Yuri Panel

Don’t forget, tomorrow, 5PM Eastern US time, log on to the Yuricon Live Stream Channel for the first ever Live Online Yuri panel! Bring questions, we’ll have time to take one or two questions by chat.

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Yuri Manga

Mahou to Houko to Kurobuchi (魔女とほうきと黒縁メガネ) seems a Hakamada Mera-esque story about a loli and the glasses-wearing girl she likes.

Tsubomi volume 18 (つぼみ) will be on sale in June. Joining the lineup is bb-sensei, who brought us A Channel. As you might imagine, I’m just thrilled. -_-;

I’ve mentioned this before here, but Eden of Xeno, a Yuri-themed online doujinshi magazine, also has a blog by the CEO, Nakayoshi Tomino, (who is a really swell person, btw!)

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Yuri Anime

Squee! New trailer for Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha As the 2nd movie.

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Other News

Well, it’s official. The audience of Yuri Danshi is the editor-in-chief of Comic Yuri Hime. They’ve launched a Yuri Danshi Character Song and Drama CD as a deluxe edition of Volume 2, with a web page for the series. That explains that.

Speaking of “that explains that” YuruYuri is doing a woman-only event on May26 (oh, sorry, “girl”-only…) But it’ll be streamed live online for male fans of the series. I know I’m cynical, but I’d put money down on this being mostly attended by the female staff of Ichijinsha publications, roped into going to this and being streamed for creepy guys to watch online. I mean, seriously.

ANN’s Zac Berstchy sat down with the CEO of Viki.com to get the full story on the crowdsourced legal fansub site. Read it here. For the record, I’d love to see them get Candy Candy too, but does he know about the legal baggage that comes with the series? Not sure. ^_^

In other news, NHK World Radio has an English-language segment on the Gold Ring manga, collaboration between Qais Sedki and Japanese manga artist team known as Himekawa Akira. The interviews were set up by my friend Komatsu-san and I hope you’ll all give this a listen. I really hope that the English-language edition of this becomes available soon, so you can all read this shounen fighting manga based around the sport of falconry.

In keeping with this week of Moribito-based reviews, I learned that Moribito, Guardian of the Spirit was also translated into Italian. And, Italian writer Massimo Soumaré includes Moribito in his discussion of Asian horror in a two-part article: Part 1 and Part 2. (I also learned that this is not, technically, the first volume of the series, it’s the second, but the first isn’t a Balsa story. And that there’s a Balsa cookbook!)

Big news from Japan yesterday. Manga artist, BL pioneer and one of the Hana no Showa 49 group, Moto Hagio, will receive Japan’s highest civil award, the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon this year. She is the 14th manga artist – and the first female manga artist – to receive this award.

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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 Manga

French Publisher Taifu has licensed Morinaga Milk’s Himitsu no Recipe and Kurogane Kenn’s manga Shoujo Sect and Hoshikawa Ginza Yon-choume. Thanks to everyone who wrote us with the news!

JManga launches Morinaga Milk’s Girlfriends, Volume 4 & Volume 5 with an interview with Morinaga-sensei! They are also running crazy with promotional contests – like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter for a chance to get fun anime goods as prizes. In addition, if you buy Volumes 4 and/or 5, you can get 50% of the cost back, as a rebate.

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Yuri Anime

In their Anime Boston panel, Funimation announced that they’ll be simulcasting the Jormungand anime, squee. In their panel, they said that To Aru Kagaku no Railgun is hopefully going to be a 2012 release.

Fate Zero made its debut streaming on Nico Nico Douga last week. Looks like Crunchyroll will get it, and the presumption is that it will be on a week delay.

Crunchyroll will be streaming Queen’s Blade Rebellion, for what it’s worth to you.

Sentai Filmworks announced they have licensed Hidamari Sketch x SP.

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Other News

While author, gourmet and gourmand Anthony Bourdain dreams about Jiro dreaming of Sushi,  Maria-sama ga Miteru illustrator Hibiki Reine is drawing Jiro’s (different Jiro) Ramen, as this article on Akibablog shows. (Sachiko likes “dirty ramen,” hunh hunh….)

I did a quick compare and contrast between big and small anime/manga cons for Hooded Utilitarian.

You may have seen this Blood-C short, starring Nene and Nono introducing the movie, but what you can’t have known is that in one of those magic moments of serendipity that fill my life, I met the animator in Tokyo in 2010, as we sat at a large table at that Hanazono shrine, eating oden at the shrine festival. Mino-san you rock!

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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.

I imagine that much of this news will be old to you, but as I was away last week, I’m simply scraping ANN to play catch-up here.

Yuri Anime

Ugh. Otome ha Boku ni Koishiteru 2. ugh.

I have no idea why Japanese blogs keep calling Tamayura Yuri, but they do, so I’ll include the news that there’ll be a second season of this, too.

There is a trailer for the last Kuttsukiboshi volume. I will not watch it. Please stop asking me my opinion of it, thanks.

The Madoka movie will be in two parts, the company revealed during the Anime Contents Expo. ANN reports that “The first part is titled “Hajimari no Monogatari” (Beginning Story), while the second part is titled “Eien no Monogatari” (Eternal Story).”

Hidamari Sketch (marketed in the west as Sunshine Sketch) is getting a fourth anime season, Hidamari Sketch x Honeycomb, next fall.

This is very cool – this weekend Seattle’s Sakuracon will get a preview of the first two episodes of the second season of Fate/Zero. I’m hoping Crunchyroll gets this season, too. Here’s a promo trailer to enjoy if you’re not in the Seattle area.

It’s the season of second seasons – Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is slated for a second season, as well. I remember there were two witches who were a couple and, while it’s not likely they’ll make a return, you just never know.

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Other News

A French rose breeder has named a variety of the plant after Ryoko Ikeda’s Rose of Versailles manga. I have no doubt she is pleased.

Thank the gods, the horror that would have been the live-action show based on Noir has been put on hold. Bad on me, because Funimation picked up Noir and I don’t remember if I ever linked to it. Go watch the first of Bee Train’s Girls With Guns on the Run trilogy now, and scour the idea of a bastardization out of your head with repeated footage and a ridiculous, yet enjoyable, plot. The Watch and it’s cloying musical theme will make everything all right. ^_^ Or buy the whole Noir box set, which I somehow also missed completely!

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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

Top news this week had to be the unexpected licensing announcement of Oniisama E / Dear Brother by streaming site Viki. Jasmine has written a very well-thought out short article on why Dear Brother is so important  – and such a compelling watch for GeekGirl World.

Crunchyroll announced that it will be launching in Latin America with Spanish subtitles. This would be perfect if it were two separate news items – that they were launching in Latin America and offering Spanish subtitles for *anywhere.*  Anime and manga companies really have issues with language =/ country.

The new Jormungand trailer looks…well…awesome. ^_^

And the second trailer for Saki: Achiga-hen, looks like….Saki.

Since Madoka Magica is on Crunchyroll and I’ve already written the series up at great length, I don’t really have more to say about it than I have already done. So…if you’d like to be the one to write up Madoka on CR, email me a three line proposal on what you have to say about the series and anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com and you could be our next guest poster. )If you have never guested before, please also introduce yourself. Thanks.) Looks like we’ll get a Madoka movie this fall. I wish we wouldn’t. The series was wonderfully self-contained.

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Yuri Manga

JManga is right in the middle of a special Yuri Manga promotion, until March 28. From their press release:

Subscribers who purchase any Yuri titles during the promotion will get 100 points back (up to 21% off) per volume! You must be a subscriber in order to purchase manga on JManga, but during this promotion  Jmanga will be offering a special sign-up bonus of up to 4500 points!

For the purposes of this promotion the only “Yuri” titles are GIRLFRIENDS by Milk Morinaga, Poor Poor Lips by Hayako Goto, and Love My Life by Ebine Yamaji. And some regional limitations still exist. I have asked if JManga plans on making these all global soon, but have not yet heard back.

Amusingly, I clicked onto Okazu today and saw this in the advertising space below my post:

First time ever – a Yuri manga ad on Okazu. It gave me a bit of a thrill, I have to admit. ^_^

The first volume of Kimono Nadesico (きものなでしこ) from Comic Yuri Hime is forthcoming in April. As is Metesaratekya- (メッてされてキャッ) and Saitei Megami (最低女神),

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Snatches of Yuri

Murasaki-iro no Chorea (紫色のクオリア) is a manga based on a light novel that has at least some Yuri, if not more.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this manga here and shame on me, because now that GUNJO is over, it’s the only thing I’m reading in IKKI. Golondrina (ゴロンドリーナ) by Est Em is a really overwrought story about a young woman being trained to be a matador. There’s a previous affair with a woman, but that’s not really the point. The point is – woman in a “suit of lights.” Just sayin’. ^_^ Oh, and Est Em. Very cool.

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Yuri Webcomics

On Twitter, YNN Correspondent Sparkle turned my attention to the already delightful story and art  by Strangelykatie of Princess vs Princess.

And Kris Dresen has been drawing coffee-flavored flirtation over on Outlines Press. You can catch the first 10 pages of Closing Time and I hope it makes you smile as it did me.

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Other News

YNN Correspondent Katherine H. points us towards Passionate Friendships: The Aesthetics of Girls in Japan, which covers shoujo romance in literature and manga, among other things. And it happens to use as its cover art a picture I adore and once wrote a story around. ^_^

And she forwarded this – something she learned about from Erin S. – and I wanted to tell all of you. Ohime-sama Youchien to Hakuba no Oujisama is a book about a class for Princesses, and one Princess who just doesn’t fit the mold. A great synopsis and discussion can be found on the Minesweeper Addict Tumblr.

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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.