Event News

I’m at MoCCA Fest today, enjoying the buzz from being around so many people with enthusiasm and creativity and a genuine desire to expand the art and craft of comics in every way possible. The guest slate include a lot of female comic artists – and the folks tabling will represent just how diverse and fascinating New York City is. This even has become a real must-go event for me. I’ll hope to see you there!

Next week I will be at Kean University’s Tower Con, doing a panel/presentation.

In May, I will be moderating at Queers & Comics, the academic LGBTQ Comics event in NYC. I am incredibly excited for this one!

Toronto Comics Arts Festival, which is cool and fun and queer and diverse and awesome in a million ways is also in May in, duh, Toronto the same weekend as Queer& Comics.

I will be presenting a panel on Crowdfunding for Fun and Profit at AnimeNEXT in Somerset, NJ in June.

And while I am not sure I’ll be able to make it as it’s the same weekend as AnimeNEXT, Flame-con, NYC’s first LGBTQ comic-con is also in June in New York City. I’m hoping to check it out for at least one day.

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Yuri Anime

A second season of Sailor Moon Crystal has been approved. Although we have no details as of yet, the first season covered the first 4 volumes of the manga, ie., the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon arcs, it stands to reason that the second season will begin with the Death Busters arc and the screaming of millions of Haruka and Michiru fangirls.

That having been said, bear in mind one major fact – in the manga, Haruka and Michiru are still not out as a couple. As with the original anime, they tend to prevaricate about their relationship. Crystal has shown no sign of deviating from the manga so far, so expect it to both more and less queer at the same time.

ANN Reports that a new Aria anime, Aria the Avvenire has been announced and the trailer is up for you to view.

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Yuri Manga

Annon-kun has written in with big news for Rakka Ryuusui fans. Volume 9, the final volume, hit streets in Japan at the end of last month. He tells us that the final count for the series is 5 Yuri couples!  Folks in Japan have a chance to purchase some limited edition artwork with the last volume from assorted stores, mostly featuring the main couple (Akiho and Minatsu).

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Webcomics and Kickstarters

YNN Correspondent Rob points out that Fresh Romance Kickstarter, which is already past its’s initial goal is reviving romance comics for a diverse audience that is ready to welcome old and new comics styles. Romance comics were hugely popular in the mid-20th century and slowly, as the Comics Code and culture shift towards to TV eroded their reader base, they just sort of died out, although I remember them from my youth.

YNN Correspondent Jin writes in to let us know about these two webcomics from outside Japan: In this Korean Yuri story, the girls are college age and check out this Chinese GL comic.

Via Senior YNN Correspondent Erin S. is this cute 1950’s style comic by CherriArt, Rock and Riot.(Originally called Greaser Wars.)

Kate Leth has this comic on the importance of representation in comics, Stronger Than You.

Erin S also offers up this comic about “robots and school crushes” by Madeleine.

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Other News

Because we haven’t had a YNN report in a little while, you may have missed the big news out of Japan. YNN Correspondent Simon B wants to make sure you know that Shibuya Ward in Tokyo passed a law granting same-sex couples a marriage-like certificate. It is the first place in Japan to do so and will hopefully be the first step forward towards marriage equality in the future. Here’s a Japanese language news report on this momentous event.

Foxy Lady Ayame, who has been a guest reviewer here, has this article on Same-Sex Desire  and Unions in Kaoru Miki’s A Bride’s Story.

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Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? 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!

Big ole link dump today, I’m out doing something weirder than any of you can possibly imagine. ^_^

This is some amazing news – Comic Yuri Hime is launching a Chinese-language online edition, says Comic Natalie. Wowza! How cool is that?

Our dear friend and amazing artist, Rica Takashima has an upcoming art exhibit at FLOW 15, New York’s Randall Island’s art and music festival. Called  El Barrio Comes in All Colors, Shapes and Sizes the artwork blends her Manga aesthetic with Puerto Rican colors and motifs inspired by the artist’s exploration of East Harlem’s El Barrio.

YNN Correspondent Joel K writes it to let us point to CNN’s news that the ‘Star Wars’ universe gets it’s first gay character.

Kickstarter watch pulls up Love in All Forms: The Big Book of Growing Up Queer by Serafina Dwyer, which is an An anthology of children’s comics about kids aged 5-12 who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and more. It’s got 9 days to go.

And a bunch of YNN Correspondents wants us to be aware of Kickstarter for Cassius, described by YNN Corresponent, Elizabeth F. as “Roman lesbians kicking ass.” ^_^

On Crunchyroll News, Komatsu-san reports on the newest member of the Nanoha anime franchise, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid, which premiers on April 3rd in Japan.

Huffington Post has a post on 18 queer comics artists you ought to know. I’m pleased as can be that we here at Okazu count several of them as friends!

Prism Comics invites all queer comic creators and publishers to submit information and art for promotion in The Queer Comics Showcase.

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Senior YNN Correspondent Erin S. shares this link to a comic about being queer, on LeslieLuMarie.

YNN Correspondent Bruce P wants to point out a terrific reference work on Kindle: Becoming Modern Women: Love and Female Identity in Prewar Japanese Literature and Culture by Michiko Suzuki. Yoshiya Nobuko is covered. I remember Ms. Suzuki doing some work on Yoshiya in the early 2000’s, so it’ll be interesting to read this. It, like other non-fictions of it’s kind are available on the Yuri Literature page on the new Yuricon Shop.

Speaking of Yuri scholarship, we have a new translation from Eureka’s “Current State of Yuri Culture”  available to Patrons of Okazu. If you want access, become a patron and we’ll send you the password to the page.And you’ll get my undying devotion and friendship.

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Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? 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 Anime

ANN says that the cast and staff of Yuru Yuri‘s 3rd season has been revealed. ANN also notes that Yuru Yuri characters are making an appearance in a new PS Vita game, Miracle Girls Festival . Komatsu-san over at Crunchyroll informs us that the third season’s name has been confirmed as Yuruyuri San☆Hai!  On Twitter, user shinonome_rs shared these pictures of Yuru Yuri-posters at the Anime Japan event.

Still mining ANN for news – here’s a second commercial for Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid anime, which is starting up on April 3rd.

ANN reports that Funimation has announced the Yuri Kuma Arashi dub cast for their Funimation channel broadcast.

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Yuri Manga

YNN Correspondent Shannon L wrote in to let us know that Morinaga Milk is starting up a new series in Comic High! called Hana to Hina ha Houkago. Based on the description, the potential for icky service sounds awfully high, but no doubt Seven Seas will get it.

Yuri Event

On April 19, Mezase! Yuritopia 2, a Yuri-doujinshi event focusing on Yuri VN Okujou no Yuri Yurei-san (屋上の百合霊さん) will be held in Kawasaki.

LGBTQ Kickstarter News

Yuri Monogatari contributor Niki Smith is proud to announce that she is part of  a queer sci fi/fantasy anthology called Beyond! With just under a month to go, they’ve hit their goal, but it’s still on my list to contribute to. The list of contributors is a  queer webcomic Who’s Who. ^_^

Other News

Komatsu-san over at  Crunchyroll has an interesting report on the Japanese Government’s ongoing efforts to crack down on piracy. The Manga-Anime Guardians page creators Content Overseas Distributor Association (CODA) releases numbers detailing their efforts.

The creator of Modest Medusa has offered up a sweet little Korra x Asami bit of fanart on his Patreon page.

Denny’s weird-ass commercial series The Grand Slams, gives us…gay sausages. Of course they are.

Someone has created a Strawberry Shake Sweet animated short video with voices. Hayashiya Shizuru-sensei herself was posting it on twitter, so I guess she thought it amusing. ^_^

Win a pair of tickets to see the musical Fun Home, based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel.

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Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? 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

The May issue of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫 2015年 05 月号) hits the shelves in Japan next week.

Ichijinsha is releasing Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san, Volume 4 (犬神さんと猫山さん)by Kuzushiro from Yuri Hime Comics. Also by Kuzushiro, from the Rex Comics imprint,  Kyou mo Futari ha Nakayoshi desu.(今日も2人は仲良しです).

Ichinjinsha is a busy group – they are pounding out Yuri collections from creators not (yet) writing for Comic Yuri Hime,  A quick glance at the artists’ works and and based only on the titles of a few coming out soon, I gather these will be more adult in nature, but moe in style. I point this out because if you are shipping these, wait to see what the covers look like before you decide – adult content + moe art is, perhaps, not always a wise choice to put in the mail:

Ai Rabu Yuu Yori Aishiteru (愛羅武勇より愛してる) by Kumichou.

Naturize – (ナチュリーズ) by Aoto Hibiki.

XXX shita hodo Kawai Kimi ga (×××したいほど可愛い君が) by Kazuga Sunao.

Tosaku Shoujo Shoukogun (倒錯少女症候群)

Of special note is a two-part comic based on the popular Yuri visual novel, Okujou no Yuri Yurei-san. From Liar Soft and Itou Hachi we get Okujou no Yuri Yurei-san SIDE A Mou Hitotsu no Yuritopia (屋上の百合霊さんSIDE A もうひとつのユリトピア ) and Okujou no Yuri Yurei-san SIDE B Nakayoshi Quiz (屋上の百合霊さんSIDE B 仲良しクイズ). Especially notable, these are being published by Shinsokan under the Hirari imprint, which happily, does not seem to be dead just yet. ^_^

And again another Kuzushiro title, Volume 5 of Kimi no Tamenara Shineru (姫のためなら死ねる) her Heian gag comedy series, from Bamboo Comics.

Before I forget, one more popular Yuri manga artist is trying her hand with digital comics on Note.mu. You can find Momono Moto‘s (Rainy Song) work there.

And for our Polish readers, Morinaga Milk’s GIRL FRIENDS, Volume 3 is out this month from Studio JG!

Via Senior YNN Correspondent Erin S., “a short comic about witches and wishes and wanting things” which I found to be delightful. ^_^

Here’s a new Kickstarter for Love In All Forms: The Big Book of Growing Up Queer. It’s about a third of the way to funding, and a mere $7 will get you a DRM-free pdf of the book. That’s a good deal.

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Yuri Anime

Any number of people rushed to point out the news that a 3rd season of Yuri Yuri anime has gotten the go sign. (So many folks mentioned it that I can’t credit all the YNN correspondents who caught this, but thank you all!)

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Other News

Comic Book Resources is looking for your thoughts on the Top 50 Female Comic Writers and Artists of All Time!

Sailor Moon-inspired desserts.

A Sailor Moon Crystal Character song album, (美少女戦士セーラームーンCrystal キャラクター音楽集Crystal Collection) is being released which, I have to be honest, I will buy without even caring what the songs are like. ^_^ I have all the others, why should this one be different?

Our friend Rica Takashima has announced that she’ll be creating some art specifically for the Queers & Comics conference in May in NYC. I hope you can join us – it’s going to be an *amazing* event. Follow the event on Twitter for updates.

Let’s wrap this up with a little light reading: Shōjo Manga Research: The Legacy of Women Critics and Their Gender-Based Approach by Masafumi Monden.

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Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? 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!