Sailor Moon News
Yesterday was National Coming Out Day here in the United States – as a result, many of my friends were musing on how coming out is a process that happens over and over in a life, coming out to many people, in many ways. For instance, every time I meet a new client and we’re discussing our lives, I end up saying “My wife and I…” at some point in the course of that discussion.
As fans of media, many of us understand that the media we love has inspired folks to come out, and has put us, both on- and offline, in the middle of discussions of queerness and representation. This sometimes leads to a call for the companies that make /distribute that media to recognize and accept the queerness of characters who we, the audience, feel have represented us.
When Sailor Moon first picked up popularity on Cartoon Network, and the characters Sailors Uranus and Neptune became known there were, predictably, some viewers who went to great pains to explain why they weren’t a couple – explanations that did not work and were dismissed by the creator who said they are lovers. Also predictably, this did not stop those people from creating even more complicated scenarios that still did not take away the fact that Uranus and Neptune were a couple.
After the anime and manga were over, the live-action musicals would periodically revive the story and every single version I have seen of these, really pushed Haruka and Michiru more openly as lovers over time. Their relationship has now been enshrined as “partners,” which is a terrific way to give people who want acknowledgement of their couplehood an adult way to refer to it. (In pre-marriage equality societies, “Partner” was/is a popular and common choice for making a point and, as many other people have noted, “wife” and “husband” are uniquely gendered in Japan as ideograms, making even wife and wife uncomfortable for some.) This was why the kerfuffle with Viz inexplicably changing Haruka and Michiru’s relationship from “partner” to “friend” in the Stars booklet was puzzling. It was a step backwards from where Japan had put them. Luckily Viz was on the side of right and good here and that has been fixed – they are partners once again.
In the last 25+ years, we have seen Haruka and Michiru come closer and closer to being out. In recent years, official goods have made the point of pairing them as a couple in whole lines of goods and as the usually male/female dolls for girls’ day. I’d like to think there’s someone at Sailor Moon Official just pushing them inexorably out of the closet. (I’d like to believe it’s Takeuchi-sensei herself.)
But. ^_^ You know what we have never once gotten? “Love.” Haruka and Michiru have not said they love each other on page or panel, in song or dialogue. They’ve gotten close…and in symbolic ways they have, but romantic love, “ai” 愛, the word that Usagi says constantly, is not something that has been given to Haruka and Michiru.
Until now.
Sailor Moon Official has announced a new series of Sailor Moon Girls Night Out cafes in six cities. Among the offerings is this parfait, the Haruka and Michiru Night Drive Parfait, the description of which says “A parfait filled with the love of Haruka and Michiru. In the image of these two, this is a refreshing sweet with chamomile, pistachio ice cream and mint jelly.“
So, as far as I’m concerned, this is the first time we’ve seen this so openly stated by the official Sailor Moon channel. On National Coming Out Day 2019, Haruka and Michiru have come out once again, one more step out of the closet. When you remember how many people were motivated the first time they saw this partnership on their television, it’s not absurd to imagine that this, too, will have positive effect. That someone in one of those cafes will read that description and have that last wall on their own personal closet come down.
And may those comings out be sweet. ^_^
Also in Sailor Moon News, ANN reports on the details of the new-new-new-(echoing into the distance) Sailor Moon musical starring Nogizaka46 running this autumn. The story is starting from the beginning, as usual.
Other News
In other wonderful Coming Out Day x Comics news Archie Comics and It Gets Better Project partnered to create a series of genuinely lovely comic strips in which the folks of Riverdale respond to various coming out scenarios with support. Check these comic strips for Coming Out Day on Bleeding Cool, it’ll do your heart good.
Yuri Doujinshi
I picked up a bunch of Yuri doujinshi at Girls Love Festival last month and among them are the continuing adventures of adult women who do things like work, and eat and play. Among these are two series by Hazuki Ruri, whose art appeals to me very much. It’s very for and about adult women. These series go under the names of Wednesday and Saturday, and you can read some of the various stories in English through Lilyka, DMP’s Yuri digital doujinshi online shop. Check out Saturday – Luna Chikai’s Hands-On Yuri Company or Wednesday – Maybe I Love You among others.
(I haven’t gotten there yet, but there are a few doujinshi I picked up on that trip that I will be reviewing.)
Yuri Manga
We have a couple of new items on the Yuricon Store this week!
Kase-san and Yamada, the 6th volume of Takashima Hiromi’s Kase-san series will be hitting shelves in English this February. Kase-san and Yamada have made it to Tokyo and college life together!
At last, weve got the first volume of Sweet Blue Flowers creator Shimura Takako’s newest series about two women in a bitter(!) lesbian love story, with Otona ni Nattemo, Volume 1 (おとなになっても).
Yuri Anime
Anime News Network reports on details for three upcoming anime:
The Princess Princess sequel film Princess Principal: Crown Handler now has cast, staff and delays. We have more cast info and a new trailer for Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu and details on cast and line art for Adachi to Shimamura.
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!
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