Archive for the Yuri Anime Category


Yuri Anime: Sakura Trick (English) Guest review by Jocilyn W.

January 12th, 2014

sakura trickAsk and you shall receive. Yesterday I admitted that I would not be reviewing the Sakura Trick anime, as I declined the role of excessively creepy thigh-starer the audience was cast in.  Luckily for all of us, there are many people who watched Sakura Trick who are not me! Today we welcome back Jocilyn W., to Okazu. I cannot thank you enough Jocilyn – take it away!

Following in the proud Yuricon tradition of “Story A, bordering on PWP,” the Sakura Trick anime delights in being cute, colorful and… feisty?

Originally published in the MangaTime Kirara Miracle! (Houbunsha) as 4-koma, Tachi’s Sakura Trick manga, having already achieved decent marks on Okazu a month or so ago, has been faithfully reproduced in a vibrant pastel 1080p animation by S.tudio DEEN for the Winter 2014 anime season. Thanks to a last minute addition by Crunchyroll, the anime has already legitimately been shown in the West, though it’s so far met with a mediocre regard on various anime blogs.

Our protagonist, Takayama Haruka is a lively and fun soda bottle of raging teenage hormones. Opening as it does on a tumultuous first day of high school, the oft-pined for object of Haruka’s craving (desire may not be strong enough of a word) is revealed to be none other than her bestfriend Sonoda Yu’s affections.  Yu, though seemingly somewhat more level-headed than Haruka (note the froggy shaped iPhone case and pantaloons), is presented to the audience as being either reticent and/or thickheaded in her affections toward her bestfriend, as well as possibly a little embarrassed at the prospect.  Eponymously, the would-be couple discovers a forgotten classroom strewn with cherry-blossom petals: perfectly setting the stage to allow Haruka’s affections to give flight and Yu’s akogare to tumble into a basket of giggles.

Given that “pairing off” seems to be one of the anime’s chief themes, and that the first episode lands squarely on the first day of high school, two other pairs of female friends are introduced.  Chief among them are Ikeno Kaede (of the “Shall we link arms?”) and Iizuka Yuzu (of the denyingly gay), as well as their classmate from middle school Noda Kotone (of the “Yoroshiku Harorin~”, no doubt her future pet name for Haruka) and a new girl bearing a name that conjures in everyone’s mind the image of a green young woman from a well-to-do family, Minami Shizuku (of the “I can’t live up to that image…”).

Ratings:

Art – 3 (*puts on sunglasses*)
Character – 7 (Definitely stronger than archetypes but they’ve really yet to emerge)
Story – 4 (Never before seen: a 4-koma based on the interpersonal lives of cute schoolgirls?!)
Yuri – 9 (Apart from Strawberry Panic!, I feel like this is a hard one to top in anime)
Service – 9 (Despite my best efforts, I can’t seem to unclench my jaw)

Overall – 7 (Giving it the benefit of the doubt and rounding up)

Erica here again: Thank you Jocilyn. So much.





Yuri Network News (百合ネットワークニュース) – January 4, 2014

January 4th, 2014

YNN_LissaHappy First news report of 2014! Since the new anime season is imminent, I thought I’d start the year with a few trailers and some news.

Yuri Anime

Sakura Trick will get its first airing on the 9th. No idea yet if anyone will be streaming it legally. I know a bunch of folks are looking forward to it. Here’s the minute long trailer and you can decide for yourself. ^_^ Thanks to YNN Correspondent Grisznak for the link. ^_^

Speaking of trailers, the first Akuma no Riddle trailer is up with some character intros and vague mood-setting visuals. ^_^

Saki Zenkoku-hen trailer is online and all of a sudden, I really wanted to see this. ^_^

Let us not forget the Bodacious Space Pirates movie coming in February. Second trailer is up.

Wow, really? A new Houkago no Pleiades movie? Cool. (Corporate-sponsored/themed anime is all the rage. We’re going to be seeing a lot more of this in days to come.)

Noir is gonna look pretty great in the newly remastered BD Box set.

And, of course we’re all still waiting breathlessly for…something, anything…on the upcoming Sailor Moon anime.

No trailer but, while you’re upgrading your Bubblegum Crisis collection, consider adding the Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 box to it. (Best anime music ever.)

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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!

 





Top Ten Yuri Anime of 2013

December 28th, 2013

Taking a break from news this week, to start on my year-end lists. 2013 was not a strong Yuri anime season, and is basically a “oh look it’s out in English” year from last year. So, you could just go and read the 2012 version of this list over again. ^_^ But that’s not fair, I owe you a list and by gum, I’m going to find stuff to say, darn it!  It’s imperative you have the chance to be angry at me at this time of year for not noticing something you liked.  Go ahead and hit me with your Top Ten in the comments. For me, this year “Top” means, “I can squeeze it on this list, phew”. ^_^

Tied for 10  – Arpeggio of Blue Steel,  My Little Pony and Fate/Zero,  Kill la Kill, Attack on Titan, Freezing Vibration, Vividred Operation  and any other “Snatches of Yuri” we have missed here on Okazu.

A college professor of mine, in regards to the refinements made by classical Greek sculptors and architects, once remarked “If you know it’s there, you can say you see it.” In regards to Yuri in anime, I say to you, “If you see it…it’s there.”

Vividred and Fate/Zero especially, were selling the Yuri heavily through goods when I was in Japan.

6 – Bodacious Space Pirates (Part 1 and Part 2)

This was excellent and I’ve talked it to death, but if you are new to Okazu, let me reassure you that, as space opera goes, this series was everything we could have wanted it to be. This year it became available on DVD, Blu-Ray and is still available to watch legally, for free (with regional restrictions) on Crunchyroll. This series was so good that, not only am I looking forward to the movie, I’m toying with the idea of flying to Japan to see it when it comes out. It is *that* good. ^_^

5 – Serial Experiments Lain

This series was more interesting now that it’s old and out of date than when it was when it was new and talking about a yet-unknown future. I’m still on the fence about Alice and Lain, but I could see potential, given time and opportunity. Having a chance to rewatch this series really got me thinking about our  requirements for a Yuri couple these days. If there’s anything that has radically altered in the last decade, it is this – we expect our couples to be a couple, not a hint of a couple. That’s a pretty huge sea change, if you think about it.

4 – Psycho-Pass

Technically, this series is a “Snatches of Yuri” series, since the Yuri relationship was not much more than an aside. But in the middle of intense psychological drama, horror and violence – the lesbian couple live happily ever after. That counts for a lot in my book. The series is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray in English next year, and is still available to watch free, legally (with regional restrictions) on Funimation.

And now we roll up our sleeves….and talk about amazing, fabulous series that we can’t stop talking about.

swb3 – Aoi Hana

Aoi Hana/Sweet Blue Flowers was the epitome of the shoujo Yuri story. It starts off as a tale of an “S” relationship, but quickly segues into an honest – and therefore, sometimes painful – tale of growing up, falling in love and growing up some more.

In Fumi, we finally found the role model we’d always wanted when we were young and in Aoi Hana we, at last, have the perfect example of a genre romance Yuri anime, sans parody elements.  Aoi Hana is the Yuri anime we were all waiting for…so we could move past it to something even more amazing.

In 2013 everything old was new again, as RightStuf, Viki and AnimeSols all scrambled to bring us some of the finest classic shoujo anime that has ever been created.

2 – Rose of Versailles

Along with Princess Knight, Rose of Versailles is revered among Yuri fans, not for the small snigglings of Yuri within the story, but for the archetype of the Girl Prince, whom we have adored, desired and desired to be since she arrived.

We fully understand the adoration laid at Oscar’s feet by the ladies of the French court, although we ourselves are more like Rosalie, unable to express our interest. And who among us has not thought how different the ending of the series might have been if Oscar and Marie Antoinette had been lovers? ^_^

It’s still one of the very hardest things for me to watch, but compelling drama and a dashing Girl Prince make Rose of Versailles my #2 for the year.

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Probably not for the first time, we honor Riyoko Ikeda with a 1-2 combination this year. Okazu’s #1 Yuri Anime of 2013 is:

dbthumbDear Brother, by Riyoko Ikeda. (Set 1 and Set 2)

This year Anime Sols not only gave us the chance to watch this cracktastic shoujo drama  for free, legally (with region restrictions), but they gave us a chance to get it out on DVD…and more than 200 of us heeded the call, so that Sets 1 and 2 will be available  – for ourselves…and to those people who want it later. Set 2 was especially amazing as, in conjunction with Anime Sols double-up weekend, it was fully funded in less than 72 hours.  As a sign that the western anime audience is ready, willing and able to support decent anime with Yuri themes, I name Dear Brother this year’s top Yuri anime. (Japanese anime industry, we are *so* ready for you to swing back away from moe. Really ready. Any day now.)

2014 is already primed with Sailor Moon and Sakura Trick coming in this winter. Here’s hoping for a great 2014 for Yuri!





Crowdfunding begins for Riyoko Ikeda’s ‘Dear Brother’ Anime on Animesols

August 12th, 2013

AnimeSols announced the beginning of Round 2 of crowdfunding for classic anime DVD sets yesterday, Japan time. With several sets already funded (Creamy Mami,  Black Jack) they started round 2 off with a bang that’s sure to please classic Yuri fans – Riyoko Ikeda’s  melodrama Oniisama E, Dear Brother.

AnimeSols is streaming the anime (which is also available legally on Viki.com), Episode 1 is up already (region limitations may apply.)

Crowdfunding is open until November and it’s off to a strong start already, with a very decent chance of being 1/4 funded by end of the first day. (Of course I have already pledged. I love this series for all its crazy. Here’s my first review of the series and my most review of it. I make no apologies about my feelings about Saint-Juste. ^_^

I feel completely confident that all the Yuri and Shoujo fans out there will make this happen. We already have Rose of Versailles. I can’t think of anything better than sitting Dear Brother right next to those. ^_^

Please share the news with your mailing lists, Tumblrs, Blogs, Groups and the like. This is one of the oldest classic Yuri anime we’ll ever get a chance to own. ^_^





Yuri Anime: Sweet Blue Flowers / Aoi Hana Disk 1 (English)

May 6th, 2013

swbWhen Manjoume Fumi returns home to Kamakura to go to high school, she’s pretty much forgotten her childhood best friend, Okudaira Akira. But circumstance has brought the two together again in what, for many Yuri fans, is the most-anticipated anime release of 2013.

Fumi is a Nadesico beauty, tall, with long black hair. She was – and still is – a crybaby, who as child often turned to energetic, assertive Akira, A-chan, for help. Their meeting is accidental, but they fall back into their old pattern without even realizing it. And, in a moment, the two of them are best friends once again, even though they go to different schools.

Fumi is caught up in cross-school event, the Drama Club’s play for the school festival – and even more caught up by the lead actress, Sugimoto Yasuko. Somewhat to her surprise, Fumi finds herself dating Sugimoto-sempai and liking it, despite having recently ended a disappointing affair with her cousin.

Everything in this series is classic Yuri, redolent with the smell of old school hallways and libraries filled with old books, until Fumi confesses to her new-old best friend that she’s in love with and dating another girl. A-chan does her best to support Fumi. When Fumi tells Sugimoto, she realizes instantly that Fumi is exceedingly strong. She’s right, but she doesn’t yet know how strong Fumi is. Aoi Hana may feel like it’s set in the Showa period, but Fumi is a Heisei girl – a contrast we’ll see again and again in this story.

However. It wasn’t Fumi’s achingly adorable personality that brought a tear to my increasingly sentimental eye this time. It was the title of the first episode. As the words Hana Monogatari (花物語り) appeared on the screen, I got something in my eye, or maybe it was my allergies. (;_;) Or, maybe, it was the reminder that I’m not the only person to think of Yoshiya Nobuko as a beloved ancestor to this genre.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 10
Yuri – 9
Service – 2

Overall – 9

Disk 1 of Sweet Blue Flowers was incredibly beautiful, with the hyper-realistic backgrounds that are so popular in anime right now and the source of so much destination tourism for fans in Japan. Despite it being a “Lucky Penny” discount release, the DVD set comes with a booklet of promotional art, so we get a great extra even with the lower price.

You know how Fumi feels about the halls of Fujigaya? I feel that way about this anime. It’s recent chronologically, but it is a Yuri classic, nonetheless. I am so thankful to Shimura-sensei for writing this manga, and for JC Staff for animating it. And I am very, very thankful to Nozomi/RightStuf for releasing it in English!