Yuri Audiobook

I’m In Love With the Villainess, Volume 1 just launched as an audiobook on a few platforms. Others are still pending.  I *just* finished listening to it, as I was working on today’s report and overall, it’s excellent! I’m really looking forward to the next volumes in the series. Narrator Courtney Shaw does a very good job. Review forthcoming. ^_^

Yuri Manga

Wonderful news for fans of She Loves To Cook, She Loves To Eat, creator Yuzaki Sakaomi has announced through the TsukuTabe official twitter account, that the series will be returning to serialization on December 1st, with a 5th volume on the way in Japan in February. Yuzaki-sensei had put the series on hiatus due to her health, but hopefully she used the time to plan forward and give herself some more rest. She also notes that all series info will be through the official account going forward.

MangaPlanet has announced a print volume for Lilies And Voices Borne Upon The Wind, a series I reviewed here on Okazu in Japanese and very much liked. I’m excited to see this in print! They’ve had the digital license since last winter, as well, if you prefer to read that way.

We have a few new titles on the Yuricon Store!

If you enjoyed the first volume of animal-girl romance, reviewed this week by Luce, Sheep Princess in Wolf’s Clothing, Volume 2 will be headed our way in March 2024.

Rafael Antonio Pineda confirms that January issue of Comic Yuri Hime will be the end of the series The Summer You Were There. I just finished reading the penultimate chapter, which I will detail tomorrow in a review of the December issue of CYH. ^_^

The final volume of Shimura Takako’s Otona ni Nattemo, Volume 10 (おとなになっても) looks to be the happy ending we weren’t sure we’d have, in this complicated adult life drama.

Thai publisher Lily House is releasing a collector’s edition of the I’m In Love With The Villainess light novels, with a box designed as if for the in-story game, “Revolution.” It looks great!

Via Yuri Navi, Aiseki ii desuka? (相席いいですか?) is a new series that has begun serialization in Weekly Young Jump; a story about two women coworkers who learn to communicate despite being very different people.

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Yuri Light Novel

There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… (Light Novel), Volume 2 is on shelves for you!

Yuri Essay

We’ve added a new link to our Yuri Essays page on Yuricon (with more to come!) Frank Hecker, a long-time supporter of Okazu and Yuricon, puts together a evolutionary chart of the “Five Ages of Yuri” in Notes toward a unified theory of Yuri. Take a read and let him know what you think! If you’ve written an essay on Yuri, either academic or fan research, let us know and we’ll add it to our page of research resources.

Yuri Videos

Via YNN Correspondent Cryssoberyl, Hololive personality “Houshou Marine just released a song collab MV with (popular English vtuber) Gawr Gura that is basically a fully animated vintage-artstyle yuri oneshot set to city pop music.” You can watch SHINKIRO on Youtube.

Yuri Live-Action

Via YNN Correspondent Patricia B, manga Chaser Game is getting a 2nd live-action drama, this time featuring lesbians who work in the game industry. Rafael Antonio Pineda has details over at ANN.

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Queer Visual Novels

Take a Hike by Jane Titor is described by LezLiz on Mastodon as “… a yuri visual novel where high school girls go camping, enjoy the mosquitos and bicker to each other a ton. “

From Patricia B again, we have news of com__et, which is described as “A queer romance/horror visual novel about being locked into a path, and having _______ words hidden from You. Find Your way to discover what’s missing and reach Your ____ End.” Patricia calls it a “a delightful little visual novel that uses the medium in a smart and creative way.”

Yuri Novel

In another expression of Yuri lit, alternative Russian history meets science fiction meets Yuri in Chou to Teikoku  (蝶と帝国) by Yoshitaka Namiki.

Other News

In honor of voice actresses for Suletta, Ichinose Kana and Miorine, Lynn, attending AnimeNYC this weekend, Ken Iikura-Gross has the scoop on ANN of a voice “selfie” recording on Youtube, in Gundam: Witch From Mercury Voices Reunite to Record New York City Selfie.

YNN Correspondent Lena Tama wants you to know that Yuri is My Job leads Mitsuki and Hime are getting chibi figurines from FuRyu. Check them out on Degenki Hobby Web.

To wrap this report up, we’d like to wish ANN a very happy 25th anniversary this weekend!

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

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Yuri Anime

ANN’s Egan Loo has the scoop on more staff and a delay until spring for upcoming Yuri anime Whisper Me A Love Song, based on the manga of the same name (out now from Kodansha in English). Things might be delayed, but the first full trailer is in and all I can say is “wow.” I wish all anime looked that good.

Yuri Manga

Couple of new releases this week:

The Moon on A Rainy Night, Volume 2 hit shelves this week. Gosh I love this story. ^_^

This week sees the release of My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness: Special Edition, a hardcover edition, with foil highlights and new, original content by author Kabi Nagata!

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We have a number of new titles up on the Yuricon Store, as I once again play catch-up with the listings. ^_^;

Alter Ego 2: Noel & June continues Ana C. Sánchez‘s popular story about finding love in all the places where you totally weren’t looking. That’s headed our way in summer 2024.

Taguchi Shouichi’s Futari Escape, Volume 4 now completes this light-hearted story of a woman and her sempai avoiding adulting as hard as they can.

I Don’t Know Which Is Love, Volume 2 will arrive in winter 2024! Luce took a look at Volume 1 here last summer and pronounced it a fun roller-coaster of a Yuri harem.

Nekobunig Sumire’s Silhouette of the Sea is now available on Kindle in English and Kindle JP in Japanese!

Via Comic Natalie, Futsu no Koi ‘tte Nani?,  (フツーの恋って何？) is a high school love triangle from the perspectives of all three girls. Volume 1 hit JP shelves last week.

 
Yuri Audiobook

Coming up next week is the I’m in Love with the Villainess, Audiobook, Volume 1! As a note, not all the platforms listed on Seven Seas’ page actually have this for sale. The Yuricon Store entry only includes sites that have active links for the book as of now.

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Yuri Light Novel

And, while I flogging inori-sensei’s work, don’t forget that her newest novel, Yuusha ni Naritai Shoujo To, Yuusha Narubeki Kanojo (勇者になりたい少女と、勇者になるべき彼女) hit shelves in Japan this week!

On the Yuricon Store, we’ve also added the third and final volume of the Claire P.O.V. spin-off Heimin no Kuse ni Namaikina!, Volume 3, (平民のくせに生意気な！) in Japanese on Kindle in US and JP. (In case you cannot wait until this is translated into English by Seven Seas, as I cannot. ^_^)

Also up on the store is Shuu ni Ichido Classmate wo Kau Hanashi ~ Futari no Jikan, Iiwakeno Gosenen~, Volume 1 (週に一度クラスメイトを買う話 ~ふたりの時間、言い訳の五千円~) a LN about a girl who sells herself to a classmate, perhaps to hide her feelings? Probably not, but you never know.

Other News

This week History is Gay and Okazu teamed up to talk about the grandmother of Yuri, Yoshiya Nobuko and her amazing life and love in A Husband is Unnecessary: Yoshiya Nobuko & Japanese Girls’ Culture. This was so much fun! I hope you’ll listen to it and subscribe to Leigh’s podcast, which is excellent.

Andrew Osmand wants us to know that BOA’s song “Duvet,” best known as the opening theme for Serial Experiments Lain, has a new official music video – and the band has reformed to make it, as the song has remained incredibly popular since the 1998 anime.

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

Yuri Audiobook

Volume 1 of I’m In Love With The Villainess audiobook is hitting devices on November 16. If you’re a new fan from watching the anime, this will be a great way to get into the LN series. ^_^

Yuri Light Novels & Webnovels

And, while we’re on inori.-sensei’s work, November 10 sees the release of her newest Light Novel, Yuusha ni Naritai Shoujo To, Yuusha Narubeki Kanojo ( 勇者になりたい少女と、勇者になるべき彼女). Melonbooks is offering an acrylic standee figure for sale, as well The Seven Seas’ November reader survey is up, so if you’d like to see this in English, let ’em know!

On Webnovel.com The Vampire’s Priestess is a new Yuri title up for your reading pleasure.

Yuri Anime

The Blu-Ray pre-order for The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is up and the pre-order gift is a wedding dress image for the main couple. Almost exactly like I’m In Love With The Villianess and MagiRevo. I guess this is how its gonna be now. ^_^

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Yuri VN

The Phantom of the Black Rose Review: Act 1 is now up on the Yuricon Store! Grab a copy of this shoujo manga/Takarazuka/horror mashup by Yamino for pay what you want!

Yuri Manga

FLOWERCHILD’s new release Utsushicha Damena Kao, Volume 1 (映しちゃダメな顔) is out now and once again Melonbooks is offering an acrylic standee figure. Melonbooks is really leaning into the extras these days. It’s a darn good way to distract from Amazon, which doesn’t even offer extra booklets, or illustrations.

Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou., Volume 7  (私の推しは悪役令嬢。) is out in Japan (and, interestingly, was on the shelves at my local Kinokuniya, along with spin-off  Volume 1 of Watashi No Oshi Ha Akuyaku Reijou. Maid Kitchen, ( 私の推しは悪役令嬢。 メイドキッチン) AND I’m in Love with the Villainess,Volume 5 in English!

Good news for French-readers, Meian Editions has announced the license of I’m In Love With The Villainess in French. Thank you to YNN Correspondent Mang’Albine for the heads up!

Ichijinsha has launched a new series of promotional videos of some of their top Yuri manga, featuring Rae and Claire’s anime voice actresses, Serizama Yuu and Karen Nanami! Check out the playlist for PVs of Citrus, Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru, Osoto Gohan o Issho Ni and Inkya Gyaru Demo Ikigaritai! Another sign that this series is popular – they are using these characters to sell other manga. ^_^

Yuri Events

We have a new panel up for Yuricon 2023! Amy Martin and Luce discuss the place Yuri-Adjacent series have in our to-watch lists! This was a wonderful panel and I hope you’ll all enjoy it! All of our Yuricon 2023 panels are available on Yuri Studio.  There’s still time to get a panel or presentation application in, if you’d like to be part of this 20th anniversary event. ^_^

This month sees the opening of the There’s No Way I’ll Be Your Lover, Unless… pop-up shop in Japan.

Yuriten is running in Osaka for one more day and that will shutter this year’s Yuri exhibition. They are still taking orders on the store, so grab some goods while they last!

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Yuri Doujinshi

Filipino circle Penlab on Facebook has announced the publication of SILAKBO, an anthology of Filipino Girls’ Love one-shot komiks set in high school.

Speaking of Filipino circles, my great thanks to Yuri/GL Philippines for making it possible for me to get a copy of their Yurilistic doujinshi, celebrating Suletta and Minorine’s wedding (night). ^_^ It will find a home among my global doujinshi collection!

Other News

Via YNN Correspondent Patricia B, we have news of  Shàonǚ zhī ài: Táiwān ACG jiè bǎihé mí wénhuà fāzhǎn shǐ 2023 zēng xiū bǎn (少女之愛：台灣ACG界百合迷文化發展史 2023增修版), a Taiwanese look at Baihe fan culture, by Yáng Shuāngzǐ – a pseudonym taken by Taiwanese novelist Yáng Ruòhuī and her twin sister. This is available now from Gaea Books. If you are a reader of Chinese and would like to review this for us, we’d be delighted to have a review!

Mangasplaining Extra has an interview with asexual manga artist Isaki Uta, as a follow-up to their very successful collected volume Kickstarter.

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more Yuri reviews!

Yuri Anime

As we’ve all been endlessly discussing I’m In Love With the Villainess here and on the Okazu Discord (where Patreon Patrons and Ko-fi Supporters now have their own unique roles!)   I thought it would be worth highlighting a few other folks’ perspectives, especially as I have read all of the novels several times over, now and know everything that is to come. What does this series look like for folks who are watching it cold? Read on!

This week on Okazu Lena Tama wrote about the series from a queer Indonesian perspective.

Nicholas Dupree has a pretty insightful review of the first three ILTV episodes so far on ANN.

Alex Henderson discusses Episode 1 on Anime Feminist.

Here is Frog-kun with Why I’m In Love With the Villainess Is Such a Cult LGBTQ+ Hit.
 

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Yuri Manga

Seven Seas has announced the license for Comic Yuri Hime manga Chasing Spica, which is described this way, “Nekozuka Serina is a serious third-year high school student who’s studying hard to qualify for a scholarship. Her cute and stylish looks, however, don’t exactly meet the school dress code—which Tachibana Reiko, a member of the disciplinary committee, is always on her case about. Plus, no matter how much Serina tries, Reiko always bests her in grades and athletics. One day, however, Serina spots Reiko meeting with an unknown woman after school…and going to a love hotel! What will happen between Serina and Reiko now that they share a secret?” Anita Tai has the details on ANN.

Out now in Japan, is Volume 1 of subculture gal Yuri manga, Yinkya Gal Demo Ikigaritai! (陰キャギャルでもイキがりたい！), also running in Comic Yuri Hime.

Volume 1 and 2 of the Japanese language edition of  Teren Mikami’s manga, Watashi ga Koibitio ni nareruwakenaijan, Murimuri!! (*Murijanakaya!?) (わたしが恋人になれるわけないじゃん、ムリムリ！（※ムリじゃなかった!?)) are free to read on Shueisha’s Akima platform through November 1. Volume 1  and Volume 2 of the There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… manga are out now in English from Seven Seas.

Volume 7 of Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou. manga (私の推しは悪役令嬢。) has been released in Japan. Melonbooks is selling a special tapestry for people who purchase the book with them. I included the link to the special edition on the Yuricon Store entry.

To commemorate the anime, the Ikebukuro main Animate store is giving away Wataoshi chocolates today. ^_^ It was a really good week for fans of Rae and Claire.

Volume 1 of  Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou., Maid Kitchen (私の推しは悪役令嬢。 メイドキッチン) thre cooking spin-off of Wataoshi, has also hit shelves this week. Get this from Melonbooks for a special acrylic key holder and illustration card!

Yuri Light Novel

 If you buy the Limited Edition of Yuusha ni Naritai Shoujo To, Yuusha Narubeki Kanojo (勇者になりたい少女と、勇者になるべき彼女) Volume 1 of from Melonbooks, it comes with an acrylic standee of the two protagonists! So if you throw your money at Melonbooks you’ll get a ton of inori.-sensei goods!

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Yuri Event

The Yuriten event wraps up today in Tokyo, then moves on to Osaka. You can get goods through the Yuriten online store with a shipping service.

Yuri Games and VNs
 

Via YNN Correspondent Patricia B, Queer creator Nekobungi Sumire has released English-language editions of her game Neko Can Dream, which is described as “A Dream-Collecting Adventure In An 8-Bit World.”

Studio Élan has released the demo of Twofold on Steam.

Other News

J-Novel Club is expanding into German and French releases! Congrats to them for their success.

As suspected, there are no forwarding links from Right Stuff to Crunchyroll, whee. So please be very patient as the Yuricon Store slooooowly transitions. ^_^

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.