Queer Transfigurations: Boys Love Media in Asia

October 16th, 2022

I treated myself to a copy of Queer Transfigurations: Boys Love Media in Asia, edited by James Welker recently and I honestly found it to be really inspiring.  Obviously, Boys Love media as such is not terribly interesting to me, but the way fandom creates, interacts with and consumes it, is.  While I read the various essays in this book, I found myself having some of my questions answered and new ones forming. As a result, I will (eventually) be making a survey to do some primary research on Yuri fandom  and I hope you’ll help me out when it’s done by filling it out. ^_^

In the meantime, I found the various essays in this book really interesting in part for the history of how BL media made inroads in various Asian countries outside Japan (mostly through scanlations,) and how various local fandoms have absorbed and adapted BL concepts to fit their own ideals and circumstances. Additionally, a few of the essays discuss the response to BL from queer fandom (and in a few, the impact queer fandom has had on BL.)

Which is where my brain kind of stuck. There’s a lot of throwing the word “queering” around in regards to BL and this got me thinking. IMHO, there are a number of gaps between 1) media being queered by a straight audience and media being queered by a queer audience or; 2) between queer media and straight media being queered; or 3) by queer media being consumed by straight folks as opposed to queer folks. Fundamentally, it is hard for me to credit the “queering” of straight media by straight people as being “queer” in any meaningful sense. Nonetheless, this appeared to be a commonly held assumption about BL based on this selection of articles. (Of which some of the writers are, I know, to be queer themselves.) 

My thoughts as I read these essays often turn to the idea of replacing “BL” with “lesbian porn.” If a writer is making a statement about BL’s inherent queerness that might sound absurd if I replaced it with “lesbian porn,” I question if it could be true. Is straight people creating queerness out of mainstream media “queer?” Is a straight folks imagining lesbian sex between two female movie stars “queer?” Why might one be “queer” and the other not? I have no answers, but I do have a lot of questions. Some of which I will ask James when I interview him for Casa Con this December!

Also interesting for me was the several mentions of misogyny in BL and BL fandom and it’s impact on and relation to local feminisms. I have seen how BL empowered women…and also how some empowered by fandom, turn on other marginalized folks in their communities. Is that changing? Is it worse or better than it used to be? I can answer that a little for Yuri, but not for BL.

Lastly, there were some tidbits of research subjects talking about how BL helped them either empathize with gay issues, or find their own queer identities and that interested me a lot, so that’s probably where I’m going to be focusing my research. How has Yuri made an impact on fans’ identities and sympathies? Let’s find out!

Overall, I found this book to be a fun and interesting read. Few of the articles were bogged down in over-dense language. I was especially interested in the section on China as mostly everyone can see that danmei is already the next big cultural export from China…even as it’s not apparently acceptable by their own media laws.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

If you’d like to understand how fandom studies look from the inside, or are interested in BL and/or queer media studies, I highly recommend Queer Transfigurations: Boys Love Media in Asia. It got me thinking – I look forward to seeing what comes out of this thought and I hope you do, too. ^_^

Posted in LGBTQ, Miscellaneous, Yaoi Manga | 3 Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – October 15, 2022

October 15th, 2022

Yuri Events

I am a guest at Women In Comics Con at the Bronx Library Center on October 29, from 11-6. Admission is free! Rica Takashima and I will both be there.

And I’m a guest at AnimeNYC on November 18-20 in Javits Convention Center in NYC. I really hope you’ll all make plans to be there…it’s a great convention for fans of anime and manga.

Girls Love Fest is being held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsuchō on November 23.

Comitia will be held once again at Tokyo Big Sight on November 27.

I hope to all the gods that these two events are on the same week next year, too. Because that’s when I plan on going back to Japan. ^_^

 

Support Yuri Journalism & Yuri Creators
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Yuri Anime

Joanna Cayanan on ANN reports on The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess Anime’s 2nd Video Cast, Opening Song, and Debut.

 

Yuri VNs

Our friends at Aikasa Collective want you to keep an eye out for their upcoming Kickstarter: Red Rebellion! This is a “a sapphic fairy tale mashup as Robin Hood teams up with Red Riding Hood to save their town, in this yuri / lesbian historical fantasy.” Sounds fun!

Ratalaika Games and Visual Novels wants you to know about their VN A Year of Springs, which is available on the PS4 and PS5. Don’t worry if you missed the sale the games are priced pretty low. This VN explores “the stories of Haru, Erika, and Manami … a visual novel trilogy about three friends navigating their feelings of love, connection, and just wanting to belong.”

 

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Yuri Light Novels

J-Novel Club has announced new pre-publication chapters of Yuri Tama: From Third Wheel to Trifecta about a two-timing school lotharia. (Yes, I know that “lothario” has no feminine form as a noun. It does now. ^_^)

 

Yuri Webtoons

Via Yuri Mother, Filipino artist Logihy has a new series called Careless x Confidential on Pinoy Comiks site Penlab. Check out Chapter 1 right now. The art is very slick.

On Color_LES’s facebook page, the creator of Mage and Demon Queen has announced Velverosa and Malori plushies!

 

Other News

Global Bookwalker is offering up to 50% coin back on selected titles to celebrate it’s 7th anniversary! Some Yuri titles and J-Novel club titles (sadly, not Yuri Tama) are included. Check out the sale this weekend. I picked up Volume 1 of Is Kichijoji The Only Place To Live? for 50% coin back. This was recommended by Christopher Woodrow Butcher on this week’s Mangasplaining podcast. The first chapter talks about Zoshigaya, of which I am very fond…so I was instantly hooked. ^_^

YNN Correspondent Patricia Baxter has written in to let us know of the “2022 ShortBox Comics Fair. Patricia says, “It’s a digital comics fair devoted to showcasing a large variety of brand new comics by various cartoonists from around the world. On top of the majority of the cartoonists being LGBTQ+, most of the comics showcased this year revolve around queer themes, especially sapphic characters and couples. The fair will be hosted throughout the month of October, the creators get to keep the rights to their comics, and 100% of the sales go directly to the cartoonists.” Thanks Patricia – I’ve seen a lot of good stuff popping up from this event!

ANN’s Kim Morrisy reports that Bushiroad’s New D4DJ Unit Includes Lesbian Couple. I was thinking about this and wondering if it was indeed, as Kim said, “notable,” and came to the conclusion that, yes, it is notable that the couple, no matter how fictitious or ephemeral, is notable for being announced by Bushiroad as being “lesbian.”

Via Autostraddle,  and apropos of nothing, please enjoy this video clip of Melissa Etheridge and Rachel Maddow put on the spot for a segment called “Do Lesbians Give a Damn?”

We’ll end on this feel-good moment from Thai Yuri publisher lily house with an image of their booth at a recent event! Sold out and having a great time – just the way we like our Yuri! ^_^

 

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Posted in Yuri Network News | 1 Comment »


Black & White: Tough Love At The Office, Volume 1

October 14th, 2022

Many thanks today to Okazu Superhero Eric P for sponsoring today’s review!

Shirakawa Junko is used to being at the top of the department pile. She’s beloved by her co-workers, one of the most productive members (the most, really, but she’ll demure out of humility) and is respected. So when newcomer – formerly of sales…SALES, you know!…Kuroda Kayo transfers in, Shirakawa isn’t going to let this woman get a leg up on her.

Kuroda knows Shirakawa’s type and she’s all ready for war. She’s done her research. Shirakawa will bow before her before long.

As Black & White: Tough Love At The Office, Volume 1 opens, the office is about to become a battlefield. And there will be blood shed. This is not for everyone, I know. But I love this manga so much. I can’t help the feral grin that these appalling people bring out of me.

But seriously CW for cold-blooded manipulation, violence and sexual violence. As I said in my review of this volume in Japanese, “This is not a pretty book about an office romance. This is a violent story about two terrible people being terrible to one another.”

Sal Jiang’s art is super stylish and slick. Kuroda is every inch the sales dept superstar, Shirakawa is the perfect HR sempai. But when they are alone, it is all teeth and nails in a visceral way.  When they do team up, there’s nothing and no one that can stand in their way, but their truest rivals are each other – and there are no rules they aren’t willing to shatter to destroy one another.

The team at Seven Seas has given us an equally slick edition to enjoy with color pages in place, a spot gloss on H. Qi’s cover design. The translation keeps up with the shifts in tone and sense in the scene, thanks to translator, Alexa Frank, adapter Asha Bardon and letterer Danya Shevchenko. Nice work on the editing and technical side, as well. Another great manga reading experience.

I won’t attempt to convince anyone to read this despite the violence. You really shouldn’t if you aren’t reading it for the violence. ^_^ But if seeing perfectly matched, equally powerful people go toe to toe is your wheelhouse, you, too, might enjoy this manga. If you want to know where the story is headed, I’ve reviewed Volume 2 in Japanese, as well. That volume will be headed your way in English next spring in April 2023. Something to look forward to. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 10
Characters – 10
Service – 7 Not a lot of nudity, but a lot of sex and violence
Yuri – 7 See above

Overall – 10

I just love this manga and all the terrible people in it. But my favorite may be their boss who completely knew what he was doing when we sent them up to “work together” and thinks it’s funny. ^_^

This was a really good month for me, with both Black & White and She Loves To Cook, She Loves to Eat out in English and I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 5 hitting shelves in print!

Posted in English Manga, Sal Jiang, Yuri Manga | 3 Comments »


Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 4 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし)

October 13th, 2022

Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 4 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし) was one of the skin-crawlingest creepy manga I have ever read. If you like youkai and supernatural creature-type creepies, you’re gonna love this volume. ^_^

In previous volumes, we met Hinako, a girl who should have drowned in a family car accident when she was young, and the mermaid who plans on eating her when she’s mature, Shiori. Shiori has taken on the role of protector to Hinako. Even though she’s been clear that she’s just protecting her meal, she’s building some kind of relationship to Hinako, despite herself. Hinako’s only other friend, Miko, likewise protects her, for her own reasons, as we learned in previous voumes. In the meantime, Hinako wanders a world filled with spirits and supernatural creatures who really want to eat her.

Volume 4 begins as rain pours down, drenching everything. Shiori takes Hinako to the ocean and shows her the multitudes of those who died in the water. Her family may be among them, Shiori posits. Shiori sees Hinako’s skin and understands why the girl cannot show anyone her body -it’s damaged beyond recognition as human. As I mentioned in my review of Volume 3, “I think the story does a good job of balancing Hinako’s past trauma, with the seriously-it-is-also-trauma of her current life, without making anything overly preachy or mopey or handwaving it away.”

The basketball team is going on their summer retreat and Miko asks Hinako and Shiori to help out. Hinako’s looking forward to time helping the team and just hanging out with other girls…but there is something unnatural, clearly waiting for Hinako in the dark.

I don’t want to spoil this at all…but yowza was this good. It was the kind of tension building where you can just *hear* the soundtrack from the first page right through. The hissing of the rain, the hum of the violins, the stark shock of the reveal…the powerful brass of Shiori finally revealing her true form to save Hinako. This volume was a whole package. 

This is one of the best horror manga I’ve ever read. It’s very much into the slow crawl of fear, instead of jump-scare stuff, and full of questions I have no idea if they’ll ever be answered. Where we’re going is wholly unknown to me, but I don’t care. On atmosphere alone, I’ll keep reading this. Watching Shiori slaughter creatures is pretty darn cathartic, too. Naekawa Sai’s art is solid, without being super slick, and leaves things unseen in an effective way.

This is a great read on a rainy night, when you want to feel just creeped enough out that the noises outside worry you. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 Excellently creepy and ominous
Characters – 8 We’re walking through a world of hungry spirits
Service – Blood. Violence. Monsters. Secrets. More Monsters.
Yuri – Shiori’s interest in Hinako is feeling less like protecting one’s food this time. Miko’s love is honest, to an extent.

Overall – 8

I sincerely hope Yen Press picks this up for translation. It fits their profile and it’s really good. ^_^

Posted in Yuri Manga | 2 Comments »


My Idol Sits The Next Desk Over Volume 4, Guest Review by Luce

October 12th, 2022
Welcome to another Guest Review Wednesday here on Okazu, featuring the perspective of Luce!
 
Over the course of the first three volumes, we’ve come to know Sakiko, a devoted fan of her favourite idol group Spring Sunshine; Maaya, a possessive fan of the same group; and Chihiro, the favourite idol of both Sakiko and Maaya. We’ve seen Sakiko come out of her shell, Maaya become… well, stay very Maaya, and Chihiro staying on the path of an idol with the support of the other two. Last time, we left on a cliffhanger of sorts, with Sakiko seeing one of the girls who had been somewhat unkind about Chihiro and her boyfriend at a festival at which Spring Sunshine are performing. 
 
In volume 4 of My Idol Sits the Next Seat Over, Sakiko encourages her disparaging classmate to give Spring Shine a watch, and while not converted, she can see that they put a lot of effort in. Chihiro and the group practice for the summer concert, held in an even bigger venue then normal – meaning tough dance routines to learn. We find out a little of Maaya’s home life, and maybe why she’s so… focused on the things she is. Finally, Chihiro and Sakiko plan a surprise for Maaya’s birthday, and Chihiro lands an acting role! 
 
I really liked the storyline with the classmate, and the ending of that – that you can recognise the work that goes into something and respect that without it necessarily being your thing. Her boyfriend was adorable as well. Again, we see that having friends who know and appreciate her idol work is very comforting to Chihiro, who is struggling with the dance routines. This manga is fairly light on the negative aspects of being an idol (although it certainly doesn’t completely shy away from them) but it’s nice to see the background, the hard work that goes into the routines and the staging. I also like how it’s balanced – Chihiro loves her work, but finds some of it difficult and has to work harder at it. 
 
The big thing covered in this volume was Sakiko and Maaya’s relationship. Maybe not when Chihiro is around, but we see Maaya feeling more conflicted about shrugging Sakiko off, and with her backstory, you start to understand somewhat where she’s coming from with her obsessional love of Chihiro. One thing is for sure, and it’s that Maaya needs a better mother than the one she has. She is mellowing a bit though, even though she’d hate anyone to point it out.  
 
This volume also ends on an cliffhanger – a pretty yuri-ish one! Genuinely wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but if you want to find out, volume five is already out! Review upcoming… Eventually. I felt like the Yuri quotient was upped here – Sakiko and Maaya certainly got closer in some aspects. I’m not sure it will actually end up in a romance, but it feels like it’s edging closer that way. We’ll have to see! 
 
Story: 7
Art: 8, it’s bright and sunny, like the subjects
Yuri: a cliffhanger 7…
Overall: 8 
 

If you can forgive Maaya’s worse antics in the first few volumes, especially if you like idols, this is worth getting into.  

Erica here: Thank you Luce for taking the time to keep our attention on this series. I know I appreciate your perspective of the characters dynamics a great deal!

Posted in Guest Review, Luce, Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »