LGBTQ Comic: Bingo Love

December 13th, 2017

Sometimes, all you really want to read is an adorable story about a timeless love winning over intolerance and other people’s opinions. On days like that, I heartily recommend Bingo Love, the triumphant graphic novel by Tee Franklin with art by‎ Jenn St. Onge ,‎ Joy San and‎ Genevieve FT. 

Hazel and Mari met at a bingo night back when they were young. Although they fell in love, they were separated by family and society not ready to accept them for who they were. Decades passed and they each went on to marry, have children and support their families, but when they are reunited, their love rekindles. Whether society – and more importantly – their families, can accept them as they are, is the body of this story.

There are many things to like about Bingo Love. Available in print and as a digital comic, this story about two black American women, living lives with roots in church and family, finding true love despite everything, is something that the world of graphic novels was ready and waiting for. That Bingo Love is also a real-life success story of a team of women of color, who built the book through crowdfunding, eventually licensing it to a large national publisher, is worth celebrating. This is the money that mainstream comics companies are passing over in favor of retread Batman and Avengers narratives. It’s worth saying this and, if we care about comics, it’s worth listening to. These stories, these creators, deserve the limelight and deserve our support.

Even more importantly for us here at Okazu, Bingo Love gives us something we rarely get a chance to enjoy – the after “happily ever after.” It’s a rare look at adult women in love, dealing with real-world issues that queer women actually have to deal with. For that, this would be a must-read, but Bingo Love is so much more.

Ratings:

Art – 7 Utterly squee
Story – 9
Characters – 8 Even the ones that make you angry, you can’t really hate.
Service – Not really
LGBTQ – 10

Overall – 9

In this holiday season, there’s no better idea for us to highlight and support women of color creators telling the stories they want to tell. And in return you’ll get a sweet love story that spans American history and looks forward to a better future for all the Hazels and Maris out there.

Posted in LGBTQ, Western Comic/Comix | 4 Comments »


LGBTQ Comic Essay: The Big Book of Bisexual Trials and Errors

December 11th, 2017

Elizabeth Beier’s The Big Book of Bisexual Trials and Errors strikes that rare balance between self-reflection and redemption that we so desperately need in 2017. Equally importantly, this tale of bisexual life is honest, and eschews the kind of apology or explanation that make other books about bisexuality tiresome.

By eschewing explanation or teaching, Beier allows readers to immerse themselves wholly in her experiences, and learn who Elizabeth Beier is through her own eyes. (I want to make that plain, because the Elizabeth Beier I know is, unsurprisingly, more attractive and vivacious than the one she sees.) And, to some extent this book is less about dating than it is Beier opening up the choose-your-own-adventure that is her life to us for our entertainment.

Beier’s art highlights the beauty and nobility of the people she draws except, almost predictably herself. Her best moments are reserved for others…until that linchpin moment on stage, when she discovers her own radiance. (a moment made even more triumphant by the loathing with which she had previouslyregarded herself. ) It’s uncomfortable to see that deeply and intimately into a person’s head  – moreso when one knows and likes that person. For that reason, I found the book uncomfortable from time to time, but no more than any other equally navel-starring, autobiographical comic essays. 

Ultimately, Beier’s tale of self-acceptance and the beautiful renderings of the people around her make this book an absolute joy  to read.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

When Beier flies, she soars. A fantastic first book and here’s hoping that she’ll soar even farther now that she appreciates her own wings.

Posted in Comic Essay, LGBTQ, Western Comic/Comix | No Comments »


2017 Yuri Gift Guide, Part 2: Anime

December 10th, 2017

Part 1 of this year’s Gift Guide was all manga and comics, so it seems sensible that we take a few minutes to take a look at some anime that has come out this year in sets so you can populate your gimme lists with items that you can’t afford for yourself. ^_^

Title:  Sailor Moon S, Part 1 and Sailor Moon S, Part 2

What It’s About: Sailor-suited warriors for love and justice, the Pretty Guardians, take on invaders from Tau Ceti in order to save the world, but find themselves embroiled in a battle with another team of Senshi from the Outer Solar System as well. Junior racer Tenoh Haruka and and concert violinist Kaioh Michiru battle their fate.

Who Will Like It: Haruka x Michiru fans, fans of the original voice actresses, since they are all stellar here. Fans of Sailor Moon, because, let’s face it….

Beware: …it’s a 20-year old anime with  mediocre animation, repeated footage, Monsters of the Day and other cost-saving shortcuts.

 

Title:  Sailor Moon Crystal ,Season 3

What It’s About: Sailor-suited warriors for love and justice, the Pretty Guardians, take on invaders from Tau Ceti in order to save the world, but find themselves embroiled in a battle with another team of Senshi from the Outer Solar System as well.

Who Will Like It:  Fans of the Sailor Moon manga, new fans of the series.

Beware: Faster paced than the original anime, it loses important character development. But the animation has settled down and the new voice actresses do a great job. Haruka and Michiru get their manga moments as a couple which are different than the original anime, but satisfying.

 

Title:  Revolutionary Girl Utena: Complete Series

What It’s About: Having been saved as a child by a prince, Tenjou Utena wants to become a prince herself. Caught up in the Student Council duels, she finds that she is “engaged” to the Rose Bride and must, after all, become a prince. Where it all leads and how she gets there makes for a surreal and magnificent series.

Who Will Like It:  Fans of the surreal, fantasy fans, magical girl genre fans who don’t mind some darkness in their magic.

Beware: Sexual abuse, incest, violence and whole lotta unexplained symbolism.

 

Sets to look for in 2018:

Title:  Aria The Animation Collection

After a massively successful Kickstarter, all of the Aria series will be dubbed and released on Blu-ray.  Look for pre-orders announcements in 2018.

What It’s About: Akari trains to be a gondolier in New Venice. Lots of travelogue and scenery porn while she befriends people around town and learns their stories.

Who Will Like It: People who want to just calm the fuck down and look at pretty scenery, people who like pretty girls.

Beware: Nothing happens. Paddling around is the point. (And the end of the series is infuriating, IMHO.)

 

Title: Konohana Kitan

Not licensed yet, but I bet it will be.

What It’s About:  Fox girls working at an otherworld Inn help clients reach their destination, while boecming closer to one another.

Who Will Like It: Moe fans, animal-eared girls fans, fans of cute, sweet, schmaltzy stories. 

Beware: It’s got a pile of fanservice, including constant bathing, with occasional creepy sexual stuff.

 

Title: Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

 

Not licensed yet, either, but I expect it to be.

What It’s About: Boring career woman Kobayashi is befriended by a dragon who bring much-needed chaos into her life.

Who Will Like It: Fans of 4-koma comic strip-type humor and “wackiness ensues.”

Beware: Kobayashi is exceptionally dull.

Posted in Gift Guides, Now This Is Only My Opinion | 1 Comment »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – December 9, 2017

December 9th, 2017

Lots of exciting news this week!

Yuri Anime

Our top story is that Takashima Hiromi’s series Asagao to Kase-san anime OVA is going to kick off with theater premieres, starting in Ikebukuro, in Tokyo. (Remember once again the significance of that choice over Akihabara. Ikebukuro is the location of Otome Road and is the home of the “women-focused” Animate HQ.)

Thanks to YNN correspondent Verso S, we also have more details on other theater showings. Verso writes:

Ticket pre-sale starts January 13. “Slightly lower price on those advance tickets than for other pre-orders of movie tickets. I’ve been tempted to consider that as a very vague indication about the film’s length – but that may well be an entirely wrong way to look at this. A very long way to say the length of this “OVA” hasn’t been mentioned, yet, as far as I could tell.”

“Tokyo and Osaka are well represented on the list of cinemas while in many regions in Japan the OVA will open in one theatre. Limited numbers of screenings and venues combined with an announced short time period the films might be available in those theatres will probably mean that reception will be difficult to track and there’s going to be more speculation. I hope even more cities will be added based on the response to pre-sales and based ultimately on butts in seats come June.”

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Yuri Manga

Via Comic Natalie, Pocket Shounen Magazine offers something I can’t wait to read – a Yuri manga about women’s boxing. Abe Rei’s Magnum Lily (マグナムリリィ) follows Higuchi Yuri, 15 years old, as she gets involved in  the sport of boxing. You can read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 online (in Japanese) for free.

Also from Comic Natalie, Kovachi Luka’s Hana ni Arashi (はなにあらし) is a story about two high school girls who are lovers, but are keeping their relationship secret from Shounen Sunday magazine. The first three chapters are available online (in Japanese).

One more Comic Natalie report, Tanabe Usoumi’s Eden no Otome (エデンの処女) is a story set in a world where everyone is a woman. Take a look at chapters online (in Japanese) from Comic Ruelle.

Rakuen Le Paradis, Volume 25 (楽園Le Paradis) is premiering a couple of new Yuri Manga. Available in print or digitally on Bookwalker Global.

 

Live-Action News

Probably the biggest news of the week in the larger picture is that Tagame Gengoroh-sensei’s My Brother’s Husband is getting a live-action miniseries adaptation on Japanese TV network NHK BS! Komatsu-san over at Crunchyroll News has the details.

 

Yuri Visual Novel

Via YNN Correspondent Alice D., Fruibat Factory is releasing Yuri Visual Novelcalled  Seabed,. This VN about a girl and a ghost is slated for a December 19 release and pre-orders are open now. Check out the trailer on Youtube.

 

Other News

Via YNN Corrspondent Verso S. once again, NPR’s Best Books of 2017 includes Kabi Nagata’s My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness. and My Brother’s Husband.  These two books have blown the lid off the need for good LGBTQ manga.

The Daily Beast has a fantastic article on Elsa Gidlow, the person to publish the first book of lesbian love poetry in America.

Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

Posted in Yuri Network News | No Comments »


LGBTQ Manga: Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 3 (しまなみ誰そ彼 )

December 8th, 2017

Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 3 was fascinating. I might even go so far as to say riveting. It was also 50 shades of uncomfortable.

Tasuku has made a lot of progress with the team rehabilitating the cat mansion, but he’s a little stuck in his own life. He no longer wants to die, but he’s not having much fun living. The school culture festival is upon him and he’s being exhorted to participate when all he wants to do its get out of there. For better or worse, he’s put in close proximity with the subject of his crush who, when told, doesn’t seem to take it badly…and kind of takes a protective role towards him.

The work on the cat mansion is going well, volunteers are visiting, things are getting built when a classmate of Tasuku’s shows up to help. He confronts Tasuku about the LGBTQ folks; Taskuku denies that the group has people like that. But, a mother of one of the children recognizes the leader, Nanami-kun, as a former classmate at her girl’s school. Tasuku had never considered that Nanami might be trans and feels confused – he had perceived Nanami as an attractive man. Tasuku struggles with understanding how to handle his own denial and feelings.

Nanami-kun is invited to his school’s OG (Old Girl) get together. He goes, but leaves after well-meant but inappropriate, painful and clueless questioning wears him down. The scene is cringe-making, we feel sympathy for Nanami-kun, and are really embarrassed for how stereotypical and insensitive the women are being.

At school, Tasuku confronts his his crush, Tsubaki-kun. For a short while, things feel better. But when Tsubaki starts to get passive-aggressive, teasing one moment, then discarding Tasuku another, it becomes a different kind of uncomfortable.

Tasuku runs into Nanami-kun, they have a heart to heart and I am once again reminded how critical it is for young LGBTQ people to have older folks to talk to, even in literature.

Work picks back up on the cat mansion. Tasuku confronts his classmate and Nanami confronts his former classmate, who insists on misgendering him, while the folks of the Consultation Room rally around one another.

As the book draws to a close, Tasuku and Tsubaki come to blows, and he learns that Tsubaki is wallowing in a fair bit of confusion himself.

It was good, real, drama. The kinds of things mostly completely missing from BL and Yuri – the real-world issues that LGBTQ people deal with.

Ratings:

Art – 9 The art has genuinely sublime moments
Story – 10
Characters – 10 Real people
LGBTQ – 10
Service – N/A

Overall – 10

This volume was excellent. I renew my hope that an American manga company is able to license this series some day soon. It’s nice to be able to add this series to the short list of books with realistic gay, lesbian and trans characters in manga.

Posted in LGBTQ | 6 Comments »