She pitches an article on same-sex marriage. Her best friend Ruriko (who is pretty obviously is in love with Sera,) volunteers. And so Sera and Ruriko get married, I trust Usui-sensei completely to do a good job with this story and so far (I just read the next installment yesterday) I’m not going to be disappointed.

Also in the “not a disappointment” category is Takeshima Eku’s “Sasayaku Youni Koi wo Utau” in which watching Yori continues to be a delight. AND it looks like we’re getting an actual post-they like each other arc! Whoo! You can also enjoy this story in English as Whisper Me A Love Song. It’s charming.

Kakaze’s “Lonely Girl ni Sakaraenai” is moving past it’s initial pitch and Sakurai and Honda are finding themselves having experiences neither of them would have been able to imagine previously.

“Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata,”by Yuama is taking a deeply emotional turn, but I’m rooting for things to move past the obvious conflict here.

And wow, do I actually have no idea at all where – if anywhere, “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” by Miman is going. Holy crap. This arc has lead everyone to saying stuff they mean. I’m not sure I have ever read this many chapters of, “you need to hear this.” I love it.

“Hello Melancholic” has now officially ended. I am going to miss it, honestly. Minato’s journey hit me in all the right places. /sniff/

Usui Shio is gunning for my favorite author of 2021, with some breathtakingly real chapters for “Kaketa Tsuki to Doughnuts.” I swear to all the gods, if people keep having actual conversations in manga, I’m gonna die of happiness.

SPEAKING of conversations, Ohi Pikachi’s “Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatteiru” was a-ma-zing. Asuka confronts her family with whom she has a very bad relationship…and her being with a woman is only another brick in that wall, until Saki helps her face herself and her parents. Next on to Saki’s family. We already know how her sister feels, so this one ought to go well. ^_^

This issue also includes a chapter of a serialized novel (in slightly larger typeface than the cover,) about a girl who admire idols so much, she wants to become one. It’s not a bad opening gambit for what it a pretty worn trope already.

And, finally, Inui Ayu-sensei details the happy times she spends with her girfriend in her autobiographical comic. This time, they go out to breakfast, because why not? ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

There continues to be series I am not following, and those I am, that I have not mentioned. In my opinion, this was an excellent first volume of the year, with a lot of stuff for many different fans. Including those who are inexplicably still reading “Yuru Yuri.” Why? Seriously. The continuing existence of that series bewilders me.

 





Ikemen Sugidesu Shiki-senpai!, Volume 2 (イケメンすぎです紫葵先パイ! )

January 14th, 2021

File today’s review under “Wow Erica, took you long enough!” But wait, I had an excuse! Remember when I ordered some stuff from Japan and it took 2 months to get her?. Well, this book was part of that stuff. And then there were things that had to done, and end of year things, and…so here were are, reviewing  Ikemen Sugidesu Shiki-senpai!, Volume 2 (イケメンすぎです紫葵先パイ! ) 18 months after I reviewed Volume 1. It’s a shame this little two-volume series hasn’t been licensed, because it is really rather sweet and fluffy, like candy floss Yuri. ^_^

In Volume 1, we meet Hina who is kind of into Shiki-senpai who is just too cool for her shirt. And, by the end of Volume 1, we learn that Shiki-senpai is into Hina in return. A bit of a fever and circumstances leads to a kiss in the school health office.

In Volume 2, Shiki-senpai deals with her feelings and she and Hina begin to get closer. Until a wild plot complication comes riding up, and jumps between the two of them for a whole half a chapter! But don’t worry, they end up together as one had no doubt they would, because this is, as I said, a light, fluffy and sweet confection of a Yuri manga and nothing more.

That said, I kind of liked it. ^_^ It was far too sweet to be a palate cleanser, but it made a nice fluffy brainless Yuri story to go to sleep on.  And Shiki-senpai really is just too cool. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7
Characters – 9
Story – 8
Service – 6 Shiki-senpai being cool is still a form of service. ^_^
Yuri – 9

Overall – 9

As I said in my review of volume 1, this series is just so sincere. It’s might not be to your taste, but I found it hard to dislike. ^_^





Tsukiatte Agetemo Iikana, Volume 5 (付き合ってあげてもいいかな)

January 13th, 2021

As a reviewer, I understand that spoilers are sometimes unavoidable in order to make a review make sense. As a reader, I don’t particularly mind spoilers…until I do. But I am really in a bind here, trying to review Tsukiatte Agetemo Iikana, Volume 5 (付き合ってあげてもいいかな) without giving anything away. I mean like…I can’t comment on the things that happened, because I couldn’t comment on the things that happened previously to them that made them important. OR why. Or the fallout. Or basically anything. Aaaaarrrghhh!

Some things that happened in Volume 4 turn out to have a long tail and some other stuff happens because of those things. And then….some other things happen with people whose roles in the story has changed and absolutely nothing is anything I can talk about until you’ve read at least through Volume 3, which won’t be for a while, since How Do We Relationship, Volume 2 just came out last month and literally anything I could say about any of it would be a huge enough spoiler that I don’t want to mention anything.

I can say this – I have a lot of complicated feelings about this series. I liked Saeko and Miwa, then I didn’t like Miwa, then I didn’t like both of them and now I am once again coming around to liking them for entirely different reasons. They are vastly more three-dimensional now than they were in Volume 1, and the entire story has gone in directions I never expected, could not have predicted and it is a MUCH better story for all of it.

Watching both Miwa and Saeko deal with stuff has been an interesting situation for me. There’s a great deal of the character building that feels wholly real and some that seems ripped straight from a soap opera plot. But, ultimately whether the story is informed by fact or wholly fiction, I’m going to give Tamifull full props for writing a story that I can’t stop reading, even when I’m not sure it’s going to…ack, spoilers!

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 More complicated with every volume
Characters – 7 I’m still rooting for everyone
Yuri – 7 / LGBTQ – 6 It’s getting queerer, again
Service – 5

Overall – 8

Recently someone asked me for a “messy relationship” story I can recommend. I guess…this is it. ^_^