Yuri Manga: Yurikan Miel (百合缶 Miel)

February 9th, 2012

Yurikan Miel (百合缶 Miel) is the second in a trio of Yurikan ~something~ Yuri anthologies. The first was Yurikan Feuille,  with opening story by Morinaga Milk-sensei.  Yurikan Miel doesn’t bring that much star power to the floor, but it’s not entirely worthless, either.

The cover is pretty effective Erica-repellent. Two baby-faced female-shaped creatures with disproportionately sized breasts did not give me a good feeling about the contents. But the first story, “Rabu＊Buri” was a silly and over-long single paragraph about a Princess in love with her female knight, which made me feel more kindly, until the totally un-sexy sex scene. So, now I was in a 50/50 mood.

A story or two passed without much notice, but…then!

We reach “Hyoko Zumai” and all was right with the world once again. This tells the story of a couple who have moved to the big city together; one a first-year college student and the other a newbie in a company office. The story shows how they grow from ugly ducklings into beautiful swans, and lo and behold! I loved this collection. This short was absolutely worth reading. The stress of their situations didn’t threaten their relationship, per se, but the lack of communication between them did.

This story was a lovely little break into realism from an anthology that otherwise pretty much stayed firmly mired in “I like her but she doesn’t like me the same way,” territory, with some really un-sexy sex scenes.

Ratings:

Everything variable, but overall, probably a 6.

“Hyoko Zumai” was worth the price of admission, though. I’m glad I read that story and will keep an eye out for others by Fujimori Yuyukan.

Posted in Yuri Manga | 4 Comments »


Mouretsu Space Pirates Anime (English)

February 9th, 2012

Mouretsu, in Japanese means violent or vengeful, so of course when it was being translated, the word “Bodacious” immediately comes to mind.

That was sarcasm. It’s a terrible choice for translation. Insulting, even. I know I’m not the only one who hates the translation, official or not.

Despite the egregious service of the title, Bodacious Space Pirates is a great story. As a combination moe bildungsroman and a classic space opera, it really works.

Marika, our protagonist is, for once, not an average girl by any means. Cheerful and competent, she has friends and a job and is instantly likable. We’re not too surprised when we learn that she’s the daughter of a famous pirate and a potential heir to her father’s captaincy.

When a Nadesico beauty with a dour personality transfers into her school, we know instantly that the two of them belong together. When Chiaki makes her big reveal in Episode 5, we get to add in “beloved rival” to the set-up for chemistry between them.

What really sold me on the series was the whole of Episode 5. High school girls in space may not sound like the most riveting story ever, but Mouretsu Space Pirates beats the hell out of Stratos 4, even without the lesbian space virus. The cast is likable, their jokes believable and there is relatively little service. The strategies and tactics employed by the crew of the Odette were clever, and quite sophisticated for an anime series.

There may not be wopping loads of Yuri, yet, or even at all, but if you like a series with a good set-up and some out-of-the-box thinking and a dollop of space adventure, give Bodacious Space Pirates a try – avaiable legally and for free on Crunchyroll, for those countries that are allowed access.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Very reminiscent of Mai Otome
Story – 9 So far…great
Characters – 8 They aren’t quite checklist-types, and a few are extraordinary, even in the first handful of episodes.
Yuri – 1 but only in our imaginations as of yet
Service – 4 because we can’t *possibly* have a series about girls without seeing them in the bath or in their underwear

Overall – 8

I’m hoping for a good story. But some rival/friend Yuri would be nice too. ^_^

Posted in Bodacious Space Pirates, English Anime | 35 Comments »


POOR POOR LIPS, Volume 1 debuts on JManga!

February 7th, 2012

Okashi Nako is a young woman living in poverty. When she applies to work at a Gem store, she learns that store owner, Otsuka Ren, is a lesbian. Ren promises that Nako’s not her type, but she may be lying…. Nako takes the job and so begins a comedic tale of rich and poor, sickness and health, for better and for worse!

http://www.jmanga.com/poor-poor-lips/1

Yuri comedy 4-koma manga, POOR POOR LIPS, by Goto Hayako, now on JManga, in partnership with ALC Publishing.

***

That’s the PR. Here’s the real message. I need your help.

Folks who are not in North America are blocked from this and I think it’s a BAD idea. I am trying to convince the folks at JManga that a globally accessible Yuri portal would be a GOOD idea. You can help simply by contacting JManga and letting them know what country you are from and that you would *love* to be able to access their Yuri manga.

You can contact JManga:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmanga.official

On their website: http://www.jmanga.com/contact (Kathryn adds, “if people are trying to access the JManga site from outside North America, all they will get is a blue splash page essentially saying “You are not allowed in here.” For people who therefore can’t access the “Contact Information” section of the website, their email address is:

info at jmanga dot com”

Thanks Kathryn for the heads up!)

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JManga_official

Of course, please be polite. Express your interest in accessing Yuri manga. Even if you get a “we can’t do that at this time” email, please don’t get discouraged.

Also, fans in North America, you can help too. Send a message to JManga telling them how you support JManga’s efforts in getting Yuri to a global audience.

The goal here is to stop the gerrymandering policies that Japanese companies still work under. It’s time to let them know that the world is full of Yuri fans. ^_^

I think we can make this change, if we work together!

Posted in ALC Publishing, Yuri Manga | 27 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime, January 2012

February 6th, 2012

Having concluded Fukami Makoto’s story about girls and guns in the November issue, the January issue begins inauspiciously with looking in a window at girls getting dressed. This will be the new novel carried in Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫) and in a mere blink of an eye, I was already uninterested in it. The author will be Namori, creator of Yuri Yuri, so that seals that deal. It’s pretty much not for me.

The magazine begins with loads of colors pages, this time, asking us to determine which of the 4 Yuri Danshi type we are and suggesting manga based on that. As I am a Yuri Joshi, this pretty much missed the mark entirely for me, but between that, the cover novel and the many pages about Yuru Yuri, it clearly communicated that I am, once again, not their audience. It was with some genuine relief, then, that I found a number of excellent stories within.

Kazuma Kowo’s “Recalculation” is that moment when you realize that what you thought that the other person thought is not true, and they do like you after all. ^_^

I still have no idea where “Rock It Girl” is going, but this chapter was pretty silly, as all the musicians get together and find they haven’t a single artist/song/style in common.

I’m finally getting the feel of “Kimono Nadesico,” and still pretty much think it’s a Noriko x Shimako fanfic in disguise. ^_^

I haven’t had a moment to read either of the short stories. So far none of them have been to my taste, so I haven’t really made the time, to be honest.

“Cirque Arachne” by Saida Nica has begun and I’m already feeling it’s a cross between one of those women-only 70s scifi books, Kaleido Star and something French and/or Dada. Then again, circuses always make me feel that way.

“Fu~Fu” strays back into real territory, for a moment. Kina, terrified at the confession by some strange woman that she’s in love with her, runs back to Su-chan’s arms, only to find that her normally together lover pretty much falls apart at the idea of losing Kina. “For an entire year, I’ve been worried,” Su-chan admits. Any of us who look at our lovers/wives and think they are obviously wonderful and desirable may have felt this, so it was kind of charming to see it verbalized.

Amano Syuninta’s series about college women, (with a name I have yet to transliterate, because I am lazy and think of it as “Amano Syuninta’s series about college women”) is not comfortable.  If find that I cannot empathize with anyone, and keep hoping one of the characters will say something that makes me like her. In any case, Remia is starting to find Fueko’s relationship makes her jealous, and Sachi’s boyfriend is really starting to piss her off.

Morishima Akiko wins the world. I give her the Stargazer Lily Award, for telling the realest tale ever about lesbian relationships. Two women, who have been together for ten years, provide comfort and a positive example to a young woman, but more importantly, are the snuggliest couple I have ever seen in manga, which makes them closest to my life and therefore totally true and real. ^_^

The story of Kuro-sempai and Mayu and their online/real life different relationships continues in Takemiya Jin’s “Ki ni Nachatte Gomen Nasai.” Mayu comes to a conclusion that she’s sure will ruin a friendship, but Kuro seems to be more together than that.

Hime Cafe this time is narrated by editor Nakamura-san and Minamoto Hisanori-sensei (Fu~Fu).

A section on “Yuri anime” is really a section on moe anime with some Yuri in it.

“Love Gene Double XX” uses one of the oldest gambits in the world, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, in order to make both Sakura and Aoi even more aware of their feelings for one another. (Oh, shock, oh horror. Two Adams in love.) Erika-sama is obviously going to try and ruin Aoi’s life now.

And I am done with “Yuri Danshi.” It’s, well, not terribly interesting. At least this chapter it actually had some Yuri in it that wasn’t in Hanadera’s imagination. Perhaps if the Yuri plot deepens and the deranged screaming of the Yuri Fanboys is toned down….

As always, there were other stories, but these felt worth mentioning for one reason or another and the rest didn’t. They may, of course, appeal to you, so please remember to support the artists you like by buying Comic Yuri Hime!


Ratings:

Overall – For Morishima-sensei’s story alone, this volume is a 9.

Posted in Comic Yuri Hime, Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »


Yuri Network News – February 4, 2012

February 4th, 2012

Yuri Anime

Media Blasters has put the release of Ikkitousen: Great Guardians on indefinite hold. Not surprising, but not cheery news.

Nico Nico Douga will be streaming the first episode of the Shoujo Magi Madoka Magica anime with English dub, on February 10 at 11:30 p.m. EST. Other countries getting streams are Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. I hope they’ll be streaming a sub too. Dub only means I’m watching it raw, if I can.

RightStuf has let me know that they have a countdown on the first two seasons of Maria Watches Over Us. This means that they are down to their last few hundred art-box copies of the anime. If you’ve been holding off, now is a great time to get this anime and spend some quality time with the ladies of Lillian Girl’s School. A quick looks tells me that Season 2 is down to just over 50 copies left, so don’t wait too long!

Not Yuri, but come on, if you didn’t love Hamutz Meseta in Book of Bantorra, you obviously weren’t paying attention. I so very desperately want a “Must kill Hamutsz Meseta” t-shirt. I told Sentai Filmworks so, since they’ve licensed it.

The wife is watching Inu x Boku on Crunchyroll and notes that Yuki-Onna is all over the girls in pervy-guy fashion, so if you’re looking for something new to watch, you might want to give that a try.

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Yuri Manga

New one from Hakamada Mera Kanojou no Sekai (彼女の世界) from Ryuu Comics.

Chou no You ni, Hana no You ni, (蝶のように花のように) is an Yuri Office 4-koma. Yep, it had me at the word “office.” ^_^

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Other News

Hrm, this is interesting, Yuri Hime is starting up a new Yuri novel series, starting in March. The first one to hit the shelves is Morita Kisetsu’s Note Yori Yasui Koi (ノートより安い恋)

And a third all-Yuri doujinshi event is proliferating. In May at Comitia 100, there will be a section of Yuri-only called Yuribu. Yuribu has a commercial on Youtube, how fun is that?

Didja ever wonder what the Yuri manga artists watch? Well, a bunch of them have been talking about 片思い FINALLY by SKE48. Here’s why:

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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.

Posted in Yuri Network News | 5 Comments »