Yuricon News

I’ve got some really exciting news for fans of Okazu and Yuricon – my book on the first 100 Years of Yuri, tentatively titled By Your Side, will be published by Journey Press. ^_^

This is a collection of my essays, articles and lectures on the history of Yuri and key “gateway” series, on Okazu, for other sites, and books over the past 20 years. I’ve commissioned a piece of original art by Rica Takashima for the cover. The book is slated for a June 2022 release, which puts it out in Pride month and in time for the 20th anniversary of Okazu!

All active Okazu Patrons at the time of release will get a e-book, but we’ll also looking into doing a Kickstarter with extras for both print and digital fans! I hope you’ll all be impatient and tell your friends as we get this ready. And of course, I’ll be giving you updates as we go. ^_^ Here’s to our journey through the past, present and future of Yuri!

Yuri Manga

We have some new items on the Yuricon Store for you:

Akiko Morishima’s short story collection Conditions of Paradise, Azure Dreams is out from Seven Seas and on shelves!

I’m super pleased to announce the availability of Morinaga Milk’s series for Galette magazine as a collected volume. Watashi no Kawaii Neko-chan, Volume 1 (私の可愛い子猫ちゃん) follows roommates Yuna and Reina as their lives and relationship change radically after they adopt a stray cat.

Kaishaku’s newest Kannazuki no Miko spin-off Himegami no Miko Volume 1 (姫神の巫女)  is now available as a print volume.

Running now in Comic Yuri Hime magazine, Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata, Volume 1 (君と綴るうたかた) about novelist who shuns her classmates and a classmate who wants to collaborate.

Koisuru Meiga, Volume 2 (恋する名画) offers more Yuri + fine art scenarios.

Alex Mateo at ANN reports that Kabi Nagata has a new series, Meisоu Senshi Nagata Kabi: Gourmet de Go! focusing on her eating disorder. This follows up her volume Meisou Senshi Nagata Kabi (迷走戦士・永田カビ) which focused on gender and sexuality. You can read Hittori Kekkonshiki (in Japanese) on Web Action.

Don’t forget to grab the remaining Yuri manga from the first Yuri publisher in English, ALC Publishing. Get Yuri Monogatari Volumes, 3, 4 & 6 for only $18.00 and a copy of the second-ever Yuri manga in English, WORKS by Tadeno Eriko for only $7.00 and free shipping in contiguous 48 with a purchase of $25 or more with the code ALC2020 from our friends at Chaeapmanga.com!

Anime News

RightStuf has a pre-order for Diskotek’s gorgeous-looking Blu-Ray release of Lady Oscar Rose of Versailles.

Via Yuri Navi, Pony Canyon announced an Adachi & Shimamura Online Special Event for February 21. Ticket information is available (in Japanese) at the link.

Oshii scholar and gentleman Brian Ruh has a write-up on about Vlad Love with the delightful title You Give Love a Vlad Name. As you know I loathe vampires and believe they deserve nothing but crappy puns and limericks, so I approve. ^_^ The whole article is worth a read, as is everything Brian writes.

Sailor Moon Eternal, Part 2 ends with a “To Be Continued” Teaser according to YNN’s RafaelAn tonio Pineda. Since the Crystal/Eternal series is an animated version of the manga, we’re in for a Three Lights group of cross-dressing women, rather than the gender-switching Starlights of the anime. I wonder how that will play.

Folks in Tokyo who want a participatory Senshi experiences have a year to enjoy a Sailor Moon-themed Escape Room in Shinjuku. Kim Morrissey has the scoop at ANN. Check out the Tokyo Mystery Circus site for booking.

Yuri Game & VN News

Georgina Young takes a look at Lesbian love syndrome: a history of Yuri and lesbian romance in gaming for Techradar.

Other News

Yuri Doujinshi localizing company Lilyka is looking for original submissions for publication. Check out Want to make your GL Manga debut? on the Lilyka site for details. Lilyka is also running a Valentine’s Day sale on translated doujinshi, so you might want to check into that too. ^_^

Also for Valentine’s Day, “butch Yuri manga artist” Mieri Hiranashi is opening up her online store and those of us who are her patrons have gotten a great look at the goods. Trust, me, you’ll love them! I know I’ll be buying at least a few things. ^_^

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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Yuri Anime

Last week, Yen Press announced the license of  Virgin Road (which, apparently is a colloquialism in Japan for the path a bride walks towards her husband at their wedding, which is pretty uhh…) and has changed the title to the surprisingly more palatable The Executioner and Her Way of Life light novel under the title and this week, we have news of an anime for the series. Jennifer Sherman over at ANN has the details and Youtube has the teaser. Thank you Sean, for the corrected titles.

Crunchyroll will be streaming Mamoru Oshii’s Vlad Love, with an auspicious launch date this month of…you guessed it, Valentine’s Day. Joseph Luster has the story at Crunchyroll News.

WATATEN!: an Angel Flew Down to Me, aka Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita! upcoming anime will get a theater release in Japan, date as yet unreported. Egan Loo has the scoop on ANN.

Not Yuri, but Rafael Antonio Pineda has the report on a 4-minute long Sailor Moon Eternal “digest” video which summarizes the first movie.

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Yuri Manga

Awesome news from Seven Seas – they have licensed the I’m in Love With the Villainess manga! Jennifer Sherman once again has details at ANN. For one of the very few times in my life as an otaku, I find myself actually hoping for an anime of a series. This one has enough wacky and service and action to work. (And queer-positive representation in a “Yuri” anime would be swell.)

Days of Love at Seagull Villa, Volume 2 is on the way and on the Yuricon Store! Naoko Kodama’s drama is intense this volume.

Also on the Store is Shio Usui’s office romance drama, Doughnuts Under A Crescent Moon, Volume 1, which I utterly adore. I give this series my highest recommendation for being inspiring and heart-warming.

I’m ecstatic that Amano Shuninta’s Touma-kun (冬馬くん ) series from Galette magazine is now available as a single collected volume. I liked this one a great deal. Touma-kun doesn’t mean to break hearts, she just really wants the other girls to feel beautiful and loved. That’s why they call her “Everyone’s Boyfriend.”

Via Comic Natalie, Ane wo Sukina Onee-san to (姉を好きなお姉さんと) is about a woman who is living with her sister’s friend, then learns the friend is in love with and indeed, dating, her sister.

Also on Comic Natalie, Kore ha Yoi Dakimura, Minase Rururuu Yuri Short Story Collection (これはよい抱き枕 水瀬るるう百合作品集) is a collected volume of doujinshi works.

Yuri Visual Novels

Mangagamer is holding a Valentine’s Day Sale with VNs up to 50% off. Check out the Mangagamer blog post for the list of eligible titles. There are at least a couple of Yuri VNs on there.

Event News

Toronto Comic Arts Festival has regrouped and is going wholly virtual for 2021! They will be holding their fabulously international, diverse and inclusive event online from, May 8-15 including vendor areas, which have opened for applications. Since this is an online event, you can definitely attend. ^_^ See you there!

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

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 more queer creators!

Yuri Manga

Yen Press has announced the cover reveal for Strawberry Fields Once Again Volume 2.

Kodansha  is hyping Chasing After Aoi Koshiba. Volume 1 is slated for a March release and Volume 2 will follow in May. The series is ongoing in Japanese, I’ve reviewed Volume 1 and 2 of Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetara, here on Okazu.

Seven Seas announced The Conditions of Paradise; Azure Dreams, which is a series of shorts by  Akiko Morishima, Pikachi Ohi’s Our Teachers Are Dating!, Volume 2 and from Takako Shimura, Even Though We’re Adults, Volume 1, which I have reviewed in Japanese and will be reviewing in English this coming week. It’s a great series for those of you who like “messy” relationships.

From Viz, we’re getting How Do We Relationship, Volume 3 in summer, which is also great if you like your relationships messy. ^_^

DMP has Can I Pretend to Buy You With Money, by Tachi on their emanga.com site. It was listed for a while on Amazon, but seems to have been pulled for what, in the larger world beyond manga, makes perfect sense.

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Gangan Joker has listed Volume 1 of Shoujo Manga Shujinko x Rival-san (少女漫画主人公×ライバルさん) about a girl who is love with the popular guy, and blocked by the popular girl…who confesses her love to our protagonist! You can read a sample chapter in Japanese on Square Enix’s Joker site.

Mochi au Lait and Majjocoid’s mistaken gender comedy Ikemen Onna to Hakoiri Musume, Volume 2 (イケメン女と箱入り娘) is available for people who find that amusing.

I have absolutely no idea if this is good, but I might take a look. Via Comic Natalie,  Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei (転生王女と天才令嬢の魔法革命) is an isekai about a “reborn” princess and her rival genius villainess, which seems derivative times two and possibly amusing.

Yuri Light Novel

ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight With My Love and My Cursed Sword, Volume 2 has hit shelves and it’s bigger and more pointlessly violent than ever before!  I started reading it yesterday; it presents a real problem for me, I can’t read it  during meals or before bed. Which means I have to make special time to absorb this grotesquely and lazily conceived violence for *entertainment*. ^_^;

Yuri Visual Novels & Games

Noodeltub Games is proud to announce the release of their 18+ Yuri VN, LOVE BAKUDAN, available on Itchi.io

And Kikai Digital is likewise pleased to announce their new Yuri VN, Melancholy Love, available on Steam.

YuriMother wants you to know about successfully crowdfunded game OVA Magica, where “you can live out your gay, blob-taming, farming dreams.” Additionally, she’s got the scoop on Story of Seasons game, Pioneers of Oliver Town in which same-sex “best friend ceremonies” are available.

Other News

Kim Morrisey at ANN has the not-all-that-surprising, but still shocking news that Toei, an animation company that makes a lot of money off of same-sex couples and gender bending in anime, not only refused to negotiate with a LGBTQ employee union, but engaged in a pattern of harmful harassment against queer employees.There are some legal employee protections in place for gender or sexual minorities in Japan, and some companies have adopted more inclusive policies. We’ll be watching this story closely.

Singer Saito Miki has released the official music video for the Otherside Picnic ED, which itself is a nice little Yuri story. ^_^ Komatsu-san on Crunchyroll has the details and the video!

In case you missed it, check out the video for the Japan Foundation’s video panel, Sailor Moon: How These Magical Girls Transformed Our World, featuring translator Mari Morimoto as moderator and some fantastic presentations and conversation. I learned some new stuff, which was great!

Molly Sprayregen on Forbes has written A New Documentary Tells The Story Of The Woman Behind The World’s Bestselling Lesbian Magazine, about Frances Stevens, the founder of Curve magazine. True story, I was an outside ad salesperson for Deneuve, then Curve, for a little while.

Absolutely pointless, but we are on Instagram at last! I’ll be posting what I’m currently reading when I have a chance and inclination. I’ll also give a short reaction. Visit the worst Instagram account at OkazuYuri. (^_^)

If you or someone you know is attending Michigan State University, there is still time to sign up for my J-Pop Translation & Adaptation Workshop (I didn’t pick the name…) featuring translators Mari Morimoto and Zack Davission as guest lecturers and me as the main instructor. We’ll be talking about roles in the translation process and challenges, and ways of interpreting meaning and feel.  People who complete the workshop will receive a certificate. I hope to see you there!

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

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 more queer creators!

Yuri Manga

Just as I was working on last week’s report, Yen Press announced two new Yuri titles: The Whole of Humanity Has Gone Yuri Except for Me, and the Nakatani Nio Short story collection, Farewell to my Alter, (which I reviewed here in Japanese last summer) Thanks to Senior YNN Correspondent Sean G for the heads up!

Syrup Yuri Anthology, Volume 2 is out from Seven Seas.

Travel-ish, Yuri-ish Futari Escape, Volume 1 (ふたりエスケープ ) from Comic Yuri Hime is available.

YNN Senior Correspondent Shannon L. wrote in to let our French-speaking friends know that Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is getting a French release as Escale à Yokohama from Meian! They are describing it as a “feel-good” story. Which is true, if you ignore that it is also a science-fiction story about the twilight of humanity. I envy our French readers, this is a magnificent series.

Seven Seas is promoting a Yuri pack of manga on Twitter, featuring 5 Yuri titles!

On Twitter, Kaishaku announced the publication of Volume 1 of their new sequel(ish) to Kannazuki no Miko, Himegami no Miko (姫神の巫女).

 Anime News

YNN Correspondent Evie wants you to know about the upcoming anime for Tai Ari Deshita. ~Ojou-sama wa Kakutou Game Nante Shinai~ (対ありでした。 ～お嬢さまは格闘ゲームなんてしない～). Komatsu-san has the details on CR News about this game competition anime set at a girl’s school!

The new anime EX-ARM has already been the target of much critical analysis of the production team and the animation. Now it’s added a new chapter of conversation (or controversy, if you prefer that kind of clickbait headline ) with a possibly(?) censored same-sex kiss. Yuri Mother has the details. Personally, I think the whole anime is a decent example of The Peter Principle, with everyone involved just completely out of their depth and leadership promoted to their level of incompetence.

My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! anime is getting a second season. Fans of Maria and Katarina will be so happy. ^_^ ANN’s Rafael Antonio Pineda has the report. 

PA WORKS has debuted a promotional video for upcoming anime Shiroi Suna no Aquatope (白い砂のアクアトープ). It’ll hit a lot of buttons – pretty location scenery, nice animation, “girl zoo” Yuri anime.

Blue Period, which has a gender nonbinary character (I haven’t actually read the volume, which is on my to-read pile) is getting an anime. I’m not sure how sensitive the character portrayal is, yet, but I’m told that it is not negative or malicious.) Alex Mateo has the details on ANN.

The first Okazu goal for 2021: Sustainably pass 100 Patrons. This will put us nearer to our next Microgoal. More Yuri Studio Videos, a raise for our writers here on Okazu and another new queer creator we’ll support! Become an Okazu Patron today!

Yuri Light Novel News

The second volume of Girl’s Kingdom is available for pre-order on Kindle and up on the Yuricon Store. An exchange student is going to throw Misaki’s life into turmoil, oh no! ^_^

Other News

Fans of Comic Yuri Hime series Wataten, Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita! (私に天使が舞い降りた!,) might be excited to learn that Wataten 5’s first Solo Concert Delicious Smile! is set to stream overseas on February 6, 2021.  Visit E+ for ticket information.

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

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 more queer creators!

Yuri Anime

YNN Correspondent Evie wants you to know that upcoming anime Aquatope of White Sand states it is “Girl-Meets-Girl”. The plots seems quite similar to Hagino Makoto’s Nettaigyo ha Yuki ni Kogareru / A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow. Daryl Harding has details, trailer and links on Crunchyroll News!

Senior YNN Correspondent Verso S. wants you to know that Liz and the Blue Bird is getting a Blu-Ray release in Japan! There’s some minimal changes to the packaging and a few extras, so if you’re interested in getting the JP release of this film, now is a good opportunity.

Yuri Doujinshi

I went on a bit of a spending spree this weekend and *finally* managed to get myself a copy of mkBooks’ dual-language doujinshi The Life of a Yuri Couple in Love (おさななじみの百合夫婦生活). This is legitimately available on booth.pm as an electronic download in both Japanese and English for a mere $2.50. 

Lilyka has a new doujinshi available by TWA, about a police officer and criminal, in Baby, Wanted. Now, there’s a plot that I hadn’t yet added to Yuri Manga Bot… . (Speaking of Yuri Manga Bot, someone wrote a short story based on one of the plots! Thanks Musesana!)

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Yuri Manga

Nagata Kabi has a new book coming out in Japan and one on the way in English! This spring, Seven Seas will be releasing her fourth comic essay volume, My Alcoholic Escape From Reality. Following on her previous three volumes, Nagata-sensei has been through a lot and now, she’s dealing with the physical consequences. I reviewed the Japanese volume of this book in February 2020.

Her upcoming volume in Japan is titled Meisou Senshi – Nagata Kabi (迷走戦士・永田カビ) and I think, for a lot of us here, it will be an “ah” moment. Nagata-sensei has started to think about love, and finds herself and thinking about sexuality, and gender and weddings and who she is. YNN correspondent CW wants you to know that you can read chapters from this book right now in Japanese on Comic Action‘s online platform Web Action, where it is the #1 title right now. Also interesting, this book marks a third publisher Nagata-sensei has worked with. I think she’ll find Futabasha a better fit than Shogagukan. East Press seems to be pretty open to whatever creators want to do, but Futabasha has the magazines and the promotion power that East Press doesn’t.

Via YNN Correspondent Megan and Comic Natalie, we have news of Hon no Mushi (本のムシ) a manga about a girl who works at a publishing company who falls in love with her coworker…who keeps paper-eating bugs for some purpose…. It’s certainly an original idea.

I have no idea what this is about, because I just grabbed due to the title. ^_^ Kawai Roh has a new Yuri collection called  Girls in the Hell, (ガールズインザヘル).

LINE in Japan is offering a set of 2DK, GPen Mezamashitokei (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。) stamps by Ohsawa Yayoi. Comic Natalie has the details. I just bought it (50 coins, so 99 cents US) and it’s a massive stamp set. Yes, I scrolled through it to make sure we got Tanihara Yuuko and her coffee. ^_^

Kita no Onna no Tamesaretai (北の女に試されたい), by Kaido Minoda, appears to be about two women on a road trip through Hokkaido picking up women. You can read it for free in Japanese on Comic Walker. I think I will definitely give it a try. ^_^

ANN’s Rafael Antonia Pineda reports that Yuni’s Shakaijin Yuri comedy Hitogoto Desukara!, licensed by Manga Planet in English as It’s Personnel! will come to an end this week, wrapping up with Volume 3.

Sailor Moon News

Reader Super noticed last week that I had added the Sailor Moon Eternal trailer to the regular Yuri Anime category. I honestly hadn’t noticed. ^_^  I am sorry for any confusion. Sailor Moon Eternal isn’t Yuri, in any way, really, except in the sense that Haruka and Michiru are themselves the reigning Queens of Yuri. But I am pleased to see that the Outers will get their rightful place in the story.

On Crunchyroll news, Kara Denison covers the new music video from Momoiro Clover Z,  Tsukiiro Chainon. Definitely watch the video for some nicely animated transformations.

The movie launched this week in Japan with a whole lot of tie-ins and collaborations. I’ve been enjoying look at the Wendy’s display and other goods.

Bunshun.jp has an interview with Mitsuishi Kotono, the voice of Sailor Moon, in Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon ‘Tsukino Usagi wa Jinsei no Doushi” Mitsuishi Kotono ga Miseru. (美少女戦士セーラームーン「月野うさぎは人生の同志」　三石琴乃が魅せる“セーラーパワー” の輝き). The interview is in Japanese, but you should be able to understand well enough with a translation tool.

The Japan Foundation of New York is holding an online talk Sailor Moon: How These Magical Girls Transformed Our World, on January 28th. Registration is free. The talk features two of my favorite people, Kathrynn Hemmann as moderator and translator Mari Morimoto as a panelist.

In case you need a calendar to keep track of all your Sailor Moon fan events, here is the official Sailor Moon Eternal 2021 calendar, with character pop-ups. ^_^ Sadly, they are not ordered by birthday month…which I know wouldn’t work, but still.

Queer Media

Via YNN Correspondent Verena Maser, we can share the German-language Comics aus den Queeren Welt Project, Ach, so ist das?!.

We’re going to close out this week with some great news, from Senior YNN Correspondent Eric P! Queer Japan, the documentary about LGBTQ+ life in Japan will be released on Blu-Ray in March! I’m a backer for this project…and was there when some of the interviews took place, so I’m really looking forward to seeing it.

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

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 more queer creators!