We have an extraordinary amount of news this week. ^_^

Yuri Manga

Yen Press has licensed If You Could See Love, about a girl who can see who is in love with her…in a girls’ school. Alex Mateo has the details on ANN.

We’ve got a bunch of new Yuri on the Yuricon Store! I am almost caught up from the last month of being behind on this…until the next batch drops. ^_^

Mikan Uji’s Fuzoroi no Renri, Volume 5 (不揃いの連理”), which continues several odd couple Yuri tales that are fun and a little poignant. I just reviewed Volume 4 this week.

2DK, G Pen After Time Ohsawa Yayoi Short Story Collection (2DK、Gペン、アフタータイム。大沢やよい 短編集). I’m super looking forward to this. In part because Ohsawa-sensei’s art and story telling has matured since 2015 when this series debuted (and I dd not like the first volume at all. ^_^ Times and opinions change.)

Shimura Takako’s Otona ni Nattemo, Volume 5 (おとなになっても) is another book I’m really looking forward to.

Erie and Wako’s story continues in Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji, Volume 3 (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ). Wako’s new anime role will be scripted by Erie!

The Japanese volumes for Kimi ni Tsumugu Bouhaku, (君に紡ぐ傍白) Volume 1 and Volume 2 are up on the Store. This series is being released in English as Monologue Woven For You, by Seven Seas. Volume 1 head your way this winter.

Last week we added Volume 3 of Usui Shio’s Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts ( 欠けた月とドーナッツ)  and now Crystalynn Hodgkins on ANN reports that this series will wrap up with Volume 4. But don’t worry, Volume 2 of Doughnuts Under A Crescent Moon has just come out in English, so we have some time to go with this lovely series. ^_^

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The funny thing about Yuri ni Hasamarete, ESPer! (百合に挟まれて、エスパー!) is that, although I haven’t read more than a sample chapter of this, I feel like I know it, as it’s been on the to-put-on-the-Store list for a really long time. ^_^

It doesn’t look it, but, U-temo’s Kyou ha Mada Futsu ni Narenai (今日はまだフツーになれない) is about adult and whether everyone has to be involved in romance and sex to be “normal.”

Aisarete mo Iindayo, Volume 2 ( 愛されてもいいんだよ) Amano Shuninta’s fiction about being a lesbian sex worker is out now in Japan. I found Volume 1 interesting.

Via Comic Natalie,  Koi no Koukishin (恋の好奇心) is a story about two girls’ journey through all the most tedious tropes,like Pocky game and skirt flipping(?!) in the name of love and comedy. You can read a sample in Japanese on Comic Natalie and see if it’s for for you. Pro tip: Skirt flipping is not a sign of affection. It’s a form of sexual harassment.

Yuri Yuri creator namori and Mayu, Matou creator Hara Yuriko are contributing to a an upcoming Yuri issue of seasonal mook ES magazine (百合特集の季刊エス) reports Comic Natalie.

Yuri Interview

Yuri manga creator Inui Ayu is doing a live interview as I type this on Yuri Lovers Salon at the Asagaya Loft. Tickets to list to the interview are available through October 9.

Yuri Light Novel

Yen Press announced the license for The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, a manga I coincidentally started this week (or maybe it was my Yuri magic?) Alex Mateo’s ANN article has the specs on this item, too.

Yuri Games

XSEED Games has officially announced new same-sex marriage features for Rune Factory 5. Read their localization blog for the whole story. It makes for some really interesting reading. Rafael Antonio Pineda has the trailer and some more game details on ANN. I hope someone will review this for us when it becomes available, it looks cute.

Yuri Anime

ANN’s Alex Mateo made my day with news about the second cour of Aquatope of White Sand, with new characters and a new OP.

Other News

Oku Hiroya has sold some of his art from Yuri series HEN as an NFT. Kim Morrisy has the story at ANN.

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Yuri Studio

I’m doing a special of recording of the next Yuri Studio! Tomorrow at 3PM Eastern US time, I’m going to address two great questions, I got from Okazu Patrons. They both are questions about literature and writing and Yuri and I want to talk about them at length, so join me on Yuri Studio Live tomorrow!

If we have time and energy, I’ll be taking a few questions after, as well. ^_^

Yuri Manga

We have a pile of new titles up on the Yuricon Store. I’ve been working diligently to clear the backlog.

We start with THREE new manga volumes from Usui Shio!

Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts, Volume 3 (欠けた月とドーナッツ) is out in Japan this weekend. Will Hinako and Asahi figure out what they are to each other? You can read Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Volume 2, now out from Seven Seas!

Ususi-sensei’s story about two friends who get married and life for them begins to change, Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita, Volume 1 (女ともだちと結婚してみた。) is also out now in Japan.

Last, up is Kimi no Tame ni Sekai ha Aru (きみのために世界はある), a collection of 6 shorts by Usui-sensei.

Takeshima Eku’s charming school life girl band story, Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 5 (ささやくように恋を唄う) is out now in Japan. Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 3 is out from Seven Seas in English!

Tsukiatte Agetemo Iikana, Volume 7 ( 付き合ってあげてもいいかな)  hit Japanese bookstores this week and you can read How Do We Relationship, Volume 4 next month and *finally* we can talk about it again.

This one is a don’t-miss for me, Sal Jiang’s office romance Ayaka-chan ha Hiroko-sempai ni Koi Shiteru (彩香ちゃんは弘子先輩に恋してる).

Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata, Volume 2 (君と綴るうたかた) continues this story of PTSD and love by Yuama.

Sayonarajaneeyo, Baka. (さよならじゃねーよ、ばか。) is a collection of Yuri stories by Akiyama Enma, that include a “business Yuri” idol story.

Mermaid horror Yuri, Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume  2 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし ) is on the Store. I’m reading Volume 1 now and I think I like it. ^_^ Take a look at this fabulous Promotional Video from Kadokawa for the series. This is one of the two best I’ve seen.

Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetara, Volume 3 (今日、小柴葵に会えたら) is on shelves now in Japan. Volume 2 of Chasing After Aoi Koshiba is available in English!

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Yuri Anime

Pretty thinly on the line for “Yuri” but Funimation has added Aria and Gakuen Alice to their catalog, reports ANN’s Alex Mateo.

ANN’s Kim Morrissey reports on Netflix sharing some of the key animation drawings from the Sailor Moon Eternal movies in a short video, with multiple language subtitles. Kim also reports on another exiting Sailor Moon tidbit, as DiC’s Sailor Moon dub cues and soundtrack have been resurrected from oblivion and shared around.

ZeroReq011 has a nice look at Takarazuka-inspired anime over on ANN. Obviously they are more familiar with current series, as the major franchise in that category has been left out…hopefully for someone to write something comprehensive about. Sakura Wars is a multiple-genre franchise since 1996, with games, anime, manga, live action-plays and is wholly rooted in Takarazuka and Taisho mecha.

Queer Manga and Comics

Seven Seas announced a new license fox X-Gender, by Asuka Miyazaki, an autobiographical comic essay manga about nonbinary life and love.

Today at 1PM is a free online event. Illustrating Identity: Visual Language & Queer Stories. You do need to register, but the event is free.

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Yuri Manga

Winter 2022 is looking pretty great for Yuri! We’ll start with a bunch from Seven Seas.

Our Teachers Are Dating!, Volume 4 brings this series to it’s warm and fuzzy and sexy conclusion.

At last! We are getting a Ohsawa Yayoi in English, yahoo! This winter will see Hello Melancholic!, Volume 1 on your shelves. I genuinely adored this school band drama. Those of you who loved 2DK, GPen, Mezamashitokei will be pleased at Ohsawa-sensei’s new short story collection 2DK, GPen After-Time (2DK、Gペン、アフタータイム。) which is hitting shelves in Japan in October.

5 Second Before a Witch Falls in Love, is also hitting shelves and devices in February.

Don’t miss Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Volume 2. Asahi and Hinako are starting to get a clue. ^_^

The conclusion of A White Rose in Bloom, Volume 2 was nothing I could have ever, ever expected. Definitely a terrific story by master of school manga, Nakamura Asumiko.

Even If It Was Just Once, I Regret It, Volume 1, is the first volume of a series I haven’t read at all, but I’m told develops interestingly. The premise of a woman giving her body to her female landlord in lieu of rent is not my ideal, but I’m will to give it a try.

And GUNBRED x SISTERS, Volume 1 is the bounty hunter x Vampire Yuri somebody has been waiting for. ^_^

Yen Press is giving us the dramatic fourth volume of Cocoon, Entwined in December.

Don’t miss Otherside Picnic, the manga, Volume 1, which is out from Square Enix this week. I’m reading my copy as soon as I’m done writing the report! ^_^

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Via Yuri Navi, Mikanuji’s Fuzuroi no Renri, Volume 5 (不揃いの連理) has hit JP shelves this week. I’m enjoying this goofy ensemble cast of office workers, yanki girls, school girls and others. It’s random and fun. Also via Yuri Navi, Mikanuji-sensei has a new series running in Young Ace UP called Sempai, Oishii Desuka? (先輩、美味しいですか？). You can see sample pages of this in Japanese on Yuri Navi or read the first chapter on Young Ace UP on Webace.

Mermaid x human Yuri story, Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 2 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし ) is available. I’ve got V1 on the to-read pile, but I’m way behind.

Tamifull’s college-life romance and sex drama, Tsukiatte Agettemo Iikana, Volume 7 (付き合ってあげてもいいかな) hit Japanese bookshelves this week. For the very first time, I’m really interested in where this is going, as the story is nowhere near where it began.

Via Comic Natalie, Toshita no Sempai (年下の先輩) is a “timeslip ero-comedy” Yuri manga about a woman who meets her old sempai as an adult, then travels through time to meet her sempai as a young woman again. Sample chapters are free online in Japanese on Yanmaga Web.

One last via Comic Natalie, Look Back (ルックバック) is a Jump comics one-shot manga about two young women brought together by their desire to create manga.

Yuri Light Novel

One more item from Yuri Navi, a voiced light novel preview, Kotozaki-san ga Miteru,” (琴崎さんがみてる) for you to enjoy on Youtube! Volume 1 is available for pre-order now and will be shipping in October.

I just finished Girls Kingdom, Volume 4 and I am going to seriously suggest you read it. Check back tomorrow and I’ll tell you why in my review. The series is loopy, but…trust me.

Yuri Anime

Retrocrush TV added Stellvia this month and if you missed it the first time, I recommend it highly. It did a lot of good things and changed a few tropes up for savant-character anime, which was the style at the time. They also have Princess Nine, for girl sports anime fans, who don’t mind having their hearts crushed. Rafael Antonia Pineda has the details on ANN.

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Yuri Manga

The Bloom Into You Anthology, Volume 1 is hitting shelves this month from Seven Seas. This was a great addition to any Bloom Into You fan’s collection.

Via YuriMother, I Love Yuri and Got Body Swapped With a Fujoshi!, Volume 4 is out on digital devices. Let me know if this is indeed a “thrilling final volume.”  ^_^

Ajiichi’s school life drama, Failed Princesses, Volume 4 is on shelves now! Should you wish to be lightly spoiled, I have reviewed this book in Japanese here on Okazu.

Otherside Picnic, Volume 1 manga from Square Enix is on shelves now! I really liked the art when I read volume 1 in Japanese. Gonna have to grab a copy of this. Square Enix doesn’t participate on Bookwalker, but you can get this in digital through Kindle, or print at Amazon, RightStuf or a retailer near you.

Via Yuri Navi, we have news of Mao to Yuri, a harem love comedy interactive Yuri manga. Demons and Humans have been fighting and to heal the scars, the Demon Ruler (female) will have to take a human wife. It’s like Gay Bachelorette, the Isekai. ^_^ You can read the first 3 chapters in Japanese on NicoNico.

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Yuri Light Novel

Girls Kingdom, Volume 4 has arrived on your digital device from J-Novel Club and, we are assured by reviewer Sean Gaffney, that it is worth reading.

Brazil’s NewPOP Editora announces the Portuguese-language version of inori-sensei’s series, Me Apaixonei pela Vilã! Pre-orders are going strong, as it was #1 in Graphic Novels category on Amazon BR as I write this. Just to be clear, this is Volume 1 of the Light Novel, not the manga.

Yuri Visual Novel

Yuri Navi has details, summary and voice cast of Watashi-tachi no Marriage ①  (私たちマリアージュ①) a new Yuri VN coming to Steam next Spring. It appears to be a mystical fantasy involving the zodiac, a goddess and a corporate spy at a private girls’ school.

Yuri Anime

Funimation is, for the first time, streaming Burst Angel anime. I implore you to watch this so you will understand my joke about Sei-who-is-not-named-Beth. The story makes little sense, but I have retconned it in my head to having been fun enough with a fair dollop of service. I do have two killer figurines of Jo and Meg from it. Check out Alex Mateo’s article on ANN for more details!

Other News

This week, Twitter was aflame with the images of the new Aquatope of White Sand figurine by FNEX, available for pre-orders “soon,” at the Akihabara GAMERS store, which, naturally, has a Aquatope display and special goods through September 12. It is quite beautiful with, stunning detail. Check out the Hobby Japan article for closeup visuals. YNN Correspondent Megan points out Kukuru’s baby book among the coral and I also see Fuuka’s suitcase and a microphone.

The Shinjuku Marui will host a Futaribeya pop-up shop from Sept 24 – October 8. Yuri Navi reports that it will feature goods with series art by creator Yukiko. Since the art is the Yuriest thing about the series, this seems like fun. ^_^

I’m posting this because I have a theory and this news sort of bears it out. Go Nagai is launching a new manga – he’s taking on Tezuka’s Barbara. I’ve always said that if Tezuka is the God of Manga, then Nagai is Manga’s Creepy Uncle. But, privately, I have always felt that what Nagai was actually doing was taking every genre/idea Tezuka did and trying to one-up him. ^_^ Anyway, check out Alex Mateo’s article on ANN and decide for yourself.

Speaking of Tezuka, Megan D, the Renaissance Josei, has written this fantastic article about The Story of Animerama, Tezuka’s visionary project that effectively destroyed MushiPro and created works that wouldn’t be appreciate for another 40 years, like Belladonna of Sadness, which is streaming on TubiTV. I highly recommend this for your afternoon reading.

Via YNN Correspondents Patricia and Megan, Gengoroh Tagame’s most recent serialized manga, Bokura no Shikisai (僕らの色彩), has been licensed by Pantheon as Our Colors, as a three-in-one volume, available next spring.

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Welcome to an edition of Okazu that transcends time and geography!  We have some really exciting news this week.

Yuri Manga

Starting, as always with new Yuri manga on the Yuricon Store. The store is the largest catalog of Yuri media and goods on the internets – if you’re looking for the newest volume or an older volume to fill in your collection; for anime,manga,  LNs, drama CDs and other media, you can search by creator, title, publisher, in Japanese and English. It’s a damn good resource, if I do say so myself. ^_^

School Zone Girls, Volume 2, a juvenile delinquent school life comedy is on shelves now from Seven Seas.

Don’t miss Cocoon, Entwined, Volume 3, as this school romance becomes more and more complicated out now from Yen Press.

Crowd-funded, creator-owned Galette, No. 19 (ガレット)  is out. One more and they make the big 5 year mark! You can of course get this as a print volume from Japan, but you can also get it as a digital magazine in Japanese on Bookwalker and Amazon US Kindle!

I haven’t read this yet, but love the cover, Anemone ga Netsu wo Obiru, Volume 1 (アネモネが熱を帯びる) is a school life drama by Sakuragi Ren.

Comic Natalie hosted a 4-way conversation about Kaijuu-iro no Shima (かいじゅう色の島) between Yuri manga artist Mochi Au Lait, Animate Yuribu Editor Saigusa Kensuke, SF magazine editor Mizoguchi Rikimaru and Yuri Navi’s Furippe.

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Yuri Studio

Okazu Patrons now have access to our newest video, the final entry in our Gateway Yuri Anime review. Part 3 covers 2010-present. Become a patron and get access today! Part 1 and Part 2 are available on Yuri Studio for you to enjoy.

Yuri Light Novel

Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou., Volume 5 (私の推しは悪役令嬢。) landed on Kindle this week and you are very lucky I took precious reading time away to do this news report. ^_^ I’ve carefully steered clear of spoilers for this final volume of the Nur arc.

Live-action

I’ve been really interested in Yuri outside Japan recently, I’ve bookmarked a Chinese GL webnovel I want to try to work through (致女神（娱乐圈GL)) and I was absolutely beside myself when BL scholar and gentleman Thomas Baudinette looped me into the news that an upcoming BL series in Thailand, Secret Crush on You was going to have a separate Yuri storyline. I detailed as much of the information as I had on Thai Yuri novel GAP ทฤษฎีสีชมพู being adapted into a live-action story, ทฤษฎีสีชมพู GAP The Series in a post on Friday, Thai Yuri Novel Adapted Into Live-Action: Pink Theory GAP, The Series.

WELL, since then, Thomas let me know about another BL series that includes a GL storyline: “The final of the 7 episodes titled “Remember.” The official trailer of 7 Project can be found on Youtube. Cool, huh?

Yuri Anthologies

Super fab news from queer manga artist Mutsumi Natsuo, a person whose work I was introduced to for our video, Are There Queer Creators Creating Yuri?. Mutsumi-sensei announced the second volume of a “butchy lesbian” anthology, called Boyish², being crowdfunded now. I backed it, and Mutsumi-sensei told me that an English-language digital version is being planned. Woot! Of course I’ll keep you in the loop when that happens.

Thousands of Books announced an upcoming Taiwanese Showa Yuri collection, Kitan Hana Monogatari (綺譚花物語). This is also being crowdfunded in Japan…I’ve backed it, as I love Showa and Taisho period pieces and I’m excited about/for the Taiwanese Yuri fandom.

Yuri Visual Novels

Via Yuri Anime News, “Taiwanese studios Narrator and Storia recently announced on Steam plans for a character image refurbish for their Yuri visual novel” Lingua Fleur: Lily.

Via Yuri Navi, we have a new Yuri VN, Watashitachi no Marriage ①. Watch the official Twitter account for updates.

LGBTQ Comics

Out Magazine offers up 18 New & Upcoming Queer Comics We Love by Mey Rude.

Queer manga artist Rica Takashima tells me that she’s got a table at AnimeNYC artist’s alley, and she’ll be selling her self-published comics, including her “Rica ‘tte Kanj!?” stories. Rica’s been working hard on the cover art for By Your Side: The First 100 Year of Yuri Anime and Manga, and let me tell you…it looks amazing. Okazu Patrons were able to see a teeeny little piece of the cover and even that looks awesome. I would like to attend AnimeNYC, but think the arc of COVID will keep me away.

AV Club has this terrific article in which writer Willow Maclay and artist Cressa Beer discuss the intersection of anime fandom and transfeminine identity, from Sailor Moon to Neon Genesis Evangelion: “Anime was a safe space”: On magical girls, damaged villains, and trans adolescence.

Other News

I haven’t done this in a while, but there are a couple of global same-sex marriage news items that I want to round up this week.

Marriage for All Japan announced this week that both Saga and Mie Prefectures are starting prefecture wide same-sex partnership programs. They join Osaka, Ibaraki, and Gunma prefectures and about 100 other individual principalities.

In Mexico, Yucatán’s Congress has passed SSM, making 22 of 32 states in that country in which same-sex unions are legal.

The Church in Wales is going to take up the issue of blessing same-sex unions in Welsh churches and I kind of think it’s likely to pass.

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!

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