Archive for the Revolutionary Girl Utena Category


Press Release: Nozomi/RightStuf Announces the 1st Revolutionary Girl Utena Box Set

March 14th, 2011


Got a press release that should be of interest in my email box this AM:

Nozomi/Right Stuf Announces the REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA: The Student Council Saga DVD Set Limited Edition. First remastered, premium set available on June 7, 2011.

This first of three, limited-edition DVD box sets will feature remastered video and a newly created Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese audio track from the recent Japanese DVD release, as well as Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo for English and Japanese audio, plus English-language subtitles and on-screen translations. On-disc extras will include the clean opening and closing, both a live-action video and TV spot for the opening single, and TV commercials for the Japanese release. Additionally, the set will be housed in a collectors’ art box and also include a book with content from the limited-edition Japanese release with episode commentary, discussions about the series’ updated audio, video, and opening and closing sequences, and the first installment of production notes from the Japanese laser disc release. Only a limited quantity of this premium set will be produced.

DVD Features:
Scene access, remastered video from the recent Japanese DVD re-release, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo audio for English and Japanese dialogue, new Dolby 5.1 audio for Japanese dialogue, English subtitles and English on-screen translations. PLUS: Clean opening, clean closing, live-action video for opening single, TV spot for opening single, and TV spots for the Japanese remastered DVD release. AND: A book featuring content from the recent, limited-edition Japanese DVD box set, including episode commentary, a discussion of the updated audio and video, discussions about the series’ opening and closing sequences, and production notes from the Japanese laser disc release (part 1).

To pre-order, visit http://utena.rightstuf.com/.

Furthermore, Cryssoberyl says: Let me add that the audio has also been remastered and sounds fantastic….The quality of the later sets was somewhat improved, but nothing that can compare with the new remastered version. …the difference in quality is every bit as dramatic as they make it look. However, it’s not simply a matter of improved color, clarity and encoding. In conclusion, the amount of loving effort that has been gone to, both by the Japanese creators to polish the show and by Nozomi in their protracted efforts to bring it to us, is unprecedented. I’m not sure there is any other show that has ever received such a luxurious re-release. At $49, this set is a steal. At $29, it is plain thievery. (This is extracted from the comments field, so check there for some links and the full comment!)





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!





Yuri Network News – August 8, 2009

August 8th, 2009

It’s a lazy summer day, let’s start off with news for the lazy!

Yuri Anime

The Anime Network has announced that in celebration of National Lazy Day on August 10, they are offering all of its online content, including “premium” content, for free. There a number of Yuri offerings in their catalog – they are an ADV company after all.

YNN Chief correspondent Sean G also wants to add that ADV has added Revolutionary Girl Utena to their Anime Network Cable VOD, Satellite VOD
Also from Sean “per Right Stuf’s site, a My-Otome Complete Collection box is out 10/20 as part of the ‘Anime Legends’ series. Run time seems to suggest this is just the TV series, not including the OAVs.”

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Snatches of Yuri

You probably dont even remember this manga, but almost exactly a year ago, I reviewed a title called Kaprekar, about two girls who are so close that when they kiss they become a magical being and defeat the bad guys. It’s up to Volume 3 now. The girls really love one another. They kiss and defeat magical beings. And they are still in debt. The end.

For those of you who just can’t get enough of that good ole’ not quite ambiguous Yuri in Light Novel form here’s another series for you – Otome Unmei Ayameno, which appears to be about school girls. No, really.

Don’t think the moe crowd is being forgotten yet. Your love of toddler-esque art is still the meme du jour. Enjoy yourself with >Sekai Seifuku Kirara Jogakukan, a series about Yuri among schoolgirls…etc, etc.

Another Ryuu magazine comic series (Ryuu is right up there with Mangatime KR for having loads of Yuri or Yuri-ish stories) Hinagiku Junshin Jogakuen is more of the same but different. It’s also getting a *lot* of play on the Yuri blogs, so I’m guessing it might be closer to having some actual relationship.

If I’m reading this right, Deragui is about a high school girl who falls for a girl who likes to eat a lot.

As an aside, some years ago I stopped reading mysteries when I noticed that all the detectives now needed a “hook.” This one was “ex-cop with a dark past” and that one was a “cookbook writer who just falls into trouble” and I gave it all up as a bad job. Yuri is sort of heading in that direction now. There’s *so* many schoolgirl Yuri stories that it’s in that “vampire schoolgirl Yuri” and “girls with names that are colors Yuri” phase. :-)

Just to change the pace, Fura Furu, while the series seems to be about girls, not women, does not appear to be a typical Yuri schoolgirl story. In fact, it looks kind of intriguing. The first volume appears to be hard to find, so I’m linking to the second volume, which is available. It’s a Mangtime CR 4-koma, so you know basically what it’ll be like.

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That seems like enough for today. The sun is shining, the air is clear, I don’t want to spend all morning writing this report. :-)

Remember, send in a news item to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com and become a YNN correspondent. We couldn’t do it without you!





Yuri News This Week – July 11, 2009

July 11th, 2009

I was in NYC last night at “Passion Fruits,” the Lesbian art show that is running as part of the Fresh Fuits Festival this month. Rica Takashima has some pieces in the show. It was a really, honestly an amazing opening, and tomorrow I’ll be posting some pictures I took of people with her art.

In the meantime, here’s this week’s Yuri news!

Yuri Anime

It’s an anime kinda week this week!

First of all, as I announced yesterday, Afterellen.com will be streaming the Aoi Hana anime series, which is really amazing – and will get Yuri in front of a lot of people who never heard of it, but need to see it! There’s a lot of positive response for the first episode, so hopefully it’ll be a successful venture for all.

Anime Network has announced that Revolutionary Girl Utena will be shown on their online channel. Since ADV rescued some of the CPM properties, this make loads of sense – and it’s nice to know that this classic anime won’t disappear entirely from the world.

Katherine is pleased to shout out that the voice actresses for Sasamekikoto have been announced. Like Aoi Hana they seem to be favoring new voices.

Crunchyroll is really hotting up the Yuri pot with new anime Kanamemo, a series based on a Mangatime Kirara 4-panel comic. There are two characters that are said to be a “Yuri couple.” I will withhold a final decision until I actually see it. ;-)

And another new anime of interest, Canaan has just started in Japan – it has a Yuri-ish air about it, and is about two women with guns. Noir fans take note!

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Snatches of Yuri

Nekomimi Days is getting tons of press on the Japanese blogs. It is about moe school girls with cat ears, so it will appeal to people who are completely unlike me. I should warn you that it is from Gum Comics, which means it isn’t as innocent as you want to pretend it is.

Yuyu Shiki is exactly what it looks like – another “cho-kawai” 4-koma from Mangatime Kirara. The connecting theme this time is that all three have name that begin with “Yu.”

And Arisu no O-chakai takes featureless moe faces one step further into “circles with eyes” territory. It tells the story of 3 girls who are members of the “Chado” club – the tea ceremony club.

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And there you have it, guns, 4-koma, moe, schoolgirls and sword duels. Sounds like Yuri to me. :-)





This Week in Yuri – May 24, 2008

May 24th, 2008

Yuri Anime

I spoke to Right Stuff this week, about Maria-sama ga Miteru and the second subtitle track. They basically said that they know that the audience for Marimite is pre-existing, with high expectations, and not off-the-street 12-year olds in Best Buy. They told me that they actually got emails that said that if they left out the honorifics, that the writer would not be buying it, which didn’t surprise me in the least. It was refreshing to speak to a company that gets fandom, really. The media rep assured me that they really want to do the best possible job for the fans, and I believe her. After our conversation, I’m completely convinced that they *get* it.

The other thing I asked, which I was fairly certain I would not get an answer for was – how are sales going? I knew they wouldn’t tell me numbers, but was it 100 units or 1000? This is what I got in reply – “We were very, very, *very* pleased with sales.” Like myself, many folks ran out and bought all three season sets. :-) But that third “very” was encouraging.

If you haven’t ordered yet, here is the link for Season 1 pre-order on Amazon. :-) (Available, like so much great Yuri anime, through the Yuricon Shop!)

I was also told that they’ve got some cool things planned for the series and to keep my ears to the ground. Previously, I had suggested to Pizza Hut that they run a campaign here (I’m sure you can imagine the confusion and bewilderment with which that suggestion was met…) but seriously, how much fun – and how bizarre! – would that be here in the US? lol I wrote a fanfic about the Pizza Hut campaign, a while back, after a comment I made on the last “Now This is Only My Opinion.” I put it up on “Worldshaking” Fanfic for you to enjoy. (Oh, oh – but here’s the funny thing! I saw a picture of Yumi, Yoshino and Shimako eating pizza in an official ad, and you know, I was *very* close in my fic. lol)

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Yuri Manga

Yuri fan flojistik informs us that Maka-Maka is now available in French through Amazon.Fr! I know a lot of people would like to see it in English – I also know that there’s a company working on it, so just be patient, ‘kay? :-) In the mean time, French readers can enjoy ther own edition of this adult Yuri manga. If someone gets it, please write in and let us know how it is!

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Okazu News

Thanks to my loyal readers for wondering about that Yuri Wishlist being unpopulated for so long. The balance finally shifted in my piles on the table here and I’ve repopulated it, if you care to sponsor reviews once again. I’m going to do my utmost to review every day this coming week, and get that “to-review” pile halved.

Also, since Amazon is *still* not carrying Mai Otome 4, if someone wants to volunteer to get me that from another source, I’m going to accept graciously. Just email me first, because I don’t want to get 4 copies.

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Other Yuri Interest

It’s not a very active group, but I’ve created an IRC channel to talk in detail about all things Marimite – #marimite_spoilers@rizon.net. This is a spoiler chan for the novels, anime and manga, and we do talk about fine points of what’s going on with MASSIVE spoilers. So if you don’t want to know what happens, don’t join. lol If you want to talk about inexplicable Shimako things, and fine points of Yoshino references, this is the place for you!

And for something completely different, through Mangablog, whch got the link through When Fangirls Attack, here is an essay by Kristin McCauliff about gender roles in Revolutionary Girl Utena. It’s feminist, but not lesbian, but still totally relevant to our interests. :-)

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That’s it for this week. As always, if you have Yuri news you want to share, or any new or obscure series in which you feel there’s a little Yuri you’d like people to know about, feel free to email me with the Subject line “Yuri News” (so my idiotic spam filter doen’t lose it) and I’ll tell the world!! :-)