Archive for the Series Category


Yuri News This Week – June 7, 2008

June 7th, 2008

We’re trying something new this week. This is pre-recorded programming. Cool, huh? Even as you are reading this post, *I* am in NYC at Puck Building, joining the fab folks of Prism Comics for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Art Festival today. If you are in or near the NYC area, drop by. It’s an amazing event full of amazingly talented independent comic artists from all over. The MoCCA event is a don’t-miss event if you like comic art!

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Yuri Anime

It’s pretty much the all Mai edition this week! First off, Bandai has announced that they will be releasing all four of the Mai Otome Zwei episodes on one disk. In the past Bandai ran into some serious clashes with the fans over Japanese-style DVD releases (two TV episodes or one OVA per DVD.) In this climate of contracting markets and struggling anime sales, it’s nice to see that they’ve gotten a clue.

Speaking of Mai devoted reader Eric P. points out that Bandai has announced a new Mai HiME series, starring a girl named Mao. There’s not much more info available, but I expect it to be the same service with a light negligee of plot that the rest of the series wears. :-)

While I’m beating the Mai series to death, I just want to say that I have added the Mai HiME/Mai Otome/Destiny Light Novels to the Light Novel Page on the Yuricon Shop. I had no idea how many Mai novels there were!

And for those three of you who were wondering if there’d *ever* be a new Mai Otome ~ S.ifr, the answer is – yes. Look for episode two of that OVA to arrive sometime in July.

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Yuri Manga

Speaking of July, you can look forward to a new edition of Yuri Hime Wildrose coming out that month. (Yes, yes, pun intended.) Look for more girls who are not lesbian having sex with other girls, even though they don’t quite know what girls do in bed. This will be released on the 18th, the same day that the next Yuri Hime magazine hits the selves.

Looking for a quick fix of 4-koma goofiness with a light flavoring of Yuri? Rakka Ryuusui, Volume 3 is already on sale in Japan. Get your fill of kyuudo klub komraderie and inexpressible puns. :-)

Here’s an interesting piece of news – Hayate x Blade is switching not only magazines, but publisher as well. Up through Volume 9 it will continue in Mediaworks’ Dengeki Daioh, but as of the September issue, which ships in August, it will be running in Ultra Jump magazine and the collected volumes will be printed by UJ Comics. How interesting…. Makes you wonder what went on there, doesn’t it? LOL It was reported on Hayashiya Shizuru’s blog. (Thanks to Erin, btw, who made me *read* what it actually said, because when I scanned it the first time, I completely missed what she was saying. lol)

Also of note, creator of Yuri OEL manga Steady Beat, Rivkah, has some very interesting things to say on her Livejournal about the reorganization of Tokyopop and what it means for the third and final volume of her story! She includes some of the pencils from the climax, so definitely check them out.

And Sean reminds me that Strawberry Marshmallow, Volume 5 is shipping next week. For all us Miu fans.

And for those who have Internet Explorer, don’t mind downloading Digital Object Reader and can navigate basic Japanese, Young Gun Carnaval has been made into a free manga distributed through Flex Comics’ Yahoo Japan site. I’m told there’s Yuri in the novels. I don’t know if there actually is. There are girls who kill people. That’s good enough for me. :-D

For fans of Mnemosyne, there is a manga for the series “Daughters of Mnemosyne Manga: Miss Black” running in Comic Valkyrie. Has Yuri-service just like the anime. :-) I’m not sure at this point if it is a one-shot or not. I’m sure someone will weigh in with details.

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Other Yuri News

There is a very interesting blog which I have mentioned before – Ultimo Spalpeen – which follows the American anime and manga industry in Japanese for a Japanese audience. The writer, Komatsu-san, has been a terrific supporter of Yuri in general and Yuricon, ALC and Okazu in specific. Last week he emailed me with a question about the title of my Light Novel, Shoujoai ni Bouken. He asked me if I knew that it wasn’t quite right Japanese. I told him my little secret about the titles for SnB and the sequel Saiyuu no Ryouko, i.e., SnR. I *chose* to use not-quite-right Japanese for the titles on purpose, since it always fascinates me that so much anime/manga/doujinshi use English in a way that is not-quite-right. lol We had a long conversation about the whole thing and he’s transcribed the entire thing in Japanese for his readers. Thank you, Komatsu-san for all your support!

Now on to much more important things, like Strawberry Panic fighter jets!

Anastasia Moreno posted on her Manga Gunkan blog that Friend of Yuri, soulassassin547 realized, after learning that Ana is a ex-Marine who translates Strawberry Panic, that Astrea Hill would be the natural location for an air base. To that end, he designed the StoPani fighter jets…and one special Lillian squadron. (Commander “Ice Queen” Ogasawara. Swoon….)

Also from Ana’s blog, this Pixel Maritan AMV. The song is from the CD that accompanied the book I reviewed. There are subtitles in English, so you can enjoy it fully. You all have to watch – this way you’ll get a feeling for how insane this series really is. I believe Ana told me that she wrote the English lyrics for this song. My favorite line is “Let’s beat those evil fuckers now!” (Yay!)

Last up, a non-Yuri item, but it may be of some interest to readers here – and feel free to pass it on to other MLs and groups you know of:

The Kurodahan Press Translation Prize

It gives us great pleasure to announce the Kurodahan Press Translation Prize, awarded for excellence in translation of a selected Japanese short story into English. We hope that it will be possible to continue this prize as an annual event.

Kurodahan Press was established to preserve and circulate contemporary and historical observations of Asia, and to produce informative and entertaining translations. The Japanese literary world needs no help from us in producing outstanding works, but they cannot be introduced to a broader, global audience without skilled translators capable of rendering delicate nuances and atmospheres into another language.

The Kurodahan Press Translation Prize is held to help locate and encourage these translators.

The short story to be translated is 笛塚 by 岡本綺堂, and is about 9500 characters in length.

Submissions will be accepted through September 30, 2008, Japan time.

Three judges will select the winning entry (alphabetical order by surname):
– Juliet Winters Carpenter, Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts
– Meredith McKinney, Visiting Fellow, Japan Centre, Australian National
University
– Royall Tyler

The winning entry will receive a cash prize, and an additional payment for first English publication rights in the upcoming kaiki anthology. Submissions will not be returned, but translators will retain all applicable rights to their work.

For additional information and a complete contest package download, please see our website:http://www.kurodahan.com/mt/e/khpprize/

or write us at:

Kurodahan Press
3-9-10-403 Tenjin
Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
810-0001 JAPAN

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It’s been a long post, but finally, that’s it for today! See you next week!





Light Novel: Maria-sama ga Miteru: Margaret ni Ribon

June 5th, 2008

In Maria-sama ga Miteru: Margaret ni Ribon, White Day is approaching and Yoshino, Shimako and Yumi have all gathered at the Rose Mansion to plan a way to return the chocolates that they received on Valentine’s Day. They decide to buy candies and make small bags that they will decorate. As they decide on the forms, materials and decorations of the bags, each conversation leads into a short story.

The first story picks up with the current life of former Rosa Chinensis, Mizuno Youko, first-year law student, but forever meddler and onee-sama to everyone around her. Youko’s determination to be a completely different person – say, someone like Sei – fails utterly.

Then we take a moment to look at former Rosa Foetida, Torii Eriko’s, relationship with Yamanobe. This story was the best in the book, as she meets, befriends and ultimately agrees to be rivals with, Yamanobe’s daughter. It was a short story, but very touching and beautiful. We get to see a side of Eriko we’ve never seen before. Great story.

Sean will be happy with the next story, as we follow former Rosa Gigantea, Satou Sei’s, side of the trip to Italy with Kei, her decision to not see or be seen by Shimako, and her immense satisfaction with the parakeet joke. ^_^

Then comes a very short, but absolutely excruciatingly adorable vignette as the three Rosas (and yes, although Rei and Sachiko have not yet graduated, they are acting Rosas) consider dropping the “-san” from each other’s names. While they do manage to call each other by their first names only, they mutually decided that it’s pretty much too embarrassing, so they scrap the idea. It was brutally cute. ^_^

In the course of their conversation, Shimako offhandedly refers to her personal situation that I never told you when I reviewed Kira Kira Mawaru, because it was a spoiler. I am going to continue to not tell you, because it continues to be a spoiler.

The next two stories follow Yumi after she leaves the school. In the first, she runs into Shizuka, who has returned home for a funeral, and in the second she makes her hatsumode (first shrine visit of the year) to an Inari shrine with Touko.

The last story follows the adventures of Yumi’s blue umbrella after she loses it in Rainy Blue. In ten days it is witness to several lives in transition. ^_^ We learn that the person who sewed it up was a guy – he chose pink because it was a cheerful color and he didn’t have blue. ^_^

In the Afterword, Konno Oyuki comments that she didn’t actually set out to name the book after two Shueisha comic magazines (Margaret and Ribon), really. But she realizes that no one will believe her anyway. ^_^Also, she addresses the issue of Sachiko’s graduation and whether this series will end. Do I tell you what she said or not? Do you really want to know? Let me know!

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 2
Service- 6

Overall – 9

This was probably my favorite of all the short story collections. The stories were fun, touching and we got to see the former Rosas just a bit. A wonderful book to sit and read on a beautiful spring afternoon. ^_^





Kaleido Star Anime, Volume 2 (English)

June 2nd, 2008

For anime fans in general, but more specifically for fans romantic pairings, there’s a delicious moment when one of the couple starts getting very irritated at his/her reaction to the other one. Often that irritated reaction is the sum and total of their personality, spawning any number of tsun-xyz combinations. Sometimes, they move beyond that phase…but not too often.

In Volume 2 of Kaleido Star, Layla Hamilton – for a brief moment – becomes pointlessly and hopelessly irritated at Sora. It’s kind of cute, but mostly because I know it’s temporary. ^_^

In any case, there are all sorts of Yuri-esque situations floating around Volume 2, but the main plot is Carlos giving Sora all sorts of amazing opportunities, but doing it in the most assholish way possible. Of course, because Sora is our heroine, she overcomes every obstacle, and starts to create her own unique presence on the Kaleido Stage. It works. It really does. I gotta hand it to the writers, the whole “Little Mermaid” arc just – worked.

So, for Yuri, we have Rosetta gleefully piling on the Yuri-service for the Kaleido Stage audience by both hugging and kissing Sora in front of them (the latter of which prompts a juicy “whoooo!” from them.) There’s the aforemetioned tsuning by Layla, and we get to enjoy Mia’s kvelling over her princely Anna.

Speaking of Mia and Anna, one of my favorite things about Kaleido Star is how Mia, Sora and Anna all start off as a performers, but as the series progresses and Sora transforms into a Kaleido Star, Anna focuses more and more on comedy, and Mia shifts her focus to trick choreography. The tricks still remain the best thing about this series. I’d genuinely love to see a swing Diablo fight, like the one Rosetta and Sora did. Don’t you think that would be totally cool?

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 4

Overall – 8

Once again, thanks go out to Ted the Awesome for sponsoring today’s review!

And for the person who asked me once why I watched this anime when I don’t like circuses, here’s my answer: For the same reason I watch Vampire Princess Miyu, when I don’t like vampires, or Devil Lady, when I don’t like horror, or Simoun, when I don’t like war stories. ^_^





Yuri News this Week – May 31, 2008

May 31st, 2008

Top Story this week – I am once again gainfully employed. Yay. (And I’ve got a part-time gig whch I’m keeping secret for the moment, but I’ll tell you all about it alter. Promise.)

Yuri Manga

R.O.D.‘s Hideyuki Kurata is doing a new series that will run in Dengeki Daioh magazine. There’s no word yet on whether it will contain Yuri, but we are talking Kurata and Dengeki, so there’s likely to be *something* we can make up in our heads. :-)

Suzunari! an uber-moe series said to have Yuri by the Japanese Yuri blog Yuri na Hibi, is now available in English. Whether that is a *good* thing or a bad is entirely personal. lol

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Marimite News

A couple of people have forwarded this cover of Cobalt Shueisha starring Yuuki. This is indeed a special story about “Buddha Watches You,” starring the fine young lads of Hanadera Academy. A few folks have jumped to the conclusion that this marks a whole new series, which is kind of a leap. I’m sorry to disappoint – it’s only a special issue. (I consider it another delaying tactic, myself.)

The folks from Anime on DVD ferreted out this super-secret not final art for the packaging of Season 1. Looks like Marimite, doesn’t it? :-)

Those of you on the Yuricon Mailing List will know that with the assistance of Sukoshi, I was able to complete the translation of In Library. After which, I’ve decided to retire from translation for a while. But thankfully Sukoshi and Rei have stepped into the gap, while I move back to a “coordinating” position. So look forward to Novel 19 being posted here eventually, and Novel 20, Souer Audition to the YCML and then to Okazu. Yay Sukoshi and Rei!

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Snatches of Yuri

Watching Kaiba last night and episode six, while being much like stabbing yourself in the eye with a fork, including an interesting gender-bent love affair of a sort between Warp, currently inhabiting a girl’s body and Gel, who lives in a man’s body. The vibe (from my perspective) was that Gel was as much attracted to Warp’s body as personality. YMMV.

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Other Yuri News

Speaking of Yuri blogs, I’m please to introduce you to Heavenly Blue, the first Yuri blog I know of written by a Japanese woman. How cool, huh?

If you, or a friend read Yuri or Yaoi – especially if you are GLBT – and you have a moment or two, please help Robin Brenner with her research, by filling out this survey. She’s trying to get a bead on what the GLBT community actually thinks about Yaoi and Yuri.

Also, let me once again mention the Manga/Anime exhbit at the GLBT lending library in St. Paul Minnesota, Quatrefoil. Thanks to “Friend of Yuri” Ellen K for helping set up the exhibit. If you or a friend can, do please drop by – spread the word and visit Quatrefoil!

Lastly, we have a bunch of updates at Yuricon, including a redesigned Shop. We’ve split the Japanese and English manga into separate pages and added a new Light Novels in Japanese page. (The only Yuri LN series translated into English so far is Strawberry Panic, which you can find on the English manga page.) So far there’s only a few LNs up on the LN page, but I’ll be adding more as time goes on. Plus, new events, the 2008 Yuriko Poster Contest Winner and more!

Which brings us to the end of this week’s new report. Can’t wait to see what next week will bring!





Yuri Manga: Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl, Volume 5 (English)

May 25th, 2008

This is likely to be the last time I write about this series. Anime is over, been licensed, been reviewed. Manga has been reviewed – twice. Once in English, once in Japanese. This is the final volume. To my surprise, I’m a little saddened by that.

When I first began to read this series, I witheld my affection, sure that it would be a common harem drama with no resolution and that Hazumu would surely revert to being a boy. The “end,” I predicted, would be the beginning all over again for an unresolvable triangle.

How nice that I was so wrong about that, huh? :-)

So, we arrive at last at Kashimashi~ Girl Meets Girl, Volume 5, and find ourselves watching Hazumu struggle with the same exact conundrum she’s struggled with for the last two volumes. And getting nowhere with it. Thankfully, Fate got as tired of her lack of resolve as we did, and a *crisis* occurs which forces her hand. And there we are, reading the final chapters thinking, “Did I just read a Japanese manga with an actual *resolution?* Is it a sign of the end times? What’s going on here?” lol

Inexplicably, Kashimashi, this bland harem drama with a gender twist, actually has a resolution. Go figure. Not a bad one, either. Of course whether you liked Tomari or Yasuna more will depend on whether you actually *like* the ending, but I found it to be perfectly satisfactory.

As always, Seven Seas’ reproduction is top-notch. Adrienne Beck’s translation and Janet Houck’s adaptation deserve your attention. (As several translators have told me, no one ever notices the translation unless there’s a mistake. So take a moment to notice this translation and adaptation – there are no mistakes. Nod in appreciation for the seamless job done here.) Physically, the book looks and feels good, and of every series I have ever read, *still* is the closest thing I have seen in English to reading the Japanese original.

I truly appreciate that this book was adapted for us – the manga-reading American otaku audience, who does have a clue and doesn’t need to be condescended to. I was particularly pleased that the final line of the main story was left as intact as possible, in a way that (obnoxious arrogance ahoy) I would have translated it myself. LOL

In my review of the Japanese edition of this volume, I finished with “I think the end justified the memes.” It’s a bad pun, but a good summation of the story. This time I’ll just add that I also think that the English edition of Kashimashi is proof that a good translation/adaptation can make a middling story better. lol

Ratings:

Art – 8
Character – 8
Story – 7
Yuri – 10
Service – 5

Overall – 8

My sincerest thanks to Daniel P. for sponsoring today’s review!