It’s Friday, 12:15pm, and I’m tiptoeing in a bathroom stall, cautiously stepping on my shoes, one at a time, avoiding the floor as if it were lava, getting changed into my Kyouko Sakura (Madoka Magica) cosplay, preparing to attend Erica’s first panel at AnimeNYC. I’m 35 years old and I’ve never cosplayed in my whole life. It’s my third time at AnimeNYC, and every year I told myself that I would dress up as my favorite character, Kyouko. But for some reason, I always found excuses not to do it, and always regretted it. Each flight back to Argentina, I promised myself that next year I would, for sure.

That’s why the excitement of getting into my stockings, my skirt, and my frilly dress is so overpowering that I forget what this bathroom stall has seen before me and what it will endure with its next occupant. I come out, and the only thing left is the final touch: the cute bow.

The transformation sequence is complete. I am now a Magical Girl.

Hello, world!

“The Rise of Queer Manga” was an amazing panel about how Yuri and BL evolved into queer narratives that explore LGBTQ+ representation, both through memoir and fictional writing. The panel was great not only because of the diverse voices and perspectives with a strong presence in the industry, but also because the panelists were fans themselves, and it showed in the way they spoke. When a panelist’s voice breaks while speaking about something that’s important to them, you know it’s rooted in deep love for the works being covered. It’s heartwarming to see folks who resonate with the medium in the same way that I do. On top of being informative and emotive, it was genuinely fun. The crowd had a great time; we all laughed with the four panelists gushing over their recommendations, and, of course, we cheered each time we heard our favorite mangas mentioned.

Works that I want to check out after attending this panel: Just Like Mona Lisa (Tsumuji Yoshimura), Boys Run the Riot (Keito Gaku), Until I Meet My Husband (Ryousuke Nanasaki).

After that great start, I saw the immensity of this year’s convention; the Javits Center was packed even though it was a Friday. Aside from the date, there were some other changes from last year. Everything was bigger, and there was more of it, but at the same time, it didn’t feel as exciting. Speaking for myself, there weren’t many international guests that I was eager to see, except for Chiwa Saito, but, of course, I didn’t win the lottery for her signing session. I also found the layout of the booths and tables harder to understand; I got lost quite often when trying to backtrack to a shop that had something I liked, which, more often than not, was somewhat on the expensive side.

Another thing that surprised me was the lack of variety in terms of shows and merch. It seemed like everyone played it safe and only carried items from classic shows (Evangelion, Sailor Moon, Madoka, etc.), ultra-popular shows (Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, etc.), popular video games (Honkai Star Rail, Genshin, etc.), and trendy or seasonal anime (Frieren, Demon Slayer, etc.). I love some of those series, but I was looking for merchandise from more niche series, and I didn’t find it.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the Frieren merch was very shippy, and that bothered me. Himmel was everywhere, as if the only reason for Frieren to exist was to pair her, the strongest sorcerer of all time, with him, the blue-eyed hero. It was honestly disappointing to see that a significant focus surrounding the series was disconnected from what makes the show beautiful to me. There wasn’t even Flamme, Eisen or Heiter merchandise, mainly Frieren, Himmel, Fern, and Stark. That merch doesn’t pass the Bechdel Test, I swear. I have to admit that if I had found anything with Kanne and Lawine, I would have bought it though… Oh, well.

One of my highlights was meeting Erica, Sean Gaffney, and Rica Takashima at Erica’s table. It was great seeing a very brief history of Yuri on the wall, with the ships we had discussed on Discord. It was fun to see how our online chats led to real-life connections. We shared a few Alfajores and Conitos de Dulce de Leche that I brought from Argentina, we discussed academic topics, I received tons of recommendations, and bought a beautiful tote bag with Rica’s art.

Erica won’t tell you, but as early as the start of Day 2, she sold out every last book she brought to the convention. (Erica here: Oh yes, I will absolutely tell people! ^_^ Buy my book! Buy my book!!)

While I was at the Yen Press booth and checking out the preview of The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All, I started chatting with someone who was also looking at the book. As it turns out, she had bought By Your Side and a few Yuri prints!

When the bells announced 7 pm, I tried to go to the cosplay changing rooms before my carriage turned into a pumpkin, but they were already closed, so I had to wait for a bathroom stall to clear up to change back into my everyday clothes. Again the tiptoeing, again the dance around the shoes, again the regret of having to change to take the train.

But… why?

That’s the question that I kept asking myself during the ride back to Brooklyn.

And that’s how I realized that I wanted to fight against that fear, and why, the next day, I got changed in my room and went out on the street with my costume on. The feeling was incredibly liberating.

While I was sitting on the train, a lady came and told me that she loved my outfit; it felt so nice ❀. That was just the start of it, because during that day and the next, two more people on the street (non-con-goers) complimented the cosplay!

I love checking the artist alley, so I spent a lot of time walking there and examining every table, but after three days, I said goodbye to my dream of getting a Sweet Blue Flowers t-shirt, charm, keychain, enamel pin, or whatever I could get my hands on. I did get to meet Pemprika again, and we chatted a lot about Houseki no Kuni, Madoka, and Utena. I also left all my earthly possessions at her store because her art is beautiful.

I never take pictures of myself because I just don’t know what to do; I feel self-conscious and awkward. But, by being Kyouko, I had a few people come to me and ask for pictures of my cosplay. I was anxious but excited at the same time, and even though the first few ones were probably not great, I felt more at ease with each photo. I even ended up taking a picture with someone who was cosplaying Aya from The Guy She Was Interested In…

On Saturday, I attended the “Category Is: Magical Person Realness” panel, which explored queerness and queer coding within the Magical Girl genre. I found myself sobbing a lot with the fragments presented and laughing a lot with the commentaries. To wrap up the panel, there was a very fun fan-voting session to determine the definitive Magical Girl ship, in which Madoka and Homura won against Haruka and Michiru in a very tight final. I was pleasantly surprised that Cocona and Papika made it very far in the brackets.

Works to check out after attending this panel: Witch Hat Atelier, Kill la Kill.

On Sunday, I attended the other panel where Erica was participating; this time it was “A History of Manga by Decade: Manga’s History Two Books at a Time,” where Zack Davisson and Erica did a great job immersing the audience in a trip through Japan’s modern history told through comics. I loved this panel so much that I wished it lasted another hour or, at least, included a few more books per decade because it was incredibly rich, and Zack and Erica made a really entertaining and thought-provoking team.

From this panel, I need to check out more information on Shigeru Mizuki, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (Hitoshi Ashinano), and Our Dreams at Dusk (Yuhki Kamatani).

After that, I wandered around taking pictures of cosplayers, checking out booths I had missed, and realizing that post-con depression had set in earlier than expected.

As people flooded out of our glass castle into the streets of New York, I made my way back to the subway.

And there, suddenly, in the reflection of a train platform timetable, I found myself: that 12 13-year-old in love with Asuka and wanting to be her at the same time. Projecting myself as the character who had to act tough because that’s what she thought society demanded, constantly looking for validation from others rather than loving herself.

My younger self, entangled in video games, always picking the heroine, always identifying with the princess, always longing to be them.
The make-do mirror returned the image of a strong, proud, magical girl, a few directions on how to get to Brooklyn, and an arriving train schedule.

Erica here once again: Thank you Matias! It was amazing meeting you…and I am still enjoying the sweets you brought. ^_^

For those of you wondering where my report is…well Sean Gaffney and I did a very rich review of the American Manga Awards that should post soon on Anime Herald…and I have a special treat from Yen Press coming up (!), so check back for that! ^_^ It was an amazing event, as usual. I hope to return again soon.

Hello, this is Miguel Adarlo, also known as an overachieving potato from the Okazu Discord. This time, I’m sharing my visit to the Tower Records Cafe Omotesando during their collaboration with The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All.

During my trip to Japan on July 7th, I had initially planned to visit Yuri Cafe Anchor. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations. However, I discovered an alternative that was just as exciting.

For those unfamiliar, The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All is a yuri manga series posted on Twitter and serialized in Pixiv Comic by Arai Sumiko. It’s known for its striking aesthetic, the leads’ choice of music, and its general vibes. (Volume 1 and volume 2 of Kininatteru Hito Ga Otoko Janakatta.have been reviewed here on Okazu.)

I had previously purchased some merchandise from the series during a visit to Kinokuniya Los Angeles in June. Imagine my surprise when I found out from the Okazu Discord that there was a concept cafe, named Moonlight Diner, for the series at the Tower Records Cafe Omotesando. I just had to go.

Tower Records is an interesting yet appropriate partner for this collaboration. As implied by its name, Tower Records deals in selling music records of all kinds. Although somewhat anachronistic in today’s music landscape dominated by digital downloads and streaming, it’s fitting for Aya and Mitsuki’s choice of music, which mostly comes from bands that were popular when discs were king. Plus, Mitsuki works at her uncle’s record store.

According to the website, I was supposed to make a reservation, but I wasn’t sure how to, especially since I only found out about the cafe the night before. I decided to take my chances and show up without a reservation. I went to the cafe at 2 pm on July 7, only to be turned away initially because they were full. Thankfully, the staff were kind enough to give me a ticket for a later time slot, 4 pm. The staff were very accommodating, despite my limited Japanese. Given the series’ popularity among international audiences, I think they expected visitors like me.

While waiting, I walked to Shibuya to visit a pop-up store for another anime and Mandarake, then I went back to Omotesando. I arrived back at the cafe at 3:40 pm, just in time for the line to form.

Upon entering, the vibes were immaculate. The cafe was homely, with dad rock playing in the background. The cafe had a wooden floor, some chairs and tables, and an open kitchen where you could see the staff preparing the food. It felt like the record store Mitsuki and her uncle were minding during the series. The only thing missing was an old uncle minding the vinyl collection.

The cafe’s theme was tastefully applied. There was art on posters attached to the walls, drawn for the collaboration by Arai Sumiko, along with an apron signed by her. Two TVs were playing a mix of music videos, ranging from Nirvana to Bon Jovi. They also played a PV of the series, set to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” rotating with the music videos. Aya and Mitsuki were drawn wearing Tower Records threads and diner clothes too.

I ordered a burger, a fizzy drink, and a parfait. The food was fine, but I was really there for the vibes. I was thrilled when Bon Jovi started playing. Along with the food, I received postcards from the collaboration. These postcards came with the food, so I ended up getting three, two of which were of the Moonlight Diner, and one of which was Mitsuki working at the Moonlight Diner, serving Aya her meal.

Finally, I bought some merchandise, namely the Aya and Mitsuki Tower Records acrylics, and paid for my stay. It wasn’t as long as I would have liked, but I’m just glad I got the opportunity to visit a collab cafe for a yuri series I liked. I often miss these sorts of events, so I’m glad I caught this one during the push for the series. They had a Spotify playlist of music Aya and Mitsuki would listen to and a music CD that could have been my parents’ rock mixtape from the ’80s to early ’00s. They even sold a CD of Nirvana’s In Utero at the cafe! Oddly, they weren’t selling copies of the manga, but they had pins, acrylics, posters, tote bags, and even CDs related to the series.

As a fan, seeing the immense support this series has gotten fills me with hope. Yen Press licensed the series for an English release, and this collab cafe isn’t even the first the series has had. Maybe, as Erica stated earlier in a separate Yuri Network News Update, there might be an adaptation in the works. With this series still updating and continuing its publication, all the more we can hope for support.

I’m not used to rating cafes, but here we go:

Art: 9 – Love Arai Sumiko’s work.
Story: 9 – The vibes were very good.
Characters: 8 – Could have added the uncle browsing Tower Records, but I understand focusing on Aya and Mitsuki.
Service: 9 – The staff at Tower Records Cafe were great and communicated well.
Yuri: 2 – Low on sapphic romance, but there was a postcard of them sharing a parfait.

Overall: 7.5 – A pretty good collab cafe. I would have liked more items related to the manga, but I trust the organizers knew what to sell with the limited space they were given.

The collaboration cafe runs from July 4 to July 29 at Tower Records Cafe Omotesando. You can find the website for the collab, along with the menu, here.

(no other pictures of the cafe. photography was not allowed inside.)