Archive for the Top Yuri Lists Category


Top Ten Yuri Manga of 2011

December 25th, 2011

In stark contrast to last week’s top ten anime list, I liked doing this one…and never before have I liked doing it as much as I have this year. The ONLY downside was having to whittle this list down to ten entries (and, as you’ll see, I didn’t really.) Of course as always, you may all feel free to add your additions or subtractions in the comments. ^_^

It is with great pleasure that I present Okazu’s Top Ten Yuri Manga of 2011…

Honorable Mention) Collectors  – Nishi UKO’s delightful series about Shinobu and Takako, two women who share passion for collecting completely different, mutually exclusive, things. This is the after happily-ever-after story I’m always looking for and I just adore it. Shinobu and Takako do not have a perfect relationship, but they have a good relationship. They and their friends are very real, and people I would totally have over for lunch.

When it gets collected into a volume, it’s Number 1. Right now, it’s just disparate chapters in Rakuen Le Paradis magazine. Nonetheless, because it really is exactly everything I keep asking for, I really wanted to give it a place at the table, so I squeezed a chair in for it.

10) Tsubomi/Pure Visual Anthology Hirari/Comic Yuri Hime/MangaTime Kirara/Comic High/ IKKI/Rakuen Le Paradis  – The magazines that are bringing us this good Yuri definitely deserve recognition. Without these magazines investing in Yuri comics, we’d be back in the days of a character here and one over there and thinking that, gee, wouldn’t it be great if only there was a whole series? Well, there are whole series…there are whole *magazines* of Yuri now. And, slowly, carefully, they are coming over here. Time and market size will make the difference. It’s worth thinking about what the Yuri market will look like in ten more years (then getting back to work making that future happen!)

9) Sasamekikoto/Octave/Girl Friends – These three series are entirely different, they have nothing at all in common, except that they are really decent stories about two females in love that didn’t spend too much time pandering, and spent alot of time inside the heads of women figuring it all out, with support from friends, but not from society. When I’m old, these kinds of stories will seem bizarre (what was the big deal?! kids will say,) but right now…they are critical. And they were all, in their own way, good stories.

8) Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi – I cannot express how glad I was for this story. It ran in the queen of shoujo magazines, Nakayoshi. And it ended with the girl getting the girl! Blue Friend was fine, but Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi was the perfect Yuri entry, with all of the most enduring and popular Yuri tropes.

I hope it inspires a lot of young women to create more Yuri. More specifically, I hope that one of the young women who read this series becomes the next Konno Oyuki.

7) Cardcaptor Sakura – This is not hardly a Yuri story, but it is a Yuri classic. Without Tomoyo, none of you would have had a Tamao. And heck, it got my nephew reading shoujo manga, so it goes on the list! It’s still a little bizarre that Dark Horse is the one rebooting this series, but good on them to bring it back. I’d forgotten how much fun it was, and I’m thrilled to read it all over again. Oh…and…Sonomi. Just sayin’.

6) Renai Joshika – Morishima Akiko continues to slide the bar slowly, steadily towards sensible discussions of relationships between women, all with moe art and hideous amounts of adorableness. Her work is the best of both worlds, something for every Yuri fan, femme or butch, man or woman, moe fan or not. Although I will never care about wedding dresses for myself, I love the unrepentant girlyness of this series. I forgot to mention this in my review of Volume 2, but inside the dust cover, Morishima-sensei wrote “I am happy to draw a Yuri series about adult women.” I am also happy that she drew one.  ^_^

 

5) Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan – There are no lesbians in this series, but there are women who are, magically, mystically “together.” Together for 50 years, by your side, they say, without actually saying they like one another or want to kiss or anything, but you know…I don’t care. Spending time at the Amber Teahouse is a gentle, calming experience, like a cup of Blue Sapphire Ceylon tea from Betty’s. Delicate, sweet, and gentle, this series lingers pleasantly on the palate and leaves a delightful memory behind. (I’m not being facetious here, either, this tea is exactly like this. If I could send Fujieda-sensei a message, I would send him this tea and say “Your story tastes like this.”) Both tea and story are perfect way to warm up on a cold day.

 

4) Fu~Fu – It’s true that there are no lesbians here, either, but there are couples that are long-term, living together. There are a wife and her wife. They do every day things, like eat together, shop together, spend days and nights together. Above all things, they love each other, and I gotta tell you, there is NOTHING more important to me in a Yuri series that that. For hours on end of domestic bliss, and a sense that someone out there “gets” the whole women in love thing, and isn’t afraid to tell the Yuri Danshi out there about it,  this series makes number four for this year. On any other year, it might well have been number one. In years past it might have been  my screamingly over-the-top zOMG! I can’t believe that this exists manga. It’s a testimony to how far we’ve come that this *only* makes Number 4 this year.

We’ve reached my top 3 Yuri manga for 2011. Looking back at the list, there are even more Yuri stories about adult women than ever before. I’m, as we say, kvelling. But what makes the top three so special is something we have never, ever had before on this list.  All of my top three manga have…lesbians.

 

3) GUNJO – This may seem like the series is slipping a bit in my esteem, but I assure you, it is not. GUNJO is not the third best thing I’ve read this year, it is the very best thing I have ever read. I dread it, I fear it, I am addicted to it. There are two chapters left; I cannot wait to know what will happen, but I don’t want it to end.

This series has a character who is a lesbian. She was in a lovely, supportive, long-term relationship, with a woman who wanted to marry her and live together until death do them part. She walked away from that, and then death parted them and she has no idea what awaits her, death, life, retribution, punishment. Whatever it is, the blonde is still a lesbian, and during the course of the story, she has discussions with her brother and his wife, and the brunette about just what that means to her – and to us.

 

2) Aoi Hana – Yes, Fumi is “that way.” What that might mean to her is as yet unknown. She’s young, with her whole life ahead of her. It’s hard to imagine that she and Akira are likely to be together five years, ten years, twenty years from now. But that’s not important to Fumi right now. Right now, she’s in love. With her best friend. And she knows this about herself, that she is gay and her love includes physical intimacy.

This story is not only beautifully drawn and beautifully told, but I completely believe that there is a 15 year old kid out there hanging on to this story, telling herself it’s okay. For that, for that kid, I love this story with all my heart. Because it is okay, and one day, that kid is going to change the world. so everyone else knows it’s okay too.

For once I can, with 100% assurance say…you never saw this coming….

 

1) Omoi no Kakera/Kila Kila/Seasons – In 2011, Takemiya Jin-sensei kicked all your asses and you never even noticed.

In all three of her volumes released this year, at least one of the characters was an out lesbian. In all three of her volumes, she used *gay words.* Not just “lesbian” but things like “tachi” and “neko” and even slangier versions of slang like “bari” (a reversed form of “riba,” which means reverse, a lesbian that switches neko/tachi roles.)

She talked about the fact that what women (or men, for that matter) do in bed has only some bearing in “being gay.” And she created Mika, a confident, likable, out high school student, who likes older women.

In her work, Takemiya-sensei is not afraid to confront stereotypes or tropes. Her work tends to stay in school settings, but within that oh-so-typical setting, she gets a lot of miles out of human relationships.

She mentioned lesbian sex and love hotels and emotional connections, and what it means to be gay or lesbian and, no seriously, what does that mean? I have loved her work for years and years and this year, if I could hug her, I would. My number one manga for the year 2011 are all Takemiya Jin creations.

I very much hope to read more and more of her work in the days to come.

And there you have it folks, my Top Ten Yuri Manga for 2011. I gotta tell you something, this was my favorite list to write, ever. I almost want to lay these books down and roll on them they all make me so damn happy.

One last list to go and it promises to be a low content, rabid pile of fangirlish squeeing. ^_^

 





Top (?) Ten Yuri Anime of 2011

December 18th, 2011

I hate doing this list. Have I ever mentioned that? Yuri and anime don’t mix well too often. The best Yuri manga will never, ever become anime and the anime that is popular that includes Yuri is so…blecch…most of the time.

This year I give up. This isn’t a top 10 list, it’s 10 series of interest – for one reason or another – to the Okazu audience list. I’m not even saying they are Yuri series. It’s just things that some Yuri fans might care about, or not.

As always, feel free to tell me how wrong I am in the comments, you always do. (^_^)b

10. Koi Hime Musou – This is on the list to round it out to 10 and because there is a smidgen of Yuri in it. It sucked in every other way.

9. Sound of the Sky Yeah, there’s pretty much no Yuri here that we didn’t make up in our heads. So sue me. Moe fans liked it, wrote and drew lots of pictures and stories that paired characters up and it made them happy. So shut up with your sensible objections.

8. K-ON! Same as with Sound of the Sky, the Yuri here is entirely in ours and Mugi’s head. But it’s a sincerely adorable story and if it makes people happy to see Ritsu and Mio as a couple, who am I to stop them?

7. Fate/Zero No Yuri here either, but I DO NOT CARE. Saber was made to look extra butchy cool and be all knightly at Irisviel. This is my kind of service. There is no other reason I even bothered watching this, so it works for me. The animation for this series is super swell, if that kind of thing is important to you.

6. Digimon Tamers – On Hulu! I was so inordinately happy to see Ruki again, I creeped myself out a bit. Seriously, if you haven’t seen this, watch it. It’s really quite excellent. Good story, great characters and Ruki’s got to be one of the best babydykes in all anime.

5. Wandering Son – This story isn’t Yuri, it isn’t lesbian, but of definite interest to anyone interested in LGBTQ stories which, I’m pretty sure I can say the Okazu audience is. This series probably wins on storytelling for the year, overall. It was overlooked by way too many anime fans both in Japan and the west, but it was a genuine masterpiece about gender and sex and sexuality.

4. Yuru Yuri – I can’t really like it, I don’t get why anyone likes it, but sales tell me I’m wrong, wrong, wrong. Yuru Yuri is the first “Yuri” anime made as such, and I’m very glad for Ichijinsha that it’s so popular. I just wish it was good.

As always, when we come to the top three, I don’t expect anyone to be surprised.

Here are what I consider to be the Top Three Yuri Anime of 2011.

3. Revolutionary Girl Utena – Juri was, for many Yuri fans, their first “Yuri” character. Her one-sided relationship with Shiori colored a whole generation of Yuri fans’ perceptions. And for so many people who watched the series, Utena and Anthy’s relationship, as complex as it was, was wonderful and remarkable. And then they drove off into a blue sky kissing, naked and seriously, it changed a lot of things in anime.  Thanks to Nozomi/RightStuf we can experience the whole thing again and it’s just as wonderful and remarkable this time around.  For a purely compelling narrative, I consider this series to be a masterwork.

2. Mawaru Penguindrum – While not technically *better* than Utena, Mawaru Penguindrum is new, is just as compelling and is wholly, uniquely Ikuhara. The fact that ten years after Utena changed everything, Ikuhara is back, doing it again and being just as compelling, means we really need to pay attention to this guy. he’s no fluke. He’s not afraid to consciously embrace Yuri tropes like predatory lesbians, Takarazuka, Rose of Versailles and then stand them on their heads in a way that actually makes the series more interesting, not less. I’m very much hoping that someone will license this, because everyone who likes anime should watch it – it’s really made for anime fans. Much like my number one choice for the year.

(This series has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks for 2012, so look for pre-order info in our Yuri Network News posts.)

And here we go….the number 1 Yuri Anime for 2011 is…

1. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica – This series also took well-known tropes and turned them inside out. We all know magical girls, but we don’t know anything about magical girls, this series says flat out to us. I’m very interested to see how it does in sales here in the west. If you haven’t already put this on your 2012 to-buy list, let me suggest you do.  With insanely popular moe design, with a return to really good storytelling (something way too many anime avoid) this series carried itself consistently all the way through a story that was visually interesting, well-written and made sense.

This series is licensed and released by Aniplex in English in 2012.

I don’t think there’s any question that the number one Yuri Anime of 2011 was Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.





Great (Retro) Anime/Manga Gift Guide 2011 (English)

November 25th, 2011

I’m staring at my pile of to-watch and to-read anime and manga and I can’t but help notice that there are a lot of familiar titles among the mix. And, as it’s that time of year again, at which Americans decide what matching pen and pencil set to get their relatives, and otaku Americans decide what anime or manga they should buy to indoctrinate their younger family members, I had a thought.

This year, I’m specifically suggesting anime and manga that were awesome and wonderful a decade or more ago and are just as wonderful, now that they are available again. These will all make perfect family watching/reading to brainwash educate your young family members in the ways of anime and manga fandom. And, possibly create a new Okazu reader or two. ^_^

Princess Knight – This is as close to a kernel as we have in America for the concept of “shoujo manga.” And, not at all coincidentally, Sapphire is the inspiration for many of our favorite cross-dressing, sword-wielding heroines, Lady Oscar, Tenou Haruka and Tenjou Utena among them.

This manga makes a great starting point for discussion of gender roles, societal expectations, Disney as a role-model for manga and anime, and the history of manga. It also makes a terrific end point, after you’ve handed your youth of choice some of the other items on this list and they are intrigued as to where this kid of thing all started. History lessons disguised as entertainment…what will nefarious adults think of next?

Magic Knight Rayearth manga. This fetching all-in-one edition of CLAMP’s sword-and-sorcery classic manga is…really nice. Color pictures make the volume an attractive collector’s item, especially for those people who missed this the first time around. The story is, perhaps, “basic,” but as a result it makes a fantastic entree’ into role-playing, strong female characters, chicks with swords, teamwork/friendship-focused stories and other touchpoints that mean a lot to readers of Okazu. Let me be blunt, this would have been my favorite series ever at 8 years old.  Give this to the girl prince in your family, or the gamer kid and see what they make of it. I bet they love it. Then, when you’ve got them good and interested, invite them over for a marathon watching of….

Magic Knight Rayearth remastered Anime. Media Blasters did a really, really nice job.

Yes, the anime itself seems kind of kiddy-anime. That’s because it was. It was still pretty classic sword-and-sorcery stuff. Evolving armor, magic, weapons, a little light politics and romance, magical creatures, even giant robots. This is your chance to have heart-to-heart with your young relative about love and hate and violence and friendship and how many different ways humans make bad decisions.

And the remastered animation really looks good.

When you watch  Season 2, you can advance the discussions of politics a bit.

Also, I recommend start using the word “delusion” in discussion about the way we as adults, especially, talk about our world. Let them know that it’s not their imagination. ^_^

Or you can do none of that, and just enjoy the colorful animation in fine CLAMP style (personally, I always like their swirly bits,) and the D&D-ish world with Japanese influence.

About this time, you should introduce them to Code Name: Sailor V.

Bearing in mind that this may be the very girliest of all the girly things on this list, it’s still adorable and important.

Minako is not an “average girl” in the way that most magical girls are presented. She’s very athletic, she’s not too sharp and her life is centered around the kinds of things an actual 13-year old might care about – boys, pop idols, having fun with friends, playing games, reading about stuff that she’s not yet buying, but would one day like to.

As bizarre as that might seem, at 13 most girls actually do want to be more grown up, more active in their own lives, and they kind of have to wait a few years before they are allowed to be. Minako provides us a glimpse into a really typical teen girl id – fun, friends, fashion, yummy food, and an overwhelming, if somewhat limited, sense of justice. Sailor V is solid fun, with some weirdly non-moral of the story wrap-ups. The second volume of Sailor V gets a little deep and very superficial at the same time. Some of those chapters are perfect openings for discussion of body image, among other things.

Of course once your young family member has read this, hit them with the big guns….

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is not a classic by accident. This series combined elements of classic “girls” stories with elements of the most popular “boys” stories to a create a whole that resonates with readers even now. It’s not accidental that Sailor Moon was made into an anime, where Sailor V was not. The themes of friendship, teamwork, strength in numbers is one of the binding ideas of this series, just as it is in One Piece.

The supporting characters are exactly what makes this series so powerful. With such a large ensemble, each targeted to a personality archetype, there was someone for everyone to like in Sailor Moon. As the older characters are added in, it’s likely to be read by more family members than just the kid you’re giving it to.

Now that your target kid is thoroughly hooked, hand them Volume 1of the Card Captor Sakura Omnibus. I originally gave these to my 14-year old niece, but she’s in a more Doctor Who phase right now. However, my 17-year old nephew ended up liking this series enough to keep reading.

I can’t say enough about this series. There’s so *much* here. Sakura is strong, in a complete girly, down-to-earth way. You can imagine having her over for lunch and really enjoying her company. (And Tomoyo’s, because of course she’d come, too.) There’s just enough sexual politics, elementary grade version, in this book to intrigue and bewilder anyone of any age. The art is some of CLAMP’s absolute best. I consider this series to be their peak work.  For those of you with kids in your life you think are even the slightest bit bent, this series is a must-read for them.

Volume 2  continues with even more great freaky magic, and more deeply intense relationships that you just don’t normally see, all within an adventure that’s perfectly child-friendly. I’m reminded over and over why this series was so damn popular when it came out. Because it’s *excellent* on every level.

Every new character that it introduces is delightful to know, even (and often especially) when they disturb you just ever so slightly. ^_^ This series also genuinely has the best magical creatures I’ve ever seen in any fantasy series.

(As an aside, my number one and two wishes for 2012 are that the Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura anime are relicensed and re-released by a company that cares about quality. Number three and four would to complete the body of literary precedents with the licensing of Rose of Versailles, anime and manga.)

Which brings us to the final suggestion I have for this year’s Gift Guide. In this case, it’s the manga that remains out of print, and the anime which has been re-issued.

Revolutionary Girl Utena could not have been without all the previous series. It took so many of the elements established in earlier series and combined them in unique, powerful ways.

Because of the non-linear story, the surreal art, and some of the themes, it makes a great benchmark to the inside of your family member’s brains.

This 10th anniversary edition looks good, has great extras, and has stood up well against the last decade of animation. The music is still a magical cookbook of awesome.

I must comment on  the tremendous overlap of voice actors in the anime for Utena, Sailor Moon, Card Captor Sakura. I consider these people masters of their craft for very very good reasons.

In any case, when you are considering your family members and you think you’ve got one that could become an Okazu reader in the future, stick these under their tree and see what happens. ^_^





Top Ten Yuri of 2010

December 26th, 2010

My Top Ten Yuri of 2010 is always an odd list. I don’t hesitate to include people, series, companies and random things that look shiny. But there is a reason for this. Unlike the  Top Ten Manga and the Top Ten Anime Lists, this list is a look back at the year as a whole. Not just the *whats* that stood out, but the *who* and where. So, here we go, here’s my List of Top Shiny Yuri Things of 2010!

10) The editors and publishers of Yuri Hime, Comic High, Tsubomi, Mangatime Kirara (and all of its derivative titles), Nakayoshi, Ciao, Ribon, IKKI, Rakuen Le Paradise, Afternoon, Feel Young, and all the many other magazines that dared run Yuri stories.

I know how unglamorous being an editor is. The artists get all the chicks, but the editors labor to make sure that that manuscript makes sense, looks good and gets in on time. And publishers…well no one cares about them, except for when it’s time to write a check. But. Look at the list – it’s long. It’s not one magazine, or a handful- there’s a line of editors and publishers who are giving decent creators a chance to tell decent stories. And I thank them from the bottom of my heart for that. With Bill 156 looming, the days ahead may be a bit darker for these magazines and these editors, so let’s show them that we noticed – and that they are appreciated.

9) Maria-sama ga Miteru Live-Action Movie

There’s always a risk in taking a beloved manga or anime story and bringing it to live action. Will real people hold up to the ideal in our heads? Well, even going into this with really high ideals, I totally think this movie held up. The characters were charming, and we really, really wanted Yumi and Sachiko to get together. I’ll be buying this as soon as it comes out on DVD to relive the squeaky floors and one boom mic production of a story I’ve come to love. The fact that I got to experience this in the theater in Japan with my dear friends Bruce and Komatsu-san, and that I got to hang with my Commanding Officer Ana, Rica and Takami (AND meet new friends) was by far and away the capping moment of my year. So, of course this movie makes my Top Ten list!

8) Shoujo Magazine Yuri

I’m still a bit gobsmacked about this. ALL three of the  top-selling shoujo magazines. All of them running Yuri series, and in two cases, overtly Yuri. Ribon magazine went so far as to label the story Yuri on the obi, so you couldn’t get the wrong idea.

This is so remarkable a thing, it just had to make my Top Ten list for the Year….

7) Twitter

I quite seriously thought about making this my top entry for the year. My time spent on Twitter has been indescribably awesome. I’m able to talk with people around the world – including folks in the manga and anime industries on both sides of the ocean. I’ve made great friends, have great conversations and it is mostly due to Twitter that the next entry is on this list. ^_^ Being able to follow Yuri Mangaka has taught me a lot about them, their work and their daily life. Being able to talk *with* them is priceless. There’s no doubt in my mind that my life in Yuri has been significantly improved by this particular networking platform.

6) Heartcatch PreCure

This series has recaptured all the qualities I want in magical girl anime – the color-coded clothing choices, the goofy personalities, the over-the-top bad guys, the twenty-minute attacks…and the Yuri we make up in our heads that is nonetheless “obvious.” ^_^ For Tsubomi’s crush on Itsuki and even more for Dark and Yuri’s sizzling across-the-field glare, and even *more* because watching the Yuri mangaka talk about this series on Twitter every weekend is hilarious, Heartcatch makes it easily onto this year’s list.

5) Doujinshi Artists Gone Pro

I’ve mentioned this about, oh a zillion times, but let me say it again – 2010 is the year that all of the doujinshi artists I liked best made the pros. There are two more doujinshi artists I’d really like to see get there, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed. From Jesus Drug, Raku-gun and Girlish to Circles UKOZ and Sakuraike, magazines and anthologies I get now include many of the artists I’ve followed and collected for years. Here’s looking to 2011 and seeing even more artists I think are doing work that pushes the boundaries of what “Yuri” is and what makes for great reading, going Pro.

4) Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan

This story was a late addition to the list. Late as in, “I only read the most recent chapter from the new Yuri Hime volume last night.” ^_^ But what I read made up my mind for me. Sarasa and Seriho have been dancing around one another and until this moment we weren’t *really* sure what Seriho’s feeling were. Now we know. And now, this delightful story in which nothing happens, while we sit and sip our tea, makes it on to my number 4 spot for the year.

Take a deep breath….here we go for my Top 3 Yuri anythings of the year! If you’ve been paying attention, they probably won’t come as much of a surprise. (Are they ever?)

3) Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi

I’ve talked about this series a lot in the last few months. It’s melodramatic and overwrought. Not sexual at all, but focusing strictly on the romantic, this story nonetheless makes it a little warm in the room. I’ve called it the child of Strawberry Panic! and Maria-sama ga Miteru, with Aunts Himitsu no Hanazono and Takarazuka, this series is pretty much the primer for “Yuri” for the next generation. I adore it, because it’s everything all at once, but played with delicacy. Where SP stole accessories from its older sisters’ closets and flagrantly paraded them around, this series asks nicely to borrow a piece or two to make her look a little more grown up. This series is something I follow monthly, which is a good indication that I consider it one of the best Yuri series of the year.

2) Gunjo

Another series I follow monthly, Gunjo is something that borrows nothing from anyone, but forges its own path, sometimes carving its way by hand, clawing and fighting. There is no room in this story for romance, but the desire to survive and yes, love, fills every page. This story is filled with darkness, made darker by the brief moments of light, but I consider each and every chapter to be a profound reading experience.

Expect to hear about this series for at least one more year. My number 2 series of the year is Gunjo.

1) Fu~Fu

As with Gunjo last year, the only reason this manga did not make it onto the Yuri Manga List is because it is not yet collected. Another go-to series for me, as soon as the magazine arrives at the store, this sweet tale of two women who consider themselves married, warms my heart every time. It’s silly, it’s sweet, it’s like a drop of hand-whipped cream on a delicious Yuri torte. For teaching lessons about lesbian couples to an audience that doesn’t much care, in the most charming of all possible ways, and for speaking for real women in a way that is 100% real, Minamoto Hisanari’s Fu~Fu is my #1 Yuri for 2010.

Before we finish up this list, I want to say thank you to all of you you. You, the readers of Okazu are, without a doubt the absolutely best audience anyone could ever ask for. I appreciate your corrections, your opinions, your absolutely hilarious contributions to my ridiculous contests, your praise, your criticism, your thoughts and your support over the years. And this year, particularly, your generosity has been…overwhelming.

*You* are truly my top Yuri anything of 2010.

Thank you.





Top Ten Yuri Manga of 2010

December 19th, 2010

As always, writing this list is a struggle. Am I telling you the 10 I liked the most? Including lesser titles because I know you can get a copy? Am I merging English and Japanese titles to fill spaces, or separating them so I can include more?

There was a nice pile of manga on my possibles list when all was said and done, so I am going to separate out the English titles, otherwise they’d never appear on the list at all. Which means you’re getting a Top 5 in each language.

Let me remind you, as I always do, that these lists are *in my opinion* and therefore may not be your opinion. You are most welcome to add items you feel were noteworthy in the comments. Without further ado, here are my Top Yuri Manga Lists for 2010

Top Five Yuri Manga in English

10) Jormungand – Right, the Yuri is barely there, but what there is is openly portrayed for the one-sided (but not rejected or mocked) crush it is. Otherwise, it’s a ridiculous story full of guns and chases and people dying – i.e, a good action story.

9) K-ON! – One of the abiding qualities of anime and manga fandom is the insistence on seeing relationships where there are none. Mugi does that for you, so you don’t have to. Oh and by the way, the series is a delightful slice-of-life comic strip with charming characters.

8) Azumanga Daioh Omnibus – Azumanga Daioh was the first 4-koma style story to make it big over here, very likely because the anime hit first. It set the bar for those following it and when Yen put out a new edition, they brought us back to that magical moment when we discovered the Japanese comic strip. For letting us relive that, and reminding us what we’re looking for, the new edition gets #3 on this list.

7) Hayate x Blade – I’m not done talking about this series, even though this may or may not be it for us in English. (I don’t know Seven Seas’ plans any more than you do, so don’t ask.) For getting as far as Hitsugi and Shizuku being awesome in battle (background music and all) and giving us the slightest taste of Sid and Nancy, as well as all the wonderful shinyuu pairs and their Yuri-ish sensibility, Hayate x Blade is forever in my Top Two.

6) Gunsmith Cats Burst – The final moment of this series came with exactly the right note of melancholy, hope, sex and danger. Surrounded by car chases, gun fights, explosions and drugs, Rally Vincent conceded the one thing she could never truly keep to Goldie. And the story bowed out with a recognition of all that we had ever thought was true. In English, in the year 2010, this is my Top Yuri Manga.

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Top Five Yuri Manga in Japanese

5) Ohana Holo Holo – This story was an unexpected find. It’s not a “Yuri story,” but this tale of an alternative family far surpasses the confines of any category. A past love shapes a current relationship and there’s some sense that that love may not yet be dead. However, that’s not the point of the story. The point is that the family we make is as strong as any family we are born into. This is an excellent manga and I look forward to more.

4) Octave/GIRL FRIENDS/Aoi Hana/Renai Joshika/Sasamekikoto – These series are all, in their own way, creating a revolution. Dramatic, funny, sexy, cute, every one of these books did something special – they looked at love between women not as a fetish, but as a relationship. These books took us step by step through the process of feeling scared, ecstatic, alone, fulfilled, all the many and various ways that we can feel when we find ourselves attracted to another woman. These stories capture everything from first love to old loves rekindled in an refreshingly honest, no-punches-pulled way. This is the revolution we’ve been waiting for. Here it is. Girls loving girls, women loving women, portrayed with honesty and depth by artists who care to tell a story, not just frame a sex scene.

(Yes, yes, this is a cheat, by making this a 5-way tie, but it’s because the stories themselves take back seat to the intent here. I can sleep at night with this, so don’t complain. ^_^)

3) Rakuen Le Paradis – By far and away, my favorite of the quarterly anthologies I’m reading right now. Artists I like, telling stories I like, with a decidedly “talking to the adults in the room” flavor. This is not for the kiddies, and moe fans will be turned right off by most of what’s here. This is the magazine I’ve been waiting for for years. If I could give Yuri Hime one piece of advice, I suggest it use Rakuen as a role-model, so it grows up into a beautiful, poised woman.

I almost fudged this again and went for a tie. But no, I’m going to force myself to make a decision. It could have easily gone the other way. But here we go. My top two series of the year are:

2) Gunjo – There’s just about nothing left I can say about this series that I haven’t already said. Nakamura Ching-sensei is one of my heroes. She tells this remarkable story with her whole heart and soul and every single chapter I am flattened by it. Volume 1 is one of my prize possessions. Brutal, dark, touching, sublime…this series is still the most amazing thing I have ever read and I still have no idea where she’s going with it. Like I said, this easily could have been Number 1 this year. Gunjo is a masterwork.

1) Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi – The sole reason this series made number 1 is because it led the pack in bringing Yuri back to shoujo manga. Yuri in seinen has never been a surprise, and in shounen has been used as a plot complication for many years, and it’s resurgence in josei has been on the rise for the past few years…the one place it was missing was shoujo. Shoujo Yuri is what got me into the genre and this series, this child of Maria-sama ga Miteru and Strawberry Panic!, has led the genre back full-circle. The series is utterly melodramatic, romantic, creepy, sexy – a perfect Yuri soap opera. Because I’m apparently a sap for Yuri in shoujo manga, Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi makes my #1 spot for the year.

What was your top ten for 2010? I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments!