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Yuri Network News (百合ネットワークニュース) – January 24, 2014

January 25th, 2014

YNN_MariK

Yuri Anime

I have no idea if this is worth the money, but I’m definitely gonna get  it anyway. You know how non-nostalgic I am, but a CardCaptor Sakura Blu-ray set sounds pretty sweet. Three sets, in fact. Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3.

Creator Heather Campbell shared this with me on Twitter and I am compelled to share it with you. “In the tradition of Utena, Project A-Ko, Oniisama E, Sailor Moon, Mai Hime, Kill la Kill, and Sakura Trick, comes Schoolgirl Crush! Kim Kimiko is a poor transfer student who discovers the real meaning of power when she battles rich girl Lucia Goch. This is class warfare! This is love! This is schoolgirls fighting schoolgirls over schoolgirls!” It was awesome. ^_^

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Yuri Manga

Squee.

YNN Correspondent Rob is excited to let you know that Ren Books is releasing Aoi Hana in Italy.

The March 2014 issue of Comic Yuri Hime is up for preorder.

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Other News

DC is pairing up two wrongs and hopes we all think it’s right  – or  – crazy bitches are bisexual.

Here’s another take on the gender-neutral character of Hange from Attack on Titan.

Check out the previews of the tracks of the Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary Tribute Album. I did and I ordered it anyway.  ^_^

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That’s a wrap for this week! Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge. Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!





Yuri Manga: Yuri☆Koi Girls Love Story, Volume 2 (百合☆恋)

January 24th, 2014

A few weeks ago, I reviewed  Yuri☆Koi Girls Love Story, Volume 1 , a Yuri anthology in which I found basically one good story. Today, we take a look at Yuri☆Koi Girls Love Story, Volume 2 (百合☆恋), in which there is only one good story….and it becomes substantially less good.

In the second chapter of “Yuri ni Tanpopo” we learn more about Mizuho – how she’s a good girl, honor student, reliable and all those other horribly burdensome qualities that society praises, but does not reward. We also learn that Mizuho and Ena have been going out since Ena confessed her feelings. Inexplicably, this becomes a crisis. Kanae reacts as if Mizuho had said they were going out since Ena killed Mizuho’s dog or something. Mizuho acts like it’s a shameful secret and Ena overhears this conversation. It’s all awkward tension that night between the three of them and the next morning, Ena’s gone. I’m left with a story revolving around a plot complication that seems of no importance to me whatsoever and I have no idea why. Everyone’s unhappy, me and the characters…

There were, surprisingly, a few other readable stories, most of which stayed in that “discovering love” phase so beloved of doujinshi artists and fanfic writers.

The rest of the stories were the more typical unrealistic fetishtry one excepts from a Yuri anthology.

Now I’m in a quandry. Do I get get Volume 3, knowing that 1) I am only getting it for one story that 2) will probably suck, or do I give up on the series completely? I guess I’ll just punt like I did on the last two volumes and stick it on my Yuri Wish List on Amazon JP and feel like  failure for not being able to just stop.  ^_^;

Ratings:

Overall –  Frustrating, with moments of okay.

My very sincere thank to Okazu Superhero Dan P. for facilitating my passive-aggressive relationship with this series by sponsoring today’s review!





Question for Okazu Readers

January 22nd, 2014

Would you be interested in an Okazu video blog segment? I could highlight an older series or just chat about stuff. Let me know in the comments if you’d watch it.





Yuri Anime: Aoi Hana Blu-ray Box Set (青い花 Blu-ray BOX)

January 21st, 2014

Last week, my computer died. Blue Screens of Death and repeated systems failures…it was so nostalgic. I hadn’t had a computer do that since, oh, 2003 or so. I’m pretty sure what finally broke the camel’s back was this BD set. ^_^ The BD software I had came with the computer. It was ass from the get-go and when I put this Blu-ray in, I think it died trying to play it. One OS reinstallation later, and a new bit of BD software and we’re good to go. I learned something important while my computer was dying. When your computer is crashing, you really learn what is important to you. Thankfully, I keep pretty good backups. Let this be a reminder to you to back your computer up. ^_^

The Aoi Hana Blu-ray Box Set (青い花 Blu-ray BOX) is absolutely for super-fans of the series or obsessive videophiles. It has nearly no extras of any kind, just a small pamphlet with character bios and art from the individual disc covers (most of which we received in the pamphlet released as an extra with the English-language box set from RightStuf. )

What you do get is beautiful visuals made even more beautiful. The quality of the light through the leaves as A-chan walks to school, or the way the sun filters through windows is, honestly, mesmerizing.

No new video content is included and as this is a Japanese release only, there are no subtitles. But, after watching the anime so many times and reading and re-reading the first volume, I was able to understand the words without difficulty. It’s not particularly complex dialogue, you have to admit.

Let me take a moment and talk up iDeer. When I was rebuilding my hard drive, I looked for a slim media player that would play DVD/BD and data files. iDeer has a trial, so I was able to take it for a spin. Not only did it play my American BDs and Japanese BDs well, it had no trouble with DVDs or .avis.  They’re having a sale right now and I’m totally behind paying for what I use, so I coughed up a mere $50 for the “lifetime” (hahahahah!) updates. So far, it’s been about a million times better than any previous DVD/BD player software I’ve had. Faster, no cloggy home screens, easy to understand menus. I hate wasting time with tech when all I want to do is watch a thing. If you like futzing, this might be too easy for you. ^_^

So, other than the small technicality that trying to play this set originally killed my computer (which was totally the fault of the software, not the disk) this box set was fantastic. Gorgeous in every way and a lovely addition to my collection.

Ratings:

Art – 10 That’s why you’d get it
Story – 10
Characters – 10
Yuri – 8
Service – 3

Overall – 10

Everything else remains as it has always been, with the addition of the extra lovely art.

Thanks to James W. for making this review possible!





Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica Homura Revenge! Manga, Volume 1 (魔法少女まどか☆マギカ ほむらリベンジ!)

January 19th, 2014

Just when you begin to think there’s really not much more to say about Madoka and Homura, you pick this manga up and find that you were wrong. Puella Magi Madoka☆ Magica Homura Revenge!, Volume 1　(魔法少女まどか☆マギカ ほむらリベンジ!) had some interesting elements.

The story begins with Homura (as we are first introduced to her in the TV series) full of dread and hope at starting another cycle of the story. Only this time, something is very, very different. After Homura has introduced herself to the class, Madoka stands up, shouts her name and comes running up to her. Homura has no idea what to make of it – this has never happened before.

Madoka explains that she remembers everything – like everything everything. And this time, she too is determined to save everyone before tragedy overtakes them. She suggests that what they need to do is pinpoint the moments when things went wrong for Mami and Sayaka and if they change those  moments just enough they can ward off the seemingly inevitable end.

What they don’t account for is Kyuubey’s interference. He’s always pretended non-involvement, but realistically, he needs the conflict to continue. He’s not getting himself involved in the fight between the magical girls and the witches, but he is willing to fight Homura and Madoka to retain the status quo.

The reworking of this story actually added  a new edge to the plot. Is it enough that both Madoka and Homura are fighting against the pre-set script? Frankly, I’m not sure. Not with Kyuubey forcing rule changes. But I’m going to read the next volume and hope that the committee that is churning out Madoka-franchise stories had a decent ending in mind for this one.

Ratings:

Art – Same as all the Madoka art. Blobby heads, stylized violence, more details to the backgrounds than the characters. 6
Story – 7 Pretty good opening, but sort of slips into old patterns as it goes on.
Characters – Mami, Sayaka and Kyouko are already caricatures of themselves before the book starts. I’m not sure we’ll ever get them back.
Yuri – 1 Homura’s feelings take a back seat to the plot, we just have to assume she feels the same way about Madoka.
Service – 2 Not too bad. Even the guro is toned down.

Overall – a strong 7, but my opinion could change if the next volume bites.

Typically, Madoka and Homura are playing by rules that Kyuubey doesn’t honor. The original story was a logic problem. I wonder what this one will be?