Archive for the ALC Publishing Category


Yuri News This Week – June 14, 2008

June 14th, 2008

It was a long week this week and all sorts of news from all over…

Yuri Anime

Amuri in Star Ocean, which is a manga series that runs in Dengeki Daioh magazine has posted a streamed version of the anime trailer on the website Amuri.jp. Amuri consistently has some Yuri service in the manga. I don’t actually know if the anime has any or not. Interestingly though, the trailer is available in a “moe” version and a “sci-fi” version.

The Shoujo Sect anime trailer has been uploaded for you to do whatever it is you want to do while watching it. Looks like they are covering quite a few of the scenarios from the manga. All I want is the very final chapter. Probably not, because it has comparatively little sex.

And Right Stuff has said that anyone who directly preorders the first season of Maria-sama ga Miteru from them, will get a Rosa Chinesis phone strap as a free chotchke. I spoke briefly with them about gew-gaws. We agreed that this audience would be a huge consumer of “stuff” if they let us get any. :-)

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Yuri Manga

The husband and wife team that writes and draws He is My Master has split. Asu Tsubaki, the artist half, who draws for Yuri Hime S, among other things, has said she will not continue the series. I’m heartbroken, as you can imagine.

Steady Beat creator Rivkah reports that Tokyopop will be releasing the third volume of her series on the Web only. This seems to be the fate of many of their World Manga/OEL titles.

Someone asked last week what the TP contraction would mean for the Yuri titles. I think its safe to say that the one or two titles they had that were even vaguely Yuri will take a hit. The third, which had not been released yet, will also likely not see the light of day. I’m conjecturing here, but overall, compared with Yaoi/BL titles, Yuri do comparatively poorly in sales. I’ve figured out why, too. BL titles’ audience – women – *buy* more than guys. A lot more. Guys, if they like a thing want to know where to download it – for free. Women come running up to a table, buy everything and run off. lol Don’t know why, but I’ve seen it over and over at events.

Also, to continue a conversation on the Yuricon Mailing List, this contraction has already trickled to the Tokyopop UK group and is likely to hit Germany and France soon. What that means for the translated Maria-sama ga Miteru novels in Gernmany is as yet unknown. Money talks, so if the books are selling well, they may well be continued.

Friend of Yuri Steven reminds me to mention GIRL X GIRL X BOY, a manga series I keep meaning to review, but keep forgetting. It’s out in tankoubon now. As the title indicates, it’s about a love triangle. While not earthshatteringly brilliant, it does have a happy ending.

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Snatches of Yuri

From Rei, a news item that Shin Megami Tensei Kahn has utterly trash-ariffic Yuri. The Publisher’s Weekly review listed on the Amazon site sums it up nicely: “The book has a surprising amount of violence and nudity: nearly all the female leads appear nude, including Nobu’s mother. Saeko is coerced into graphic demon lesbian sex in one very long scene. At worst, this book is a poor introduction to the MegaTen franchise. At best, it is a mediocre story about demons and a fast pulp read.” Okay then.

And once again from Ana, who knows me so well!, a mention that Light Novel Vanilla – A Sweet Partner has trashy Yuri girls with guns. I am *so* there. I’ll be sure to report back – and put it on the Yuricon Shop’s Light Novels page!

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Other News

Since I mentioned Tokyopop’s collapse, I guess I ought to to give ADV the same courtesy. ANN reports that the next issue of PiQ magazine, ADV’s replacement for Newtype will be its last. I can’t say I’m surprised, but I did think it was a decent magazine. It’s just that the costs of printing and distributing magazines these days make it hard to support the business model. I hope they think about continuing it as an online or mobile magazine.

And last for today, once again my novel Shoujoai ni Bouken is the subject of discussion at Ultimo Spalpeen (In Japanese.) This time Komatsu-san informs me, he is reassuring Japanese readers that my understanding of Japanese culture is not cringe-making. lol Thank you once again, Komatsu-san! I wrote it 8 years ago now, and there are definitely things I’d do differently, but I’m very pleased to have no huge gaffes instantly apparent. Phew. :-)

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That’s it for this week. Don’t forget to join me at 12:30 at the Brooklyn Museum of Art for Ghost in the Shell: Innocence!. See you there!





Yuri News This Week – April 25, 2008

April 26th, 2008

The top story this weekend – ALC Publishing is teaming up with award-winning lesbian novelist J.D. Glass for a special American Goth side story in Yuri Monogatari 6! We’re very excited to have J.D. joining Eriko Tadeno, Rica Takashima and Circle UKOZ as part of our next 100% Yuri anthology.

New titles to watch out for – Sasamekikoto, Volume 2 (review of Volume 1 coming shortly, promise!) and the third Hayate x Blade Drama CD – along with a host of other great Yuri – are now available on the Yuricon Shop.

We’ve also got some new Yuri Events up! Although it’s not Yuri, I will be doing a lecture at the Brooklyn Museum of Art on June 14, as part of their Japanese art programming. Along with their heavily promoted Murakami and Utagawa exhibits, they’ll be showing Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell: Innoncence, and I’ll be talking about, erm, something related to that. LOL Should be interesting, anyway. :-)

Speaking of related events, Afterellen.com has asked their NYC-area lesbian readership to hold May 18 for a get-together. I’m going to try and be there, so if any of you women need a reason to get off the couch and meet people, this seems like a darn good one.

And in the “series to keep an eye out for” file, Okazu reader Gareas reminds us that Young Gun Carnaval aka YGC, the Light Novel, Drama CD and manga series, has lesbians in it. :-) I know a few folks have pointed me in the direction of this series, so i promise to take a look and report back. :-)

As always, if you know of any Yuri-related news, please feel free to drop me a line at anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. It’s always appreciated!





RSOM Voting and Yuri Monogatari Project Reminders

March 13th, 2008

Just two quick reminders today.

The People’s Choice vote for Tokyopop’s Rising Stars of Manga closes tomorrow. So if you haven’t already, pop over and support Yuri Monogatari 5 contributor Niki Smith, by voting for her Yuri-themed “Crabapple Crush”!

And *speaking* of Yuri Monogatari, the Yuri Monogatari Project will be taking submissions through Saturday, March 15, and then it is closed. We’ve got some fantastic new creators in the project and we’ll be welcoming back several of our previous artists, as well. If you’d like to be part of the 2008 Yuri Monogatari project, please read the Submission Guidelines first. We look forward to your submissions!





Yuri Hime News and ALC Publishing News

January 12th, 2008

Two quick things of note:

I will be doing a book signing of 100% Yuri from ALC Publishing on Wednesday January 16th at 6:30 PM at Jim Hanley’s Universe in Manhattan, as part of a Prism Comics night. I’ll be joined by authors JD Glass and Abby Denson.

JHU is located at 4 West 33rd St. on 5th Avenue, just across from the Empire State Building.

If you are in the NYC area or can get there for the event, I’d love to see you there!

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Ichijinsha has announced that Comic Yuri Hime is being made an independent entity from Ichijinsha’s popular comic magazine Zero Sum. Akiba blog reports that to celebrate, the 11th volume, on sale on Jan. 18th, will include the Petit Yuri Hime extra, which is a collaboration of artists from Yuri Hime, Yuri Hime S and Yuri Hime: Wildrose. (If you read the announcement on Comipress, they misreported YH as an add-on to Zero Sum – it wasn’t. It was financially dependent upon it and now it’s paying for itself. Also, since this isn’t their area, they didn’t realize that the “Petit” extra was the collaborative effort. FYI, in case you were going to write in ask why the discrepancies.)

This is excellent news, but I can’t help still being worried about the salaciousness of the magazine. More and more of the stories are moe/loli and the “Petit” extra has traditionally been pretty high on the service scale, based on the authors. (The first two volumes were offered as Comiket extras. I do not have either, but have seen Vol. 2.) I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and offer my congratulations to Ichijinsha for making “Yuri” a profitable category!





Yuricon Shop updated with new Anime, Manga and Drama CDs!

December 16th, 2007

The Yuricon Site update is complete, with the addition of terrific
new anime, manga and Drama CDs on the Yuricon Shop just in time for your holiday wishlist!

Anime:

Iczer-One and Iczer Reborn – relive this classic of early anime – and
early Yuri!

My Otome (Hime-Z/Zhime) – get more great Meister action with Natuski’s Gaderobe Academy

Red Garden – Dead girls, violent battles and a lesbian Student Council President

Manga:

Family Complex – Mikiyo Tsuda’s study of a very complex family

Kannazuki no Miko – Preorder the Tokyopop relase of Kaishaku’s popular story!

Strawberry Panic – pre-order the manga version of love and loss at Astoria.

Also available from Amazon – Yuri Monogatari 3,4 and 5!


Drama CDs:

Hayate x Blade 2 – mayhem at the Tenchi Gakuen school festival

Maria-sama ga Miteru: Cherry Blossom – Shimako meets Noriko

El Cazador – Ellis and Nadie hit the road

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Of course there’s much more on the Yuricon Shop – great Yuricon and “I Love Yuri” items on the gift page and more. And don’t forget the sales on all 100% Yuri from ALC Publishing! One more week to go to save up to %50!


Yuricon – “For real women who love their women…animated.