Yuri Anime

YNN Correspondent Evie wants you to know that upcoming anime Aquatope of White Sand states it is “Girl-Meets-Girl”. The plots seems quite similar to Hagino Makoto’s Nettaigyo ha Yuki ni Kogareru / A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow. Daryl Harding has details, trailer and links on Crunchyroll News!

Senior YNN Correspondent Verso S. wants you to know that Liz and the Blue Bird is getting a Blu-Ray release in Japan! There’s some minimal changes to the packaging and a few extras, so if you’re interested in getting the JP release of this film, now is a good opportunity.

Yuri Doujinshi

I went on a bit of a spending spree this weekend and *finally* managed to get myself a copy of mkBooks’ dual-language doujinshi The Life of a Yuri Couple in Love (おさななじみの百合夫婦生活). This is legitimately available on booth.pm as an electronic download in both Japanese and English for a mere $2.50. 

Lilyka has a new doujinshi available by TWA, about a police officer and criminal, in Baby, Wanted. Now, there’s a plot that I hadn’t yet added to Yuri Manga Bot… . (Speaking of Yuri Manga Bot, someone wrote a short story based on one of the plots! Thanks Musesana!)

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Yuri Manga

Nagata Kabi has a new book coming out in Japan and one on the way in English! This spring, Seven Seas will be releasing her fourth comic essay volume, My Alcoholic Escape From Reality. Following on her previous three volumes, Nagata-sensei has been through a lot and now, she’s dealing with the physical consequences. I reviewed the Japanese volume of this book in February 2020.

Her upcoming volume in Japan is titled Meisou Senshi – Nagata Kabi (迷走戦士・永田カビ) and I think, for a lot of us here, it will be an “ah” moment. Nagata-sensei has started to think about love, and finds herself and thinking about sexuality, and gender and weddings and who she is. YNN correspondent CW wants you to know that you can read chapters from this book right now in Japanese on Comic Action‘s online platform Web Action, where it is the #1 title right now. Also interesting, this book marks a third publisher Nagata-sensei has worked with. I think she’ll find Futabasha a better fit than Shogagukan. East Press seems to be pretty open to whatever creators want to do, but Futabasha has the magazines and the promotion power that East Press doesn’t.

Via YNN Correspondent Megan and Comic Natalie, we have news of Hon no Mushi (本のムシ) a manga about a girl who works at a publishing company who falls in love with her coworker…who keeps paper-eating bugs for some purpose…. It’s certainly an original idea.

I have no idea what this is about, because I just grabbed due to the title. ^_^ Kawai Roh has a new Yuri collection called  Girls in the Hell, (ガールズインザヘル).

LINE in Japan is offering a set of 2DK, GPen Mezamashitokei (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。) stamps by Ohsawa Yayoi. Comic Natalie has the details. I just bought it (50 coins, so 99 cents US) and it’s a massive stamp set. Yes, I scrolled through it to make sure we got Tanihara Yuuko and her coffee. ^_^

Kita no Onna no Tamesaretai (北の女に試されたい), by Kaido Minoda, appears to be about two women on a road trip through Hokkaido picking up women. You can read it for free in Japanese on Comic Walker. I think I will definitely give it a try. ^_^

ANN’s Rafael Antonia Pineda reports that Yuni’s Shakaijin Yuri comedy Hitogoto Desukara!, licensed by Manga Planet in English as It’s Personnel! will come to an end this week, wrapping up with Volume 3.

Sailor Moon News

Reader Super noticed last week that I had added the Sailor Moon Eternal trailer to the regular Yuri Anime category. I honestly hadn’t noticed. ^_^  I am sorry for any confusion. Sailor Moon Eternal isn’t Yuri, in any way, really, except in the sense that Haruka and Michiru are themselves the reigning Queens of Yuri. But I am pleased to see that the Outers will get their rightful place in the story.

On Crunchyroll news, Kara Denison covers the new music video from Momoiro Clover Z,  Tsukiiro Chainon. Definitely watch the video for some nicely animated transformations.

The movie launched this week in Japan with a whole lot of tie-ins and collaborations. I’ve been enjoying look at the Wendy’s display and other goods.

Bunshun.jp has an interview with Mitsuishi Kotono, the voice of Sailor Moon, in Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon ‘Tsukino Usagi wa Jinsei no Doushi” Mitsuishi Kotono ga Miseru. (美少女戦士セーラームーン「月野うさぎは人生の同志」　三石琴乃が魅せる“セーラーパワー” の輝き). The interview is in Japanese, but you should be able to understand well enough with a translation tool.

The Japan Foundation of New York is holding an online talk Sailor Moon: How These Magical Girls Transformed Our World, on January 28th. Registration is free. The talk features two of my favorite people, Kathrynn Hemmann as moderator and translator Mari Morimoto as a panelist.

In case you need a calendar to keep track of all your Sailor Moon fan events, here is the official Sailor Moon Eternal 2021 calendar, with character pop-ups. ^_^ Sadly, they are not ordered by birthday month…which I know wouldn’t work, but still.

Queer Media

Via YNN Correspondent Verena Maser, we can share the German-language Comics aus den Queeren Welt Project, Ach, so ist das?!.

We’re going to close out this week with some great news, from Senior YNN Correspondent Eric P! Queer Japan, the documentary about LGBTQ+ life in Japan will be released on Blu-Ray in March! I’m a backer for this project…and was there when some of the interviews took place, so I’m really looking forward to seeing it.

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Yuri Anime

Yuri scifi/horror anime Otherside Picnic is streaming now on the local legal streaming platform you use. For the US it is Funimation.com. The first episode is up for subscribers and it is getting very positive response! Feel free to drop by the Okazu Discord with your thoughts on this popular series!

We got our first look at the Outer Senshi with the Sailor Moon Eternal, Part 2 trailer that was released this week. Thumbs up from me. ^_^

Puella Magi Madoka Magica has announced an upcoming tenth-anniversary project and a new website with art by original character designer Aoki Ume. Alex Mateo has the details at ANN.

Via Senior YNN Correspondent Eric P, the first three seasons of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power out on DVD!

Yuri Manga

Yuri local travel/daytrip manga Futari Escape (ふたりエスケープ) has been collected into a first volume. If you ever wanted to know about the dinosaur museum in Fukui Prefecture, this is your manga! ^_^

I am actually, honestly delighted that the fine art Yuri manga, Koisuru Meiga (恋する名画) is getting a second volume. I really enjoyed the first volume.

Yuri Webcomic

Finally, someone has made a manga for me! ^_^ Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna (作りたい女と食べたい女) is about a woman who loves to cook and her partner who loves to eat! You can read chapter 1 in Japanese on Comic Walker.

Become a YNN Correspondent:  Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share and be part of the Yuri Network. ^_^

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons who make the YNN weekly report possible! Support us on Patreon to help us give Guest Reviewers a raise and to help us support more queer creators!

Welcome to the future! Thank you to Mari Kurisato for the lovely new logo, which we will add to the mix of our lovely YNN logos! Mari is a long-time friend and fan and talented artist who is responsible for several of of our logos here. She is running into a brutal reality of American life. She’s on disability, so if she starts to make enough money to live, they cut her disability off (yes, this is a thing we do in the USA) – and the outgoing administration is particularly brutal, clawing back funds they paid to her because she made a little bit more. If you have a few dollars to spare, please visit her GoFundMe to help her out and to thank her for the art we enjoy every week!

Now we’re on to our first news report of 2021!

Yuri Cartoon & Anime News

Via Senior YNN Correspondent Eric P.,The Legend of Korra: The Complete Series Blu-ray Limited Edition Steelbook Collection looks damn fine. The series is also available in a slimmed down Complete Series on Blu-Ray.

We sincerely loved Zombie Land Saga for 10 out of 11 episodes here at Okazu Central, and it was plenty queer enough, so we’re delighted that it will be getting another season, Zombie Land Saga Revenge. Egan Loo at ANN has the details and the trailer is perfect. ^_^

Otherside Picnic anime is imminent! ANN’s Alex Mateo has all the details…except for why the fuck Toriko is in a skirt. Check out the trailer to boggle at the lack of sensible clothing for no reason. /eyeroll/

Vlad Love finally has a date for streaming in Japan. Oshii Mamoru’s vampire girl-meets-girl story will be hitting JP streaming platforms like Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Bandai Channel in February. Komatsu-san has the report over on Crunchyroll News!

And whether or not its Yuri, Kageki Shojo!! looks like it’s going to be as wonderful as an anime as it is a manga. ^_^ Crunchyroll’s Kara Dennison has the scoop on initial impressions from Japan.

I missed this news back in September when it posted and I’ve seen no updates, but it appears that Diskotek has has licensed the Rose of Versailles anime, with a projected 2021 release! That means this year will see the very first time both anime and manga for this classic series will be available in English! That’s pretty fabulous.

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Yuri Science Fiction

The second special Yuri issue of SF Magazine is out in Japan, and it is #2 in the Art, Fiction and Literature category on Amazon JP. Now that’s pretty amazing.  We’ve got SF Magazine February 2021, Special Issue (SFマガジン 2021年 02 月号 特別増大号) on the Yuricon Store for you. I am about 40 pages away from the end of the scifi prose anthology based on the 2019 issue and hope to have that reviewed for you shortly.

Yuri Manga

The very silly Yuri romantic comedy Yuri-Ota ni Yuri ha Gohatto desu!, Volume 1 /(百合オタに百合はご法度です!) about a Yuri Otaku at an all-girls school, ready to live the dream, is up on the Yuricon Store.

The doujinshi anthology “Yurico”n has a new volume out, this one is 18+: Otona Yuricon 2020 (大人のユリコン2020) is now available on Melonbooks.

Other News

Kara Dennison wrote an interesting overview of streaming in 2020 and beyond over at OtakuUSA Magazine in Streaming Anime, Lessons, and Life Post-Lockdown: What Needs to Stay.

Our friends at Autostraddle have rounded up 69 Queer and Feminist Books Coming Your Way in Winter 2020 and 2021, so that’ll keep us busy!

NPR’s Marketplace has a fantastic article about anime featuring ANN’s Exec. Editor Lynzee Loveridge. Well worth a listen to. It turns out 2020 may have been a good year for the anime industry. And it’s so nice to have a piece about about anime that includes people who know something about anime!

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Yuri Manga

While Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Volume 1 is on the way in English, Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts, Volume 2 hit shelves last month in Japan!

Heading our way in spring is Chasing After Aoi Koshiba, Volume1, by Hazuki Takeoka with art by Fly. (I have a fondness for this series I cannot explain. ^_^ I guess I really like Fly’s art.)

Alex Mateo over at ANN reports the news that Makoto Hagino’s A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow will end with Volume 9. Reviews here are up to Volume 5 in Japanese and  in English. ^_^

Via Comic Natalie, Akarui Kioku Soushitsu (明るい記憶喪失) is completing it’s run in Japanese manga magazine Comic Cune and the final volume will be released there at the end of January. It has not been licensed for the American market as of yet.

I am super excited for Volume 1 of Watashi no Oshi ha Akujyaku Reijou., the manga for the popular light novel, I’m in Love with the Villainess ( 私の推しは悪役令嬢。) I think the art in the manga suits the story much better than that in the LN.

Yuri Light Novels

Via Senior YNN Correspondent Sean G., want you to know that Volume 2 of I’m in Love with the Villainess LN will be getting an early digital release on January 7th, with a print release on February 23rd, from Seven Seas.

Girl’s Kingdom, Volume 1 is out now in English for J-Novel Club and it is highly amusing. I’ll have some thoughts on it soon enough. ^_^

I’m also extremely pleased that, after the Sayaka novels, Nakatani Nio and Iruma Hitoma have teamed up again to bring us another Yuri light novel. End Blue (エンドブルー), about a woman who meets another woman, then a year later, their paths cross again….

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Giving guest writers a raise, helping us support queer creators and making Yuri Studio a reality!

Yuri Webtoons

Very exciting – Mieri Hiranashi’s semi-autobiographical comic The Girl That Can’t Get A Girlfriend  is up on Webtoons! These are heart-warming and funny self-owns by the creator- who is one of the many queer creators we support on Patreon here at Okazu! ^_^

YouTube News

Carpfish on Twitter has linked to the Youtube version of their Rekijo panel from Fujocon: Romancing the Past, about women who are fujoshi for Japanese history. ^_^ This video has subtitles/cc.

Speaking of that, we’ve got the English subtitles/closed captions up and edited on our final Yuri Studio video of the season, Are There Queer Creators Creating Yuri? I hope you’ll give that a watch. Feel free to share it around and please don’t forget to like it, and subscribe to my channel…YouTube Watches Over Us. ^_^

I don’t know if I shared  this with you yet, so if I did, I apologize. Calorie Mate, a nutritional supplement/diet bar, (depending on the audience they are targeting), made an advert that included some of the staff of the movie Your Name, about a Karolina Styczyńska, the first foreign female to become professional Shogi player in Japan. It’s…lovely. Give The History of Karolina a watch!

Sailor Moon News

Komatsu-san at Crunchyroll News, shares a link to a “behind-the-scenes” look at Momoiro Clover Z recording the Sailor Moon Eternal theme.

Komatsu-san also has some fun visuals on Sailor Moon Eternal shows at Konica Minolta planetariums in Tokyo. ^_^

If you are a Sailor Moon fan, don’t miss the fourth trailer for the Eternal movie which features the Inners thinking about what they want to achieve. If the movie looks like this, I may forgive Toei for decades of cheaping out.

Via my own Okazu First Lady, there is a new Sailor Moon Cafe, Eternal Memories in 6 cities in Japan, but as a complete aside I want you to take a look at the top image of all the Senshi and note that both Haruka and Michiru have definitely gotten a grow-up along with everyone’s glow-ups. ^_^

Other News

Via YNN Correspondent Megan, Wonder Egg Priority anime will feature a character who is a boyish girl, who the other girls find attractive. Rafael Antonio Pineda has details on ANN including the Utena-esque premise.

Yagate Kimi ni Naru Saeki Sayaka ni Tsuite novels got a live read through and the cast has provided some audio commentary! Check out their conversation (in Japanese, obviously) on Youtube.

The Advocate covers Queer Japan, the crowdfunded movie by Graham Kolbiens and a host of others, documenting the lives of queer folks in Japan.  Hopefully after it runs through the film festival circuit we’ll get to see it for real!

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Thank you to all our Okazu readers and commenters, our YNN Correspondents, Patrons and friends.

Happy New Year from the entire Okazu family to all of you!

Yuri Manga

The first volume of the manga Watashi no Oshi ha Akujyaku Reijou. (私の推しは悪役令嬢。) is out now from Yuri Hime Comics! If you enjoyed the light novel, I’m in Love With the Villainess, you’ll enjoy the manga where we get the entire story illustrated ^_^ The manga has really been fun so far and, I honestly think the art suits the story better than the art in the LN.

Yuri Light Novel

If you haven’t yet gotten a chance to read I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 1, definitely do. The first volume is out in print now. I’ve just finished re-reading it and am impressed all over again.

Bloom Into You Regarding Saeki Sayaka, Volume 3 is imminent – it’s hitting some retailers early, in fact. Don’t miss this fabulous conclusion to the Bloom Into You franchise!

Manga Planet has added super light novel Yuri Will Not Blossom at Work! by Mai Yanagawa and Ruri Hazuki.

Yuri Studio

For our final episode of the 2020 “season,” on Yuri Studio, I take on one of the most complicated topics I am ever asked about: Are There Queer Creators Creating Yuri?

This year was an amazing year to address this, as while I was working on the video manga by queer creators were being licensed and a couple of folks spoke publicly about being queer to their Japanese fans. 2020 has been surreal, but it has also been amazing for queer manga.

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Yuri Anime

Okay, I give. ^_^  VLADLOVE debuted on Youtube this week and 1) I did not loathe it, something I was fully prepared to do (^_^) and 2) it’s Yuri.  We’ll have Megan reviewing it in the future, since she’s been the series advocate since it was announced.

Otherside Picnic anime will be debuting on Funimation on January 4th, don’t forget!

Senior YNN Correspondent Eric P. points out ANN’s Rafael Antonio Pineda’s article on Battle Athletes Daiundoukai ReSTART!  a new chapter for the Battle Athletes series.

Yuri Podcasts

Manga Mavericks has Sarah and Kit from Tomochoco Podcast and myself on to talk about the Kase-san series on Kase-san and a Podcast!

Other News

In 2019, SF Magazine did a blowout issue focused on Yuri, which was followed up by a Yuri science fiction 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, which I am about 3/4 through . The Yuri issue sold out and went into a second printing, which I reviewed on Okazu in February 2019.

Now Hayakawa Publishing is doing a second Special Issue focusing on Yuri, with a cover featuring the upcoming Otherside Picnic anime. The issue comes out on the 25th of December…and it’s already sold out on Amazon, and not available on Global Bookwalker as of yet. So, hold on to the link for SF Magazine, February 2021 Special Issue (SFマガジン 2021年 02 月号 特別増大号) and we’ll wait for it to be available!

Cartoon Network did this terrific PSA about pronouns featuring Stevonnie and I am going to say, having finally gotten over their fear of queer, they are really doing it right. Thank you Rebecca Sugar, you changed the world.

Cartoon Network also did this PSA about systemic racism in education in which Steven Universe‘s Pearl says what has to be said out loud.

Speaking of Rebecca Sugar, Via YNN Correspondent David M. we have a podcast that focuses on Studio Ghibli’s work, interviewing Ms. Sugar about her influences! Ghibliotheque – A Podcast About Studio Ghibli: Rebecca Sugar | Whispers From The Heart #4.

Also of interest was Andrew Tejada’s exploration of the de-humaning of characters of color for Tor.com in Representation Without Transformation: Can Hollywood Stop Changing Cartoon Characters of Color?

Captain Marvel 2 had a huge announcement with release date and cast – this movie will also feature Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau and I’m trying to not be too excited because I refuse to get Disney Plus. ^_^;

Friends in the Philippines can now get the ZsaZsa Zaturnnah comic collected in a hardbound edition. I’m jealous. ^_^

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news with your name and an email I can reply to – thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network! Special thanks to Okazu Patrons for helping us reach our 2020 goal of giving guest writers a raise and helping us support queer creators!