Yuri Manga: White Lilies in Love BRIDE’s 新婚百合アンソロジー

May 2nd, 2019

Where I live, it’s spring and the flowers are blooming, and the trees are that particular shade of new-growth yellow-green that make you believe all is and will be well with the world. What better way to celebrate the energy and joy of this season than with an adorable anthology about lesbian weddings? Sadly we don’t have that, but we do have this lovely Yuri anthology – and it does actually include a lesbian couple. So, that works. 

White Lilies in Love BRIDE’s 新婚百合アンソロジー is one of the many current Yuri anthologies being heaved up by Kadokawa ASCII Mediaworks. Along with the multitudes from Ichijinsha and Futabasha, we are currently up to our neck in Yuri anthologies named after sweet and fragrant things. I am not complaining. ^_^

The first story takes a look at how important communication is in a new marriage, as newlyweds are not dealing with the gaps that have formed between them, and how they need to talk to work things out.

My favorite story, by the currently omnipresent relative newcomer, Miura Kozumi, (whose work I really enjoy) follows a couple who keep being completely blown away by seeing each other as their new bride.  I loved this story for so many reasons. The two actually came out to their families, they had a lovely wedding, parents bought them cheeseball wedding gifts… and they blush to their roots at thinking about how they are newlyweds. This one was cute as a boutonniere.

Tsuzura Ryo’s story was a close second. A young woman whose lover has died sees a fox’s wedding and is able to marry the spirit of her deceased lover. Of course, she’s left living with with both a fox and the spirit of her wife, but that’s okay.

In close third was Kiriyama Haruka’s story of a couple that fights over everything but are wholly suited for one another. I liked the art best from this story as everyone looked their (adult) age.

Ratings:

Art – Variable, none of it bad 8
Story – Same 8
Characters – Everyone is very earnest, except the art teacher 8
Service – 3 A bit
Yuri – 9

Overall, a strong 8

As a nice collection of Yuri wedding bedtime stories, this was top notch.

Posted in Yuri Anthology, Yuri Manga | 2 Comments »


100 Years of Yuri at Toronto Comic Arts Festival

May 2nd, 2019

Please join us at Toronto Comic Arts Festival, May 11-12, 2019 in Toronto, ON for a celebration of 100 Years of Yuri!

We’ll be kicking off with a look at 100 Years of Yuri at Toronto Reference Library Learning Centre, 1st Floor, at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 11.

This will be followed by an Interview with and Signing session by Takashima Hiromi, creator of the Kase-san series, repeatedly one of the top series of the past decade here on Okazu. You will need to register for this event to be able to attend, but there is no admission. fee. This event is being held at the The Japan Foundation, 2 Bloor Street East, Toronto at 12:00 – 2:45 PM.

Drop by Page & Panel, the TCAF shop in the Toronto Reference Library to pick up some excellent Yuri manga and take a look at the 100 Years of Yuri Exhibit in the exhibit space just outside the store in the library.

And while you’re enjoying TCAF on Sunday do please drop by the Marriott High Park Ballroom 2 & 3 at 12:00 PM for Creator Spotlight with Emily Carroll and her new lesbian horror comic When I arrived at the Castle.

TCAF is one of the most queer-friendly events and I recommend you take a look at the TCAF 2019 program for loads of great queer-friendly content for fans of all ages!

Posted in Events, History of Yuri | 5 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Sayonara Rose Garden, Volume 1 (さよならローズガーデン)

April 30th, 2019

It is the Victorian era, and Hanako has traveled to England all the way from Japan in order to meet her favorite author, Victor Franks. While tracking the elusive Franks down, she’s taken a job as a maid to Alice, the daughter of a Duke.

Alice is very beautiful and kind to Hanako and, even though it annoys the other maids, Hanako is nice enough, so work is not arduous. Hanako likes Alice, but can see that her mistress is sad. One day, when once again speaking about Victor Franks, Alice asks Hanako for a promise – she will introduce the young Japanese woman to the author, but in return Hanako will help Alice kill herself. Hanako is appalled, but agrees, when she understands why.

Alice is engaged to a young noble Edward. Edward seems a good fit for Alice, but it is immediately apparent that she does not love him. In conversation with Edward’s companions, we learn that Alice is rumored to have previously fallen in love with her governess. And, it seems obvious to us…and Edward…that Alice is quite taken with her maid.

Volume 1 of Sayonara Rose Garden (さよならローズガーデン) is not as scandalous as it might have been even 40 years ago, this story must therefore not be a horror story, or a scandal sheet, but a story of redemption.  Dr. Pepperco’s art is detailed without being obsessive, and the characters are appealing, almost despite themselves. With the fraught tone and the Victorian setting one keeps waiting for high melodrama which never quite comes – something I actually appreciate. Instead, everyone is a little extra sincere and earnest. I can’t even dislike Edward, because how sucky would it be to be in his position?

I expected the volume to be a penny dreadful, with Victorian creepiness, but it’s actually a sad little story that I expect to see turned around in a pleasantly predictable ending. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Service – 3 Victorian underwear, because of course there is, but not too salacious
Yuri –  6

Overall – 7

As Alice and Hanako run off together, we can see the inevitable climax, and all its little denouements, but whatever, it’s all in good fun.

Posted in Yuri Manga | 3 Comments »


Yuri Sekai Hikareau Futari wo Kaku tame no Pose Shuu (百合世界 惹かれ合うふたりを描くためのポーズ集)

April 28th, 2019

While I was binge-shopping in the various Yuribu of Tokyo this past February, I repeatedly encountered this attractively put together photo collection of Yuri “poses”, Yuri Sekai Hikareau Futari wo Kaku tame no Pose Shuu (百合世界 惹かれ合うふたりを描くためのポーズ集). It looked quite slick and interesting…and large enough that I left it on the shelves and didn’t try to stuff it into my overfull luggage. ^_^

Now that the magic of overseas shipping has delivered this book to me, it was time to give it a closer look. The book is broken into three sections, which feature three pairs of women in various poses dressed as a high school couple, a couple in college and a pair of careerwomen in the office.

The point of this book is ostensibly to provide life drawing poses for a Yuri couple. The number of shots is astounding, and the variety of perspective is quite exceptional. If you’re an artist and cannot afford a model, this book would be an asset. It also provides key visuals of cloth draping or pulling, how shadows fall or lighting hits parts of the body.

Also exceptional are closeups of individual scenes,  so you can see hands from a variety of angles; how a hand crumples the material of a blouse when on a shoulder and specifics like that.

All of the photos are clothed, there’s nothing suggestive or creepy, but I’m not going to lie, after the 30th angle of two people almost kissing, I felt like a stalker. At some point I felt my skin crawl at the idea of the photographer circling the models taking photo after photo after photo. ^_^; 

Ratings:

Overall – 8

If I were in any way artistic, this would be a valuable resource.

Posted in Miscellaneous | 7 Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – April 27, 2019

April 27th, 2019

Yuri Manga

The English-language  Yuri Anthology Lilies v7: Lily Bulb is live & V8 is open for submissions! Get your copy of Volume 7 as a download on Gumroad or buy a print copy on Lulu.. To submit your work to Lilies, Volume 8, which will have the theme “Dreams” check out the Anthology team’s Twitter or Tumblr for more guidelines.

Volume 9 of Kiss & White Lily for My Dearest Girl is getting a May release in English. Only one volume left in the series!

ANN has the news that Yagate Kimi ni Naru will be ending with Volume 8 in November 2019. In the meantime, Yagate Kimi ni Naru, Volume 7 was released this week in Japan! While we’re on the topic, Comic Natalie reminds us that the Yagate Kimi ni Naru live-action play is running May 3-12 in Tokyo and offers us some visuals of the main characters.

Wahhh! The Yuritora Jump ~ Ultra Jump Yuri Digital Anthology~ (ユリトラジャンプ～ウルトラジャンプ百合アンソロジー～ vol.2)  from Shueisha is back with a volume 2!  This is digital only, so if you’re in Japan, it’s available on Amazon JP Kindle and for the rest of us, from Bookwalker Global.

Ichijinsha’s Chocolat 2 Shakaijin Yuri Anthology ( ショコラ2 社会人百合アンソロジー) and Rezu Fuuzoku Anthology (レズ風俗アンソロジー) are up on the Yuricon Store!

Rakuen le Paradis magazine is publishing yet another Yuri story, this time on their web version, Shigisawa Kaya’s Stay Gold. Click the link to read a sample in Japanese.

ANN Reports that DMP is launching a new Yuri doujinshi imprint Lilyka. The online store will go live on May 1st. One of their two initial titles is a Momono Moto book reviewed here as Ame to Kimi no Mukou (雨と君の向こう), The Rain and the Other Side of You. The second, Lily Fairy Tale -Little Mermaid met Hansel and Gretel– by mintaro, I saw at Comitia, but declined to pick up. Another publisher in the Yuri space is always a good thing, but I have reservations about DMP. Their business model is a mess and they start a lot of projects, but rarely follow through with consistency. I hope this works for all of us!

 


Yuri Light Novel

Via YNN Correspondent Sean Gaffney, ANN reports that J-Novel Club has licensed two Yuri light novels. Side-by-Side Dreamers by Iori Miyazawa, translated by Sean MCann (follow the link to a free sample in English) and Seriously Seeking Sister! Ultimate Vampire Princess Just Wants Little Sister – Plenty of Service Will Be Provided which was published online on Shousetsu ni Narou, where you can read it in Japanese. Written by HiironoAme, it is listed as “coming soon” at J-Novel Club.
 

Other News

Pride.com offer up a list of 7 LGBT Comic Anthologies Every Queer Nerd Should Have on Their Shelves. We have reviewed 5 here on Okazu. . ^_^

The Loyola Phoenix reports that First-year Latin Student Wins Foreign Language Graphic Novel Contest. How fun!

Kayla Cobb  looks at She-Ra, Season 2 and finds it funnier and queerer than ever on The Decider. (I’m watching it now.)

 

Do you have questions about Yuri? Write in and ask and I’ll do my best to adreordress them on the Okazu YNN Podcast, 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!

Posted in Yuri Network News | 1 Comment »