Devilman Crybaby Anime (English)

January 13th, 2019

Too much cute happy stuff this week for you? Are you just raring to get your hands on demons slaughtering people in grotesque ways? Well awesome, because this week we’re talking a look at Go Nagai’s Devilman Crybaby, the newest – and possibly, the best – entry in the Devilman universe. Currently streaming on Netflix, this series was so good I binge-watched it in two days and only had to have two sleepless nights full of terrible dreams of people being devoured by demons. So that was good. ^_^

We don’t often cover the Devilman side of Nagai’s work, with the exception of Devilman Lady, so here’s a quick synopsis of this iteration. Puny little Akira’s inner demon is awoken so that he becomes the Devilman. Overnight scrawny crybaby Akira becomes a hunk, but he’s still a crybaby, even as he’s destroying the demons who have taken to attacking humanity. 

Akira lives with fellow student and track star Miki. Miki’s rival at school is also named Miki but is nicknamed Miko. Miki likes Miko as a friend, but it’s pretty obvious that Miko resents Miki and is struggling with a love-hate relationship.

To begin with, Masaaki Yuasa’s animation has never before been so exquisite. The style in the series slowly morphs as the story becomes darker. The first few episodes are positively pastel and cheerful, with cartoonish character designs. As the series progresses, the color palette shifts, the art style sharpens. It’s brilliant and perfect. 

Devilman Crybaby is also the second-gayest entry in the Devilman mythos. (Devilman Lady still wins, but this comes close.) During the course of the story we meet another champion runner, Koda, who has become a demon. Koda has, as a result of his demonization, killed and devoured his gay lover. We’re able to see that they truly loved one another and Koda is grieving deeply.

At the end of the series,  a demonized Miko confronts Miki – and while I will not tell you what happens, because that’s the climax of the series, I will tell you Miko confesses she’s always liked Miki. 

That said, it’s not Miko’s feelings that are the best scene, although it comes close. The best scene is when a random guy who likes Miko raps his feelings to her and both she and I welled up with tears. It was a magnificent scene.

I want to reiterate that this is a very, very, violent story. Demons decapitate and render people limb from limb, Devilman pulls demons apart,and humans respond to all this with very base, violent and tiresome but predictable mob behavior.  As we so frequently find at the end of a Nagai story, everything is destroyed. If you object to Nagai’s violence or the existential angst of a Yuasa series, you will definitely wish to give this series a hard pass. 

Ratings:

Art – 10, no, 11
Story – 10
Characters – 10
Service –  9 There always is in both Nagai and Yuasa’s respective works
Queer – 7 It’s not really Yuri and not quite LGBTQ

Overall – 10
 

I thought Devilman Crybaby to be an honest-to-god work of genius by two creators who are in their own right geniuses. I’m actually glad that I was able to see it. Sleepless nights and all.

Posted in English Anime, Go Nagai | 14 Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – January 12, 2019

January 12th, 2019

Yoshiya Nobuko’s Yaneura no Nishojo was published in 1919-1920 which, by my reckoning, makes 2019-2020 the 100th anniversary of Yuri! 

To celebrate I am going to get some of the Yuri essays I’m working on done and at the end of the month, I’ll be unveiling a really special anniversary celebration! Keep your eyes on this space.  This is going to be amazing.

But let’s start with Happy 100th Anniversary, Yuri!

Yuri Manga

We’re going to start our week with two new licenses! From Seven Seas, Tsurezure Biyori has been licensed as Our Wonderful Days.

Via YNN Correspondent Sean G., we learn that  Mayu, Matou has been licensed by Yen Press as Cocoon, Entwined. I haven’t read this yet, but I think it’s the next thing on the to-read pile, so stay tuned!

We’ve got Nari x Yuki Living, Volume 2 (なり×ゆきリビング ) on the Yuricon Store. Volume 1 was a goofy set up about coworkers cohabitating. Now there’s a Volume 2! Why?! We’ll have to read it to find out!

To celebrate the release of Tamufuru’s Tsukiatte Agetemo Iikana (付き合ってあげてもいいかな) the creator has been interviewed at Comic Natalie and over at Shogagakukan Comic;’s Creator Lounge! (Both interviews in Japanese….but stick a translation plugin on your browser and you can at least understand the basics.)

Available in part on Comic Walker, Risou to Koi ~ Otona Yuri Omnibus~ (理想と恋 ～大人百合オムニバス～) is another Yuri featuring adults collection! No, I am not yet sick of these, but I look forward to the day, ten years from now, when I am. ^_^

Yuri Anime

Via YNN Correspondent Mudakun, in the anime Himote House, Episode 7, the residents play “The Yuri Game” with predictable hijinks.

 

Other News

It might seem anachronistic or even a relief to today’s generation that gay bars and gay magazines aren’t the only way for queer folks to interact, but there was a certain intimacy about them. My generation was the last for whom that was the only real way to meet other folks. I can’t tell you how many newsletters and magazines I got when I was younger, just to see what other lesbians were doing. On ANN, out gay artist Gengoroh Tagame mourns the loss of the last of the gay print magazines in Japan and with it, an era.

Via Jacquelin Berndt, the papers for the conference, Manga, Comics and Japan (Stockholm University, September 2018) are available online for your reading and research.

 

Do you have questions about Yuri? Write in and ask and I’ll do my best to address 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 | 2 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatteru, Volume 1 (羽山先生と寺野先生は付き合っている )

January 11th, 2019

Ohi Pikachi’s Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatteru, Volume 1 (羽山先生と寺野先生は付き合っている ) is one of the best manga of 2019. ^_^ I’m only half joking, because, really, this is a wonderful manga and there is a very high likelihood that you’ll be seeing me talking about it as often as I can all year long.

Hayama Asuka is a high school teacher. She’s athletic, casual and easily embarrassed. Terano Saki is her co-worker. As the story begins, one of the other teachers they work with pegs immediately that they have begun going out. Everyone thinks its cute and we’re all rooting for them, from the Principal all the way down. In a ridiculous and amusing chapter, Hayama-sensei’s students “help” her become confident enough to tell Terano-sensei that she loves her.

This manga is just lovely. Two women who have never before been in love, fall so sweetly in love with one another and we can only just sigh at how darling it all is. I mean that, too. It’s not cloying, or creepy, their problems are small and resolved quickly and their love for one another is just so damn adorable.

Hayama-sensei and Terano-sensei work through minor misunderstandings together and when they finally spend a night together we get to enjoy their joy in each other. Even the morning after scene was delightful, as they are amazed and awed and goofy and happy.

I have no complaints about this manga, except that one day it will end and on that day I will be very sad. But until then, I will enjoy every single second with Hayama-sensei and Terano-sensei. ^_^ I want them to be happy forever.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 10
Story – 9
Service – 3 There is nudity, but IMHO, it’s not salacious.
Yuri – 10

Overall – 10

This manga reminded me that sweet and sexy can live in harmony, that it all can be adult and fun and joyful all at the same time. 

Posted in Yuri Manga | 3 Comments »


Cutie Honey: The Classic Collection (English)

January 10th, 2019

Many years ago, I was given the 1985 reprint of the 1973 manga Cutie Honey.  When she gave it to me, artist Rica Takashima mentioned that this was the very first magical heroine who didn’t need a man to help her (and the men actually get in her way more than once.) I’m a huge Go Nagai fan, so was thrilled to read this tale of death and destruction, breasts and body-shifting. It was, as I expected, horrible in the best possible way. I never expected to see it translated into English. 

Here it is, translated into English! By my bud, Zack Davisson! Cutie Honey: The Classic Collection is a must-get for, well, pretty much, either everyone or no one, depending on what you like to read. ^_^ 

In this original story (well told once again in the Cute Honey Universe anime last year) Kisaragi Honey learns she is an android with supernatural abilities, and is pursued by the Panther Claw gang, led by the odious Sister Jill, her boss Panther Nora, and an Island of Dr. Moreau‘s worth of creepy animal-human hybrids.

In attempting to hide from Panther Claw, Honey enrolls in Saint Chapel Girl’s School (which itself is the ur-ridiculous-girl’s-school-name in Yuri) and meets Natsuko, Na-chan, who falls hard for Honey on sight. Natsuko isn’t alone in this, Honey is the object of desire for students and teachers alike. She also ends up being the object of  desire for the obscene Junpei and Danpei Hayami, as well as being admired  and supported by journalist Seiji Hayami – who ends up being damseled for his efforts. Aside from that, there is a little bit of ugly lesbian sex in the form of two of the teachers at Saint Chapel, and a bit of non-consensual BDSM, as well.

Honey is not successful in hiding out at Saint Chapel, instead bring danger upon the school. With many casualties. As I said when I reviewed the Japanese edition, “The end of the main part of the story is violent with a capital “Oh my god!” Which was made truly appalling by the light-hearted romp that was the final chapter in which Honey destroys Sister Jill and sings her own musical theme.” 

I love Go Nagai. Have I mentioned that? Well I do. I love that he layers cute and awful here to make a mille-feuille of WTF.  This manga is brilliant and horrific at the same time and, not despite the horror – but because of it. 

Ratings: 

Art – Godawful except when its not
Story – Violent and weird, except for the cute bits
Characters – Creepy, unless/until they aren’t
Service – 100%
Yuri – 15%

Overall – Brilliant

I am beside myself with joy that you, too, are able to read this manga, and I hope you will. Much of my inspiration as a Yuri fanatic is because of Nagai’s work. This is a piece of our history, kept in a softcore scrapbook made by creepy Uncle Go.

 

Posted in Cutie Honey, English Manga, Go Nagai | No Comments »


Yuri Anthology: Yuri + Kanojo – Tomodachi ha Kinou Made – (百合+カノジョ-友達は昨日まで-)

January 9th, 2019

The Yuri + Kanojo anthologies from Fusion Comics has been a fascinating mashup of first-person visual story telling and ultra-short narrative creation that has, in general, piqued my interest.

If you recall from previous volumes, the premise is a series of two or three short 4-6 page stories that follow a character through their relationships with us, from a first person perspective. A First Person Yuri, if you will. We don’t get spoken lines usually, but we are allowed to see our hands, some of our body, have the occasional goofy face indicating mood in a thought bubble and sundry noises or other means of expression. I’ve especially enjoyed when the stories leave school behind and cover adults and even (gasp!) older women.

Yuri + Kanojo – Tomodachi ha Kinou Made – (百合+カノジョ-友達は昨日まで-) takes a even more radical approach, with stories of senior relationships. But, before that, it brushes upon the weird and wacky, with a section devoted to unusual stories – gentlewoman thief, mermaid, witch and the like. The second section returns to “Episode of Usual” with characters in school, but even here these characters are characters. I particular liked bodybuilder Jinguji Reika. Put a pin in that name, she’ll be back. (No spoilers, readers, just wait for it.) And of course I liked Kagami Yukina, whose only desire in life was to be our butler. The third section is titled “Global” with equally as rare characters from far off exotic places like Brazil, China, England, Korea. The final section is the After Forty section, this time with relationships that last a lifetime. Particularly charming were the three-parters that covered decades of a couple’s life together.

Of the several Yuri + Kanojo volumes so far, I enjoyed this one most, clearly because of the whimsicality and also the lack of children. Really, after all these years and so many, many, many school romances, I just really don’t much care for stories about middle-schoolers. ^_^;

Ratings:

Art, story, characters are all variable, since it is an anthology.

Overall – 9

If you’re on the fence about the Yuri + Kanojo series, I’d definitely recommend this one, at the very least.

Posted in Yuri Anthology, Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »