Archive for the Artists Category


Yuri News this Week – March 7, 2009

March 7th, 2009

Really short news report this week, because I’ve been miserable sick all week.

Yuri Manga

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is getting a 4th series, this time in manga. the previous Nanoha manga series were short, almost in between the spaces of the anime series. (I just finished reading the StrikerS manga last week, as it happens.) This new series will kick off in new magazine Nyantype from Kadokawa, the title of which does not fill me with hope. *However,* we are told that in this series Nanoha will be 25, which IMHO makes her fully cooked, at last. Phew.

Fans will be pleased that Vivio is getting her own series, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid, in Kadokawa’s Comp Ace magazine.

Yuri Monogatari 6, the newest 100% Yuri anthology from ALC Publishing has been sent off to the printers. There’s still time to pre-order! Get great new Yuri from Rica Takashima, Circle UKOZ, Eriko Tadeno and many more. It’s a terrific book, I’m very pleased. :-)

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Yuri Anime

In what has to be the weirdest choice ever, Shimura Takako’s Aoi Hana (Sweet Blue Flowers) will be getting an anime. Don’t get me wrong – I think it’s a wonderful, terrific choice. But an odd one, if you think about it for a second. :-) In any case, we’ll all be getting to see our babydyke hero Fumi power her way through other people’s issues, with her vulnerable, sweet, core of steel personality. A great role model for young Japanese girls who will never see this, because I’m sure it’ll be on at 2AM lol.

Speaking of school series in which nothing happens, the third season set of Maria Watches Over Us has begun shipping. I’ve already watched one disk. lol And my Yellow Rose swings from the corner of my now overloaded phone. It’s not *quite* the same as headbands and postcards and panda cloths, and more postcards and marble-patterned photo albums and all the other good crap we got from the Collector’s sets, but it’s a thing. I’m happy. :-)

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On Saturday, March 14 at 2PM, and Monday, March 16 at 7PM, please join me at the Morris County Free Library for lectures on their absolutely stellar Graphic Novels collections – which include a nice amount of both Yuri and Yaoi, so do please come down and show your support for the library and for GNs!

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Like I said, short report this week. But quality totally makes up for quantity, this time. :-)





Yuri Manga: Strawberry Shake Sweet, Volume 2

March 6th, 2009

Strawberry Shake Sweet (ストロベリーシェイクSWEET) Volume 2, continues the love comedy of hyperactive upcoming young idol, Tachibana Julia and ditzy upcoming young model, Asakawa Ran. It’s Baka x Boke, Idol x Model, Strawberries and Lilies all around!

Ran has made her debut as a model and her career takes off so fast that she and Julia don’t ever get a moment together. But their separation brings epiphany, as Ran is forced to confront her feelings for Julia, after her photographer points out the obvious.

Now the situation becomes even more complex than in Volume 1. Julia has managed to find a way to work around her feelings for Ran, but now Ran has to figure out how to work around her own feelings. It’s all nosebleeds and self-flagellation, until Julia brings it all to a head with an invitation to go on a trip together. Alone. Together.

Zlay provides some impetus for the the two of them with an urgent request for them to be the replacement opening act of the show. Ran and Julia put on a powerful, dramatic performance that climaxes in a kiss. (!) While the concert rages below them, they manage to blunder their way through miscommunication and idiocy to realize that they both like each other. *That* way.

And, in the way of all romances, just as soon as they two of them manage to figure it all out and be together – they are ripped apart.

Ran’s mother had sent her to school her in Japan, only to find that her ditzy daughter had gone and become a model. It’s a life she does not want for her child and she refuses to allow it to continue. She whisks Ran away, leaving Julia to spend her days trying to find her. With her 18th birthday coming, Julia refuses to give up the search for Ran.

Of course, they are reunited with much happiness and hugs. ^_^

There are two extra chapters for this volume – one, the New Year’s episode in which Kaoru visits Saeki’s apartment and Saeki gets to express fairly straight forwardly, just how homophobic she actually is, if you think about it.

The second extra is what you have all been waiting for. Ran asks Julia to move in together. And I absolutely refuse to spoil the rest of the chapter, except to say that you will probably be outraged and/or disappointed by the end. ^_^

But that doesn’t matter, because the scenes at the concert are so entirely worth the price, that I would recommend this book even if they didn’t get together. Which they do.

If you bought the last issue of Yuri Hime you also received the second “Blueberry Shake Bitter” Cover as an extra, which is very fun. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 8
Service – 2

Overall – 9

As funny as this manga is, I’m forced to conclude that this story is not *quite* as perfect for Hayashiya as Hayate x Blade. The action component just catapults that series to perfection.

But hey – this is a groundbreaking series. A Yuri series for Yuri magazine by a woman who has been drawing Yuri comedy for a long, long time. A must-have for any fan of “Yuri.”





News Brief: Aoi Hana Anime Announced

March 6th, 2009

Shimura Takako’s Aoi Hana manga is being made into an anime. How interesting, don’t you think?

Like, Hayate x Blade by Hayashiya, and Girl Friends by Morinaga, Aoi Hana is another series by a woman, about girls, ostensibly for a male audience. It runs in Erotics F magazine.

I’m starting to think that this may well be the future of Yuri. Your thoughts?





Yuri Manga: Hayate x Blade, Volume 9

February 23rd, 2009

Is there any way this series could be more awesome? (Other than by becoming an anime, I mean.)

What *I* want from a manga series is women who are growing, becoming stronger, becoming more who they are every day. Women who are not holding back to fulfill someone else’s expectations.

I want action, hard fought fights, and blood and *guts* and sweat. I love to watch people training until they puke.

I want comedy. I want to laugh until my stomach hurts, until I’m incoherent from the tears streaming down my face.

I want depth. I want rage. I want laughter. I want comradery and joy. I want touching moments of sublime beauty, and ridiculous moments where honestly, it just couldn’t get any stupider if it tried.

I want Ayana and Hayate to beat the living shit out of Ensuu and gain revenge on her for what she did to Ayana and Yukari. Like Jun, I want to know who the real Ayana is. Like Hitsugi I want to see the students in the Hoshitori reaching past their limits, ever striving for greatness. Like Sae, I want to see Akira’s sensitive side. Like Maki, I want to see Yukari smile.

I want it all.

In Hayate x Blade, Volume 9 (はやて×ブレード), I get ALL of it. Every last bloody thing I could want from this series is in my hand as I type.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 3
Service – 1

Overall – 9

This series is fucking brilliant.





Yuri Manga: Hayate x Blade, Volume 2 (English)

February 19th, 2009

I know you’re waiting for my review of Hayate x Blade Volume 2  in English, but look at it from my point of view. That’s like, ancient history for me. My heart is in the middle of the (as always) awesome soon-to-become Volume 10 and I just finished reading Volume 9 in Japanese. And here you are, asking me to step waaaayyyy back and review this volume. Okay, but only because I love you. ^_^

The first half of Volume 2 follows the trials, tribulations and duels of Hayate’s roommate Momoka, and her determination to save the woman she wants as her shinyuu from an abusive partner. While Momoka does, in fact, win her duel, Riona explains that she can’t partner with Momoka, because being beaten regularly sharpens her comedy skills as boke. (What you don’t quite get from the translation is that both Momoka and Riona are from Osaka. Japanese regional stereotypes for Osaka are an obsession with business, a love of food – especially takoyaki, a local specialty – and…manzai comedy.)

Momoka takes ultra-creepy Isuzu as her partner, a character I love with all my love – I’m so glad that you all can learn to love her too. For those of you who have not listened to the Drama CDs, Isuzu is voiced by Noto Mamiko, with full creepy BGM and echo effect. Isuzu is absolutely delightful.

This is followed by “serious drama” in which Mizuchi and Sou attempt to thwart Ayana and Hayate in their quest. With hilariously laugh-out-loud failure, of course.

Yuri in this volume is in dribs and drabs – Jun’s and Hayate’s attempts to be groped by Ayana, notably, and Momoka’s desire to partner with Riona can (and will be, no doubt) brushed with the fragrance of lilies by fans. But for my part, I’m standing behind Isuzu who, you will learn, is quite besotted with Momoka. And then there’s Hitsugi and Shizuku who are, by their very existence, Yuri and no one can tell me different.

Once again, I must disclaimer this next bit by admitting that I copy edited this book. Although I was not credited, I really did. (And I missed a typo that the one person on this continent who could have possibly noticed it, noticed and pointed out to me. I am contrite…and irked at myself.) So, it is with pride that I compliment Seven Seas/Tor once again on the reproduction of this fablous series. The quality of translation and adaptation were enhanced by top-notch copy editing (joke, joke!) and in every way but three this was a perfect volume. The main thing is the front pages are printed too lightly, and the ToC is a bit hard to read. It’s just a printer thing, probably no one’s fault. The second was my miss. See below for the third.

I think Sean Gaffney had the final word on this volume. He pointed out that intiially, you think that Hayate is the “idiot” mentioned in every chapter title but, by the time you’re done with Volume 2 you realize that *every character* is an idiot. He is 100% correct. On to Volume 3 and more action and idiotry!

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 4
Series – 2

Overall – 8

The third thing that made this book less than perfect is not technical, it is organizational. Neither Seven Seas nor Tor bothered to send me a copy. So it is with much thanks that I bow with sincere gratitude to Okazu Hero Bruce McF. for this copy. As always, you are my Hero. ^_^