Archive for the Artists Category


Interview with Color_LES (Kuru,) Creator of Mage and Demon Queen

March 29th, 2020

In the last few years, online comic platforms have made an incredible impact on the Yuri fandom, Comics from Japan, Korea, Thailand, China and the Philippines have all made huge impressions on fans worldwide through Webtoons, Lezhin, Pixiv and other platforms. Among these popular Yuri comics is Mage & Demon Queen by Color-LES (Kuru).

Mage & Demon Queen is action-comedy-romance story in RPG fashion. Young, but powerful, mage Mallori keeps attacking the Demon Queen’s tower, because only by defeating the Demon Queen can she become the Queen’s lover.  MDQ has been among the top comics on the Webtoons platform in the Fantasy category and overall and today

Today, I am thrilled to bring you an interview with Mage & Demon Queen creator Color_LES (Kuru)! Please give her a warm Okazu welcome. ^_^

 

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O: You’ve been drawing Yuri manga style comics for some years now. I remember coming across World Canvas back in 2015. Can you tell us about how you got into drawing Yuri? What was your “first”? ^_^
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CL: It was a high school classmate who introduced me to Yuri. We were casually talking about anime, and when I asked her if she knows what Yaoi is, she said, “Yuri is better!”

I had no idea what Yuri was, so she told me that I should look it up online.

…And so, I did. What turned up in the search results stunned me! Girls liking girls? That hits close to home. I was so perturbed by my discovery that I had dreamt of Yuri that night. When I woke up, I knew I was already hooked. LOL

My first Yuri was Kannazuki no Miko. I relied on what’s available in Youtube for my Yuri fix. Strawberry Panic was also there, but I preferred KnM for its action and fantasy elements. I grew up watching Shounen anime with my brothers, so it’s what had appealed to me.

At that time, I had never imagined that I’d end up drawing Yuri for a living. I’ve always aspired to be a manga artist, but I didn’t give much thought as to what genre I’d focus on. I just wanted to create something “cool” that’d be a huge hit, like Naruto and other Shonen Jump titles. When my fascination for Yuri grew however, I did want to draw Yuri— but I was held back by my fear of being outed as a lesbian.

In 2013, Black Ink Comics, a local publisher, wanted some manga-style romance. I saw this as the opportunity to be the first to publish a Boys’ Love manga in my country (it had less of a risk of me being outed than Girls’ Love), but when I asked if they accept same-sex romance stories, they said they weren’t ready for those. The year after that, Black Ink released their first BL comic, which was a shock, to say the least. While I was upset that the chance to publish BL had slipped past me, it also dawned on me that they’d probably accept GL stories as well. I was still scared of being outed, but I went through with it anyway and that’s how World Canvas, my first Yuri comic, came to be.

I came out a few months after my book did, and the support I’ve gotten is absolutely heartwarming. I’m able to create what I love now and looking back at what I did, I’m happy.

 

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O: We’re happy, too. For you and for us! Let’s talk about Mage and Demon Queen. It’s been a big hit since it launched on LINE Webtoons officially in 2018. I know *I’m* a big fan because it’s such a fun spin on an RPG. ^_^ What were some of the things the story has done that you didn’t expect?
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CL:This sounds grim, but I didn’t expect it to make me physically ill. I knew doing a weekly series would be stressful, but I didn’t think that it would reach the point of making me sick. It was sure a learning experience, but I’m taking care of myself now and I’ve learned delegate some of the work to others. I want to be able to continue making comics for a long time, after all.

Besides that, the comic brought me many good and unexpected things, too! I was happy that it got an official Webtoon translation in French and Spanish. And It helped me catch the attention of people I admire and respect. Doing this interview is also something I’ve never would’ve expected, haha.  

 

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O: That’s definitely part of the journey, knowing what to let go of. What’s your process? How long does it take you to drawn an issue?
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CL: It takes me 5-6 days to finish an episode. I start with a storyboard, then I have my proofreader/editor check the dialogue. When they’re done checking, I update the story with the corrections and start sketching. I pass the panels for my assistants to line, color and add the backgrounds. The comic is then put together, and I edit and add the finishing touches.

 

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O: What’s different about working on a LINE Webtoon than drawing for a book, like WORLD Canvas?
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Unlike finishing a one-shot book wherein you can rest for months to come, In Webtoon, the battle goes on even after finishing an episode because the story has to continually update every week till it reaches the end. Doing a webtoon is more challenging, but I also find it more fun. I worked solo on books, but I have people to work with in Webtoon. Working with them and seeing our readers’ reactions on the episodes we put out are what I enjoy most.

 

( Every interview, I ask folks to put the question they want to be asked here. ^_^ This one was unexpected!)

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Q: Thank you for your hard work. Should we pamper you?

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CL: Yes.

 

Okay, we’ll try! ^_^


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O: What has changed for you, personally, with the popularity of Mage and Demon Queen?
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CL: I’ve gained more confidence in creating Yuri stories. I’ve always thought that Yuri was too niche to be the focus of my career, but the success of Mage & Demon Queen helped me achieve financial stability. It also gave me a chance to help other artists by employing them. I am truly thankful to Webtoon for giving me the opportunity to work with them, and to my readers who have been extremely supportive.

 

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O: What creative work has inspired you, personally and artistically? Are there any games, VNs, comics, animation that has informed your work on MDQ?
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CL: I was inspired by many things! Here are some of them:

Anime/Comics: Hayate x Blade, Tamen de Gushi, Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Many Isekai series

Games: Tales of (series by Konami), Fate/GO, Disgaea, Ragnarok

 

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O: What does the future hold for COLOR_LES?
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CL: There are many possibilities. I could create another Yuri comic in Webtoon after I’ve finished Mage & Demon Queen, or I could take a chance on a different webcomic platform. If anyone asked me to create a Yuri game with them, I may take it if the offer is good. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will still be Yuri.

 

Thank you very much for your time today! You can follow Color_Les (Kuru) on Patreon, Facebook, Twitter and of course, Webtoons, where we both hope you’ll read Mage & Demon Queen!

If you enjoyed this interview and would like to see more, please support Okazu on Patreon!

 

 





Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu, Volume 6 ( 推しが武道館いってくれたら死ぬ )

March 13th, 2020

In Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu, Volume 6 ( 推しが武道館いってくれたら死ぬ ), we meet another local idol group, the Starlights, when the two groups end up in a double show out in the Starlights’ home, Kagawa, across the Mizushima Gulf from Cham Jam’s home base in Okayama. The Starlights are a perfect foil for Cham Jam.

As the Cham Jam members start to do some research, they wistfully notice that the Starlights have a lot of female fans. It turns out that two of the members, Ryoka and Kana, are an apparent couple. On stage they are all love-love, but it’s an act, it’s business Yuri.

Eri bribes a coworker to attend a show with her, in response to a canned request from Maina. At the Kagawa,show  Eri pretends to be from Kagawa in order to shake Maina’s hands for free, at which point something occurred to me. A great deal of manga and anime – especially what passes for romantic comedy in anime and manga – is predicated upon the idea that two people just never have the conversation they need to have. This series is exactly like that, obviously. But it also is complicated by the fact that both Eri and Maina overthink things in oddball kind of way. It reminds me a lot of National Lampoon’s Doon.*

“Then-”
“Yes,” he said.
“So therefore-”
“Exactly, Mother.”
Her eyes widened in horror. “You cannot!” she hissed.

Every conversation sounds exactly like this to me. Maina says something banal and Eri misinterprets it, then vice versa.

That aside, this book is the closest to being a reasonable facsimile of a mockumentary about provincial idol groups. And! For the very first time, I laughed out loud at a joke in a Hirao Auri manga. The top three of the Starlights get all bent out of shape at the Momotarou connection in Okayama, and when during the post-performance Q&A Yumeri mentions that Okayama has a Momotarou festival, I actually laughed at “wtf” expressions on the faces of the Starlights top three. It’s a single panel buried way deep in the book and the page, but I laughed.

The trip to Kagawa makes everyone appreciate Okayama more. Reo is really an outstanding character. Surrounded by everyone else’s issues, she just gets more and more solid. There’s no doubt why she’s the lead.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Character – I really like Kumasa. He seems like a decent dude, Motoi is beginning to worry me. Eri is Eri.
Service – 1
Yuri – 4 Ryo-chan and Kana are “yuriple” (ゆりプル)

Overall – 8

* This book is the greatest parody of all time, far surpassing its better known sibling, Bored of the Rings and if you have not read it, you will never get any of my references about “being a bicycle” and quite probably 57% of all my other references. It’s super way out of print, but if you have ever read Dune, you will howl like a hyena at Doon.

 





Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu! Volume 6 (私の百合はお仕事です!)

March 12th, 2020

Liebe Academy is a “concept cafe” set in the world of a popular series of Yuri novels. When cafe manager Mai broke her arm, high school student Hime ends up filling in as one of the “student”-waitresses at the cafe where, she ends up in a contentious sister relationship with her former best friend from elementary school, Yano. In Volume 5, we get a deep look at Yano’s fraught history of rejection and ostracism and we learn her perspective on Hime’s betrayal, and about the ideal self she is striving to become.

In Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu! Volume 6 (私の百合はお仕事です!) by Miman, Hime and Kanako express an interest in staying on the roster, now that Mai’s arm is healed. The cafe is gearing up to celebrate Yano/Ayanokouji’s birthday, but Mitsuki is sick. Hime is given the task to visit Mitsuki at home and what follows is a veritable lancing of the various festering wounds in Yano’s psyche. Hime’s desire to understand Yano’s real self isn’t helping and she pours out her pain…and once again, offers Hime her heart. All of Yano’s behavior is now explicable. What Hime will do with her new knowledge is key.

When they are all gathered once again at the cafe, Hime makes a sudden announcement…she’ll be leaving after all.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Service – 4 Mitsuki’s cleavage is its own character
Yuri – 7 When it lands, it lands hard

This was not an easy set of chapters to read either in the magazine or as a collected volume. Yano’s experiences are something I imagine many of us will resonate with. And I cannot be the only one reading the moment Yano confesses her feelings, screaming “No, Don’t do it! You’ll only get your heart broken!” Yes, yes, we all know that Hime and Yano will very probably end up together, but once again, I am not copacetic with this choice. Yano deserves someone who will treasure her.

Volume 6 of Yuri is My Job will be released in English in June, and so will, quite probably Volume 7 in Japanese but we don’t have a link for that, yet. ^_^





Itoshi Koishi, Volume 3 (いとしこいし)

March 10th, 2020

Hina is a high school senior with a secret -she’s dating an older woman. She wants very much to share that secret with her friends, she just needs the right time to do it. In this final volume of Takemiya Jin’s delightful Yuri manga, Itoshi Koishi, Volume 3 (いとしこいし), Hina finds that time.

Hina has been dating Yayoi for a few years now. Yayoi has been a terrific girlfriend, always there when Hina needs support. In return, Hina gets to test out new recipes and indulge her desire to feed Yayoi. Ever since they ran into Hina’s friends at the local shrine at New Year’s, Hina has really wanted to tell everyone, but she’s decided to wait until after they finish exams. It’s a good thing too, because Kururmi and Micchan get into a tiff in the middle of pre-exam tension.

At last, the friends all know their immediate future is assured and they plan a celebratory visit to an amusement park. Before they all get distracted, Hina sits them all down and tells them what she’s been hiding from (most of) them for years. There is a little confusion, but they accept her and reiterate their love for her. And that’s that.

The final chapter of the manga in Comic Yuri Hime, had Yayoi once again unable to make the summer festival, but together they find they can see the fireworks from Yayoi’s aprtment. Hina suggests that she’d like to be able to watch the fireworks together forever. “That sounds like a marriage proposal,” Yayoi says. “That was how it was meant.” Hina replies. Yayoi sets up a wedding dressing photo shoot for them and we squee as they imagine their happy every days together.

The final extra chapter of this volume, finds Yayoi planning a special birthday date for Hina. They go to the aquarium and and dinner and have sex for the first time. It’s a fitting end to this series that refused to rush that part of the their relationship until Hina was an adult.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 10
Yuri – 10
Service – 5 There is explicit nudity and sex in this volume

Overall – 10

A lovely manga by one of my favorite artists. Characters who knew who they were, worked towards what they wanted and were in step from the beginning. I wouldn’t complain if we got a 10 years later volume of Hina and Yayoi, they were very pleasant to spend time with. My fingers are crossed for this series to one day make it into translation.





Yuri Bear Storm, Volume 3

March 9th, 2020

In Volume 1, we met Kureha, a girl who hates bears and Ginko, a girl who is positive she is a bear. In Volume 2, we met Lulu who is is love with Ginko because of a childhood promise. We learned that Ginko and Kureha are in love, but that there is a secret that lay between them that is killing Ginko. Today we’re looking at Volume 3 of Yuri Bear Storm, the  English language edition of Yuri manga adaptation of Yurikuma Arashi, by Ikuhara Kunihiko, with art by Morishima Akiko,

In other Ikuhara stories, we’ve seen reality fractured into small pieces to be put back together, different realities layered on top of one another and here we have the entire narrative completely disassociated from its own reality.

There are no bears and everyone is a bear. Leia is dead or missing, but she’s alive and can be found. Lulu’s brother is dead, but he’s alive and standing right there, Sumika is a bear witch, but actually she’s just a kind person. And Kureha and Ginko are fated not to destroy each other.

In the end, we learn what that Ginko’s secret is, that it is untrue, that the real secret is that Ginko and Kureha are the inheritors of a love triangle between their mothers and Yuriika, everyone who we thought was dead is alive and we all end up happily ever after.

The end.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters – 8 I cannot be the only one who would like a story about Leia, Yuriika and Kale in that Estonia Bear preserve.
Yuri – 8
Service – 3

Overall – 8

I’ve read this twice, watched it three times and it still basically makes no sense at all. ^_^ Which is perfectly okay.

I raise a glass to everyone at Tokyopop who worked on this, because there was no real way to make it make sense, which complicates things like translation and editing considerably! That said, Tokyopop, can you please confirm final covers on your solicits? It looks weird with all your listings saying “cover not final” for eternity.