Onna x a Onna Umakuikanai Renai Essay parlor, Volume 1 (女×女のうまくいかない恋愛エッセイ parlor)

September 18th, 2022

Onna x Onna Umakuikanai Renai Essay parlor, Volume 1 (女×女のうまくいかない恋愛エッセイ parlor) by Fujio, has had a long journey from there to here. This manga began more than a decade ago with essays that were published in Comic Yuri Hime in 2010, then it moved to Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり) in 2011. ( For those who don’t remember it, Hirari was the same magazine in which the Kase-san series was launched.) When Hirari ceased publication, this column moved over to digital comics platform, Web Unpoko, which is now a channel on Ebook.japan. Now it has been collected into one volume for the first time!

Fujio-sensei’s comic essay column is basically about how she’s kind of a loser with women. She loves women and would love to have a girlfriend, but she’s…a dork. We all know that feeling…and sympathize. ^_^  So each chapter discusses the kind of women she’s liked and even dated, from childhood to adulthood and how she’s kind of effed it up, along with advice from her editor and the beautiful BL manga artist she rooms with.

Fujio-sensei protrays herself as a hoodie-wearing slob, with unkempt hair and wearing sweats and sneakers.  Undoubtedly, her lack of humaning skills are blown up for entertainment purposes. The other women in the book are beautiful, cute, sexy, charming as needed., which makes this manga an interesting catalog of Fuji-sensei’s art skills; since chapters drift from great technical drafting, to elaborately drawn to loosely sketch to comedically outlined. As a periodic comic essay, it’s full of relatable pathos and sad-funny, the way it is when you tell a story about yourself being a dork. I wouldn’t have been able to read a lot of it all at once.

With impeccable narrative structure, the final chapter is redemptive, with an incredibly sweet entry that leaves one feeling good about one’s self and the hope that Fujio-sensei will be all right. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – These are stories of failures, told to be drolly amusing. YMMV, but for me – 6
Character – I kind of like Sensei as she portrays herself. I’d take her out to lunch. ^_^
Service – 3 Some sexy portraiture
Lesbian – 100% Cold truth

Overall – 7

I’d pick up a second volume if I encountered it on a bookstore shelf, but I’m not sure I’d order it.

Posted in Comic Essay | No Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – September 17, 2022

September 17th, 2022

Yuri Event

Rica Takashima and I will be at Women in Comics at the Bronx Library Center on October 29! If you missed us at FlameCon, here’s your chance! The link shows last year’s info. I’ll give you more details as I get them.

I will be at AnimeNYC, November 16-18 in New York City, with a table in the Artist’s Alley, as well as doing a few panels. I’ll be signing copies of By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga and I’ll have some of the Yuri from ALC Publishing with me, and bookplates, pins and stickers for you to proclaim your love of Yuri.  Definitely drop by to say hello – it’s been a very long time since I have tabled and would love the company. ^_^ If you’re going to be there are would like to help out, drop me a line.

Not Yuri specifically, but I want to share Manga in Libraries tweet that they will be hosting three panels at New York Comic Con, October 6-9! Camp out in the room with us and let’s talk manga all day. ^_^

 

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Yuri Manga

How about Akuyaku Rejiou ga Sei-Heroin o Kudokiotosu Hanashi. (悪役令嬢が正ヒロインを口説き落とす話。) in which a villainess tries to seduce the heroine, who is beloved for her wisdom and cuteness? Sure, why not. ^_^

 

Yuri Games and VNs

Via YNN Correspondent Cryssoberyl, who wants you to know about GrimGrimoire Once More, for PS4, PS5 and Switch. Cryssoberyl says, “Important yuri game news. This is an updated remaster of the 2007 release, which features a canon yuri romance as part of its main story.” Check out the trailer on Youtube.

Via YNN Corespondent Xan, we learn that Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life will have queer romance options and the ability to play as a non-binary character.

Also via Cryssoberyl, SUCCESS Corporation has announced the HD remastering of classic Yuri VNs Akai Ito and Aoi Shiro for Switch and Steam! These both came out in the early 00s just before the big Yuri boom. In 2009, Mara reviewed Aoi Shiro for us here on Okazu!

 

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Other News

The Volks company is releasing a set of Rose of Versailles dolls. Check out their Twitter feed for images of Oscar and Antoinette!

Colleen’s Manga Recs has a pretty solid video on on the larger issues of Misogyny in the Manga Community. It’s just another popular feature of Patriarchy TM!

Eike Exner has written an article for The Comics Journal of interest: Laying the Groundwork for Japanese Comics: Imaizumi Ippyō’s Establishment of Euro-American Narrative Cartoons in the Jiji Shinpō between 1890 and 1899.

I’m currently reading Queer Transfigurations: Boy’s Love Media in Asia, edited by our good friend James Welker. As you know, BL isn’t my area of study, but fandom is of significant interest to me, and I am interested in the parallels and differences in BL and Yuri fandoms. Reading about how different BL fandoms react to real-world LGBTQ issues is interesting, and I have a lot of thoughts about the many ways that “gatekeeping” manifests…some protective, some exclusive. I’m freer than most scholars as I write here on topics of interest to me because I can have an opinion as well as just quoting other people’s opinions. In a lot of ways, I think it gives me the ability to recognize more nuance, since I’m not confined to one specific focus. Maybe. We’ll see where this book takes me. ^_^ It’s been honestly interesting so far, so if you are interested in BL, I give this one a thumbs up.

 

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Posted in Yuri Network News | 1 Comment »


Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou., Manga, Volume 4 (私の推しは悪役令嬢。)

September 15th, 2022

Grab a hankie, it’s time to read, Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou., Volume 4 (私の推しは悪役令嬢。) In this pivotal issue, the Commoner Movement arc develops quickly and comes to a climax, one that specifically affects Claire. Not only is she a noble, and thus stands in opposition to the commoners, but the collateral damage of this arc will damage her, personally. And, while the commoner’s movement is quelled, we are given to understand that it was also covering up a larger plot, one that will engulf everyone in the cast.

This is the volume where everything, all of the goofy light-hearted comedic moments, fall away and what remains is social justice withheld, love perverted into betrayal and a new, unpredictable, danger. We finally meet Salas, the King’s right-hand man, a key player in the oncoming storm. I mention him because it is often stated how attractive he is in the novels – in fact, without him being attractive, his character fails to make sense…so I was really interested in seeing how he was portrayed. Not at all coincidentally, we also meet Lily, the nun, who also become a major player in the narrative, for the first time.  I believe now all the primary pieces are on the board. The game begins with a huge loss. If you’ve read the novels, you know how huge a blow it will be for Claire, and as the end of the volume comes with a letter from Susse, what that means to Rei having to battle for her.

That’s about all I can say without spoiling anything in this highly emotional and action-packed volume. Aonoshimo-sensei’s art is really just fantastic. Everything, from Salas’ cold beauty to Relaire’s adorable jiggles, is just so good. inori-sensei’s characters come alive in these manga volumes. I hope this series can continue through to the final LN volume, because so many reasons! Nur, the dance, the *wedding*, Dorothea, the Demon Queen, that ending. Let’s all keep telling Ichijinsha how much we love this manga series!

Now that we’re past this volume, I can set aside the handkerchief and get ready for the coming of butchy Manaria-sama, and Rei’s greatest trial for Clarie’s love – until the next one. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 6, since it’s not the focus. But it soon will be.
Service – Rei in that outfit at the end is definitely service. Hope we get a standee of those looks.

Overall – 9

I am reading the exact same same scene in this month’s Comic Yuri Hime and in Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou -Revolution-, Volume 2 , so that’s kind of fun, getting the scene described, then seeing it drawn.

Volume 3 of I’m in Love With the Villainess manga, in English will be hitting shelves this month!

Posted in I'm in Love With the Villainess, inori, Manga, Yuri Manga | 3 Comments »


Nona the Ninth Day

September 14th, 2022

No review today, Nona the Ninth has arrived!

If you haven’t already read the previous Locked Tomb novels, I hope you will. They are very in the exact wheelhouse we care about here on Okazu. Here are links to my previous reviews:

Gideon the Ninth.  the first part of this, ギデオン　第九王家の騎士 上, is also available in Japanese, now. ^_^

Harrow the Ninth was astounding.

Now I’m off to read Nona. I’ll catch you later! ^_^

Posted in Novel | 2 Comments »


Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou Deluxe Edition, Volume 1

September 12th, 2022

After climate change begins to flood coastal cities and the remaining human population grows smaller, what will become of us? In Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Volume 1 by Hitoshi Ashinano – a series I have loved for many decades, – the end is inevitable, but gentle.

Alpha is an android. She’s a pretty advanced android, because not only does she look human, she cares about things like good coffee and beauty and can taste and cry. Alpha runs a coffee shop in what used to be Musashino City, and is now a small, sparsely populated area where the waving grass is slowly reclaiming roads.

In the pages of this series, we will be asked to experience things both common and fantastic from the perspective of someone who is always open to being moved by those things. Nothing happens in this series, but it often happens in the most breathtakingly beautiful ways.

Among the people we meet in Volume 1, is Kokone, another android . She is both more human, in that she can consume animal products and  also less, in that she worries quite a bit about fitting in with the humans she meets. Alpha will change her world, merely by being Alpha.

This deluxe edition is quite beautiful with color pages and color artbook images.  Yes, I have the artbook. ^_^ I also love the music from the Drama CDs and the stunning animation of the anime, which I would love to see be re-licensed, just for the beauty of the final scene over Yokohama.  I can’t lie – I’m with Kokone and find just staring at Alpha to be utterly entrancing.

The world in which this series is placed is so familiar and yet has elements of both fantasy and science fiction that make one question one’s own sense of reality. Shopping and fireworks and coffee…but also a giant ship shaped like a bird and a wild nature spirit and androids delivering packages… it can be our world, but would we want that? What will have to happen for us to have it?

The dialogue is simple, the scenarios are wholly about experiencing and feeling. There is no plot here. Just have a seat and a cup of coffee and watch the grass. At the end of the world, that’s all that’s left, anyway.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – A bit
Yuri – A little more than a bit, Kokone becomes infatuated, as we do, with Alpha

Overall – 9

My only criticism is that the word “android” is repeatedly translated as “robot.” As a science fiction fan, I don’t understand this choice at all. It is clearly “android” in katakana in the Japanese and the word android has been a word in the English language since 1837, as it happens. It simply makes no sense at all to translate this as robot.

UPDATE: I was mistaken about all of this. CW kindly informed me that it indeed “robot.” My memory was incorrect.  The translator was 100% correct. 

This one quibble aside, I cannot believe I am getting to read this series in English! Thank you to everyone at Seven Seas for such a beautiful volume for this poignantly beautiful series.

Posted in English Manga, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Yuri Manga | 10 Comments »