Yuri Game

The Yuri Game Jame is just around the corner! You’ve got two weeks to get your duckies in a row and start jamming!

MangaGamers has a couple of announcements of interest and one of them confused the heck out of me. First, as part of their English Game Dev week, they announced Razzart Visual’s Yuri title, Love Ribbon, a tale of forbidden love between two sisters. (You can imagine I type this rolling my eyes because seriously. How about we come up with a new idea one year. This is so so done.) The second announcement is The Expression: Amrilato by Sukerasparo which is the second (!) Yuri game I’ve seen in the last few months that involved Esperanto, along with Yuri Oboeru Yuri Amor / Yuri Oboeru Esperanto (百合でおぼえるユリアーモ/百合でおぼえるエスペラント) . I’m sure it’s coincidence, but weird, huh?

LGBTQ Manga

While the release day is in Spring 2019, the pre-order for Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 1 from Seven Seas is up! Boy howdy, I’d like to see the success of this book rival My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness, if only to prove conclusively that LGBTQ manga sell.

Yuri Anime

Senior YNN Correspondent Verso S wants you to know that a host of new online streaming services have been added for Japanese fans of Asagao to Kase-san, pointing out that they seem to be going with a 3-episode format, presumably to maximize rental fees.  Verso also notes that there is still no official disk release yet.

The August issue of Ultra Jump (ウルトラジャンプ 2018年 08 月号) includes two chapters by Hayashiya Shizuru-sensei, her first after Hayate x Blade has come to an end. She’s hit that moment in her career when the reaction to a long-running and intense monthly series is to write a story about being a mangaka. In “Tanerabo manga do it” a GL mangaka and a BL editor face off on the next story. I have no input, but I would read the hell out of “Shiritsu Amazoness.” Just saying.

Manga News

There’s a new publisher in town, Denpa LLC, and they are out of the gate with a number of new licenses including Tetsudo Shoujo Manga, which they are translating as Maiden Railways. This work by Nakamura Asumiko is not Yuri, but there is one chapter that had some Yuri. It was otherwise an interesting read. Check out Bruce’s review of the manga from 2011 here on Okazu.  I’m hoping that, since this is a Rakuen Le Paradis title, we may get more from this magazine other than the thin dribble we’ve seen. Since, as this Comic Natalie interview with Takemiya-Jin-sensei makes plain, Yuri has been part of the magazine’s premise from the beginning, there’s a lot of room there for some good jousei Yuri to come out from Denpa.

Anime News

Fans of the anime series Den-noh Coil might be interested in the news that some archived material was gathered together in a production sketchbook sold at Comiket, according to ANN.

Crunchyroll has added Murder Princess to it’s catalog. It’s not a Yuri Anime, really, but you sure can imagine that it details the beginning of a possible relationship, if that works for you. I like it for a bunch of reasons, almost none of them that one. ^_^

According to this report in the Canadian press, a First Nation teen from Canada is subtitling classic anime in Anishinaabemowin and Cree. That’s damned cool.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!  Our YNN podcast is now available, in which I take a look at some key news items this week.. 

Got questions about Yuri? Write in and ask and I’ll do my best to address them on the Okazu YNN Podcast!

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

In Volume 7 of 2DK, G Pen, Mezamashitokei.  (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。) Aoi’s wedding gets Nanami and Kaede thinking about getting married and living forever with someone. We’re reminded that when we met Nanami she was engaged, but that seems like a long time ago.

Nanami heads to Kyoto, while Kaede stays back in Tokyo to hit some tight deadlines. The day before her wedding, Aoi confesses her whole history with Kaede to Nanami, making it clear that she was in love with her former roommate. Kaede arrives and she and Nanami enjoy a nice wedding…and find themselves seated with the bride’s current girlfriends. 

On the ride home, after Nanami falls asleep, doubts about her own life roiling inside her head, we see Kaede confess her true feelings to Nanami with a kiss. 

So, that was a surprise. Kaede’s been a bit of a labrador puppy this entire time and we’ve been lead to believe she’s been largely unaware of the emotions around her, until they were made plain. This calls that perspective starkly into question.

Volume 8 is going to have to bring us to some kind of climax on this – there’s no way the tension can hold too much longer. But I’m perfectly willing to hunker down and wait as long as I have to. This series has been one of my all-time favorite Comic Yuri Hime series, not just because the art and content is adult, but also because it’s been give a lot of time to develop slowly and organically. I’ve never felt like the story demanded I accept that people are attracted to one another for no particular reason, without any motivation other than plot. And, since both Kaede and Nanami are the leads in a harem manga, it’s made for a fun excuse to watch them slowly, inexorably be drawn together.

Ratings: 

Art – 9 
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 5 It’s climbing
Service – 1

Overall – 9

The look on Nanami’s face as she realized they weren’t at Aoi’s exes table, they were at the current lovers’ table, was great. 

Yuri Anime

Senior YNN Correspondent Verso S took some time to catch us up on the Asagao to Kase-san OVA news this week. We were both convinced that the end of July would see the end of the run, but new theaters were added this week! Verso writes in with: “Inside Japan, starting this Saturday, August 10, the short film will be screened for two weeks in three theatres of a cinema chain, Korona Cinema World. This chain did not originally pick up the OVA upon first release. Screenings in all other cinemas on the original list have ended. The three Korona cinemas are located in Handa city (Aichi Prefecture), Ogaki (Gifu Prefecture) and Fukui city (Fukui).” I’m fascinated by the longevity of this theater run.

Komatsu-san on Crunchyroll reports that Tonari no Kyuuketsuki-san, a Yuri-ish anime (painfully translated, probably for copyright reasons, as Ms. Vampire Who Lives in my Neighborhood) based on a  manga which is running in Cune, has a Promotional Video available for you to view.

Enjoy Yuri manga and anime reviews and news! Get special sneak peeks at upcoming research and book chapters! Be part of the Yuri network – support Okazu on Patreon. Even $2/month can make a huge difference to us to bringing you all the best in Yuri!

LGBTQ Manga

Also from YNN Correspondent Verso S, is news that the HMV in Shibuya is going all out for the release of Shimanami Tasogare (しまなみ誰そ彼), Volume 4. Check out the pictures on their Twitter account and read their newsletter! Also…look at that cover, will you? ^_^

Yuri Manga

Risou to Koi ~Otona Yuri Omnibus (理想と恋 ～大人百合オムニバス～) is an online comic on Comic Walker. You can read a chapter for free (in Japanese).

From Yuri Hime @Pixiv, we have Tsuki to Koi ha Ochireba Kakeru (月と恋は満ちれば欠ける。) by Tokumutsumu. You can read the first 4 chapters of that on Pixiv (in Japanese.)

Catcher in the Rhyme, Volume 2 (キャッチャー・イン・ザ・ライム) hit shelves at the end of June and I can’t wait to read it (even though the rap is often beyond my ability to read. ^_^;)

Matuzaki Natsumi is another jousei manga artist with a Yuri story set in school, this one from Feel Comics. Lullaby for Girl (ララバイ・フォー・ガール ) goes on sale next month. 

Live-Action News

YNN Correspondent Stacy L tell us “Jacques Demy’s very rarely seen (outside of Japan) 1979 live-action adaptation of Rose of Versailles, Lady Oscar, was released on blu-ray this year.” Read a review of it on Mondo-Digital. 

Other News

Unrelated at all whatsoever to Yuri, the Satoshi Kon film Perfect Blue will be receiving a theater release in the US. I bring this up because we’re seeing more and more theaters picking up anime movies now and there seem to be two routes: 1) Major chains in small towns and 2) Art theaters. I believe the second one would work well for a Kase-san release, so I’m just going to hope like heck that Pony Canyon will consider bringing the OVA to the US for limited theatrical run, although realistically, these do better for older movies with established audiences – Evangelion, Sailor Moon, etc.

I do also recommend Perfect Blue, with some trigger warnings for rape and violence. There is no rape in the movie, but there is still a rape warning. It’s an amazing movie, fwiw. Check out the Fathom Events page for other anime movie nights at a theater near you. 

From Twitter, Morishima Akiko-sensei’s Comiket booth info includes a LINE stamp. How fun! Check out the QR code on this Yomuco tweet.

Harvey Awards nominees are out and the field is pretty diverse with some great queer-friendly content up for awards.

Queers & Comics 2019 is calling for panelists! Submit your application by September 30, 2018.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!  No YNN Podcast this week, while our audio engineer is out on vacation and I’m off to go picnic! Check in next week for a new episode!

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

LGBTQ Comics News

San Diego Comics Con hosted the Second Annual Prism Comics Awards. Catch the full list of winners at Panel Patter!

Yuri Manga

We’ve noted that the 27th issue of Rakuen Le Paradis magazine (楽園 Le Paradis) has 5 “Girls’Love” manga entries. Comic Natalie noted this too, and has an 4-part interview with Takemiya Jin ( Fujyourina Atashi-tachi, 不条理なあたし達) and discussion of Nakamura Asamiko (Mejirobana no Saku,メジロバナの咲く), Kazuma Kowo (Junsui Luminscence ,水ルミネッセンス), Shigisawa Kaya (Kimi Dake Ni, 君だけが光), Unita Yumi (Moko, モコ),and Harumi Chihiro’s ( Hasu no Hana, 蓮の花) Yuri contributions. 

We’ve got a couple of new items up n the Yuricon Store:

Shiroshi’s science fiction/human nature slice-of-life ROID-ロイド-1

Kodama Naoko’s first post-NTR series couldn’t have been more different – in a good way. Oya ga Urusainode Kouhai (♀) to Gizoukekkonshitemite (親がうるさいので後輩(♀)と偽装結婚してみた。).

Model-chan to Jimi Mane-san (モデルちゃんと地味マネさん) by Taneko was a a cute, fluffy Pixiv Yuri Hime comic about a flakey model who finds stability with her new manager. 

Kururkuruhime’s Yurigurashi (ゆりぐらし), webcomic slices-of-adult life of happy female couples was adorable.

And crowdfunded, creator-run independent Yuri magazine, Galette No. 7 (ガレットNo.7) is shipping this month!

Yuri Games

The Yuri Game Jam is set to begin on September 1, 2018! You’ve got 2 months to make that game, so get moving!

Live Action

The Revolutionary Girl Utena ~Shirokibara no Tsubomi (少女革命ウテナ ～白き薔薇のつぼみ～) live action musical is available on DVD or streaming on Amazon JP, (regional restrictions may apply.)

Other News

Over at ANN, Lynzee Loveridge has put together a great article on the Japanese LGBTQ activist community’s response to politician Sugita Mio’s 2015 comments that LGBTQ people don’t deserve social services because they aren’t “productive.” (Before you get outraged about this, think about channeling your anger into activism locally, because I guarantee that wherever you live, there are politicians currently making decisions about money in your area that agree with her.) I definitely recommend reading the article, especially if you are among the fans who have wondered if there is any correlation there is between the popularity of BL and Yuri and LGBTQ rights in Japan.

Check out the Okazu YNN Podcast for a little more discussion on this week’s news.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!  Check out the YNN Podcast for a deeper look at a couple of this week’s top news items.

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

Yuri Light Novels

Some very exciting news out of Japan this week! A new company, GL Bunko, is publishing Yuri novels in Japanese *and* English for simultaneous Kindle release. You can order their first book GIRL’S KINGDOM 1 & 2 on US Kindle. This gives you the English translation and the Japanese original. The translation is not sophisticated, but it’s certainly understandable. 

Yuri Events

Yurithon is around the corner and this year they are bring in special guests Lauren Landa and Erica Mendez, the English voice actressed for Sailor Uranus + Neptune in both the new Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal dubs. Get yourself to Montreal, Quebec, Canada on August 3-5 for a weekend of Yuri programming!

The Girls Love Fest Yuri doujinshi event is on once again for September 9th, back at the PIO building in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.

Save the Date! May 17 &1 18, 2019, Queers & Comics is returning to New York City, and it’s going to be amazing~~!

Yuri Manga

ANN reports that Namori has put Yuru Yuri on indefinite hiatus as of the September 2018 issue of Comic Yuri Hime. They also are reporting thatAmano Sakuya’s  Konohana Kitan is being moved from Monthly Comic Birz, which has been shuttered, to an online venue, Densha Birz. In the meantime, Amano-sensei posted images on Twitter of the Tokyopop German-language release of Konohana Kitan, which appears to be titled Fox Spirit Tales.

We have a new pile of stuff on the yuricon Store!

In Hiru Shitagari, Mata (昼下がりに、また), she’s been married for three years, the lady who lives downstairs is a famous designer. And they are interested in one another.

Chidori and Nanoha are closer than friends in Hana ni Arashi, Volume 1 (はなにあらし ).

The Yuri + Kanojo Anthology series takes at the life of the heroines who protect their princesses in Yuri + Kanojo Heroine-doushi no Happy End (百合+カノジョ-ヒロイン同士のハッピーエン).

Kuzushiro’s Heian gag comedy Kimi no Tamaenara Shineru, Volume  8 ( 姫のためなら死ねる) is on sale now.

I’ve reported that Nakamura Asumiko is trying her hand at Yuri in Rakuen Le Paradis magazine, and now Unita Yumi is doing so as well. Volume 27 has a new “girl’s love” story by slice-of-life master Unita-sensei, according to Comic Natalie.

Equaly as exciting, Hayashiya Shizuru has a new manga in Ultra Jump! Tanerabo manga do it! (『たねラボ manga do it』) starts in the August issue.

In Lilymaria to Wakaiseyo (リリィマリアと和解せよ) a goddess of Yuri recruits a BL manga artist to provide her with the Yuri stories she craves.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!  Check out the YNN Podcast for a deeper look at a couple of this week’s top news items.

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