Yuri Manga: Tsubomi, Volume 13 (つぼみ)

September 21st, 2011

Tsubomi (つぼみ), Volume 13 opens with a cover sure to please Morinaga Milk fans. From there, it’s right into “Himitsu no Recipe” in which Wakatsuki is still having no luck getting a moment alone with the club president…until she does.

Of the many stories in this volume, here are some notables:

From there, we jump into my favorite story, “Lonely Sheep, Lonely Wolf” in which Imari-chan finds the strength given to her by big Imari to stand up to big Imari’s ex and get her girl back, dammit! I award a standing ovation to Imari-chan.

“Hoshikawa Ginza Yon-choume” starts to re-ravel after Minato and Otome’s relationship had come completely unraveled.

“Candy’ continues, somewhat surprisingly, with the intrusion of one of Kana’s admirers.

A new story, “Sogo Tovoarisch” begins and I can make neither heads nor tail of it yet, but that’s par for the course these days. Get back to me in three chapters.

“Prism” ends in a unexpectedly sweet way, then launches into a side story of itself.

“Hana to Hoshi” brings Hanai-san up against the obvious relationship between Hoshino and her sempai. What will she do about it, and about her feelings? I think we can assume she’ll work it through, don’t you? ^_^

And something about “Kurai Mori, Shiroi Michi”: appeals to me, but I have no idea what it is. This quiet little love story about a depressed girl and a blind girl is little more than talking heads, but they are sincere and fully fleshed out in a way that surprises me every time. I once again hope that we don’t have to draw the curtain yet on what is the beginning of something good.

As always these are hardly scratching the surface of what is in this volume. It’s quite literally too much to review thoroughly anymore. But these stories were some that I thought stood out from the pack. I will also say that there are a few more non-schoolgirl stories these days, so if you’re getting jaded on the all-schoolgirls thing, Tsubomi is a little less of that than it was previously. No sports manga (well, other than a story about ping pong players who no longer play ping pong) or action/adventure yet, but travel and scifi is starting to claim their spots.

Overall – 8

Once again, I’m pulling for us to see a little bit past the “we like each other!” phase of relationships here, but not betting my lunch on it. Still – it’s getting better.

Posted in Tsubomi, Yuri Manga | No Comments »


New York Comic Con Quick Queer Comics To-Do List

September 20th, 2011

If you’re following any comics news anywhere online, you know that New York Comic Con is around the corner. October 14-16, Javits Convention Center, New York)

Here is a short list of things to add to your to-do list if you’re attending:

In the Exhibitor Hall – Prism Comics (Table 1058) and Geeks Out (Table 1165) I’ll be hanging with Prism for a bit, and Rica Takashima is going to be at the Geeks Out table.

Do also drop by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (Table 1158) – consider becoming a member, as they are out there literally defemding people’s right to read whatever they want. I’m also hoping to be there for some time, helping them raise money for the manga border case defense.

On Friday, October 14, Rica Takashima will be on the It Gets Better (with Comics!) panel at 11AM-12PM with Abby Denson, Charles “Zan” Christiansen, Chris Shoemaker, Ivan Velez Jr. and Jackson Martin

I will be on the XX: Queer Women of Comics panel on Friday at 7:45- 8:45 PM with Abby Denson, Jennifer Camper, Joan Hilty, Kris Dresen, and Paige Braddock

There will be also be a screening of the Madoka Magica show by Aniplex. On Saturday, CBLDF will host a panel about Defending Comics.

There’s much more to do there, of course, and many of the folks on these and other panels, so don’t limit yourself to just what’s here. And, if you find yourself at a great LGBTQ panel and want to share, write a report and let us know how it went!

(And I know this is hardly comprehensive, so if you know of something/someone that should be added, tell me in the comments and I’ll add them!)

Posted in Events | 1 Comment »


Yuri Manga: Omoi no Kakera (想いの欠片)

September 19th, 2011

In Takemiya Jin’s Omoi no Kakera (想いの欠片) Mika is that rarest of all manga characters, a confident, out (to herself and a few important people in her life, at least) and together young lesbian. There’s a cafe in town that she likes to frequent, because she’s interested in the owner – she likes the oneesama type. Mika doesn’t like bullies, though, so the day she sees an attractive older woman being emotionally proked and prodded into tears by two aunty-types, she pours water over their heads, tells them off and ends up involved with the other woman’s life.

Mika must be a drama magnet, because she’s leaving the lesbian bar she frequents and runs into a lover’s quarrel in the hallway. This is merely annoying because they are blocking her egress, but it becomes downright weird when it turns out that a schoolmate of hers, Harada, is one of the participants. Mutually outed, they become friends, until that creates *more drama* when Harada’s little sister tries to warn Mika off her brother. After some random accusations and drama, Mika finally has a chance to put things straight between her and Mayu, that she’s got no interest – no, really, none – in her brother except as a friend. Things might have calmed down, except that Mayu finds herself interested in Mika. She doesn’t quite admit to it, but Mika’s no one’s fool.

In her downtime, Mika learns more about the cafe owner’s life and her relationship with her roommate, a story so complicated that Mika sums up with “I don’t get adults!”

Throughout Mika is a fun, smart, self-assured young woman, who I would be honored to have over for lunch.

This series has been running in Hakusensha’s Rakuen Le Paradis, and it has been one of my favorite series since the very first chapter. It’s ongoing, so hopefully we’ll have much more of Mika and her friends. If you’re looking for a character who isn’t coming out, isn’t falling in love and going all gooey, but is participating in life fully as a lesbian, with some meaningful discussion of gay and lesbian life thrown in for good measure, this is an absolute must-get.  In this collection, Takemiya Jin-sensei pushes the boundaries of “Yuri” right dead into “lesbian,” and makes it smart, funny, well-constructed with characters you care about. You know, the kind of Yuri we actually want to read.

Ratings:

Art – 9 I’m a total fangirl for Takemiya-sensei’s art
Story – 9
Characters – 8
Yuri – 9
Service – 1

Overall – 9

If I awarded awards for Yuri, Omoi no Kakera would be a shoo-in. I can definitely call this a Top Ten for the year.

Posted in LGBTQ, Takemiya Jin, Yuri Manga | 7 Comments »


Yuri Network News – September 17, 2011

September 17th, 2011

Short report this week, still all lagged.

Yuri Manga

Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan, Volume 2 (飴色紅茶館歓談 2巻 限定版） will be packaged with a Drama CD, “Blue Christmas.” I’m impatiently waiting for this! Now that Seriho and Sarasa have come to the same place about how they feel, what’s going to happen? Arrrgggh! I can’t stand the wait!

The November issue of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫) goes live today. I saw Kazuaki’s art (that’s the cover artists) all over Otome Road in Ikebukuro, so s/he has really got the BL/GL market sewn up. ^_^

And of course there is no question that you will all run out and order Poor Poor Lips, Volume 3 (プアプアＬＩＰＳ). This is not up for debate. Do it. ^_^

***


Sailor Moon

The first volumes of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and Codename: Sailor V manga are out and everyone who did not fall in love with them in 1997 are confused as to what they are missing. (^_^); Joining Comictopia in Boston, Forbidden Planet in NYC hosted a Sailor Moon/Sailor V midnight release party. If you attended either, please feel free to submit an event report!

Oh, yay. The Hot Topic chain of stores seems kind of determined to skank out Sailor Moon for Halloween this year. At least they are selling Sailor Moon goods again, so we can see if they have any more of those Sailor Uranus watches they used to sell. (^_^)

***

Yuri Anime

K-On! Movie trailers are streaming on TBS’ website for your viewing pleasure.

***

Other News



Ojamajo Doremi (in which Ai was not-so-ambiguously Yuri) is getting a Light Novel, set in high school. Here’s keeping our fingers crossed for Ai being a girl magnet!


ANN has an interview with Iwakami Atsuhiro about his work on Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Looks like I’ll be on a Women of Queer Comics panel at New York Comic Con, with JD Glass, Jennifer Camper and Paige Braddock.  The panel is scheduled (at the moment, times subject to change) at 7:45 on Friday night. Fannish excitement building. I love these women and am honored to be in their company.

Akamatsu Ken’s JComi site is developing a pay service for adult manga and doujinshi. This seems long overdue. Don’t expect any original Yuri to appear here, but if you love the bodily fluids, my guess is that this will be for you.

And to finish off the day on a positive note, we have this link to a papercraft site from YNN correspondent Komatsu-san with a lovely Yuri papercraft sculpture. Scroll down to the fifth picture, but do take a moment to appreciate the other wonderful sculptures.

***

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 | 1 Comment »


Live Action: Maria-sama ga Miteru Movie (劇場版 マリア様がみてる 通常版)

September 15th, 2011

Many, many thanks to the efforts and sacrifice of Bruce for making it possible for me to buy this movie in Tokyo. As several people have noted, this was not easy to find on shelves, as it had pretty much sold out in pre-orders. The good news for overseas fans is that Amazon JP still has both the DVD and the DVD/Blu-Ray combo in stock. Being the bad otaku I am, I only bought the DVD, so missed out on some of the extras in the Blu-Ray combo set.

Maria-sama ga Miteru is a story about average high school girl Yumi, as she’s suddenly, unexpectedly drawn into the doings of the Yamayurikai, the Student Council of the school. This is no small matter as the Yamayurikai are known for being beautiful, smart and somewhat remote from the rest of the students. They even have a separate building on the campus in which they hold their meetings.

A chance meeting, an opportunistic photograph and a set of silly circumstances around the school play contrive to change Yumi’s life forever.

As I commented on my original viewing of this movie in Osaka, the actresses were each picked for a specific quality, so it was very easy to see “Youko” or “Sei” in them. Sachiko and Yumi are almost instantly lovable, IMHO. I liked that Sachiko starts to touch Yumi without realizing that she’s doing it.

Set in an old, wooden building, with creaky floors and small rooms, there’s a festive air of not-too-much-but-just-enough verisimilitude about the recreation of Lillian Jogakuen. Early on, there is an unexpected time lapse of Musashino City, so we are forced to imagine that this school is real, not just some fantasy space, like Astrea Hill.

The DVD includes the “Making Of” special, the trailer for the movie and the pre-movie in-theater “do not take pictures, eat loudly, make phone calls or give your soeur a rosary” warning animations, which were so amusing when I saw this in the theater. There are no subtitles for this movie, and as much as I hope that someone will license this, I would not bank on it.

The Maria-sama ga Miteru live action movie is a delightful rendering of this story which has captured so many hearts. It has certainly captured mine. Now I pray daily for the live action Kibara Kakumei sequel, as nothing would make me so happy as the chance to see Yoshino rage in live action. ^_^

Overall – 9 (+1 because squee! It’s a live action Maria-sama ga Miteru!)

If you consider yourself a Maria-sama ga Miteru fan, this is money well spent.

Posted in Live Action, Maria-sama ga Miteru | 9 Comments »