Archive for the Yuri Anime Category


Top Ten Yuri Anime of 2006

December 21st, 2006

It seems to be that time of year again, when “Top Ten” Lists of everything from manga to Bollywood Babes pop up and, as I am leaving next week right after Xmas for Tokyo and Comiket, I thought I’d better start working on this now. ^_^

As always, this list is going to be a mix of old and new, licensed series and as-yet unreleased in the west, because otherwise the list would be darn short. ;-) It’s also all in *my* opinion, so go ahead and comment that I’m wrong, but it’s not like you’re gonna change my mind.  In any case – here we go!

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10. Aria the Natural – This anime is making this year’s top 10 list, not because of its brilliant overt yuriness, but because part of the fun of watching it was looking for every teeny weeny little thing that could be vaguely run through the Yuri goggles and pointed at with a successful “Aha!” I and many others, remain convinced that Akira and Alicia are an item.

9. My HiME – What might have been a HUGE release for this anime in the US seems to have fizzled, largely in part to the DVDs for Volume 1 having issues. But the love of ShizNat, and other smexy Yuri couples, with or without any basis for existence, made this series a Yuri fandom fave in 2006. I personally think a strong push as a “Yuri” series would have bumped sales considerably.

8. Ichigo Mashimaro/Strawberry Marshmallow – I know, we’ve been beating this series to death this week, but when I bought the first volume of the anime I remembered all over again just how snortingly funny it is. And how much Miu is all about getting a little sugar from Nobue. Because, despite myself – every freakin’ time – I watch this, I laugh, and because there’s more than enough Yuri in it to make a case for just about anyone and anyone, this series makes number eight this year.

7. Coyote Ragtime Show – Sometimes a show just gets it right. The women are cool and sexy without making you feel yucky for thinking that, they look voluptuous, but not absurd, and they make you laugh, even as they are capping some redshirt. When neither the men nor the women are weak or incompetent and there’s a sense of something, you know, between the women. Throw in some space opera and friendly ruffian-type action, and you got yourself a winner. To paraphrase a very bad movie, give me a bottle of redeye, a crazy straw and Coyote Ragtime Show, and I’ll be one happy Erica. ^_^

6. Tied for sixth place are Kannazuki no Miko and Ninja Nonsense – Kannazuki no Miko was undoubtedly one of the most popular yuri releases of 2006. I’ve talked alot about KnM and why it’s popular but not good and, every time, people prove my point by writing incoherent comments filled with righteous indignation at me. But re-watching it, I was able to divorce the anime from the fandumb and remember why I thought it fun in the first place. The same is true for what is being released here as Ninja Nonsense. It’s openly tacky and ridiculous and, unlike KnM, is not going to have armies of insane fans, but *like* KnM it has a really cute Yuri couple, and some fun moments. Fun train-wreck Yuri anime. Number 6.

5. Mai Otome – It ended in spring 2006 without the enormous thud that tarnished Mai Hime. It was not nearly as good a story, and the plot holes were, well large and plentiful. But it had about 1/100th the angst and the whole setup read like an alternate-universe fanfic for the original anyway, so anyone who expected “good” clearly lacked critical thinking skills in the first place. What it was, was a fun, stupid take on the characters of the HiME-verse and it remained, from beginning to end a coherent, consistent, fun stupid take on the HiME-verse. And once again in the minority, I liked the ending. ^_^

4. Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl -I haven’t reviewed the thirteenth episode yet, but it hasn’t changed my opinion overall of the anime. This is another series I was prepared to dislike, but never really needed to. Sure, it was light, fluffy, full of incredibly convenient plot complications….but hello, anime? This is not Ghibli. So, for the anime, at least, once Hazumu became a girl, she stayed that way and it became a Yuri story by sheer force of the fact that it was girls in love with a girl. When the end came, which I saw as “the right choice for the wrong reason” I wasn’t surprised. When the *real* end came, which I saw as “the wrong choice for the right reason” I still wasn’t surprised. I was surprised at the outrage among viewers at the fluffiness of the end. Did they not notice that the plot was about a boy who was turned into a girl because he was killed by an alien spaceship? In any case, although it will never be something I recommend as a representative “Yuri” anime, it was still fun to watch.

Now for the big three. ^_^

3. I am SO glad the Maria-sama ga Miteru OAV 1: Kyuuka no Hitsuji/Vacation of the Lambs made it in for this year’s list! I think the OAV did a great job of capturing Yumi’s feelings of akogare/admiration/desire for Sachiko, while significantly cutting down on the self-loathing. It’s romantic and sweet and win. Once again, my akogare for Konno Oyuki grows by leaps and bounds. ^_^

2. Strawberry Panic was undoubtedly, the hottest Yuri anime this year. What began as cheesy, blatant rip-offs of every other Yuri anime and manga ended as a cheesy blatant rip-offs with a decent story, characters that didn’t blow and a fun, if predictable, ending. The Yuri was as blatant as the rip-offs, and all the plots and characters were recognizable and therefore easy to comprehend. Fandumb rooted for all the wrong characters, for the wrong reasons, and delighted in the gouts of fanservice and pandering. This series will be a benchmark series for me going forward. If a person likes Strawberry Panic more than Marimite, they won’t be coming over my house for lunch, ever. And they probably won’t ever understand why. ^_^ But in the end, the characters proved us wrong and they all went ahead and became three-dimensional anyway, and it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.

1. Simoun and Strawberry Panic were opposites in nearly every way, but they both undoubtedly shaped this year’s Yuri anime scene. Simoun was an eclectic mix of Yuri fanservice, war story, character story, gender issues, politics and religion. Not everyone who saw it liked it, but those who liked it, loved it. And rightfully so. This was not an anime for the lowest common denominator – it presupposed some genuine intelligence in the viewing audience. For that alone, it stands on top of the pile. No blatant rip-offs here – this series took actual work, because the world it was set in was original and unique…and they never filled in all the details. And yet, because the characters were strong, and the reactions real, the holes in the world weren’t a problem. After all- who knows everything about why people do what they do in this world, either? I wouldn’t recommend Simoun to a beginner, but if I were doing an academic course and wanted to use an anime to engender discussion, Simoun would be the one I would choose.

By far and away, the most outstanding Yuri anime of 2006, Simoun.

 





Yuri Anime: Maria-sama ga Miteru OAV 1, Vacation of the Lambs

December 17th, 2006

Buy the raw, untranslated collector’s (and therefore more expensive) edition of the Maria-sama ga Miteru OAV, Volume 1: Kohitsujitachi no Kyuuka (Vacation of the Lambs)? What are you, insane?

You betcha. ^_^

The outside has a lovely clear plastic cover with Yumi and Sachiko holding hands, over the actual cover that has a red rose and “La Vierge Marie vous Regarde”, as you can see in the picture above.

Inside is a faux-leather novel cover with the Lillian seal on one side and the text logo for “Maria-sama ga Miteru” on the other, with a very cute leaf bookmark.

There is also a Lillian folder with postcards – original art by Hibiki Reine of Yumi and Sachiko holding hands, of Yumi and Sachiko separately, of the DVD cover and the three rose families from the opening credits.

The DVD cover is, IMO not such a great picture, but it does show a happily embracing Yumi and Sachiko. And for once, the title of the story actually sounds *worse* in French. ^_^ The booklet that comes with the DVD has character designs for all the characters.

I thought it the anime was excellent. They kept “Pastel Pure” as the OP, which made me glad, and they managed to actually de-angst what is really the last of the angsty Yumi novels. Yes, they cut stuff out to fit it, and a very few changes were made – but nothing of consequence and nothing that radically altered the story. In general, a very decent adaptation.

My *only* complaint…we don’t get to see/hear Touko play the violin. I wonder why, since we get all the other performances. And I am thrilled no end that Kashiwagi exlpains that Great-Grandmother isn’t infirm, she’s just pissed. (Although, you don’t get the full explanation, just a truncated one. )

They definitely upped the touchy-feelyness of the story, leaving in pretty much every embrace and hand/arm holding. There was a moment when Sachiko and Yumi decide to go to the party that was animated exactly the way kiss scenes are done – close up, then the a view from far away, which cued up the “romantic moment” tag in my head. The image stands out in my mind, because the surroundings are animated with a lot of detail and color. It’ll make a nice screencap.

Last night I watched it for the third time (the first straight through, the second for a script check and the third with the seiyuu commentary. The seiyuu present are Ueda Kana (Yumi), Itou Miki (Sachiko) and Ikezawa Haruna (Yoshino) and it’s pretty much like sitting in the middle of them as they watch what’s going on (or don’t, when they get distracted.) They wander in an out of talking about the characters as if they were real, as if they actual are the characters, and as if they are just three women sitting around watching an anime. ^_^ They discuss Mount Fuji, gasp and squeal at key points (point out the service) and laugh about random events in the story. It’s a very relaxed, not at all profound, commentary – and the bits I was able to follow were thoroughly enjoyable.

As is usual for an OAV, it’s better quality animation than the TV series. And if you check out the credits a few familiar names scroll by – including Bee Train. The character designs are strong – stronger than I had feared. I was particularly concerned with Sachiko because of the DVD cover picture, but she looks great throughout. And when the Yamayurikai all show up in day clothes, they somehow managed to convey their personalities in what they are wearing. (I *will* be annoyed about one of the character designs for the next OAV, be warned. Oh…and what was with Yuuki’s hair??)

The characters all remain charming. Three times I’ve watched it, and three times, I’ve grinned like a loon at the end.

As I always say, this series will never be half as popular with the lowest common denominator as Strawberry Panic, which is yet another good sign that Marimite is really quality in every way. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Character – 10
Story – 8
Yuri – 4
Service – 1 for fetishism, 9 for gooping like a loon at the screen because you’re a total fan.

Overall – 8

Good story, wonderful characters, romantic without being slimy and generally fun. Total thumbs up for everything – the goods, the DVD, even the box.





Yuri Anime: Kaleido Star Good dayo! Gooood!

October 20th, 2006

They are few, brief and far between, but those moments of Sora x Layla love in Kaleido Star make watching this often indifferent, frequently irritating anime worthwhile.

This OVA…well, frankly I have no idea who this OVA was targeted to or what they were thinking when they made it. It’s done entirely in CG, with super-deformed art that makes all the characters look like DDR icons or something. It’s 2 parts disturbing to 1 part cute. (On second thought, what “they” were thinking was probably “How can we do a KS brand extension without spending too much money?”)

In any case, this OVA is split into three parts. The first is a “cooking lesson” by May with students Layla and Sora. The second part is Ken being a nebbish as he tries to learn the Diablo from Rosa and the third is an absolutely excruciating gag as Marion and Jonathan the Seal attemtpt to teach Sora to speak seal.

Only the first of these is of interest to Yuri fans.

To be more precise, only the first of these was of interest to *this* Yuri fan.

There are several cute moments as May teaches enthusiastic Sora and pampered Layla how to cook a particularly spicy tofu dish. I actually took a screencap of the lava-like end product, because it was a particularly amusing bit of animation.

But much more importantly, Sora and Layla have a brief moment of Yuri wooja-wooja which, if May hadn’t interrupted it…

Anyway, the OVA as a whole was okay, but the first segment was amusing. Not the logical sequel to the magnificent Legend of Phoenix: Layla Hamilton Monogatari OVA, but if you’re already a fan of the series, its not the worst waste of your time. Not like, say, episodes 27-40 were.

One thing I did very much like, the OP is the original theme from the first season of the TV series, sung by the voice actresses as their characters. And, although they have pretty much no lines in the OVA itself, that included Anna and Mia.

Ratings:

Art – CG/SD. Meh. 4
Characters – 6
Story – 6/4/2 for each section respectively
Yuri – for one brief flash, 7.
Service – surprisingly for this series, no Fool, and no noticeable service. 1, on principal.

Overall – The first segment 6, the second a 4, and the third a 2, for an average of 4.





Yuri Anime: Strawberry Panic

September 28th, 2006

Here are my final thoughts on Strawberry Panic as I expressed them on Zyl’s most excellent blog Hontou ni so omou?:

Considering the fact that this story is really no more than a collage of recognizable scenes, stereotypes and conventions taken openly from other series, I have to say, I thought it turned out pretty good.

There’s no denying that Strawberry Panic wasn’t brilliant, but considering that it was meant to be trashy, it pulled out a few moments of dignity and elegance out of the trash heap.

As stolen memes go, using the (admittedly obvious) one from The Graduate for the final episode made a satisfactory semi-resolution.

Yes Miyuki and Tamao are still doomed to lives of loneliness and alcoholism, but as clones of Youko and Tomoyo that was their fate from the very beginning. In other news, the Shizuma x Nagisa, Amane x Hikari, Kaname x Momomi and in a surpising late entry Yaya x Tsubomi pairs all live *happily ever after!* or some reasonable facsimile thereof, until bad fanfic writers kill one of the pair off in a heavy-handed attempt to create crisis and re-pair the other with someone else.

But I digress.

No, SP is not a diamond in the rough, but let us call it an attractive riverstone, washed suprisingly clean and shiny by the many, many, MANY tons of water that has flowed downstream from clearer and cleaner sources. ^_^

…

Considering that I began watching this anime with something akin to loathing, I might have to retract the “not brilliant” comment. It must be some kind of decent/funny/entertaining for me to have 180’ed so thoroughly. I’m not sure if it’s a case of the story becoming real and richer despite itself – as parodies are wont to do, just ask any fanfic writer – or the writers managed to find something unique to play with within the framework of the openly stolen memes. I’m inclined towards the former, as I’ve read many a story that started as a 2-dimensional parody/ripoff that suddenly morphed, without the author being really cognizant of the moment of change, into a decent-ish story.

There’s a great scene in Dorothy L. Sayers Strong Poison where mystery author Harriet Vane is bemoaning that very thing to a only-partially sympathetic Lord Peter Wimsey. He, quite rightly, insists that if a writer is going to write anything worth reading then, when the moment comes, s/he must shed the potboiler facade and *write* – conscience be damned. I’d like to think that that was happened here.

What began as thin, barely 2-dimensional trash developed a personality, while never losing that sense of “what can we steal this week?” So, let’s call Strawberry Panic the clever, fun-to-be-around street whore of a Yuri series that it is. ;-)





Yuri Anime: Strawberry Marshmallow, Volume 1

September 19th, 2006

Boy oh boy, had I forgotten how sticky the opening theme of this anime is…now I’ll have it in my head for a week.

So here we are, looking down the barrel of Strawberry Marshmallow, aka Ichigo Mashimaro. And it’s still cute.

I cannot tell you how *annoying* I find it, that’s it’s so damn cute. And girly cute, no less. And giggly. God, if anyone ever saw me giggling at this, I’d never be able to show my face in public again…

…and this isn’t even my favorite volume.

So, I realize that I never really covered any of the episodes specifically in any of my earlier reviews, but I did capture the essence of the series: cute girls doing things cutely.

The first volume is primarily an introduction to our five principals. Itou Nobue, 20 for the anime, so they can leave in all the smoking and drinking gags, her younger sister Chika, 12, annoying next-door neighbor Miu, who is undoubtedly the star of the series, adorable English girl Ana 11, who has forgotten how to speak English and Matsuri, 11, crybaby and everyone’s punching bag.

There is no plot in this series, just a series of goofy gags strung along through the mostly-normal lives of the five girls. School, work, playing games like “let’s pretend” that kind of thing. Or, it would all be normal, except Evil Psychotic Lesbian(TM)-in training Miu always seems to make everything turn out strangely.

And that’s why we watch. Because Miu is crazy. And we love it. ;-)

This US release includes some extras, but nothing exciting. 4 episodes on the first volume, a mini-poster, a reversible case cover and oh boy! a non-credit opening! But I’ve got all the Ichigo Mashimaro dollies I can stand from Dengeki Daioh (and a few I can’t stand,) and US releases never have anything really good anway, except the occasional pencil board (and even those are terrifying at times, like the ROD The TV pencil boards.) More importantly, Geneon has included the clever and rewarding $3 coupon for one of the next two volumes, which I heartily approve of. In fact, let me once again offer up for free, my advice on how to get us fans to buy more DVDs.

1) Include a pre-order form or URL for the next volume in the series. Offer a discount for pre-ordering.

2) Include the same coupon, which provides another discount, thus bringing the cost down to what appears to be a really reasonable price.

3) Offer deeper discounts to people who pre-order the whole series, box sets or thinpaks. Send us whole sets, not one disk in a box and make us buy each other disk separately.

In other words, give us *incentive* and we will buy. Otherwise, get used to selling lots of Volume 1s. This coupon is a baby step in the right direction.

Ratings:

Art – 5 Looks like the manga. Yup.
Story – 7 – If you get past the hump that there is none.
Characters – 7 -This is a completely character-driven series. More specifically Miu drives it.
Yuri – 2- If you can call Miu’s crush on Nobue, and Nobue’s thing for Ana and Matsuri “yuri.” Which is entirely in the eye of the beholder.
Service – 7 – Just because of the essential loli-ness of series and author.

Overall – 7

Don’t drink soda while you watch this series, though. You’re liable to suddenly spurt it out your nose.