Archive for the Series Category


Yuri Drama CD: Maria-sama ga Miteru Premium CD Volume 1

January 19th, 2010

Maria-sama ga Miteru Premium CD Volume 1, which should not be confused with the Maria-sama ga Miteru Special CD, Volume 1, because they are two different things with the practically the same name, was wonderful. Absolutely squee-worthy.

The dramas alone were a full hour or so and cover the most pertinent bits of Souer Audition, i.e., Tsutako and Shouko reunited for the first time since they first met (squee!), and “Joanna,” the short in which we see Yumi manipulating Touko by being honest, sincere, enthusiastic and loving. (squee!) Poor Touko…there was no hope for her after that. lol You’d have to be a very evil person to not love Yumi at that point and Touko was never evil.

The discussion portion had Ueda Kana and Nabatome Hitomi discussing – among other things – cream-filled doughnuts and Russian fairy tales. I love the idea that they are on the clock eating shu-cream filled doughnuts. If I didn’t know that the rest of their job was beastly, I might envy them.

We now have all of the Tsutako x Shouko story on various CDs. If they are smart – and they are, I have no doubt – they will package them all together as a Drama CD with figurines of Tsutako Shouko and we’ll all cough up *another* pile of cash to get it. ^_^

Now all I need to make me happy is Kira Kira Mawaru and Margaret ni Ribon on CD and I will be the happiest of fangirls. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 9.5, because this is just about the best Tsutako x Shouko scene until Kira Kira Mawaru

Squee!





Yuri Anime: El Cazador de la Bruja, Volume 2 Disk 3 (English)

January 15th, 2010

El Cazador de la Bruja, Volume 1Disk 3 of El Cazador de la Bruja is when it all happens. Everything that was building up to a climax is shifted around and everything we thought was important is set aside.

Disk 3 of El Cazador de la Bruja is when the things we never noticed become the things we stare fixedly at, and the things we thought we noticed stare back at us, challenging us to deny their existence.

Disk 3 of El Cazador de la Bruja is about one conspiracy becoming less important than we thought and another, even more obscure conspiracy, stepping in to take it’s place.

Disk 3 of El Cazador de la Bruja is about love. Tough hitman Ricardo loves his little adopted daughter Lirio, who clearly loves him back. We learn that Ellis loved the professor who ran tests on her, and that LA, as far as he’s capable in his cracked and broken way, loves Ellis. We learn that even Rosenberg, as selfish and miserable a man as he is, is capable of inspiring love. And above all, we can see that Nadie loves Ellis, even if she can’t quite see it herself – and Ellis loves Nadie enough for the whole world to see.

Disk 3 of El Cazador de la Bruja is about myths come to life and fantasy and scifi stories that are real.

Above all things, Disk 3 is when we realize that we will be singing the Amigo Tacos jingle for weeks on end and will never get it out of our heads.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 5
Service – 3

Overall – 8

And again, our sincere appreciation goes to to Okazu Superhero Amanda M. for sponsoring today’s review!





Yuri Network News – January 9, 2010

January 9th, 2010

The even-year effect is in place and Yuri is pretty thin for the new anime season, but don’t fear, there’s plenty of stuff for us to read!

Yuri Manga

Number one most “Yahoo!” news of the day has to be that the first volume of Gunjo is slated to be out in February! I don’t have a link to order it yet, but when I do get one, you can be sure I will be flogging you all to do so. If you have never before ordered a Japanese comic and are not sure why you would ever order one, I implore you to buy this manga. Nakamura-sensei has taken so many risks to make it, and it is so extraordinary in every way. please, please save up your pennies and buy Gunjo!

My copy of Rakuen Le Paradis arrived and, at first glance, it appears to be competing with F Erotics, the magazine that runs Aoi Hana. I say this because there’s an odd variety of stories that don’t quite seem to target men or women, but simply “adults who like reading romantic manga.” Rakuen doesn’t have the off-beat feel of F, but it looks and feels nice – and adult. While Kowo Kazuma’s (Junsui Adolescence) first story is boy/girl, both Takemiya Jin and Nishi UKO have Yuri entries. Can I just say how excited I am to see two of my absolutely favorite doujinshi artists doing work in a magazine for adult readers? I’m so happy for them.

YNN Correspondent Katherine H. is excited to let us know that not only is the first volume of the Canaan manga out at the end of this month, a Light Novel is already out. Her reaction is, “Hmm, most light novels are pretty embarrassing to read,” and “Hehe, Canaan and Alphard are on the cover. Together.” Mine is that Canaan will make a better LN series than a comic and I’d look forward to an extension past the anime storyline if they get there.

Second license request for 2010 – Canaan anime, please. Funimation, this time I’m looking at you.

***

Yuri Drama CD

Katherine also points out that a To Aru no Kagaku no Railgun Original recording is up for preorder, as is a new Canaan DJCD.

***

Snatches of Yuri

Samurai Age – Koiseyo tatakau otome-tachi! looks like another light novel that will eventually cross my desk here. High school girl samurai fighting and some Yuri-ishness. Gosh who could possibly want to miss that? (This would make a great off-year Yuri anime if anyone cared to bother.)

Yuri H-game fans can throw their money at R18 and R18!, Volume 2!

I admit that the title, Hyakku Ryouran Sengoku Otome appeals to me. Something about girls fighting and Yuri. Sheesh, I’m predictable. :-)

On the other hand, Hyakuen! does not hold any appeal for me, so those of you who mostly disagree with me, probably should take a look at it. lol What does interest me is that this book is a collection of a GanGan Comics series that ran online.

***

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!





Yuri Manga: Aoi Hana, Volume 4

January 7th, 2010

Aoi Hana (青い花) is, IMHO, a story about strength. Fumi may be gentle and quiet and a crybaby, but she is doing her best to be herself. It takes a lot of strength to do that at any age, but especially, especially in high school.

In Volume 4, the second year has begun for Fumi and Ah-chan and already the question of the school play is in the topic of conversation at both schools. When the play title was unveiled I have to admit, I did a double-take because, sure, Mishima Yukio is a classic Japanese writer, but I didn’t really think anything he wrote would be suitable for a high school play. Rokumeikan is a story of a clash of cultures, genders and expectations, so it’s actually a pretty great choice.

The Fujigaya Drama Club gains a new member, a loud, slightly scatterbrained first-year, Haruka, whose older sister is the friend of a teacher who is rumored to have a female lover. Ah-chan dies a few deaths as the gossip-mongers in her class go on about how it all grosses them out. Ah-chan’s seatmate, a tall girl who reminds her a lot of Fumi, saves her from having to swallow more bile. Ryouko and Ah-chan become friendly – Ryouko is even drawn into the Drama Club when her recitation of Rokumeikan for the Library Club is overheard.

Fumi too, is drawn back to into the Drama Club’s play, but her voice is too soft and her shyness too great, so she backs out – but not before she meets Ryouko, or Haruka.

Haruka lets slip to Fumi that she thinks her sister likes women. Fumi ponders the meaning of this and later that night confesses to Ah-chan that she had a physical relationship with Chizu – and that she wishes she had that same relationship with Ah-chan.

You see what I mean? Where Sasamekikoto is a series about Sumika’s inability to say anything, her weakness in the face of her feelings, Aoi Hana has Fumi facing up to her feelings and admitting them out loud. At any age, that takes a lot of strength.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 9
Story – 8
Yuri – 5
Service – 1

Overall – 8

This series is definitely on my license wish list for 2010. I’m looking at you, Vertical.





Light Novel: Maria-sama ga Miteru ~ Little Horrors

January 6th, 2010

High school, among other things, is a series of mortifying moments. Between hormones, life roles and adults being adults, there’s just about no day that goes by when a high school student doesn’t wish that the earth would open up and swallow them at least for a little while.

For Arima Nana, the day described in Maria-sama ga Miteru – Little Horrors (マリア様がみてる―リトルホラーズ) is one of those days.

Nana has entered Lillian Girls’ School in a slightly unusual position. Before she even enters high school, she is Rosa Foetida en Bouton. Not only does she start her high school career as a member of the Student Council but, because of her family and her famed kendo skills, she’s slated to be one of the highlights of the kendo team in time.

So, when the team calls a meeting and her onee-sama, Rose Foetida herself, younger sister of the former captain and third-year member of the team doesn’t show – the earth could not open up fast enough.

Little Horrors appears to be the story of Nana, as she runs around the school, looking for Yoshino. She starts in Yoshino’s classroom, and then tries the Rose Mansion. Noriko joins her as they broaden the search and finally Touko adds her help. When they finally find Yoshino, Nana and she get into a bit of an argument, as Nana explains that she was subject to mortification as a result of Yoshino’s absence. Yoshino, by way of explanation, tries to explain that she didn’t want to stand in Nana’s way in the club.

But all this takes a quick back seat to the real issue – because they find Yumi and Yoshino in the bottom floor of the Rose Mansion, barely containing a leaking pipe. The three en bouton jump in to relieve their onee-sama.

Time passes. Noriko goes off to find a teacher, Yoshino leaves to make her appearance at the club meeting, Touko leaves to go to the toilet. One little, two little, three little Lillian, four little, five little Lillian girls, Nana sings to herself.

Nana and Yumi, alone in the first-floor room, have a conversation in which Yumi was…my god, she was Rosa Chinensis! Youko could not have been more sensible, encouraging and supportive.

And then…the noise starts. Stomp stomp, clap. Stomp stomp clap. the noise comes from the second-floor council room. Yumi and Nana stare at the ceiling and finally Yumi tells Nana to go check, she’s really okay by herself.

Ambivalent about what she might find there, Nana ascends the stairs.

Before I tell you what she found, I ought to point out that this was all in the “ribbon” story – the bits that ties the actual stories together. The actual short stories were all about non-Yamayurikai characters including, as I predicted, the vile twins who seduced then threatened a teacher, and a marginally interesting story about a girl who wasn’t sure if she really was a girl or was an old guy dreaming he was a girl. There was also a completely forgettable story about a girl who becomes friends with the girl who sits beside her in class – while the girl isn’t actually there. -_-; And even more forgettable, a story about a girl who makes up a ridiculous sets of lies that all turn out, through painful contortion of the plot, to end up being true.

But, back to Nana. Slowy, slowly, she reaches out to open the door and slowly, slowly, she enters and suddenly…Pop! The sound of party crackers sound and lo and behold! the whole thing was a setup for a surprise party to welcome Nana. The plan was created by Yoshino – fake a leak to keep Nana out of the second floor room and give everyone a chance to gather there before her. :-)

As a bonus, Yoshino comments that she did indeed make the kendo club meeting where her rival, Tanuma Chisato was voted in as the new club president and she, busy with Yamayurikai duties as she is, was asked by Chisato to be the club vice president. Yoshino was mortified, of course, but that’s high school for you.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 4-7
Yuri – .5
Fan Service – 12? (Noriko-sama! Touko-sama! Squee!)

Overall – 7

In the Afterword, Konno-sensei mentions that her editor referred to this book as Variety Gift IV. Heh.