Archive for the Fujieda Miyabi Category


Yuri Drama CD: Ame-iro Kouchkan Kandan (あめ色紅茶館歓談) Blue Christmas

December 23rd, 2011

Christmas is coming and the Ame-iro Kouchakan is filled to the brim with cheerful, energetic young women. Not that anyone is complaining, but…where did they all come from? Sarasa really wants to know what the deal is, but in the meantime, she and Seriho are doing everything they can to keep up with demand.

More important than the mystery of why their tea house is so popular all of a sudden, is the much greater problem of Christmas. They did a special for Tanabata, and another for Halloween, and Sarasa is torturing herself trying to come up with a super-special special for Christmas.

But first, before all of this, we have yet another thing that must be dealt with! Sarasa’s college roommate, Saiyuki, is visited by an old friend, Shuuri. There’s some tension between them and it seems awfully likely to blossom into something more, if they can just get a push. EVERYONE in the series gives them the push they need.

Which allows us all to deal with the issue of where the hell are all these girls coming from, anyway. Well…it turns out that word’s gotten around that Manaka-sensei (creator of the St. Lotecia series, surely you must be aware that Fujieda-sensei never ever throws away a character) hangs out here, and these girls – including Saiyuki and Shuuri – are fans. Mana-chan-sensei’s editor Shiko is “helping” by leaking the story that Mana-chan-sensei might, just, you know, be doing a signing here too.

And while all of this life-or-death stuff is going on, Sarasa’s exhausting herself trying to come up with the perfect Christmas special dessert. Which, she does. Did we ever, for even a second, doubt she would? For Christmas, the Ame-iro Kouchakan will be presenting a Cherries Jubilee, with flambe’, with their own special touch. The sakura scent fills the teahouse and the blue flower of flame delights everyone. Great, everything’s set, but…now they are really in a bind. With such a fantastic table-side show, they’ll need every hand on deck. Unfortunately, Hinoka is spending Christmas Eve with her girlfriend and Haru is getting together with some friends, leaving Sarasa and Seriho needing some backup staff. How about Letty and Tsumugi? They are going to visit Letty’s home in…wherever that was. Saiyuki and Shuuri offer to fill the gap and so, a fabulous Christmas event is had by all.

You remember what I said about a paragraph ago? About how Fujieda-sensei never throws away a character? He doesn’t. During two quiet, lovey-dovey scenes between Sarasa and Seriho, just when it’s getting really good…the phone rings. I felt this gag coming for a mile and even guessed who was on the other end of the phone both times. Can you guess?

Think about it for a bit.

The first time on the phone is one “Hachibe-sama” who is ordering cakes for the Queen and the second call is from “Aihara-sama” ordering cakes for the shop. Yep, there were your Iono-sama and Alice Quartet cameos. ^_^

Kotobuki Minako (Tsumugi in K-ON!) plays Saiyuki, so we’re bumping up that six degrees of Yuri even further than usual.

The bonus track was done in pairs and among the embarrassed giggling, they have a serious discussion of the next holiday they’ll have to do a Drama CD for. New Years? Nope, they all realize with a sense of fate, it’s gonna have to be Valentine’s Day. Dear Yuri gods, I so hope they are right.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

Squee. This companion Drama CD to the second volume of the Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan manga was a perfect companion to a train ride into NYC. I kept laughing out loud, which kept the seats around me clear. ^_^

I only wish we could have heard from Letty and Tsumugi.





Interview with Yuri Manga Artist Fujieda Miyabi

May 16th, 2010

There’s not too much to say as an introduction. I have been enjoying Fujieda-sensei’s work since 2004 when I encountered it in Yuri Shimai. That story would eventually be published as Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to. I liked how cute his stories were and was charmed by the goofy humor of Iono-sama Fantics and the gentle calm of Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan.

I also believe that Fujieda-sensei has the best costume design sense in the entire manga industry. So, when he agreed to answer a few questions, you can imagine how thrilled I was. ^_^

Continuing my series of interviews with Yuri Artists, it is my unbelievable pleasure to present a short interview with Fujieda Miyabi-sensei.

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Q1: Please tell us about yourself.

A: My name is Fujieda Miyabi.

Even though I draw mostly to make myself happy, I am glad that there are overseas fans who can enjoy my clumsy work.

Q2: How did you become a mangaka? Did you want to be one when you were a child?

A: When I was publishing original doujinshi (self-published works) I was scouted by an editor and became a pro. That original work was Twinkle Saber Nova. It’s not a Yuri work.

Q3: Which artists inspire you?

Although I am ignorant about Fine Art, the manga art that most inspires me is Nagano Mamoru’s Five Star Stories. After that, the CLAMP-sensei, Kouga Yun-sensei and others whose work I admired in my youth.

Q4: If you weren’t a mangaka, what would you be doing?

A: Before I set my sight on being a mangaka, I thought I might become a chef.
Even now, I like to keep my hand in and do design work.

Q5: What was your motivation to start creating Yuri Manga?

A: When two women are happy together as a couple, I can say that that is the time I am at my happiest. In my middle school years, I became acquainted with the idea of drawing same-sex couples through CLAMP-sensei’s and Kouga Yun-sensei’s work, and I began to think about doing stories with female couples. Once I passed through technical school for drawing manga, I began to draw Yuri manga.

Q6: Can you tell us a little bit about your process?

On average I draw about 16 pages every two weeks, but my production schedule is pretty unsteady. Faster if I’m running out of time.

Q7: How were Iono-sama Fanatics and Ame-iro Kouchkan Kandan received by the Japanese audience?

A: Iono-sama Fanatics was not a romantic love story between two women, but was drawn to be a story about a loving Queen with a harem. Those people who prefer mainly comical series seemed to like it. Ame-iro is about only two women, the ones who like it are those who take time and read it slowly and gently.

As an author, these both make me happy. I think Ame-iro is more popular and has gained more readers, though.

Q8: It is not unusual for a man to draw Yuri however, your work has a gentle, feminine atmosphere. What are your thoughts on drawing women’s emotions and thoughts?

Of course, because I am a man, women’s feelings are difficult.

But, I think it’s the same as when it’s a woman and a man, that sense of wanting to be kind to one another. That’s my first thought. How much of that emotion, of feelings of kindness or happiness is just in my imagination depending on the scene that I’m drawing.

Q9:　Is there something you’d like to ask your overseas fans?

A: To the fans who anticipate my next work, what kind of story would you like to see?
I’d like to hear from you.

(This is Erica: You can visit his website, Moonphase or follow him on Twitter and contact him directly!)

Q10:　Do you have a message for your overseas fans?

A: I am still inexperienced, but from here on, I will to the best of my abilities, continue to work as a Yuri manga artist. From far away, I will work hard to confer upon you happy hours.
Should you encounter my next work, I will be happy.

See you again.

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Thank you Fujieda-sensei for taking time from your busy schedule and answering our questions – and thank you everyone for reading this interview.





Yuri Manga: Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan, Volume 1

August 31st, 2009

At last.

In a small, friendly town, down at the end of the main street, in a spot just by the edge of the park, is a shop where you can sit and relax and have a cup of excellent tea. It’s called the Ame-iro Kouchakan, The Amber Teahouse, and the series is Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan (飴色紅茶館歓談). This volume tells the story of this store and the people who make it so wonderful.

The store owner is Seriho, a sweet, somewhat helpless woman. Luckily for her, she is assisted in the day-to-day operations of the shop by one very intelligent young lady, Sarasa. Sarasa, it is soon apparent, has a second agenda. It is not just the tea shop she loves, but the tea shop’s owner.

This first collected volume follows Sarasa and Seriho as they wrangle with the complexities of running the tea shop and with their feelings for each other. The story of how Sarasa became an employee, originally told in the second [es] Eternal Sisters anthology is gathered here, as is the fateful story in which Sarasa and her friends forever change the destiny of the Amber Teahouse with a Tanabata special, that originally ran as a Yuri Hime extra comic.

Seriho seems to be a natural doofus, and one is never *quite* sure if she is aware of Sarasa’s feelings for her but, then, one is never *quite* sure what her feelings for Sarasa are, either. She likes her, that much is obvious. When Seriho comes right out and asks Sarasa to be by her side for 50 years, it’s really hard to know if she means it the way we think she does.

Sarasa is besotted, full stop. She changes her college plans to be by Seriho’s side for those 50 years. I think if they were to actually kiss, she might pass out. In fact, I really try hard to not think about that inevitable moment. I leave it in the future where it belongs. I did very much enjoy the part where Haru physically holds her back from using her free time on the school trip to run back to town, just to see Seriho. Also kudos to her parents for suggesting she stay out all night with her friend – Go Mom and Dad!

Sarasa’s classmates Haru, who runs the website Jinx, and Hinoka, are a not-quite couple. Hinoka seems to be sure that Haru has a thing for her, and Haru is just as sure that she does not. ;-)

The final chapter of this volume is the inevitable cross-over with Alice Quartet, so Fujieda can play dress up with his characters. A harmless little obsession of his that I forgive because he’s got good design sense.

This is quite possibly the most moe thing I like, and I chalk it up to Fujieda’s great characters because, let’s face it, the story goes like this – Seriho is cutely helpless and Sarasa helps her out. ^_^ However, the tension between them is undeniable (so much so that characters from other Fujieda series point it out all the time!) and while they are unlikely to share more than that damnable chaste kiss, I do not care one whit. (From the Anglo-Saxon wiht, for “amount.” Let it never be said that Okazu is not educational.)

Yuri in this series is a pervasive atmosphere, rather than a single event or couple. The teahouse may be called “Amber” but it is the scent of lilies that flows through the door onto the street. Despite their age difference, Sarasa and Seriho make a good couple and I look forward to seeing them getting together body, mind and soul, since they already have two out of the three covered. :-)

What was left undone in my review of these stories uncollected can now be done:

Ratings:

Art – At its nadir 5, at its zenith 8, but forever and always very moe.
Story – There is no story, but it’s an 8 anyway. ;-)
Characters – 9
Yuri – 8
Service – 2

Overall – 8 with a hope that future volumes push up to 9.

“At last” I said, and I meant it. It’s nice to have the whole story in one handful now, and not running about all over the place in pieces. ^_^





Yuri News this Week – July 4, 2009

July 4th, 2009

What a week for Yuri fans!

Yuri Anime

The top story this week is, of course, that the Aoi Hana anime is not only available on, but is “simulcasting” an hour after its Japan TV debut on, Crunchyroll.com. If your country is not blocked, you can watch it for free, but a small subscription fee will get you a better stream, higher definition and more options. The anime has received critical acclaim so far, from both fans and reviewers. Smart folks on the Yuricon Mailing List like Katherine, have identified preorders available for the DVDs on Amazon JP and like Sal, noticed that it looks to be running 11 episodes. Here’s hoping it does well enough to garner a second season.

I was chatting with @Funimation on Twitter and they let me know that the projected release date for El Cazador is autumn 2009 and Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne is sometime in spring 2010.

Speaking of 2010, Right Stuf/Nozomi (@AnimeToday on Twitter) has announced that the 4th season of Maria Watches Over Us is slated for a 2010 release. They also announced the licenses for Aria the Origination and the Arietta OVA to be released together in one set. Also Right Stuf is planning a line of Aria lithographs, which Gia Manry of Anime Vice explained as coming out one at a time until there’s no money left in our pockets. :-)

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Yuri Manga

Erin S mentions on her LJ that Fujieda Miyabi has nothing in this month’s issue of Yuri Hime, but that he’ll be back in October’s issue. To me, this says that we’ll finally get that Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan tankoubon. It’s pretty common for the mangaka to take a break the month of the collection release. I’m sure we all hope so! (This just in – Ichijinsha Mail Magazine has a release date for Ame-iro of July 25th, so there ya go.)

Bruce P wrote me to tell me about the summer Yuri-themed issue of a magazine called Kikan S (Esu). He says, “There are articles (principally author interviews and artwork examples) on a selection of Yuri manga: Aoi Hana, Sasame Kikoto, Manga no Tsukurikata, and Otome Keki. There is also an article about Anise magazine, in one sidebar of which I was pleased to see them show the cover and give publishing info on Rica’tte Kanji. Another sidebar describes the evolution of the word Yuri. The original illustrations in this issue are also mostly Yuri, though some of them are, in the unfortunate tradition of Kikan S, pretty skeevy. Artistic, but skeevy.”

Lastly, if you’ve been wondering where Gunjou went, since it hasn’t run in Morning 2 magazine in a while, I can assure that it is live and well! I haven’t reviewed it, because honestly, the climax chapter was so raw and beautiful that I haven’t been able to deal with it in words. I know that sounds melodramatic, but it’s totally true. It was 72 pages of some of the best manga I’ve ever read and when I was done, I was wiped. Then the series took a few months off, I assumed it was because of the Morning International Comic Contest. It turns out I was wrong about that, but Gunjou returned to the magazine for issue 23 – which is the important bit. If you do like Gunjou, I hope you’ll write Morning 2 and let them know. It’s important to communicate these things to the editors and publishers.

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Yuri Drama CD

And really quickly, links are now up for the 4th Special Maria-sama ga Miteru CD and the newest Drama CD (and the first in a long time) Tears of the Rosary!

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I was going to get caught up on “Snatches” this week, but with so much real news, I think I’ll leave it at that. It’s a really wallow-worthy week, don’t you think?

As always, if you’d like to share news with the world, please feel free to email me at anilesbocon01 at hotmail. dot com and share!

 





Yuri News This Week – February 7, 2009

February 7th, 2009

Another quiet week in the news, and I’m at NYCC today, so I’m keeping this short.

Yuri Manga

Erin wants you to be ready for the spring releases of Yuri Hime comics collections. April 18th will see the release of Fujieda Miyabi’s Ameiro Kouchakan Kandan (Chatting At The Amber Teahouse) which will also be available in a special edition with Drama CD. Sweet Peach! will make its debut and there are second volumes of both Hanjuku Joshi and Gokujou Drops in your future, as well.

As you know, I can’t stop talking about Gunjou. This time I told the folks at Afterellen.com. The response was a staggering silence. Post a comment and push the thread back up into the sight of people who need to know!

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Yuri Anime

Johann is excited that Animax-Asia reruns Maria-sama ga Miteru this Sunday. Back to back episodes, 11pm (GMT+8).

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Other News

GLAAD has announced finalists for their annual Media Awards, which includes a “Best Graphic Novel” category – apparently this year you needed to be working for DC or Marvel to nominated. Tell them about Yuri.

Speaking of nomination, nominees for best lesbian blog of the year, the Lezzie award, is open to the public. Naturally, I hope you’ll nominate Okazu along with your other favorite lesbian blogs. :-)

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I want to take a moment to thank all my new Okazu Heros and Superheros – your generosity is simply staggering. It’s going to take me ages to get through all this, so if I don’t review your sponsored item right away, it’s not because it didn’t arrive! It’s just that I only have so much time in the day. :-)

I’ll report back Sunday on NYCC (no Twitter from my phone, no lol) – see you then!