Otona ni Nattemo, Volume 1 (おとなになっても)

May 28th, 2020

Shimura Takako’s work with gender and sexual minorities has been very influential and popular among western manga readers, and series like Sweet Blue Flowers and Wandering Son end up on LGBTQ manga reading lists with reasonable regularity. So it comes as no surprise that her newest lesbian manga Otono ni Nattemo has been picked up for license by Seven Seas as Even Though We Are Adults, just as I picked it up off my to-read pile. ^_^

In Otona ni Nattemo, Volume 1 (おとなになっても) teacher Ayano meets Akari after work one night and they end up sleeping together. It’s not a relationship…but it’s not a one-night stand, Akari hopes, when Ayano says that she’ll stay in touch. Only, the next time she sees Ayano, she’s with her husband. Unsurprisingly Akari does not feel great about this major fact having been left out of their communication.

Nonetheless, they do see each other again, this time kind of starting from the beginning. The problem is that Ayano appears to be happily married. And Akari isn’t sure what she wants, generally, with her life, but she’s starting to think that she wants Ayano, specifically. I’m not at all sure what I think about either woman. It’s tempting to be angry at Ayano…but I’m not and neither is Akari. It’s tempting to be distrustful of Akari, but I’m not, and neither is Ayano.

The art is good, shockingly detailed for Shimura, in fact. It looks exactly like the Jousei manga it is.

This is an uncomfortable story about two adult women flailing a little bit while trying to figure out this adulting thing. I have absolutely no idea whatsoever what to expect from this story – I’m not even sure I liked it – but I think I’ll end up reading volume 2 anyway. ^_^ I don’t see a happily-ever-after-ending…to be honest, I’d be disappointed if this ended that way. I wouldn’t mind it staying kind of uncomfortable for the course. Let’s get stories about things that aren’t sappily ever after for once.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Character – A not-sure-yet 7
Story – Same 7
Yuri – 8
Service – 1 Hardly any, in fact. The 1 is mostly on principle

Overall – 7

I’m still unsure of so much yet, but I guess I’ll keep reading. Shimura’s work is, in my honest opinion, very flawed, but if she’s going to lean into the flaws, we might get an interesting story.

Volume 2 is available in print in Japan, but not in print shipped to the US at the moment. Both volumes are available digitally on Global Bookwalker. I’ll be getting Volume 2 digitally. Even Though We’re Adults has a January 2021 release date.

Speaking of Global Bookwalker – they are holding a huge “Stay Home and Read” deal with up to 50% back in coins, that can then be used to buy more books. Seven Seas and J-Novel titles are included in the sale. ^_^

Posted in Shimura Takako, Yuri Manga | 2 Comments »


Mizuno to Chayama, Volume 1 and 2 (水野と茶山)

May 26th, 2020

When I discovered Nishio Yuhta’s After Hours (アフターアワーズ) back in 2015, I really enjoyed the quirky adult life relationship. Not set in an office, it delved into less regulated lives, lives that were built up on the fly. I was very excited that it was licensed by Viz Media. And, once it was done, I was very much looking forward to Nishio-sensei’s next work. Mizuno to Chayama (水野と茶山) is that next series. Volume 1 and Volume 2 came out simultaneously in Japan.

Mizuno and Chayama are schoolmates. Their families are rivals; competing for political power and social standing, as well as natural resources in the form of their companies. But Mizuno’s family is clearly on top of the hierarchy, while Chayama’s struggles to hold their position. The kids in the school respond to this with violence and bullying, locking Chayama in the trashed bathroom, beating her after school and generally making her life a misery.

What their schoolmates don’t know is that Mizuno and Chayama are lovers. Yes, it is a modern Romeo and Juliet. Thankfully, without the dire ending.

Although a particularly mean bully keeps torturing Chayama, long after everyone else has stopped, it’s Mizuno that finally fights back. Mizuno does what she can to help Chayama get out of their shitty town and away from their shitty parents.

This series was a little heavy on lowest denominator service and was not at all respectful of the characters’ bodies, something I had found very appealing in After Hours. The ending a was little less ridiculous than After Hours‘, but I’m not entirely sure you could call it happy, though.

I don’t really know what to say about this series. The art was pretty good – it fit the tone of the story, but I didn’t honestly enjoy reading it all that much. I wanted Chayama out of there, but really out of there, far away, safe, taken care of and never going back to that shitty town. Your mileage may vary, of course. ^_^;

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 5
Characters – 6
Service – 8
Yuri – 8

Overall  – 6

Posted in Yuri Manga | 4 Comments »


You are invited to the 2020 Online Yuri Panel!

May 25th, 2020

Please join me on Sunday, May 31 at 5:00 PM Eastern US Time (9PM GMT/ 2PM PT) as I take your questions about Yuri manga anime and the state of the Yuri state for the 2020 Online Yuri Panel.

This panel is open to the public. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Posted in Events, Miscellaneous | 2 Comments »


Spring Cleaning 2020 Lucky Boxes – Claimed

May 24th, 2020

It’s Spring Cleaning here at Okazu Central and that means Lucky Boxes full of utterly random things. I really mean it’s random. I pack these for fit, not for continuity or sense – if a random volume of a thing fits, it goes in. ^_^ And because we still have a good 2 dozen boxes of Bruce’s books in the basement, I’ll be doing more of these all summer long until the garage is cleaned out.

This time we have 5 Lucky Boxes: 1 Large box, 1 Premium Medium box and 3 regular Medium boxes. All the boxes contain a random assortment of manga, books, candy, toys, random pieces of paper things I put in there, and a lot of stuff from our friend Bruce’s collection.

In addition, we have 2 boxes full of BL and adult doujinshi culled from my wife’s collection. These are classic series, like Yu-Gi-Oh and KareKano.

When you email me, please refer to the box you want by the title and #1. First come, first served and these always go fast! These are listed out so I can cross them off as they go.

Large Box 1 – Claimed
Medium Premium Box – Claimed
Medium Box 1 – Claimed
Large Box 1Medium Box 2 – Claimed
Large Box 1Medium Box 3 – Claimed

For the BL doujinshi, we have 2 medium boxes, doujinshi only – these are priced to pay shipping, Paypal fees and handling (i.e., the price you pay for me to carry piles of books up and down stairs, pack them up and such.)
We have two 16lb boxes at $20 each.

BL Doujinshi Box 1 -Claimed
BL Doujinshi Box 2 – Claimed

I can 100% guarantee these boxes are filled with absolute pure stuff, with no guarantees of any other kind. No returns, because look – either you like the fact that you’re spending money on someone else’s stuff, or you don’t.

***

To be eligible to buy a Lucky Box, follow these instructions carefully. Please. Thank you. Failure to follow all of these instructions will disqualify you. It’s not personal, they go fast and I don’t have time to track you down for a piece of information.

1- You must live in the Continental USA (contiguous 48) only, no APO/FPOs – sorry about that, really. It’s vexing, I know.

2 – You must be over 18, I am not policing which books you get and since these boxes have doujinshi and other items, I really don’t know what you’re getting.

3 -Email me at anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with the subject “Lucky Box”. Use an email you check regularly. Because I will reply asap.

4. *****Please include your name, age, mailing address. ***** Tell me which box you want. Even if you’ve given me your address previously, please include it, I am very lazy.

5- I will contact you at that point and give you details about payment by Paypal. Please be prepared to check your email and get payment out so this post doesn’t linger. Thanks in advance.

This whole process will be handled with utmost capriciousness, as usual. ^_^ 

Ready? Get your Lucky Boxes!

Posted in Miscellaneous | No Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – May 23, 2020

May 23rd, 2020

Online Yuri Panel

Just a bit over a week until our 2020 Online Yuri Panel. Patrons of Okazu will get special backstage access on Wednesday, May 27th as I do set up!

 

 

Yuri Light Novels

Via Senior YNN Correspondent Sean G., Roll Over and Die, Volume 1, Adachi and Shimamura. Volume 3 and I’m in Love with the Villainess, Volume 1 all from Seven Seas, have early digital pre-orders. I’m looking forward to reading some of these. ^_^

Kasucchi on Twitter recommends 101 Meter Hanareta Koi, (101メートル離れた恋), describing it as a “yuri science fiction work that explores gender (including trans themes), sexual exploitation, and human/robot relationships in a very neat mystery structure.”

 

Yuri Manga

Galette Magazine has found it’s new normal, and Galette, No. 14 (ガレット) is now available as a digital release on Global Bookwalker or on Amazon US Kindle in Japanese!

Volume 3 of Mayu, Matou is slated for a June 2020 release in Japan and creator Hara Tsukiko revealed the cover image on their twitter feed. Not gonna lie, I really hope the school Prince is saved from her hopeless obsession by this plucky younger student and her hair. ^_^

Via YuriMother,Yuri VN Kundan Folklore is getting a manga serialization in Comic Yuri Hime. Also via YuriMother, Seven Seas has licensed the manga adaptation of I’m in Love With the Villainess Light Novel.

Via Comic Natalie, we have news of Kuwabara Tamotsu’s Anata to Watashi Shuuhatsu, (あなたと私の周波数)  collection from Yuri Hime Comics, which includes a story about two women attempting to bury a corpse late at night, so there’s that. ^_^ (It wasn’t a terrible story, honestly.)

Also via Comic Natalie, the June issue of Sunday GX Comics (サンデーGX」6月号) has an addition – a  live-action Vampeerz Special Yuri Photo Book  in which live models are “recreating the world” of Akili’s Vampeerz. So, basically, its a cosplay photo shoot. Vampeerz,  Volume 3 (ヴァンピアーズ) is also available as of last week.

 

Yuri Visual Novel

Studio Élan has announced Highway Blossoms Next Exit: a DLC for Highway Blossoms. The link will lead you to Steam, where you can wishlist it.

Via Senior YNN Correspondent Yeo, we learn of GirlJail which creator Alexander Ocis describes as a “bullet-hell minigame” with an average play time of 3 minutes. ^_^

 

Yuri Anime

YNN Correspondent Megan wants you to know that Mamoru Oshii’s VLADLove anime has announced a second set of key visuals. They added a character type and a voice actress I cannot resist and I hate them for it. ^_^ (I looked at the character design and instantly thought, “/bleep/ers hired Paku Romi, didn’t they?” And yes, yes they did.)

 

LGBTQ News

Via Melon on Twitter, “On May 30, the first lecture of「レインボー大学ＳＡＩＴＡＭＡ」will take place via Zoom. This first session will feature discussions of the manga “Love My Life”, in order to explore the situation of lesbians. Attendance seems to be open to everyone.” Check the thread on how to get tickets. The lecture will be in Japanese.

On June 3rd, grand damme of lesbian fiction, Katherine V. Forrest, will be running a zoom lecture on her classic lesbian novel Curious Wine and the history of modern lesbian fiction.

 

Other News

Check out #Sailormoonredraw on Twitter for some fun, delightful and amazing re-workings of Sailor Moon art. It’s an endless bag of sweets. ^_^

Speaking of something sweet, stjepan sejic posted a piece of Mage and Demon Queen fanart today and the Internets lost their collective mind, as you might imagine.  I just sat there grinning like a loon for Kuru/ Color_LES. ^_^

 

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 essential part of the team!

Posted in Yuri Network News | 2 Comments »