This month is Okazu’s and Yuricon’s birthdays so I am running an amazing birthday special! US folks can get By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga plus a signed bookplate for a flat fee of $20, including shipping! Overseas folks, please contact me and we’ll figure something out. 

If you were waiting for the right moment to buy a copy of BYS, this is that moment!^_^ The offer ends Sept. 6th, so don’t wait!

Yuri Anime

Whisper Me a Love Song anime, which will be released in the new year, now has a key visual reports Rafael Antonio Pineda over at ANN.

Alex Mateo has some info on the music for the upcoming Hoshikuzu Telepath anime over at ANN as well.

Via Sr. YNN Corespondent Sean G., Yuri-adjacent anime, Management of a Novice Alchemist, is getting a Blu-ray collection from Sentai Filmworks.

Yuricon 2023

It was our very real pleasure to host a panel that we could not have done in 2003, but for 2023, we absolutely definitely could and did. Please enjoy Trans Perspectives On Yuri, featuring Alexis Sara, Cypress Catwell, Tif Gallant and hosted by our own Ashley Payne.

You can watch all the Yuricon 2023 videos on Youtube! We have some great content coming up as well. It’s going to be a fun Yuri autumn.

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Yuri Manga

Alter Ego 2: Noel & June by Ana C. Sánchez is slated for a February release in English from Tokyopop.

Also from Tokyopop, If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die, Volume 2 hits bookshelves this week!

Live-Action Thai GL

Via YNN Correspondent Frank H, Becky and Freen, stars of GAP The Series, are starring in a new series from Idol Factory called Pinpak, about a Princess and her childhood friend. The Twitter post linked here also contains links to Meb, where the books the series are based upon can be purchased in Thai.

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Yuri Doujinshi

The big news from Comiket was the existence of a G-Witch doujinshi b ythe staffers who worked on the anime Mobile Suit Gundam – The Witch From Mercury – which included many expressions of congratulations for the marriage of Suletta and Miorine. So that was *their* interpretation, Bandai Namco. ^_^

Irodori Sakura has pre-orders for two ongoing Yuri doujinshi series, Working Women Yuri Manga Compilation 2: After Dating by Yuriemon and My Crush Is My Roomate 3 by Hajima.

Other News

Anime Feminist has a must-read interview for us by Vrai Kaiser, Author And Scriptwriter Watari Wataru On Cynical Heroines, Getting A Lesbian Kiss Onscreen, And Keeping His Day Job.

Monique Thomas & Nicholas Dupree have a great conversation in Is There a Double-Standard for Same-Sex Relationships in Anime? over at ANN.

YNN Correspondent Patricia C. Baxter writes a compelling piece for Anime Feminist, On Nintendo’s Reluctance To Make Princess Zelda Playable.

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

Yuri Anime

We have news at last about the broadcast date for I’m In Love With The Villainess anime. From the Official WataOshi Twitter feed, it will be airing on Japanese TV on October 2, with a special ticketed premiere in late September. I will be speaking with inori.-sensei in early September for Yuricon 2023 and I hope we’ll get some insight into the anime. ^_^

Do check out the English-subtitled I’m In Love With The Villainess trailer, on Crunchyroll’s YT channel.

Yuri Manga

We have a couple of great upcoming titles on the Yuricon Store!

Let’s start off with the much-anticipated Volume 3 of She Loves To Cook, She Loves To Eat, which will be headed our way in October!

As a reminder – one of the do not miss books of the years, The Moon on a Rainy Night, Volume 1 is hitting shelves in September. Trust me, you want to read this manga by Kuzushiro. Along with She Loves To Cook, I have been buying this as a digital to get the new volumes right away, until I can get a print copy. I’ve been reviewing it on Okazu. I’m re-reading the print right now and holy crap is this a good book.

Amongst Us: Soulmates by Shilin is out from Seven Seas. This is the current-time AU of her webcomic Carciphona. Her art is stellar and the characters cute as they bicker. ^_^

The final volume of Ari North’s gorgeous webcomic Always Human, Love and Gravity: A Graphic Novel is out and in the world. I loved this series so much as a webcomic and am delighted to have it as a 2-book series!

Sasayakuyou no Koi wo Utau, Volume 8 (ささやくように恋を唄う) was full of drama in the best way.

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This might not be to everyone’s taste, but Hakyoku Yuri Anthology – Setsuna (破局百合アンソロジー　セツナ) has the focus of catastrophic Yuri relationships. Whee!~ You can get it in Japanese on US Kindle as well.

While I was looking up the above collection I found a pile of Yuri anthologies I’d never hear of on US Kindle:

Flower: A Yuri Anthology [sic] by Ferra Tenzin, stood out because it appears to be in English. No idea of the content, specifically, but it looks like a self-published book of short stories.

Kyoshi Seito no Sosaku Yuri is a teacher/student relationship anthology in Japanese, with a mixture of short stories and manga. Also available on JP Kindle.

Satsubatsu Yuri Anthology: Edge of Lilies is a collection of stories that appear to be centered in violence. Also available on Amazon JP.

But the piece de resistance of these creepy, miserable collections is…

Edible Lily: Cannibalism Yuri anthology. And you know what? I am NOT reading this one. I love Yuri, but nope. Also available on Amazon JP.

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 Other News

From creator Natsuo Mutsumi-sensei’s twitter, the final stretch goal on My Date Is A Total Ike Woman is being worked on. “Voice drama and music production for “My Date is a Total Ike women” is underway. As for the music, a demo tape has arrived from the US! I’m so excited! We have asked an idol named PAiDA to sing for us.”

I am especially pleased with this choice as PAiDA was the target of a recent online hate campaign for having the nerve to envision herself as the pop idol she is. Check out her new song Future☆★Town on Youtube!

Of interest, Richard Eisenbels on ANN has this interesting news item, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Author Talks About His Disability, Gender Identity, and PC Culture.

And let’s wrap up with this fabulous celebration of Yoshiya Nobuko’s work at the Yayoi-Yumeji Museum in Tokyo. To celebrate a new edition of Yoshiya’s Wasurenagusa (わすれなぐさ), the museum has rounded up the gayest works they could find. Including this stunning piece by Takabatake Kashou, “Uruwashi no Kouittsui (Pair). For all the images, check out the Yayoi-Yumeji Museum’s post on Facebook.

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips. Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us!

Yuri Manga

Yen Press has announced that I Don’t Know Which Is Love, by Tamamushi Oku, Volume 1 will be hitting bookstores this month! This comedy about a girl looking for a girlfriend seems like perfect beach reading. ^_^

Monogatari Novels has announced the license for an English edition of Chinese manhua Soulmate written by Keranbing and illustrated by Wenzhilizi. We’ve had reviews of all three French-language volumes here and I’m sure plenty of folks are looking forward to getting more baihe in English. Monogatari Novels also has a Spanish-language edition, so don’t miss out!

ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! Manga Volume 4 is headed our way in September.

The second print volume of Ari North’s Always Human webcomic series, Love and Gravity: A Graphic Novel (link is only to Amazon, right now. I’ll get it up on the Store later today with more options) has been released! I just want to show you this cover, because it is gorgeous:

I’ve been a fan of Ari’s story since it was a webcomic. The first volume of the book was adapted from the vertical scroll to a readable format, for a stunning book, which I reviewed in 2020. I’m so happy for Ari and you can be sure that I’m getting a copy as soon as I can!

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We’ve added a few things to the Yuricon Store:

Kohaku no Kijo (琥珀の貴女) is a collection of stories about relationships between senior women and younger adult women. I’ve got this on my Bookwalker waiting to be read.

In Vampeerz, Volume  6 (ヴァンピアーズ) Aria’s servant joins the menagerie.

The Battle of the Bands is here and there’s one last confrontation needed — between Shiho and Aki. Sasayakuyou no Koi wo Utau, Volume  8 (ささやくように恋を唄う) hit JP shelves last month and it is full of drama.

Via Comic Natalie, we have news of Volume 1 of Naisho no Ofutariasma, (ないしょのおふたりさま。) a food and Yuri manga about a  delinquent girl  and  a rich girl who is only interested in food.

Yuri Visual Novel

Via Yuri Daily on FB, Lachesis or Atropos is a new Yuri VN that debuted on Steam. This VN by Quill Games is described:  “This world is woven of strings, of fate and of hate. What do you see, detective? A horror-mystery yuri visual novel peering into the maddening darkness of love and death. “

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Other News

Yuri has had more than our fair share of controversies in the past couple of weeks!  Bandai Namco and Kadokawa made no new friends when a reference to G-Witch‘s Suletta and Miorine being married that appeared in Gundam Ace magazine was removed from the online version – and an apology was issued, saying that it was “open to interpretation.” My question is this: To whom were they apologizing? Nanananshi on Twitter* encourages us all to contact Bandai and ask explain politely that we do not accept them denying what was made visible in their own series. I will ask for an apology to *us* for erasing the relationship.

*Yes, I am deadnaming Twitter. Abusive step-daddy can’t make me use his stupid name.

Also in the news, we have a much more serious issue. Last week, one of the stars of Thai GL series GAP The Series, Freen, was stalked. Photos of her and her boyfriend were taken and there was an attempt at blackmail. Management company Idol Factory has said they are pursuing charges against the stalker. But the harassment picked up speed when it hit the Internet, with some folks claiming that she “betrayed” them. Largely her fans have been very supportive, as am I. She owes us nothing. There was no “betrayal.” She is an actress, she acted – and did it very well. This is exactly why I am ambivalent about real person shipping, honestly.

As an aside, we have a terrific discussion of Thai GL coming up for Yuricon 2023, in which we discuss this story among other things. It will be posted in a few weeks. ^_^ We also have a guest review on some other Thai GL series for next week. Stay on the lookout for those!

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips. Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with our readers.

Yuri Manga
 
Watashi no Oshi ha Akyaku Reijou. Maid Kitchen（私の推しは悪役令嬢。メイドキッチン), the food-centric spin-off of the Watashi no Oshi ha Akyaku Reijou. first chapter is up on Ichijin Plus in Japanese for free for you to check out. Tsuke is doing the art for this light-hearted tale of Rei and Lene catering to Claire’s bore tastebuds.

Via Yuri Navi, the manga version of Twister Cyclone Runway first chapter is online at Comic Bushi Web. My distress at the costume design was accompanied by many expletives. I hope the rest of the “comicalization” of the story is better.

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Via Yuri Daily, the Polish Yuri news source on Facebook, Comic Bushi Web’ Latte Comics also has a new Yuri anthology,  Joshikou no Ouji-ama ha Watashi ka Ganchuu ni Nairashii   Yuri Anthology Comic (女子校の王子様は私しか眼中にないらしい 百合アンソロジーコミック) Check out a sample chapter in Japanese online. This and their other Yuri Anthology can be purchased digitally through CMOA.

Ichijinsha is releasing a new comic anthology, Tonari no Seki ga Sukina Hito Datta  Gakusei Yuri Anthology (隣の席が好きな人だった　学生百合アンソロジー) at the end of this month. This of you who liked Goodbye My Rose Garden, will be pleased to know that Dr Pepperco is among the contributors.

The Toyama Ema Yuri Collection  Sensei to Jikan  (センセイとの時間。) will appeal to people who like student/teacher stories.

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Other News

Vi Sr. YNN Correspondent Sean G. Anime Feminist has weighed in with their 2023 Spring Anime Recommendations. Both Birdie Wing and Mobile Suit Gundam – The Witch From Mercury topping the list.

Webcomic Mage & Demon Queen is back for a season 4! So get over there and start catching up. ^_^

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

Yuri Anime

Don’t miss Volicia of Pluto, streaming now on Youtube with English subtitles.  Crystalyn Hogkins has the details over at ANN.

Yuri Manga

New on the Yuricon Store, from Yen Press, we’re getting another collection by Mikanuji, this one a bit more adult than previous ones. I Don’t Need a Happy Ending: A collection of short stories” is a tantalizing mix of seet and spicy” according to the publisher.

Seven Seas has licensed Keyang’s Kimi to Shiranai Natsu ni Naru, a story I have very high hopes for. It had a strong beginning, but is flaging a little here in the middle. I really hope it sticks the ending. I have reviewed Volume 1 here on Okazu. Rafael Antonio Pineda has details on ANN.

Twin Star Cyclone Runaway by Ogawa Issui (based on a short story of the same name that ran in Yuri short story collection, Asterism ni Hanataba o Yuri SF Anthology (アステリズムに花束を 百合 SFアンソロジー), is getting a manga. Joanna Cayanan and Rafael Antonio Pineda have the story on ANN.I am concerned about the key image, as the costuming designs seem bizarre for the content of the story, but maids, whatever, I really don’t get the obsession. The story was pretty good, though and I’m very interested to see this comicalization!

Sasayakuyou no Koi wo Utau,Volume 8 (ささやくように恋を唄う) is hitting Japanese bookshelves this week. It’s everything I hoped for from this series. I wish this volume was going to be animated. In English Whisper Me A Love Song, Volume 6 is available and we’re looking forward to Volume 7 when it hits in December from Kodansha!

Via Comic Natalie,  OL VTuber to Oshi JKchan (OL Vtuberと推しJKちゃん) Volume 1 is now available. It is, as the title implies about an office worker and a high schooler who both are Vtubers.

Via Yuri Navi, Tomoru Me Ni Nagareru (灯る目に流れる) is a short Yuri story about two people who fall in love by staring at one another, available on Shounen Jump+.

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Yuri Light Novel

Yuri Tama: From Third Wheel to Trifecta The Third is out and it’s even softened up Sean Gaffney who says of it, “When Yotsuba turns off her self-doubt and constant second guessing brain and just goes with the flow, she manages to be a fantastic romantic partner.”

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Yuri VN

Via Yuri Navi, the trailer for the upcoming Yuri Visual Novel Uso Kara Hajmaru no Natsu (嘘から始まる恋の夏) can be seen on Youtube.

Other News

YNN Correspondent Patricia B suggests some summer reading with Firebird, by Sunmi, from Harper Collins, “following the lives of Caroline and Kim, two queer, Asian American teenagers growing up in the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area, as they forge an unexpected connection.”

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips. Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with