Nothing makes me so aware of time flying as these weekly reports. End of January already? Wow.

Yuri Manga

Sasamekikoto, Volume 9 (ささめきこと)　is finally here! I haven’t paid the least attention to anyone discussing it, and the cover is lovely, so I’ll look forward to it. (Anyone who thinks to try and spoil it for me or anyone else in the comments, a pox upon you. It’s not clever or funny and I read fast, so it won’t work, either. I will see your linguistic clues and delete it before you can be an ass in public. You’re welcome.)

Another from Mangatime Kirara, Onegai Kami-sama (おお願い神サマ！) has, to Japanese fans’ relief, Yuri. Or at least one characters says she likes Yuri. Or something. Anyway, I’m not reading this myself, and if any of you lovely folks out there has purchased Volume 1 or Volume 2 and would like to do a guest review, this is a great opportunity!

Speaking of Magatime Kirara and all it’s little wizards, a couple of folks pointed out that Aoki Ume’s new series will begin in the newest addition to the Mangatime library, Mangatime Kirara Carino.

If you, unlike me, enjoyed Kiji Torajiro’s Otome Teikoku (オトメの帝国) you’ll probably be happy to know that a second volume is out.

The new edition of Morinaga Milk’s Kuchibiru Tameiki Sakurairo (くちびるためいきさくらいろ) is due to hit shelves in April.

Volume 7 of Pure Virual Anthology Hirari (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり) will be out in March, Tsubomi, Volume 16, in February and March issue of Comic Yuri Hime is currently gracing Japanese bookstore shelves.

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Yuri Anime

You may have seen that Gokujyou anime airings are being cancelled, with really bizarre apologies for “excessive stupidity.” This is clearly a ploy to get people to buy the DVDs – but the apology is absolutely correct. This series was excessively stupid in every way. I realize that this is a lame, obvious ploy, but it’s so in keeping with the story itself, it kind of makes sense.

Let’s finish off with some positive news and a glimpse at a future I’d like to see. The Black Rock Shooter anime, in conjunction with Nico Nico Douga, will stream *worldwide* in 8 languages, and will be airing on the Noitamina time slot on Japanese TV.

I know it’s hard to imagine that things are changing for the positive sometimes, when all that affects you is the negative, but there is nothing absolute or fixed in the universe – only change.

Let me take this opportunity to hop back up on my sopabox, just for a sec. Recently, a fan asked about whether Fantagraphics is licensing Aoi Hana. I suggested she write them an ask. They said, “not at this time” and she wrote to me with “I guess we’ll never get it.”

This is not the right lesson to have learned at all.

What she and so many of you must understand is, publishing is about money – it’s a numbers game. Sure if five people say they’d like to buy Aoi Hana, Fantagraphics will reply “not at this time.” That is true – right now, they have their hands full with other projects. When that number increases to 500, 5000, 10,000…that might change. The lesson is – do not give up, do not got all weird and fatalistic, *organize!* When 5000 people write Fantagraphics a polite note suggesting that if they licensed Aoi Hana, we’d buy it, I guarantee they’ll think differently about the topic.

The only constant is change. learn to roll with it and you’ll generally be a happier, healthier person. In the meantime, get ready to enjoy Black Rock Shooter in 8 languages. ^_^

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That wraps it up 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.

Yuri Anime

From multiple sources in the Phillipines comes the news that Sailor Moon is returning to TV there. Johann C from the Yuricon Mailing List says that it’s getting “a New Tagalog dub with Jenny Bituin (Misaki Suzuhara in Angelic Layer, Sakura Kinomoto in Card Captor Sakura) as Usagi.”

The first episode of Gokujyouu anime will be streamed for free online on January 30th and if that doesn’t turn you off then we have nothing left to discuss, you and I.

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Yuri Manga

So, yesterday we announced the partnership of JManga and ALC Publishing to bring Goto Hayako’s POOR POOR LIPS to digital format. Let me address some of the obvious issues that came up, to the best of my ability.

Distribution – I am pushing to try and get JManga to establish access for Yuri publications outside North America, but this is primarily an issue between JManga and the Japanese rights holder. You all know how I feel about this nonsense. If it were up to me, everyone, everywhere would have access to this book. Unfortunately, I am only in a position to suggest.

Digital Format – Yes, this is a digital format only. And only on JManga. JManga is the rights holder, not ALC. We have no say about the format.

Yesterday, this question became an issue, as some people claimed that they preferred to buy books. That may be true, but 1) As I’ve said many times, the book-buying Yuri audience is not yet sustainable and 2) Digital makes a lot more sense going forward than books. We are at one of those moments in time, between two formats and everyone over the age of 18 is digging in their heels saying “But I prefer books.” What we really mean is, “I am used to books.” Digital is not going away and, in days to come you should probably expect more digital, not less. 3) People who rely mostly on scans really, I know most of you do (not all, Okazu readers are very likely to buy when they can and I know that!) really have no voice in the distribution/format wars. I understand fully why you rely on scanlations. You don’t have to justify that. But, when a legit version is available, and a person is still downloading illicit scanlations, and says, “I prefer to buy books,” it’s disingenuous, at best. What that person is really saying is, “I prefer free.”

4chan has already stated that they want rips of the JManga edition. This is what publishers hear when “fans” say “We want a thing.” They could have it, all three current volumes of Poor Poor Lips, but oh wait, not for free. So they’ll just rip it and move on. THIS is why I am not trying to license the print version. There’s no other reason, just this. Until this changes, I have no incentive to invest my money in the market. I don’t have an angel company pouring money over my head, so I have to be very cautious.

So, while I’m very proud to be bringing the Yuri audience Poor Poor Lips, and will do what I can to make it available to as many of you as possible, I’m still frustrated by the instant “I won’t buy it because…” reactions. If you have any reason at all that you won’t support it, you’ve given up your voice in the conversation. As for all of the non-North American fans out there – I want you to know that I really understand your frustration and will keep pushing for your right to read this!

And, in keeping with the concept of anyone, anywhere reading a comic, Tsubomi magazine has put several of their comics online and they do not appear to be region-locked! Of course, they are in Japanese.

Here’s the moral of the story – the market is still changing and changing quickly. Publishers are scrambling to make things available and also scrambling to pay their bills. (Like…if you do work, you should be paid for it. Well, so should the people who work for the publishers.) Japanese publishers are still a bit behind the times, but they are also doing their best. Not too long ago, someone on Twitter asked about using Kickstarter to fund an obscure series and I had to tell them the facts about publishing. The bits you see – translation, lettering and distribution are only a teeny portion of what goes into the licensing and publication of a book. Because most of the steps are invisible to readers, they may think that that’s all there is. But, just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. ^_^ So, please, be patient with the industry. We’re trying.

David makes a good point in the comments – the business model for JManga is off-putting for some folks. I don’t disagree. Honestly, I’d prefer to have ad hoc sales as an option, too. I’ve mentioned that to them as well. So yes, the whole thing is imperfect. You know what? Life is imperfect. ^_^ All we get is to choose how we react to life’s imperfections.

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That wraps it up 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.

Happy first YNN report of the New Year! It looks like there’ll be a lot of shiny fun for Yuri fans of all persuasions this year. Today we’ll catch up on some anime trailers and the like.

Yuri Anime

Looking forward to Black Rock Shooter anime? Check out the trailers on the official website. (I’m really hoping that this series looks half as good as all the figurines for this series, which tempted me mightily over the New Year holiday in every single store.)

The Smile! PreCure commercial has aired, take a look here.(NicoNico Douga is iffy, so if you have an account there, try logging in to see it.) The “difference” this time is that they are going with a team right out of the box, rather than two to start, then adding in a new character at intervals. They are also going with extra super teeth-grittingly cute names. I think they are punishing the adults who watch the series. Cure Happy, Cure Smile. Ugh. ^_^

Of great interest to me, the first Jormungand anime trailer is up on ANN, with the pleasant bonus of Itou Shizuka as Koko (She was Nadie in El Cazador de la Bruja and Rei in Maria-sama ga Miteru.) She’s a perfect choice for the role, I couldn’t be happier. And, while I say this knowing I should be careful what I wish for, I hope they leave the Valmet-Koko service in, because I like it. ^_^

Probably no more Yuri than its predecessors, but by Yuri-friendly Nanzaki Iku, Queen’s Blade: Rebellion is slated for a spring release.

Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, A Channel and Yuru Yuri are all getting second seasons of anime.

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Yuri Manga

JManga is now offering Morita-san ha Mukuchi for your reading enjoyment! The Yuri is very light in this series, but the overall story is enjoyable enough that it’s worth a read.

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Other News

Manga Erotics F magazine announced a line of toys this year, including an Ah-chan figurine, for fans of Aoi Hana.

And for those who like to take their Yuri in game form, the trailer for the upcoming Madoka Online Browser game is streaming.

I was joking on Twitter a few days back, about which series has been the most over-merchandised series of 2011. The top three suggestions were One Piece (which has got to have hit some kind of saturation point in Japan by now…there are no stores of any kind without One Piece *somethings*) K-ON! and Madoka.

My three favorite random branded items seen for these are:

Axe has One Piece body spray available, I can’t imagine what Luffy or Chopper body spray could smell like and I never tried to find out…

K-ON! themed “Fuwa Fuwa Time” cotton candy in a bag at Lawson.

Madoka men’s trunk underwear.

So, yeah, these three win.

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That wraps it up 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.

Hello Yuri Network! Some fun news ahead.

Yuri Drama CD

Katherine H. wanted to remind you that, should you buy the second volume of Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan, with the Drama CD, Blue Christmas, (which was great! Review forthcoming) there is a second bonus Drama CD, Maple Carol (which was also great!)

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Yuri Anime 

Namori’s Yuru Yuri is getting a second anime season. I’m not surprised and again note that this was, clearly, exactly the right series for Comic Yuri Hime to pick for it’s anime debut. The manga has gone on 8 volumes, so clearly there are people who like it. Nothing else in Comic Yuri Hime has run more than 3 volumes.

The English dubbed trailer for the Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica anime release is up for your viewing pleasure.

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Yuri Manga

Tomo K writes in to let us know about Matsumoto Tomoki’s プラナス・ガール “Prunus Girl.” She says ,
“The manga takes place in a senior high where boy meets girl, but girl turns out to be an 男の娘(a male who looks/acts totally female). In Vol. 2, the boy’s junior high friend transfers, and she declares to everyone that she likes girls.

In Vol. 4, the girl’s ex-gf transfers to the school as well, chasing the ex, and demands to know why the ex dumped her. In the end the two get back together, and the second girl declares that she’ll make her dad accept/congratulate them, no matter how many years it takes.

The series runs in Square Enix’s Monthly Gangan Joker.”

I wanted to mention a series that just started in Shodensha’s Feel Young magazine with a Yuri one-shot. Motomachi Natsuo’s 蜜ノ味 “Mitsu no Aji.” Aida is a plain-looking office lady, but after she meets a beautiful woman at a bar, and they begin a love affair, she begins to blossom. When she asks if they can move in together, the other woman says say yes but, when Aida-san goes to visit he that night, she learns that her lover has left without a word. Aida-san moves on with her life, but retains fond memories and a few relics in gesture and speech of the woman who changed her life.

Comic Yuri Hime, January 2012 volume (コミック百合姫) is available. New cover art, new cover story. No more girls with guns.

Tsubomi (つぼみ), Volume 15 is out now, with cover by Kurogane Kenn.

A third collection has been added to the 百合缶 series: Mielle, Feuille and now Petale. I’m not honestly overwhelmed by these. The first two are very generic Story A collections, we could be back in 2004 reading ES~ Eternals Sisters.

On the other hand, I know I’ve mentioned this, but really, run out and buy Takemiya Jin’s Seasons. Just do it. Don’t argue with me. I started reading it last night and it may well make it to my end of year Top Ten List.

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Other News

In other news, a Japanese-language magazine published in the NYC metro area, ENJOY, ran an interview with me in the December issue. Yuri Manga and festive meatloaves must have made an entertaining read.

This was the best interview I’ve ever had. Some items of note – we do discuss lesbian characters and stories, I talked about my “5th column” of manga magazines that don’t fit the 4 typical demographic categories.  And when I said “my wife” it was translated as「ワイフ」which was both funny and enraging. ^_^;;

If you can find a copy, and can read Japanese, take a look. It was a good time.

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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 Anime

ANN reports that Universal Studios Japan is hosting the K-ON! cast accompanying an installation of life-sized (but not realistically proportioned) statues of the characters. The K-ON! movie debuted today in Japan yesterday. ^_^ I’m pretty sure I heard the screaming over here.

If you’re around Ikebukuro at then end of the year, take a trip over to Sunshine City, where in the Cultural Hall you’ll find a Madoka Magica Exhibit. A map has been released with exhibit info. (The first time I ever walked into that space, there was a Sailor Moon festival going on. You cannot tell me there wasn’t a god involved with that. ^_^)

The 2nd Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha movie will have a summer release. I cannot wait. Sadly I won’t make it over there to see it, so will have to wait for the DVD release again. Boo-hoo.

And fans of Strike Witches will be thrilled to hear that the second Box Set will include an English dub and subtitles.

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Yuri Manga

Now this sounds a bit different, in a completely not different way – Centaur no Ayami ( セントールの悩み) is a typical highschool Yuri love story, starring magical creatures. The heroine is, as the title spoils, a centaur. If you’re a hooves and horns fan, this looks like a good bet. I’m on the fence about it, myself, so if you do get it and want to write a review, let me know!

Morita-san ha Mukuchi (森田さんは無口) is headed for a 5th volume.

Akira to Hiyori (アキラとひより) is two-volume Yuri love story by Kirihara Izumi. Volume 1 and
Volume 2 have been all over the Japanese Yuri lists.

OKS books is putting out an 18+ Yuri collection called Shiroyuri Girls Love Paradise (白百合Girls Love Paradise). This is explicitly (hah hah) targeted towards guys, so I’d expect lots of uncomfortable groping and bodily fluids, and less pleasant-looking sex.

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Yuri Game

Liar, the folks that brought us Sapphism no Gensou has a new Yuri game, Okujou no Yurirei-san. Erm, “Yuri Spirits on the Roof.” Cute art, I’d love to have a review of this too, if someone is planning on getting it.

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Other News

In a blatant attempt to prove that I really do read manga that has nothing at all to do with Yuri, I’ve written an article for Hooded Utilitarian this month that teaches you how to be a pretentious git about food and drink, the manga way: Eat, Drink, Read Manga.

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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!