First of all, thank you Louis for bravely handling not one, but two, YNN reports while I was gone. It was a pleasure to know that while I visited the Bayeaux Tapestry and ate the most amazing crepes I have ever had, you were only miles away, laboring over my blog. ^_^

We’ll have a ton of news to catch up on this week and next as I’ll be running down some of the announcements from Anime Expo last weekend and San Diego Comic-Con, which is happening as you read this report! 

LGBTQ News

Our top story is the announcement by Seven Seas at Anime Expo that they have licensed Kamatani Yuhki’s Shimanami Tasogare. But…you all knew that, since they were kind enough to break the news before AX as a climactic end to my Pride month of manga recommendations on Twitter. Thank you to them from the bottom of my heart, it really made so very, very happy. Check out the ANN report for details and be sure to get this when it’s released…it’s really good. Volume 3 was, I was told, meant to be the final volume in Japan, but this week will see the release of Volume 4, so no complaints there.

Rebecca Sugar has gone on record saying that the Crystal Gems, who are meant to be seen as non-binary, express their creator’s gender identity, as well in this article on io9. The Steven Universe Panel at SDCC is tonight, so look for teasers tonight. 

Comicsverse reports on the Crunchyroll-hosted very first LGBTQ+ in Anime Panel at Anime Expo and it went very well or melted the very definitions of reality as we agree upon them, depending on who you ask.  I’m sorry I missed it, but I consider it another major milestone for LGBTQ representation in anime/manga journalism. 

Entertainment Weekly has has released visuals from Noelle Stevenson’s upcoming She-Ra cartoon series! More than a few folks noted that She-Ra shorts and skirt combo give them an Utena vibe, although I thought of a tennis outfit myself. With openly an queer showrunner we at least can hope for the She-Ra we all deserve.

And, just to make sure that as many childhoods are ruined as possible, the CW has announced that Batwoman is getting a TV series and she’s going to be a Jewish lesbian.  ^_^

Last night we got more excellent news, as Gengoroh Tagame-sensei’s manga My Brother’s Husband won an Eisner Award at Comic-Con, and so did Taneka Stotts for the Elements: Fire anthology. Read her rousing acceptance speech on behalf of the queer creators of color who worked on that book. (And, Rumiko Takahashi *finally* was inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame.)

For Okazu readers, we’re stepping into the nerd world we’ve been working for for our whole lives. The future of girls’ entertainment is queer, it’s female. it’s black, it’s diverse. Revel in it, friends, rejoice and sing paeans, then let’s get back to work, there’s a lot to do, yet. ^_^

Yuri Manga 

Kodansha also had amazing news for us at Anime Expo, with the announcement of Miman’s Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu! license. Kodansha picking Yuri is my Job! (article at Comics Worth Reading) up is good news on several fronts which I’ll discuss in a little greater detail for this week’s podcast. ^_^ 

ANN reports that Seven Seas also announced the spinoff manga for Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. 

ANN also has the news that Saburouta’s Citrus is ending in August. 

Yuri Anime

ANN reports on Section 23s’ Maiden Japan imprint announcement that they’ve picked up Maria-sama ga Miteru after Nozomi/RightStuf’s license lapsed and it will be migrated to the new HIDIVE streaming platform before being released on Blu-ray. 

Viz Media announced the dub casts for the Sailor Moon movies, which have a few lovely Uranus / Neptune moments.  ^_^ Check out the dubbed clip of the Sailor Moon S movie as the Outers fight the ice dancers. Bonus points to anyone who can tell me why I consider this the best clip in all of Sailor Moon-dom. Feel free to guess in the comments. 

Anime Feminist‘s Vrai Kaiser reviews Happy Sugar Life, Episode 1, and predictably, doesn’t like it. I cast no aspersions on Vrai here, I would not like it, either, which is why Vrai’s a braver soul for watching it than me. But hey, it exists as a thing streaming on Amazon Prime Video, if it’s a thing you might like. ^_^ And if you do like, it, you’ll be happy to learn that Yen Press has licensed the manga (which, I want to be clear, has never been and will not be reviewed here on Okazu for all of the reasons Vrai mentions.)

SakugaBlog has a lovely article about the trials and tribulations involved in making the Asagao to Kase-san anime OVA, with a focus on the choice to animate emotional states, rather than inserting sweeping vistas or other typical artistic choices for animation. 

Other News

Realistically, I am probably the only one who cares about this, but ANN reports that Ikki Tousen is getting a spin-off manga. Gods know we hardly ever get stories with pantyshots and exploding clothes anymore, so phew.

Mainichi News reports that a support group in Nakano Ward intend to offer free housing to impoverished LGBT people in Tokyo.

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 our YNN Podcast on Patreon for a little more thought around today’s news.

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

Yuri Anime

ANN reports that the Yagate Kimi ni Naru anime has cast announcements and a promotional video. Minako Kotobuki (Tsumugi from K-ON!) and Yūki Takada  (Eruma from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid) will play Touko and Yuu respectively.

Happy Sugar Life has unveiled some new visuals, in this report from ANN.

One more from ANN, Comic Cune magazine’s Yuri-ish Tonari no Kyuuketsuki-chan will be getting an anime for the fall season. Anyone interested in writing some review limericks?

LGBTQ Manga

We wrap up my 30 Days of Pride Manga recommendation list on Twitter with fabulous news from Seven Seas, who have just announced that they have licensed Kamatani Yuhki’s Shimanami Tasogare!

Yuri Manga

Coupla new items up on the Yuricon Store! Hana ni Arashi (はなにあらし) follows Chidori and Nanoha who are almost as close as lovers. 

Miman’s debut volume Kimi-iro Shoujo (キミイロ少女 完全版) has been given a Perfect Edition.

In Hiru Shitagari, Mata (昼下がりに、また), Katakura Ako’s most recent volume, a married woman is wooed by her downstairs neighbor.

Sailor Moon News

The Nogizaka 46 casted version of the next Sailor Moon Musical has some cast visuals to share.

LGBTQ Comic News

Directly from creator Tee Franklin on Twitter, LGBTQ comic Bingo Love has a new edition coming out this fall!

The Comics Journal has an interview with our long-time friend Nikki Smith on her LGBTQ comic Crossplay.

Yuri Sim Game

I have no idea at all what the content is, but, 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) looks fascinating. Someone play this and tell us all about it!

Other News

Great news from YNN Correspondent Verso S, Julie Yllogique‏ on Twitter posted that the Annecy Film Festival featured “an all-women panel, and more importantly that it “didnt [sic] revolve around “being a woman in the animation industry”, just focusing on these amazing director’s work.” 

From Jawn-Luc Picard on Twitter, this amazing panel (from an anti-gay comic)…the birth of Diesel Dyke!

The Akihabara Gamers store is celebrating a year of their Yuribu with a special giveaway event. Buy 3 volumes of a selected set of Yuri manga and get a free first anniversary pamphlet!

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!

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

An extra super-duper long YNN today. Check back in at the end to see why!

Yuri Anime

As the prophecy foretold, Anime Expo, July 5-8 in Los Angeles, will include a premier of the Asagao to Kase-san OVAhosted by both the director and producer. Check out the ANN report for details. 

Both Animage and Newtype magazine July issues spends some time giving coverage to the movie.  

Of all the interviews and articles I’ve mentioned here in support of the movie, the oddest and least apparently relevant so far has to be this interview with AKB48 member Okada Nana, who assures us that it doesn’t matter if its girls in love. Well, that’s settled then. ^_^

Funimation slams back onto our radar with complete DVD/Blu-ray combio boxset releases of the entire Mai HiME collections, My Hime, My Otome and My Otome: Zwei + My Otome 0: S.ifr! All the Shizuru x Natsuki, Chie x Aoi, and Haruka x Yukino for the win!

Yuri Manga

My Pride Month Manga recommendation list is still going strong onTwitter! This past week included not-manga suggestions that I thought folks should really not miss. ^_^ (In case its not that obvious, I’m trying my damnedest to give you a variety of genre, age, subject and publishers. Unlike my usual capricious choices, this one has been curated within an inch of it’s life. ^_^ If you value the effort, please consider spending a buck or two a month to support Okazu!

Do you remember that Yuri manga I mentioned last week called Yurikabe (ゆりかべ)? I thought it was about “kabe-don”, you know when people box someone in on a wall? I was soooo wrong. The wall is a Yuri matchmaker! It’s nuts. And great. Check out Seta Seta-sensei’s wacky story on Sukima for free (in Japanese).  My wife reminds me that one of my favorite youkai is Nurikabe, so perhaps this is his lesbian cousin. ^_^

Galette magazine is looking for Yuri doujinshi artists to contribute. They are very clear that they do not provide editorial support or take non-digital submissions, but if you’re interested, check out the guidelines on Galette [meets].

Nishio Yuhta’s After Hours, Volume 2 is now available in English from Viz!

In Bakejyou! ~ Youkai Gakuen Youkoso~ ( ばけじょ! ~妖怪女学園へようこそ~), 4-panel gag comic, Azuki enters a high school for youkai. 

Sakura Minori is an average girl, why is she so popular with the other girls at this rich girls school? Find out in Minori to Hyakunin no Ojousama ( みのりと100人のお嬢様 ).

Mushroom Girls In Love, about the valiant fungus-girl Arriala, fighting to rescue her love, will hit English-language shelves in July. Bruce would have been so pleased (and puzzled).

Shiori o Page-tachi ( しおりを探すページたち) from Comic Yuri Hime magazine is a belated entry to the Yuricon Store. And sweet slice-of-life Yuri, Tsurezure Biyori ( 徒然日和 ) joins it.

LGBTQ News

Have some queer news for Pride Month. ^_^

Do you want more comics about lesbian witches? I know I do! Then check out I am Hexed Kickstarter for the comic by Kirsten Thomas!

Sapporo, Japan has issued cards proving LGBT partnerships for use in emergencies, the Kyodo News Agency reports.

Meanwhile, Mainichi reports that Sexual minorities seek recognition of same-sex partnerships from 23 municipal assemblies. 

The Japan Time says that high-profile Japanese businesswoman Katsuma Kazuyo has come out as being in a same-sex relationship with political activist Masuhara Hiroko. 

Syfy channel‘s official Twitter account did a quick tweet with 5 queer comics creators whose names and work you should know!

Here’s a first for Okazu…Good Morning America(!) has an article on the 27 countries where same-sex marriage is legal. It’s a start.  I never expected to ever mention GMA here, for sure. ^_^

Visual Novel News

Studio Élan’s first Yuri Visual Novel Heart of the Woods demo is available on Steam and itch.io. 

Aikasa Collective has entered the Yuri Visual Novel market with Mizuchi (白蛇心傳),  a supernatural fantasy, inspired by the Legend of the White Serpent. 

Other News

Deb Aoki takes a look at the growth of the English-language manga market for Publishers Weekly in A New Golden Age for Western Manga.

Rachel Thorn has a new article on her blog called The Rise, Fall…and Rebirth…? of Shōjo Manga, in Japanese.

Okazu News

After several months of frenetic events and paneling, I am taking a well-deserved extended vacation from Okazu for a few weeks. I have a bunch of reviews lined up to post while I’m offline, I expect/hope/desire to get one last YNN report out this month. For the first time ever, we will have a Guest YNN Editor! I know you all know Louis P for terrific Visual Novel reviews. Louis has kindly accepted the charge of filling in here for at least one YNN Report in July. So please appreciate the effort, the time and thank them. I know that I’m ecstatic over this. I’ve never had anyone to step in on YNN before! Whee! I will be intermittently online, but mostly, I’ll be out having fun, so you go have some summer fun too. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. 

Check out the Episode 2 of our Okazu News Analysis Podcast now on Patreon!

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!

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

Kase-san Series News

June 9th was the official theatrical premiere of Asagao to Kase-san, the anime based on Takashima Hiromi-sensei’s manga of the same name. The press for the event has kept up the energy and at least a few theaters have booked the run for a week or even two, while other have an open-ended time frame. 

In the meantime, the interviews and articles are coming thick and fast. 

Comic Natalie reports that folks who see the OVA have another new piece of art in the pamphlet. The Director and voice actresses have a discussion about Yuri. Comic Natalie also has an event report from the premiere event. And Movie Walker has an article about the movie. (All of these are in Japanese.)

Yuri Anime

The folks at Comic Yuri Hime have yet another new anime license and, again, it is one of the stories I don’t follow, Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maoirita!  (I read about half the comics now – you know, the half they aren’t animating. ^_^) Check out the ANN report for details.

ANN also has news that Kaishaku’s incoherent Yuri-ish series, Eikyuu Monogatari ~Eternal Alice Rondo has been licensed by Diskotek. If you’ve never seen this, you won’t believe my description of it, anyway, so you might as well watch it, then come back and read my 2006 review, since not one moment of it makes sense anyway. ^_^

Yuri Manga

Killing Me~! (キリング・ミー!) is probably-a-vampire Yuri number four
It could turn out to be a bore
I may never know,
my motivation is low
I don’t think it could suck any more.

For folks who like high school love, Dare mo Ienai, Futarigoto (誰にも言えない、ふたりごと), first chapter is available online in Japanese.

There’s a new Yuri anthology on the block! Avalon (girls x garden comics) looks nice, but We’ll see. ^_^

Ichijinsha is putting out a perfect edition of Fujieda Miyabi’s Ame-iro Kouchakandan (飴色紅茶館歓談　完全版) in two volumes. Volume 1 and Volume 2 are slated for release at the end of this month. That means a new chapter in which Seriho makes Sarasa blush. Worth it.

I’m looking forward to the first volume of Model-chan to Jimimane-san (モデルちゃんと地味マネさん) about an attractive, yet flaky model and her serious, not-particularly-stylish manger.

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!

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