Archive for the Series Category


Ask Konno Oyuki Questions on Right Stuf’s Maria-sama Website

July 29th, 2008

RIGHT STUF’S NOZOMI ENTERTAINMENT Launches the MARIA WATCHES OVER US Official Site – mariasama.rightstuf.com

Asks fans to submit their questions for the series’ creator; celebrates release of Season 1 DVD Collection

GRIMES, IA, July 29, 2008 – Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and Nozomi Entertainment are pleased to celebrate the July 29 release of the MARIA WATCHES OVER US – Season 1 DVD Collection with the launch of the series’ official site, at mariasama.rightstuf.com (http://mariasama.rightstuf.com). Also, as part of the site’s grand opening, fans will have a special opportunity to submit their questions for the series’ creator, Ms. Oyuki Konno.

At mariasama.rightstuf.com, visitors can:

– Read the latest news about and reviews of the first season;

– Check out in-depth character profiles (first-season spoilers are noted);

– Watch the first-season trailer; and

– Download Maria Watches Over Us wallpapers and avatars.

** PLUS: Right Stuf and Nozomi Entertainment have been granted an interview with the creator of Maria-sama ga Miteru, novelist Oyuki Konno, and want to know what questions fans have for her. Please submit questions, via the form located at mariasama.rightstuf.com, by 11:59 p.m. CDT on August 15, 2008.

The Maria Watches Over Us DVD Collection – which includes the entire 13-episode first television season of Maria-sama ga Miteru, plus the Season 1 “specials” – is now available. It features Japanese audio, along with English on-screen translations, and two English-language subtitle tracks: one with regular dialogue subtitles and a second, special subtitle track that retains the Japanese honorifics.

The box set for the series’ second television season is currently scheduled for a Fall 2008 release.

****

AnimeOnDVD.com Pick of the Week

“leaves you eagerly wanting more” – AnimeOnDVD.com

“a truly beautiful anime” – Future Anime (July 2008)

The Maria Watches Over Us anime is based upon an ongoing series of novels – written by Oyuki Konno and illustrated by Reine Hibiki – that began in 1998 and currently spans 32 volumes. Short stories related to the series have been published in the shoujo (girls’) magazine Cobalt, and a manga adaptation is serialized in the anthology magazine Margaret. The series’ publisher, Shueisha, also produced 14 drama CDs (with radio-style plays).

The anime adaptation of Maria-sama ga Miteru – also referred to by fans as “MariMite” – encompasses two, 13-episode TV seasons, a 5-episode OVA (original video animation) as its third season, and a fourth season, currently in production in Japan.

The first three seasons of Maria Watches Over Us feature animation by Studio DEEN (Fruits Basket, Gravitation, Rurouni Kenshin), direction by Yukihiro Matsushita (Blue Dragon, Sugar Sugar Rune), and scripting by Reiko Yoshida (Aria, Boys Over Flowers, Story of Saiunkoku).

About MARIA WATCHES OVER US (Maria-sama ga Miteru) – Season 1

When Yumi Fukuzawa entered the Lillian Girls’ Academy, a prestigious all-girls Catholic school in Tokyo, she never imagined she would catch the eye of beautiful and demure Sachiko Ogasawara, one of the school’s most popular students. Now Sachiko has offered to be Yumi’s sœur – her “sister” and guide for all her years at the academy. The whole idea has Yumi completely flustered: After all, they hardly know each other! The entire campus is abuzz with rumors about the two of them, but Yumi is conflicted over accepting Sachiko’s offer. While she admires Sachiko, being her sœur would also mean constantly being at the center of the entire school’s attention! Contains the complete 13-episode first season, plus the Season 1 “specials.”

MARIA WATCHES OVER US (Maria-sama ga Miteru) – Season 1 DVD Collection

Pre-Book: 6/24/2008

Street Date: 7/29/2008

Runtime: Approximately 325 minutes, Dolby Digital Stereo, Color

Genre: Drama

Suggested Rating: 13+

Format: DVD (2.0 Japanese, 2 English Subtitle Tracks, English On-Screen Translations)

Catalog #: RSDVD0815

ISBN: 1-57032-790-4

UPC: 7-42617-0815-2-1

SRP: $49.99

Discs/Set: 4

Item Measurements: 5 3/8” x 1 7/32” x 7 5/8” (LxWxH)

Case Qty: 9 sets / case

DVD Features:

Scene access; Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo audio for Japanese dialogue; two English subtitle tracks (regular dialogue subtitles, plus a special subtitle track that includes Japanese honorifics); and English on-screen translations. PLUS: Season 1 “Specials” 1-7, character bios, liner notes and Nozomi Entertainment trailers.

* Cover Art: http://outgoing.rightstuf.com/sleeves/rsdvd0815.jpg

MARIA WATCHES OVER US (Maria-sama ga Miteru) Season 1 © OYUKI KONNO / SHUEISHA o YAMAYURIKAI Licensed by d-rights Inc.

* To view this image, cut and paste the URL into your Web browser.

** Product specifications and content may be subject to change.

ABOUT RIGHT STUF, INC.

Currently celebrating its 21st year in business, Right Stuf, Inc. was one of the first players in the U.S. Japanese Animation (“anime”) industry, as both an anime producer/distributor and a retailer. Right Stuf works to promote knowledge of its own products, as well as the anime and manga industry, in general, through its online storefront at RightStuf.com and a variety of media including podcasts and special publications.

Nozomi Entertainment, Right Stuf’s production division, is dedicated to the highest quality releases. True to the Japanese word that inspired its name, Nozomi’s focus is on “what fans want.” By focusing on a limited number of anime properties each year, the Nozomi production team ensures each release receives the care and attention to detail it deserves.

From anime classics like Astro Boy, Kimba and Gigantor to modern comedies, dramas and favorites such as The Irresponsible Captain Tylor, His and Her Circumstances, Gravitation, Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars, Ninja Nonsense, To Heart, The Third: The Girl With the Blue Eye, Emma: A Victorian Romance, Maria Watches Over Us and ARIA, Right Stuf and Nozomi Entertainment produce quality programming for fans of all ages and interests. For more information, visit www.rightstuf.com and www.nozomient.com.

Erica here: Already put my questions is. None of them were even vaguely related to Yuri or the character’s relationships. ^_^





Yuri Light Novel: Strawberry Panic, Volume 2

July 25th, 2008

Strawberry Panic Light Novel, Volume 2 is the touching story of girls in love at three girls private schools on Astraea Hill.

At Miator, the star, the Etoile of all three schools, Hanazono Shizuma has found herself completely out of control in her attraction to new student Aoi Nagisa. Nagisa is thrown into the competition for this year’s Etoile with Shizuma and, as a result, bears up under a alot of scrutiny and some bullying. Her attraction to Shizuma is so strong that neither bullying, nor knowledge of Shizuma’s past playgirl ways is enough to deter her – but upon learning that Shizuma truly loved her former Etoile partner, she finds her confidence wavering and her resolve starting to crack.

At Spica, the reticent and lone-wolf Ohtori Amane had found herself equally as head over heels about a transfer student, this time the angelic Kotohana Hikari. That Spica’s representative in the Etoile battle is a mere transfer student is so outrageous an idea, former student and famous violinist Kusanagi Makoto comes running back to Spica to sabotage her school’s best chance at winning. In the meantime, Hikari and Amane realize that their love is way deeper than anything they were prepared to deal with – especially Amane, who never cared for expressions of love between women.

And, at LuLim, the graceful Madonna of the school, Chikaru, pulls strings behind the scenes, and spoils her own harem rotten as she prepares them for a life of cosplay and intrigue.

…Dammit. I was trying to maintain a tone of affected sincerity, but blew it.

Oh well. lol

The book is filled with kisses- who can forget those touching moments when Shizuma gives Nagisa a hickey, or Yaya has her way with Hikari in the pool, or Chikaru gently kisses Kizuna’s butt. Not you – because I will keep reminding you of those things. You will never be allowed to forget them. Every time you tell me that this is a serious love story I will look at you and say – absolutely, especially when Chikaru dressed Kizuna up as a playboy bunny and kissed her butt. LOL

OTOH, Hikari and Amane’s love isn’t maddening. Yes, Hikari cries in every scene (see my review of this volume in Japanese for my suggestion about that) and yes, Amane doth protest too much, but they win hands down for best – well, least irritating – couple.

And I’m *still* annoyed that Makoto didn’t shut up long enough to kiss Chikaru. Makoto is so much more annoying in English, because now I have no excuse to not understand her tortured sentences.

Speaking of which, boo to Seven Seas for not crediting both translators on this book. (In fact, boo to them for not crediting every single person who works on every single book. There are a few books I from them have which only credit translator, adaptor and editor, as if it didn’t take tons of retouching and lettering, layout and production editing to make a book. Bad, bad. People who work on a book – *especially* people like the retouch and lettering people, who have hellish jobs – deserve to be credited.) There was a changeover in translators midway – which was very apparent in at least one thing. At the beginning of the book, Chikaru looks out the window as a white pigeon flew by. Okay, true, doves and pigeons are 1) the same family and 2) the same word in Japanese, but usually to be more symbolic and all, they are referred to in such moments as “doves,” because pigeons are basically considered to be rats with wings by those of us who have ever actually looked at one. LOL

Anyway, the translation smooths out and later on, they are indeed referred to as doves…which makes me wonder why the proofreader didn’t catch that and fix it. It takes a village to make a book, let me tell you. :-)

And in the end, all the lead contenders for Etoile are disqualified and/or pull out, leaving Makoto and Kagome which is still a breathtakingly bad combination.

I remembered this volume as being less servicey, more sincere and slightly more romantic than the first book of the series, and the English edition managed to capture that perfectly. It’s also still wild over-the-top melodrama that makes me think it would make the most awesome live action story ever. Even better than “Passions.” Actually – kind of like a Yuri version of “Passions.”

Ratings:

Art – 6 (one point off for so often illustrating things we don’t want to see and not illustrating the ones we do)
Characters – 7
Story – 7
Yuri – 8
Service – 5

Reproduction – 7
Translation – starts out a little roughly at 6, but moves up to 8

Overall – 7

Little Princess Sara‘s English title is A Little Princess, fyi.





Yuri Anime: Shattered Angels, Volume 1 (English)

July 23rd, 2008

Shattered Angels (originally known as Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora) is a story that takes place in the land of Academia – a small country with an abundance of schools, and therefore students (but no teachers, I can’t help but notice.)

In this world there is a girl, Kuu, whose name means “empty” and indeed, she appears to lack mostly everything except incredulity and a childhood dream of a Prince. When Ayanokoji Kyoshiro arrives at the school, dressed in the school uniform of the one school that has been destroyed completely Kuu, like everyone else, is wowed by his princely-ness. So when he grabs her shirt and rips it open, she’s pretty aghast. Of course this being a Kaishaku story, she forgets to stay upset – and all the other girls in the school likewise have no frontal lobes – so when Kyoshiro asks Kuu to come with him, she does.

Immediately she finds herself the center of a battle for…herself. Why, Kuu has no idea and no one really tells her, but that’s not really important because of every character in this series, Kuu is the least interesting. lol And the only characters we want to see are Kaon and Himiko.

So in episode two, Kuu is kidnapped by Kaon, who turns out to be an Absolute Angel, like Tarlotte, the cat girl who was after Kuu, and Setsuna who fights for Kyoshiro. The meeting with Kaon and Himiko is mostly so we can witness them kissing, and they can deny that they are in love, and Kuu can, in her own brainless way, tell us that they are lying and even she knows it.

Then we meet Mika, the evil ojou-sama who “owns” Kaon and Himiko and watch her torture them both a bit in an ill-conceived plan of domination.

Episode three was hysterical, as nearly every character spends time in either bath or shower – even the boys. If the idea of anime beef- and/or cheesecake appeals, this episode is great. For me, it was plain hysterical – especially watching Soujiro, Kyoshiro and Mika in a split frame showing them all in showers as they provide exposition about the end of the world and their Absolute Angels. Episode three also includes many gratuitous random kiss scenes.

The final episode provides us with insight into Kyoshiro’s obsession about his older brother Kazuya, and a lot of crazy talk.

Video extras include the first and second DVD specials. The first shows us just how much of a raw deal Setsuna has signed up for. (Is there anyone watching this who does not feel bad for Setsuna? I know I do. She’s loads better than Kuu.) And the second is a romantic vignette called “Lovers Reunion” that shows us, in no uncertain terms, what Kaon and Himiko feel for one another. No subtext here at all. It’s a sweet and touching extra. Their interactions with each other will continue to be tender and touching through the series, whatever amount of service is layered over them. And I still prefer them to Chikane and Himeko, regardless of the fact that they are not the main couple.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 7, except for Mika, Kaon and Himiko, who are all 8
Yuri – 7
Service – 7

Overall – 7

I know I’m in a minority when I say this but, I still think that Shattered Angels is a better Yuri story than Kannazuki, primarily because the Yuri relationship does not have violence or insanity built into it. This time the crazy and abusive is confined to the Ayanokojis, so Himiko and Kaon are left alone to have a deep, mostly functional love.





This Week in Yuri – July 19, 2008

July 19th, 2008

This week, we once again start off with a retraction of a news item from last week. :-)

Yuri Anime

ADV says that Best Student Council DVDs are *not* on the discontinued list – and in fact, fans should keep their eye out for a thinpack, coming soon. Thanks for this news item goes out to Eric P., who is always vigilantly scanning the wide world of news for us. :-)

Right Stuf announced that the trailer for Aria is up on their Aria website.

Coming any day now are the first episode of the Shoujo Sect anime and the second episode of Mai HiME 0 ~ S.ifr, finally.

***

Snatches of Yuri

The new Koihime Musou anime is full of service-y Yuri goodness. I’m told that it reads like a parody to people with a brain cell, so I have no doubt that when I finally get to watch it and say, “gee, it’s a parody” I’ll be called all *sorts* of names. ^_^

And over on the manga side of the equation, if Candy Boy is relevant to your interests, you’ll probably want to keep an eye out for L16 the touching story of two sisters – not twins this time – who love each other very, very, *very* much.

***

Yuri Manga

Well, all the Yuri Hime books that were slated to hit the shelves yesterday have, and I’m already being asked about YH Wildrose 2 which I will review when I actually *get* it. ^_^

And speaking of reviews – while my Japanese is nowhere it needs to be for me to mirror Okazu in Japan, I have begun to do short mini-reviews on my mixi page. If you are Japanese, or know someone in Japan who would like to read these reviews, here is my mixi profile. I’m glad to give referrals to anyone, but unless you have a Japanese cell email address, they won’t allow you in now (ostensibly to “protect” mixi members, but it’s a measure that seems awfully xenophobic to many.) In any case, if you know someone in Japan looking for short one or two-line reviews on Yuri manga and novels, pass it along.

***

Other Yuri News

In totally other news, Rica Takashima sent me this link to Sparkling Rain: And Other Fiction from Japan of Women Who Love Women. To quote from the advertising copy: “This collection features an historical perspective on lesbian literature and activism in Japan as well as erotic poetry, a movie screenplay, science fiction with a queer twist, classic love stories, humor and more.” I will definitely be getting it and let you know how it is. :-)

Just in case you missed this – we’re did an Okazu Reader’s Survey. It was ten short questions, very painless. So far only two result sets have differed from my expectations. The poll is now closed – I’ll report results whenever I have a chance. :-) Thanks to everyone who took it!

Oh – and not Yuri, but dammit, I don’t care. Seirei no Moribito will be on Cartoon Network, Media Blasters will be releasing the anime, and the novels are being published by Scholastic. (Yay!) I think Balsa is the absolute bomb – practically the definition of gar. So if you haven’t seen what was the *actual* Best Anime of 2007, do. This was an amazing anime. Everything about it – story, acting, characters, art, music, everything, was stellar. I can’t wait to buy it – and if MB screws up the subtitles with typos, I’ll personally see to it that they have permanent scars to remind them why to not do that.

Thanks to Anonymous for reminding me that today is International Femmeslash Day!. In honor of which I offer up to your reading pleasure any of the stories on my fiction and fanfic site, “Worldshaking” Fanfic. I actually have a brand new story to go up there shortly, but it won’t get posted for another day or so. :-)

And once again, I thank Komatsu-san for his insightful comments and thoughts regarding Shoujoai ni Bouken on his blog, Ultimo Spalpeen. (In Japanese.) His kind words make me very happy and his insights were very valuable to me. Thank you Komatsu-san! ^_^

***

That seems to be it. I feel like there’s something I’m forgetting. Oh well. There’s always next week. :-) Thanks to everyone for reading – and special thanks to those of you who send me news items – you can email news of interest to anilesbocon at hotmail dot com – just type “Yuri News’ in the subject line. Thanks!





Yuri Anime: Simoun, Volume 4 (English)

July 15th, 2008

It’s not uncommon to run across this comment in anime forums in any language, referring to any anime – “It gets better in later episodes.” Whether it’s correct or not is entirely dependent upon whether you *like* whatever literary theme that particular anime is abusing, of course. lol

If you have been reading my reviews of Simoun here, you will know that I thought it was pretty breathtaking right out of the gate, but indeed, it also gets better in later episodes. I know that there are many fans of the series who consider Volume 4 to be the pinnacle of achievement.

However…I have a dilemma. In order to talk to you about this particular volume coherently, I will need to spoil it. I don’t want to do that, but there’s no way to get around it. I’ll do it as gently as I can.

In Volume 4, several major themes are coming together and landing directly on the heads of the priestesses of Chor Tempest:

One – their theocracy and the government based on it is weak, corrupt and foolish.

Secondly, the lies that government is seeking to hide might well have saved them all, if they had chosen to investigate rather than avoid it for fear of proving themselves wrong.

Thirdly, the ultimate sacrifice of one of the Tempest members not only is one of the most beautiful things about the series, but serves to highlight much of what is wrong with their society.

The result is that as a team, Chor Tempest slowly pulls together – not to fight the war for their country, but to survive – and transcend – it for themselves.

In the middle of everything going on, Aeru and Neviril start to bond in a natural and real way for the first time. It looks good on them.

And last, we see the result of an Emerald Rimaajon. Despite the fact that we are told what to expect – it’s still nothing we could *ever* have expected. lol

Oh, wait, no, this is last – if you haven’t yet started to think there’s a thing between Anubituf and Guragief, you will in this volume. :-)

Once again, I’m pleased to say that the Media Blasters team did a great job, so no technical issues marred my enjoyment of the volume. And the video extra, this time with the voice actresses for Roatreamon, Mamina and Yun was, by far and away, the most natural and enjoyable of the series to date. And thanks too, to the good folks at MB for this review copy of awesome.

A fabulous volume of a fabulous series.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 7 (a point off, because several of them are still wallowing in issues that we thought were, and should have been, previously resolved.)
Yuri – 4
Service – 5 (we spend an awful lot of time in the showers, don’t we?)

Overall – 8

I pretty much held my breath through this entire volume. It’s simply magnificent.