Light Novel News

Seven Seas has announced that they are doing an audiobook edition of I’m In Love With The Villainess! Click the link to pre-order and to listen to a sample, narrated by Courtney Shaw.

Via Sr. YNN Correspondent Sean G, two Adachi and Shimamura novels are coming out in Japan in November. He says, ‘one is a SS volume, one is “Vol 99.9″.”

Yuri Anime

I’m In Love With The Villainess has a Japanese broadcast schedule up on the official twitter account. We’ll be getting it from Crunchyroll, undoubtedly asap. Voice actresses for Claire and Rae,  Yu Serizawa and Karin Nanami, respectively, are undertaking some silly challenges to promote the series. Watch those on Twitter with the hashtag #わた推しチャレンジ. ^_^

As part of the 25th anniversary celebration, Serial Experiments Lain has launched a Lain chatbot, where you can “speak to Lain.” Richard Eisenbeis has the story over at ANN.

Via Yurimother, we learn that Aniplex announced Puella Magi Madoka Magica -Walpurgisnacht: Rising- for a winter 2024 debut. The trailer is up on Youtube.

From VIVERSE, the same folks that brought you the Birdie Wing Museum, now have a special offer for players of the Nintendo Switch Game (reviewed this week on Okazu by Eleanor!). You can pick up an outfit for Eve and Aoi – and VIVERSE is holding a cosplay event in the “museum.” Dress as Eve or Aoi and join other fans of the series.

Other News

LilyGL Net is a new Yuri-themed online art gallery. If you register, you can customize what kinds of art you see. I unallowed AI-generated art, but left everything else as it. Hopefully they’ll get more works to share as more folks join.

From meow on the Okazu Discord, Princess Peach is getting a new game, in which she is taking on the bad guys and gaining new forms and power. In effect, they’ve created Cutie Peachie for Princess Peach: Showtime!

Alex Henderson takes a look at Queer time and the quarter-life crisis in contemporary yuri over at Anime Feminist.

We’re wrapping up today with a thank you to the lovely folks at CitrusCon for hosting me as I talked about why BL and Yuri are not Opposites At All.

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 Anime

Via YNN Correspondent Patricia B, you should take a moment to watch the Hoshikuzu Telepath trailer. This anime about friendship and going to space has an October premiere date!

The special [Watashi no oshi wa akuyaku reijō. ] Rei to Kurea ni ichimon’ittō 〜 i sekai de kiite mita 〜 (【私の推しは悪役令嬢。】レイとクレアに一問一答 〜異世界で聞いてみた〜) Rae & Claire Q&A sessions for the upcoming I’m In Love With The Villainess anime  continue – they are up to 6 on Youtube now. ^_^ Check out Sephalia’s Twitter feed for links to translations.

Retrocrush announced that, as of September 15, The Rose of Versailles anime will be streaming  – free, legally – on their service.

ANN’s Alex Mateo notes that Retrocrush will also be streaming Magic Knight Rayearth, among other series.

HIDIVE announced that it will stream The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess this autumn. If you’d like to review it for Okazu, contact us!

Help us give raises to our Guest writers!
Become an Okazu Patron today!

Not really Yuri, but HIDIVE also notes that RE:cycle of the PENGUINDRUM, Part 1 and Part 2 are streaming on their site. I’m torn about watching this, as I really thought the TV series was perfect. If you’d like to review it for Okazu, drop me a line!

Yuri Light Novels

Big news in the Yuri light novel world this week – inori.-sensei, creator of I’m In Love With The Villainess, announced a new book,  Yuusha ni Naritai Shoujo <Boku> to, Yuusha ni narubeku Kanojo <Kimi> ( 勇者になりたい少女＜ボク＞と、勇者になるべき彼女＜キミ＞」) which I would translate as something like “Me, the girl who wants to be a hero and you, she who ought to be a hero.” If I were titling it in English maybe something like “Boku to Kimi: The girl who wants to be a hero, and the woman who should be a hero.”  It’s an intriguing title. Sensei is publishing it with Dengeki Bunko, so a new publisher, as well.

Luckily the Seven Seas September Survey is live, so you can ask them to get that right away. ^_^

Yuri Articles

We have a ton of great reading this month, beginning with Friend of Yuri Frank Hecker’s, Notes toward a unified theory of yuri, in which he attempts to find threads of commonality and thematics in Yuri.

Via YNN Correspondent Matt Marcus, recent participant in the Trans Percpectives on Yuri panel for Yuricon 2023, Alexis Sara expands her thoughts in Lilies In Transition: The state of trans representation in yuri on Anime Feminist.

And, again for Anime Feminist, Gab Hernandez take a look at My Fave Is Problematic: Stop!! Hibari-Kun!, in which this series  – which is full of stereotypes and also amazingly ahead of it’s time – is addressed with fairness and honesty.

Buy us a Sailor Senshi sparkling water, so we can raise our guest writer’s wages!
Support Yuri journalism on Ko-fi!

Yuri Manga

Via YNN Correspondent Matt Marcus, Arai Sumiko’s Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko ga Janakatta, (気になっている人が男じゃなかった) has a pop-up shop at the Ikebukuro Parco in Tokyo on September 15-24. Also via Matt, the goods are supposed to be going online when the event is over.

The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, Volume 4 will be hitting shelves in November. It’s a great end to this series.

Kono Koi Wo Hoshi Ni Wa Negawanai, Volume 1 (この恋を星には願わない) tells the tale of three school friends and a relationship that could not have happened….

Over at ANN, Nicholas Dupree takes a look at I Don’t Know Which Is Love, Volume 1, which makes a nice companion to Luce’s review here on Okazu.

Yuri Doujinshi

Yuri/GL Phillipines is very proud to announce “their first-ever Pinoy-made doujin anthology: YURILISTIC – Yuri Doujin Circle Vol 1 presents Vows: Among the Lilies!” This will be available at Cosplay Mania ’23 in Manila. They have some samples on their Twitter thread.

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 Manga

New on the Yuricon Store!

Whisper Me A Love Song, Volume 7 will be gracing our shelves this winter, in time to make a great holiday gift. ^_^

Also hitting shelves in winter is Shio Usui’s I Married My Female Friend, Volume 1. This could have been a really superficial series, but hasn’t been at all. Some great stuff has happened in the so-far 3 volumes that are out in Japan.

Running in Margaret magazine, a woman meets her oldest, dearest friend…but something has changed between them in Tsumetakute Yawaraka, Volume 1 ( 冷たくて 柔らか).

Vampeerz, Volume  7 , ( ヴァンピアーズ)  has also joined the  Yuricon store.

A number of folks have written in to note that “The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t A Guy At All,” Kininatteru Hito Ga Otoko Janakatta (気になってる人が男じゃなかった) by Arai Sumiko, took 1st place in the Next Manga Awards in the Web manga category. The message from the author specifically thanks support from international fans. I reviewed that manga last month here on Okazu. 

Just $5/month can make a difference
Become an Okazu Patron today!

ANN’s Rafael Antonio Pinedaa has news that Mikanuji’s Yuri and food manga Sempai, Oishii Desuka?  ((先輩、美味しいですか?) is ending soon. I was rather disappointed with the latest volume in my review last May.

Yuri Doujinshi

Via YNN Correspondent Marcus, two doujinshi by creator of Catch These Hands!, murata, featuring Soramori and Takebe from that series, are available for free digital download at Melonbooks. You will need to have a Melonbooks account and download the Melonbooks free e-reader to get them, but they are very fun.

Webtoon News

Via Yuri Daily on Facebook, webcomic platform TappyToon has made What Does The Fox Say? unavailable for purchase as of August 30. They note that “According to official information, the original publisher demanded the title to be removed from [being available to be unlocked.]” This is confirmed on the comic page on Tappytoons.

Yuri Anime

Via YNN Correspondent Patricia B., we have a trailer for the upcoming anime Hoshikuzu Telepath. I’m very interested to see where this story goes, as I have only read and reviewed the first volume. It looks, like it’s going to be a standard “school club” story.

Kibou no Chikara, the adult Precure story has a trailer and a hint of Precure relationships that survived into adulthood. Joana Cayanan has details on ANN.

Burkeley Hermann takes a long look at the anime for the Alice Gear Aegis Expansion Japanese mobile game and finds it quite Yuri indeed.

 
Yuri Events

The Yuriten Webstore is open! You can purchase goods that are featured at the Yuri art exhibition, in Tokyo and Osaka. A credit card and a buying or shipping service like Buyee/Tenso or White Rabbit will allow you to get goods delivered to you wherever you are. We don’t have specific dates yet, but it looks like the exhibitions will be happening in October and November for Tokyo and respecively.

Buy us a Sailor Senshi sparkling water
Support Yuri journalism on Ko-fi!

Yuri Visual Novel & Games

The folks at Noodletub Games have launched the kickstarter for their new 18+ Yuri Visual Novel, Renai Bakudan, which they describe as “Run a love hotel and find your soulmate in this erotic adventure!”

Via YNN Correspondent Paul E., who reviewed Lovestruck just as it was closing down. It appears that some enthusiastic fans are recreating it from archive material Check out Love’s Truck: The Final Stop for some fandom love.

Yuri Voice Drama

Via May Barrameda, an independent translator working with doujinshi circles, Yuri Situation Voice Drama Kodoku na Majo to Hirowareko no Anata (孤独な魔女と拾われ子のあなた) by Japanese doujinshi circle Ichika no Yurien (いちかの百合園) is now available with English language subtitles! And right now it’s available for 30% off at DL site!

I was a huge consumer of CD Dramas back in the day and I should probably get back into Voice Dramas now that they are being distributed. ^_^ Check out DLSite for other Yuri Voice Dramas, as well.

Other News

Over at Anime Feminist, Sarah Guinevere Smit has written a great article on Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou and Transgender Cyborgs’ Experience of the Apocalypse.

Also for Anime Feminist, Mehitabel Glenhaber takes a look at “An Inner Revolution Of The Japanese Women”: The Rose of Versailles As feminist historical fiction.

YNN Correspondent David Mankins would like you to know about the film Witches of the Orient, about a factory-sponsored  women’s volleyball team, who became the Japanese national team and competed in the 1964 Olympics! The film seems to have been released in the UK and Ireland, but we do have a trailer on Youtube. Those of you in or near Cambridge, MA, can access the film through your library card!

Wrapping up for the week – I can’t remember where I found this, but this music video for 虎狼来 (Kororon), is lovely!

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips. 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 our readers.

Yuri Manga

This year’s Do-Not-Miss release is hitting shelves in just a few weeks! Absolutely grab yourself a copy of The Moon on A Rainy Night, Volume 1 by Kuzushiro, coming out the first week in September. This is an outstanding manga. I just finished Volume 5 last night in Japanese and it’s just getting better and better. I’m going to pound the drum for this series a lot. Please get it. ^_^

Titan Manga has licensed the Burst Angel manga. This is the first time this will be in print since 2008. Alex Mateo has details over at ANN. As I point out in my review of Volume 1 of the Tokyopop release, the manga is somewhat Yurier than the anime. If nothing else, this gives me a chance to revive discussion of Sei-who-is-not-named-Beth. ^_^ I’m hoping for a better reproduction this time around, as the Tokyopop reproduction, lettering and translation were not particularly good. Not that Titan has a great reputation.

Comic Natalie reports that Shimura Takako’s Otona ni Nattemo (up to Volume 9 is out in Japan,) published in English as Even Though We’re Adults, (up to Volume 6 is available in English) will be ending in the October issue of KISS magazine.  I have always been expecting a heart-wrenching ending and, uh, Comic Natalie says that’s what to expect. ^_^;

The Wings magazine official Twitter account announced a new chapter of Kase-san to Yamada this issue and an upcoming new volume. No date or details as of yet. Kase-san’s roommate is going to have to deal with her feelings about Kase-san.

The [Boyish²] Butch×Butch Yuri Anthology[vol.2] Kickstarter has mere hours to go and is less than $2000 away from making the final 5 million yen stretch goal! I know we can do this. If you liked the first volume, you’re gonna love this one, Natsuo-sensei has an international lineup this time with creators from Japan, the USA and Canada.

Joanna Cayanan at ANN has the news that Days of Love at Seagull Villa and NTR creator Kodama Naoko as a new story starting up in Comic Yuri Hime. Kodama-sensei shared the promotional spread from the magazine on Twitter.

Support Yuri news, video and reviews! 
$5/month can make a difference
Become an Okazu Patron today

Yuri Events

Yuriten is back! On Twitter, Yuriten announced that there will be a Yuriten 2023 exhibition. /flailing Kermit hands of excitement/ Creators are also announced on their thread, including Kuzushiro. I have terrible timing so, the chances of this being the one week I am in Japan is almost nil, but pray for me. ^_^ The main visual illustration this time is by Fly, whose art I love, and photo by Yōnikuruton.

They have a lovely little promotional video as well. “Tadaima,” it says., “We’re back.”(T_T)

Buy us a Sailor Senshi sparkling water
Support Yuri journalism on Ko-fi!

I’m doing a brand new talk on BL & Yuri – and how they have more in common than difference – for Citrus Con tomorrow, Sunday August 27, 2023 online at 2:30 EDT. Registration is free, so I hope you’ll join me.

I’ll also be in Tokyo for December Comitia and planning on scouting grand new Yuri doujinshi I can ask companies to license. ^_^

For those of you hitting Tokyo up in October, Girls Love Fest is taking place on October 29, 2023 back in Asakusa.

Yuri & Baihe Anime

Via YNN Correspondent Patricia B, we have a really exciting promotional video to share. This is a preview for the forthcoming Two Adamant Hearts baihe donghua project, based on the novel Clear & Muddy Loss of Love, (泾渭情殇) by Qǐng jūn mò xiào. The PV has English under the closed captioning option. A guardian whose family is killed by the royals, who vows revenge, but cares for the  princess who needs protection…yeah okay, I’m in . ^_^ Storyboards and drafts are on the JWWJ official Youtube channel.

Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.  Questions and Answers for Rei and Claire ~ Asked in Another World~ ( 私の推しは悪役令嬢。】レイとクレアに一問一答 〜異世界で聞いてみた〜) is a cute animated Q&A about their likes and dislikes on Youtube. We’re getting close to the premiere! No subtitles as of yet, but I expect we’ll get them shortly.

By Your Side Birthday Special

There is a little over  a week left to get the By Your Side Birthday Special! As you may remember I was quite ill in s[ring and had to cancel all of my events this year except for those online. I also lost my job. So if you haven’t yet gotten a copy of By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime And Manga,  you have just over a week to order a copy for $20 plus a signed bookplate, with free shipping for those of you in the Lower 48 of the US. If you are outside that area, contact me and we will definitely work something out.

Help support Yuri journalism and research! Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips. 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 our readers.

This month is Okazu’s and Yuricon’s birthdays so I am running an amazing birthday special! US folks can get By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga plus a signed bookplate for a flat fee of $20, including shipping! Overseas folks, please contact me and we’ll figure something out. 

If you were waiting for the right moment to buy a copy of BYS, this is that moment!^_^ The offer ends Sept. 6th, so don’t wait!

Yuri Anime

Whisper Me a Love Song anime, which will be released in the new year, now has a key visual reports Rafael Antonio Pineda over at ANN.

Alex Mateo has some info on the music for the upcoming Hoshikuzu Telepath anime over at ANN as well.

Via Sr. YNN Corespondent Sean G., Yuri-adjacent anime, Management of a Novice Alchemist, is getting a Blu-ray collection from Sentai Filmworks.

Yuricon 2023

It was our very real pleasure to host a panel that we could not have done in 2003, but for 2023, we absolutely definitely could and did. Please enjoy Trans Perspectives On Yuri, featuring Alexis Sara, Cypress Catwell, Tif Gallant and hosted by our own Ashley Payne.

You can watch all the Yuricon 2023 videos on Youtube! We have some great content coming up as well. It’s going to be a fun Yuri autumn.

Support Yuri Writers – 
Become an Okazu Patron today!

Yuri Manga

Alter Ego 2: Noel & June by Ana C. Sánchez is slated for a February release in English from Tokyopop.

Also from Tokyopop, If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die, Volume 2 hits bookshelves this week!

Live-Action Thai GL

Via YNN Correspondent Frank H, Becky and Freen, stars of GAP The Series, are starring in a new series from Idol Factory called Pinpak, about a Princess and her childhood friend. The Twitter post linked here also contains links to Meb, where the books the series are based upon can be purchased in Thai.

Buy us a Sailor Senshi sparkling water, so we can raise our guest writer’s wages!
Support Yuri journalism on Ko-fi!

Yuri Doujinshi

The big news from Comiket was the existence of a G-Witch doujinshi b ythe staffers who worked on the anime Mobile Suit Gundam – The Witch From Mercury – which included many expressions of congratulations for the marriage of Suletta and Miorine. So that was *their* interpretation, Bandai Namco. ^_^

Irodori Sakura has pre-orders for two ongoing Yuri doujinshi series, Working Women Yuri Manga Compilation 2: After Dating by Yuriemon and My Crush Is My Roomate 3 by Hajima.

Other News

Anime Feminist has a must-read interview for us by Vrai Kaiser, Author And Scriptwriter Watari Wataru On Cynical Heroines, Getting A Lesbian Kiss Onscreen, And Keeping His Day Job.

Monique Thomas & Nicholas Dupree have a great conversation in Is There a Double-Standard for Same-Sex Relationships in Anime? over at ANN.

YNN Correspondent Patricia C. Baxter writes a compelling piece for Anime Feminist, On Nintendo’s Reluctance To Make Princess Zelda Playable.

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.