Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – October 4, 2025

October 4th, 2025

A blue silhouette of a girl with a white flower in her hair, embracing the earth. Blue block letters read YNN Yuri Network News. Art by Lissa P. For Okazu.Yuri Manga

New titles on the Yuricon Store!

Coming soon! The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t A Guy At All, Volume 3 has a November release date. It was so good in Japanese, I cannot wait for you to be able to read it! (Also, I am dying to read Volume 4…..)

This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Volume 5 is headed our way this November. (No Crunchyroll link as of yet, I’ll keep an eye on it.)

Boys Gilding the Lily Shall Die!?, Volume 3 has been out from LoveLove (Tokyopop) for a while, but I finally got that up. This band rivals to ? story is better than the title makes it sound.

Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty, Volume 1 was reviewed this week on Okazu.

Anemone ga Netsu wo Obiru, Volume 5 (アネモネが熱を帯びる) is on the Store!

In Kimi ga Hoeru Tame no Uta o, Volume 2 (キミが吠えるための歌を、) Haru and Yuu form a team, and take their song online to see if it resonates.

Gengou Yuri Anthology (元号百合アンソロジー)  tells Yuri stories from the Meiji period through the Reiwa. This is a look at Yuri through history.

Usui Shio’s high school “fake” love story about a girl prince and the Student Council president continues in Volume 2 of Koi ni Koi suru Koibito Kankei ( 恋に恋するコイビト関係).

This week I reviewed Heimin No Watashi Desu Ga Koushaku Reijou-sama o Taburakashite Ikite Imasu, Volume 2 (平民の私ですが公爵令嬢様をたぶらかして生きています) and it was great!

Koi Yori Aoku, Volume 3  (恋より青く)  continues the story of two girls whose relations is neither friendship, nor lovers.

And finally, Ohsawa Yayoi’s new series, Harassment ga Kowai Maki-sempai! (ハラスメントが怖いマキ先輩!), about a manager who sincerely would like to get to know her office kouhai a little better, but is afraid of being seen as a harasser, is up on the Store. I know it’s supposed to be a comedy, but..uh.

 

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Yuri Anime News

This Monster Wants To Eat Me anime has debuted this week on Crunchyroll. Like the manga, it is atmosphere and vibe over plot, but damn, it is beautiful! As a reminder, this is not a romance, it is a story about processing trauma.

ANN’s Joanna Cayanan has news of a 2026 premiere for a new Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, titled Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance to celebrate the franchise’s 20th anniversary!

 

Light Novels 

Via Yuri Navi, Yusha no Tabi no Uragawa de (勇者の旅の裏側で) tells the story of a unlikely hero and her traveling companion as they try and save the world from a foretold tragedy. There is also a manga adaptation. Honestly, this looks great, I’m going to give it a try.

 

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Yuri Visual Novels 

As a climax to their “Fall in Love” event, Studio Élan has released their new Yuri VN, Lock & Key, available on Steam and Itch.io.

Via YNN Correspondent Katgrrrl,  and the Innocent Grey official X account, the Flowers Visual Novel series are getting 2 orchestral soundtracks this December.

 

Other News

Kinokuniya is running a The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t A Guy At All diner-themed merchandise collaboration.

Via Sr. YNN Correspondent Ashley, we have news that the creator of TGSWIIWAGAA, Arai Sumiko has done the art for a new collected volume of stories about women’s lives that ran in DaVinci magazine by Suzuki Ruomi, Me-me SHE Yatsura Kashikokute Orokana Watashi-tachi o Hokansuru, Kanojo-tachi no Monogatari (めめSHEやつら 賢くて愚かな私たちを補完する、彼女たちの物語).

From their Bluesky account, Futekiya is closing Manga Planet at the end of March 2026. There is still time to catch some of Yuri titles they had available.

 

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 2025, 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.

 

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Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty, Volume 1

October 3rd, 2025

A girl with long curly blonde pigtails in a white school uniform in the style of a fancy dress, holds a pink guitar upright in her arms, as she smiles gently off to the sideSuzonomiya Lilisa has a mission and a goal. A girl from an middle-class household (a commoner to the rich girls around her) whose mother has married into high society, Lilisa is studying at the exclusive Oushin Academy, alongside the daughters of the rich and powerful. Lilisa is good at faking it and the girls around her admire her poise and knowledge. Every day is torture.

In Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty, Volume 1, Lilisa longs for simple pleasures of her former life, but when she discovers that the other star of the school, Kurogane Otoha, holed up in an unused school building and absolutely shredding on drums, Lilisa’s days are turned into a maelstrom in which she lives a double life. Playing her heart’s desire on guitar doesn’t make it any easier to rise to the position of Noble Maiden, her actual goal at this school, for she knows that when she attains this position she and her mother will be accepted into the ranks of high society. Surely.

The archaic rules of “Class S” here lie heavy in this premise. At Oushin, girls are cultivated like the flowers for which the school is named. They are treated as delicate, ephemeral and with the sole job of looking beautiful and cultured. These are young women being trained to be married off and sent to their cloister to await their husbands’ attentions. Within Oushin, these girls focus their passions on the paragons of their classes, treating them like idols.

This story, like it’s adaptation into anime, positions playing the guitar as something “common.”. Lilisa’s mother is so concerned that her daughter aspire to more refined instruments, like violin, that playing guitar is returned to its cultural roots in ways that a modern Japanese audience might not even consider. We of the late 20th and early 21st centuries think of guitar as something cool. But the guitar is also an instrument of rebellion and resistance. Rock & Roll has always been seen as subversive, a counter-culture noise. So Lilisa, and Otoha, playing loud, unfettered rock, sweating heavily, and cursing and screaming during their sessions, is hardly a subtle message. Still, this is a fun subversion of rules. Rock & Roll becomes the catalyst for women trapped by their lives to find their true selves.

I am honestly glad that Yen picked this series up. While the manga went on hiatus in Japan in July, we have 8 volumes to look forward to here. We get a nice handling of both the refined Class S world and the gutter-sniping of the rock sessions from both translator Ajani A. Oloye and letterer Phil Christie. Well done to the team at Yen.

And of course, the joke of these refined young ladies using gutter language works. It’s funny. It’ll stay funny. Yuri is by implication, primarily, as Otoha speaks of their jam sessions in increasingly intimate terms. She’s not really wrong, either. The sessions are the sex. The music is the relationship. 

Ratings: 

Art – It is very much its own thing, 8
Story – A nice spoof of the “school star” trope, 8
Characters – Somehow relatable? 8
Service – You like sweat? You’re good
Yuri – Absolutely yes and not at all

Overall – 8

I’m looking forward to watching this series develop and getting past the anime!

 

Posted in English Manga | No Comments »


Heimin No Watashi Desu Ga Koushaku Reijou-sama o Taburakashite Ikite Imasu, Volume 2 (平民の私ですが公爵令嬢様をたぶらかして生きています)

October 2nd, 2025

Two girls in the same white an red uniform lean back to back on a red cover. One girl has short purplish-black hair and purple eyes, the other has long, pale silver-blue hair and eyes, They both smile at us. In Volume 1, we met Laila, a commoner set adrift when her useless parents sell her off to slavers. She reconnects with a childhood friend, a noble who sponsors Laila to the Royal academy. Laila has the ability to adapt to any magic simply by mimicking what she sees and she quickly gains notoriety, both good and bad at school on account of being a commoner.

In Volume 2 of Heimin No Watashi Desu Ga Koushaku Reijou-sama o Taburakashite Ikite Imasu, Volume 2 (平民の私ですが公爵令嬢様をたぶらかして生きています), nobles continue to harass Laila, trying to drive her from the school. When religious extremists attack an innocent student, Martha, Laila and Touka, Laila becomes more friendly with Eva, a powerful noble and magician at school. Eva extends the protection of the ducal house of Mayer to Laila, angering her father and brother. 

The King, concerned about religious fanaticism, declares a competition between the 4 ducal houses, meant to showcase the magical strength and ability at his side. Representatives of all 4 houses will compete, using their physical, mental and magic skills.On the day of the competition, House Mayer starts down 3 competitors and, facing sabotage at every turn must defend Laila’s right to compete, and Eva’s status as the most powerful magician at school.

I absolutely love this story. I’ve followed Kitao-sensei’s work for decades and generally adore her hapless butch characters, but Laila being confident and smart (and powerful doesn’t hurt) is fantastic. Laila’s honorable nature means that people who don’t like her can be persuaded to at least be her ally, like Touka, and her fighting skills means she doesn’t need protection, just friends.

It is important to note that only Volume 1 is available as a print manga. The remaining 4 volumes are digital only. I am comfortable with this, and indeed bought a new tablet for the specific function of reading digital manga this past year. I’m not in the habit of shilling for new tech, but it is absolutely outstanding being able to read a whole page at a time on this tablet. I really don’t use it for much else, but it has completely changed the way I consume digital media. (And, as I am reading more for ANN, I need to be able to quickly pull up a lot of PDFs.) So, if you, like me, are interested in Laila’s continued adventures, you’ll be reading it in digital format..

And, I am interested. I want Eva and the Mayer team to stick it to the other houses. I want Laila to find the allies and power she needs for some stability in her life. And if Laila and Eva can find happiness together, that would be very nice too. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – Not much this time around, as genteel hostility was ramping up
Yuri – 4, who has time when everyone wants to fight you?

Overall – 9

 

 

Posted in Kitao Taki, Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »


Comic Yuri Hime, October 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年10月号)

September 29th, 2025
Two woman stand on an apartment balcony dressed for autumn, smiling as they talk on a sunny autumn day. A tree with golden leaves falling gently spreads a shadow on the wall.

Version 1.0.0

Comic Yuri Hime, October 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年10月号) begins with a lovely seasonal cover by hechima.

Yuama’s new manga jumps right in to a complicated school situation between two girls that are seen by the students around them as the school princess and prince.

Claire and Rae are on the very cusp of Rae’s plans to save her beloved villainess…but Claire isn’t following the rulebook, in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” by inori, and Aonoshimo.

Takeshima Eku’s “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau” is still wrapping up Miki’s story with her sempai. Ayaka spends this chapter expressing her fondness for her new girlfriend. ^_^ It looks like a new couple will be the focus and it’s about time…..

“Chouuchyuu Yori Ai wo Komete,” by Ashidaka Woz continues to be affirming and sweet as Ten opens up to this alien who traveled across the universe just to talk with her.

“Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” makes a comeback and two very important things happen. Mai *finally steps up to be an adult, a day late and a dollar short, but she bans Youko from ever bothering her  staff again and she calls what happened to Kanako what it is – sexual assault. The second thing that happens is Youko, not only not seeing the error of her ways, but digging in to make her actions perfectly justifiable, thus claiming the title of narcissist that we’ve been quite sure she is all along. A few pages of how Youko’s past left her with pain over a relationship just confirms the fact that she needs therapy.

Utatane Yuu’s “Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru” comes to a satisfying and sweet conclusion. It was never really in doubt, but the journey was a good one and I’m glad we shared it. ^_^

I absolutely loved this chapter of Koharu to Minato, as our girls and their puppy have friends over to their new place who are also a couple. This is a huge life step for queer couples, having someone to wholly confide in for the first time.

Kashikaze adds one more to the home team, as Yuu and Haru recruit a young artist whose family is not on board with that as a career in “Kimi ga Hoeru Tame no Uta o.”

Violet has to fully confront her trauma about the Black Knight, and Dahlia comes clean about her feelings about her “little sister” when she turns down Clarice’s request for aid in “Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” This series is coming to an end and while I get why, I’m going to miss it.

SheepD’s “Kanaria ha Kiraboshi no Yume o Miru” is heading towards a throwdown, as our protagonists  face the invetiable conflict between the life their desire and the choices they are given.

I do always say this, but there are more stories I read and enjoyed and some I read and did not, and some I did not read in this nearly 600 page manga magazine with something for nearly everyone. I’m reading and enjoying about 3/4 of the magazine, which is an unusually high percentage for me and any magazine. So rock on Comic Yuri Hime, here is to  a great 20th year!

Ratings: 

Overall – 9

November 2025 is on JP shelves and begins with what I hope will be an interesting story that addresses a girl wearing slacks in school.

 
 

 

 

Posted in Comic Yuri Hime, Magazines, Yuri Manga | No Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – September 27, 2025

September 27th, 2025

In black block letters, YNN Yuri Network News. On the left, in black silhouette, a woman with a broad brim hat and dress stands, a woman in a tight outfit sits against the Y. Art by Mari Kurisato for Okazu

Yuri Anime

There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover, Unless… is getting an additional 5 episodes, which will be released as a theatrical event. ANN’s Alex Mateo has details. 

ANN’s crew put together their list of the Most-Anticipated Anime of Fall 2025 and in the #1 place is, This Monster Wants To Eat Me, based on the manga by Naekawa Sae. I did not participate in this article, but..well, yes, me too. ^_^

Speaking of this series, Anime Feminist as posted a look at the world premiere of the anime, and interview with the staff in WATATABE: This Monster Wants to Eat Me—World premiere and insights from the creative team.

Girls Band Cry is getting a new anime film – Egan Loo has the details over on ANN.

 

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Yuri Manga

Muromaki’s collection, Lilies Blooming in 100 Days is coming our way from Yen Press at the end of the year. This was the result of a self-imposed challenge, in which Muromaki-sensei drew a Yuri scenario every day for 100 days.

If you have backed Galette Special English Issues No. 1-3, you will have received a survey from Galette WORKS about the affect of the tariffs on any new Kickstarters.  They are furiously discussing the issue behind the scenes.  I will let you know what I said. I told them that I believe that it is more important than ever to support Yuri/queer comics and that my primary goals in backing Galette is to support the creators of Galette and promote Yuri manga. I enjoy digital and physical media, so if the tariffs make it impossible for a physical copy or goods, I’m happy to get digital. 

Baiheverse has launched another new title, Wolf and Rabbit. “One is a wolf, seemingly aloof, yet gentle and caring deep down. The other is a bubbly, resilient rabbit. Together, they share sweet moments in the calm of everyday life…” This is by Nihaohaohaojun, which a commenter on their platform noted is  same creator as The Wayward Tenant and Her Pretty Landlady, another Baiheverse title. 

I stopped by the closest Kinokuniya where the Love Bullet pop-up is live! Drop by to get some fun Love Bullet merch. I snapped a picture for you. ^_^

The Shortbox Comics Fair is nigh! Read comics for free from October 1-31. Lucky Cavity announced a masc woman comic for their entry on X. Keep your eyes peeled…there’s always good queer stuff at SBF.

 

Yuri Visual Novels

Studio Élan’s Fall In Love Festival is live on Steam. We’re getting a lot of folks sending us demos and we’ve picked a few to review, so keep your eyes peeled for those. 

Studio Élan will be releasing their newest Yuri VN, Lock and Key on the 30th at the end of the festival.

Not part of the event, but worth knowing about is Her Love, Like Poison, a toxic Yuri VN from Ebi-hime, also on Steam.

Denfaminicogamer has the news that Takano Marika who plays Jill and Ito Kanae who plays Dorothy in VA-11 HALL-A Valhalla will appear in a collaboration with Astral Party, which is a free party game for up to 4 people.

 

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Yuri Events and Research

I am a Guest at Y/CON in Paris, France on November 15-16, 2025. I hope you will join me there for a weekend of fun Yuri, BL and queer manga, comics and BD antics! I’ll be paneling, signing my book, and if enough of you join me, I’ll arrange for a Yuricon/Okazu meet-up!

Our new Yuri research project is cooking. Frank Hecker and I are looking for folks who watch Yuri/GL dramas on Youtube or on streaming services to take a short survey, and maybe do a foll.w-up interview if you are interested. Surveys are being conducted in English, Spanish and Portugese. We’d love your input! The survey will be open until November 30, so please share around on all your socials. Here is my Bluesky post with all 3 languages to share.

I am taking speaking invitations for Q1 2026 now, so if you’d like me at your organization, school or event, please contact me!

On a personal note, thank you to everyone who congratulated me on working with ANN. They are a fantastic group of people. Today I have some more good news to share. I will be working with the lovely (and gloriously talented) team at Manga Mavericks on their upcoming book, FISHGOD and a few other titles they have not yet announced, as an editor. Among other titles, they publish Yuri/queer work by Alt Hanakage and Aneido. ^_^ I cannot wait to get started. 

So, after decades of working in and around the manga industry, I am officially a full-time freelance writer/editor.  ^_^

 

Other News

Thank you to Austin, who posted some photos from a Narumi Kakinouchi (creator of Vampire Princess Miyu) exhibit in Japan! 

The Comic Yuri Hime x Eiden collaboration began on September 23, and X user halu shared this picture of a Yuri train car.

Jameson Rohrer, an online pal of mine is starting a new Youtube channel and is hoping folks will help him out by subscribing. Comix 4 All is “a channel where you can learn about upcoming comic book and graphic novel releases, interviews with comic creators, librarians, educators, publishers and more.” So if you love comics, please subscribe. ^_^

 

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 2025, 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.

 

Posted in Yuri Network News | 3 Comments »