Yuri Manga

Otherside Picnic, Volume 3 is out now from Square Enix and up on the Yuricon Store. I’ll be finishing it up this weekend and reviewing it soon. It has one of my favorite creepy scenes in it. ^_^

Via Yuri Daily on Facebook, Polish manga publisher Waneko has announced the Polish editions of Handsome Girl, Sheltered Girl (Przystojna dziewczyna i panna spod klosza) and Yuri Is My Job! (Yuri to moja praca! -Schwestern in Liebe!-)

Kuchibeta Shokudo (くちべた食堂) is a 2021 Japanese-language webcomic about food and Yuri that has been collected into a volume.

Yatosaki Haru has a new collection of 11 Yuri shorts called Watashi no Naka De Ichiba Ni Hikaru, Anata (私の中でいちばんに光る、貴方). You may recognize Yatosaki-sensei’s name from Galette magazine, but this collection is coming out from Beam Comics.

Crystalynn Hodgkins at ANN has the news that the Adachi to Shimamura (安達としまむら) manga adaptation is resuming in February in Dengeki Daioh magazine. The manga has been on hiatus since August.

Eunnie‘s debut Graphic Novel, If You’ll Have Me, is about to girls on the path to love. ^_^ With an October release date from Penguin Random House Books, you have plenty of time to pre-order it!

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Yuri Live Action

Via YNN Correspondent Eleanor, Service Charge (สถานะเต็มคาราเบล ) is another Thai GL live action series on Youtube.

Yuri Webtoons

YNN Correspondent Matt recommends the webtoon 48Km by iaraNaika about two people expressing their feelings in an awkward and indirect way ^_^

Yuri Visual Novels

Christine Love’s Get In The Car Loser: The Fate Of Another World is now available on Steam and Itch.io!

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Other News

Over at Crunchyroll News, Komatsu-san has the details on the PreCure 20th Anniversary Video and wow was that some excellent schmaltz.

Liam Dempsey at CR has the news that Mizuki Nana and Hayashibara Megumi are joining the cast of Sailor Moon Cosmos.

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Yuricon 2023

We are off to an amazing start for Yuricon 2023. The first discussion video will be recorded this week, as will my “Opening Ceremonies” video. (This will be posted when our new mascot art is completed. I am an otaku, after all and have ideas.)

We have almost a dozen confirmed panels/ presentations/discussions lined up so far and another half dozen proposals, but the Internet is nearly infinite and hope you will fill out the Application form to talk about your Yuri obsession, whether it be a series, or a character or a subgenre that really drew you in. Or, maybe you want to talk about art of fanfic or a Light Novel series that changed your life. Making Space for folks and different perspectives is a key concept for this event. 

Don’t self-censor – Apply to run a Yuricon 2023 panel or do a presentation today! We want to know all about your Yuri. All panels will be recorded and shared on Youtube, but I am hoping to do at least one livestream event in Q3. ^_^

Yuri Manga

New items up on the Yuricon Store! I’m about halfway in clearing out the backlog of stuff to get up. ^_^

The Summer You Were There, Volume 2 his shelves last month in English from Seven Seas.

The print volume of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is up for pre-order for a May release.

Takeshima Eku’s Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 7, in which we learn the Truth(TM) about Shiho.

Mejirobana Saku, Volume 3 (メジロバナの咲く) by Nakamura Asumiko continues her first Yuri title with what happens after Ruby manages to stay in school.

This is a 2020 Yuri rom-com, Lily Triangle, (リリィ・トライアングル) by the creator of Futari Monologue.

Ichijinsha has a new anthology out this week, Cosplay Yuri Ecchi Anthology (コスプレ百合えっちアンソロジー).

And, while you’re getting Qualia The Purple Light Novel, you should know that there is also a manga for it. Seven Seas will release the Qualia The Purple Complete Manga Collection  in June of this year.

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Polish fan group Yuri Daily on Facebook has written a review of 2007 doujinshi Manga Carmilla Girls Only, collection. This collection was created by Carmilla magazine, a Japanese lesbian magazine that ran in the mid-2000s which featured 18+manga, club news and stories and sex-forward lesbian media. There are some 3rd-party sellers on Amazon JP with copies to sell, if you’re interested. I reviewed an issue of Carmilla almost 20 years ago here on Okazu. It wasn’t for me at all, but it might be for you.

Vincisblog has reviewed all three volume of the German Edition of Goumoto’s Yuri manga, Umi to Yoru, out as Night and Sea from Taschebuch in Germany. Start with their review of Volume 1.

Yuri Anime

Birdie Wing is on the short list for “Best Original Animation” Crunchyroll award and the official account on Twitter is asking you to help them win! And now, so am I.  These are the worst awards voting ever, because we can stuff the ballot box meaning that whatever is most popular wins. So let’s do this thing. ^_^

Not-Yuri, but of interest and looking mighty fine, the Sailor Cosmos trailer dropped this week, with our first look at the Three Lights/Sailor Starlights and the haunting notes of ‘Search For Your Love!” Rafael Antonio Pineda has the details on ANN.

Steve Jones and Christopher Farris take a look at the new season of Isekai anime and determine that The Magical Revolution Of The Reincarnated Princess And The Genius Young Lady is worth watching. Line of the review is Chris’ “…Anis having more personality and face game in her pinky finger than 90% of the potato-tagonists of seasonal isekai shovelware combined.” Outstanding.

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Yuri Live Action

Again via Yuri Daily, Ohsawa Yayoi’s short Takeout Dekimasuka? will be getting a stage adaptation! This will have 6 performances, March 10 through 12 at Performing Gallery & Cafe Ezorabako. The comic upon which this play is based was part of her 2DK, GPen Aftertime Short Story Collection from 2021.

If sapphic content from other than Japan interests you, I highly recommend you follow douqi on Twitter and check out their list of Asian WLW Dramas list.

ANN’s Rafael Antonio Pined has the news that the Live-Action If My Favorite Pop Idol Made it to the Budokan, I Would Die Film Opens on May 12.

Yuri Visual Novels

Studio Élan has  key visuals from their upcoming project, Summer At The End Of The Universe up on their official Twitter account.

YNN Correspondent Patricia B. (who just reviewed 77 Oleander Avenue Ghost House Investigation this week on Okazu) wants you to know about a number of sapphic VNs:

First up is Super Lesbian Animal RPG by ponett, which is exactly what it sounds like: an RPG with anthropomorphic characters and sapphic leads. On top of the main cast entirely being comprised of sapphic women, including transgender women, the majority of the surrounding cast is also very queer. I found it to be a very fun and well-made role-playing game, full of heart, humour, and a good challenge for those familiar with the genre. This game can be purchased on either Steam or itch.io.

The second is The Elevator Game with Catgirls by NoBreadStudio. This is a horror visual novel with point-and-click adventure elements. You play as Asahi, who is trying to find her girlfriend, Kirin, who went missing after attempting a ritual known as the “Elevator Game”. And yes, Asahi and Kirin are both catgirls. This game can be purchased on Steam or itch.io:

The third and final game is Margo by ygretz. It is a short, laid-back, if slightly melancholic, point-and-click adventure game about a day in the life of a young woman named Margo. The game is free, but there are ways to support the developer on the store pages. This game can be purchased on Steam or itch.io:

Yuri Prose Collections

Yuri Hakaarashi (百合墓荒らし) is a Yuri short story collection by Tougen Natsuo.

Joining the pack is Yuri Short Story Collection wiz (百合小説コレクション wiz) a collection of stories by 8 writers.

Along with Zerogoh magazine and the Yuri Hime/Pixiv/Hayakawa Literary Yuri contest (of which I reviewed Volume 1, read and disliked Volume 2, so never reviewed and am currently reading Volume 3, and selected shorts from the Volume 4 are running in Comic Yuri Hime this year,) Yuri writers and readers have some options these days!

Other News

Joanna Cayanan on ANN notes that Taguchi Shoichi, the creator of Yuri travel/food/hangin’ around manga Futari Escape, is looking for some assistants!

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Yuri Anime

Top story this week is the news that Takeshima Eku’s Whisper Me a Love Song is getting an anime! Crystalyn Hodgkins has the details on ANN.

I am beside myself with glee about this. I just love this manga. It’s adorable and utterly, genuinely, innocent. You can happily give it to a pre-teen or adult of your choice. It’s unabashedly a Yuri school romance, without the skirt-staring of Sakura Trick.

I hope/believe this will be the very first anime we can really point to as a shoujo Yuri anime. The manga doesn’t run in a girl’s magazine, of course, so the category is plenty arguable (and I have, in the past, argued that) but with a majority female readership  Comic Yuri Hime has always been – very much despite it’s editor’s opinion, at times – a women’s magazine. If the animators keep the feel and look of the original manga, we should get something that would still be appropriate for tweens. My digits are all crossed for that! I can teel you with certainty, that I am not the only person out there, rejoicing for this anime.

Black Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall has premiered on Disney+. ANN has a review by MrAJCosplay, which say it looks pretty good, but doesn’t really give us a synopsis of the story, so I don’t know if it is related to either the OVA or the television series, or if any of the Yuriishness from those, appears here. If you have Disney+ and want to write a review for us, contact me!

Yuri Events

Yuricon 2023 is moving forward! We currently have more than a dozen panels/presentations/discussions in process. So far all of these are going to be recorded and put onto Yuri Studio to be watched at your convenience, but once we get past Q2, I’m hoping to do at least one live event, as well. Is there a topic you really love to talk about? Apply to run a panel or do a presentation for Yuricon 2023. We are completely open to ideas and the stuff folks are working on now are fantastic, I think you’ll really enjoy them. ^_^  We’re working on a logo now and I’ll be doing an opening ceremonies video once that’s done.

Girls Love Fest is running their next event in the Tokyo area on March 19, 2023. Girls Love Fest 37, will include special “only” sections for Bloom Into You, Assault Lily,  Lycoris Recoil and other popular franchises. Let me know if you’re attending, I’d love a report!

 
Yuri Manga

Creator Mieri Hiranashi has announced that her upcoming book, The Girl That Can’t Get A Girlfriend is number 1 in the nonfiction manga category on Amazon. This eagerly-awaited book will be hitting shelves next month. I’ve pre-ordered my copy. ^_^

She Loves To Cook, She Loves to Eat, Volume 2 will fill your heart with food and squee in English this March from Yen Press!

Yuri Visual Novels & Games

Via Sr. YNN Correspondent Ashley, gamedev Christine Love wants you to learn a bit more about Emily Harmless and her quest in Get In the Car Loser! Fate of Another World.

Via YNN Correspondent Cryssoberyl, we have the news that Bushiroad is launching a new Revue Starlight visual novel for Switch and on Steam. Alex Mateo has details on ANN.

Yuri Light Novels

I’m In Love With The Villainess: She’s So Cheeky For A Commoner, Volume 1 has hit digital shelves. I implore you to give this series a read. There’s some repeated footage, but trust me…this is not just a rehash of the same scenes. This series *will* have you in tears. inori-sensei’s writing has leveled up in these last few years.

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Other News

A new Yuri literary magazine is launching next month in Japan. Zerogo: Yuri Literary Magazine (零合 : 百合総合文芸誌) features a cover image by Shimura Takako, and a comment by Mikami Teren, but the other names are less familiar to me. I’m looking forward to seeing what this offers!

I’ve been watching the news on this, but Ashley convinced me that you’d be interested too. Ogata Megumi, voice actor of Sailor Uranus in the 2000s Sailor Moon anime and Shinji in Evangelion is doing a series of voice-recordings they are calling a Solo Reading Project. Episode 1 is titled HALF MOON. Tickets are available on Peatix. The event will run from Jan. 14 – 21.

Exciting news for queer comics fans, the No Straight Lines documentary will premiere on American PBS’ Independent Lens on Jan 23! Check local listings for broadcast times or stream at pbs.org/nostraightlinesfilm or PBS Video app! This is a must-see documentary. I reviewed it in 2021 here on Okazu. It was brilliant.

Yuri Surveys

Thank you to everyone who filled out the Yuri Fandom Survey. We had responses from more than 1600 Yuri fans world-wide! I’m working on the preliminary results now.I’m really fascinated by all of your answers (not in a  creepy way, it’s just really cool!) and will get those results up soon.

The timing was off for posting here on YNN, but this past week Comic Yuri Hime was also running a survey – their first-ever look at what overseas fans want. I hope some of you caught my posts about it online and filled it out. I conjecture that this is a direct result of the popularity of I’m in Love With The Villainess being grown overseas first, then in Japan.

Seven Seas is also doing their monthly reader survey – this one offers a 30% off coupon for all of their imprints on Bookwalker! Since She’s So Cheeky For A Commoner launched digitally this week, I made a point of filling it out. ^_^

In a related topic, Mainichi Japan reports that Japan survey on asexual, aromantic people reveals the terms are not black and white. People have very individual ways of thinking about themselves. How do we really encapsulate gender and sexuality when ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ is an answer that people actually use? ^_^

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!

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

Welcome to a whole new year of Yuri. ^_^

Yuri Events

20 years ago, I ran a three-day event to celebrate Yuri fandom. Yuricon 2003 was a small, but world-changing event. Due to  – /arms gesturing wildly/ everything – we’re taking our Yuricon 2023 celebration online. We already have nearly a dozen interviews and panels we’re working on, which will be shared throughout the year as they are completed on Yuri Studio. If you would like to run a panel or make a presentation on a Yuri-related topic, for Yuricon 2023 please fill out our Panel/ Presentation Application Form! Treat this like any other event and apply when you want to take charge of your panel.

I have a number of podcasts and events lined up where I’ll be talking about Yuri. I’ll announce these shortly. Suffice to say, 2023 is going to be another busy year!

Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu! has a themed cafe at Wonder Parlour Cafe in Ikebukuro in Tokyo from January 15 through February 14 in honor of the upcoming anime. Someone please go there and report back for me!

Yuri Anime

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady has launched on Crunchyroll. During our annual Okazu Patron holiday party, I was requested to do some react videos on all the Yuri anime coming out this year.  I just reviewed volume 3 of the light novel series, so I’m in. ^_^

Via Yuri Anime News on Twitter, Hikikomari Kyukuestu-hime no Monmon (ひきこまり吸血姫の悶々) is getting an anime. I am informed that the Yuri content in this series is of the breast-groping variety, in case this is not to your taste. Watch the trailer on Youtube. YNN  Sr. Correspondent Sean G has reviewed Volume 1 of  the LN for this series on his website, so you may wish to check to see if this is your thing. Alex Mateo has anime details over at ANN.

Birdie Wing Season 2 is coming! And the trailer is 10 out of 10 Birdie Wings. ^_^Egan Loo has the details over on ANN.

Also on ANN, Alex Mateo reports that Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury‘s Season 1 final episode will be delayed on some streaming services.

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Yuri Manga

Volume 5 and Volume 6 of Mayu, Matou (繭、纏う) will be released simultaneously, with a continuous cover (and, it would seem, the correct ending! ^_^). These are both up on the Yuricon Store for print or digital editions. There is no date yet on the English-language edition of these. Volume 4 of Cocoon, Entwined was released last winter by Yen Press.

Via Yurimother, we have news that Ana C. Sánchez’ manga Alter Ego will be getting a sequel this year. Noel Y June will be published later this year in Spanish.

I don’t remember where I found this, but there is a poly Yuri anthology called Fukusuunin Kousai Yuri Anthology (複数人交際百合アンソロジー レモネード) out on Kindle in Japan. It is also available in Japanese on US Kindle. This anthology has 30 contributors including Ajiichi, Utatane Yuu,  Mikami Teren, Usio Shio and more!

The Citrus 10th anniversary pop-up shop is now open! There is a link for overseas buying, if the goods look like your thing. I think they did a really nice job on the acrylic standees, honestly.

Joanna Cayanan reports that Sal Jiang’s Ayaka-chan wa Hiroko Senpai ni Koishiteru will be ending with a third volume over at ANN I reviewed Volume 2 last month here on Okazu. It’s been a lot of fun.

Sexiled creator Kaeruda Ameko is writing a new manga. Koucha no Majo no Yuuganaru Kyuutei Seikatsu Chiito o Hita Kakusu Saijaku Madou-shi no Madogiwa Life (紅茶の魔女の優雅なる宮廷生活 チートをひた隠す最弱魔導師の窓際ライフ) appears to be about a maid whose skill at making tea may change the world? The Yuri looks milk (maid in love with her lady-type) but it looks cute. You can read a sample chapter on Comic Zenon. I think I’ll be giving this one a try. ^_^

Yuri Doujinshi

I kept meaning to share this and kept forgetting. Hayate x Blade creator Hayashiya Shizuru (whose ULTIMATE-MAMA) is on my to-read/review pile right now) had a new doujinshi for winter Comiket. Continuing her food  + yanki girls beating the heck out of each other Yuri series, Yankoi Shoukudo C Set is available at Melonbooks.

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Other News

The Yuri Fandom Survey will close on January 11. If you haven’t yet had a chance to fill the survey out, I hope you’ll do that before it closes. Please feel free to share the survey around to any fan spaces you are on. There is no way this can be comprehensive or complete, but the more responses we get, the more well-rounded the results will be. Thank you very much for your time. ^_^

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are the ways we currently have  \active to 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!

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons and Supporters who make the YNN weekly report possible! Support us on Patreon 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. ^_^

Yuri Anime

Sugoi Lite has once again given us hope, this time with the news that a domain has been registered for Whisper Me a Love Song, based on the manga by Takeshima Eku. If this indeed is a 2023 anime, that would make 4 explicitly Yuri anime for next year so far.

I’m In Love With the Villainess News

I’m in Love With The Villainess: She’s So Cheeky For A Commoner, Volume 1 is up for pre-order! And, for those of you reading along with the Japanese edition, Heimin no Kuse ni Namaikina!, Volume 2 (平民のくせに生意気な) is up on the Yuricon Store for JP and US Kindle. Once again, I will promise you that this is worth reading and isn’t just “another P.O.V” version of the same events.

Also in Japanese is Volume 3 of Watashi no Osho ha Akuyaku Reijou -Revolution- (私の推しは悪役令嬢。-Revolution-), the print edition of the original light novel series. Volume 5 of the manga is also out now in Japan.  I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 4 manga is up on the Yuricon Store as well, from Seven Seas

While we’re celebrating, Aonoshimo-sensei offered up an adorable Christmas card from Claire, Rae and Relaire on Twitter.  

Phew, that was a lot.

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