Hi folks. As you know, San Diego Comic Con is in full swing and we’ve gotten an amazing piece of news out of it. But first, I want to share a piece of amazingly bad news with you.

Our good friend, Yuri supporter, translator, creator of Marine Corps Yumi, Anastasia Moreno, has passed away.

Ana and I met when she was working on Strawberry Panic (and other Seven Seas titles) and since then, we’ve had some amazing adventures together. We beat the crap outta each other at Takarazuka just last October. She’s been fighting a particularly awful cancer since last year. Selfishly, I’m glad I was able to Skype with her this week, so I have a recent memory of her.

Marine Corps Yumi will continue in Japanese and English, with Nogami-sensei taking over the story as well as the art and Dan Kanemitsu handling the English translation. I hope you will continue to support the series.

RIP Ana. You were one of a kind. We’ll miss ya.

***

And now for the good news.

UDON Entertainment has licensed the Rose of Versailles manga. All I can say to that is “holy crap.”

They’ll be releasing it in 2-in-1 omnibus volumes starting in spring 2016. At last! You’ll be able to see Lady Oscar in her bell-bottom uniform pants. ^_^

If anything else cool comes out of SDCC, I’ll let you know.

Crowdfunding News

There are a number of crowdfunding campaigns I wanted to highlight before they wrap up.

I know I mentioned this before, but it bears repeating, Hope Nicholson’s The Secret Lives of Geek Girls is all of everything all at once. The contributor list makes my eyes water, in a good way. ^_^

Sparkler Monthly is looking to fund a third year of publication, both off-line and online. They’ve been a big promoter of BL and Yuri stories and tons of great (by which I mean complex and interesting) female characters…and creators…in their pages. Support female-focused comics, by folks who support you!

This next campaign has nothing at all to do with Yuri, or manga, or anything we usually cover here, but it’s for a friend who is doing an amazing thing – helping young people to fulfill their dreams of artistic excellence. Manga Bookshelf’s Melinda Beasi is running an opera workshop with her students. As of time of writing, they are 78% funded and when you read this, they will have 4 days left. Please help support the arts, help support young performers, and help one of my dearest fellow bloggers, Melinda.  Please support Act Too Studio Opera Workshop: The Medium. A dollar can make a major difference to them!

***

Yuricon Store News

New on the Yuricon Shop! The Yuri Goods page. Featuring Uranus and Neptune figurines and henshin wand lip glosses right now, more to be added.

Also featured is  our *brand new* original I Love Yuri Goods page at Redbubble. Click on the “I Love Yuri” logo and scroll down to see all the items available. Our original “I Love Yuri” design is now  a clear-background transfer to shirt, so colors other than white will look just as good. Here it is in dark blue. I think it looks swell. We’ll be putting up some more designs in the upcoming months.

***

Yuri Manga News

My wife is making her debut as a YNN Correspondent! She wants you to know that Tezuka’s Ribon no Kishi/Princess Knight is getting a new reprint in Japan, one that is reproducing color and title pages from it’s original appearance in Nakayoshi magazine, as reported on Crunchyroll News.

Sean Gaffney has the licensing news from Anime Expo, and for us the title of interest might be Saki, which is going to be a digital only release by Yen Press. This series has a lot of fan-pairings and a few canon ones in the story.

I’m going to keep reminding you that Fujieda Miyabi’s Iono-sama Fanatics , Volume 1 is hitting shelves in Japan at the end of this month!

Hanako’s private school Yuri series Shiritsu Seijou Gakuen Kirarin Ryou (私立星城学園きらりん寮)  is digitally available on Comic Walker.

I’m probably the only one who really cares about this, but I really enjoy “violence Yuri” manga MURCIELAGO, and so, I really enjoyed this little PV for the series by Square Enix on Comic Natalie to celebrate it’s being released in digital motion comic for Volume 5.

Comic Yuri Hime is celebrating a 10th anniversary and, according to Comic Natalie,  is doing all sorts of giveaways I can not apply for, (and probably don’t want!) ^_^

***

Support Yuri News and Reviews –  Subscribe to Okazu with

***

LGBTQ Comics News

Have you read these 5 LGBTQ comics that are out now?

***

Miscellaneous Wonderfulness

“Kase-san” creator Takasaki Hiromi was pleased to share a piece of Korra x Asami fanart, along with a plea to bring LoK to Japan on Twitter.

Late addition to today’s report. Our own Rica Takashima has made the New York Times as part of their look at the emerging artists of the FLOW exhibit on Randall’s Island (which I am hoping to visit today.)

I think we’ll finish up with this look at 19th-century Lesbian erotic art, because why not.

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? Become a <strong>Yuri Network Correspondent </strong>by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to <strong>anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com</strong>. <em>Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed</em>. 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 Manga

A lot of rebooting, reworking and re-releasing is going on in the Yuri manga world right now. With the dissolution of Hirari and Tsubomi magazines, Ichijinsha has picked up a number of older titles for Kindle-only releases. This means that they are not available to buyers based outside Japan, but it’s darn interesting to see them bring so many old series back as digital releases.

Here’s a small selection of older Yuri titles I’m seeing up for JP Kindle release:

Mitsukini Hajime’s Musou Honey (妄想HONEY)

Hakamada Mera’s Yozora no Ouji to Asayake no Hime (夜空の王子と朝焼けの姫)

Yoshitomi Akihito’s Futari to Futari (ふたりとふたり)

Himawari Souya’s Sakura Buntsuu (さくら文通)

Sakamoto Mono’s Pie wo Agemasho, Anata ni Pie wo ne   (パイをあげましょ、あなたにパイをね)

Kindaichi Renjurou’s fascinating Josei collection by a male author, Mermaid Line (マーメイドライン)

In addition to loads of Kindle releases, Ichijinsha is releasing new editions of several older titles:

Rokuroichi’s  Kuchibiru ni Saketa Orange New Edition (くちびるに透けたオレンジ 新装版)

Fujieda Miyabi’s Iono-sama Fanatics Special Edition Volume 1 (with new original Drama CD) and Special Edition Volume 2 (with new original Drama CD.) Also available on Kindle.

I love that so much Yuri is available digitally and frustrated as heck that I can’t just buy it that way.

***

Support Yuri News and Reviews –  Subscribe to Okazu with

***

Ichijinsha is continuing to release new Yuri Hime Comics manga, as well:

Nekota’s Tomiko no Kimochi (トミコの気持ち)

An anthology about which I know nothing, called Kimashi (キマシ)

Kuzushiro’s spin-off from Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san, Ryuuzaki-san to Torao-san, Yuri Hime Short Story Collection. (龍崎さんと虎生さん ～百合姫短編集～)

Saburouta’s 4th volume of Citrus, with an option for a special edition that includes a Drama CD.

And the September volume of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫 2015年 09 月号), which will ship mid-July.

Yuri Game

The folks over at St. Michael’s School for Girls, are at Anime Expo right now(!) and have a  Sono Hanbira short story collection, Shiroyuri Memorial, planned (白百合のメモリアル).

LGBTQ Event

Planning on attending San Diego Comic-Con 2015? Prism Comics and Northwest Press have teamed up to bring you this year’s Gay Agenda. ^_^

Share any  interesting Yuri News you’ve heard with us and become a Yuri Network Correspondent.  Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Please do not post news to the comments here, 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!

What a way to end a week. As most of you probably know, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that marriage equality is the law of the land here in the USA yesterday. What an amazing way to start Pride weekend. I’m blinded by rainbows and practically weak from thanking people for their good wishes.

Here’s random wonderful things, separated by pictures of Yuri couples getting married.. ^_^

Sailor Senshi Balloons!

Comic Natalie reports that Auri Hirao’s newest attempt at a Yuri manga Oshika Budokan Itte Kuretara Shinu (推しが武道館いってくれたら死ぬ)  will follow an idol and her fan. I wonder if it will have any Yuri.

ANN reports that Hanokage, the artist responsible for the original Madoka Magica manga, is launching a new Madoka Magica manga!

***

Support Yuri News and Reviews –  Subscribe to Okazu with

***

Hidamari Sketch artist Ume Aoki is having a solo show in Ueno in October, says Komatsu-san on Crunchyroll News.

Yuri Kuma Arashi (ユリ熊嵐) manga continues with a July release of Volume 2 from Birz Comics.

Miman’s manga collection Shoujo² (少女²) hit the streets this month.

The Secret Loves of Geek Girls by Hope Nicholson is an amazing Kickstarter anthology that has quite possibly the most remarkable lineup of contributors ever for a comics, including Margaret Atwood – yes, that Margaret Atwood.

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? 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 Anime

Starting off with ANN, they have any number of reports of interest for us:

Aria the Avvenire anime trailer is posted and has characters new and old. Clearly, they feel that we should be over our hurt feelings by now. They are probably right. ^_^

UK fans can look for K-ON Season 2 complete sets from Manga Entertainment. (Presumably, they have previously released Season 1.)

The first 12 minutes of the new Ghost in the Shell movie has been released online. And Funimation will be streaming the 4 Arise OVA episodes as they are shown on Japanese TV under the name Ghost in the Shell: Arise Alternative Architecture.

Yuru Yuri is getting new Natsuyatchumi episodes before the new season premieres in Japan in October. The cast is singing the theme songs.

***

Support Yuri News and Reviews –  Subscribe to Okazu with

***

Live Action

More from ANN:

I imagine that some of you will be interested to know that all-female musical troupe Takarazuka is planning a Rurouni Kenshin adaptation.They’ve obviously been successful with recent anime and manga adaptations, which is sort of interesting.

And Blood-C: The Last Mind is getting a stage adaptation. I cannot imagine. In fact, if I were to see it, I am 100% certain, I’d be laughing hysterically into a handkerchief the entire time. Just LOOK at those “evil” faces. Gawd. ^_^

Ghost in the Shell: Arise is also getting a stage adaptation.  I bet Kusanagi falls backward off a “building.” ^_^

Comic Natalie has a link to the continuation of the Denpagumi live action series, called Innocent Lilies: The End and the Beginning.

LGBTQ Webcomic

From Senior YNN Correspondent, Erin S, Misunderstood. “A pure hearted warrior is sent on a quest to retrieve an emblem stolen from a local village. Yet this warrior is in for a surprise when she enters the territory of the demoness who stole the trinket.” The comic is available for purchase on Gumroad.

 
Other News

You know how I’m always encouraging you to read books without pictures, too? ^_^ Well ANN obviously feels the same way, so Gabriella Ekens put together a list of literature that gives insight to Psycho-Pass, from 1984 to Heart of Darkness. Good stuff and worth a read. (As are the books she suggests!)

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? 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!