Archive for the Magazines Category


Young Magazine USA

October 19th, 2025

In front of a nighttime cityscape a Masamune Shirow art piece of a female figure in white connected to many wires.Young Magazine, one of the top Seinen magazines in Japan, is celebrating a 45th anniversary. And to help celebrate that incredible milestone, Kodansha published a print volume of Young Magazine USA. This volume was available for free at conventions and while supplies last at Kinokuniya bookstores across the US. 

It’s been a long time since I picked up a copy of Young Magazine and it was an incredible experience to read the whole thing in English. By “whole thing” I mean more than 1000 pages of original Seinen manga by names that are well-known in the manga world. 

The magazine starts off with a Ghost In The Shell Poster by Shirow, which is a nice opener. The stories are a fairly typical mix of action, horror and wtf, as one usually finds in Seinen magazines like Young, or Ultra Jump. Maybe a little less sex than usual.  There were  bunch of stories I liked, especially Yokai fighting manga “Kikikaikai”  by Kyuri Yamada and Daisuke Itabashi’s “The Journey of a Dark Elf With Fading Powers,” both of which did some interesting things with the essential questions of what is a “normal” life.

But the reason I really wanted to talk about this magazine is that Gaku Keito has a sequel in this magazine to his hit manga series about a trans boy.  “Boys Run The Riot – IN TRANSITION” presents us a Ryo who is still dealing with pressure from family and himself about his transition, and also making his way through college.  There were two notable things about this manga – one, that Ryo’s classmates were not just accepting but banded together as Ryo’s allies. That was awesome. The second notable thing was Keito’s author’s note, in which he explicitly credits the enthusiasm of western fans for making this manga possible. For decades, western fans believed they had impact on anime and manga due to their overwhelming numbers, but in fact, sales outside Japan paled in comparison to sales within. But, recently, LGBTQ+ titles have shifted this trend (something I plan on writing about as soon as I can scrape some moments together!) And here is yet another data point. ^_^

Also of interest to queer readers is “Still You” by Kami Nishio, a story of two young men whose friendship undergoes stress and change. It was a very chill story about recognizing who one is that I kind of hope gets enough votes to be continued. 

Which brings me to the other fun and interesting aspect of Young Magazine. Kodansha is using this and the complete online version you can read for free to discover stories that they will continue in English…the top 5 titles will be serialized on Kodansha’s online platform, K-Manga. You can vote once a day until November 10th. Voting gives you some points which you can “spend” on a gatcha game for rewards, so you get dopamine hits in all directions. 

I hope you’ll grab a copy if you can or drop by the website and throw your votes in on the manga you would like to see continue. Young Magazine USA is an ambitious and impressive celebration of manga.

Ratings: 

Overall – 8





Comic Yuri Hime, November 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年11月号)

October 12th, 2025

Two women sit at a low table, eating, smiling and talking animatedly together. The image is laid out so the magazine will need to be rotated horizontally to see it properly. I love when the end of the year in Comic Yuri Hime is strong. There is one manga we’re saying goodbye to in Comic Yuri Hime, November 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年11月号), but we’ll get there in a moment.

To begin with hechima’s cover is homey and warm. We’ve had 11 months with these two young women, they are beginning to feel like friends. I’m hoping the December issue shows them a bit older, but I always hope for older adult representation. ^_^

As mentioned on YNN, Futari Escape is getting a live-action series. I’m very interested to see how they’ll do that, as it was heavy on the goofy, travel and goofy, weird fun and low on the Yuri scales.

The opening series is a new one…and I do not yet know how I feel about it. “Hareta Hi no Dress Code” features a girl who wishes she was brave enough to wear the slacks that her school dress code allows, but she also loves dressing in cute skirt and a girl who does dress in the slack because of scars on her legs, but wishes she didn’t have to. I hope very much that this develops into a story of freedom from gender presentation rules.

“Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” closes the Kanako x Sumika arc, but in a very humanly imperfect way. I do not know what the characters might face, but I hope Nene gets to meet someone nice now. ^_^

Lulu and Ten are accidentally dragged into the relationship issues faced by another student in Ashiaka Waz’s “Chouuchyuu Yori Ai wo Komete,” and it both puts strain on and opens a new door in their own relationship.

merryhachi returns to Comic Yuri Hime for the first time in years with a very cute one-shot, “Touko Swing-By.” Honestly, it was really sweet.

Somtime and suoh’s  “Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” comes to an end. It’s a good end, a very solid end, but I don’t want it to end! Oh well. It was nice. I just wish we could have more! Waaah~~~

And props to the comic essay “Film ni Saku Yurinohana o Atsumete Kimi ni Okuritai” for not just talking about the Utena movie, but presenting an interesting fan discussion that the movie is Yuri, but the TV series is not. I agree that Utena and Anthy are not, in the TV series, a couple, but surely we cannot discount Juri and Shiori? Anyway. Good column. 

Once again, there were many stories I read and enjoyed and other I did not, or did not read. It’s an incredibly solid magazine now and I look forward to new series starting.

Ratings: 

Overall – 8

The December issue will be out on October 18. There is no cover image available for it yet, but you can pre-order it on Amazon JP now.





Yuri Manga Magazine Galette To Begin 4th Issue Kickstarter on October 15

October 9th, 2025

Two catgirls cuddle intimately. Art by Morinaga Milk.After much consideration and discussion, a survey of backers and mores discussion, Galette WORKS have decided to go ahead with the launch of Galette Special English Edition, Issue 4.

Tariffs on good from Japan have, for the moment, settled at 15%, but shipping costs are going up and it is very likely that after the election, tariffs will rise more as well, regardless of the outcome. But as GW notes, there is no point to waiting on this, because it is not going to magically get better soon.

Therefore, on October 15, Oct 15, 2025  at 9 AM JST, (1AM in the UK,2 AM in Europe,  8PM US Eastern Time) Galette’s fourth Kickstarter will commence. It will be a 15-day campaign once again, so if you are interested in backing the highest levels, you will need to move quickly. ^_^

Once again, I want to affirm my commitment to Galette – not to get something, but to back the work and the creators. In this ever-darkening world, Yuri and queer manga shines a light and I want to support and spread that light. I don’t need physical goods. I need to know that Yuri and queer manga are being written, read and enjoyed all over the world. 

But the standees are cute, too. ^_^

Click to get notified when the campaign goes live on the Galette Volume 4 Kickstarter page!





Comic Yuri Hime, October 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年10月号)

September 29th, 2025
Two woman stand on an apartment balcony dressed for autumn, smiling as they talk on a sunny autumn day. A tree with golden leaves falling gently spreads a shadow on the wall.

Version 1.0.0

Comic Yuri Hime, October 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年10月号) begins with a lovely seasonal cover by hechima.

Yuama’s new manga jumps right in to a complicated school situation between two girls that are seen by the students around them as the school princess and prince.

Claire and Rae are on the very cusp of Rae’s plans to save her beloved villainess…but Claire isn’t following the rulebook, in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” by inori, and Aonoshimo.

Takeshima Eku’s “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau” is still wrapping up Miki’s story with her sempai. Ayaka spends this chapter expressing her fondness for her new girlfriend. ^_^ It looks like a new couple will be the focus and it’s about time…..

“Chouuchyuu Yori Ai wo Komete,” by Ashidaka Woz continues to be affirming and sweet as Ten opens up to this alien who traveled across the universe just to talk with her.

“Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” makes a comeback and two very important things happen. Mai *finally steps up to be an adult, a day late and a dollar short, but she bans Youko from ever bothering her  staff again and she calls what happened to Kanako what it is – sexual assault. The second thing that happens is Youko, not only not seeing the error of her ways, but digging in to make her actions perfectly justifiable, thus claiming the title of narcissist that we’ve been quite sure she is all along. A few pages of how Youko’s past left her with pain over a relationship just confirms the fact that she needs therapy.

Utatane Yuu’s “Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru” comes to a satisfying and sweet conclusion. It was never really in doubt, but the journey was a good one and I’m glad we shared it. ^_^

I absolutely loved this chapter of Koharu to Minato, as our girls and their puppy have friends over to their new place who are also a couple. This is a huge life step for queer couples, having someone to wholly confide in for the first time.

Kashikaze adds one more to the home team, as Yuu and Haru recruit a young artist whose family is not on board with that as a career in “Kimi ga Hoeru Tame no Uta o.”

Violet has to fully confront her trauma about the Black Knight, and Dahlia comes clean about her feelings about her “little sister” when she turns down Clarice’s request for aid in “Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” This series is coming to an end and while I get why, I’m going to miss it.

SheepD’s “Kanaria ha Kiraboshi no Yume o Miru” is heading towards a throwdown, as our protagonists  face the invetiable conflict between the life their desire and the choices they are given.

I do always say this, but there are more stories I read and enjoyed and some I read and did not, and some I did not read in this nearly 600 page manga magazine with something for nearly everyone. I’m reading and enjoying about 3/4 of the magazine, which is an unusually high percentage for me and any magazine. So rock on Comic Yuri Hime, here is to  a great 20th year!

Ratings: 

Overall – 9

November 2025 is on JP shelves and begins with what I hope will be an interesting story that addresses a girl wearing slacks in school.

 
 

 

 





YRHM

September 18th, 2025

On a background of pale blue, with sparkling spot gloss on gems in their hair and clothes, two girls with silver hair touch each other. One looks directly at us, the other looks back over her shoulder at us.YRHM, the 20th anniversary Comic Yuri Hime Yuri manga anthology, features 9 original stories by creators that have found significant success with the magazine. It begins with a sparkling spot-glossed cover by current cover artist hechima, includes an illustration by Aononachi and then launches into stories by Aonoshimo, Iwami Kyouko, Kashikaze, Kodama Naoko, Saburouta, Takesmia Eku, Miman, Manio and Yuama. 

A few of the  stories really stood out, especially the initial story, “Seishun CONTINUE?”. This story of an energetic and outgoing girl who meets a (clearly) sheltered young lady, who she introduces to a game arcade, is goofy and very fun as their flirting takes the form of competition in games. This was particularly enjoyable as it is by Saburouta, best know for the glowering faces of Citrus.

A number of the stories felt very much like a “story by /artist/” with both recognizable art and themes, which is not to say they were not entertaining. Miman looks at two girls in school who learn how to communicate their feelings with puppets (a plot I initially felt would be cringe, but found much less awful than expected). Yuama’s story about a popular girl and a not-popular girl did something I appreciate, when the less popular girl fights back against attempted sabotage. I again struggled initially with Takeshim Eku’s story “Bunny Girl Hiroimashita” but it ended up being a rather touching little  treatise on grief.

As an emblematic celebration of twenty years of Yuri manga from a publisher that has set the standard thus far, this is a fine anniversary anthology. 

Ratings:

Overall – 8

Would I have liked to see some experimentation? Sure, but you go with what sells and, since this was selling the magazine’s anniversary, it makes sense to have names and themes that work. It was plenty entertaining.

If I have a single complaint it is that the cover acknowledges us. I don’t much care for poses where the couple are looking at us, the reader and much prefer when they are looking at one another.