Yuri Events

My Yuri schedule is jam-packed this spring and I really hope you’ll be able to catch me at one of these events:

Alt Manga Symposium at Baruch College, NYC, NY, April 7th (this Thursday, so RSVP asap!)

Alternative Sexualities Manga Panel at LaGuardia College in Queens, NY, April 18th

Tokyo Comics Showcase, Vol. 1, part of Rainbow Pride Week in Tokyo, Japan, May 3rd. (No  RSVP needed, but there is a 1500￥cover charge.)

And I’ve just added a panel at AnimeNEXT, in their new Atlantic City location on Saturday, June 11, time TBA, where I’ll be talking about queer manga and fandom. I’m extremely glad to be part of ANEXT once again. ^_^

The good folks at Gay Manga! gave us a look at the Super Queeroes exhibition held at the Schwules Museum in Berlin, Germany.

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Sailor Moon News

Viz Media announced (with more than a little breathlessness, I might add) that the third season of Sailor Moon Crystal is going to be simulcast on Monday, April 4th. No specific time has been announced, but it will be shortly after the Japanese broadcast is complete.

I can’t remember if I told you all this yet, but it bears repeating and I’ll probably say it again. As part of their complete Sailor Moon license, Viz also will be releasing all the mini specials for the original series. Never-before-seen in official English release, you’ll get to see Ami’s First Love and the amazing, wonderful, Super S Special that includes Chibi-usa’s adventure with vampires and a short starring Haruka, Michiru and creepy dolls, featuring Michiru’ best mic drop line ever. Keep your eyes peeled for these!

In an amazing coincidence, Anion Cafe in Shibuya will be running a Sailor Moon Crystal Cafe while I am in Japan, featuring Outer Senshi-themed food items. Reservations are required, so far nothing past April 17th is available. If I manage to make this, the Sailor Moon art exhibition and cafe and the Card Captor Sakura cafe…and Rainbow Pride and Comitia, this trip will hit never before attained heights of pure geekdom. Fingers crossed. ^_^

Other News 

Waahhhh~~~~!!! Steven Universe is returning to Cartoon Network in July and has been renewed for two more seasons after the current one completes. I know we all want to know how this Peridot arc ends.

And let’s wrap today up on a historical note – Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is running a Kickstarter on women who were influential in the comics industry, She Changed Comics. These are names and works we all should know, so consider helping them out.

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.
Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

Sailor Moon News

As we get close to Sailor Moon Crystal‘s 3rd season, the video clips are coming thick and fast! ANN has two separate reports on the various opening and ending songs and animation, a new extended trailer and plans and singers for other EDs.

But to make it easy on you to watch this repeatedly, here is the first look at the Sailor Moon Crystal Third Season Ending theme, “eternal eternity”, sung by the voices of Sailors Uranus and Neptune, Minagawa Junko and Ohara Sayaka:

Two other notable things – in the extended trailer we see Sailor Venus with her sword, and I was immensely gratified at the final moments when the Senshi are arrayed very similarly to the way the are in the opening of ‘S’.

I have to say, I’m really very pleased with this. We deserve a little service. And Toei appears to not have forgotten the success they had with Sailor Moon S.

If you’re in Japan in this spring, consider hitting up Roppongi Hills for the Art of Sailor Moon exhibit! I’m gonna do my damnedest to get there. Because I will be in Japan in late April and my hope is that there will be a metric fuckton of Outers’ goods. ^_^ So, hey, please consider subscribing to Okazu! I need more stuff and to go to the Card Captor Sakura cafe for you. (Just kidding, all subscription money is used to buy stuff to review and to pay for massages. ^_^)

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Anime News

The Spring anime season is heating up and there’s all kinds of stuff happening.

Yuri!!! is an upcoming skating anime that, realistically is probably about a Russian skater named Yuri, but the odd font choice that is strongly reminiscent of Yuri Kuma Arashi, makes me wonder. It’s probably too much to ask, but it would be lovely if there was even a smidgen. A skater and her coach, or even better, two skaters…., please? ANN has the report.

ANN reports that creator of Aria, Amano Kozue’s series Amanchu!, about diving, is getting a 13-episode series. As with Aria, expect less plot and more scenery porn. It was a nice, not compelling manga. Check out the first key visuals on ANN.

YNN Correspondent Day has a news item of “somewhat dubious quality.” Day says “A website for a project of some sort currently under the name of Umamusume has gone up. It’s from the game company Cygames, so I’m assuming it is a game, although it may be a mixed-media project as the PV currently posted depicts no gameplay and instead seems like it may be for an anime. From what little there is, the underlying story is of a group of horse-girls pursuing success on the racecourse, with a dash of idol nonsense thrown in. Yuri is in the form of an intense locking of eyes, and a liplock between a pair of figure-skating horse-girls in the PV. “

So I watched that PV.  (O_O) I’m laughing hysterically, horrified. There is so much wrong with that anime I don’t even have words. A pop idol group of horse-eared girls, who also ice skate, eat a lot (think about it…) and race like horses. I…can’t… holy god that’s vile and amazing.  Thanks, Day. Your punishment is that you’ll have to write the review. ^_^

Manga News

YNN Correspondent Katherine H wants you to know that Yen Press has licensed Kiniiro Mosaic which, at Sakuracon they described as Yuri-ish.

The 7th volume of Murcielago (ムルシエラゴ) has hit stands at last and if you buy it at various bookstores in Japan, Comic Natalie reports, it will include one of a series of special art pieces by the artist.

Yuri Events

Y/Con is a Yaoi and Yuri vent in Paris on November 12th-13. If you’re going to be able to make this, do please consider writing up a report for us!

I’ll be speaking about Queer manga on April 18th at LaGuardia College in Queens, NY.

Tokyopop Germany tweeted that they are  bringing Yuri Manga  Citrus creator Saburouta to Animagic, held in Bonn Germany, July 29-31.

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.

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

Live Action News

Wahooooooo! ANN reports that Sentai Filmworks has licensed the live-action Arch Angels, a crazy movie based on a cute shoujo comic Warau Daitenshi Mikaeru. I heaped praise upon this movie back in 2008 and have been praying daily for someone to license it. There’s a little akogare/crushiness, nothing more Yuri however, the movie stars Ueno Juri and has a nun with an eyepatch who has eyeball grenades, so I think that makes up for any perceived flaws. ^_^

Yuri Event

Yuriten is a collaboration event to celebrate Yuri series by a bunch of Yuri artists (Including Kanno, Amagure Kido and Takasaki Hiromi)  in Osaka in February and Ikebukuro in March, and as I will be in Ikebukuro in May don’t think I’m not gnashing my teeth in frustration at missing this. Grrrr.

Yuri Manga

Nari x Yuki Living (なり×ゆきリビング なり×ゆきリビング ) is a seeries that follows two coworkers who end up living together in an odd-couple-y fashion. The plot doesn’t sound all that Yuri, but the series is listed under the BL Comics on Amazon (which is where the Yuri is indexed. They really need a new category header.)

And we have Morinaga Milk’s new volume Hana to Hina ha Houkago (ハナとヒナは放課後) on the Yuricon Store, as well. ^_^

Lilies Anthology is an Tumblr project looking to publish Yuri comics. They are recruiting artists (unpaid) and have a few months of submissions in their archives and first issue is imminent according to a recent update.

Other News

Comic Natalie reports that Yuri Danshi is being released in a new 5-volume set and a in the May issue of Comic Yuri Hime Kurat Uso will have an extra “doujinshi” story, Ore no Yome Nanka Inee~” that I have zero hope for, but will refrain from further comment until I have seen it.

Also on Comic Natalie Murcielago‘s Yoshimura Kana, Baccano’s and Durarara‘s Narita Ryougo have a 4-part conversation with Fukami Shin about, presumably writing gonzo crime stories. ^_^

Komatsu-san has the scoop that former Takarisenne Reon Yuzuki is starring in  a Bio Hazard/ Resident Evil stage musical on Crunchyroll news. Now take a moment to re-read that and think about the idea of a musical  Resident Evil adaptation. Best of times…worst of times.

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.

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

Yuri Event

Please join me at Baruch College for an Alt-manga Symposium, including a discussion of Yuri, BL, Bara and trans comics.

Thursday, April 7, Baruch College, 55 Lexington Ave. New York, NY. Room VC 5-165, 12:40 – 2:20 PM

Speakers will be Professor CJ (Shigeru) Suzuki, manga artist Akino Kondoh
Professor George Tsouris and Erica Friedman.

To reserve a seat for the symposium, please register here:
http://goo.gl/forms/GY5BzKU9KS

Yuri Manga

Some fantastic news from YNN Corespondent Bing C. today! Bing says “Another Yuri/GL webcomic has won the 2nd World Comic Contest held by Lezhin. “Pulse”, a Thai webcomic is described on the Lezhin website as a ‘story about two people that meet with minimal expectations but soon become enthralled in a relationship that changes everything about themselves.’ There are 2 free chapters in English available now on Lezhin.”

And, Bing continues, “There’s also another Korean GL/Yuri manhwa that has been translated to English in Lezhin called ‘Vengeance’. The information on the website reads: “Having witnessed her “secret” love killed by a murderer, the normally calm and cool headed police officer, Seolah, is determined to find the bastard and avenge her love’s death… “ The first chapter is free and you have to buy coins to unlock subsequent chapters (5 chapters so far).”

ANN has the news that CLAMP is going to going to publishing a new manga in their Card Captor Sakura series. I can’t be the only one who hopes it focuses on Tomoyo, can I? ^_^ Comic Natalie specifies that it will be a short story.

Yuri Anime

According to Scott Green over at Crunchyroll news, Sentai Filmworks  has licensed rescued the amusing and sometimes bizarre Strawberry Marshmallow  anime, based on the manga series by Barasui (that I was amazed just yesterday to see is still continuing to be published, although at a snail’s pace.)

Live Action

Komastu-san has the news that a new live-action Cutey Honey film is coming in the fall. Check out his report about Cutey Honey -TEARS- on Crunchyroll News.

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Yuricon News

We have one more new design on the Yuricon Store! If you’ve ever wanted to say “I Love Yuri” in Japanese, the brand-new “私は百合が好きです。” design by Althea Keaton gives you a cute and colorful way to say what you love so that other fans will know! Check it and the other great designs on the Yuricon Store (brought to you by Okazu Patrons) or on the Redbubble shop, where you can customize it by color, cut, phone model and more! And we have one more to come, something very special. This is so much fun!. ^_^

Other News

From the I’ll Make It Myself blog, Japanese brands Glico and Kirin have  created (albeit somewhat unwillingly) a great little props for derivative, queer pairings of food mascots. Check out the article and be ready to bemoan the lack of inclusivity in the Japanese snack food industry. They should have a chat with Oreos.

Bitchflicks take a look at interracial romance in anime, with a series which is likely to be familiar to all of us. ^_^

For a cheap laugh, check out this hilarious parody of the lesbian movie Carol from the Film Independent Spirit Award. Not mean-spirited at all, just silly.

Paul Chapman over at Crunchyroll has the results of a Japanese Best Yuri Anime series poll, which is notable for the several completely not-at-all Yuri mixed in.

Looking for something to read? Barnes & Noble suggest these 6 SF/F Novels with Non-White Protagonists That Aren’t By Octavia Butler.

CBLDF has a terrific article on tap: She Changed Comics, about 4 notable female comic artists. It’s especially important that we remember these women and talk about them in light of the complete erasure of women’s comics history espoused by Angouleme Festival Director, Franck Bondoux, who insisted that women have not had a long history in comics. His ignorance is our ignorance. Women who have been in comics for ages, like Dale Messnick and Barbara Hall deserve to have a place alongside of Milt Coniff and Charles Schulz.

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.

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