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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Yuri Manga

[Boyish²] Butch×Butch Yuri Anthology has made its Kickstarter goal with more than a month left! That means you have plenty of time to back this anthology. With so much support they are considering doing a print volume, as well as digital.

Via Fayorei on Twitter,  Bookwalker is running a coin boost sale on Inori’s I’m In Love With the Villainess Manga and Light Novels! (These are both affiliate links, so I get a pittance of coins if you pick something up with them.^_^) The sale ends Oct. 20th.

While we’re talking ILTV, Sekai Edition has just announced a Spanish edition of the Me Enamoré de la Villana light novels!

We have some new items up on the Yuricon Store, which means these are all, again, affiliate links.

Zaou Taishi and Eiki Eiki’s early 2000’s Yuri series for what was then Yuri Hime magazine, are being reissued as complete editions. Love Gene Double XX Complete Edition  and Haru, Natsu, Aki, Fuyu Complete Edition (春夏秋冬 完全版) both include new pages and new cover design.

Lonely Girl ni Sakaraenai, Volume 4 (ロンリーガールに逆らえない) is hitting Japanese shelves this week. I am so glad this story didn’t just wrap up after Sora and Ayaka started to go out. It feels more substantial, somehow.

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Yuri Navi is reporting a new Yuri series starting in Comic Cune magazine. Lily-Lily-La-La-Land, is set at a private girls school and begins with a confession.

Also via Yuri Navi, Kimi to Shiranai Natsu Naru by Keiyyang, will begin and get color pages in the New Year’s first  issue of Comic Yuri Hime.

Again via Yuri Navi, Mikanuji’s new Yuri + food manga Sempai, Oishii Desu ka? (先輩、美味しいですか？) has begun on Young Ace online. I kind of found the premise a bit depressing, so I hope our protag gets to eat whatever she wants.

Via Aki Yanagi on Twitter, another food + Yuri manga that has really intrigued me, Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna,  (作りたい女と食べたい女) by Yuzaki Sakaomi, has been given a content warning – something that is very rare in JP manga. But this, Aki-san, says, is done as a kindness by the author, as it includes scenes of sexual harassment. This was part of a great conversation with translator Jocelyne Allen, who noted a single chapter in Witch Hat Atelier which was likewise tagged with a CW in Japan.

Events

AnimeNYC is on the way and – if everything works out – I’ll be attending on Saturday, to cover the event as press and be part of a GEEKS OUT panel on queer manga. Vaccines and masks will be required, so make sure you’re sorted. If you are there, say hi after the panel. ^_^

I’m also going be recording a session for the New York Public Library, with a whole lot of much more qualified folks, to talk about LGBTQ+ Manga in the Library. The livestream will be Nov. 17 and I’ll drop the link as soon as I have it.

It looks like we’ll be doing our cover reveal for By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga as part of our annual Okazu Patron Online Holiday Party. My publisher will be a special guest. Dates will be chosen on the Okazu Patreon. We’ve been doing this the last couple of years and it’s a lot of fun!

Spring 2022 is already lined up for a bunch of interesting things, so stay tuned!

Anime News

In another example of how the universe is unfair, Wataten is getting an anime film. Egan Loo has the details on ANN. While that mess gets money poured into it, I’m in Love With the Villainess remains unanimated thus far. (I still have hope.)

Kakegurui XX has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks, with a Q1 2022 projected release.

Other News

ANN’s Lynzee Loveridge reports on a Sailor Moon-themed at illumination at Sagamiko Resort. The resort’s official website has an image that makes it look kinda fun! I know I’d go, if it were doable. ^_^

I know I keep mentioning this, but. Via Yuri Navi, the 4th Yuri Bungei Shousetsu Contest is live! Pixiv, Comic Yuri Hime and Hayakawa Publishing have been sponsoring this short story contest and we’ve gotten a fair amount of decent works so far. I just went and bought the print versions of the second and third contest winners from Booth.pm. ^_^

ANN’s Kim Morrissy has this great article: TMS Entertainment’s 1st Female Producer Explains How the Anime Industry Can Improve For Women. Well worth reading.  ^_^

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons 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!

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