Yuri Manga

Seven Seas announced a passel of Yuri titles this week! There’s a nice variety for Yuri fans.

Starting with the manga for upcoming Yuri anime, Fragtime manga is slated for an April 2020 release in omnibus format.

Hitoma Iruma’s Yuri light novel series Adachi and Shimamura will be released in single volumes starting in summer 2020. I reviewed the first volume in 2013. There’s been 8 volumes of the series since then and an anime is heading our way in 2020, as well.

Ajiichi’s Failed Princesses is a high-school romance between two students who are not friends at all. I reviewed Volume 1 of Dekisokonai Hime-tachi (できそこないの姫君たち) last spring and have Volume 2 on the to-read pile.

Ichijinsha’s Syrup anthology is on the way in English in summer 2020. I can’t find a review, so either I haven’t read it, or I did and didn’t review it. Not sure which. ^_^

Last, but not least, Seven Seas has licensed the historical drama Goodbye, My Rose Garden. Once again, I have reviewed Volume 1 of Sayonara, Rose Garden (さよならローズガーデン) and have Volume 2 to read.

Okazu News

I want to thank everyone who joined the 100 Years of Yuri Tour last week. We had an amazing time! Reviews to come this week.

Current Okazu Patrons will be receiving early access to a new chapter of the Big Book O’Yuri, a history of Yuri Events! Become a Patron and receive perqs like sneak peaks at the book, early access to research and exclusive goods.

Yuri Anime

Via YNN Correspondent Adrian O., we have the news that Sentai Filmworks is releasing a Premium boxset for the Bloom Into You anime. This will include the entire anime series, Special Book, Storyboard Book, Original Script Booklet, Art Cards (x6), Rei’s Recipe Card. This last contains Yuu’s older sister’s cheesecake recipe. ^_^

Viz Media has begun their replacement campaign for the booklets included with Sailor Moon Stars, so that Haruka and Michiru are once again partners. Check out ANN for details on how to get your replacement.

ANN reports on the cast and main visuals of the Tamayomi anime, which will debut in spring 2020.

Once more via ANN, Fragtime anime OVA announces more cast and a theme song.

Via Comic Natalie, Yuri Yuri is getting a 4-episode anime miniseries on Youtube starting this week, culminating in the release of a new OVA in November.

Light Novel News

Ojamajo Doremi is a popular magical girl children’s anime franchise in Japan that is celebrating a 20th anniversary this year. To celebrate, ANN reports a new novel for the series will be released next month that catches up with the girls 20 years later. ^_^ Ojamajo Doremi 20s (おジャ魔女どれみ20’s) will see an October release. I’m including this because in the original series, there was some indication that Ai was queer, but whether that will exist in this novel, I don’t know. I doubt it.

Kickstarter Watch

Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, artist for the award-winning Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me (which I reviewed in Spring 2019) has a new book coming out, via successful Kickstarter, Don’t Go Without Me. Queer horror, scifi and drama, and it looks fabulous.

Live Action News

Via a number of YNN Correspondents, cooking manga that centers on two sisters by marriage who find common ground through food, Shinmai Shimai no Futari Gohan  is getting a live-action drama. ANN has the details.

Other News

The Library of Congress is hosting an exhibit called Comic Art : 120 Years of Panels and Pages, and I want to offer my congratulations to my friend, extremely talented comic artist Marguerite Dabaie, for having a page of her work Hookah Girl included! The exhibit is largely available online, so I encourage you to check out the link.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news with your name and an email I can reply to – thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network! Special thanks to all of our Okazu Patrons, who make this report possible!

Yuri Events

There will be no YNN report ntXt week, as we will be in the middle of the 100 Years of Yuri Tour of Tokyo! Check in regularly to learn how cool Girls Love Fest, the Bloom Into You popup shop and the Sailor Moon restaurant are. ^_^ I’m nervous as heck, as we’re starting off with a small typhoon, but happy travels everyone.

Yuri Manga

A few new items up on the Yuricon Store!

Galette, No. 11 (ガレット )  is hitting shelves in Japan as I type this. This means that the next issue is the completion of their 3rd year. That’s always a huge hurdle, getting through 3 years, so fingers crossed for everyone that they continue to grow.

Resonant Blue (レゾナントブルー) is a new girls’x garden anthology from the folks bringing us the Avalon anthologies.

A new school life drama Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetara ( 今日、小柴葵に会えたら)…

…and a new “adult” adult life drama, Tonari no Heya kara Aegigoe ga Surundesukedo… / 隣の部屋から喘ぎ声がするんですけど… the first chapter of which I believe was in Ultra Jump’s Yuritora Jump anthology.

Lilyka is DMP’s newest imprint, focusing on Yuri doujinshi. They are releasing a series I picked up last winter at Comitia, SHWD, an action series about beefy, athletic women in a monster-disposal special unit. If you’re looking for something a little science fictiony, a little less school, check it out.

Mochi Au Lait has a previously released online series debuting in Comic Rex‘s November issue, Ikemen Onna to Hakoiri Musume (イケメン女と箱入り娘) about a too-cool woman mistaken for a man.

Yuri Anime

ANN has the second promotional video from Hirao Auri’s Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu, idol group love comedy.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news with your name and an email I can reply to – thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network! Special thanks to all of our Okazu Patrons, who make this report possible!

Animation News

Steven Universe the Movie premieres commercial free on Cartoon Network 6PM Eastern US time on Monday, September 2. If you’re not already a fan, Cartoon Network is leading up to it with all the Steven Universe episodes this weekend (ask me what my plans are!) My wife and I have had this series on on a loop for the last several years. We watch a few episodes every night and when we get to the end, we start over again. It’s basically the thing that’s keeping us grounded these days. Check out the movie trailer on Youtube.

In case you missed it, Carole and Tuesday, has hit Netflix this week. This is not a Yuri story, but it is a beautiful story of a friendship between two women, built upon music – and the music is good. There is a lesbian character early on, but she is a throwaway. Nonetheless, she’s great for the moment she’s in the story. ^_^

Yuru Yuri‘s 10th anniversary opening theme has a PV anime. Check it out on Youtube.

Okazu News

Be -or become!-  an active Okazu patron paid through September 5th and you will gain access to a sneak peek from the Big Book o’Yuri! This time, we’re giving you a look at our comprehensive Yuri Events history chapter, which covers from the earliest known Yuri events into the near future, before all this information disappears into the oubliette of SNS obscurity. Subscribe to Okazu on Patreon! Support Yuri interviews, and news, and help pay Guest Reviewers. $5/month makes a huge difference to us!

Yuri Events

The participating circles list is available for Girls Love Fest on September 16 in Tokyo. If you’re going to be there, give me a shout!

Celebrate  “100 Years of Yuri” with $10 off every shirt with this coupon. If you get the classic t-shirt, that’s more than half off!

Live-Action News

File this under amazing news about good friends: Lesbian novel Punk Like Me, by author JD Glass, a long-time Yuricon supporter and personal friend, is getting a live-action television adaptation on OUTtv, a Canadian LGBTQ programming channel. You can subscribe to it monthly and it’s available as part of Amazon Prime, so keep your eyes peeled for this exciting series!

Every Xena: Warrior Princess episode is streaming online for free (probably region locked to North America). I rewatched the first episode and was charmed all over again by how goofy and ridiculous it is. Thanks Syfy!

Bonus Xena news, Vita Ayala promises that their Dynamite Entertainment’s new Xena comic series is “even gayer”. ^_^

Yuri  Manga

Via Comic Natalie we have a couple of “Yuri Comedy” series to be on the look out for:

Bakeneko Satsuki no Shimai Jiken (化けネコ葉月の姉妹事情) about two girls and a ghost cat.

From Champion Red, (so we know it’s not going to be respectful of women’s bodies or dignity,) comes Ateuma Kanojo (当て馬カノジョ), a story that Comic Natalie paints as a good title if you enjoyed the cuckolding of NTR.

Other News

Via Comic Natalie,  Japanese magazine Weekly Bunshun WOMAN is featuring Yuri titles in a special issue “Yuri Manga now is amazing!” The issue includes an interview with Shimura Takako.

To wrap up this week, I want to tell you about a personal project I am very proud of! I was invited to contribute to an exciting publication of mid-20th century science fiction. If you love science fiction amnd/or are looking for great writing by women, this is the book for you! Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women (1958-1963). This collection is available as a paperback on Amazon or as an e-pub directly from the publisher. I hope you’ll read and review this, because this is an important piece of women’s literary history and we want people to know about it!

Do you have questions about Yuri? Write in and ask and I’ll do my best to address them on the Okazu YNN Podcast, Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

Yuri Manga

Yuri Life by Kurkuruhime has hit shelves in English. Read this cute slice-of-life story about adult women who share their lives. (You can read my review of the JP volume from last summer.)

If there is a single question I’m getting most frequently now, it’s people asking for Yuri manga with transgender characters. In English, we have a relatively limited selection for this: Wandering Son which is incomplete; Riyoko Ikeda’s classic Claudine, The Bride was a Boy comic essay. Tokyopop has picked up Caly’s French-language Yuri romance, put it out in English as Breath of Flowers. Volume 1 is on the Yuricon Store! Thanks to Amaryllis for details in the comments.

Tokyopop also has released Yuri Bear Storm, Volume 3. Now we have all of Kureha and Ginko’s story. The manga is less visually striking than the anime, but the story holds together better. (You can read all previous reviews here.)

Ah toka Uh shika Ienai Manga, Volume 2 (あーとかうーしか言えない ) just hit shelves in Japan. Volume 1 got high marks in my review.

If teacher x student is your particular fantasy, you might be interested in Ichijinsha’s Kyoushi to Seito no Yuri Anthology  (教師×生徒の百合アンソロジーコミック).

Akili, creator of popular webcomic Stretch has a new comic, Vampeerz, (ヴァンピアーズ) about…as you might guess…school girl vampires. The link will take you to Chapter 1 online (in Japanese) for free. Thanks to principeinquisidor for clarification in the comments!

Via ANN’s Rafael Antonia Pineda, we have the news that the first volume of saburouta’s CITRUS+ will get simultaneous online release in Japan, North America, South Korea, Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Spain, and Argentina in November. Seven Seas page for the series has further info. Now, if only we can get them thinking globally by language instead.

Yuri Anime

Yuruyuri 10th Anniversary anime will be shipping in November, according to Alex Mateo at ANN.

This is old-school and only ever Yuri-ish, but Steel Angel Kurumi, by the team known as Kaishaku (the same folks who created Kannazuki no Miko,)  is getting new merchandise for the first time in…probably forever. This series came out in the days before merchandise was a thing. ^_^

Yuri Events

From Twitter, there will be a Bloom Into You pop-up shop at the Shibuya Marui until October 31. There will be official original goods.

Also from Twitter, Serena says that the Yuri/GL Philippines group will once again have a booth at Cosplay Mania 2019 in Manila.

I missed this because I was away, but Ehime prefecture ran a pilgrimage based on the A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow series – the manga will be released in English in November from Viz.

Yuri Visual Novel

Via YuriNavi, Innocent Grey’s FLOWERS Shiki (FLOWERS 四季) will be available on Nintendo Switch.

Sailor Moon News

ANN’s Alex Mateo reports on the new Sailor Moon Musical, starring members of idol group Nogizaka46, which will be traveling to Shanghai in November.

Sailor Moon – Shining Moon Tokyo – restaurant is open in Azabu-Juban (the section of town where Usagi lives) in Tokyo until October 31!

Other News

In case you missed this – Archive of Our Own (AO3), one of the Internet’s largest fanfiction sites, run by women, won a Hugo Award last week. If you have a story on A03, you are now a Hugo Award winner. ^_^ (I do, in fact, have one story there. I recently wrote a Swan Lake fanfic because no one else has ever done the pas de deux between Odile and Odette that we deserve. ^_^) Anyway, Casy Fiesler takes a look on Slate as to Why Archive of Our Own’s Surprise Hugo Nomination Is Such a Big Deal.

Kim Morrisy on ANN has a report that Boruto’s creator Kodachi Ukyo supported LGBTQ representation in media on Twitter this month.

Do you have questions about Yuri? Write in and ask and I’ll do my best to address them on the Okazu YNN Podcast, Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

Yuri Events

You will find me this weekend in Montreal, talking about queer manga, and Yuri and traveling to Japan at Yurithon! Do join us for fun and laughs and candy and prizes!

The remainder of my schedule is:

Saturday: 15:00-16:30 in 513D: Must Read/Must Watch Yuri: 2019 Edition
Saturday: 18:00-19:30 in 513D: History of Queer Manga with James Welker
Sunday: 10:00-10:45 in 513B: A Yuri Otaku in Japan

Next month, I will be doing too much in a short time with the 100 Years of Yuri Tour!

Yuri Anime

Sentai Filmworks has released a trailer for the dub of Kase-san and Morning Glories dub.

Yuri Manga

We’ve added absolute piles of Yuri Manga to the Yuricon Store! In English:

Cocoon, Entwined, Volume 1 is already available.

tMnR’s If I Could Reach You, Volume 2, will be available in November.

Yuri is My Job, Volume 5 hits shelves in December 2019.

In Japanese:

Still Sick, Volume 2 continues the story of the otaku and the former mangaka.

Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatteru, Volume 2 (羽山先生と寺野先生は付き合っている) is available now.

The adorably sweet, Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 1 (ささやくように恋を唄う) is out now, as well.

Also quite sweet, Pixiv tale Jyoryusakka to Yuki (女流作家とユキ) continues in Volume 2!

In Strawberry Fields wo Mou Ichido, Volume 3 (ストロベリー・フィールズをもう一度) Akira finally comes to terms with her feelings about Pure.

Sailor Moon

Not really Yuri, the trailer for the first movie of the 4th Season of Sailor Moon Crystal, Sailor Moon Eternal  is up on Youtube.

The Sailor Moon show and cafe, Shining Moon Tokyo is on and it looks like I’ll be able to make a show! I’ll report back. ^_^

For 2020, Tokyo is creating a miniture cityscape called Small Worlds, which includes a teeny little Crown Fruit Parlor and Tuxedo Mask watching over Azabu-Juban. ^_^

Do you have questions about Yuri? Write in and ask and I’ll do my best to address them on the Okazu YNN Podcast, Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!