Yuri Manga

Fantastic licensing news from Yen Press, with This Monster Wants To Eat Me, by Sai Naekawa. I reviewed Volume 7 of this series in Japanese yesterday. It’s an terrifically creepy Yuri series.

Also from Yen, we have news that The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and The Genius Young Lady, manga Volume 5 is headed our way in March.

Morinaga Milk’s adult series continues with My Little Kitten, Volume 2 from Galette magazine, which hits shelves at the end of this month.

Up on the Yuricon Store, we have LatteComis’ digital-only Oshigoto x Buddy Yuri Anthology (お仕事×バディ 百合アンソロジー) – fans of Shakaijin Yuri will like this one!

Utatane Yuu’s lovely ballroom dancing Yuri series, Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru, Volume 4 (踊り場にスカートが鳴る) will be released in February. Check out the creator’s Twitter for a haunting promo image.

Via Yuri Navi, Rakuen Le Paradis magazine has a new Yuri comix, Hoshiutau Yoru no Umi de (星謳う夜の海で) by Shigisawa Kaya published in a special winter web issue. You can read it now online, it’s short.

Yuri Light Novels & Web Novels

Also out in March, we’re getting The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and The Genius Young Lady, Light Novel, Volume 6.

From creator Ayakana’s Twitter account, LN Kickin’ On Heaven’s Door, (キッキン・オン・ヘブンズ・ドア) features cover at by Rorua, who did the cover story for Comic Yuri Hime a few years ago – one that I really liked. This digital-release book is about a girl whose life is changed when she meets the school delinquent.

Via Yuri Navi, author Roka Koen announces their webnovel Minikui Futari (みにくいふたり) starting serialization on J-Novel.com, this way, “All I can say is Yuri. It’s Yuri. Drink up.”

Webジェイ・ノベル｜実業之日本社の文芸webマガジン -「J-novel」みにくいふたり-

また夜に告知しますが、芦花公園の百合の連載が始まりました。
百合としか言うことができない。
百合です。飲め。 https://t.co/1lF33I44L5

— 芦花公園（ろかこうえん） (@ROKA_KOUEN) December 19, 2023

Just to be clear J-Novel is a Japanese site and this is a JP-language book, it’s not J-Novel Club.

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Yuri Doujinshi

More good news for fans of Shakaijin Yuri – over on Irodori Sakura we have two doujinshi collections by Yuriemon Working Women Yuri Manga Compilation 1: Before Dating and Working Women Yuri Manga Compilation 2: After Dating.

I need to confess something. I was a total dick about this piece of news, holding on to it until my copy was shipping, because if I didn’t get it, I would die. ^_^; Hayate Cross Blade creator Hayashiya Shizuru opened up a Skeb account for a while and was taking commissions. She’s collected these pieces of art of H x B characters and drawn a small “10 years later” comic….and sincerely that is my absolutely number 1 hook for a sequel. Make it 10 years later and I am yours. JESUS DRUG “HabuCore” Set (「ハブコレ」セット) includes the new book, Hayate x Blade COLLECTION F, and previously released Hayate x Blade Drama Archives – the comics that came with the Drama CDs. Hayate x Blade COLLECTION, a set of other doujinshi HxB comics. I have the older two, because I am a sincerely obsessive otaku about her work, so I await the new book with some anticipation.

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Yuri Games

Via Sr. YNN Correspondent Ashley, Alexis Sara (who participated in our Trans Perspective on Yuri panel for Yuricon 2023!) put together a list of her Top 10 Games of 2023 For Little Lesbians Like me!

Other News

In good news for users of Bookwalker Global, selected Square Enix titles have been added to the platform. I’d love to see Viz, Kodansha and Square Enix expand their offerings on Bookwalker. Thanks to YNN Correspondent Patricia B for the news. Adriana Hazra has details of the current crop of additions on ANN.

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

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Welcome to the last Yuri Network News report of 2023! This is the 43rd YNN post of this year, which means only 9 weeks were left un-YNNed. Given that I was severely ill for 4 months, I think that’s pretty awesome, both on my part and the fact that there was just that much Yuri to report on. Okazu and I absolutely “gambare”d this year. ^_^

Yuri Events

With the upload of my Closing Comments, Yuricon 2023 is officially over! We managed 12 videos – again, given that I was bedridden for 4 of those months, I’m calling that a win. Please take some time and enjoy the entire playlist of panels, presentations and discussions for Yuricon 2023. I’m also going to once again ask you to please subscribe to Yuri Studio, give our videos a “like” on Youtube, and leave a kind comment, if you can. It makes a huge difference to the channel.

There’s a lot left to talk about, so…you know what? If you have a panel or presentation you’d liked to have done for Yuricon, but the year got away from you (as it sure as heck did for me,) go ahead and use the Panel/Presentation Application and we’ll set it up for Yuri Studio’s 5th season! Do not self-censor. I want your panels and presentations and I want to talk to you about *stuff.*

Girls Love Fest is starting the new year right with a special event at Shinyuri 21 Hall in Kawasaki on January 21, from 12:00 to 3:00 PM.

I mentioned this previously, but it has become more likely that I will participate in the Queer and Feminist Perspectives on Japanese Popular Cultures Symposium in mid-April 2024. This is an online event and will be accessible globally. I have the funnest research idea, a collaborator in Japan and I think it’s going to be awesome (especially if I can get back before the presentation, to do “research” myself, i.e. hang out with other Yuri fans. ^_^)

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Yuri Manga

From Libros de Babel on Mastodon, Ana Oncina  and Ana C. Sánchez have been awarded Manga Awards in Japan for their respective works Croqueta y Empanadilla and Libro. Congratulations to them!

New Yuri Anthology Girl Prince Anthology – STAY GOLD (「王子様女子」百合アンソロジー STAYGOLD) appears to be headlined by Canno-sensei, and will include folks like Aoto, Mimoto, Ohsawa Yayoi and more! I’m really hoping to get my hands on it. ^_^

Speaking of girl princes, we have some titles up on the Yuricon Store. including Chinmi’s Kiraware Majyo Reijō to Dansou Ouji no Kon’yaku, Volume 1 (嫌われ魔女令嬢と男装皇子の婚約), a fantasy about a girl presenting as male for family reasons and the girl she takes as her fiancee.

Mikanuji’s Assorted Entanglements, Volume 3, which was released by Yen Press this past autumn.

Naekawa Sai’s fantastic supernatural story, Watashi o Tabetai, Hitodenashi, Volume 7 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし). I’ll be reviewing that shortly.

Akili’s Vampeerz: My Peer Vampires, Volume 4 from Denpa Books will be hitting shelves here in March.

And via YNN Correspondent Patricia Baxter, Manga Mogura’s announcement that Octave creator Akiyama Haru has a new adult life Yuri series starting up in Melody magazine, Watashi no Blue Garnet (私のブルーガーネット).

I enjoyed LatteComi’s School Prince Yuri anthology so much, I’m really looking forward to their Shigoto x Buddy Yuri Anthology! (お仕事×バディ 百合アンソロジーコミック) Check out a sample online at Comic Growl. Oh my gosh – women looking happy!

Yuri Light Novels

Via YNN Correspondent Sean Gaffney, we now know that the Yuri Tama: From Third Wheel to Trifecta series is getting a sequel, as noted on Toshizou’s Twitter account.

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Live -Action

Thai GL Twitter account The Series Y Thailand, reports on 4 upcoming Thai GL live-action series for 2024: Freen and Becky in The Loyal Pin ปิ่นภักดิ์,  23.5 องศาที่โลกเอียง, Pluto นิทาน ดวงดาว ความรัก  and The Secrets of Us ใจซ่อนรัก

And! Season Two of She Loves To Cook, She Loves To Eat / Tsukuritai Onna To Tabetai Onna live-action drama is on the way in January for JP viewers. They have some added cast members on the NHK Evening Drama Instragram. Fujiyoshi Natsuzu as Nagumo is *perfect.” So perfect that I saw her picture and said “Oh, Nagumo!” I’m sure I am not the only one who cannot *wait* to see that. It’ll be a perfect way to get the new year started with great queer rep.

Thank you all for your support, your comments, your enthusiasm and your patience over this past year. With your help we are ready to face a whole new year of great new Yuri for us to enjoy!  Join us tomorrow for our Top Yuri article of the year, we’re doing it a little different this time around (I mean, like always, really. ^_^)

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

Yuri Manga

School Zone Girls, Volume 4 is up on the Yuricon Store. This series will wrap up with Volume 5.

I reviewed Volume 1, and now Koi To Yobu Ni Wa Ao Sugiru, Volume 2 (恋と呼ぶには青すぎる) is up on the Yuricon Store.

Via Comic Natalie, the sci-fi Yuri Light Novel about an alternate Russian history, Chou to Teikoku (蝶と帝国) has been “comicalized” as a manga and Volume 1 has been released by MFC comics.

Iwashita Tsugu’s Shigoto no Ato ha Dakishimete (仕事の後は抱きしめて) tells the story of chef-in-training Aota Yui, who finds herself when she meets “madonna-like” Hojo Eriko.

Futsuu no Koi’tte Nani?, Part 1, is a school love story from the perspective of all three of the girls involved.

Yuri Webnovels

I believe I have mentioned this previously, but Webnovel.com has a Yuri category and there are a surprising number of choices to read! I’m working on an affiliate account there, and look at some specific titles. If you pick something up, let us know!

Yuri Games

LezLiz is proud to debut The Girl, The Fairy and The Phoenix Flower, “A short winter holigays themed platformer where you just enjoy the atmosphere and the scenery.”

Queer Comics

YNN Correspondent Matt Marcus wants you to know that Kiss It Goodbye Complete Edition, “about Aruka and Yukimi, childhood friends living in Kyoto, Japan. The two of them, now adults in a long-term relationship, recount the story of how they became distant friends to lovers. As their teen selves grow up and come to terms with their sexuality and their feelings for each other, the budding couple faces external and internal challenges.”

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Yuri Drama CD

Well, I never expected to be reporting about a new Drama CD, but our friends at Frontierworks, who did all the Hayate x Blade Drama CDs   back in the day have announced a Voice Drama for Arai Sumiko’s Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta (気になってる人が男じゃなかった). I’m super excited about this! They will have a hard time with the music, I’m afraid, but if they are smart, they’ll just add a playlist to the credits. This is slated for a March release, and features Ise Mariya as Koga Mitsuki and Kito Akari as Osawa Aya. Hat tip to YNN Correspondent Patricia Baxter for this news!

Yuri Videos

YNN Correspondent Patricia B. wants you to know that animator Resh has posted the first 2 minutes of their video Reveries Apart on Youtube.

El Koki Otaku took some time to speak with voice actress for Rae Taylor, Hannah Alyea and Claire Francois, Lindsey Sheppard, about these roles, among others in two YT videos.

Yuri Anime

Buckle in because today’s news is a lot.

The final BD for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury is out in Japan…. and the director and animators have some stuff they wanted to say. First of all, the animators made damn well sure you know that Miorine is wearing a wedding ring for the BD. Marchhare on Twitter has the compare and contrast images.

FiletKnife on Twitter has a translation of the director’s comments for the booklet with the BD, which says that the team knew from the beginning that Suletta and Miorine were going to be married partners at the end.

So, there you go. Bandai and Kadokawa’s issues aside, there is no interpretation other than the obvious one.

I’m In Love With The Villainess anime is over, I think Nicholas Dupree’s review of the final episode on ANN is worth reading. For those of us who know what happens in the story, this was probably the best possible place to end the season. It ends on a positive note before a lot of shit goes down. I will do my very best to get a end of season review up, but there is a lot on the calendar at this time of year, so no promises. With Whispering You A Love Song pushed out until spring, we’ll all have to make do with what we can until then.

In the meantime, for folks in Tokyo, there is a WataOshi maid cafe coming to Akihabara in January – Cospa has some goods lined up already.  YNN correspondent Pan has visited the Ikebukuro Animate WataOshi christmas tree and can confirm it exists!

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Other News

…speaking of Yuri holidays, let’s give Twitter user May a standing ovation for this Merry Yaoimas and a Happy New Yuri bookstore display!

Still speaking of Yuri holidays, I have a metric ton of gew-gaws and gidgets I picked up in Japan for Lucky Boxes, so I’ll be starting to build some this coming week. I have so much plastic and acrylic in this house that *has to go,* along with books and the usual array of crap. ^_^ Coming soon!

Yuri Events

Ichijinsha has announced on Twitter that Takeshima Eku will be attending and doing a signing at Taipei International Animation Festival in Taiwan in February 2024! Here is the event announcement in Chinese from Ching-Win publishing.

I’m not sure I can get my shit together to participate in this, although I really think my next research project would be spot on. In any case, Queer and Feminist Perspectives on Japanese Popular Cultures, to be held online in April 2024. Now I really want to do this…

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

Welcome back to the middle of “holy crow, jet lag is a thing” week. I had planned on writing up a bunch of stuff, but crashing to the floor mid-day puts the cabosh on that.  Regularly scheduled nonsense will resume when I have completed a passage around the clock the long way to get back to my usual appalling sleep schedule. ^_^;

Yuri Manga

Next month will see Volume 4 of The Summer You Were There, by Yuama. The story heads to a climax, but isn’t ending just yet! There’s still time to pull out a surprise ending.

Shio Usui’s I Married My Female Friend has debuted in English and is now available from Seven Seas! Kurumi and Ruriko give marriage a try. And, for those of you following it in Japanese, Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita, Volume 4 (女ともだちと結婚してみた。) has wrapped up with a not-at-all surprise ending. After Doughnuts Under A Crescent Moon, this feels a bit less nuanced, but it’s still quite satisfying. I’m very interested to see what Usui-sensei does next.

Seven Seas has licensed a shoujo manga about friendship, romance and intimacy that is not Yuri, but may be of interest. I know I was looking at it in the bookstore, thinking about getting it… The Secret of Friendship by Kazune Kawahara & Aiji Yamakawa.

We’ve added Shino to Ren (志乃と恋) on the Yuricon Store. This looks like a school life story about two girls who are already lovers. It’s from MFC, so could be a bit racy.

Meian Editions in France have announced a few manga licenses of note: Tadokoro-san and The Moon On A Rainy Night. YNN Correspondent Laurent Lignonbalso notes that Meian has announced Anemone wa Netsu o Obiru as Anémone Flamboyante. Click that link to check out the trailer on Facebook.

Laurent also wants you to know that Akata Editions also had some announcements for French-language Yuri, at Y/Con 2023. (We’ll be getting an event report about that shortly!)  They’ll be releasing Tsukuritai Onna To Tabetai Onna, Meijirobana no Saku, La Belle & La Racaille in 2024.

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inori-sensei has announced her involvement with a new Line comic!  Gal Dakedo, Cool-na Anata o Warawasetai!  (ギャルだけど、クールな貴女を笑わせたい！) is not available outside Japan, but a VPN made it perfectly accessible. (Here comes the advert…. If you are looking for a VPN, I use and recommend NORD, which makes streaming from other countries pretty easy. I use it to watch the BBC and NHK. If you sign up using my code, both you and I will benefit, so feel free to use it and share.) You can also find this on ebookjapan.com with chapters opening up for free for a limited time.

In the wake of being number 2 on this year’s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list, Arai Sumiko has announced Volume 2 of her manga, Ki Ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janaktta (気になってる人が男じゃなかった). Read all the rankings on ANN, where Rafael Antonio Pineda & Joanna Cayanan have the details.

Ichijinsha’s Tonari no Seki ga Sukina Hito Datta Gakusei Yuri Anthology (隣の席が好きな人だった　学生百合アンソロジー) is up on the Yuricon Store, for lovers of tales of love at school.

Yuri Live Action

YNN Correspondent tazimonfire wants you to know that Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna live action, Season 1 is coming out on DVD from NHK, just in time to get you ready for the second season which will be twice as long at 20 episodes starting in January 2024!

I learned that 2 parts of a Yuri short movie, Kanojo no Kuchizuke Kansensuru Libido  (彼女のくちづけ感染するリビドー), based on a manga by Yorita Miyuki are already on Youtube and they are working on part 3 they say on their official Twitter account.

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 Yuri Anime

If you’ve been enjoying the I’m In Love With The Villainess anime, Ichijinsha has provided you with a little virtual set of Rae and Claire characters who will join your photo, when you click on this QR code. Don’t forget to drop Ichijinsha a line and tell them that you’d like to see a second season, as well. The official Wataoshi Twitter account just celebrated 40K followers with a cute Claire and Rae picture!

And there will be a Wataoshi cafe popping up in Tokyo in January at Cure Maid Cafe. Let us know if you get to visit! If you can’t Curtain Damashii is doing an online shop for the series and so is Medicos, which previously ran a physical pop-up. If you missed that, check out the Medicos page for their ILTV goods.

Yuri Light Novels

While we are (again) on the topic of inori.-sensei, Dengeki Bunko is doing a contest for folks who read Yuusha ni Naritai Shoujo To, Yuusha Narubeki Kanojo, her newest light novel. Follow the official account on  Twitter, give your review of the book and be entered to win a tapestry!

 
Yuri Visual Novels

YNN Correspondent Patricia B. wants you to know that Wanting Wings is 15% off on Steam. “At Seiyou Girls’ academy, there are rumors of an angel. Roommates Hina, Rin, and Fumi all have completely different personalities, but they all experienced 1 strange event: They all once saw an angel in their youth. They gradually begin to suspect that one of their roommates might be that angel. “

Also from Patricia, Love Lab Japan announced on Twitter that they “will be translating Liar-soft’s Ever Maiden (PC version) for release in 2024! This adult yuri game is set in a mysterious school where otherworldly events are occurring…”

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

Yuri Manga

Yamashita Tomoko’s Ikkou Nikki, about a person-avoidant woman who takes in her niece, who has a queer best friend,  has been named best manga in DaVinci magazine’s “Book of the Year” in Japan. Number two on the list is Arai Sumiko’s Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta, which I reviewed here on Okazu this summer.

The fifth and final volume of School Zone Girls by Ningiyau is out from Seven Seas.

Yuri Light Novels

In a one-two punch of awesome, inori.-sensei’s I’m In Love With The Villainess was named Best Light Novel overall at the influential Manga Barcelona event last week…and Spanish publisher Sekai Editions just announced the publication of Claire’s perspective spin-off, Me enamoré de la villana: ¡qué plebeya tan descarada! for 2024.

Yuri Audiobook

Once again, speaking of ILTV, I’m In Love With The Villainess, Volume 2 is now available as an audiobook from Seven Seas Siren, narrated by Courtney Smith.

Yuri-ish Anime

The next PreCure series has been announced and it’ll be Wonderful! Anita Tai has the details on ANN.

ANN’s Joanna Cayanan reports that Yuruyuri Spinoff Anime Ōmuro-ke Films’ Trailer Reveals 1st Film’s February 2 Premiere. I saw an ad for a collab between Ōmuro-ke and the Atre shopping center in Akihabara just outside the station (person for scale,) and was surprised to see Comic Yuri Hime‘s tagline “Justice For Girls” on this series which is so not at all “for girls.” ^_^;

Kabushikigaisha Magilumiere is getting an anime and I am pretty sure I started reading the manga for this, but forgot to keep reading. This story about a magical girl agency is probably not Yuri, but oughta be. ^_^ Egan Loo has the news on ANN.

Also in the “oughta be” category, YNN Correspondent Patricia B notes that upcoming anime for Metallic Rouge looks promising,  as it’s about android girl Rouge Redmaster and her partner Naomi Orthmann.

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Yuri Live-Action Drama

Our Sr. YNN Corresponent for Thai GL, Frank H wants you to know about Thai live-action Lucky in Love. which he calls “low-budget fluff, but enjoyable. Like GAP, it’s a workplace romance between a subordinate, adorable goofball Nubdao (played by Near), who consults a fortune teller about her love life, and her supervisor, the lovely and lesbian-coded Weala (played by Bmine). Unlike GAP, the short running time (5 episodes of less than 20 minutes each) doesn’t leave much time for ancillary drama; Nubdao has to choose between Weala and the (male) CEO, but the outcome is never in doubt, and the show speed-runs its way to the kiss-kiss finale.” Awesome mini-review, thanks Frank!

tazimonfire wants you to know that the first season of the live-action Tsurikitai Onna to Tabetai Onna (作りたい女と食べたい女) is getting a DVD release in Japan! It won’t have English subtitles, but the price is pretty low – especially with the yen being so weak, it might make it worth getting, even with shipping.

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Yuri Studio

Yuricon 2023 continues with a spectacular presentation by Mandisa Washington, Yuri Is A Warm Gun: Sisterhood & Transgression In The Girls With Guns Genre. Mandisa is a font of anime knowledge and is a lot of fun (she slays me several times during our conversation.) Give it a like on Youtube and a kind comment there.

We have a couple of weeks left and I have 2, mayyyybe 3 panels I’d like to squeeze in before we wrap up the year and the con. ^_^ We’ll see if I make it!

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.