Short report this week, still all lagged.

Yuri Manga

Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan, Volume 2 (飴色紅茶館歓談 2巻 限定版） will be packaged with a Drama CD, “Blue Christmas.” I’m impatiently waiting for this! Now that Seriho and Sarasa have come to the same place about how they feel, what’s going to happen? Arrrgggh! I can’t stand the wait!

The November issue of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫) goes live today. I saw Kazuaki’s art (that’s the cover artists) all over Otome Road in Ikebukuro, so s/he has really got the BL/GL market sewn up. ^_^

And of course there is no question that you will all run out and order Poor Poor Lips, Volume 3 (プアプアＬＩＰＳ). This is not up for debate. Do it. ^_^

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Sailor Moon

The first volumes of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and Codename: Sailor V manga are out and everyone who did not fall in love with them in 1997 are confused as to what they are missing. (^_^); Joining Comictopia in Boston, Forbidden Planet in NYC hosted a Sailor Moon/Sailor V midnight release party. If you attended either, please feel free to submit an event report!

Oh, yay. The Hot Topic chain of stores seems kind of determined to skank out Sailor Moon for Halloween this year. At least they are selling Sailor Moon goods again, so we can see if they have any more of those Sailor Uranus watches they used to sell. (^_^)

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Yuri Anime

K-On! Movie trailers are streaming on TBS’ website for your viewing pleasure.

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Other News



Ojamajo Doremi (in which Ai was not-so-ambiguously Yuri) is getting a Light Novel, set in high school. Here’s keeping our fingers crossed for Ai being a girl magnet!


ANN has an interview with Iwakami Atsuhiro about his work on Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Looks like I’ll be on a Women of Queer Comics panel at New York Comic Con, with JD Glass, Jennifer Camper and Paige Braddock.  The panel is scheduled (at the moment, times subject to change) at 7:45 on Friday night. Fannish excitement building. I love these women and am honored to be in their company.

Akamatsu Ken’s JComi site is developing a pay service for adult manga and doujinshi. This seems long overdue. Don’t expect any original Yuri to appear here, but if you love the bodily fluids, my guess is that this will be for you.

And to finish off the day on a positive note, we have this link to a papercraft site from YNN correspondent Komatsu-san with a lovely Yuri papercraft sculpture. Scroll down to the fifth picture, but do take a moment to appreciate the other wonderful sculptures.

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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!

JManga.com is going to be updating weekly. I won’t report updates all the time, but to get you all in the habit of checking their updates, I thought I’d report that there are some new crappy Yuri titles up at JManga this week: Zettai-Shojo Seiiki Amunesian, Shin Koihime Musou -Otome Ryouran Sangokushi. ^_^

Yuri Manga

OMGOMG, finally!! Poor Poor Lips, Volume 3 (プアプア LIPS 3) has a release date! Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until October. We don’t have a link yet, either. /sulk/

The second volume of Fujieda Miyabi’s Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan (飴色紅茶館歓談), which is full of wonder and delight, is up on Amazon JP for pre-order. Shipping date is in November.

Media Factory has announced that Sasamekikoto (ささめきこと) is going to end in the October issue of Comic Alive, which goes on sale on Sept. 27. No complaints from me – 9 volumes is a solid run and it was a great story.

Hidamari Sketch, Volume 6  (ひだまりスケッチ) is hitting the streets this week.

Kuroyuri Shoujo Vampire (黒百合少女ヴァンパイア) is an 18+ collection. Although the Amazon entry has no picture, I can pretty much picture it clearly in my head…and kinda wish I couldn’t. ^_^;;

Yurikam (ゆりキャン) has been all over the Japanese Yuri lists. Like the above entry I’m pretty sure it’s not my style, but it may be yours. It’s about a model Yurika, who is unpopular with men. (Note on the transliteration…normally I’d go with Yurikan, but the title *is* meant to be “kam” short for “camera.”)

From Tsubomi, one of the series I like best, Hana to Hoshi, Volume 1 will be out in October.

According to its website, Comic High will be re-running Morinaga Milk-sensei’s Kuchibiru Tameiki Sakurairo starting in the October issue, which comes out at the end of September. Morinaga-sensei has also contributed an illustration to charity doujinshi Smile/Yell. I’m guessing that she’s found a place at last where she feels comfortable and I’m really, really glad for her.

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Yuri-ish Anime

Out of the forehead slap with frustration news file, Yurisei-jin Naoko-san is getting an anime Blu-ray release.

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Other News

Animate in Akihabara is running a special Madoka Magica Shop from August 27 – September 4. No promises, but I might just be able to make it. If so, I will get you pictures.

NIS announced the North American license for the Black Rock Shooter Game.

At Hooded Utilitarian I resurrect an ancient article I wrote many, many years ago, discussing the qualities of anime that make it stand out for so many Western fans.

Thanks to MagicalEmi for this catch: Women Fighters in Reasonable Armor. This may well be the best Tumblr ever created.

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Okazu News

This month Okazu turned 9 years old (and Yuricon officially became a tween at 11.) I asked for some good ideas to celebrate and we have a winner! Anonymous suggested that I donate one book for every year to my Library in honor of Okazu’s birthday. I think that’s a fine idea!

So, I will definitely be donating 9 new wonderful books to the local library in the days ahead to join the many I have already donated there (they shelved Wandering Son in YA comics, I love them so very much….) This Sunday is Read Comics in Public Day, so visit your local library and check out their comics, then go and read them in public!

Anonymous, email me at anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com and I will send you your copy of Strawberry Panic Complete Novel Collection!

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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

Hidamari Sketch anime gets a 4th season in which nothing happens cutely. Hidamari Sketch SP is slated for fall.

Nozomi/RightStuf announces the third and final Revolutionary Girl Utena Box set pre-orders and the nifty Rose Seal Ring extra. For a limited time, while supplies last, folks who order all three of the box sets will get a replica of Utena’s ring. I’m still weak at the knees that they managed to get us the ring!

Aniplex debuts the Puella Magi Madoka Magica trailer, subtitled. I like the focus on sweet, and the complete obfuscation of the entire story. This will be the anime equivalent of a 2’x4′ to the back of the head for some, I imagine.

Arca Jeth was first with the news that Sentai Filmworks has announced that they have licensed Project ICE. The DVD will come with a dub. Excuse me while I giggle at the idea of sitting through this anime again. Hee-hee. ^_^;

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Yuri Manga

Brand new YNN Correspondent Tomo K. wanted to share the news that Takemiya Jin-sensei has a new doujinshi for Comiket, starring Satomi from Kila Kila. When the doujinshi series is reprinted, Comic Zin will be running it. Great news for all Takemiya fans.

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Canadian Border / Manga Case

I mentioned last week that I was going to flog this issue for the next few weeks, so here we go!

I wrote a guest post for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund on the Issue: This Is Not A Pipe

Okazu Superhero Bruce McF wrote a fantastic piece for Daily Kos about the issue: Civil Rights and Comics Books: What’s on YOUR Laptop?

If you decide to write a piece exhorting your friends, fans, readers to support CBLDF, send me the link!

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Other News

If you’re in Tokyo between now and the 28th of August, you can visit the Yuru Yuri-themed cafe in Akihabara. I’m not sure if I’m relieved that it will close before I get to Tokyo. ^_^;

LGBT comics consortium Prism Comics announces that the deadline for their Queer Press Grant is September 1, 2011. Get your submissions in to be eligible. And, if you like the idea of LGBT comics, consider donating to the grant itself and support independent LGBT artists.

Hot Topic, home of ripping off pop culture and fine art to sell to mall-goers at premium prices, has announced that they will have a Sailor Moon costume for Halloween this year. Check out the video at ANN for a nasty-feeling cosplay party filmed by creepy guys ad a grainy screenshot of what looks like a cheaply made Sailor Moon costume. ^_^;;

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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!

Today was the big launch date for new manga platform JManga, the digital solution to manga fans’ desires. Of course it’s not perfect, no one expected it to be. But for Yuri fans, the lack of…almost anything…is notable and regrettable.

The initial launch for JManga is North America only. And while they said NA includes Canada, some Canadian readers have not been able to get on the system. Others have, so maybe it was an initial glitch that was rectified.

There are a number of ways to slice and dice manga, the most common is by demographic audience. Categories for shounen, seinen, shoujo and josei are very visible on the site. Of course that leaves Yuri folks wondering where will Yuri be listed…if it ever makes it on the platform. Is Comic Yuri Hime seinen or josei?  (JRB tells us that there are Yuri category labels under both seinen and josei, and sensibly concludes that Yuri will be categorized by the audience for that magazine. Which still makes me wonder where Yuri Hime will be listed. ^_^)  So, setting that aside, I jumped over to…

The Publisher Page. This was a little more useful for me, because I know what publishers I care about. And while a number of the most popular Yuri-friendly publishers are listed, Ichijinsha, Hobunsha and Media Factory are all “Coming Soon.” Which means that all of the titles from those publishers and their magazines are not on the system, yet. That left Hakusensha, and my vague hope that Rakuen Le Paradis would be listed…. Unfortunately, it was not. The only Hakusensha titles listed are titles already quite familiar to US readers, Natsume’s Book of Friends, Ouran Host Club, etc. This left Futabasha, our one bright spot of hope.

Sadly, Enterbrain has yet to join. Boo-hoo, no Romae Thermae or other interesting Comic Beam titles for you. And vexingly, the only title available from Monthly IKKI is *not* GUNJO. Grr.

Okay, so there is good news out there. As I mentioned Futabasha is a beacon for us.

Click on the Magazine Pages and you’ll see our old friend, Comic High. Click the Comic High Page and lo and behold! Morinaga Miruku’s GIRLFRIENDS is one of the choices.

(Along with Towa Oshima’s Joshi Kousei and Hitohira for some other amusing, yet questionable Yuri-service.)

GIRLFRIENDS does have a free preview, so once you sign up, you can see what it looks like. It’s got a not terribly sophisticated translation, right from the get-go. But the reader is browser-based, simple and easy to navigate. I approve of not having to download anything to read the manga.

The purchase of things is on the “points” system, something I find annoying on top of the subscription. It appears that the $10/month subscription plan gives you 1000 points. An average volume of manga is priced about 899 points, so for your subscription, you can buy 5 chapters or one full volume per month. Once you have bought a manga, it stays in your account, even if you change back to the free account, so you you still “own” that copy as long as the site is in existence. If you want to buy something, but don’t have enough points you can pay for the extra points, according to the User Guide. But you can’t pay for points without having a subscription first. so you can’t just buy what you want when you want it.

As depressing as all this seems, check out the Signup Page. “Yuri” is a checkable box under Interests. I haven’t yet attempted to buy the paid subscription, but when I do, I’ll let you know how it goes.

So, while it’s a slow starter for Yuri fans, there is hope. If we all put pressure on them (i,e, check that Yuri box) to get Ichijinsha and Hobunsha (and the Hakusensha titles that are relevant to us)  into the fold, it could well be worth that monthly fee. Here’s hoping!

Addendum: Some previews are relatively short, i.e., 7 pages for GIRLFRIENDS. So, you’re going to be making decisions rather quickly.  At 7 pages, you’re making a decision based solely on art and tone. A major boost would be the chance to purchase (or read for free) the whole first chapter, so we could get an idea of the art, tone and story. Some manga do have the whole first chapter. I think that ought to be standard.

Also of note, Ultra Jump magazine isn’t on the system, so no Hayate x Blade for us, either. That would be a MAJOR draw for me.

So right now, it’s cool to read some off-beat unknown manga, but no good for getting any of the manga I already read and would like to get digitally.