Yuri Light Novels 

Via YNN Correspondent Sean G, Seven Seas has listed the Strawberry Panic! Light novels as digital releases. If you missed the “Hikari cries” drinking game the first time around, now’s your chance! Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3. This parody of all that is good in Yuri was well worth reading, if only for having some of the most absurd language in the history of writing. It was so overblown and precious I dubbed it moego.

Yuri Live Action

A while back I mentioned that Fun Home the Musical, based on Alison Bechdel’s breathtaking graphic novel would be reaching Japan in February. I thought you might enjoy the look a promotional video of rehearsals, featuring former Takariesienne Sena Jun as “big Alison.”  I hope the version they see is is as good as the version I saw on Broadway.

Yuri Events

The Yuriten 2018 Yuri Fair website is up and running and has a full line-up of creators who will be there. I took a look at the 2017 photos and I can see that there’s a fair amount of male gaze art and photography. I expect there will be this time, too (because I recognize the artists), but I also know some of the creators there are decidedly female gaze, and hope to see (and buy) some great stuff.  ^_^

To celebrate, the March issue of Da Vinci magazine will feature Yuri manga artists Morishima Akiko, Shimura Takako, Takashima Hiromi, according Nakatani Nio, according to Comic Natalie. Da Vinci is a woman’s magazine, so I’m hoping that will inspire female fans to turn out to the event. (I can hope, can’t I? ^_^)

Yuri Anime

Our good friends in Japan will now have the chance to enjoy Steven Universe via Cartoon Network Japan. (Dear Yuri gods, it would be cool to be able to see an episode while I’m there….)

A month’s worth of Yuri news and reviews, for the price of a sandwich!

Other News

According to ANN, Rose of Versailles may have been hiding a vampire in its cast. ^_^ Girodel does look awfully youthful….

Are you old school? Then you might find this fun – a web-based Winamp player. I have been assured that it will accepts skins, so drag those old backups out and have a little fun! Or, hey, search for the few Angelfire sites left where you can download them. ^_^(If you didn’t follow anything in this sentence, just ignore it.) 

Her’s a little eye-candy for your weekend. Via Comic Natalie, Nokizaka 46 is featured in a new commercial campaign in which they model men’s and women’s office fashion. ^_^

The Proplica Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune wands are a joy to behold and…to listen to. Watch the video and marvel at the fact that soon our our toys won’t need us at all, they’ll keep each other company.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

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

Today feels like old-timer’s day here on Okazu, as I review a book nostlagically put out by Shinshokan from Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, (which was also home of the Kase-san series, so maybe they are pulling out all the old stuff to sell, these days) magazine which cease publication in 2014. 

Sasada Asuka‘s Fuwafuwa no Kimochi (ふわふわのきもち) was included on the Ikebukuro “Yurimate” display and since I hadn’t before read it, into the overfilled basket it went. (I’m not kidding when I tell you that I just bought everything on the display that I didn’t already have. How often am I going to have that chance?!? Well, read the the end for the sad trombone noise answer for that questions.)

True to title, the emotions on display here are soft and fluffy and kind of warm and sweet, like cotton candy or the sweets made by Kozue in one of the stories. Even the few moments of tearful something or other felt more like a palate cleanser, rather than anything we really had to worry about. 

This was a world of sweet first loves and childhood friendships and sempai and kouhai and best friends forever that become more. 

The art is simple and straightforward and so are the stories. Exactly what we expected in Hirari magazine. This was so cute and sweet, I think I may have to read one of the probably-a-vampire series I picked up, next. (Which seem to have increased to three in number, gods help me.)

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story- 6
Characters – 6
Yuri – 7
Service – 1 on principle only

Overall – 7

Oh, the answer to the question is “Next month.” I will be attending the Yuriten Yuri Fair in Tokyo! Yay! Also bwah-bwah-bwaaah~~ Since there I was buying books higgledy-piggledy like I’d never have another chance. Which I will, now. 

As soon as the Yuriten website is updated I’ll do a full post on it, because it’s going to be amazing this year. 

Yuri Events

2018 is shaping up to be a really good year for Yuri-friendly events in North America and Japan! 

In addition to the Galette magazine event, we reported on last week, the Yuriten Yuri Fair looks like it will have a host of Yuri artists participating. The Yuriten website is being worked on right now, but highlighted creators are being listed regularly on their Twitter feed and it pretty much looks like all of the top names in Yuri will be there. And so will I. I can’t make the Galette event, but I’m going to run halfway around the world for the Yuriten.  The event will be in Ikebukuro from March 17th to 25th, then goes on the road to Osaka from April 1st to 8th and from there to Fukuoka in April, dates TBA.  (Can I take a moment to just kvell a bit about Ikebukuro becoming Yuri central in Tokyo? ^_^ Squee. ) Because Bruce is no longer with us, if you happen to be planning on being in Tokyo for the Yuriten, let me know. I’ve become accustomed to traveling with an entourage and would love to have your company. ^_^

In April, I and Anne Ishii will be giving another talk at Hunter College in NYC on queer manga. Details TBA.

In May, we have Toronto Comics Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada, which is always LGBTQ-friendly. 

In June, I’ll be a Featured Panelist at AnimeNEXT 2018 in Atlantic City, NJ! Because this is my local convention, I am bringing a literal car-load of prizes, giveaways and auction items with me. You won’t want to miss this year’s event and all the Yuri we’ll be talking about.

All that brings us just through the first half of the year!  I’ve got some things I’m working on, as well, so fingers crossed. If you would like me to speak at your event, university or school, please contact me! (I’m still hoping for an invitation from Y-Con in France… ^_^. I’m looking for good excuses to return to Paris. )

Yuri Visual Novel

Our friends at Luscious Spirit Studios have an interesting new game that is an Asexual Yuri romance VN called Lovely Anemone.

“Salena’s afraid to commit to another relationship and has lost confidence in herself. She still wants a girlfriend, but is refusing sexual intimacy a deal-breaker? That’s when she accidentally finds herself falling in love with another girl, but is afraid to come out to her.  At the same time her ex-girlfriend pleads for her forgiveness and wants her back. What will she do?”

This VN was developed as part of the ACE Jam, which is pretty cool.  I hope you’ll visit the Luscious Spirit page and take a look at their work, they’ve got other Yuri games, as well.

I quite like the game jam concept. If you like games and VNs, I recommend you bookmark the Yuri Game Jam for new stuff to try out.

Yuri Drama CD

I recently came across Drama CD store Takumi 18 online. As the name suggests, some of their content is 18+. They have several Yuri Drama CDs (none of which I have purchased, so I have no idea about the quality thereof.) I found them because of a new Drama CD they’ve just put out called Ano Sorashita de Otometachi ha Yume o Miru, (あの空の下で乙女たちは夢を見る(パッケージ版), a 2-CD set. The first CD is the Drama which, frankly, sounsd identical to every Yuri thing ever, and the second contains songs sung by the lead actress. Could be fun, but I kind wish we could call a moratorium on the use of the word Otome-tachi for Yuri stories. ^_^; Check out their other Yuri CDs on their site.

Other News

Very interesting news from BL scholar Mark McLelland – Yale University has a Special Library Collection of LGBTQ Japanese publications. Hrm, as I’m up at Yale from time to time, I guess this is going to have to go on my to-see list. ^_^ 

I cannot think of a better thing to end on than this tidbit. The name of the first newspaper in the United States by women was called….The Lily. :-DDDD  The Lily is back via the Washington Post and has both a Twitter account and a newsletter that you can sign up for.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

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

Yuri Events

Top stories today are absolute Oh. My. God. moments.

Yuri Manga magazine Galette (ガレット), is celebrating a one-year anniversary with a signing event on March 10 starring Morishima Akiko, Morinaga Milk, Hakamada Mera, Takemiya Jin and Otsu Hiyori! AHHHHHHHH! And I can’t make it, as I’ll be elsewhere for that week! One of our Tokyo area based friends, you have to attend and tell us all about it! If you think you can make (Julia, Red, anyone….) please email me right away and we can talk about you doing a write-up. The book signing will take place at the Shosen Book Tower in Akihabara from 12:30 – 17:30 on the 9th floor. The first anniversary issue, Galette, Volume 5 is available on February 17.

One week later, the Yuriten 2018,  a publisher-organized Yuri Fair, which will launch on March 17 at the Ikebukuro Marui building, then move to Osaka and Fukuoka, has announced which creators will be appearing – the list includes Canno, Saburouta, Kurogane Kenn, Takako Shimura, Kishi Torajirou, Ohsawa Yayoi and Takashima Hiromi (and I’m just gonna go out on a limb and guess that there will be a preview of the Asagao to Kase-san OVA. ) Obviously I am very interested in hearing how this event goes as well.

SO, if you are planning a trip to Japan, be there from March 10 through the March 17th and hit up both these events and you will see many of the leading Yuri manga creators at this very moment in the same place! Ifyou can make either of these, please contact me right away!

Yuri Manga

YNN Correspondent Louis P wants you to take a look at ANN’s report on the resurrection of Tokyopop Manga. Their first crop of publications will include Amano Sakuya’s supernatural foxgirl Yuri series Konohana Keitan (an anime of which is available on Crunchyroll) and Yukiko’s Futaribeya which, despite the covers (and despite the fact that Yukiko does draw Yuri manga, some of which I have reviewed here) really isn’t Yuri. Not even if you squint. ^_^

This is me bouncing up and down maniacally internally screaming “I knew it!” ANN has the news will be a third chapter of the new Revolutionary Girl Utena manga. Honestly, there had to be. I put money down that the upcoming second chapter is about Miki and Juri.  This will be out in the March issue of Flowers magazine yesterday in Japan. I’m on pins and needle waiting for this issue to arrive.

LGBTQ Comic

Silly Ghost is an upcoming series about “a small girl, a small ghost and two medium size moms!” Art by Arvi Tammi, Written by H-P Lehkonen. Join us on Facebook for updates!

Yuri Anime

The Mary Sue reports the welcome news that Steven Universe, The Complete First Season DVD will be released this month! 

Queen’s Blade anime is getting a “reboot” according to ANN. The character designs look less absolutely absurd, which guarantees nothing.  I hope, I truly hope, that Nanzaki Iku raked in the bucks on this series.

Funimation’s dub cast for the citrus anime is also over at ANN, while Crunchyroll has dub details for the Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card arc dub.

Crunchyroll News announces that Crunchyroll will be streaming the Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Episode 14 OVA. And Crunchyroll has added Red Garden to their programming. If you haven’t seen that yet, you really ought to. It was nuts, and intense and gonzo and Yuri and great. Take a look at the Red Garden reviews here on Okazu for me ranting about it.

Yuri Visual Novel

From Josh Kaplan on Twitter, an exciting first visual out of Studio Elan’s new Yuri Visual Novel Heart of the Woods. Looks good so far and I really like that folks are credited upfront so you can follow them. ^_^

Sailor Moon

Fun news for the 25th anniversary celebrations – Nogizaka 46 will be starring in an upcoming Sailor Moon Musical. Two fandoms, one show. I think it will end up being worth watching. (And I’m about 89% convinced that I know who will be playing Haruka and I approve.)

Okazu News

We have a special Patreon offer for new Patrons! Subscribe to Okazu before January 30 and be eligible for a Lucky Box drawing! (Overseas patrons welcome!)

If you love all the news and reviews here Okazu and have always wanted to get your own box (or envelope for overseas folks) crammed full with Japanese candy and papercraft and manga and whatever I can find to cram it full, subscribe to Okazu now! Drawing will be held in February. Every patronage level is welcome! (We’ve got big plans this year, so we can really use all your help.)

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

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

Today, all around the world, 1st anniversary Women’s Marches are being held once again. However you identify, please consider taking some time to turn up and stand up for human rights and civil rights in the face of this regressive and corrupt administration in the United States (and elsewhere.)

Yuri Anime

ANN reports that Citrus is listed as a 4-volume DVD release in Japan.  The series is streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation will stream the English dub.

Also on ANN is the new Cutey Honey Universe trailer. No glimpse of Natsuko yet, but fingers crossed that this Honey has her Lestrade.

News from YNN Correspondent Verso S -tickets for the Asagao to Kase-san OAV have gone on sale in Japan  and include an extra theater listing. To celebrate, the Asagao to Kase-san official website has posted an album of the images used for the pin badges sold at the Yurimate display in Ikebukuro. (All of which I bought for this winter’s Lucky Boxes!)  They also have news of an interview with Takahashi-sensei in the March issue of Davinci magazine. Davinci is a mainstream “women’s” magazine, which has previously run lesbian manga, so clearly there is an ally on staff there.

Bruce has been validated, as ANN reviewers have confirmed that the Yuri is considerably upped in the final episodes of Girls Last Tour.

Yuri Manga

Coming in for the first use of the “all the men are dead, only women have survived (but kept all the gender roles we currently have for reasons)” award is Eden no Otome (エデンの処女), which you can read by clicking this link to it’s page on Comic Ruelle. Konohana comes to private school Shirosakuya Gakuin, which is said to have a beautiful garden. While in the garden, she sees an equally beautiful student, and finds herself on the wrong side of classmate Aoi. There are 12 chapters up online (in Japanese) for you to take a look at. 

Likewise, a few chapters of Watashi no Kobushi Uketomete! (私の拳をうけとめて！) are online at Web-ace. In this story, a woman recognizes a saleswoman at a clothing store as the girl who always wanted to fight her in school. She ends up being asked out on a date. Hilarity ensues, I guess. I have only read the first chapter so far ^_^

Another item from YNN Correspondent Verso, regarding a Chinese manhua Tamen de Gushi, 从你的名字开始 ). “Regarding the -possibly indefinite- postponement of the publication of a second volume, due to demands to omit certain scenes / censorship by Chinese authorities, a message from Tán jiǔ’ on the official publication site for the series has started circulating online. Apparently the author declined to comply with the demand to remove the confession scene between the two female leads and the publication of the second book was put on hold as a result. Series continues as webtoon, as far as I could tell.” Here is the original message in Chinese, posted on January 15.

ANN has an update on the status of Rose of Versailles from Udon Press. I can confirm that it is in process as I am involved a teeny, weeny piece of the process. (I try to not scream too much when I work on it, but fail pretty regularly.)

Other News

Speaking of Rose of Versailles, just this week, an interestingly awkward development occurred when Director of Publishing at UDON Entertainment, Matt Moylan, made a (now deleted, but the Internet is forever) comment about “fake diversity” (which is the new white supremacist meme) which, he felt, included LGBTQ content – and race. And gender. Uh-uh. What then does he define as “real” diversity? 

I went to ask this question on Twitter and found I had pre-emptively been blocked, which was fine with me. ^_^

Given that Rose of Versailles is, in actual fact, about a woman who cross-dresses her entire life and is shown to be explicitly biromantic, I found it ridiculous that this man is involved in a inherently non-white medium and have made a point of letting Udon know. As I said on Twitter, “The unmitigated gall of a white man being bitchy about diversity in manga, which is a Japanese media[sic], would be hilarious if we weren’t all just tired of hearing white men whine about every fucking thing.” Mind you, this came on the back of  the no-woman-version of The Last Jedi and- I kid you not – a Science Fiction Guild demanding science fiction “the way it used to be.”  I don’t have to remind readers here that both diversity and political sentiment have been part and parcel of science fiction (and indeed, all human endeavor) since the beginning.  It is no longer okay for us to just roll our eyes at this but do nothing to stop the most-represented groups in media whining that they aren’t represented enough. 

Which brings me to next news item – another fantastic article on Anime Feminist, this time on the search for Latinx representation in anime, Angely Mercado’s My Road to Finding Better Latinx Representation in Anime is an worth reading. You may, if you are a member of a presumed-majority group, question why anyone might look for themselves in media that you believe would not have any representation, but then I ask you to ask yourself – why wouldn’t a person do that? If I can name a Jewish character in manga, why should Angely not be able to see Latinx characters? If I know a bibliomaniac or lesbian or Taijiquan-using character, why would someone else not be able to point to Indian or Russia or any other ethnicity and expect to see characters that reflect them? That is exactly how humans consume media. (If you’ve never had once in your life to have to ask “where am I in this media?” you probably are a straight, cis white male in a western country. Everyone else does have to do this, fairly regularly.)

And, let’s wrap this up speaking of representation on a positive note… Rebecca Sugar noted on Twitter that GLAAD’s Media awards have a new Outstanding Kids & Family Programming category for LGBTQIA-positive kid’s programming! How amazing is that?!? Now if we can get them to add a Manga category.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

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