Our Teachers Are Dating!, Volume 4

May 10th, 2022

Hayama Asuka and Terano Saki have been together for a while now. Their students think they are adorable, fellow teachers are on their side. In Our Teachers Are Dating!, Volume 4 they are shepherding the class trip to Okinawa…and a legendary island of Yuri bliss.

The ferry ride is rough and a bought of bad seasickness among students and tourists brings them to the acquaintance of an older woman, who has returned to this island to meet up with the love of her life. Asuka and Saki end up thinking about their lives, as well. In a climactic scene they make a major decision – they’re getting married!

The remainder of the book touches a little on the stress of explaining one’s self to one’s parents. Although Asuka was not rejected for being gay, there’s still baggage she’s got to deal with, while Saki’s family is absolutely darling.

Although it has only been a year since this manga series ended in Japan, it feels like a lifetime has passed already. What this series represents to me is two things: 1) an obtainable fantasy, in which we are surrounded by people who want to see us succeed, and 2) an adult fantasy, where love and sex are combined in a way that shows they are both important and can come from the same relationship without either being lesser.

In her author’s note, Ohi-sensei shows herself evolving from her animal avatar to human form to explain that she now has a girlfriend of her own! That story is continuing in Comic Yuri Hime in her essay, “Pillow Talk ha Fuku wo Kite.” I’m happy for her that Yuri manga brought her a real-life happy relationship. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 10
Story – 9
Yuri – 10
Service – 6

Overall – 10

I feel a little sad that we have made no progress in same-sex marriages in Japan and are regressing in a violently awful way here in the US. This series is perfect for a palette cleanser and some hope and joy in your Yuri. ^_^

Posted in English Manga, Yuri Manga | 3 Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – May 7, 2022

May 7th, 2022

I’m going to lead with this once again, because today marks a week of By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga being the #1 best seller in the hotly competitive category of LGBTQ+ Literary Criticism and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has bought it. ^_^

When you’ve read it, if you’d be good enough to give it a review on Amazon or Goodreads, that would be greatly appreciated! That makes it more easily discovered by new folks who may be interested.

Thanks to German anime and manga news site Manga Passion for covering BYS‘s release!

 

Yuri Event

Here is my Anime Boston schedule:

Featured Panelists Roundtable Friday, 11:00 in Panel 311 (Hynes)
“Secret” History of Yaoi and Yuri – Friday 1230 panel 311 (Hynes)
A Yuri Otaku in Japan – Friday 3pm Constitution B. (Sheraton)
Must Read/Must Watch Yuri – Saturday 1:30pm Panel 207 (Hynes) – this panel will also feature Yurimother! With luck, she’ll also join us for…
Yuri “Court” – Saturday 4:00pm Panel 310 (Hynes) – this is an incredibly fun game. Come play with us!
Beyond Politeness: Challenges in Translating – Sunday 1200pm Panel 310 (Hynes)

One last note – the next month or so, expect a slow-down in reviews. I’m doing a lot of writing, and podcasting and promotion for By Your Side and, then, Anime Boston. It’s all good, but it’s killing my reading and reviewing time and energy! ^_^

 

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Yuri Manga

Via Comic Natalie, one of the winners of the 3rd annual Yuri Literary Fiction contest on Pixiv has been given a manga adaptation (what the JP industry is calling “comicalize”), that is running in the June issue of Comic Yuri Hime.  “Natsu to Lemon to Overlay” (夏とレモンとオーバーレイ) looks great. I’ve got the magazine here and am looking forward to reading it.

Also via Comic Natalie, Lily Lily La-La-Land, (リリィ・リリィ・ラ・ラ・ランド) is an exotic private school story, in which girls exchange room keys to create intimate friendships.  Volume 1 is out now from Comic Cune!

Creator Oku Tamamushi shares some art on Twitter from Volume 1 of Dore kara Koi kaga Wakarani (どれが恋かがわからない) about a girl magnet at college. ^_^

Here’s a Yuri doujinshi in Japanese available on US Kindle: Sex Shinai to Derarenai Yuri, by Yotsuhara Furiko. This story was originally published in Galette magazine.

Speaking of – Galette, No. 22 is hitting JP shelves this month…and I am officially behind in reviewing it. ^_^;

Via YNN Correspondent Laurent Lignon, here are two comics of interest for Yuri fans in France: Soulmate, which is a story of a lesbian relationship, and Blossoms, a Taiwanese web comic.

 

 

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Yuri Games and VNs

My wife is playing a gem-matching phone game, Switchcraft: Magical Match 3, (title link to Google Play, here it is on Apple) which is a VN of a sort. Having avoided all the potential matches with boys, the game offered her the cute girl cop, Naomi, for a dating partner. According to my wife, Naomi tells the protagonist that her Dad was cool when she came out…a nice touch. She’s left off with a “we should do this again.” I’ll report back if she gets anywhere with Naomi. ^_^ So far at least, it’s been free and reviews seem to bear that out.

A fun little playthrough by Jackie Lesnick of a game she made of her Princess Panic comic – You’re Cute is on Youtube. It is indeed cute. You can download Chapters 1 & 2 and Chapter 3 on her itch.io site, as well as take a look at some of her older work. Do give it a like on YT!

 

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Other News

Rica Takashima is exhibiting some of her art this weekend at Beyond New Border in Fukuoka, Japan. Among the images on display are the covers of Rica ‘tte Kanji!? and By Your Side! Okazu Patrons have the opportunity to buy limited-edition, signed and numbered canvas prints of the By Your Side cover art, so if you’re looking for some new wall art, become a Patron, or Pixiv Fan today!

YNN Correspondent Patricia B wants “to bring attention to an ongoing crowdfunding campaign for the graphic novel of a sapphic fantasy webcomic, called The Hearth and the Stone by E.C. Ibes. The graphic novel will include the entire webcomic series in one volume.” Patricia says she loves this comic. ^_^

And Senior YNN Correspondent Eric P. doesn’t want you to miss Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki, which is about young woman who comes to understand that she is asexual. This is available on Amazon and RightStuf.

 

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons who make the YNN weekly report possible! Support us on Patreon or Pixiv Fanbox to help us give Guest Reviewers a raise and to help us support Yuri creators!

Become a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to s

 

Posted in Yuri Network News | 2 Comments »


Amayo no Tsuki, Volume 2 ( 雨夜の月)

May 5th, 2022

In Volume 1, we met Saki, a high school student who plays piano, and her classmate (and piano teacher’s daughter), Kanon, who is hard of hearing. Kanon is initially uninterested in becoming close to Saki, but as Saki conforms her behavior more to Kanon’s needs, she starts to warm up.

In Amayo no Tsuki, Volume 2 ( 雨夜の月), Kanon’s world grows wider. And I really want to make the point here – that *how* Kanon’s world changes is not because she grows used to the hearing world, but that the people around make sensible accommodation for her, which allows Kanon to interact on her own terms. It’s an important distinction and really makes this story not just another disability/inspiration tale, but a lesson for those of us who are hearing on how we can adapt to help HHD folks without burdening them with our needs. I recently saw an exchange on Twitter that went like this: Q: “What is ASL for helpful asshole?” A: “Hearing.” — this becomes a key point of Volume 2.

Kanon’s teacher, Miura-sensei, sees Kanon sleeping in class and invites her to a club room for her to eat lunch. He seems to really understand that her being in a room with a lot of people talking is stressful. While they chat, he pitches joining the literature club where, he assures her, they just really, honestly, read books. Kanon takes the plunge and finds one of Saki’s friends there, who welcomes her and does her best to make Kanon feel comfortable. When Kanon reports that she’s actually considering joining the club she’s clearly surprised at herself.

There is a little trouble brewing in this volume. Saki meets Kanon’s little sister Rinne. Rinne is carrying a lot of baggage – some of which she admits to, about being the abled sibling in the family, and over-protectiveness of her sister, but there’s also a lot of anger she’s not really honest about. Rinne tries to scare Saki off. Some of what she says was true, but there’s a lot of jealousy there, too.

Kanon tells Saki the story of her former school and the bullying and whisper campaign that went on. She refuses to let Saki return the key to the music room and even invites Saki to a movie…..where they meet their teacher and his daughter. They discuss subtitles and how it would be so much nicer if movies were subtitled. I agree with this so much. It’s one of the main selling points for streaming services for me.

As Kanon is becoming more comfortable with their skinship, Saki is becoming more aware of Rinne’s accusations, and her own feelings. I hoping that Volume 3 sees an honest talk about this.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 8
Service – On principle only
Yuri – 3 Creeping up slowly

Overall – 9

Honestly, this is a fantastic manga. I’m going to write Kodansha and beg them to license it. Kuzushiro-sensei’s work has never been better, great characters, and a story that teaches the right lessons.

Posted in Kuzushiro, Yuri Manga | 5 Comments »


Order By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga Today!

May 2nd, 2022

20 years in the making, By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga, is a ground breaking history of the Yuri genre.

Factual, funny and highly entertaining, By Your Side is a series of interlocking essays, articles and lectures from Yuricon founder Erica Friedman’s work on Yuri anime and manga. Meant to be approached as informal discussion in the manner of convivial conversation over multiple dinners, or panels at an anime convention, through these essays, readers will become familiar with the key creators, tropes, concepts, symbols and titles of the first 100 years of the Yuri genre. Walk by our side as we journey through the past, present and future of Yuri!

By Your Side will be released out in time for both Pride Month and the 20th anniversary of Erica’s blog, Okazu! 

Here’s what early readers have had to say about By Your Side:

“By Your Side is the complete Yuri resource I only ever dreamed could exist. Decades in the making, this glorious collection surveys, analyzes, and contextualizes Yuri with unparalleled detail and enthusiasm. Friedman graces readers with illuminating insights as they follow her through a century of the genre’s evolution and revolution. By sharing her extraordinary knowledge, she provides inquirers, scholars, and aficionados alike with a deeper appreciation and understanding of lesbian anime and manga while galvanizing them towards the next era of Yuri.”

-Nicki Bauman, Yurimother

 

“The first in-depth study of Yuri in English.”

-James Welker, Professor of Cross-Cultural and Japanese Studies, Kanagawa University

Order your copy of By Your Side today!

Posted in History of Yuri, LGBTQ, Yuri Anime, Yuri Manga, Yuricon | 4 Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – April 30, 2022

April 30th, 2022

Yuri Literature

Mark Your Calendars! By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga pre-orders officially open up on May 2! I’ll launch a page on the Yuricon Store with links for it in print and digitally on Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and digitally directly from the publisher. 

Okazu patrons and Pixiv fans will be eligible for a signed custom bookplates, with original art by Rica Takashima, with proof of pre-order. These have to be limited, my hands aren’t very functional, sorry.)

20 years in the making, By Your Side is the first of it’s kind  – a look at Yuri history, key series, trends, events and changes of the newest genre of anime and manga. Because of the way the book industry works – pre-orders make a huge difference, especially direct from book stores. My publisher Journey Press has connections with independent bookstores around the world, take a look and see if there is one near you!

 

Support Yuri Journalism & Yuri Creators
Become an Okazu Patron Today!

Rica Takashima will be celebrating the release of this book with an art exhibit with Beyond New Borders 2020-2022 in Fukuoka, Japan in May. She will be exhibiting her art for Phryne and Anise magazines and will be including her cover art for By Your Side, which she has titled 100 Years of Yuri and 200 Years of Yuri. Okazu Patrons and Pixiv Fans can purchase limited edition signed and numbered prints of this art!

 

Sailor Moon News

We finally have news of the final arc of Sailor Moon! Sailor Moon Cosmos will be a two-part movie release, for the 30th anniversary of the series! Check out Kim Morrisy’s article on ANN for details.

Don’t miss the (Japanese only) stream of the Sailor Moon 30th anniversary event, while you’re at it! Once again Kim Morrisy has the scoop on ANN.

In addition, Takeuchi Naoko’s landmark work is getting a museum exhibit at Tokyo’s Roppongi Museum. The Sailor Moon Museum exhibit will have three “phases” and runs from July 1-December 30, 2022. Kim Morrisy is our go-to for all our Sailor Moon news. ^_^

Support Okazu on Pixiv Fanbox!

 

Yuri Manga

Ballroom dancing Yuri manga Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru, Volume 2 (踊り場にスカートが鳴る) is now out! I love this series.

June 2022 issue of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫2022年6月号) will be the final chapter of Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts. Sigh.

Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 6 (ささやくように恋を唄う) is available for some brain-cleansingly sweet Yuri. ^_^

Lilyka is releasing a Yuri artbook called Kiss & Hug, by Hoshizoranshita.

 

 

Games and Visual Novels

Via Twitter, ebihime announce Salome’s Kiss, a Yuri VN set in the Victorian era, featuring “cute girls, suffering, and cute girls who suffer.” Available now on Steam and Itch.io. The art looks fantastic.

Super vaguely Yuri adjacent, but what the hell, Queens’ Blade Limit Break battle game is now available on G123.

Studio Élan invites you to their first Élan Festival, celebrating LGBT+ visual novels! Join them on their Studio Élan YouTube Channel, May 14th at 4PM Pacific US time for Yuri VN announcements!

Via YNN Correspondent Youko on Twitter, SukeraSomero’s OshiRabu Yuri VN has launched on Nintendo Switch in four languages! Click the link for SiliconEra’s article.

One last item, via Japanese crowdfunding site Campfire, Yuri VN Summer Love Begins With a Lie (嘘から始まる恋の夏) will be released fully voiced with a Japanese cast. I’m hoping we’ll see this released in English, it looks pretty good.

 

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Other News

Via Comic Natalie, Maria-sama ga Miteru is getting a new collaboration cafe, the Yamayurikai Cafe, at Stella Map Cafe in Akihabara, from May 17 – May 31. Reserve your spots today (and take pictures if you’re going. I need to live vicariously.)

 

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons and Fans who make the YNN weekly report possible! Support us on Patreon to help us give Guest Reviewers a raise and to help us support Yuri creators!

Become a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share and be part of the Yuri Network. ^_^

Posted in Yuri Network News | 1 Comment »