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Yuri Manga
We have some new items on the Yuricon Store!
Naoko Kodama’s new series, Days of Love at Seagull Villa, Volume 1. When Mayumi leaves her old life behind, she has no idea what she’ll find. This comes out in print in November!
Éclair Rouge: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart, the fourth volume of the Éclair anthology series, is now available from Yen Press. The English language edition does not have the Itou Hachi story that was included in the Japanese volume. If that’s a hill you’re ready to die on, you’re going it alone without me. I feel no loss. We can argue about slippery slopes, censorship and the difference between a drawing and a person in the comments.
Creator of Sasamekikoto, Ikeda Takashi’s new slice of life drama about two adult women living together, Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ ). At a glance, it appears to be a semi-realistic story about semi-closeted women.
Ajiichi’s Dekisokonai Hime-tachi, Volume 4 (できそこないの姫君たち) continues the story of Kurokawa and Fujishiro, who were complete opposites, but have somehow found themselves attracted to one another. This series is out in English, as well, Failed Princesses. Volume 2 hit shelves last week from Seven Seas.
I’m really digging Mei Ren’s story about two people unlikely to have ever met, Yuri to Koe to Kaze Matoi ( 百合と声と風纏い). Volume 3 is on shelves and on the Store.
New from GALETTE WORKS, is Hamano Ringo’s Sora-iro Melancholic, Volume 1. (空色メランコリック) This is the story of Bun-chan, who told Mii in Hamano’s Cotton Candy, that she had liked another girl in school. Continuity!
Canno’s new three-way love relationship, Goukaku Tame no! Yasashi Sankaku Kakei Nyuumon, Volume 1 (合格のための！ やさしい三角関係入門) is interesting, and I’m not at all sure where it’s headed. At the moment it looks more like a love triangle, than a poly relationship, but I have hope.
Via YNN Correspondent CW, online Comic-Action has the newest work by Nagata Kabi, Meisou Senshi ・Nagata Kabi(迷走戦士・永田カビ) which begins with Hitori Kekkonshiki (一人結婚式) in Japanese. In keeping with her previous essay titles, this would be “My Solo Marriage Ceremony.” I’ve only had a chance to read chapter 1, but I’m really interested where this will take her – and us!
Via Yuri Navi, Kenkyuu-tou no Mayonaka Gohan, a story of midnight snacks and Yuri, sounds like it may be my new favorite thing. Natsukawa Moko’s story is described as a “heartwarming Yuri gourmet” manga. I’m in.
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Yuri-ish Anime
Funimation is now streaming Assault Lily Bouquet, which looks like 100% tease and playing around with Yuri tropes with no actual Yuri. But it could be fun if you have no expectations.
Not-Yuri, but check out Makoto’s look in this visual of the Inner Senshi in their casual digs from Sailor Moon Eternal. ^_^ Thanks to Crunchyroll’s Komatsu-san for the details!
Carlos Cordoniga from Crunchyoll has a lovely article, Why PreCure’s Good, Colorful Optimism is So Welcome. I’ve been watching Kira Kira Pretty Cure Ala Mode, and I have to say, I’m 100% in on colorful optimism right now. I am done with gritty and dark. (This particular season has a reasonably well-established Yuri couple, as well, so hang tight for a review.)
Events
YNN Correspondent Megan wants everyone to know that there is an Nakamura Asumiko 20th anniversary exhibition at the Ikebukuro Parco (again! While am not there. *again*, argh) until October 12. This will include some work from the upcoming Seven Seas release A White Rose in Bloom. I have reviewed the first volume of Meijirobana no Saku here on Okazu.. Click the link for a 3-D tour of the exhibit. It’s pretty impressive.
Other News
Via YNN Correspondent Verso S, we have this fab article on the top K-pop Girls groups, as voted by Korean queer women. We’ve had some fun checking their music out. I just happened to have wandered on to Monster by Red Velvet, so I was in sympatico with these women’s choices. The wife likes Blackpink (and thumbs up on the Lara Croft vibe on that photo,) but we both think the #6, Cosmic Girls have the best photo of the bunch. ^_^ “We are predictable,” the wife notes.
Not-Yuri, but I really am glad that Seven Seas has licensed Kageki Shoujo The Curtain Rises. Translator Jocelyne Allen and I were kvelling about this tale of a girl who want to be the otokoyaku top star in a Takarazuka-esque troupe, some years ago. I’m delighted you’ll be able to read it. ^_^
The Harvey Awards has induced Tezuka Osamu into their Hall of Fame. Rafael Antonio Pineda has the details on ANN, including a list of manga that have won Harvey Awards!
Crunchyroll’s Daniel Dockey interviews author and speaker Matt Alt about What Makes Anime So Appealing.
On a totally person note, if you follow me on social, you’ll know that in 2018 my website “Worldshaking” Fanfic was lost when my webhost imploded. I had most of the files (a few had to be recovered on Internet Archive, when I was unable to get a final site update.) I transferred the domain, but for various reasons just never got the site back up until now! Finally, after a total rebuild I can welcome you back to “Worldshaking” Fanfic. I’ve also manged to add all my new original work. To celebrate, I’m going to be working on a brand-new not-an-isekai Yuri webnovel. To get chapters early, become an Okazu Patron! I’ll be sharing the cast of characters shortly. ^_^
Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news with your name and an email I can reply to – thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network! Special thanks to Okazu Patrons for being an important part of the Okazu family. I couldn’t do it without you!
In Volume 1, we met Shimizu Makoto, a fairly successful team leader at a company, who has a secret life as a Yuri doujinshi artist. When her co-worker, office lady Maekawa Akane discovers her secret, she’s sure the jig is up. Only it turns out that Maekawa has a secret of her own, she’s a former manga artist. In Volume 2, as Shimizu encourages Maekawa to return to the world of manga, they both struggle with their relationship; Shimizu with accepting that she is a woman who loves women and Maekawa with human relationships at all.
In this final volume of the series, Still Sick, Volume 3 (スティルシック), by Akashi, Maekawa and Shimizu’s gavotte around one another is not yet over. Shimizu will be more honest about her feelings, and so will Maekawa, but love isn’t the only thing Maekawa has to deal with. She’s got a LOT of issues on her plate. We, and Makoto, watch over her as she deals with each layer of the walls she’s built around herself. Only when all that has been addressed, will they be able to just…be together.
It seems a lot of plot for one volume to cover, but in all honestly, I think this volume really does the job. At no point did I feel that this end was rushed, or aborted. Sure, I’d like to have seen them more after this story ended, but when it ends, there’s no dangling plotlines or handwaves needed to fill in a gaping hole. As a narrative effort, I give it top marks. I think to do so much character development, the art suffers here and there, but as this series has never been about the art, it’s a small, acceptable sacrifice.
For an office romance Yuri based on a really silly plot, Still Sick has turned out to be a pretty satisfying meal in three volumes.
Ratings:
Art – 6
Characters – 9
Story – 9
Yuri – 9, LGBTQ – 7
Service – 3 some noodling around, underwear, bed
Overall – 9
I look forward to Tokyopop’s Volume 3 in English, which should be headed our way in February 2021!
Welcome to the official start of Ooooohhhh~~~kazu. Follow me on Twitter and every day I’ll be tweeting out a scary review from the last 20 years of reviews on Okazu through Halloween. (Or, at least that’s the plan. We’ll see how far I get. ^_^)
I’m starting with one of my all-time favorite “WTF did I just read?!?” creepy manga.
In Volume 2, I noted that this series is detailing a love triangle, but only one participant seems to have noticed. In Mayu, Matou Volume 3 (繭、纏う) by Hara Tsukiko, two students of the three are now aware that something is happening and with that, the triangle may at last be broken.
It’s time for the seniors to have their long tresses cut at Hoshimiya Jogakuen. That hair will become the uniforms worn by future generations of students…but not everyone finds it easy to part with something that has been an element of their lives for so long. If you think about that for even a moment, that’s an obvious truth. Hair is so key to our own identity of ourselves, and for these girls, even more a huge part of their existence.
But, beyond their personal struggles, something is unraveling in the school. Rumors are flying like…well, like the strands of hair that this school has got to be covered with. Youko hears that student body’s Prince, Hana, has left the school – we know, and she guesses, why. Beyond belief she finds Hana at the waterside and finally, Hana’s eyes are turned towards this underclassman who might just be able to save her from herself.
This is the first volume where the hair doesn’t get in the way of the story. If anything, this volume is filled with hair being cut, separated, tied up and likewise moved both allegorically and literally out of the way. And, for the first time, Hana realizes that there is a way out of her self-imposed servitude to someone who either does not (or perhaps, can’t,) want her. When Hana looks away from Hoshimiya, Youko is there. When Hana finally turns to Youko for salvation, we feel that maybe the ghosts of the past might be set aside yet.
The cover of this volume is some damned fine art. It completely captures the veil of hair the students wear, and the entire story of Youko and Hana in one breathless moment.
Ratings:
Art – Outstanding
Characters – 8
Story – 7
Service – N/A
Yuri – 7 One side of the triangle is filled in
Overall – 8
This was a very good volume of a series I didn’t think would actually ever be likely to engage me, what with all the hair.
I’m waiting on a pinhead for Volume 4, hoping to see a Youko and Hana freed from the emotional and physical burden of their hair but, hopefully, not their love.
Volume 1 and Volume 2 of Cocoon, Entwined are available from Yen Press. Volume 3 is out late summer 2021. I hope you’ll take a moment to notice the unbinding of both plot and hair. ^_^
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Okazu by Erica Friedman
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