Archive for the Kase-san Series Category


Yuri Manga: Kase-San and Shortcake (English)

October 9th, 2017

Kase-san and Shortcake, by Hiromi Takashima is awkward and painful and wonderful and sexy and excruciating and delightful. In other words, it’s a bit like adolescence itself, except that I’m perfectly willing to re-read this volume and not at all willing to relive adolescence. ^_^

Yamada and Kase-san are facing their final summer in high school and, with it, the blank slate of their future. Kase-san is, of course, busy with track and she’s being scouted by a big Tokyo college. Yamada’s aspirations are much more local. But if Yamada stays and Kase-san goes what will become of them? 

However, the one thing Yamada has going for her is resolve. And no matter what obstacles are put in her way, when she’s made a decision, she goes for it. In a fit of passion, she jumps on the train to go to Tokyo with Kase-san. And comes face to face with her next obstacle.

Is it true that Kase-san was dating her old sempai  on the track team? If so, how will Yamada deal with the jealousy…and how far can she let jealousy build before it becomes toxic? The answer, as it usually is in this series, is just to the breaking point. And almost always, it’s Kase-san who snaps first.

What Yamada hasn’t quite figured out is that for every reason she’s jealous or worried or low self-esteemy, Kase-san is, too. But in every case, they work it out together and we’re more and more convinced that they might make it.

Takshima-sensei’s art has settled down in to a distinctive style now, and her facial expressions are quite wonderful. More importantly, she less reliant on gimmick.

As usual, Seven Seas provides us with an authentic reading experience. No eye-rolling weirdness in the translations, clean reproduction makes the book easy to read psychically and the technicals never drop you out of the story. This is a fun Yuri series, and deserves the kind of handling that doesn’t get in the way of just enjoying it. Great work, team Seven Seas! Thank you for the fine job. 

Ratings:

Art – 8 
Story – 8
Character – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 5 They are still working through what it means to be sexually attracted to one another.

Overall – 8

There’s only one more volume to go. Kase-san and Apron will be out in February and our time with Yamada and Kase-san will be over. (So far, there are as-yet uncollected chapters, and we have no news so far of any future plans.) Let’s enjoy it as much as Yamada and Kase-san enjoyed that final summer at school. ^_^ And we’ll have that Asagao to Kase-san OVA to look forward to. ^_^

 





Yuri Anime News: Asagao to Kase-san OVA Coming in 2018!

October 3rd, 2017

The news has come from on high – 2018 will see an Asagao to Kase-san OVA!

The official Asagao-Anime twitter feed and website made the announcement this week. According to the announcement, the OVA will be getting a limited-time theater release in Japan. Cast, staff and screenings will are all still to be announced.

Thank you to everyone who watched the Asagao to Kase-san animation clip on Youtube and who commented there and on Twitter that they enjoyed it. You clearly helped the production committee to make a case that there was an audience for this anime. 

In celebration, Comic Natalie is carrying some of the official Asagao to Kase-san merchandise in their store. (You can use a buying service like White Rabbit or Tenso to buy things from Japanese companies that can’t or won’t ship overseas.)

Now we’ll just have to convince Pony Canyon and the Asagao Anime Production Committee to screen the OVA a few locations in North America.  Chances are most likely that if it screens in North America it will be at an anime convention like Anime Expo (where Pony Canyon sold the animation clip DVD) or Anime NYC. I won’t expect or assume theater screenings near me. I’ll hope that a con I can get to has a screening. ^_^

More importantly, I hope that any OVA DVD/BD has subtitles in English. This seems more likely, as the production committee seems to have fluent English speakers on their social media accounts. Fingers crossed.

In the mean time, please feel free to comment on the Kase-san Twitter feed and let them know you’re looking forward to this OVA!

P.S. – Check out the RTs on the announcement – Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari‘s Twitter feed is still active and sent out a “congrats.” as well as Pony Canyon. ^_^ So cute.





Yuri Manga: Apron to Kase-san Special Edition with Animation Clip Blu-Ray “Kimi no Hikari” (γ€Œγ‚¨γƒ—γƒ­γƒ³γ¨εŠ η€¬γ•γ‚“γ€‚γ€η‰Ήθ£…η‰ˆ をニパーションクγƒͺγƒƒγƒ—γ€Œγ‚­γƒŸγƒŽγƒ’γ‚«γƒͺ」Blu-ray぀き)

September 4th, 2017

The 4th volume of the Kase-san manga from Hirari Comics, Apron to Kase-san,  is available in two editions. The Regular Edition contains the manga alone, while the Special Edition includes a Blu-Ray of the 6-minute animation Clip, “Kimi no Hikari” (which is still up on Youtube for you to enjoy.) (γ€Œγ‚¨γƒ—γƒ­γƒ³γ¨εŠ η€¬γ•γ‚“γ€‚γ€η‰Ήθ£…η‰ˆ をニパーションクγƒͺγƒƒγƒ—γ€Œγ‚­γƒŸγƒŽγƒ’γ‚«γƒͺ」Blu-ray぀き). I’ve watched the animation clip a dozen or more times this summer working on presentations and at panels, but watching it on Blu-Ray was, for the first time ever for me, a “wow!” moment. This was animated to be seen in high-resolution on a large screen on Blu-Ray. It looks and sounds amazing.

The Special Edition comes in a fetching box with the cover art from the 4th volume. It includes the Blu-Ray and a color pamphlet of the production notes and character designs for the animation clip. It also includes a short doujinshi “An toki no Kase-san” with a few adorable Kase and Yamada moments seen from Kase-san’s side.

Apron to Kase-san, the fourth book in the series, marks a subtle shift in the story. Up until now, Yamada has, to some extent been watching her relationship with Kase-san as if she wasn’t herself involved. In part, because it all seems so…fantastic…and in part, because of her own self-esteem issues. In Volume 4, this has changed and we’re allowed to see to what extent, specifically that has happened. 

Yamada’s still pretty humble and enthusiastic, but she’s started to find her own ground. She’s taking credit for her own hard work…and when she feels that she’s being teased too much by Kase-san’s former track sempai, she finally stands up for herself….and forces the sempai to back down.

For her own part, Kase-san is still trying too much to protect Yamada, leaving her vulnerable in other ways. But what has made this relationship work from the very beginning is the honesty with which Yamada and Kase speak to one another. So, when they speak of living together in Tokyo after graduation, we don’t cringe that they will be bringing a mess of communication baggage with them. Instead, we’re pretty convinced this is going to work. 

I’m thrilled to see the series be so successful even after the magazine it ran in ceased publication. Shinshokan has always been open to trying new things, even back when JManga launched. I think the success of Kase-san post-magazine life, is a significant change in the way manga is going to be read and sold. Online distribution for the chapters, with both physical and digital distribution for the collected volumes should satisfy most readers.

And, as we reported on YNN this weekend, we’ll be getting a new animation clip in 2018! The folks at the Official Asagao to Kase-san website are bilingual so do send them a message on Twitter or Youtube to let them know how happy you are for this news! (YNN Correspodent Verso points out, correctly that the announcement states that there will be new “animation,” the word “clip” is not used. They also do not say an “anime,” (or ONA)  so I presume that we will be getting another extended music video with highlights from Book 2, as this one had highlights from Book 1. It’s very likely I am wrong, but I will hold on to my assumption until more details are announced. ^_^)

Ratings:

Art – 8 Takashima-sensei’s art has really grown in confidence
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 8
Service – 5
Physical Extras – 10

Overall – 9

I don’t think I’ve ever rooted so hard for to characters (and a manga series) to succeed as I have for these two.





Yuri Network News – (η™Ύεˆγƒγƒƒγƒˆγƒ―γƒΌγ‚―γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚Ή) – September 2, 2017

September 2nd, 2017

Yuri Anime

Great news from YNN Correspondent Verso S. The Asagao to Kase-san animation clip, Kimi no Hikari (γ‚­γƒŸγƒŽγƒ’γ‚«γƒͺ) animated by Pony Canyon, has received enough of an enthusiastic response that a second animation clip is planned for 2018! The announcement is accompanied by a new, cute illustration by Takashima Hiromi-sensei.  This seems like a good time to remind you all that Kase-san and Morning Glories and Kase-san and Bento are available in English now and Kase-san and Shortcake will be released in mid-September.

ANN reports that the Citrus anime, based on Saboruta’s on-going manga, has announcements of cast members, key visuals, music and a promotional video, which you can watch on Youtube.

For Utena fans in and around Tokyo, Amanda Whalen over at ANN has news of 20th anniversary Revolutionary Girl Utena art exhibit in Ikebukuro in November. 

The Nozomi Rightstuff Aria kickstarter continues to be successful and they’ve added a final stretch goal to dub for all the remaining Aria animation. Read the report on ANN.

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Other News

Lynzee Loveridge of ANN has a report on a fun art exhibit in Kyoto mashing up classic Japanese art and pop culture characters.

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find.Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

 





Yuri Manga: Kase-san and Bento (English)

June 12th, 2017

To begin this review of Seven Seas’ release of Kase-san and Bento, I want to discuss something that may appear irrelevant – the way words work.

In Japanese, the titles of this series are written – XYZ to Kase-san – . Asagao to Kase-san, Obentou to Kase-san, Shortcake to Kase-san. So, when the next book comes out Apron to Kase-san (γ‚¨γƒ—γƒ­γƒ³γ¨εŠ η€¬γ•γ‚“γ€‚), it will “scan” perfectly fine. The title formula is “everyday object + Kase-san’s name.” Very simple.

When one doesn’t understand how words scan – how they feel, and sound and fit together, when one imagines that the title of this series can be flipped, to “Kase-san and XYZ” and doesn’t realize that the scan has been killed, one gets an awkward title like “Kase-san and Apron” that one then feels obliged to do something with. And this, kids, is why someone needed to have said, “don’t flip the title, it ruins the scan.”  This one thing aside, this is really a wonderful book. Shout outs to translator Jocelyne Allen, adapter Jenn Grunigen, and all the folks on the technical side, including the retouch and letterer, because that’s a brutal job.

Kase-san and Bento is an excellent English release of a charming Japanese Yuri manga that explores the development of a relationship between two young women, one of whom has no self-confidence. It’s a little painful to watch Yamada fail to trust her own or Kase-san’s feelings, but it’s delightful to see Kase-san step up and be a decent friend as well as good partner. Yamada may not trust herself, but Kase-san clearly trusts her and it feels…just right.

 Great looking book that’s satisfying to read even for this long-time Yuri fan.

Ratings:

Art – 8 
Story – 8
Character – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 5 There is a fair dollop of service as both Yamada and Kase are starting to be interested in each other’s bodies, accompanied by a even larger dollop of awkwardness.

Overall – 8

As I said in my review of the Japanese volume, I find myself wanting desperately to hug both of them and invite them over for tea, so they can see that sometimes we do get a happily-ever-after, after all. ^_^

Thanks once again to the folks at Seven Seas for the review copy, I went and bought myself a print volume anyway, because I love this series and want to support it!