Thinking About Comics Deeply

Ash Brown over at Experiments in Manga put together a look at a lecture on Queer Theory, Japanese Literature and Translation that is worth talking a look at if that kind of thing appeals to you.

Brigid Alverson has written up a nicely comprehensive overview of Carol Tilley’s panel at NYCC about the secret history of comics censorship in the USA over at CBR.

Erin at Gagging on Sexism has written a thoughtful look at Gender Roles in Attack on Titan.

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Yuri Manga

I’ll keep beating this drum until you’ve all bought a copy ^_^ – Aoi Hana Volume 8, (青い花) the final volume of the series, is out. A review will be coming soon.

Mano Moto’s Rainy Song (レイニーソング) has hit the shelves and I can definitely say her work this time has exceeded her debut volume.  I’ve hardly wanted to slap any of her characters recently.

Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫) for November is already out, and the January issue is available for pre-order.

On the Hirari side, Shuuden ni ha Kaeshimasu (終電にはかえします) by Akure Gido will be out next month, along with Kireina Ano Ko (きれいなあのこ) by Yoshidamaru Yuu, and Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, Volume 12 (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり).

XO Comics is joining the Yuri fray with Ashita Mata Kimi no Uchi e (明日また君の家へ). Moe art, who knows what kind of story. Looks like the book is a collection of Kuropa U’s digital comics.

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Yuri Light Novels

For those of you who are looking for reading material to pass the time in public places, if Adachi to Shimamura, Volume 2 (安達としまむら) doesn’t appeal to you, you can try Yuri Gra-doru Yui: Forbidden Girls Love (百合グラドル・優衣 禁断ガールズラブ) A “Gra-doru” is a gravure idol, one of those bikini-clad girls on the cover of men’s manga magazines one sees in convenience stores in Japan.

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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!

It’s been a while since the last YNN, what with me being in Japan and at NYCC. Well here we are once again. Let’s take a look what’s happened in the last few weeks! We’re going with “Random data dump format” as I play catch up.

YNN Correspondent Joel K wanted to bring this fact to your attention: Disney has announced that the character of Mulan in their Once Upon A Time series is bisexual. Yes, that Mulan and that Disney. The article and clip contained within are worth your time.

Prism Comics announces their Queer Press Grant recipient for 2013 – Hazel Newlevant‘s Dance the Blues, and If This Be Sin, which look at queer women expressing themselves through blues music.

This video is not comics, manga or publishing related, but this spoken word piece Shrinking Women by Lily Myers probably best expresses the one thing I want to teach girls  – every girl should take up all the space in the world that she needs to thrive and never once apologize for that.

There was one LGBTQ-themed panel at NYCC, hosted by GeeksOut. Here’s Bleeding Cool’s report on the panel.

There are 3 weeks remaining to fund Dear Brother on AnimeSols. Let’s make this happen, shall we?

Dallas Middaugh of Kodansha USA confirmed that the new Sailor Moon anime will be streaming the winter on Nico Nico Douga (registration is required) and will appear subtitled in 10 languages. Now that we know we can all see it…all we have to worry about is everything else. ^_^

I can’t be sure, but I think I saw this – Bandai has a grown-up (i.e. expensive) version of Sailor Moon’s 1992 moon stick, the Proplica, with Mitsuishi Kotono’s voice as Sailor Moon. Okay, here’s my thought on her voicing Usagi. She’s now done this and the commercial for the S.H. Figuarts figure. If you were her and they asked you to voice the toys, but not the actual character, you’d say “stuff it.” wouldn’t you? I think she’s in. ^_^

Get out the tissues…Media Blasters has delayed Rio Rainbow Gate until 2014. And it looks like Funimation has picked up Ikkitousen: Great Guardians in their place. I quite liked GG, especially when I ignored the entire story and rewrote everything I was watching to suit my own needs. Otherwise it was pretty terrible. ^_^

Go Nagai’s Cutey Honey vs Devilman manga is wrapping up and I totally, completely, forgot to look for it while in Japan. OTOH, I’ve retained what’s left of my soul by not buying a Champion magazine, so phew.

Bandai is selling Sailor Moon and Madoka Magica chocolates for the otaku in your life.

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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 

Via a ton of YNN Correspondents (thanks Shannon, Jin, Jst and everyone!) Scott Green from Crunchyroll noticed that One Peace Books’ has solicited Sasameki Koto on Amazon for a May 2014 release. The English title will be Whispered Words. I’ve already spoken with the publisher and I hope to have some more details from them in days ahead!

For those of you who liked Oshima Towa’s High School Girls/Joshi Kousei, by which I mean Sean, her new series, Joshikou Seifuku Biyori Shunka Haru Natsu (女子高制服日和 春夏), looks similar.

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Other Comic News

From YNN Correspondent Erin S. here is a lovely little comic allegory about gender diversity, Gender Tapas.

Brigid Alverson has a nice piece on the relaunch of the comic Princeless, “a kid-friendly tale of a strong girl who defies authority and has swashbuckling adventures.”

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Anime News

Diskotek Media is putting out the original Cutie Honey TV Series. Marvel at the first anime superheroine to not need a man (and who would have been more effective if the guys stayed out of the way, honestly. ^_^;)

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Other News

Here’s all the Sailor Moon/My Little Pony mashups from HeyLookASign. Notice Uranus and Neptune snuggly close. ^_^

Today’s Sailor Moon-themed makeup is “Miracle Romance” Eyeliner and Moon Wand lipstick. And stick-on nails.

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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!

Random Comic Stuff

Eisner award winning comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis has had it up to here with fans who think that being slightly less sexist means ruining comics. If you want to feel good about the future of comics (and are so done with the MacFarlanes and Krahuliks of the industry), read Bendis’ response to a complaint that adding more female characters takes away from the guys…and his response to a female fan who thanks him for his support. It warmed the cockles of my heart and is a great way to start today’s Yuri News.

Jeff Vogel has some really important and funny points to make about reviewing and criticism in entertainment industries. I weighed his post and it has 876 Smarts, so it is worth reading.

Here’s a fun new Kickstarter – A lesbian sex guide in comic form, Girl Sex 101. . It’s already made it’s goal with almost a month left. It’s always fun to back something unique. ^_^

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Live Action Yuri-ishness

The first episode of Shiromajo Gakuen: Innocent Lillies is streaming on Viki.com. English subtitles are up, other languages to follow. It’s a low budget hack job, with  6 minutes of service per 13-minute episodes, but it’s fun. What really made the first episode work for me was the advert for a local Catholic school during the commercial break. I almost snorted my drink all over my keyboard. ^_^

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Yuri Anime

YNN Correspondent Vivi C. has some interesting news to share: “It was recently revealed that the on-going manga Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha is going to get an anime adaption – and that it’s going to air in January 2014. The main plot of Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha is not Yuri-related, but the protagonist girl befriends a girl called Sumizome Akemi, who develops feelings for the protagonist’s best friend, Sanjou Keikou. Her feelings are not played for laughs or anything, on the contrary, it’s been rather heart-wrenching to watch her because so far, Sanjou only has eyes for the protagonist girl, Fushimi Inari. There’s going to be some progress soon, though, with Sumizome confessing her feelings twice (in front of other people) and Sanjou accidentally overhearing the second confession. I’m not sure how much is going to be adapted in the anime.”

We’ll have to keep an eye out for that, Vivi, thanks! (Fushimi Inari…really?!)

Viz’ streaming service, Neon Alley, will begin showing the Revolutionary Girl Utena anime (English dub) this fall.

Aniplex USA has picked up the home video license to Vividred Operation.

The first key visual for the second season of Psycho-Pass has been posted.

Casting news for the upcoming Sakura Trick anime has been announced.

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More Random Stuff

David Cabrera wrote a really fun, rather detailed review of the new S.H. Figuarts Sailor Moon figurine.

Here’s this week’s Sailor Moon/My Little Pony mashup – Sailor Neptune!

Following on the news that I’ll be lecturing at Kanagawa University in October, in November, I’m lecturing at Harvard University. This one isn’t open, I’m afraid, but I’ll report back, of course.

I *hope* to be at New York Comic Con, but the timing is a bit off for me. Whether I’m there or not, do stop by the GeeksOut table and say hi Rica Takashima who is working on a 13+ version of Tokyo Love for a Teen LGBTQ group.

Sony is releasing limited edition Madoka-themed Walkman designs, I am unlikely to be able to get one. I’m just never dedicated enough. ^_^

Pixiv and Ikuhara Kunihiko ran a Revolutionary Girl Utena art contest. Scott Green over at Crunchyroll has details and links to winning art.

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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!

So much fantastic news this week!

Yuri Event

It’s 98% certain at this point, so I’m going to go ahead an announce it – I will be doing a lecture at Kanagawa University on October 8th. The lecture should be open to the public, so if you are (or plan to be) in or near enough to Yokohama that day, I’d love to see you there! I don’t have details, yet. But I hope to have them soon.

Relevant to our interests, I am planning a pilgrimage to Yoshiya Nobuko’s house while in Japan this time. I want to pay my respects to the woman whose work gave birth to the genre we love.

If you’re in the Tokyo area at the end of this month, don’t miss Yuri doujinshi event Girls Love Fest.

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Yuri Anime

Via YNN Correspondent Shannon L, ANN reports that a second season and a film have been announced for Psycho-Pass.

Last week, Tumblr flipped out over what some people presumed were new character designs for the Sailor Moon anime. They weren’t. It was doujinshi by makacoon – but really well designed and we can only hope the real thing is that good. So here’s what I want you to realize – This is the official Sailormoon Channel, always check there first. If it is not listed there, it is not real. And don’t listen to Tumblr – it’s always slightly hysterical and never has proper attribution. ^_^

A couple of people wrote in to let you know that Maria-sama ga Miteru anime is now showing on Hulu.com. I clicked the link to copy it and watched three episodes. Sucker. ^_^

The first teaser for the Bodacious Space Pirates movie is streaming.

NIS America is scheduling a “Premium” release for Yuru Yuri Season 2 anime .

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Other News

Alison Bechdel’s genius autobiographical comic, Fun Home, has been made into a musical. If  any Okazu readers manage to make a performance, please consider writing a report for us!

For Labor Day, a number of artists portrayed comic heroines as the iconic Rosie the Riveter.

This is real-world news, but if you are in a serious same-sex relationship in the US, the Treasury Dept. has announced that all same-sex couples married in a state that has legal same-sex marriage can file jointly for federal taxes.  The benefits will based on where you get married (i.e., one of the 13 states that has legal SSM, not civil unions or domestic partnerships) regardless if the state you live in recognizes that marriage or not. This ruling will also affect Medicare, Social Security and other Federal benefits.

The folks at Manga Reborn look to officially translate 10 never before in English titles with this Kickstarter. Of course I backed this project. ^_^

Here’s a glimpse at what the My Little Pony manga looks like.

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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!