The first-ever Live Online Yuri Panel now has a date and time. Check out the details at Yuricon for when, where and how to submit questions!
I’m really looking forward to this, and I hope you are too!
Magic Knight Rayearth Anime Second Season, Disk 4 (English)
I pride myself in watching anime without expectation and my ability to clearly, concisely separate my delusions and desires from what is actually happening on the screen. We all choose to interpret what we see differently, but sometimes the information we’re give is clearer than others. Sometimes the holes are so huge, it’s impossible for me to ignore them, regardless of what I want to be happening.
Which brings us, in an oblique way, to Magic Knight Rayearth, Volume 4 of the Second Season Complete Box Set.
In this volume Nova put a full-on passive-aggressive seduction of Hikaru because, as she says, she loves Hikaru. Well, okay, but a second earlier she told Hikaru that the reason she hated her was because Hikaru hates herself. So, having been given that piece of information, we have to conclude then that Hikaru also wants herself in a sexual way. Or, we can presume that Nova is making it up (and being inconsistent about it) or – and this is my best guess – no one told CLAMP that that made no sense.
In any case, Hiakru remembers for the 17,000th time all the people who are counting on her and manages to get her sword back and call Rayearth for the first time in a few volumes.
More interestingly Fuu defeats Princess Asuka by being calm and cool and smart and unflappable. Standing her ground when Asuka attempts to renege on a deal was a beautiful moment – as was the emotional reunion with Ferio.
Umi’s relegated to a back seat for this volume.
We do get a few moment’s with Eagle, but it looks Lantis is out of the question for him, now that we’ve been told so many times that Hikaru and Lantis are an item. Snoooze. And Debonair-sama laughs evilly for a bit.
Now that we’ve had the Nova gay moment, I doubt that I’ll review the last two volumes individually, but I’ll probably do a single wrap-up for the series as a whole. I really don’t dislike it, but it was dragging there a bit. If we can get back to the plot, I’ll be happier.
Ratings:
Art – 6
Story – 4
Characters – 6
Yuri – 5, but bleah
LoserFanBoy – 3
Overall – 7
Yuri Network News – April 14, 2012
Yuri Manga
French Publisher Taifu has licensed Morinaga Milk’s Himitsu no Recipe and Kurogane Kenn’s manga Shoujo Sect and Hoshikawa Ginza Yon-choume. Thanks to everyone who wrote us with the news!
JManga launches Morinaga Milk’s Girlfriends, Volume 4 & Volume 5 with an interview with Morinaga-sensei! They are also running crazy with promotional contests – like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter for a chance to get fun anime goods as prizes. In addition, if you buy Volumes 4 and/or 5, you can get 50% of the cost back, as a rebate.
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Yuri Anime
In their Anime Boston panel, Funimation announced that they’ll be simulcasting the Jormungand anime, squee. In their panel, they said that To Aru Kagaku no Railgun is hopefully going to be a 2012 release.
Fate Zero made its debut streaming on Nico Nico Douga last week. Looks like Crunchyroll will get it, and the presumption is that it will be on a week delay.
Crunchyroll will be streaming Queen’s Blade Rebellion, for what it’s worth to you.
Sentai Filmworks announced they have licensed Hidamari Sketch x SP.
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Other News
While author, gourmet and gourmand Anthony Bourdain dreams about Jiro dreaming of Sushi, Maria-sama ga Miteru illustrator Hibiki Reine is drawing Jiro’s (different Jiro) Ramen, as this article on Akibablog shows. (Sachiko likes “dirty ramen,” hunh hunh….)
I did a quick compare and contrast between big and small anime/manga cons for Hooded Utilitarian.
You may have seen this Blood-C short, starring Nene and Nono introducing the movie, but what you can’t have known is that in one of those magic moments of serendipity that fill my life, I met the animator in Tokyo in 2010, as we sat at a large table at that Hanazono shrine, eating oden at the shrine festival. Mino-san you rock!
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That wraps it up 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.
Yuri Manga: Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, Volume 7 (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり)
Almost despite itself, Pure Yuri Anthology, Hirari, Volume 7 (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり), actually includes some Yuri.
Yes, most of the stories still skate on the thin edge of thinking/feeling and acting, but a few stories make the jump to actually expressing the emotions and desire out loud.
Yostsuhara Furiko’s “Ai o Kakujin” is not one of these, but it was sweet in its own way. A girl can’t stop herself from writing her object of desire into a novel as a romantic lead, despite the friend’s discombobulation.
“Suhin Behin” was a strangely taught little story about the importance of makeup and clothes to a woman, but also about how makeup and clothes are a form of lying about how one “really” looks.
In Hakamada Mera’s “Salomelic” Salome’s flaky mother is not helping her settle in at all, but at least she’s decided to make up with her boyfriend, and stay in town. To celebrate the fact that she won’t be moving again, Salome officially switches into the school uniform. Oh, and she confesses to Hikari that she likes her. But Hikari has a secret she isn’t sharing…^_^
The cover story wins this time. “Harukaze to Kase-san” went in a completely unpredictable direction. Yamada has been training with Kase-san to run the school marathon and for the first time ever, should be able to complete the course. Due to a freak accident however, Yamada is injured right at the start, and while Kase-san wins (not just for the girls, but overall, beating all the guys, as well) she immediately runs to the infirmary. Once she’s made sure Yamada is okay, she takes her prize for winning 1st place – a kiss.
This issue of Hirari actually had a few kisses. Like I said, despite itself it’s actually leaking out of the characters’ heads into action. Let’s not tell anyone, or they may put a stop to it. ^_^
As always there are loads of other stories, but these were the most notable IMHO. Your mileage will surely vary.
Ratings:
Overall – 7
Yuri Night/ Pizza Party at Smith College on Friday, April 13th
Here is the list of anime that will be shown:
Kannazuki no Miko episode 1
Maria-sama ga Miteru episode 1
Revolutionary Girl Utena episode 1
Simoun episode 1
Strawberry Panic! episode 1
YNN Correspondent Katherine H has been working really hard to get a Yuri Night Pizza Party together at Smith College, so if you live in the area, please drop by! Here’s a map of the campus.
Through a quirk of fate, I will be attending, so if you’re in the Northampton area, I hope you’ll stop by and say hi!
Also – major point here, Katherine says she set this up specifically to show that if you want a Yuri event in your area, you can, y’know, just do one. Don’t whine that no one else is doing it – do it yourself! Yay Katherine!
 
