Yuri Goods

The Gee! Store, with locations in Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai, Kokura and Nagoya, is running a series of Comic Yuri Hime pop up shops. You can buy goods from a number of popular series that run in Comic Yuri Hime.

Unsolicited plug: I use Tenso as a shipping service. They are very nice. Tenso is free to make an account with and only charges when they actually ship. Overseas shipping is and always will be expensive, but that’s not Tenso’s fault.

I’m In Love With the Villainess News

One of the items from the pop-up is a very fetching I’m in Love With the Villianess acrylic standee, that I have ordered. ^_^ Why am I telling you that? Because…….if you order the  Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou, manga Volume 3 on Melonbooks, you get this fetching acrylic standee! So, yeah, I ordered that, too. Because it won’t ship to me, until the stand is available, I might not get this volume for months, so…I’ll have to get it on Global Bookwalker, too.

Which leads me to another issue, you may notice that very little is going up on the Yuricon Store these das. This is because I cannot get appropriate links (or even cover art!)  for many of the items I want to put there.  I can find an Amazon link OR a Bookwalker link OR a RightStuf OR a CD Japan, but can’t get all the links for all the items. It’s becoming increasingly awkward and I have piles of titles that I want to put up, but really can’t. (Also, I have no time, but that’s a different issue.) This is, again, due to problems in publishing. I’ll spend some time this next couple of weeks catching up as best I can for holiday shopping.

To that end, if you’d like Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou, manga, Volume 3, here are affiliate links for pre-order on Amazon JP, and CD Japan, but I don’t have it yet on Bookwalker.

Also available on Amazon JP for pre-order, but not the other platforms, yet, is Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou – Revolution-, Volume 1, the newest novelization in the series. (私の推しは悪役令嬢。-Revolution-). 

One more series announcement, via YNN Correspondent Sean G, the light novel I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 4 will be released in February, from Seven Seas. This link is to Amazon, or you can pre-order on RightStuf. (Nothing yet on Bookwalker.) You are *totally* going to want to get Volume 4 and 5. Trust me on this. ^_^

Nope, one more (!), from Inori-sensei herself, the series is now available in Vietnamese. Tôi Yêu Nữ Phản Diện will be out from Amak Books.

Yuri Manga

Last weekend at Anime NYC, Kodansha announced a license for Battan’s Run Away With Me Girl. ANN’s Adrian Hazra has details.

Here’s a title that actually made it onto the Yuricon Store with all links: Yuriko Hara’s Cocoon, Entwined, Volume 4, in which both hair and plot thicken.

Global Bookwalker is doing all sorts of Coin Up and discounts. It’s worth it to take a look at their scrolling bar, for massive sales and their continuing commitment to carrying books Amazon has dropped. Their Black Friday deals are 80% coin back on eligible Volume 1s, and 40% on the next couple of volumes. Use the coins you get to try out a new title! (I checked out Laid-Back Camp and liked it a lot, last time I had a free volume coming.)

Ichijinsha has carefully crafted another anthology designed to keep me away, with the Nakigao Yuri Anthology (泣き顔百合アンソロジー) for those readers who like women to look absolutely miserable when they have sex, presumably. ^_^;

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Yuri Anime

Via YNN Corespondent Evren, Canaan is being released on Blu-Ray in the New Year from Sentai Filmworks.

The chances of this being Yuri are decreasingly likely, but Crystalyn Hodgkins has the news about the Shin Ikkitousen anime.

I mentioned this last week, but the trailer for the Executioner and Her Way of Life anime is up on Youtube. It is my honest opinion that this trailer has significantly better animation than the world-building in the novels deserve. ^_^

Yuri Visual Novels

Via YuriMother, I Became Gay From Translating My New Roommate’s Short Story is “the first major project by the Prof. Lily visual novel collective, who aim to tell stories that face our harsh subcultural reality head-on.”

Studio Élan is holding all sorts of sales on their Yuri VNs, from 30% off Heart of the Woods on Nintendo Switch, to significant discounts on Steam.

Yuri Doujinshi

Lilyka is holding a Black Friday deal for Yuri doujinshi , use checkout code BK21 for a discount and a video, and BK500 for significantly higher discount and a “video worth $500.” I have no idea what that means, so if you get it, let us know. ^_^

LGBTQ Graphic Novel

Our friend Niki Smith has a new work out, The Golden Hour, they say, “is about being young and gay and anxious in the midwest… and it’s about ptsd, and vulnerability, and taking one day at a time. And beyond all that, it’s about three close friends and one tiny baby cow.”

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LGBTQ+ Manga Events

This week is pretty exciting for fans of Yuri, BL and Queer manga! There are two chonky discussions you don’t want to miss.

On November 17th, at 5:00 PM on Zoom check out Manga in Libraries: The LGBTQ+ Community, sponsored by the Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable of the ALA.  Registration is free. We had a great conversation and I expect the Q&A to be fabulous.

On November 20, at 5:15 in Panel Room 5 at Anime NYC I’ll be joining GeeksOUT presents: Serving Magical Person Realness panel. We’ll be talking LGBQT+characters and series in manga.  This will be my first in-person appearance since 2019, I am excited and terrified. I have a terrible cough, I apologize in advance. It’s not COVID, and I’ve gotten my booster shot. ^_^;

Yuri Manga

I’m going to keep banging this gong for just 2 more days: The Taiwanese Showa Period Yuri manga collection Kitanhana Monogatari (台湾発の百合漫画『綺譚花物語』) has made it’s crowdfunding goal and is now going to have a print publication – and, hopefully, a translated version! I’m really looking forward to this. There’s about 2 more days to back this project.

Tamamushi posted the intro chapter to their new Yuri manga Dore ga Koikaga Wakaranai(どれが恋かがわからない)  on Twitter. Check out the rest in Comic Cune magazine!

Via Comic Natalie, we have Majyo no Kekkon (魔女ノ結婚 ), the story of a “cool beauty” and “pure” witch who “marry” in order to increase their magic. You can take a look at the comic in Japanese on Comic Newtype.

Anime News

Aria the Benedizione film has released an extended Promotional Video to promote the end theme. Rafael Antonio Pineda has the whole report on ANN.

Rafael also reports that Netflix announced a second season for Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045, which I quite enjoyed, so I’m happy. ^_^ I’ll follow this up with Adriana Hazra’s ANN news item that the first 8 minutes of the Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 compilation film is available on Youtube.

LGBTQ Manga

Via YNN correspondent Ellis K. coming from Viz Media, To Strip the Flesh includes a story about a trans man dealing with his transition. TJ was very excited about this one in our Manga in Libraries discussion.

Via YNN Correspondent Patricia B., Yen Press has licensed I Want to Be A Wall, the story of an asexual woman in a marriage of convenience. Alex Mateo has the details on ANN.

Visual Novel and Games News

Highway Blossoms from Studio Élan is getting a OST release on vinyl. That’s retro cool. This a limited pressing, but you can still preorder a copy as of today, from the Very Ok Vinyl website.

From the folks that brought you Thirsty Sword Lesbians, an expansion is now being crowdfunded with Advanced Lovers and Lesbians, which has already blown way past it’s goal on Kickstarter.

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Sorry for the radio silence the last few days on Okazu, we’ve been dealing with a week of tech issues. All should be resolved now. ^_^

Yuri Games

Interestingly, it looks like Lilyka is expanding into games. They are now carrying Sukerasparo’s The Curse of Kudan Visual Novel. Story and character info can be found on their website, as well.

Also in Yuri VNs, via Yuri Navi, the Yuri “adventure survival” game Kochira, Haha Naru Hoshi Yori (こちら、母なる星より) is available in Japanese from NIS Yuri Games. Based on the manga from Comic Yuri Hime, this is a post-apocalyptic survival story with cute girls eating things, as far as I can tell.  A quick look through the gallery tells me that I’m pretty much not wrong. ^_^

Yuri Doujinshi

Lilyka has announced a Japanese language release, Early Blue Hana no You ni (アーリーブルーの花のように) by Hoshizoranoshita. They say the English release is coming soon.

Inui Ayu-sensei has a community called Yuri Hub where her stories are translated into English. You can purchase Chapter 1 of her new manga Room For Honeys; subscribe and get further access.

 
Yuri Manga

Seven Seas has licensed Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji by Ikeda Takashi as The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This. Rafael Antonio Pineda has the details over at ANN. I’ve reviewed Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the Japanese here. I like this series a lot. ^_^ Great translation for the title – I’m super looking forward to this release.

Also from Seven Seas is Double Your Pleasure, an 18+ Twin Yuri Anthology.

Anime News

Joseph Luster reports that Crunchyroll has added Revolutionary Girl Utena to their catalog….and it kind of broke the Internet? The breakage appeared to be three-fold: People who are upset and derisive that Crunchyroll has it at all; people upset that Crunchyroll was not able to get a global license for it, and people who are freaked out that it’s not a children’s cartoon, because it was referenced in Steven Universe or something like that.

Also from CR News, Komatsu-san reports that the HeartCatch Precure! The Movie: Fashion Show in the Flower Capital… Really?!  is getting a return to Japanese theaters, in part because of the success of the Tropical Rouge Precure movie, which also featured the Cures from the Heartcatch season. I…actually saw this one in the theater in Osaka in 2010 with Komatsu-san and Bruce, the same day we saw the Maria-sama ga Miteru movie. It was a lot of fun. Just celebrate, here’s the Heartcatch Precure ending, Ashita no Uta, which is the only gospel-inspired anime theme I know of. ^_^

I guess  while I’m on the topic, the trademark for Delicious Party Precure has been filed, reports Rafael Antonio Pineda on ANN. The clinking wine/juice glasses makes me long for a older Precure team as older women, drawn back into the Precure story line. Of course I do. ^_^

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Yuri Video

In case you missed it, we have a new video up on Yuri Studio – this time a paean to Shakaijin Yuri!

Yuri Manga

If You Could See Love, by Teren Mikami and Yuuki Nanaji, is now out digitally from Yen Press. It’s available on Amazon and Comixology, as you can see if you click this affiliate link. Mei has always had the ability to see who is in love with whom, but upon entering a girl’s school, she finds two arrows pointing at her. Hijinks undoubtedly ensue. ^_

Kuzushiro’s Uyanotsuki,Volume 1(雨夜の月) is a story of two girls, a musician and a deaf girl, who change each other’s lives. You can check out sample chapters on Comic Days.

Chisako has a story, now running on Takeshobo’s Storia Dash, Minna Watashi no Hara no Naka (みんな私のはらのなか), about a woman who likes to eat! I’m really happy with this food + Yuri trend.^_^

Via Comic Natalie, the November issue of Square Enix’s Big GanGan is starting a new Yuri series, “Shimekiri mae ni wa Yuri ga Hakadoru (〆切前には百合が捗る) by Haganai creator Hirasaka Yomi. That follows a woman who, after coming out to her parents ends up falling for her difficult cousin. It is described as a story about “people who find it difficult to live normally.”

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Yuri Games & VNs

Via YNN Correspondent Aurakin, Steam is runnng a Halloween Sale through Nov. 1, and many of their Yuri titles are currently heavily discounted. Linghua and Hanako are offering Yuri bundles that end up being a few bucks a title.

From YNN Correspondent Michaelangelo H. and also on Steam, Winterwolves has released a new Yuri dating sim, Summer In Trigue. This is a dating sim set on a Caribbean island, presumably for multiple bikini scenes. ^_^ But it looks kinda cute and has no fetuses in frilly dresses. If someone wants to review this, let me know!

Via Yuri Navi, Stromatosoft is releasing a Yuri board game in November called Yuri Ranbo, a “high-speed battle Yuri Harem formation card game that aims to become one girl and acquire more girls.” For 3 players, each round takes ten minutes and it can be played by ages 9 and up. I am completely speechless at the idea and am sorely tempted to get it, despite my general disinterest in games. ^_^

After the completion of a short intro manga in Comic Yuri Hime magazine the “adventure game” Kochira, Haha naru Hoshi yori has been released. This post-apocalyptic story follow the last 6 people in Ikebukuro after a virus has decimated the planet. These six women discover new life and sometimes eat it, all while enjoying being alive. It’s a hopeful look at survival in a post-pandemic world.

Yuri Doujinshi

Lilyka is running a Haloweeen [sic] Sale through Tuesday. Use the Code HAL21 for 22% off Yuri tricks and treats. Some exclusions apply, they say.

Other News

Yurimother reports on a Yuri novelist, Saturnalia Blackrose, who has found her work plagiarized and up for sale on Amazon.  Amazon does not make it possible anymore for people other than the author to ask for the content to be removed, but please be aware that the listing is not legit. Check out Yurimother’s report for more details.

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Yuri Manga

A new license this week from Seven Seas, Namekawa-san Won’t Take a Licking! Vol. 1, a Comic Yuri Hime classroom gonzo comedy series. The link leads to Amazon right now, but as soon as there are other options, we’ll list it on the store. I think this manga will appeal to those of you who like School Zone Girls – lots of goofy faces and action.

Speaking of which, School Zone Girls, Volume 3 is now up on the Store! There’s no Bookwalker link, but as soon as that’s available, we’ll add it.

Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 4 by Eku Takeshima is out now in digital and print.

I want to take a moment and editorialize today.

You may remember that earlier in the year, there were several problems with Seven Seas books and fans were, predictably, (but still, it is a strange phenomenon) taking production and translation problems as a personal insult. It turns out that the reason for the translation problem really was that their process was not up to the rigors of more nuanced, or problematic, works. They have resolved this and I know that they have staffed up to stop this from happening again.  In the middle of these issues, as they were wading through a lot of angry emails, I had to be the cherry bomb on the flaming shit cake, when I reviewed the manga of I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 1. I love this story and want it to be perfect. Unfortunately, there was a translation choice, which I mentioned in my review of the book, that was really ill-conceived.

So, I wrote Seven Seas. In the middle of a storm of negative feedback, I wrote with more critical feedback. Because I knew what they were going through, I was polite throughout. I received an equally polite reply that my feedback was appreciated.

And this week, I received a copy of the newly translated I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 1. It is so much better. I can now highly recommend this manga! Which is good, because I really love the manga for this series. It is a case where the visual element genuinely enhances the narrative. Aonoshita-sensei’s art is fantastic. I sincerely hope they get through at least Volume 3 of the light novels. Volume 2 of the manga will be released in January and Volume 3 is going to be a spectacular you will not want to miss.

The point of this editorial is, once again, that companies are totally willing to listen to feedback. But threats and demands are not useful and will only make it harder for your legitimate concerns to be heard. The folks at anime and manga companies are, just like you, fans of the work. They want the audience to be happy, too. So, if and when you feel they’ve done something wrong, drop them a polite note outlining your concerns, but be respectful of the time and effort they put into everything. Creating something takes a long time, but destroying it can take a moment.

My very sincere thanks to the folks at Seven Seas for taking our concerns seriously and fixing the problems. It made the book better.

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New on the Yuricon Store, we have the JP manga for Sexiled, Onnadakara, to Paati o Tsuihousaretanode Densetsu no Majyo to Saikyou Taggu o Kumimashita (女だから、とパーティを追放されたので伝説の魔女と最強タッグを組みました).  You can read sample chapters of this in Japanese, of course, on the Sunday Webry site.

Tamamushi’s new Yuri manga for Comic Cune can be sampled on their twitter feed. Check out Dore ga Koikaga Wakaranai (どれが恋かがわからない).

Inui Ayu tweeted out the news that her autobiographical comic for Comic Yuri Hime, Kyou ha Hitotsu Yane no shita (今日はひとつ屋根の下) will be getting a collected volume in November! Yay!

Rafael Antonio Pineda has the news that Ganbared Sisters, which we just had a review of here, will be wrapping up at Volume 4. Check out the article on ANN.

Check out the gorgeous full-color first chapter of Kamatani Yuhki’s new manga,Hiraeth ha Tabiji no Hate (ヒラエスは旅路の果て) on moae.jp.

Crowdfunding News

With 40 days to go in the Kickstarter, [Boyish²] Butch×Butch Yuri Anthology is well over it’s funding line and we’re getting cover previews and glimpses of some of the art!

23 days to go for Taiwanese Showa Yuri manga  Kitanhana Monogatari (綺譚花物語). It’s 71% funded, and I’d really like to see this get fully funded. Admittedly, the goal is pretty high, but hopefully, that means we’ll get a really slick product.

 
Queer Animation

Harley Quinn is getting a 3rd cartoon season and you can get the inside scoop from Harley herself in this trailer.

Zombieland Saga‘s movie is official. Avex Pictures tweeted the news after the live concert. Crystalynn Hodkins has details at ANN.

CR News’ Daryl Harding has a report about the two Mawaru Penguindrum movies for the 10th anniversary of the series.

Other News

Yuni, creator of I Love You So Much I Hate You tweeted about an interview on Shakaijin Yuri for bizSpa! This is of course in Japanese, but you’ll be able to get the gist with a translation tool.

Kim Morrissey at ANN has an interesting article, Hanasaku Iroha Character Designer Mel Kishida Reflects on Changing Attitudes Towards Fanservice In Japan. I’m not sure I agree with Kishida, I’ve certainly seen no lessening of a market for lolicon, but at least I can hope mainstream anime becomes less enamored of sexualizing representations of children. (Note: Do not bother defending this, you’ll just be blocked.)

Cutie Honey the Musical has a stage play digest, now with English subtitles available, Komatsu-san reports on CR News.

We’re going to wrap up here with an interesting coincidence. A conversation on the Okazu Discord about Yamaji Ebine’s Yuri manga led me to find that this very week, Comic Natalie has an article about Yamaji and a few other artists doing illustration comments for a film, Little Girl.

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