Archive for the Yuri Network News Category


Yuri Network News – March 26, 2011

March 26th, 2011

Yuri Manga

Coming up from Ichijinsha next month are the collections Twin Kick (ツインケイク) by Aoii Hana, Renai Higan Nekomedou Kokoro Tan (恋愛彼岸〜猫目堂ココロ譚〜) by Shinonome Mizuo and, of course the May volume of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫5月号).

Hobunsha is stepping into the reprint ring with a new 2-volume edition of Saigo no Seifuku (Volume 1, Volume 2) (最後の制服) by Hakamada Mera.

Seagret Comics is offering “adult” volumes by Rokuichi, the Onna no Ko x Onna no Ko Collection (女の子×女の子コレクション ) and Onna no Ko no Subete  (女の子のすべて), by Yamada Nishiko.

And here’s some uber-exciting news: Yuri manga legend WAKO has a new Yuri story in Ai no Taiken Special Deluxe, April Issue, entitled “Love Birthday.”

****

Snatches of Yuri

Two new collections from Honey and Honey creator, Takeuchi Sachiko will be of interest to those people who like her work: Meisou Love Game (迷走ラブゲーム), which appears to be more questionably amusing real-life tales about her and her boyfriend, whom you may remember from Otoko ni Naritai. The reason I say “questionably” is that he was a jerk to her in the first book and this book seems to cover his having affairs, which I personally would not find entertaining at *all.*

Also from Takeuchi is Hana Yori Jyoshi (花より女子) which covers “team love” in the lesbian world, like events at bars and group dates.

There is a “new”.hack series, .hack/Quantum that appears to have a smidgen of Yuri, notably in the Drama CD.

And just in case you can’t get enough great heroes being turned into buxom girls, Shin Koi Hime Musou has been turned into a manga. Why? I don’t know.

Also to be filed under “why?” is the shift in Sabagebu, which is running currently in Nakayoshi, (and which will be a future review) towards the Yuri side. “Sabagebu” is short for “Survival Game Club” and it is quite chock full of wtf. I’m really liking the direction Nakayoshi‘s taking these days. ^_^

***
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 Network News – March 19, 2011

March 19th, 2011

Yuri Drama CD

Because one Hayate x Blade Drama CD was not enough and two drama CDs only barely scratched the itch, the Hayate x Blade Ultra Jump Drama CD Sanban Hoshi! Hyuuryuu Tsumeawase (はやて×ブレード ウルトラドラマCD さんばん星！ 漂流つめあわせ) is now on sale!

Also available is the GIRL FRIENDS Drama CD. Morinaga Milk seemed very happy with the results in her posts on her blog and on Twitter, so I think we’re in for a treat.

***

Yuri Anime

This week Nozomi/RightStuf announced the street date for the first Revolutionary Girl Utena (少女革命ウテナ) box set. This set will include all the extras that were in the Japanese remastered set – and TRSI says that for fans who pre-order all three sets, there will be an extra extra. There’s no hint yet as to what that might be, but they promise it will be very cool. If any other company said that, I’d shrug. TRSI gets my kind of “cool” better than most. As another type of extra, there is a feature on the Utena website in which you can ask the Director Ikuhara Kunihiko questions about the series. Have at it – I’m looking forward to seeing those questions!

***

Yuri Manga

My reaction upon hearing the news that Kodansha USA was going to be releasing the Sailor Moon Anniversary edition and Sailor V manga in English was, and I quote “OMG, did Kodansha USA *listen* to us? I don’t know where to look, or what do do with my hands!!!”

Under no circumstances is, “So when is the anime coming out?” the appropriate reaction, btw. Saying “yay!” and saving your money to buy the volumes, which will start being released in September, is an appropriate reaction. If you really do not have the money (and believe me, I sympathize with that,) the most appropriate reaction is to head over to your local public library and become friends with the person who is in charge of the Graphic Novels section or, if there is no GN section, the “acquisitions” person and start getting them primed to pick this series up. Don’t rant. Just let them know that one of the two series that truly launched anime/manga here in the US (Dragonball being the other) is about to be released and it’d probably be cool to get it for the collection.

One last thing while I’m asking you to mind you manners. ^_^ Tokyopop did not actually do a TERRIBLE, GODAWFUL translation. They changed the names, because that was what we did back then. It was not actually a crime against nature – for the most part, the Japanese companies wanted it that way. In fact, convincing the Japanese publishers that we *didn’t* want names changed was a pretty big battle back in the day.

Quick History Lesson: Sailor Moon was being serialized in Tokyopop’s Smile, then Mixxzine magazine when the first rebellion occurred. The anime had been running on Cartoon Network, Usagi had become Serena, Makoto was Lita already. Tokyopop kept Lita but tried to mollify fans with Bunny for Usagi. BUT. When the Outer Senshi arrived and their names were changed, it was intolerable – the straw that broke the camel’s back was, apparently, using Olivia for Hotaru. Fans rebelled and wrote ridiculously angry letters. Tokopop bowed to pressure and when Sailor Moon ‘S,’ ‘Super S’ and ‘Stars’ volumes came out, the Outers and Starlights retained their names. I still have those Smile and Mixx magazines issues, by the way. ^_^

This series, and later Azumanga Daioh, with Yukari being the Spanish teacher in the first volume of the manga, were the two big proving grounds for the kind of localization we expect right now.

Some back channel chatter convinces me that we *are* getting a new translation of the manga, and from a very talented and reliable source. I hope we get some good editing too! Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

I’m still not entirely sure what this is about, but Dengeki 4-Koma Collection, Fu-Fu, (電撃4コマ コレクション ふーふ ) appears to be just what it sounds like – a comic strip of two women “playing house” as we call it around these parts. There’s apparently going to be – or is – a net game release associated with this, if I read that correctly.

And let’s finish up with something that I think will make a lot of people happy (hopefully happy enough to buy it, rather than just download scans.) The first Ichijinsha collection by Nanzaki Iku Sweet Little Devil, is due out in April.

***

Yuri Novel

Miyamoto Ayako is currently contributing short stories to the new Comic Yuri Hime. She also has a new book out, Ame no Tou (雨の塔) which, like the short stories, is Yuri.

***

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!





Kodansha USA to Publish Sailor Moon Manga

March 18th, 2011

Anime News Network reports that Kodansha USA has announced that they plan on publishing the Sailor Moon and Sailor V manga.

The week began with Utena, ends with Sailor Moon and once again, an odd-numbered year is coming up strong for Yuri. Weird, huh?





Yuri Network News – March 5, 2011

March 5th, 2011

Yuri Anime

Welcome to the “some series never die” edition of the YNN report! Top news this week is German licensing company m4e has re-licensed the Sailor Moon anime for the German market. It’s not that US companies don’t want to license Sailor Moon, we know that. Remember when Funimation looked into it? And I know two others that have, as well. And…it’s not happenin’ right now. I don’t know why it’s not. but I’m going to close my eyes and pray for a moment that we do get a re-release sometime soon. I really want a DVD set of the third season with sound that doesn’t suck. I like to crank it when the Outer Senshi transform. (I’m sitting here watching Sailor Moon S as a I type and *man* does it have lousy art! But I don’t care, I love it anyway and want to see it re-released.)

Also in keeping with our theme this week, Funimation has announced that the release date for the Noir Complete Collection has been pushed back to July.

Back in the 2010’s, Ain’t It Cool Anime News mentioned that a K-ON! movie has been announced with a release at the end of 2011.

***

Yuri Events – Yuri Artists

If you’re in or near Kyoto, Japan on the 21st of the month, you might want to arrange your day so you can participate in the 5th Girls Love Fes, Yuri doujinshi market, being held from 11:30-4:30 at Plaza  Pio.

For those of you in or near New York on the 20th of the month, consider arranging your day to make a trip to the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD) where Rica Takashima (Rica ‘tte Kanji!?) will be joining Jennifer Camper (Juicy Mother), Diane DiMassa (Hothead Paisan) and Joah Hilty (Bitter Girl) for a slide show and discussion panel called “Dykes Draw the Line.” The tickets are free, but you must reserve in advance.

If you were on Twitter last night, around 11PM EST, you were able to catch Fujieda Miyabi-sensei drawing live on Ustream. It was fun and rather relaxing, to watch him create something before our eyes (and hear him sing along to his background music.) Those of us watching it decided that we desperately wanted to live in a world where he designed all the clothing. ^_^ (He’s on his stream still, as I type this morning, so quick go over and say hi!)

Nakamura Ching-sensei has been working like a madwoman and picking up a number of very interesting gigs, along with her work on GUNJO and Girl’s Jump. One of her recent jobs was to pen a Yuri story for a fashion magazine, commons & sense, issue 140. This appears to be a real fashion mag, full of stuff I find laughably poser-y, but people who read this kind of thing probably take quite seriously. Check out the gallery and decide for yourself. I’ve ordered the magazine and I’ll let you know how it is.

***

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 Network News – February 26, 2011

February 26th, 2011

Yuri Manga

It’s a festival of blossoms, today. The Endless Room saga from the Tsubomi anthology has been released as a collected volume. (Room in a hotel, all the people who stay in it, their lives and loves…)

Also from Tsubomi, comes Tandem Lover, a story I thought started off crudely, but then softened up quite a bit. And Kuroyome, another Tsubomi series that I can remember nothingwhatsoever about, has got a collected volume, too.

And, while I’m at it, the 10th volume of Tsubomi itself is available now, and Volume 11 will be available in April.

The fourth volume of Pure Visual Yuri Anthology Hirari, will be hitting shelves in April, as well. (Wow, a non-Hobunsha title.)

From the creator of MAKA-MAKA and Mars no Kiss, Torajirou Kish,i comes a new story hailed by all the Japanese Yuri lists, Otome no Teikoku. It’s a Young Jump title, but there’s a synposis on the Business Jump website that boils down to “schoolgirls gone wild.” Ho-hum.

Hobunsha, the publisher of Tsubomi is re-releasing Hakamada Mera’a Saigo no Seifuku in two volumes. Volume 1 and Volume 2. (Tecnically, they are the Upper and Lower volumes, so don’t be surprised if the entries on Amazon JP does not say Volume 1 or Volume 2.)

Back to the bizarro world for a moment, in which Oka’s  Hen is being reissued. I know Gantz is a huge hit, but do they really expect the audience for that to be interested in this? Lucky for Yuri fans, though, who can get a copy of this long out of print Yuri story.

And to end this section, something for me – Rakuen Le Paradis, Volume 5 will be available at the very end of February.

***

Snatches of Yuri

Of possible interest to Yuri fans is Onee-sama ha Budokai de Odoru. Could be good, could be typical, JP Yuri lists rated it with a high Yuri temperature.

Onna no ko no Naisho Hanashi Collection has a horrible title, but a line-up of names that write Yuri or almost-Yuri, an,d so, if you are the kind of person who still insists on believing that there’s a secret world behind the gauze curtain and you’re getting a peep or two…this will likely be a perfect book for you.

***

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!