I am working on two so-far secret projects that I can’t tell you about just yet, but I promise that they will both be of interest to the folks reading Okazu.  And now a third project has popped up that I do want to tell you about. I’ve been invited to be part of Rainbow Week events in Japan. Rainbow Week is the week of events surrounding the Tokyo Rainbow Pride Parade. The idea of speaking about Yuri with a roomful of Japanese lesbians thrills me no end and there is high likelihood of wonderful things coming your way from it. Of course I will be reporting on the events, the parade and will give you details so you can join me. ^_^

If you have ever thought about contributing to the Okazu Patreon, this is exactly the kind of thing you’d be supporting. Lesbians talking about Yuri, bridging cultures, bringing us all together. Last time I had a chance to do something like this was at Yuricon 2005, right before Yuri Hime magazine launched. Maybe this event will be the beginning of something new, too. ^_^

So, if you are a regular here, enjoy our news and reviews and insights and events reports and can afford even $1/month, I’m asking that you please consider subscribing to Okazu. Click this link and receive my sincere gratitude, a Hero’s Badge and the knowledge that you are helping make LGBTQ Yuri history.

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Yuri Anime

If you’re in Japan this week, check out this all-night Sakura Trick marathon at a theater with, of course, special goods for sale.

ANN reports that Crunchyroll has added Princess Knight, the ur-Girl Prince anime series. ^_^

Yuri Manga

Right now is a good time to try Kadokawa’s Bookwalker Global if you’re interested in getting digital access to Yuri manga from Japan. Bookwalker now has access to the considerable backlist of Yuri Hime comics’ Yuri manga selection, including many books that are no longer in print and also the defunct in print, but trying to stay alive in digital, Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari‘s ebook selection as well. If you have any digital device, phone, tablet, computer, for very reasonable prices you can have literally dozens of great Yuri manga at your fingertips!

ANN reports that Kuzushiro is launching a new manga “Ani no Yome to Kurashiteimasu” (I’m Living With My Brother’s Bride) in Young Gangan magazine in the 24th issue of this year, with a December release date.

Comic Natalie has an amazing interview/conversation between Yuri Kuma Arashi‘s (ユリ熊嵐) Morishima Akiko and Shoujo Kessen Origa‘s (少女決戦オルギア) Ejima Eri.

Yuri Light Novel

I know you’re always looking for high-quality Yuri to read.  Yuri Mau Oasis Ruru to Miki to Houseki to Majyo (百合舞うオアシス ルルと美姫と宝石の魔女) is probably not it. But if you’re looking for low quality Yuri LNs, you might want to give it a try. ^_^;

LGBTQ News

Some terrific book news from good friends!

Jude McLaughlin has collected her popular Wonder City Stories into a published volume. Jude’s a terrific writer and I’ve been pushing her work for years. It’s great to see it make a print debut. If you like superheroes and people and their problems and diversity and female characters with depth…check out Jude’s new book!

Another writing pal, J.D. Glass, has reissued her work Red Light (which I reviewed back in 2007) with a new publisher, on print and Kindle. And, in fact, it’s cracked the Amazon Top 100 in 3 categories already, congrats J.D.!

While I’m at it and since it’s that time of year, Bold Strokes Books is running a sale on ebooks of their lesbian romances starring princesses and other creatures. Perfect for a gift for a close friend or yourself when you get tired of sweaters. ^_^

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!

LGBTQ Game

Famitsu reports some exciting news – Japanese RPG Lucent Heart will feature same-sex relationships and marriages as options. Check out the link for absurdly cute screenshots of potential couples. ^_^

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Yuri Manga

Japanese Yuri fans are enthused about the Yuri-service of new series Shoujo Kessen Origa (少女決戦オルギア), which is running in Young Magazine. It’s promoting itself as a girls’ battle royale, so we can guess what it’ll be like. ^_^

From Comic Yuri Hime, fans of Sound! Euphonium can look forward to band-themed 12 Minute no Etude by Nakahara Tsubaki, (12分のエチュード).

Fans of Takemiya Jin will be pleased that she has a new collection, See-saw x Game. (シーソー×ゲーム)

Also from Yuri Hime, we have Aoto Hibiki’s school comedy, Prince Princess (プリンスプリンス).

Yuri Anthology Mebae (メバエ) is still cranking out questionable content with a Volume 5. ^_^;

For fans of something completely different, we have the third volume of Hayate x Blade 2, yay! (はやて×ブレード2) and Himawari-san, Volume 6 (ひまわりさん).

The January issue of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫2016年1月号) hits shelves in Japan this coming week.

Other News

HuffPo has a list of 11 Lesbians in History you should know. The presumption that you don’t know them is irritating, but that’s where we are in the world of clickbait headlines. It’s still worth looking at.

Sam Bosma’s amazing kids’ series Fantasy Sports (of which I reviewed – and adored –  Volume 1,) is continuing in Spring 2016 with Volume 2.

I want to wrap up with something extremely personal. In the US, Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away. I make it a practice of being explicitly thankful all the time, but this year especially so. As many of you know, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis three years ago, but I am holding my own and plan on running a 5K this coming Thanksgiving. For the asthmatic kid I was, this is daunting, but as much as I’ll never enjoy running, it’s a way to make sure my body is still doing what I command it to do, MS be damned. The 5K benefits a local food pantry and literacy volunteers, and since food and reading are two of the most important things in my life, this seems a good fit for me. ^_^

So my point is – if you have a few dollars to spare this Thanksgiving, please donate to a food pantry and/or literacy volunteer group local to you. You will be helping real people – your neighbors – to not go hungry, to find hope or escape in a book, or be able to fill out a form that might get them a job or benefits. That would mean a lot to me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart for your continued support for Okazu and me!

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

A few weeks ago, I mentioned new free, legal streaming anime site Viewster. They have a really nice variety of Yuri anime. I mentioned series like Aoi Hana/Sweet Blue Flowers and Strawberry Panic! and YNN Correspondent Day wants you to know that all of Maria-sama Ga Miteru/Maria Watches Over Us is there too! There’s a bunch more, as well, including series that aren’t Yuri, per se, but are favorites among our readers, like Aria. Viewster is providing a great service, picking up series that had become hard to find and new titles, as well.

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LGBTQ Comic

I just had a chance to read and will shortly review The Invisible Lesbian by
Oceanerosemarie and Murielle Magelin, translated from the French by Edward Gauvin and I’m going to have to recommend it. It was a pleasant, slightly ridiculous (in  a real-life ridiculous kind of way) story of a woman coming out and getting used to herself. But what really sold me was the comedic timing. I didn’t just laugh…I guffawed. You can get this digitally on Comixology or in French in physical copy.

Other News

Buzzfeed takes a look at the paucity of queer superheros.

Ironically when considered in tandem with the above, Comic Book Resources discusses a cover of Marvel’s New Avengers, showing Captain America and Thor kissing as they soar above the city. I know it’s not our usual focus, but hey, it’s a nice picture.

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

A new live-action TV series is slated for this winter on Fuji TV that purports to be a “lesbian” story, but is really just a typical unrealistic Yuri trope – sister by marriage fall for each other. Snooze. LGBTQ activists in Japan are about as thrilled as I am. You know what I say about this – how lazy do you have to be to not even leave your living room to fall in love.

Comic Natalie reports that a new stage production of Tezuka’s classic girl prince saga, Ribon no Kishi/Princess Knight is planned in Tokyo for November 2015. The production stars Nogiazaka 48 performer Ikuta Erika as Sapphire. I gotta say, she suits the role!

ANN has the details on a Re-Kan! stage play cast.

Also from ANN, the news is that Criterion is releasing the live-action Lady Snowblood movie collection. That’s going to be worth getting.

And again from ANN, There is a ton of news from the Ghost in the Shell stage adaptation.

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Manga News

According to ANN, a new Ikkitousen manga series is being launched in November. We know what we’ll get with this. Upskirt shots, exploding clothes and just the vaguest hints of Yuri. But I’ll probably watch it anyway. ^_^

YNN Correspondent Vivi is excited to tell you that Tokyopop Germany is going to release Kodama Naoko’s Renai Manga in November. This is excellent news for German-language reading fans.

The third volume of Hayate x Blade Nyan is out and the tension is high as the Tenkuu and Daichi dorms get ready to go champion to champion in the ultimate Hoshidori!

LGBTQ News

This February will see the debut of BL anime film Doukyuusei, (同級生) based on Nakamura Asumiko’s manga, according to ANN. Unlike most BL-themed animation, this one appears to actually look at two classmates who fall in love.

Tagame Gengoroh’s Otouto no Otto, (弟の夫), My Brother’s Husband has hit shelves and is next on my to-read pile. This is a look at a gay couple, one Japanese, one Canadian and their child from the point of view of a brother who still lives in Japan.

Nakamura Ching, writing as Nakamura Kiyo, has a new comic essay about their lives together, a comic artist and a woman who is a single mother, Okaasan Futari itemoii kana?  (お母さん二人いてもいいかな! ?)

Comics Alliance takes a look at queer supervillians.

Anime News

ANN has the list of Sailor Moon S villian dub voices for you. Eudial will always be my favorite. ^_^

Other News

YNN Correspondent Eric P. wants you to know that the The Legend of Korra: The Art of the Animated Series – Book Four: Balance, with the lovely “Turtle Duck Date” image is now available.

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!

Are you interested in Yuri studies? Check out this press release from the Center for LGBTQ Studies at CUNY.

CLAGS is pleased to offer the following fellowships and awards for students, scholars, and artists, with deadlines this November.