Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – August 9, 2014

August 9th, 2014

YNN_MariKYuri Anime

How excited was I to read on ANN that Crunchyroll is streaming all 70 episodes of Card Captor Sakura? Ridiculously happy. I have the Tokyopop release, but they had some technical issues with the last two volumes and I’d love to just watch it in HD. NIS is re-releasing the series on 3 DVDs sets (Set 1, Set 2 and Set )3 and a Hybrid Blu-ray set . I’m of the opinion that the BD for this series should be worth it. When CLAMP is good, they are very good. ^_^ The stream starts August 12. I can’t wait!

The Yuyushiki anime series is being released by Sentai Filmworks on DVD and BD, as well.

It’s not Yuri, specifically, but there’s a *lot* of Yuri doujinshi for Kantei Collection, (Kancolle for short)  and it is, not terribly surprisingly, getting an anime. Fujieda Miyabi is spearheading one suchdoujinshi anthology, also not terribly surprisingly. ^_^ (This isn’t being shipped outside Japan, unfortunately. I’d like to see it.)

The good folks at ANN spotted the Yuru Yuri OVA trailer out in the wild ahead of it’s November Japan theatrical release.

Victoria McNally recaps Episode 3 of Sailor Moon Crystal with Yuri goggle set on “not all that high, really” and still sees plenty of Yuri. ^_^

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LGBTQ Manga/Comics

Via YNN Correspondent Elizabeth F., the “Pathfinder comics has a fabulous lesbian couple as the leads.”

Volume 6 and Volume 7 of Shimura Takako’s Wandering Son are, somewhat amazingly, for sale. I’m not sure how these are doing for Fatagraphics, but I’d love to see them blow sales records out of the water.  Volume 7 was as far as I’ve heard about, what with their kickstarter last year. It would be a bloody shame if this series stops short here. Do buy these, please.

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Other News

Because some folks really seem to like this kind of thing, here s Fudanjuku, a “woman as boys” pop idol group video, that feels like the beginning of a bishounen game. ^_^

You may have heard that Cosmopolitan magazine has tried their hand at lesbian sex tips. Well, here’s an actual lesbian’s attempt at using them. (NSFW, funny as hell.)

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That’s a wrap for this week! 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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LGBTQ Manga: Girl’s Lily

August 8th, 2014

ScanThe June 204 issue of Margaret magazine has a “tribute” book to an ongoing manga Usotsuki Lily by Komura Ayumi, about which I know nothing and haven’t bothered looking up even so much as the plot. ^_^

This tribute book starts off with a short comic that is, however, absolutely relevant to us – Girl’s Lily, which is ominously labeled “Boys not allowed” on the cover so, as I picked it up I was already cringing.

It turned out to be an unexpected treasure.

The first page involves a guy, confronting two girls, (all presumably characters we would know from the main narrative), and the older girl commenting “Didn’t you see the “No Boys Allowed” tag?” I just love when the fourth wall crumbles underfoot, so I started to read in earnest. The boy explains that he needs their advice. His older sister wants to marry her lover, he says, but her lover is…a girl. Quelle shock, as you can imagine.

Just then his older sister, Keiko and her lover come into sight, having followed him to try and talk with him.

The lover, Kanae, is a pale, quiet, shy thing, but she follows him when he runs off, takes him to a coffee house and when he’s surprised that he likes what she chosen for him to drink, she smiles and said that, because his big sister likes sweet things too, she thought he’d like that. To his massive discomfort, it become really obvious that Kanae really loves Keiko and that they are  – and want to be – happy together. He inadvertently confesses his massive siscon, and faux-grumpily, to cover his embarrassment, wishes them well.

And so we will assume them, happy and well, for ever after.

I don’t know who these people are, but, wait, was that…? Yes! It was a manga about two adult women getting married to each other. In Margaret, a shoujo manga magazine for teens. Woot, woot, and double woot.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Service – 0
LGBTQ -10

Overall – 8

Thank you Komura Ayumi-sensei! Congrats on the success of Usotsuki Lily. Here’s to many more.

YNN Correspondent Nikki S. writes in to let us know that Kanae’s and Keiko’s story fills Volumes 9-11 of this series.  Thanks Nikki! (Quick update: Looks like Volumes 10 and 11, but not 9. I have them sitting here, and 9 is all about the school festival.)

 

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Artbook: Higa Yukari’s Mahou Senki Lyrical Nanoha Force Collection (緋賀ゆかり 魔法戦記リリカルなのはForce画集)

August 6th, 2014

forceartbookThe most truly interesting thing about this book, Higa Yukari’s Mahou Senki Lyrical Nanoha Force Collection (緋賀ゆかり 魔法戦記リリカルなのはForce画集) is the paralyzing crisis of conscience it gave me. ^_^;

I’m in Japan in October 2013 and I see it on the shelf of Animate and I say “Ooh!” and reach for it. Then I pull my hand back, because I know the audience of the Nanoha franchise is not me and I’ve been reading Mahou Senki Lyrical Nanoha Force and I know what the art in Nyantype (the magazine in which Force runs) is like. This book is bound to be a disappointment, I know this.

And then we go to another bookstore and I see it on the shelf and I say “Ooh!” and reach for it. Then I pull my hand back, and I go through the whole conversation with myself again.

The fourth or fifth time I went through this charade my wife was giving me the old “Just BUY it already” but I’m shaking my head and explaining that I know the audience of the Nanoha franchise is not me and…

The last time I went through this process, I actually had the book in my hand and was on line to buy it, but talked myself out of it. I knew what would be in there…pictures that made me sad. Sigh. I put it back on the shelf and left Japan.  When I came home I put this artbook into my shopping cart on Amazon JP and there it has sat, for order after order after order, going  through the same monologue every time.

So, finally, I bought it. And, as expected, the audience of the Nanoha franchise is not me and it is all very Nyantype. Plenty of naked or nearly naked girls for thems as like that, and lots of group shots for the covers of Mahou Senki Lyrical Nanoha volumes.

In a nutshell, the big negative negative is that there just isn’t a great Fate/Nanoha shot in this book. There are a few side-by-sides and back-to-backs, some bath shots, but nothing that fills the gaping hole where one really fabulous Fate x Nanoha picture should live. (There’s been a few over the years, I don’t see why we shouldn’t get one from Force.)

On the positive side Higa Yukari’s art is **fantastic.** I mean, “wow, that’s an awesome picture” fantastic. Barrier jackets and weapons look better than they ever have before. The book is super thick, so if you like the group shots (and are interested in the specific composition of those pieces, and the devices, this has got a lot to look at. If you like drawings of fictitious naked girls, you’ll be well served, as well. Also some really service-y drawings of Toma, which struck me as more silly than sexy. The sexiest thing in this book is Raising Heart in her grazillion forms.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

I don’t regret it, but I stare at it wistfully, wishing it just had one really excellent NanoFate picture.

Posted in Nanoha | 2 Comments »


Rakuen Le Paradis (楽園Le Paradis) Magazine, Volume 14

August 4th, 2014

In the light of Hirari magazine folding, I’m even happier than usual to still have Rakuen Le Paradis(楽園Le Paradis). This magazine, which is sex- and fetish-friendly, has so far been pretty good to us Yuri fans, but I’m not taking anything for granted.

Volume 14 has a few ongoing series and a surprise or two.

“Collectors” traces Shinobu’s hunt for a specific edition of a specific book and is amusing in a way only book collectors will understand. ^_^

For once, Kurosaki Rendou allows the to girls in his story “Ren Lao” to not have nasty hideous sex. That’s was a surprise.. ^_^;

Aoki Ume has been added to the roster, but her story, while adorable, is straight as the day is long. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her work that isn’t a vaguely Yuri-ish story. It was actually refreshing. That makes, her, Kowo Kazuma snd Mziutani Fuuka all manga artists that I became aware of through Yuri, doing straight romance in this magazine.

Meanwhile Sengoku Hiroko, whom you may remember from the Mikazuki no Mitsu collection, has returned to Yuri with an uncomfortable student/teacher pairing in “Usuyamigari no Mune no Uchi.” (“Uncomfortable pairing” effectively covers about half the stories in this magazine and “hideously adorable pairing” covers the other half.)

Nishi Uko’s second offering this volume is “Roulette” which is quite possibly my favorite 4-page comic ever, as lovers kiss, they let the traffic light decide when they will finally part.

Take miya Jin’s “Omoi no Kakera” is drawing to a close, you can tell, because Mayu finally approaches Mika about what she overheard between the upperclassman and Saki. And, for the first time, Mika acts as an upperclassman and sempai, offering Mayu some common sense about her best friend. The next chapter will probably be the climax of this series, which made it three volumes, so that’s something!

Ratings:

Overall – 7

Volume 15 is already sitting here, I’d better get reading. ^_^

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Yuri Network News (百合ネットワークニュース) – August 2, 2014

August 2nd, 2014

YNN_Lissa

Yuri Manga

Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari is ceasing publication immediately, with the shipment of  Volume 14. My copy arrived a few days after the announcement broke. :-(

est em has announced that she’ll be wrapping Golondrina up with Volume 6, now that Ikki magazine is closing shop, ANN reports.  This tale of a young lesbian training to be a matador has thrilled and fascinated me. I can’t wait to see what will happen. There’s always a chance it’ll come out in English. Viz has the Ikki licenses, but there’s other possibilities as well.

Amano Shuninta’s philosophia doujinshi series, has been collected into a single volume and, along with, Mani’s Girl @ Girl, Bousou Girlsteki Mousou Renaiteki Suteki Project, Volume 2 (ボウソウガールズテキモウソウレンアイテキステキプロジェクト(B・G・M・R・S・P)), and Tsuki to Sekai to Etoile, Volume 3,  (月と世界とエトワール) will get a release this month from Yuri Hime Comics

Kämpfer Vol. 2 is now available from DMP on their emanga platform or Kindle.

UDON Entertainment has announced the license for the Kill la Kill manga. I’m reading the first volume in Japanese right now and with the 20 pages I’ve read it seems pretty exactly like the anime.

Takemiya Jin tweeted a link to her new doujinshi titles on Comic Zin. She’s got 5 new ones this year.
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Yuri Novel

Mori Natsuko has a new lesbian novel and this time, it’s illustrated by none other than Morishima Akiko. You can bet I’ll be getting Atashi no Kanojo (あたしの彼女).

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Other News

YNN Correspondent Grisznak spotted these Riddle Story of a Devil goods and wanted to share the news with you.

Japanese publishers are finally announcing a more global push to stop anime and manga piracy.  Manga-Anime Here is a visual site that helps fans find legit sources for the anime and manga they love. It’s not organized well, but the idea is a good one, I think.  Getting a  librarian to organize it would be a great idea.

Folks interested in LGBTQ life in Japan, might want to take a look at Coming Out Letters (カミングアウト・レターズ),  which is a collection of letters from students who are coming out and their parents and teachers to whom they are confiding.

The transcript of the Making A Living in Manga in Japan panel at SDCC, moderated by Deb Aoki, with panelists Lilian Diaz-Pryzybl, Felipe Smith and Jamie Lynn Lano is up on ANN. If you have any interest in becoming a manga artist, or in the industry in general, this is well worth reading.

Bleeding Cool has coverage of the first SDCC panel on Trans issues in media.

Did I post this yet? Well, if I did, I’m posting it again: Check out this magnificent “ninja techniques” video with two high school girls that is really a C.C. Lemon commercial. It’s a hoot.

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That’s a wrap for this week! 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!

Posted in Yuri Network News | 2 Comments »