Archive for the Guest Review Category


LoveFes 47 Report – Japan’s Biggest Yuri Doujin Festival

July 1st, 2026

Poster for GLFes 47, featuring a girl with very long pink hair dressed vaguely as a vampire, embracing a girl in a pink cardigan. by Bea Baker, Guest Reviewer

I journeyed to Tokyo last week to experience the biggest Yuri-themed doujin festival in Japan–GirlsLoveFestival47, also known as LoveFes. As an avid fan of all things Yuri, I’d been wanting to visit for ages, but arranging a whole weekend trip for it was always infeasible. However, this time, the stars aligned!

I came to Tokyo not only for LoveFes, but also for a special “finale” showing of Cosmic Princess Kaguya in Tachikawa, where the director and voice actors came on stage for a post-screening greeting. Of course… I didn’t actually get tickets for the event, since the site crashed upon tens of thousands of people vying for the same seats… But I still went to Tachikawa with some friends to enjoy the atmosphere and the pancakes.

It’s a really nice area, and probably one of the least-tourist-heavy parts of Tokyo. I’d like to go back

Anyway, with my hopes of seeing the finale screening dashed, all my hopes of a yuriful weekend rested with LoveFes.

On Sunday morning, I headed south to Ota City, the southernmost ward of Tokyo, and met up with my yuri-loving friend. The main convention center near the station, the Ota City Industrial Plaza PiO, is home to a bunch of smaller doujin events; it’s well-placed, unlike the way-out-of-the-way Tokyo Big Sight, and as long as you do good crowd control, it can host a couple hundred vendors.

It was a cloudy day with a high chance of rain, but that wasn’t going to stop us from enjoying the event.

I was under the impression that tickets were essentially randomized–they sold out well in advance online, and so I assumed it’d be a like many pop-up stores where you go that morning, get a randomized entry time, and then chill out around the station until your time. For the earliest entries, there was a more expensive “Fast Pass” ticket already. It wouldn’t be just a straight-up first-come-first serve situation, right?

…Oh, that’s what it was.

So we got in line at 10:30 AM, got our tickets around 11 AM, and… Yep, ended up standing in line for nearly an hour until the general admission opening.

And yep, it did start to sprinkle partway through.

But this massive crowd of hundreds of otaku didn’t give up. No, we braved on, umbrellas against the raindrops, bearing ahead ceaselessly into the future.

And then the gates opened and the frenzy began.

See, the big difference with this LoveFes is that it’s the first one since Cosmic Princess Kaguya released back in January. The first one since that movie released in theaters to a historic 17-week limited run and made over 2.7 billion yen. The fandom is enthusiastic, wild, and ravenous for new content, and fresh off the buzz of that Tachikawa screening on Friday, they descended upon the doujin festival like packs of wolves with cases of 500-yen coins.

Almost instantly, huge lines formed around every single popular Kaguya doujin booth. Some stretched around almost the entire southern half of the venue. Some stretched outside, where it continued to sprinkle, and went on further than I could see. The staff at this event were extremely professional, highly organized, and kept things from descending into chaos.

My friend gladly stood in those thirty-minute lines, but I decided, nah, I’ll just wait and explore the other fandoms. Because while literally over a third of the whole LoveFes was dedicated to just Kaguya, there were still so many other fandoms represented. Everything from classics like Touhou Project and Love Live to newer entries like Girls Band Cry and WataNare all had doujinshi ready to sell.

All these series deserve just as much love! And, importantly, they were way less crowded and stressful to just browse in.

I ended up buying several doujinshi from my old favorite Yuri Yuri, partially to buy presents for an overseas friend, and partially because I was just so glad the series still had a whole row’s worth of creators after over fifteen years. A few of them were, indeed, selling Kaguya doujinshi as back-ups, but they stayed firmly in the Yuri Yuri section out of fandom loyalty.

A few omissions surprised me, though. Hardly any Madoka Magica, despite the next movie releasing on August 28th. I guess people are biding their time until then? I also saw a lot of Lyocris Recoil merchandise on fans’ bags, but not many comics for sale. And I didn’t see any Bloom Into You at all. Was it just the overwhelming force of one franchise crowding everything else out, or is this a sign of the generational shift, with old Yuri fading out as the new Yuri storms in? We’ll have to observe over the next few LoveFes events.

As the crowd leveled out some more, I finally did make my way over to the Cosmic Princess Kaguya section and picked up a few… okay a few dozen… doujinshi. The really popular stuff all sold out immediately, but I did manage to snag some really great stuff!

…And then I went way over budget and forced myself to stop.

While waiting for my friend, still stuck in long line purgatory, I doodled on the poster board…

 

Got a ticket for the after-event raffle…

Talked to some Revue Starlight cosplayers who do fan performances…

And ran into a really cool Thai Yuri fan who I had talked to at a previous event. Actually, I met quite a few people who recognized me–that’s the power of being a foreigner at Yuri events–and it was nice to feel like part of a community, not just a consumer buying things.

At the end of LoveFes, a couple groups came on stage and performed songs and dances, including that Revue Starlight fan group! I didn’t expect a full-on live performance out of all this.

Then, of course, the raffle and rock-paper-scissors tournaments where I proceeded to win absolutely nothing. Many doujin artists contribute sketchboards, leftover posters, uneaten snacks, and I sat there a good thirty minutes honing the worst luck imaginable.

But I already got an incredible collection of cool books, so I’m definitely not bitter at all that I couldn’t win anything. Definitely not bitter.

After the event, I took the night bus home. It’s not exactly a good sleep, but it’s half the price of the Shinkansen, so I put up with it.

And then I got home and poured over my hoard of books.

Here’s a few of the cool books on sale at LoveFes47:

 


A classic Yuri Yuri Kyoyui comic. So many of those.

A whole Kyoyui novel! 


A rare Kill Me Baby doujinshi.

 

A Cosmic Princess Kaguya gag book… in full color!

Gag books are really popular for this series, of course.

But so are more serious ones!

And adorable fluff.

My prized possession is probably this immaculately printed anthology book, with several full-color stories inside, and just look at that gorgeous cover art. With holographic lighting! Geez!

All in all, I had a wonderful time at LoveFes, and I hope to visit again someday. Well, actually, just this morning I signed up to sell my own Yuri doujinshi at LoveFes48 on September 23rd! So I’ll be back in Ota City before I know it.





Atelier Lilium Cafe Report

June 24th, 2026

A signboard for Yuri Cafe Atelier Lililium, showing art by Hirao Auri for the inaugural art exhibit.Hello, this is an overachieving potato from the Okazu Discord, and I’m here to talk about my recent visit to Atelier Lilium, a book cafe in Ikebukuro.

First off, I have a fun anecdote regarding the place. I had a hard time finding the venue at first, but a person wearing a Japan football jersey directed me to the place.

It was nice of them to help out, considering I was entering random open buildings based on the pin in Google Maps. Turns out, it was underground at a hole in the wall.

I went down the steps to the first basement to find the cafe. Inside, the space is surprisingly big and very chill, featuring plenty of open seating with cafe tables and cozy chairs, plus much-needed air conditioning.

I suspect, though, that I caught the cafe at a lull, given it was 2:00 pm when I arrived.

 

In any case, I had an idea on what to expect beforehand. A reddit thread had explained A hallway wall, with a poster for the Hirao Auri exhibit and a business sign in a cadet blue with white letters that read Atelier Lilium, and a shield with a lily in white.the process, namely that you have to register on their website prior to visiting. This is to generate a QR Code to be scanned upon entry. This generates a QR code that gets scanned upon entry. They do accept walk-ins, but it’s best to keep the registration in mind. Also, it’s worth noting that they are completely cashless.

As for the cafe itself, getting in and understanding the rules were much easier than actually finding the place. There were instructions in English at the front desk, and the staff guided me through the whole process. Their guide neatly details how browsing works: you pick up a bag at the front counter, fill it with the books you want to read, and simply return the bag with the books inside when it’s time to check out.

The cafe featured a small exhibit showcasing the art of Auri Hirao, creator of If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It To The Budokan, I Would Die. The display featured her colored illustrations, alongside some sketches and black-and-white images set up right by the counter seats. The main draw of the cafe, though, is the sheer number of books inside. They have selections from all sorts of publishers, including Ichijinsha, Kodansha, Kadokawa, and more. They even have older books, light novels, and copies of Galette!

As for what I did, I spent about an hour at the cafe relaxing and reading muromaki’s JK-chan and Tomodachi no Okan (JKとともだちのオカン), about a high school girl who falls for her male classmate’s mother, cola float in hand. I took advantage of their amenities, such as the free WiFi and charging stations. If I had to describe the atmosphere, it was incredibly quiet and peaceful. I was able to fully relax before I had to leave for my next stop. I would have loved to stay longer, but I had other things on my itinerary.

A view of the cafe and book space for Atelier Lililum. In the front is a table with a pink cloth featuring work and goods by Hirao Auri. Wooden tables on the left, feature gray and white chairs. Bookshelves along the wall are filled with books, in a well-lit white-walled and ceilinged space.

I really enjoyed my time at Atelier Lilium. If I were to make any suggestions for them, it would be to include an even larger selection of yuri, perhaps even incorporating yuri from other countries. I remember remarking when I saw their selection that if this wasn’t All The Yuri, it certainly was a massive chunk of it. I highly recommend visiting, even for a short while, just to experience reading yuri while enjoying the other features, like the art exhibits. For anyone planning a visit, it’s worth noting that Atelier Lilium is incredibly close to Otome Road. It makes for a perfect rest stop if you are spending the day shopping at the nearby animate Ikebukuro, azone Ikebukuro, and other surrounding hobby shops. Like ANCHOR rainbow port tokyo in Shinjuku, this is a permanent fixture.

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

  • Atmosphere: 9 – Very quiet, peaceful, and perfectly air-conditioned. The ideal reading environment.

  • Library/Selection: 8 – A massive chunk of yuri from major publishers and even some older titles and Galette.

  • Amenities: 9 – Free WiFi, charging stations, and a seamless cashless system. Plus, a lovely Auri Hirao exhibit.

  • Service: 9 – English instructions at the front desk and incredibly helpful staff who guided me through the entry process.

  • Yuri: 9 – It might not be “All The Yuri,” but it’s pretty darn close.

  • Overall: 8.5 – A highly recommended permanent fixture for anyone looking to relax and read a good manga with a cola float.





Introducing Indonesian Yuri Web Series and Their Significance to the Queer Community

May 27th, 2026

by Lena Tama, Guest Writer

Indonesia has no shortage of yuri works created by passionate queer/ally artists, including English-language web comic series that are free and available to read on multiple online platforms. Despite the many struggles and challenges, they continue to produce their crafts in hope of providing comfort and safe space for the queer community, both locally and internationally.

Group of young women in winter coats all huddled together raising red wine in a toast. Everday by Day, art by Magnolia Team
The main cast of Everyday By Day, a yuri webtoon series by Magnolia Team. Image by Magnolia Team, 2025.

On May 16, 2026, Comic Frontier (Comifuro), Indonesia’s biggest doujin & art market for fellow artists to sell and promote their works, held its 22nd event. Among them were three particular groups of artists who also produced their own yuri web series, each with unique themes and upbringings.

Join me as I explain these three yuri web comic series as well as an interview with the people working on these titles!

Everyday By Day

Everyday By Day (EBD) is a slice-of-life yuri series created by Magnolia Team, whose core members are Zaki, Azura, and Marbelous. Started in 2018, EBD is currently one of the longest-running yuri series made by Indonesian artists that is available to read on Webtoon English or Magnolia Team’s social media accounts on Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Two women in winter sweaters snuggled under a blanket on a yello sofa. One of the main couples of Everyday By Day, a yuri webtoon series. Characters from left to right: Claire and Ashley. Image by Magnolia Team, 2026.

One of the main couples of Everyday By Day, a yuri webtoon series. Characters from left to right: Claire and Ashley. Image by Magnolia Team, 2026.

Set in the fictional Harbour City, EBD tells the story of five main sapphic couples, each with distinct dynamics and personalities, as they live their romantic life in a city where being queer is normalized and accepted. Azura (she/they) explained the dynamics of the couples as such:

  • Naomi & Hana (low x high cortisol)
  • Nadya & Ann (flirtatious x tough-looking adults)
  • Jean & Sena (airhead x serious)
  • Ashley & Claire (warm x cold)
  • Gisel & Wendy (kink dynamic)

According to Azura, the core value of EBD is to tell a lighthearted sapphic story,regularly published on Monday to provide comfort for the readers during their first day of the week at work. In addition, despite a relatively simple story that’s easy to follow for both newcomers and regular readers, EBD also presents ample character development and drama that each couple frequently faces.

“Being set in a city that welcomes queer people, the story explores the drama and conflicts that emerge among those couples without them having to face additional layers of prejudices and hatred. By laying it bare like that, we want to convey that conflicts among couples are a universal thing regardless of their gender identities and sexual orientations,” said Azura.

“In that sense, love is also a universal thing for everyone, thus we want people to accept queer couples kindly, too.”

 

Doctor and Nurse (unofficial title)

Woman in hot pink, with pal pink hair and woman in black with green hair kiss in modern art image. “Doctor and Nurse” (unofficial title), a yuri series by Iwa. Characters from left to right: Nurse (Elise) and Doctor (Jessica). Image by Iwa, 2026.
“Doctor and Nurse” (unofficial title), a yuri series by Iwa. Characters from left to right: Nurse (Elise) and Doctor (Jessica). Image by Iwa, 2026.

Doctor and Nurse is a new adult yuri series created in 2026 by Iwa (she/her) that revolves around the relationship between a female Doctor and a female Nurse. Currently available on Instagram, Gumroad, and Twitter, Iwa plans to host her own website to upload the series in the future.

The artstyle of Doctor and Nurse is contemporary and raw with uncensored nudity and imagery, particularly the stitch marks all over the Doctor’s body, as parts of the overarching themes of exploring mental health and criticisms toward patriarchy in an industry dominated by cisgender heterosexual men.

Jessica, the illegal doctor working on organ harvesting for debt collectors, is a character designed to show the way mental illness can ruin oneself inside out. The stitch marks on her body are a direct result of her never fully feeling comfortable in her own body, whereas her asymmetry design screams instability.

Iwa elaborated on Jessica’s character, “I want to show the stitch marks all over her body to showcase the self-harm without the romanticization of mental health struggles. I want to show it for what it is: A struggle that people should discuss and overcome without any prejudices.” 

Meanwhile, Elise, the traveling nurse, is inspired by pin-up girls, yet her actions and works defy the stereotypical female nurses that are often sexualized by men and struggling against gender-based violence.

“Female nurses are often subjected to sexualization, sexual violence, and abuse of power relations. However, I want to tell the story of a nurse who travels from place to place to liberate herself from the system and dedicate herself to help people,” said Iwa.

 

To Get HerA woman with orange hair and leather jacket. embraces a woman in demin overalls, yellow blouse with short silver hair. “To Get Her”, a yuri webtoon series by ChamomileTea Studio. Character from the left to right: Ann and Libby. Image by ChamomileTea Studio, 2025.

“To Get Her”, a yuri webtoon series by ChamomileTea Studio. Character from the left to right: Ann and Libby. Image by ChamomileTea Studio, 2025.

To Get Her is a 16+ rated yuri series created by ChamomileTea Studio, whose members are the duo Skeetcha and JasmineTea. Originally created in 2021 as a 4-koma web series on Facebook and Tapas, the studio then shifted to developing the series primarily for Webtoon Canvas in the scrolling comic format in 2023. Later on in 2025, To Get Her became an official Webtoon Original series.

Available on Webtoon, To Get Her tells the story of Ann, a workaholic graphic designer who’s trapped in a lifeless corporate environment which deprives her of life beyond work. Her latest gig with a posh bar near her home leads her to Libby, a bartender whose presence begins to change Ann’s life for the better.

Amid their journey of self-acceptance and loving relationship, Ann and Libby encounter other recurring characters like Libby’s friendly bar manager, Ann’s pesky and friendly female coworker, and a male coworker who seems to be attracted to Ann.

The main characters themselves are inspired by Skeetcha and JasmineTea, with Ann based on Skeetcha’s experiences as a graphic designer and Libby based on Jasmine Tea’s past work in the food & beverage/hospitality industry.

JasmineTea (she/her) further explains the dynamic between Ann and Libby. She said, “We want to convey a story that’s very much relatable to our readers, particularly those who work a corporate job that may be boring and/or full of stress every day.”

“The life of two people whose jobs and personalities contrast one another also makes for an interesting story that’s filled with conflicts and romance. We hope that the journey that Ann and Libby take to love each other and themselves can be inspiring.”

 

The struggles of presenting yuri series in Indonesia

Despite presenting unique premise and backstory that differ from one another, all three titles share similar troubles, in that most of their audience are international readers, and that they are struggling to present their works in the local market due to numerous risks, such as hate speech and many cases of gender-based violence.

One such case occurs with Doctor and Nurse. Iwa observes that most of her readers are lesbians and trans women based in Europe, USA, and a handful of Southeast Asia countries like the Philippines, whereas her Indonesian readers are only a fraction of those.

Iwa explained, “Indonesian readers are still hesitant to engage with my work because of the fear that their friends on social media might discover their likes/comments/shares, and then these readers would be at risk of receiving hate speech. Of course, this also hurts my exposure to the local audiences and the revenue.”

“I’m grateful to my readers who are my intended demographic targets, but I also sometimes receive hate speech from bigots and people that are outside of the demographic targets.”

ChamomileTea Studio also faces a similar issue with their web series, in addition to their other, more personal dilemma. Their lead author, Skeetcha (she/her) said,

“We realize that To Get Her garners more attention and support from the international readers than the local ones because we currently also don’t have enough resources and time management to put more effort into advertising it to the local market.”

Another issue is censorship which further affects the algorithm on the platforms. Due to many platforms’ updated policy which may put more restrictions on R18 works, of which yuri is frequently categorized into, this puts the publication of the series at risk.

EBD in particular was rated as Mature 18+ by Webtoon Canvas due to the intimate scenes that typically conclude many of the chapters. As a result, when the platform published a new policy change that began forbidding partial nudity (bareback & cleavage) in early May 2026,  EBD’s then-latest chapter got censored and deleted on Webtoon.

It took Magnolia Team a number of days before they were able to resolve the issue with Webtoon and the chapter resurfaced on the platform. Even then, the team also feel that the Mature 18+ rating that they received also makes it more challenging to reach new audiences on the platform.

Reflecting on the experience, Azura said, “We’re afraid that something like this may occur on other platforms. Censorship hurts our viewership a lot, which will also affect the algorithm. Because of that, we’re trying to spread the publication to numerous platforms and hoping that they don’t get censored.”

 

Supporting Indonesian yuri artists and works

In a country where  many citizens still demonize the queer community and queer works, local yuri artists continue to produce their works as a passion project and/or one of their sources of income, in hope of providing a safe space for the community and inspiring other people to engage with the media or produce their own works, despite the many challenges.

Magnolia Team themselves hope to maintain stability in their work with EBD as it is one of the ways for them to convey their emotions and desires, as well as to love their own hard work.

Azura added, “We hope that our story inspires other people, whether it’s for them to read our works and the others or for them to create their own GL works.”

The rising number of yuri artists also brings hope that more people would be more open and accepting towards yuri works, in addition to opening new topics for them to explore.

In regard to that, Iwa hoped, “May we find more personal and diverse works that revolve around yuri/GL/lesbian. In that sense, I also hope that people can be more open and accepting of using the label ‘lesbian’ in their works, not seeing it as taboo anymore.”

Last but not least, the yuri/GL/lesbian community hope to continue to support one another in continuing their works and achieving their goals.

Skeetcha and JasmineTea said, “We hope to continue supporting the yuri/GL/lesbian community and foster an environment where everyone can support one another. We also hope to see more fanarts, more original works, and various yuri works made by local artists in the future.”

And of course, to close off the article with a popular motto from the local community…

Dirgahayuri!!*

This article is written by Lena Tama, a contributor and queer journalist from Indonesia. She loves all things yuri and will bake cookies & sweets for you!

*[Dirgahayu] means ‘long live’ in Indonesian language





Yuri Visual Novel Studio Élan: Creating Queer Arts for Years to Come

May 6th, 2026
Title image of “Our Home, My Keeper”, Studio Élan’s latest yuri visual novel, released on April 30, 2026. Image by Studio Élan. Two women stand in a library or study, one close to us with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, another diminutive figure on a shelf a white blouse and long black skirt, with long dark hair pulled back by an Alice band

Title image of “Our Home, My Keeper”, Studio Élan’s latest yuri visual novel, released on April 30, 2026. Image by Studio Élan.

by Lena Tama, Guest Reviewer

In 2019, Erica had the pleasure of interviewing Studio Élan, one of the pioneers of western yuri fantasy visual novel (VN) developers in the industry, for Okazu. Seven years have passed since then and the studio continues to publish VNs by queer people for queer people, despite the ever-increasingly hostile internet environment for both the audiences and the studio.

Before the creation of Studio Élan, a studio called Alienworks released Highway Blossoms in 2016, which was well-received among fans and players worldwide. From there, a number of people from Alienworks, including Josh Kaplan, founded Studio Élan and marked its debut with the release of Heart of the Woods, a dark fantasy yuri VN. 

Since then, many more VNs have come out under Studio Élan’s name, which cover multiple subgenres and explore a wide range of gender & sexual identities. In addition, Highway Blossoms also became an official part of their catalog in 2019 and received a major story expansion titled Next Exit in 2020.

In 2026, Studio Élan is publishing three new and distinct VNs:

  1. Our Home, My Keeper. Released on April 30 in collaboration with another VN developer ebi-hime, it tells the story of a struggling novelist who purchases a new home in the English countryside, only to find it already inhabited by a fairy, who occupies a doll for her body.
  2. My VTuber Rival is Actually Cute? Planned for release in summer, this is a shorter and more experimental VN about a VTuber protagonist whose character design is customizable by players.
  3. Summer at the Edge of the Universe, a solarpunk adventure story planned for release by the end of 2026. A playable demo is available to download for free.

 

The importance of women and LGBTQI+ people in VN development

The diverse subgenres and exploration of gender & sexual diversity among their VNs is supported by the involvement of women and LGBTQI+ people, both within Studio Élan as well as their partner collaborators. Josh Kaplan stated that the majority of people working on their projects fall into those categories and have some creative influences and opinions over those games.

“It is always rewarding when someone mentions how seen they felt or represented by one of our games or characters,” said Josh

As such, a number of their VNs also feature LGBTQI+ characters and plot points, whether canonically in the games or through supplementary materials, which resonate with a lot of queer people, including the community on Discord that the studio has built over the years. Some of those characters include Tara from Heart of the Woods who identifies herself as a trans woman in the game, Olive from Twofold who is canonically non-binary, and Aspen from Please Be Happy who is asexual based on supplementary materials.

Among those people involved with Studio Élan is adirosa, who initially joined the studio in late 2017 as a graphic designer. Since then, she became more involved in the majority of the studio’s works in multiple roles, with Please Be Happy being her first major project as its Director.

Reflecting on her works so far, adirosa said, “I have always felt valued and heard at Studio Élan.”

 

Working against the increasingly hostile internet environment

Despite the progress over the years, not everything is sugar and rainbows. In the current year of 2026, the internet has grown ever-increasingly hostile due to global politics, increasing misogyny and hatred towards LGBTQI+ people, particularly lesbians and trans/non-binary/other gender identities, and rampant usage of generative AI (genAI) technology.

As a result, Studio Élan has become exceptionally prone to receiving hate speech and review-bombing, whether on their social media or game store platforms such as Steam or GOG. In addition, genAI technology puts them at risk of getting their arts, such as the artwork and voices, stolen and abused.

Furthermore, the people working on the VNs are also facing an increasing risk of experiencing harassment both on the internet and in real life.

“I’m seeing my friends torn down in modern society and their works disrespected and undervalued. It’s incredibly difficult and heartbreaking, and there’s really no easy answer to this,” adirosa commented.

Key visual for “Please Be Happy”, from Studio Élan. Three woman at a hightop table. One woman with medium brown skin, black collar length hair in white , wearing black boots to the knee, a young-looking girl with animal ears and brown hair. Standing next to them a pale-skinned woman with blonde hair, wearing glasses and a teal apron (over her?) dress.

“Please Be Happy”, a yuri visual novel by Studio Élan. Characters from left to right: Aspen (left), Miho (middle), and Juliet (right). Image by Studio Élan.

In spite of those setbacks, Studio Élan remains optimistic. For starters, they are committed to upholding their integrity without utilizing genAI technology. Josh explained, “We are wholly against genAI for art, writing, voice-acting, or anything else. Our work process hasn’t changed, in that regard.”

“I’m confident that people will continue to seek out and value human-made art and stories, and that our games will continue to find an audience with whom they resonate,” he continued.

Even further, in the face of hatred and bigotry towards LGBTQI+ people in current times, Studio Élan also remains committed to creating more stories and games by queer people for queer people.

“Right now, it’s more important than ever for both creators and fans to support LGBTQI+ art, not just for us but also for all of the many creators who continue making and sharing things despite the pressure to stop. Even if we have to sell them off handmailed USB drives,” said Josh.

 

Moving forward alongside the community

Studio Élan continues to produce and publish yuri VNs and will continue to do so for many years to come, all while fostering a community which stands tall as a safe space for women and LGBTQI+ people. The people working behind the scenes are also hopeful that they’d be able to create more exciting VNs that resonate with a lot of people.

adirosa stated, “I plan to release more games in the future, and I hope that they will be able to make people a little bit happier and maybe make the world a bit of a better place.”

Meanwhile, Josh is optimistic that the studio will create new and exciting VNs in the future, all thanks to the support of the community.

He said, “We are super grateful for the community and audience that we have, whether they’re newcomers or long-term fans on Discord whose name I see every day from before we even released our first game. I hope that we’ll continue to earn our support.”

“I also consider myself incredibly fortunate to be able to keep making games alongside some of my favorite people and to still have fun doing it. Here’s to many more years of that.”

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This article is written by Lena Tama, a contributor and queer journalist from Indonesia. She loves all things yuri and will bake cookies & sweets for you!





No Love 1/2

April 1st, 2026

In a noir palette of dark, muted colors, a woman wearing a dark suit with a blunt collar cut dark hair leans in towards the chest of a dark-haired woman in a sleeveless dark blouse.by Burkely Hermann, Guest Reviewer

Since its release in late January, tens of thousands of people have watched the first episode of No Love 1/2 on Internet Archive and on YouTube where it is age restricted because it “may be inappropriate for some users.” No Love 1/2 is created by Anne Yue (also known as Atelier), with help from producer Matthew Nguyen, and crew members working on 3D animation, sound design, casting, and voice direction. In a YouTube comment, Atelier stated that due to disappointment over rarely animating women or working on any girls’ love projects as a professional gaming industry animator, she worked for nine months to complete episode one. She promised at least two more episodes and hoped the episode would inspire others.

No Love 1/2 is more than a “cocktail mix of yuri with neo-noir and girls-with-guns.” Although those elements are prominent in the only episode presently released, which is 20 minutes long, there is more going on.

The episode begins with Hannah (voiced by Hanako Watanabe) meeting Melissa “Mel”/”Lisa” (voiced by Tasch Ritter). Mel worries about the planned heist while blowing smoke at Hannah even though she says her girlfriend, Annabel, “hates” that smell. It quickly goes wrong. Mel is hanging out at her bar when Nicky (voiced by Amanda Hufford) beats her up. She tells Mel she needs to give her the amount that the platinum bars, which she stole, are worth. She gives Mel three days to get “her” money back. Some time later, Mel busts into Hannah’s office, confronting Hannah when she’s about to make sweet love to Annabel (voiced by Madeline Dorroh). Surprised to see this in front of her, she says they need to talk.

She threatens her with her gun, believing that Hannah sold her out. However, Hannah is a skilled one-armed fighter and she easily disarms Mel. Hannah learns about a woman she detests: Nicky. Mel says she throws “one hell of a haymaker,” referring to a powerful, wide-swinging punch “designed to deliver a heavy blow” to any opponent. It turns out that Nicky, a mid-level mob boss in the criminal organization, is working for a crony, Holland (voiced by Maia Harlap). The latter threatens her, demanding money equivalent to ten kilos of “her platinum” and claims that Nicky will be targeted after she gets the money.

The next day, Hannah admits to her girlfriend that she is responsible for Mel getting into this mess. Later, her boss, a Black woman named Velda (voiced by Maganda Marie), who saved her in the past, coldly implies that Mel’s death is an “acceptable loss.” Hannah worries that Mel might compromise them. Her boss tells her she is getting “soft.” In a poignant scene, Mel challenges Hannah, saying she is only worried if she will rat her out and not about if she lives or dies. They have a nice heart-to-heart afterward. All this makes the series stronger than Metallic Rouge, which also features girls with guns, but has an infuriating storyline.

The episode’s final part has a gun fight between herself, Hannah, and Nicky’s goons, mostly involving handguns, with Hannah expertly using a sniper rifle. Hannah and Mel escape while Nicky is terrified to learn about Hannah. Velda is disappointed. She says that because Hannah got too “sentimental,” they couldn’t off Nicky. This sets the stage for future episodes.

No Love 1/2 was animated with Blender/Goo Engine. The resulting smooth 3D animation used various sources for modelling and animation, without using any machine learning/A.I. tools/algorithms. The neo-noir style, with music by Damien Osborne and lo sé, reminded me of yurish anime centering on girls with guns like the ever-popular Lycoris Recoil and three classic Bee Train series: Noir, El Cazador de la Bruja, and Madlax. Even though I thought immediately of early seasons of RWBY, that series did not use Blender. Seasons 1-3 used Poser and Autodesk Maya. Blender was prominently used in films like Flow, I Lost My Body, and Next Gen.

The voice cast of No Love 1/2 includes VTubers/streamers, game developers, vocalists, and singers, and those who are LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, Cantonese, and bilingual. Some voice cast lent their voices to characters in indie animated series (The Amazing Digital Circus and Monkey Wrench) and assorted anime (Wadance, Yakuza Fiancé, and Reborn as a Vending Machine). Furthermore, Nguyen, producer of No Love 1/2, is Vietnamese-American. He previously created an arcade flight action video game, Project Wingman.

The relationship between Hannah and Annabel is a major part of No Love 1/2. Hannah demands that Mel leave while touching Annabel’s breast, and asking if Mel if they can talk later. This is shown openly and unabashedly. When Mel enters Hannah’s office, she is taken aback at her boss’s boldness but does not object to the fact that Hannah is in a romantic relationship with a woman. Later in the episode, Annabel and Hannah lie the same bed together.

In another scene, Hannah’s shirt is unbuttoned and Annabel’s neck has hickeys, implying they had sex the previous night. The romance between these two characters is healthy, rather than toxic or abusive. In addition, Annabel and Hannah softly look into each other’s eyes and, at certain points, it is almost like they are staring at the viewer.

When Hannah and Velda talk at an arcade, Annabel is happily playing a claw game. Velda doesn’t mind her being there. Again, in the world of No Love 1/2, characters don’t even bat an eye at lesbian relationships. Lastly, Hannah shows she is considerate by not smoking around her girlfriend because she dislikes the smell.

Ratings: 
Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 4 or 5 (There’s some partial nudity, implied sex, and an almost-sex scene)
Yuri – 5 or 6 (at the very least)
Music – 9

Overall- 9

Burkely Hermann is a writer, researcher, and former metadata librarian. His reviews can be read on Pop Culture Maniacs or his personal WordPress blog. He can be followed on Instagram, Bluesky, or on Mastadon communities such as library.love, glammr.us, genealysis.social, and historians.social.