Archive for the Yuri Network News Category


Yuri Network News – August 22, 2009

August 22nd, 2009

Well, the results of the YNN logo contest are in and yes, I was going to let you vote but when it came time, I decided I wanted to make sure the one I liked best won. lol And then, I couldn’t decide between two of them! So…it’s a tie. I’ll be switching randomly back and forth between the two.

So, officially announcing the winners of the YNN logo contest – congratulations to Lissa Patillo and Mari Kurisato!

Lissa’s logo captures the soft feminine side of our Yuri Network:

Mari’s logo nails our hard-boiled side. (Yes, double entendre intended, Duh.)

I’m having “correspondent” badges created for all of *you* who write in – you’re the Yuri Network. Proudly display your badges on websites, in emails, on your social media profiles, etc.

As for our winners, they will each receive their very own Women Make Comics t-shirt, in a style, size and color of their own choosing. The proceeds go to charity, so it’s a win-win all around!

Many, many thanks to all the folks who sent in an a logo idea, your time and effort on our behalf is greatly appreciated by all.

Now…onto the News!

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Yuri Anime

Sal, one of our Yuricon Mailing List members, is very excited to report that A1c, (I believe they make games) is planning a new Yuri hentai anime imprint called “Chu-Chu.” Their first planned title is Sono Hanabira ni Kuchi Dake wo Anata to Koibito Tsunagi, based on the Sono Hanabira game. The idea of more uber-moe, lolicon hentai does not thrill me to the core, but I am not, as has been previously established, the audience they are going for. :-)

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Yuri Manga

Happily, I *am* the audience for the next bit of news. According to the Kodansha Manga lineup, the first collected volume of Gunjo has an official street date of October 23, 2009. This is a manga about an actual lesbian (damaged yes, as so many humans are) written by an out Japanese lesbian artist put out by a major publisher. I would love to see through-the-roof sales. And even better, crazy overseas numbers that are large enough to be a blip on Kodansha’s radar. :-)

Morishima Akiko-sensei is doing a book signing in Tokyo on August 29, to celebrate the fact that her books Hanjuku Joshi and Ruri-iro Yume are on sale this month!

Oh, and I canNOT forget this week – Morinaga Milk’s GIRL FRIENDS Volume 3 will be out in September. As always, you can order it through the Yuricon Shop.

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Snatches of Yuri

Haven’t had a chance to review this series yet – and may not, because I don’t feel there’s really even enough to comment on. However, I know that some folks think Umi Monogatari is Yuri, so here’s a link to the first volume of the manga, which runs in Comic Blade.

Speaking of Comic Blade, the first volume of Amano Kozue’s Amanchu! is also out in September. It’s about two girls. The rest is up to you. :-)

And for those of you who loved the art from First Love Sisters the artist, Shinonome Mizuo, has a series called Carbonard Crown out from Action comics (home of Girl Friends, among others.)

Also interesting, the September volume of Da Vinci, a regular everyday Japanese women’s magazine, has a special “Girls Love” edition. This is not as out of the blue as it sounds. Da Vinch is the magazine that serialized Takeuchi Sachiko’s Honey & Honey and I want to become a man! comic essays. Once again they are stepping into the LGBT-supportive spotlight. Good for them.

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I guess that’s it. I’m off to breakfast and train spotting. Have a great Yuri week!

Become a Yuri Network Correspondent and let me know what Yuri news you come across. Send emails to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com.

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!





Yuri Network News – August 15, 2009

August 15th, 2009

There’s just under a week left in the YNN logo contest, so if you have a logo you’d like to send in, get it in by August 20th! I’ll run entries next Saturday and you can pick the one you like best.

Now – on to the news!

Yuri Manga

Yuri Monogatari 6 has finally made it on to Amazon Japan, so if your Japanese penpals are looking for a copy, they can now order it locally!

Some titles that you ought to keep your heads up for are:

Octave 3 – We’ll finally get to see what happens after Yukino makes her decision at the concert.

Tsubomi 3 – There’s been some excitement about this volume, as artist Ohishi Masaru has been added to the lineup.

Choir 2 – No one really cares about this, but the first volume wasn’t that sucky and the girl got the girl, so Vol. 2. Let’s see if that develops at all.

And Girlfriends 3 – So, now we can wallow as Acchan tortures herself. ;-)

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Yuri Anime

Komatsu-san of Ultimo Spalpeen tells me that in the UK there is some noise about a reissue of Sailor Moon on DVD. He’s wondering if/when the US will follow suit – well, we’re wondering too! Funimation had thrown Sailor Moon onto a wish list poll and had an overwhelming response to it. They have said that they cannot get it yet, but are looking into the possibility. I say we keep up the pressure and remind them every other month on Twitter. ^_^

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Yuri Drama CD

Anonymous says that a “Rakka Ryuusui Variety CD is coming out this weekend for Comiket 76 (14-16 August). Details can be found here.

Those who can’t get it at C76 (most of us) can probably get it on 26 August from the Animate Shop.

From the little that I know, there is at least a new drama track as well as a duet between Akiho and Minatsu. My suspicion is that there’s going to be some light Yuri between Akiho and Minatsu, and Yuu and Akatsuki.

The voicing cast are the same as the previous Drama CDs:
Nakahara Mai as Hayama Akiho
Endou Aya as Hokaze Minatsu
Matsuoka Yuki as Kusaba Haruka
Kaneda Tomoko as Shimotsuki Mafuyu
Sawashiro Miyuki as Gojyou Yuu
Nabatame Hitomi as Ayase Akatsuki”

Thanks, Anonymous for the tip!

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Become a Yuri Network Correspondent and let me know what Yuri-f’avored news you come across. Send emails to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. If you send your news tip in as a comment, I might forget. Email is a better way to remind me to post your news. :-)

Thanks again to everyone who contributes and makes this a great Yuri Network!

 





Yuri Network News – August 8, 2009

August 8th, 2009

It’s a lazy summer day, let’s start off with news for the lazy!

Yuri Anime

The Anime Network has announced that in celebration of National Lazy Day on August 10, they are offering all of its online content, including “premium” content, for free. There a number of Yuri offerings in their catalog – they are an ADV company after all.

YNN Chief correspondent Sean G also wants to add that ADV has added Revolutionary Girl Utena to their Anime Network Cable VOD, Satellite VOD
Also from Sean “per Right Stuf’s site, a My-Otome Complete Collection box is out 10/20 as part of the ‘Anime Legends’ series. Run time seems to suggest this is just the TV series, not including the OAVs.”

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Snatches of Yuri

You probably dont even remember this manga, but almost exactly a year ago, I reviewed a title called Kaprekar, about two girls who are so close that when they kiss they become a magical being and defeat the bad guys. It’s up to Volume 3 now. The girls really love one another. They kiss and defeat magical beings. And they are still in debt. The end.

For those of you who just can’t get enough of that good ole’ not quite ambiguous Yuri in Light Novel form here’s another series for you – Otome Unmei Ayameno, which appears to be about school girls. No, really.

Don’t think the moe crowd is being forgotten yet. Your love of toddler-esque art is still the meme du jour. Enjoy yourself with >Sekai Seifuku Kirara Jogakukan, a series about Yuri among schoolgirls…etc, etc.

Another Ryuu magazine comic series (Ryuu is right up there with Mangatime KR for having loads of Yuri or Yuri-ish stories) Hinagiku Junshin Jogakuen is more of the same but different. It’s also getting a *lot* of play on the Yuri blogs, so I’m guessing it might be closer to having some actual relationship.

If I’m reading this right, Deragui is about a high school girl who falls for a girl who likes to eat a lot.

As an aside, some years ago I stopped reading mysteries when I noticed that all the detectives now needed a “hook.” This one was “ex-cop with a dark past” and that one was a “cookbook writer who just falls into trouble” and I gave it all up as a bad job. Yuri is sort of heading in that direction now. There’s *so* many schoolgirl Yuri stories that it’s in that “vampire schoolgirl Yuri” and “girls with names that are colors Yuri” phase. :-)

Just to change the pace, Fura Furu, while the series seems to be about girls, not women, does not appear to be a typical Yuri schoolgirl story. In fact, it looks kind of intriguing. The first volume appears to be hard to find, so I’m linking to the second volume, which is available. It’s a Mangtime CR 4-koma, so you know basically what it’ll be like.

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That seems like enough for today. The sun is shining, the air is clear, I don’t want to spend all morning writing this report. :-)

Remember, send in a news item to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com and become a YNN correspondent. We couldn’t do it without you!





Yuri Network News – August 1, 2009

August 1st, 2009

As Yuricon is about to turn 9 years old, and Okazu 7, I’ve been thinking about what we’ve accomplished so far and what there is still yet to do.

In many ways we have no influence over what happens in Japan, of course. Other than perhaps buying so much Yuri that we actually become a blip on their market radar. In subtle ways, however, we are making some changes. How Yuri is (or is not) marketed, how well it does here and how likely a company is to pick it up – these things are still up to us.

Most importantly, we’ve changed how the anime world perceives us, Yuri fans. We’ve been covered by The Advocate, Afterellen, Curve, The Blade, The Examiner and countless blogs and online magazines. We’ve run events in two countries and presented on three continents.

All of this is because of you – my readers, my Heroes and Superheroes, my friends and the YNN Correspondents and reviewers from all over the world who have made these past nine years been the most amazing of my life. August 5th is Yuricon’s and Okazu’s birthday. Happy Birthday to us. Happy birthday to you. Let’s head into Year 10 knowing that we’re going to do some incredible things in the days ahead!

Before I forget – I’ll be keeping the YNN logo contest open until August 20th. So send in your logo ideas for our Yuri Network News!

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Yuri Anime

Katherine has been sending weekly updates from the website about the Sasamekikoto anime to the Yuricon Mailing List. Seiyuu have been announced, and the date for the premiere of the anime is now listed as October 7th, at 26:20. She also was excited to report that the theme song will be performed by Kiyoura Natsumi, who performed the opening themes for Spice and Wolf and Sketchbook ~full color’S~.

The new anime Canaan will be getting a series of three “movies” this fall, which will simply be a rehash of the anime season, sans credits, I’m thinking. Read the ANN article and decided for yourself. ^_^

New Queen’s Blade Second Season Trailer is up for your viewing “pleasure.”

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Yuri Manga

Not only is the second volume of Hanjuku Joshi, Morishima Akiko’s cell-phone manga series coming out this month, so is a collection of her Yuri Hime stories, called Ruri-iro Yume. Of course we should buy both, since Morishima-san is a really awesome person.

And at last, we have links to Kimochi no Katachi, the new name for the two-volume collected set of the Tact doujinshi by circle Sakuraike. These were some of my very first ever original Yuri doujinshi and, despite the fact that some of it may seem a bit dated now, I think the series will hold up well as a collection.

Speaking of the Yuricon Store, I’m trying to add books as they come out now, since Japan is popping them out faster than I can mention here.

And finally! Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan shipped and it is quite wonderful.

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Other News

A new Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha game for the PSP has been announced, as has the fact that it will be set in the As time frame, so the lolicon won’t whine.

New York Anime Festival is coming up and I’ll be there, wandering around talking to folks and generally avoiding the programming (as I do) wearing a “Women Make Comics” t-shirt. A number of the anime/manga bloggers from the Twitter scene will also be wearing these. Join us~ Join us~! Support women in comics, with money to good causes and with a statement that is incontrovertibly true – Women Make Comics!

I also want to thank everyone who subscribed to Crunchyroll for Aoi Hana – the numbers are good, and that and that alone, will convince them to get more Yuri. So spread the word and spread the Yuri love!

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We’ll wrap this up for the week – as always, to become a YNN correspondent, you need only send us news items at yuriconat gmail dot com. It’s that easy! Thanks to everyone who does send us news – you’re our priceless Yuri Network. ^_^





Yuri Network News – July 25, 2009

July 25th, 2009

This is the first week in a while that there hasn’t been loads of Yuri news.

Everyone is at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, and while there are tons of announcements coming out in manga, none of it has been Yuri. It’s interesting to note that while Yuri manga is exploding in Japan, it has become nearly moribund here in the US. Lack of sales is a factor, of course. There’s just nothing we can do about being a buying audience of 2000 people. When we’re a buying audience of ten times larger, we’ll be able to see more, I have no doubt. Luckily for us, Yuri anime is doing reasonable well right now here in the west and we can look forward to more on the way this year!

In the meantime, let us wallow in the wave of Yuri manga coming from Japan. :-)

Yuri Manga

First and foremost, Ichijinsha’s email newsletter insists that Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan hits the streets today. (Last night my time.) We’ll see if Amazon JP agrees. ;-) If so, expect to get your Manga only edition or Deluxe edition with Drama CD shortly.

Slated for an August 18th release, look forward to the second volume of cellphone manga, Hanjuku Joshi by Morishima Akiko. No link is available to a pre-order through the Yuricon Shop, but I’ll get that up as soon as it is available.

And it looks like there’ll be a Yuri Wildrose 4 coming up in September.

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Snatches of Yuri

Although I have glanced through Tenbin ha Hana to Asobu the internal jury is still out on whether it’s Yuri, or just vampire-y. Schoolgirls, vampire-ishness, Yuri-ishness, Mangatime CR.

Watashi no Taisetsuna Tomodachi by Hakamada Mera is, simply by being about schoolgirl friends and being by Hakamada Mera, going to have at least a *little* Yuri. Anything else is inconceivable!

Another Action Comics comic (the same company that does Mera’s work and brings you Morinaga’s Girl Friends) is Minna Musical! which at first glance looks typical fannish tropes that pass for Yuri (female teacher drooling over those long-gone gym bloomers) and general wackiness. The cover’s probably closer to truth in advertising than most. ^_^

For those of you who loved Manatsu Labyrinth, Volume 2 is now out. More sweaty mostly-obscured female bodies not quite being Yuri, I imagine.

To end this on a low note, try Roku Injima no Ero-Neko. It’s porn. You want a plot, you’re on your own.

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Yuricon News

A much-delayed redesign of the Yuricon website is underway at last. I’m sorry it has gone so long without one, there’s just only so many things a person can do in a day.

One of the first things that had to be done was that Yuri Studios has now been moved over to YouTube. It is not a perfect solution. Some music is embargoed, some countries can’t see all the videos, but we really had to do it. It had gotten too large to manage with the current structure. And now it will be easier to add/favorite AMVs made by you, the Yuri AMV makers of the world. :-)

If you are making a Yuri AMV, I hope you’ll consider adding “Yuri Studios” to the credits, and letting us add it to our current line-up! We’ve already gotten a new Strike Witches AMV since this AM when it went live. ^_^

Please don’t send links to videos you don’t own – and if you own any of the ones we do have up and have a better version than the one we linked to, or would like it to live directly on our channel, or want us to link to your version of it, please let me know!

My apologies for any inconvenience in viewing or listening. It’s the best solution for the moment, and I hope you’ll support it.

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That wraps up the Yuri Network report this week. As always, you’re welcome to become a Yuri Network correspondent by sending in reports of new Yuri manga, anime, and related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. We’ll look forward to sharing your Yuri news with everyone!