Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – December 26, 2015

December 26th, 2015

YNN_MariK

Yuri Anime

Komatsu-san has the scoop on the new Precure series on Crunchyroll News and – for a Precure series – it sounds like a bit of a departure from the usual plot, which is rather cool, I think. I’m looking forward to seeing it. (Also I have the Heartcatch Precure light novel to read. I expected it to be for little kids, but its written in 8pt type with no furigana! What was I thinking?)

Also from Crunchyroll News, Patrick Macias announces that Zombie Loan has been added to the CR catalog. There was a vaguely lesbianish character in that series named Yomi, in case you don’t remember.

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Yuri(?) Manga

Comic Natalie reports on a new series called Yurizuki-kun to Yurizukizuki-kun, (百合好きくんと百合好き好きくん) which apparently follows the adventures of two male Yuri fans. The visual reads “Yuri? BL?” and I think we can safely say it will be neither, but hopefully it will be amusing. ^_^

 

Other News

Yuru Yuri themed t-shirts that proudly proclaim you are an idiot will be sold at Comiket to people for whom getting Yuru Yuri-themed items is more important than self-esteem. Scott Green has the visuals over at Crunchyroll News. And, I’m pleased to note that the t-shirt not only says you’re an idiot, but also has a shitty design so people who don’t know what “aho” means, can still see you have terrible taste. ^_^

For those of us with style, ahem, Crunchyroll News’ Paul Chapman points us to Super Groupies, a design tie-in division of Animate, with a spiffy series of Sailor Moon-themed travel goods. Super Groupies uses the international buying/shipping service Tenso, so you can buy these from outside Japan.

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go 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!

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Yuri Wishlist for 2016

December 25th, 2015

I have been remiss with my gift guide, letters to Santas and pretty much everything else (haven’t even started my Top Ten lists, don’t want to rush that, orz). I was thinking a little bit about what I wanted for 2016 for Yuri and I find that there’s surprising little I really want. Most of the series I never expected to see released, have been. We’ve got more Yuri than ever before, but trying to see what I’d like to see in the middle of all the stuff that focuses on things I find creepy is exceptionally hard this year.  So I’m going to keep this list very short. Three things, in fact. There are two things I would like more of and one I would like less of. And these three things will be my simple Wish List for Yuri for 2016.

 

1. In 2016 I would like to see more Yuri sports series. I would like to see any Yuri sports series.

I have asked for this pretty much every year since I first became a Yuri fan. ^_^;

Sports are the perfect scenario for love, for hate, for rivalry. Yuri needs a Attack No. 1 or a Ace wo Nerae! of it’s own. Softball, folks, SOFTBALL. It’s the standard lesbian sport, it could be a Ace of Diamond-like guts and will and teamwork series with a lesbian character who finds that teamwork and being a good athlete and player is not incompatible with a love affair off the field with another player. (Yes, all possible sports plots are acceptable. Please stop suggesting possible plot variations, this was not a mandate for one particular plot.)

I’m not saying it has to be softball. Pro wrestling, tennis, horseback riding, diving, track and field, soccer, basketball…I don’t care which sport. It’s just long, long, long past time that we get a really strong Yuri sports series.

2. In 2016 I would like to see more lesbians in Yuri.

We’ve been really patient about this, waiting for every character ever to get through the “I’m in love with you” phase, and grow up a bit and realize that they are actually gay. Takemiya Jin-sensei can’t write every story ever. We need a few more manga artists to think past high school and have the occasional character who is gay. We’ve read enough confessions for 264,844- lifetimes.

And, here is the one thing I’d really like to say goodbye to….

3.In 2016 I would like to see less thigh- and crotch-staring in anime and manga.

 I’m done with this. It’s creepy.

 

With this, I will wish you all a very pleasant holiday season and I’ll see you back here for some end-of-year reviews, lists and news!

Posted in Now This Is Only My Opinion | 15 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Batu Batu Shitaikurai Kawaii Kimi ga (×××したいくらい可愛い君が)

December 23rd, 2015

51C5AZH-B6LKasuga Sunao’s Batu Batu Shitaikurai Kawaii Kimi ga (×××したいくらい可愛い君が) is too cute for me too read.

By which I mean that the characters are all drawn  simply, the stories barely progress beyond expression of like and the giant featureless faces are all the same.

This was the perfect book to read before bed, because it was so nothing that I found myself “resting my eyes” and setting it aside after a page or two. Having attempted to read it twice, I can tell you that one story was about an umbrella, another about a girl liking another girl but having seen her with a third girl deciding she had been two-timed? or something similar, and a story with a computer fairy maybe? Not really sure, I kept falling asleep.

It dawns on me as I write this, that this is one of the authors who work I regularly skip in Comic Yuri Hime. It’s Yuri, in a blandish kind of way, without emotion (except tears) or depth.

Ratings:

Art – Competent, but not appealing
Story – Scenarios, not stories
Characters – Interchangeable
Yuri – There are a few sincere kisses
Service – Moe

Overall – Eh

This book is about as interesting as taking two baby dolls and making them pretend kiss.

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Stretch Manga, Volume 3 (ストレッチ)

December 21st, 2015

stretch3Volume 3 of Akili’s manga, Stretch (ストレッチ) is masterful work, which is to say that he makes a very readable  and credible story out of his creepy fetish, which allows him to draw his characters in a variety of servicey poses, positions and clothing.

Christmas is approaching, which has absolutely nothing at all to do with anything but putting Ran in a sexy part-time Christmas costume. We skip quickly past New Year’s gags in order to have a semi-serious moment at Valentine’s Day, in which Ran admits that her chocolate is “serious.” And we plow through some flashbacks in order to establish that, while Keiko and Ran are not a couple, the could be, they might be. One day.

In the meantime, as with Volume 1 and Volume 2, we continue to be treated to a variety of stretches, all of which I try out, because I read this manga before bed, when I am stretching. Most of them are pretty basic. This isn’t developmental stretching, and pretty much anyone could do these, which I would presume is the point, except that we have to look at the women’s crotches, chests and butts an awful lot. This sort of service always makes me a little sad, as I can’t stop imagining some guy being all excited and happy for a panty shot in this manga. It’s so depressing, isn’t it?

Ratings:
Art – 9
Story – When it’s not just gags and service, it can be an 8
Characters – 7 You have to like them, or why read this manga?
Yuri – Really shoehorning it in this time, let’s say 4, but YMMV
Service – 7

Overall – 7

More importantly, my flexibility is increasing, although not specifically because of Stretch. ^_^

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Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – December 19, 2015

December 19th, 2015

YNN_LissaYuri Cartoon

Steven Universe is coming back in January! Yaaaayyyy! /waving hands around like Kermit/ We’re getting 5 new episodes.  Andandand, they will include the story of how Ruby and Sapphire met. Swoon. Check the link for a preview video.

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Light Novels

This is probably not Yuri, but Konno Oyuki has a new light novel coming out called Friends about Kazami and Ao, long time friends who end up at the same College of Arts. I’m really excited to read a new, non-fantasy piece by Konno-sensei!

 

Yuri Manga

Akili’s Stretch (ストレッチ) is now hitting a 4th volume. It’s still not-really Yuri, either, but let’s face it, there’s service enough and subtext enough for many fans to pretend.

The second volume of 2DK、GPen, Mezamashitokei  (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。) by Ohzawa Yayoi hit shelves this week. We turn our attention from manga artist Kaede to hard-working and mostly overlooked Nanami.

Mountain Pukuichi’s schoolgirl series NanaYuri also has a December release from Ichijinsha.

 

Other News

In 2014, I reviewed a gorgeous artbook by eri kamijo called Girls. Well kamijo has a brand new artbook out called Dear, and I cannot wait to get a copy. Her art portrays women as beautiful, fun, sexy and stylish, without being pandering…and has the occasional splash of Yuri as well.

Netflix has the localized version of Smile! Precure as of today. Check out ANN’s report on Glitter Force. ^_^It is legitimately a cartoon for little kids…so I’m really noncommittal about the localization. But the name, ugh.

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? Become a Yuri Network Correspondentby sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go 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!

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