Archive for the Series Category


Drama CD: Maria-sama ga Miteru Winter Special 2009 DJCD

July 19th, 2010

Champagne for New Years’ Day, sandwiches and a lot of giggling start off the Maria-sama ga Miteru Winter Special from 2009.

Shimizu Kaori (Noriko) still calls Noto Mamiko (Shimako) “Onee-sama” for our entertainment, and we learn important things like Noto-san likes roast beef and Shimizu-san is really good at janken pon.

Since we have the White Rose sisters in the house, it’s not that surprising that the drama this time is “Shirobara no Mono Omoi,” in which we and Noriko learn the tip of the iceberg of Shimako’s complicated family situation and Noriko finally meets Sei. As Noriko and Shimako discuss what a calm and peaceful souer couple they are, Shimako is dragged off by a man who pulls up in a car. The situation is unlikely, but Noriko’s got a steel trap mind even under stress, and guesses who Sei is on her first try (her image is different than she expected but 1) She refers to Shimako as “Shimako” – no honorific and 2) Noriko saw her at the kendo match and she guesses that she’s a Lillian U. student when she first sees her outside the gate.) Noriko apologizes for figuring it out so quickly and not giving Sei a Yumi-esque reaction.

Sei…is Sei. (I’m still/again amazed at Sei’s speech patterns. I don’t think I’ve ever heard/read someone is so all over the place in the way she speaks, from super casual to formal in three words.) And Noriko, after talking to Shimako that night says what anyone might say – “Is that *really* your Onee-sama?” ^_^

The whole segment is actually pretty funny. It’s the first time we see that Shimako is a steady ship who has a whole family of stormy seas – and it’s only going to get stormier.

The only negative of the Drama part was that the Foley was pretty intrusive. I really didn’t need to hear the swallowing that clearly. ^_^;

The final segment tests the actresses’ memory and art skills and they are both better and worse than you’d expect. The CD insert amusingly includes all three of their attempts at reproducing the Lillian logo, so you can have a good laugh.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

All in all, another excellent hour spent with “old friends.” Unfortunately, this CD appears to be sold out on Amazon JP, so you may have to resort to finding it elsewhere.





Maria Watches Over Us Anime , Season 4 Disk 3 (English)

July 9th, 2010

In Disk 3 of Maria Watches Over Us Season 4, we turn our eyes towards Touko and, for the very first time, take a good, long look at her.

Until this moment, Yumi (and hopefully we,) have had our opinion shifting so rapidly that we’re really hard put to know just *who* Touko is. And, despite her best intentions, Yumi finds that she doesn’t really understand her at all.

Like Sei, Touko has a secret. Like Sei, Touko has learned to hide it in a way that distracts people from even realizing that there is a secret that is being hidden. And on Christmas, like Sei, Touko does something that changes lives. Interesting, when you think about it that way, huh? ;-)

As I read the novels, what really moved me was Noriko’s reactions to Touko. Her innate understanding of her unlikely friend brings tears to my eyes even now. I swear Noriko cries more on Touko’s behalf than for any other reason.

Disk 3 would be impossible to watch without knowing that Disk 4 was there. But it is. Phew.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Characters – 10
Story – 10
Yuri – 2
Loser Marimite Fan – somewhere between a million and a billion

Overall – 9

There are so many kinds of love touched upon in this series. And, like Sailor Moon, it holds a special place in my heart, because I love so many things about it.

Oh, and, by the way – can you *believe* that I am reviewing the English-language version of this series? How freaking cool is that? I’m going to send chocolates to RightStuf next Valentine’s Day, see if I don’t. :-)





Yuri Network News – July 3, 2010

July 3rd, 2010

Yuri Anime

The top news this week just came in last night, with the Nozomi/RightStuf panel at AnimeExpo. RightStuf is going to be releasing the digitally remastered Shoujo Kakumei Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena) in 2011. According to prelim press releases on Twitter from their panel, the release will be in three box sets. No news whether a remastered movie (with a soundtrack that isn’t squashed) is in the works, so don’t ask. Or, don’t ask me, anyway. Feel free to drive RightStuf crazy with your questions. In the meantime, if you know a young Yuri fan, an anime fan who has never had the pleasure of enjoying the surrealistic exercise that is Utena, or just want to fuck with someone’s brains, this will make a great opportunity to get ’em, but good.

Nozomi/RightStuf also announced the licensed for Sora no Woto, which seems to draw interest from Yuri quarters, regardless of whether it actually has any. :-)

Not to be outdone in “moe with very little, if any Yuri, but fans like to see it there, anyway” Bandai Entertainment also announced that it has licensed the K-On! anime. (Also from Twitter, but here’s the ANN report.

Funimation weighed in with a few licenses of their own. Intersecting our interests here are the resurrection of Haibane Renmei and Serial Experiments Lain and a new license of To Aru Kagaku No Railgun.

And, although this is really no more than rumor and there is nothing, no proof at all, except wishful thinking and an ambiguously worded ad in Nyantype, there are persistent rumors of a Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Force anime. I usually don’t report rumors, but I’m kinda hoping this one is true. ^_^

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Yuri Manga

My sincere apologies, I complete forgot to mention this last week – Candy Boy is now out as a manga from MF Comics. So if you loved your time with these two sisters that love each other more than anything, please consider supporting the creators and purchasing the manga.

I am once more going to mention that Rakuen Le Paradis, Volume 3 is out now. Why am I mentioning it again? Because I only recently learned that among the many artists contributing that I like, Hayashiya Shizuru-sensei is among them. Exhibit A:

That puts this magazine in strong contention for my favorite manga magazine I read right now, as it has three of my top artists in it.

I typically read about 5 manga magazines regularly, with supplemental others as the mood or opportunity strikes. In fact, just for fun, here’s what I’m reading right now: Ultra Jump, Ikki, Yuri Hime, Yuri Hime S, Ribon, Rakuen Le Paradis, with Comic Blade and Dengeki Daioh as my whimsy takes me, Comic Ryuu and CompAce when I can find them.

I reviewed (and enjoyed) Volume 1, and now Volume 2 of Morita-san no Mukuchi is coming out. I bet Morita still doesn’t talk much.
:-)

While I’m pimping 4- koma manga with a little Yuri, Hinagiku Junshin Jogakuen, Volume 3 is also on the way.

Also soon to be hitting the shelves are Yuri Hime comics Shinigami Alice and Sakura Buntsu and Yuri Hime S Comic, HONEY CRUSH, Volume 2.

And if I’m reading this right, a number of the artists from Yuri Hime have gotten together some of their original Yuri doujinshi for a new Yuri Hime doujinshi, Yuri Hime Collection, Volume 1. Which is freaking genius on the part of Ichijinsha if that’s true and I didn’t just totally misunderstand the press release, which is also possible.

YNN correspondent Katherine H. wants to let you know that the second volume of CANAAN manga is up for pre-order, “bad art and all.”

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Drama CD News

The news has been sounded – Hayate x Blade Volume 13, which will be out in October, will be available in a deluxe format, with a Drama CD. I am so there.

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That’s a wrap for this week.

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!





Maria Watches Over Us Anime , Season 4 Disk 2 (English)

July 2nd, 2010

You know you think a story is good when you know perfectly well that everything will work out, and you *still* get tense watching it all crumble.

On Disk 2 of Maria Watches Over Us, Season 4, we’re in a carefully suspended moment before several things start to crumble.

And with some deft writing by Konno Oyuki-sensei, not only are we allowed to enjoy that precariously suspended moment, we’re given an opportunity to laugh until our stomachs hurt – even knowing that soon our stomachs will hurt for an entirely different reason.

I am, of course, talking about the Kendo shiai, and the introduction of Arima Nana. After the Souer Audition tea party, Yoshino has to fess up to her rash promise made to Eriko. And now the chips are down and she doesn’t have a soeur to introduce to her! So, Yoshino does what anyone might in that situation- she lies bravely and tries to make a run for it. :-)

But after the laughter, we’re set up for tears. The series turns – rather reluctantly, it feels like – to the issue of Touko and Yumi. Because there is *so* much between them and because so much of it cannot be expressed by either of them, those of you who hate Touko will see only what is on the surface and will continue to hate her. There’s nothing I can say to make you look beyond that. So – hate away, my friends, because it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Here’s to clenching our fists and watching over them, until the logjam breaks. And break it will. But for now…we have to watch it all crumble before it can be built up again.

Art – 7
Characters – 10
Story – 10
Yuri – 2
Loser Marimite Fan – slightly more than a million, and climbing
Overall – 9

More Sei, Youko and Eriko. More, more!





Hayate x Blade Manga, Volume 6 (English)

June 28th, 2010

In most gag manga, the moments of seriousness are brief and are quickly broken up before they can build to anything threatening the general hilarity.

In dramatic manga, the moments of comedy are brief, breaking up the tension with a soft smile from time to time.

In most action manga, the emotions are brief, building up in a fireworks climax during a battle, driven by the need to win.

In most romantic manga, the action is brief, confined to bursts of energy in order to move the characters from one situation into another.

In Hayate x Blade, Volume 6, none of these are brief. We are sated on action, comedy, emotion and drama and by the end of the volume…we want more. Or, well, I want more!

First, there’s the climax of the A-Team’s nefarious plot to blackmail Hayate into leaving the school, culminating in a 80 vs 8 randori. Maid costumes, ladles, cheesy lines and Michi suddenly being awesome! And finally, the entire A-team slayed where they stand by the appearance of their belove Akira. In a maid costume.

Then, we start to get some insight into the relationship between Ayana and Yukari and even as we are told what we are told…we’re given some hints that nothing in this relationship is what it seems.

And finally, in the middle of a school festival that is full insanity, the Hoshitori bell rings and a very, very serious fight begins.

Speaking as a reader, this is one of my favorite volumes in any language. Artistically, Hayashiya-sensei’s art has really coalesced by now and you can practically feel the impact as sword hits sword.  As a copy editor, this volume was *brutal*. The editor and adapter had a lot of work to do – this is a volume full of really obscure references. But damn, what a volume!

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 4 (Ayana x Yukari and Maki x Yukari for the win here)
Service – 4
Overall – 9

I can’t tell you at this point whether we’ll see a Volume 7, but I know that I, at least, hope and pray that we will. If there was ever a fight that we deserve to see the end of, it’s this one.