Yuri Manga

We have some new items up on the Yuricon Store!

Coming this summer, we have If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die, Volume 2 from Tokyopop.

We’ll be getting The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, Volume 3 next month! I still love this series about two hard working, yet goofy, people who are very much in love.

Monologue Woven For You Vol. 3 completes this series about dreams deferred and changing goals.

Seven Seas announced the license of Becoming a Princess Knight and Working at a Yuri Brothel, the story of man reincarnated as a woman sex worker in another world.  This will be released in February 2024.

Okazu needs your support to continue bringing you Yuri news, reviews and interviews –
Become an Okazu Patron today!

Zerogo: Yuri Literary Magazine (零合 : 百合総合文芸誌) with cover art by Shimura Takako-sensei is definitely part of a trend of one-volume Yuri fiction collections  in Japan.

Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru, Volume 3 (踊り場にスカートが鳴る) is the ongoing saga of two girls finding themselves through ballroom dancing.

Natsu To Lemon To Overlay  (夏とレモンとオーバーレイ) had a great idea and had a pleasant ending.

Hero-san to Moto Onna Kanbu-san, Volume 5 (ヒーローさんと元女幹部さん) continues sometime’s sentai Yuri love story.

Sal Jiang’s Ayaka-chan ha Hiroko-sempai ni Koi Shiteru, Volume 3 (彩香ちゃんは弘子先輩に恋して) is up on the store and in my to-read box! Now that Ayaka has proclaimed her love in front of the whole office, what will Hiroko do? This manga is available in English over at Manga Plus as AYAKA is in LOVE with HIROKO!. Check out the free chapter and subscribe for the rest.

Yuri Anime

Also on the Yuricon Store, we have the If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die Blu-ray set! I honestly think the anime fixed a lot of the problems with the early volumes of the manga and was pretty good. ^_^

Yuri Light Novels

Yuri Tama: From Third Wheel to Trifecta The First, is also up on the Store.

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

I’m In Love With The Villainess News

Volume 6 of the Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou. (私の推しは悪役令嬢。) manga was released this week in Japan! inori.-sensei noted on her Twitter feed, that that week, Yuri manga topped the “purchased by women” on both Amazon and honto.jp.

Also announced this week was an October premiere date for the Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou anime. A new promo video hit Youtube to whet our appetite.

Queer Comics News

Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For will be getting an Audible adaptation version with an all-star cast. Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya has the details on Autostraddle.

Netflix has posted a trailer for ND Stevenson’s Nimona, which is going to premiere in June.

Yuricon News

By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime And Manga turns 1 year old at the end of the month! Going to ask my Okazu Patrons and Supporters how they’d like to celebrate. I’m thinking of doing an online reading. ^_^

Other News

The Library of Congress Magazine for May-June 2023 looks at LGBTQ+ at the Library. You can read or download the issue as a free PDF.

Kara Denison over at Crunchyroll News has the details on a full orchestra concert for the beloved Anne of Green Gables anime.

Over at ANN, the Editorial staff went through Viz Media’s new manga app and two of them voted for How Do We Relationship as their Best Series Out Now On The Viz Manga App.

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons and Supporters who make the YNN weekly report possible!

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 Anime

It lives! I’m In Love With the Villainess will be premiering in October 2023! Check out the trailer on Youtube.  Crystalyn Hogkins has details of casting over on ANN. My only benchmark for this anime is whether or not it keeps the lunch conversation about Rae being gay or not. ^_^

Also premiering in October is Hoshikuzu Telepath, a Mangataime Kirara series. I guess I should get around to reading the manga before it hits. ^_^

ANN’s Kim Morrissy notes that Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury has assisted the Gundam franchise to record-breaking revenue, including sales of the Aerial figurines. I’m gonna to say – with tongue firmly in cheek – that I bet Birdie Wing helped too, by reminding a bunch of those of old golf-playing dudes in Japan of the Gundam franchise they loved in the youth. ^_^

Okazu needs your support to continue bringing you Yuri news, reviews and interviews –
Become an Okazu Patron today!

Queer Comics

LSBN is a lesbian mech rom-com graphic novel by Ignatz and Prism Award-winning cartoonist Emma Jayne with coloring by Sloane Leong. It looks great and is on pre-order now! This seems totally up our alley here on Okazu. ^_^

Yuri Manga

Clearing out some items of interest from Comic Natalie, today. ^_^

Mizutani Fuuka, creator of the popular school romance story, Love at Fourteen, has a spin-off of the series, Reliance (リライアンス). This story is about Aoi, the student who fell for Hajima-sensei, told from the perspective of another classmate, Tachibana.

Takane-san and Arashi-chan (高音さんと嵐ちゃん) is a story about two second-years in high school. Their relationship seems to lack nuance, but the story doesn’t look unpleasant. Volume 1 of this full-color Yuri manga is out in Japan, or check the sample pages over on Bookwalker and see if it interests you.

A! Yasei no Ojou-sama ga Tobidashitekita!! (あ！ 野生のお嬢様がとびだしてきた!!) also looks to have some potential, although in an off-beat manner. In a old-fashioned school for young ladies the Student Council is the Lily Cross Society. Sumire, a first-year joins, only to find that the LCS is involved in a bus accident in the mountains. Can the remaining members survive? Volume 1 is collected, Volume 2 will be released in June and, again, there are sample pages on Bookwalker.

If Itou Hachi is your bag, they have combined their favorite fetishes of animal-eared girls, ane-loli and Yuri again in a new series Inari no Kekkon (いなりの結婚) running now on Web Action.

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

Other News

Congratulations to YNN Correspondent Patricia Baxter for having a terrific article published on Anime Feminist. Give her The Joyful Affirmation Of Plus-sized Leads In Yuri a read and like!

ANN’s Rafael Antonio Pineda has the news that several of the major Japanese art/content sites are banning AI art. DLsite, Ci-en, pixiv FANBOX, Fantia have all taken a stand against people using AI to create revenue streams on their sites.

Sr. YNN Corespondent Sean G notes that From Introvert Cringe to Yuri Harem—Watamote Turns 10, by Norbert Daniels, Jr. on ANN might appeal to those some folks, although he notes that the Yuri is more obvious in the manga after the anime ended. I’ll take his word on it.

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons and Supporters who make the YNN weekly report possible!

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

Still catching up on the Yuricon Store, but here’s a start. Definitely don’t miss the concluding volumes of two of my favorite Yuri manga! Catch These Hands, Volume 4 brings this charming dysfunctional adult series to an end.

For folks looking for sensitive and caring aro/ace representation, I hope you all picked up Doughnuts Under A Crescent Moon, Volume 4, because that series really nailed the ending.

And for once I am pre-emptively declaring a birthday celebration for myself. The Moon On A Rainy Night, Volume 1 comes out in English from Kodansha on my birthday and I want you all to read it and write in the comments of my review of it what you think! I’m reading Volume 4 now in Japanese and it’s just so good.

Okazu needs your support to continue bringing you Yuri news, reviews and interviews –
Become an Okazu Patron today!

Arai Sumiko’s Kininatteru Hito Ga Otoko Janakatta (気になってる人が男じゃなかった) hit shelves last month in Japan. This manga got it’s start on Twitter and became very popular quickly. It’s about a woman who mistakes another woman for a guy and falls for “him.”

Via YuriMother, we have news that Run Away With Me Girl, Volume 3 has hit shelves this month.

And for those of you interested in There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless…, Volume 1, the collaboration between Teren Mikami and Eku Takeshima, Sean Gaffney has reviewed it and noted the possibly problematic bits for you.

In case you missed this, ANN’s Margaux Pangilinan took a look at Advice and More From the TATESC Award Winning Author of LILIES, one of the first Bookwalker vertical-scroll comics.

 
Sailor Moon News

I’m sure everyone has had a chance to watch this, but if you haven’t, be frustrated by the gorgeous Sailor Moon Cosmos trailer, which means that Toei made the exact same mistakes this time that they did the first time around – cheaping out and rushing the first two seasons, with not-great directors, then having a decent director and a teeny more money for Season 3, then spending a ton of money on Seasons 4 and 5. Maddening, isn’t it?  ^_^;

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

Yuri Anime

Still cleaning out my inbox, so let’s make sure we all watch the Whisper Me A Love Song anime trailer, and look forward to its January 2024 debut. Rafael Antonio Pineda has the details over at ANN.

Yuri Live-Action

ANN’s Alex Mateo has the live-action Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games series’ trailer for us to enjoy! Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the manga has been reviewed on Okazu by Luce.

Other News

ANN’s Answerman, Kim Morrissy, takes on the question “Why is Yuri Anime So Popular Now?” Thanks Kim for giving me a chance to be part of that answer!

 
Thanks to our Okazu Patrons and Supporters who make the YNN weekly report possible!

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.

I want to start off today by thanking all of you who have been sending me support and good thoughts. This is my first YNN report since February and I’m keeping it short today, but it’s good to be back!

Yuri Manga

At Sakuracon, Yen Press announced the license for Maitsuki Niwatsuki Ooyatsuki by Yodokawa as Monthly in the Garden With My Landlord. I reviewed Volume 1 and Volume 2 of this charming manga and look forward to it in English!

Yen also licensed Cheerful Amnesia. I know a lot of people really liked it, but I sided with Bruce, our late friend, when he wrote his last review for Okazu on that series. ^_^;

Live Action Yuri

Via Ashley, we have a tweet from Mark Julio on a live adaptation of Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games, with trailer! According to Mark, this will be on the Lemino streaming service in Japan in May.

Okazu needs your support to continue bringing you Yuri news, reviews and interviews –
Become an Okazu Patron today!

Yuri Visual Novels

Aikasa Collective has launched a new Kickstarter for Red Rebellion, an historical fantasy romance game featuring Robin Hood and Little Red Riding Hood as they team up and fall in love! With 25 days to go, it’s about half-way, so if you can, give this indie game some love. ^_^

Studio Élan is taking pre-orders for a limited run of physical console editions of their popular Heart of the Woods Yuri VN! You can get HoW on Switch, PS4 or PS5. Pre-orders close May 21.

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

Yuri Voice Comic

Manga artist Natsuo Mutsumi kickstarted a successful campaign for her manga My Date Is A Total Ike Women! in Japanese and English. The final stretch goals were the creation of a voice drama for the comic and an original piece of music. Natsuo-sensei will be recruiting for non-Japanese voices, so keep an eye out for their tweets!

I’m In Love With The Villianess has also been given a voice comic reading, in anticipation of the upcoming anime. inori-sensei posted a link to it on her twitter. Also for fans of ITLV, Plang has expanded their Claire’s Birthday game- Revolution Lily – they say it has additional scenarios and illustrations. ^_^

Yuri Light Novels

Yen Press has announced the license of the print versions of Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire. J-Novel Club has the digital editions. I really enjoyed that anime, although calling it “Yuri” would be pushing boundaries, but it is a fun series centered on young women’s friendships.

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons and Supporters who make the YNN weekly report possible!

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.

Okazu Needs Your Help!

2023 is a year that is especially full of new creative content for all of us – tons of Yuri manga, light novelsvisual novels, and brand new Yuri anime – which means new “Erica reacts” videos, our Yuricon 2023 panels and presentations and more as the year goes on. It’s only March and we already have 7 videos up for Season 4 of  Yuri Studio! We have a bunch of new guest reviews here on Okazu and, of course, there are the usual news reports, reviews and some features lined up for the near future.

All of this takes time and money. If you enjoy any or all of the content you read hereon Okazu or watch on Yuri Studio, or the conveniences of the Yuricon store and the Yuricon Essays page…

Please consider supporting Okazu on Patreon or Ko-fi. Your financial support goes straight to paying the writers, artists and editors we employ to keep all of this going.

Support Yuri journalism and research
Become an Okazu Patron today!

Yuri Anime

Whisper Me A Love Song anime, based on the manga by Takeshima Eku now has a premier date of January 2024! New cast and key visual can be found on Crystalyn Hodgkins item on ANN.

Yuri is My Job and the second seasons of  Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury and Birdie Wing all have April premier dates.

Fresh Precure 5, Maho Girls Precure both are being given sequel anime series with the characters as adults. Rafael Antonio Pineda has the details over at ANN. I am intrigued at the idea of these series taking a look at the characters years later, but how I wish it had been Heartcatch!  Fresh was one of the seasons I just could not make it through. Ah well. ^_^

Buy us a Sparkling Senshi Water at Ko-Fi
and support Yuri journalism and research!

Yuri Light Novels

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Volume 4 is poised for an April release in English – perfect timing as the anime will have just wrapped up and we’ll all be hungry for more!

The Executioner And Her Way Of Life: A Casket of Salt, Volume 6 will hit shelves this week and the battle between Menou and her mentor will come to a climax.

Yuri Manga

This week on Bookwalker, there are a number of coin back/coin up promotions including free volume 1s and up to 50% coin back on selected volumes of Kodansha Manga. Drop in to Bookwalker here to see what you can nab!

Speaking of Kodansha, something to eagerly await is The Moon On A Rainy Night, Volume 1, which will reach us in September. This story about a hard of hearing girl and a hearing girl who become friends with her is absolutely not disability inspiration porn. It is a solid tale of otherness and accommodation, friendship and love. I have reviewed Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 here in Japanese and Volume 4 is coming out shortly in Japan. Don’t miss this series when it his shelves in autumn.

Seven Seas has licensed Sheep Princess in Wolf’s Clothing, about a wolf butler to a sheep princess.

Also hitting shelves this week is She Loves To Cook, She Loves To Eat, Volume 2! Nomoto and Kasuga think about food and each other and make new friends.

Amongst Us, Book 1: Soulmates is a fun AU comic by Shilin Huang of the leas characters from her epic fantasy Carciphona. Blackbird and Veloce live in our world, but they are still themselves. This is a lighthearted slice-of-life about a Very Odd Couple.

Chidori and Nanoha have finally decided what to do about their futures in Hana ni Arashi, Volume 12 (はなにあらし).

Manga Mogura’s Twitter account highlighted a new Yuri manga called Ironna Onnanoko to Kiss o Shite Itara, Yuri Kiss ni Mezamete Shimaimashita vol 1 (色んな女の子とキスをしていたら、百合キスに目覚めてしまいました…。) by Betock. According to MM, this is a “comedy about a high school girl who finds a unconscious angel girl in the woods. The only way to save her is to kiss her!”

Yuama’s The Summer You Were There is slated to wrap up with a 6th volume. Rafael Antonia Pineda has the details on ANN.

Ikuta Hana’s Kage to Hana (影と花) is a Web Action Yuri comic about a girl’s school for ninjas! I’ll have to give it a try at least. ^_^

Kickstarter News

Studio Élan is running a kickstarter for physical copies of their top Yuri Visual Novels which has blown past it’s initial goal and is already funded through the second stretch goal. Next up would be a LN based on one of their games. It’s always a good bet to back an already-successful kickstarter. ^_^

Also already fully funded through new stretch goals, with 12 days to go is My Date Is A Total Ike Women [sic], a butch x butch manga by Natsuo Mutsumi – an original song added to a now-illustrated voice drama is the only remaining goal! I bet we get there.

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons who make the YNN weekly report possible! Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi to help us give Guest Reviewers a raise and to help us support Yuri creators!

Become a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share and be part of the Yuri Network.