Yuri Event

In an unusual turn of events, both Rica Takashima and I will be at Flame Con, a fantastic LGBTQ+ comic event in New York City on Saturday, August 20.  This means if you come by to pick up a copy of By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga, you will get it signed by the author and cover artist!

Rica also will have a lot of prints and comics for sale all weekend. I am not sure if I’ll be there on Sunday, but I’m doing a panel on Saturday on the History of Yuri and will be there to sell and sign after! My panel is at 12:45, I’ll see you there. ^_^

Thanks everyone who has picked up the book so far! If you haven’t yet gotten your copy, By Your Side is now available on iBooks as well.  Get your copy on pretty much every online platform possible and at bookstores near you. I hope you’ll all consider recommending it, dropping a review on Amazon or Goodreads, your local library and letting folks know about it. ^_^

Yuri Manga

We have Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games, Volume 3 up on the Yuricon Store.

Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 5 (which I reviewed this week) has also hit shelves in English.

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Yuri Anime

Rafael Antonio Pineda has the news that the Yuri Light Novel series The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess will be getting an anime in 2023! Check the ANN article for details.

Crunchyroll has added dubs for Lycoris Recoil. Rafael has news on that on ANN, as well.

My Master Has no Tail is slated for a September 30 debut in Japan. ANN’s Alex Mateo has the details on this fun period fantasy about a tanuki who wants to learn rakugo.

From YNN Correspondent Ashley, we have news that the Birdie Wing Box Set Limited Edition in Japan will come with a short story by series writer Kuroda Yousuke. Called “Blaze Rose,” it follow Rose Aleon.

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Yuri Doujinshi

Lilyka has released a new work by Hoshizoranoshita, Like An Early Blue Flower 1, for fans of the classic private school Yuri. ^_^

Also out now on Lilyka is the Oshima’s After School, Volumes 1- 3.

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Yuri Manga

Yen Press announces the license for Fuzoroi Renri by Mikanuji-sensei (the first 5 volumes of which I have reviewed here on Okazu) as Assorted Entanglements.

We’ve got some new titles up on the Yuricon Store!

Battan’s story Run Away With Me Girl, Volume 1 will be hitting shelves in English from Kodansha Comics at the end of the year! Some folks had asked me why I hadn’t reviewed this in Japanese and the answer is that it just flew under my radar as being not-for-me. I’ll probably be looking for a guest reviewer for this as a result, so if you love it and plan on reading it, consider applying to Guest Review!

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Volume 1 manga actually hit shelves in May. I reviewed it here in Japanese and again in English. 

Hana Monogatari, Volume 1 (はなものがたり) is the delightful story of two older women who find each other. Hanayo, a widow, meets Yoshiko and is turned on to the world of makeup and perfumes. This story is just so lovely and sweet. 

Kitta Izumi and Momono Moto’s melodramatic story about a emotionally fragile singer and her manager has now been given a second collected volume, in Liberty, Volume 2 ( リバティ). This is one of my faves from Galette Magazine.

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Imagine me flailing my arms here, a la Kermit the Frog. Yaaaahh! ULTIMATE-MAMA, Volume 1 by Hayashiya Shizuru hits shelves on August 31 in Japan! This utterly trashy action manga was clearly written for me. Hard-bodied women and comedic, yet extreme, violence and stupid lesbian sex. Hayashiya-sensei gets me at a level no one else ever has. ^_^

Iberis no Hanayome (イベリスの花嫁) by Akiyama Haru is about a wedding planner who falls for one of her bridezillas. Looks…intense. ^_^

 
Yuri Light Novel

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Volume 2 light novel is hitting shelves in English this month. I’m looking forward to seeing what Euphie and Annis will be up to. ^_^

Yuri Event

I hope you will join me at Flamecon, August 20, 12:45 – 1:45 PM in New York City for the First 100 Years of Lesbian-themed Japanese Animation and Comics!

Yuri Studio

This week on Yuri Studio we have a new short video – My Life As A Manga Character! It’s about some times I’ve appeared in manga….as me. ^_^

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Yuri VNs and Games

Studio Élan has another upcoming release, Who is the Red Queen hitting Steam this month. In this horror Yuri fantasy, Alice must find the pieces of the dismembered Red Queen. From the press release, “The game features over 30,000 words and has 3 major endings… with plenty of dead ends, of course. If you’ve already played the game jam version from itch.io, don’t worry- this is an updated version with new art, music, an updated script, and a Spanish translation!”

Via YNN Correspondent Cryssoberyl we have news of the announcement and trailer for Samurai Maiden on PS4 & PS5. “D3PUBLISHER’s brand-new Girls Sword-fighting Action game “SAMURAI MAIDEN” is scheduled for release in this winter on PS5™/PS4®! Experience the unique “Sword and Ninjutsu Action” where a young woman from the 21st century splits the enemies in half while the beautiful Ninja girls use their Ninjutsu to wipe out the enemies. Kissing other girls will supercharge her, according to Cryssoberyl. ^_^ This will also get a simultaneous Steam release.

Yuri Doujinshi

Adriana Hazra over at ANN has the news thay Irodori Sakura has licensed two new Yuri doujinshi! Haijima’s My Crush is My Roommate (Doukyonin ni Kataomoishiteru Yuri) manga and Pikachi Ohi’s Romance for Teachers (which is a story of a side character from Our Teachers Are Dating!). These will be released in August and September, respectively. Check out the link for more details.

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!

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Yuri Events

I will be presenting on the First 100 Years of Lesbian-themed Japanese Animation and Comics at Flamecon, August 20, 12:45 – 1:45 PM in New York City!

Via James Welker, check out the COMITIA official image for the September event! It’s not the first time they’ve gone in on a Yuri image, but this one is classic.

The next Girls Love Festival in Japan will be in November in Asakusa, Tokyo Metropolitan Industry and Trade Center Taitokan.The July one just wrapped up.

Lastly – next month is Okazu’s 20th anniversary! I am planning an anniversary treasure hunt event! Okazu Patrons will be getting a heads up on August 1 and I’ll be making it public after. Find Yuri treasures, for Yuri prizes. ^_^

Yuri Manga

Kodansha has some cool news, they’ve licensed Kanojo to Camera to Kanojo no Kisetsu by Tsukiko (all 5 volumes of which I reviewed back in 2012-14) as as She, Her Camera and the Seasons. This is a story about three young people in a complex relationship triangle. I thought the story was compelling and the ending well handled. I described it as “seriously intense, Dear Brother-levels of emotion.” I look forward to Kodansha’s English edition.

An absolutely wonderful story about a widow who finds life and, maybe, love with another woman – Hana Monogatari (はなものがたり), by schwinn, will be getting a collected Volume 1 in August. I adore this story, and read it regularly on Comic Walker.

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Yuri Anime

Birdie Wing‘s second Blu-Ray box set is going on sale in Japan. To celebrate, they asked Koga Ryoichi, creator of Ninin ga Shinobuden / Ninja Nonsense to do a crossover promotional comic. This is a crossover none of us could have predicted.

Liam Dempsey has given us all a sense of relief as he reports that “Yuri no Aida ni Hasamareru. Aru Asa Dummy Head ni Natteita Ore-kun no Jinsei (“Caught Between Lesbian Relationships. My Life After Waking Up as a Dummy Head Microphone”) is officially changing its title to just Aru Asa Dummy Head ni Natteita Ore-kun no Jinsei (“My Life After Waking Up as a Dummy Head Microphone”)” for Crunchyroll News. Phew. I did not wanna watch that.

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Yuri Live Action

Bloom Into You is getting a new stage play in Japan, Bloom Into You encore. Komatsu-san has the news over at Crunchyroll, where he writes, “according to the play’s official Twitter, the remake version “encore” tells the story up to the last volume of the original manga while being based on the first play. All of the main cast members, including Misato Kawauchi as Yu Koito and Moeka Koizumi as Touko Nanami, will return.”

Yuri Visual Novel

From burgeroise, we have news of their new Yuri VN, Coquette Dragoon, which they describe this way: “Girls love + alternative mecha VN series Coquette Dragoon is now out in early access! ~50k words. Contains full first two chapters and preview of chapter three! Coquette is for adults only and contains dark/suggestive themes, read at your own discretion.“

I’d love to have a review of this if anyone wants to read it for me! ^_^

Via Yuri Navi, comes news of a promotional video for a new Yuri VN, Watashi-tachi no Marriage. The PV opening is cute, but after watching the commercial…I couldn’t tell you what the VN is about, which maybe is not great for a promotional video. ^_^;. BUT the story of the two girls will play out in the remaining videos, according to Yuri Navi’s interview with the game creator, Noame Takii. The game will be released with English and Chinese subs in August on Steam.

Other News

By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga is now available through Kinokuniya USA online. Additionally, folks who buy it it at their store locations in Edgewater New Jersey, Katy Texas, Portland Oregon or Seattle Washington, will be able to get signed bookplates! If there’s a Kino near you and you’d like a signed bookplate, have them contact my publisher. They’d be delighted to get you one. ^_^

It’s exhibition season in Japan, and The Rose of Versailles is getting a 50th anniversary exhibition at Roppongi Hills. Richard Eisenbels has the details at ANN. There will be four rooms and, among the many items on exhibit will be the edition of the RoV manga I edited for Udon Entertainment! So there’s a benchmark for my mental photo album. ^_^ Check out the Room 4 lineup on the Roppongi Hills official site.

Did I say “exhibition”? Then I must have news of a new Sailor Moon Exhibition! Also in Roppongi, the Sailor Moon Museum has a new set of visuals and goods. Daryl Harding has the news over at Crunchyroll.

Not quite an exhibition, but Hana no Asuka-gumi creator Takaguchi Satosumi has opened an online store and is selling original designs with her characters. No Yohko, boo.

The first part of Gideon the Ninth (ギデオン　第九王家の騎士 上) is out in Japanese! You can take a look at the 41-page sample on Bookwalker.

My review of Summertime Rendering, Volume 3  from Udon Entertainment is up on ANN. This is a truly fantastic series full of eldritch horror and action and paranormal events. It’s a great read, honestly.

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!

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Yuri Essay

I wrote a short essay for Mary Robinette Kowal’s blog this week, and I’m really pleased with how it came out. ^_^ I hope you’ll take a look at My Favorite Bit: Erica Friedman Talks About BY YOUR SIDE: THE FIRST 100 YEARS OF YURI ANIME AND MANGA

While I am on the topic, I want to thank everyone who has picked up the book so far! If you haven’t yet gotten your copy, it’s available on just about every platform possible and at bookstores near you. I hope you’ll all consider recommending it, dropping a review on Amazon or Goodreads and letting folks know about it. ^_^

Yuri Manga

From Seven Seas, we have Hello, Melancholic!, Volume 2 coming our way this week(!) along with Superwomen in Love! Honey Trap and Rapid Rabbit, Vol. 4 and semelparous, Volume 3  which already hit shelves this month.

Yen Press announced the cover reveal for The Executioner and Her Way of Life, Vol. 5: The Promised Land.

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Via YNN Correspondent and Guest Reviewer, Mariko S, we have a suggestion for a Twitter comic: Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Ja Nakatta (気になってる人が男じゃなかった) by Arai Sumiko, handle @agu_knzm. I love the art. 

Ano Hanagasaku Oka de, Kimi to Mata Deaetara (あの花が咲く丘で、君とまた出会えたら) is a comicalization of an time slip idea that got it’s start on TikTok, apparently. A girl bored with her life, runs away from home, but sees something unusual while she hides out overnight…. Check it out in Japanese on Comic Walker!

Wakeatte Shachou Reijou ni Hirowaremashita (ワケあって社長令嬢に拾われました) is Akili’s newest, after Still Sick. An OL who has failed to make anything of her life suddenly finds favor with the company president’s daughter. It looks, honestly, like it’s “comedy” of how bad the OL keeps messing up, but there’s a sample chapter in Japanese up on Bookwalker for you to check it out.

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Yuri Light Novel

Seven Seas announced the license of Heimin no Kuse ni Namaikina, as She’s So Cheeky for a Commoner, Adrian Hazra has the details at ANN. I’ve reviewed the first volume of this series and was so impressed. Usually the “story from the other person’s perspective” doesn’t add much to the narrative and it’s overused in isekai…but wow, was this a great book.

Yuri Visual Novels

From Studio Élan the demo for Lock and Key: A Magical Girl Mystery is now playable on Steam & itch.io!

 
Other News

On a completely argh note, I’ve had to pull back even further on Pixiv Fanbox. Apparently once I asked to close the paid backing account, they realized I write reviews and wanted me to pull all the cover art off the links. So going forward, the Pixiv Fanbox for Okazu will only cover Okazu and Yuricon news, like YNN.

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 Events

I’ll be presenting “The First 100 Years of Lesbian-themed Anime and Manga” at Flame Con, August 20-21 in New York City. Looking forward very much to returning to Flame Con. ^_^

If you’d like me to come to a con near you – please tell the con to invite me. There’s only a couple cons I won’t at least try to get to, if I’m invited. ^_^

2023 will be the 20th anniversary of Yuricon. Would you be interested in a virtual convention? Let me know in the comments!

Bookwalker JP ran a “Yuri Day” on July 1, and Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu! is running a giveaway to celebrate that and the upcoming anime. Through July 9, follow the official WataYuri anime account, like and retweet the promotional post and you are entered to win an official book card. Wonder Parlour in Ikebukuro, Tokyo is running a collaboration Cafe through July 10! ^_^ (I’m smiling through my tears here. I wish I could be there.) Check out the pictures!

Yuri Manga

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Volume 3 is out now from Seven Seas! This is a must-read manga for a lot of reasons I cannot yet tell you without spoilers. Let me say that this series does right something that Bloom Into You did not.

Syrup: A Yuri Anthology, Volume 4 is now out in English from Seven Seas, as well.

tMnR’s If Could Reach You ends with Volume 7, which was released late last month. If you enjoyed this series, I’d love to have a wrap-up review for Okazu. Drop me a line!

Yuri Espoir, Volume 2 is up on the Yuricon Store, out now from Tokyopop.

Catch These Hands, Volume 2, out from Yen is also on the Store.  ^_^

Yamada to Kase-san, Volume 3 (山田と加瀬さん。) came out last month. More love-love adventures with Kase-san and Yamada, as they build lives separately and together.

Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 4 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし) What relationship do these two girls have beyond predator and prey? I love this series.

Usio Shio has a second series that I really like, also in Comic Yuri Hime. In Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita, Volume 2 (女ともだちと結婚してみた。) Kurumi and Ruriko negotiate their marriage and their friendship. Is it time for new rules?

Via Bookwalker, you can now vote in the NEXT Manga Awards in English! This contest is sponsored by NicoNico and DaVinci magazine….I point this out because we’ve mentioned DaVinci many times here on Okazu. It’s very Yuri and lesbian supportive for a mainstream women’s magazine.  There are several excellent Yuri manga listed this year, including several of my personal favorites. Yuri choices include I’m in Love With the Villainess, The Skirt Rings at the Landing, The Summer You Were There and Futari Escape in print manga and The Moon on a Rainy Night and  She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat in the Web Manga category – both of these I think are outstanding.

Bookwalker is also running a free Volume 1 sale that includes My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over!, Volume 1. This sale runs through July 28.

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The July issue of Ultra Jump magazine features Kimi no sei da (全部君のせいだ) a Yuri cosplay comedy by merryhachi. I like using Bookwalker JP for this kind of thing. Not gonna get the book in print just to read a short and see if I like it. ^_^

Shoyateruko has written a sequel to a earlier story about two college students. Stella ☆ Record (ステラ☆レコード) follows “True Feeelings as Ritsuko and Kyouko try to understand each other, now that they have been honest about the feelings for one another. This is running in Young King Ours GH August issue.

Yuri Light Novels

I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 5 is poised to hit shelves. The digital edition is heading your way at the end of July, and the print will follow in September!

The Executioner and Her Way of Life, Volume 5 is slated for a September release as well.

J-Novel Club announced the license of webnovel Yuri Tama: From Third Wheel to Trifecta: at Anime Expo. Rafael Antonio Pineda has details.

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Yuri Live Action

ANN’s Alex Mateo has the extraordinary news that If My Favorite Pop Idol Made it to the Budokan, I Would Die, is getting a live-action drama!

Yuri Visual Novel

Studio Élan announced that the demo for Lock and Key: A Magical Girl Mystery, will be publicly available next Friday, July 8th on Steam & itch.io.

Yuri Doujinshi and Webcomics

Lilyka is running a summer sale – 20% off all Yuri doujinshi!

Webtoon Kiss it Goodbye is crowdfunding a print collection! Ticcytx’s Yuri webtoon follows two school girls in Japan in a slice-of-life series.

Other News

For Pride Month, YuriMother did a deep dive into the complex and complicated X-Gender, by Asuka Miyazaki, out now from Seven Seas.

Not Yuri, but tangentially of interest, Yen Press announced omnibus volumes of K-On! and a sequel, K-ON! Shuffle at Anime Expo this weekend. Adriana Hazra has the details.

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