Yuri Manga

The May issue of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫 2015年 05 月号) hits the shelves in Japan next week.

Ichijinsha is releasing Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san, Volume 4 (犬神さんと猫山さん)by Kuzushiro from Yuri Hime Comics. Also by Kuzushiro, from the Rex Comics imprint,  Kyou mo Futari ha Nakayoshi desu.(今日も2人は仲良しです).

Ichinjinsha is a busy group – they are pounding out Yuri collections from creators not (yet) writing for Comic Yuri Hime,  A quick glance at the artists’ works and and based only on the titles of a few coming out soon, I gather these will be more adult in nature, but moe in style. I point this out because if you are shipping these, wait to see what the covers look like before you decide – adult content + moe art is, perhaps, not always a wise choice to put in the mail:

Ai Rabu Yuu Yori Aishiteru (愛羅武勇より愛してる) by Kumichou.

Naturize – (ナチュリーズ) by Aoto Hibiki.

XXX shita hodo Kawai Kimi ga (×××したいほど可愛い君が) by Kazuga Sunao.

Tosaku Shoujo Shoukogun (倒錯少女症候群)

Of special note is a two-part comic based on the popular Yuri visual novel, Okujou no Yuri Yurei-san. From Liar Soft and Itou Hachi we get Okujou no Yuri Yurei-san SIDE A Mou Hitotsu no Yuritopia (屋上の百合霊さんSIDE A もうひとつのユリトピア ) and Okujou no Yuri Yurei-san SIDE B Nakayoshi Quiz (屋上の百合霊さんSIDE B 仲良しクイズ). Especially notable, these are being published by Shinsokan under the Hirari imprint, which happily, does not seem to be dead just yet. ^_^

And again another Kuzushiro title, Volume 5 of Kimi no Tamenara Shineru (姫のためなら死ねる) her Heian gag comedy series, from Bamboo Comics.

Before I forget, one more popular Yuri manga artist is trying her hand with digital comics on Note.mu. You can find Momono Moto‘s (Rainy Song) work there.

And for our Polish readers, Morinaga Milk’s GIRL FRIENDS, Volume 3 is out this month from Studio JG!

Via Senior YNN Correspondent Erin S., “a short comic about witches and wishes and wanting things” which I found to be delightful. ^_^

Here’s a new Kickstarter for Love In All Forms: The Big Book of Growing Up Queer. It’s about a third of the way to funding, and a mere $7 will get you a DRM-free pdf of the book. That’s a good deal.

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Yuri Anime

Any number of people rushed to point out the news that a 3rd season of Yuri Yuri anime has gotten the go sign. (So many folks mentioned it that I can’t credit all the YNN correspondents who caught this, but thank you all!)

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Other News

Comic Book Resources is looking for your thoughts on the Top 50 Female Comic Writers and Artists of All Time!

Sailor Moon-inspired desserts.

A Sailor Moon Crystal Character song album, (美少女戦士セーラームーンCrystal キャラクター音楽集Crystal Collection) is being released which, I have to be honest, I will buy without even caring what the songs are like. ^_^ I have all the others, why should this one be different?

Our friend Rica Takashima has announced that she’ll be creating some art specifically for the Queers & Comics conference in May in NYC. I hope you can join us – it’s going to be an *amazing* event. Follow the event on Twitter for updates.

Let’s wrap this up with a little light reading: Shōjo Manga Research: The Legacy of Women Critics and Their Gender-Based Approach by Masafumi Monden.

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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 Anime

From Senior YNN Correspondent Eric P., Funimation is releasing the first “Girls with guns on the run” anime series by Bee Train Noir Complete Series on Blu-Ray. If you’ve never seen this, you really should. The music, the voice actors (and the story, in a nutty way) are all fantastic.

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Yuri Manga

From YNN Correspondent Tomo K. we have some fun news about another series by the creator of Murciealgo: “OurTube is a gag 4-koma that features four high school girls. Itsuki is the heroine with superhuman abilities who’s always copying stunts she sees on Youtube.

Itsuki and Madoka are obviously a couple, but Madoka is also after Setsuka, Itsuki’s cousin. Setsuka likes Itsuki and is thus jealous of Madoka. The fourth character is Rui, another lethal weapon of sorts who helps out Setsuka whenever Setsuka gives her a Tirol chocolate.

The basic plot is that Itsuki and Madoka go berserk to do something, and then end up being stopped and punished by Setsuka and Rui. The series is complete, but volume 2 was never published.”

Volume 1 is also only available on Amazon JP from 3rd party sellers, but this definitely sounds like the kind of thing I’ll trawl through Book-Off for.

The creators of the new Jem and the Holograms comic for IDW Publishing (which debuts this month) have gone on record that in this version, Kimber and Storm are a couple.

For those of you enjoying the adult content of Mebae, Volume 4 (メバエ) is  hitting shelves in April.

I have no idea if these are going to have any Yuri, but a further Madoka tie-in serie, 魔法少女たると☆マギカ The Legend of “Jeanne d’ Arc” is too interestingly titled for me to resist. If you also are interested, you can find Volume 1 and Volume 2 on Amazon JP. The cover on Volume 2 is wonderful. YNN Correspondent David M. weighs in with this news: “The Puella Magi Jeanne D’Arc series will be published in the US by Yen Press, with the first volume coming out 21 April. Amazon.com even has a description (an intriguing idea, if done well, and one hinted at the end of the series).”

YNN Correspondent David M wants to remind us that Torikaebaya, Volume 6 (とりかえ・ばや) is out.  My copy sits there, taunting me, while I avoid meeting it’s eyes. I think I’m scared of it.

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Other News

Senior Correspondent Erin S wants you to know about an interesting new anthology about early internet fandom experiences, I Was a Teenage Gargoyle.

Jamie Lynn Lano, who lived the dream, moved to Japan and became an assistant to the creator of the Prince of Tennis manga is now distributing her book, Princess of Tennis in print and ebook format through Chromatic Press’s Sparkler Monthly site.

I have absolutely NO idea what this is like, but it caught my eye (as you’ll understand in a second.) A very few Japanese novels are being released in Japanese through Amazon.com’s Kindle platform. Looking through some lesbian themed novels, I found Anna and Erica Best Friend Syndrome (Japanese Romance Fiction Japanese edition.) It’s 99 cents. I should probably just get it.

On Saturday, March 7th, Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA will be holding a Legend of Korra art show, including this adorable Korra x Asami piece by Korra co-creator Bryan Konietzko.

A K-Drama has created controversy with a lesbian kiss. You can watch Seonam Girls High School Investigators on Viki.com.

YNN Correspondent Ichigo_69 points toward this NPO in Japan – Good Aging Yells (GAY) for the Out in Japan project, but I found this Lush-sponsored event We Believe in Love, just as interesting. Clearly this NPO can bring in the sponsors, and money, as we all know, speaks loudly.

Let’s end on a positive note – The Ministry of Education in Japan has just announced that they will require all schools in Japan to support LGBTQ kids. A major step forward.

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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!

Event News

Girls Love Fest 13 is coming up in mere hours in the Tokyo Metropolitan area once again! The participating circle list is getting pretty damn big.

I can’t remember if I mentioned this yet. Hat tip to YNN Correspondent EJ Daniels, and with a full report by Komatsu-san on Crunchyroll News, a Maria-sama ga Miteru “Graduation” Event will commence on March 29 in Tokyo.

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Yuricon and Okazu News

I’m planning on a new livestream Yuri panel/ Q&A this spring, so if you have any questions about life, the universe or Yuri you want answered, check out this post: It’s Utter Nonsense 2015 and send in your questions in a comment.

We haven’t had any Yuricon Store updates in a while, because we had a few technical setbacks. These have been resolved with only minor inconvenience because our amazing webmaster Lissa Pattillo is a genius. Consider this a recommendation – if you are looking for a webmaster who knows her technical stuff, has her *own* creativity and understands yours, and can follow through with creative-focused builds, I recommend her wholeheartedly.

The upshot is, we’re still on track for a March soft launch of the new Store, so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement here in upcoming weeks.

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Other News

A Queer, Southern, Woman of Color anthology is looking for contributors. Queer Young Cowboys publication is looking for an editor. These and many other Queer lit opportunities are listed on the Lambda Literary site.  No excuses – get out there and create!

Comic Natalie has reported additional info on Manpuku Yuri (満腹百合), the manga about food and playing house, starring a happy lesbian couple. There is now a short promotional video. It’s very squee. ^_^

Kathryn Hemmann at Contemporary Japanese Literature takes a look at Yoshiya Nobuko’s Yellow Rose and finds it good. In case you want a perspective other (and more academically minded) than mine. She also finds Frederick’s point about lesbian identity to be key – and brings up a point that I had not considered and which is extremely significant. It’s a good review, go read it!

Comic Natalie gleefully reports that Volume 4 of “Violence Yuri” manga Murcielago (ムルシエラゴ) comes with an “Evil Breasts” poster.  Click this link for SFW image if you have a relaxed workplace and aren’t afraid of getting a reputation as (or as more of ) a weirdo. The words say “These breasts are evil breasts.”

If you can read Japanese, you might want to toddle over to this look at magical girl series:  Children of Sailor Moon: The Evolution of Japanese “Magical Girl Anime (セーラームーンの子どもたち—日本発「魔法少女」アニメの進化).

OMG, I have to share this!!!! ROD‘s Yomiko Readman makes a visit to the Himawari Bookshop from the series Himawari-san Volume 5, via Comic Zin. This illustration would be worth going out of my way for. ^_^

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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 Manga

Yuri Hime Comics is releasing Rakuji Tarahi’s Nijiiro Secret (にじいろシークレット) this week.

Later this month, I’m surprised and a little excited to see Volume 5 of Himawari-san (ひまわりさん), a series in which nothing happens and, like the Talking Heads’ Heaven, who knew that nothing could be so exciting?

Next month we’ll see a collection, Cider to Nakimushi, by Kanno, the creator of Anoko ni Kiss to Shirayuri wo (缶乃作品集) and the fourth volume of  Tsuki to Sekai to Etoile (月と世界とエトワール).

Next month will also see Tono’s Pink Rush (ピンク・ラッシュ) from Hirari magazine. Also from Hirari is Komura Youko’s Hontou no Kanojo (ほんとのかのじょ ).

A little creepy-looking, but out this month is Hana to Uso to Makoto (花と嘘とマコト).

Komatsu-san at Crunchyroll News reports that Shimura Takako plans on releasing 8 books in 5 months! This will include Awajima Hyakkei (淡島百景) which we reported on last week. ^_^

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Yuri Novel

Along with the manga and the anime, Ikuhara Kunihiko and Morishima Akiko are releasing a Yuri Kuma Arashi novel (in at least two parts, based on the title – ユリ熊嵐 上.

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Yuri on JP Kindle

There’s a lot of material popping up on JP Kindle. Frustratingly, those of us without JP IP addresses cannot access them. As a result, I’m not adding them to the Yuricon Shop just yet. Here is a small selection, in Japanese:

まんがで綴る百合な日々 おためし無料版 女×女のバカップル同棲日記

女性カップルで感じ合う最高のセックス 未経験の快楽にハマる百合娘12人のレズビアン事情

百合ガール！ 眠れるレズビアン体質が目覚めた７人の

思索部vol.1 紅葉抄

As with Amazon.com Kindle, the quality of writing and formatting will be variable, but if you have a JP-enabled Kindle and pick any of these or others up, consider writing us a review!

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Yuri Anime

Funimation has announced that they will be doing a dub of Yuri Kuma Arashi.

And Viz is premiering a clip of their Sailor Moon dub at the climactic first season ending.

Aria is about to have a 10th anniversary and to celebrate a Blu-Ray set and a new anime is planned. Scott Green reports on Aria the Avvenire on Crunchyroll News.

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Other News

Happy Black History Month! Here’s 100+ LGBTQ Black Women You Should Know from Autostraddle.

It’s a fairly blatant bit pandering, The Hoopers, an all-girl idol group who dress “like boys” (you know, in pants) is launching in Japan. As boys they don’t work, as girls in suits, they work just fine.^_^

And let’s finish off this week with this Complex.com article – Wonder Women: How Female Characters and Creators Are Battling to Make Comics Better.

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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!