Watashi No Yuri Ha Oshigoto Desu!, Volume 11 (私の百合はお仕事です)

January 12th, 2023

Two girls, with gold and silver hair, wearing old-fashioned green Japanese school uniforms, sit in a garden. The blonde wears glasses, leaning back on the bench, looking over her shoulder at the other girl, who leans on the bench back. White letters read, "Watashi No Yuri Ha Oshigoto Desu!, Volume 11" ( in Japanese 私の百合はお仕事です, presented by miman."A whole bunch of volumes ago, when Liebe cafe was having it’s Blume competition, Sumika pulled Hime and Kanako aside and told then a story. It was a sad story, about how a conniving cast member stole her little sister away. Sumika blamed love. She dislikes romantic loev because it tears people apart. As Blume, all she wants for the cafe is that everything remains the same as it is right now. Even at the time, Nene pointed out that Sumika’s version of that story wasn’t complete.

Here in Watashi No Yuri Ha Oshigoto Desu!, Volume 11 (私の百合はお仕事です) we learn the rest of that story.

But first, we must spend time with an increasingly unstable Kanako. It’s not because she’s isolated. Hime and Sumika attempt to reach her. But she’s convinced herself that the problem is not her.  She may be partly correct, but that still leaves a lot of the problem being her.

We kow understand Nene a little better, we think. But it turns out that Nene may not have understood herself back then…and no one understood Youko. She’s not playing a manipulative character, she is manipulative because it is fun. Consider this a warning. She plays this game hard and doesn’t seem to care about casualties.

We finally get all the pieces of that above story, when Nene and Sumika finally talk it all out. This was an outstanding scene. There’s a lot of movement on the page, a lot of references to Nene’s and Sumika’s time as schwestern and some fantastic body language and expressions.

But that still leaves Kanako hanging out there, vulnerable and manipulable. And Youko is right there to pick her up.

Next volume is gonna be a thing, let me tell you. I’m reading the current chapters doing a lot of screaming at the page. ^_^

But here’s the amazing thing…this manga is getting better. It started so funny and cute and now it’s deep and darker and I feel like the goofy characters are turning into people. Miman’s art is getting better and better – how about that cover? Here we are, an unthinkable 11 volumes into this series that was a goofy comedy and we’re getting better mood and narrative than ever before.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – 2 There is  bit of body staring, especially in the decolletage. It’s not appalling, but it is there.
Yuri – 10  It doesn’t get Yurier, surely
LGBTQ -10

Overall – 9

This series has been a real surprise in every way, not least because this “S” Yuri concept cafe story is actually quite queer after all. ^_^

Volume 12 is not yet out but get those vocals chords ready. It’s a screamer. ^_^

Posted in Miman, Yuri Manga | 2 Comments »


Yuri Studio Season 4 & A New Feature!

January 11th, 2023

Welcome to a whole new year of me making videos! This year, Season 4 of Yuri Studio, we’ve got two sets of features on tap. One, we’ll be doing panels and videos featuring fans and industry and scholars of Yuri talking about various aspects of the Yuri genre and history for Yuricon 2023.

Today I am launching my first, experimental video and new feature, Erica Reacts (not really) To, in which I will be reacting to various Episode 1s of Yuri anime coming out in 2023. This was requested by my patrons and I…well, I did my best. Here’s my first attempt at a “reaction” video. Kinda. ^_^

Here is Season 01 Epiode 04: Erica Reacts (not really) To: The Magical Revolution of Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

 

 

I know it’s not really a react video. My life has blown up considerably this month and I have no real time to record myself watching something, or cutting and editing video clips. Instead, you’ve got my opinion about the episode. I’ve got some ideas for the next video, we’ll see if I have the time. ^_^

As always, I thank you for your likes, your kind comments and shares! If you have a video you’d like me to watch, I can add it to the list. ^_^

Posted in Yuri Studio | 3 Comments »


Yuri is My Job, Volume 10

January 9th, 2023

Pictured: 5 girls in an old-fashioned dark green Japanese school uniform pose in front of a large sunny window. In the front row, are three girls, one sitting to the side with pinkish hair and a bow tied in a "rabbit ear style on top of her head, a blonde in the middle, and leaning on her, a dark-haired girl, with her hair pulled up primly. In the back row are two older-looking girls. One with long-brown hair, and one with blonde hair and glasses. A white fancy bracket encloses the words in white: Yuri is My Job! In the top left corner in black, there is a 10 and the author's name: mimanI’m currently in the middle of reading Volume 11 of Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu! so what a great time to take my pent-up feelings out on Yuri Is My Job, Volume 10! ^_^ /Insert scream here/

This series, which began with a parody of ‘S’ tropes as seen through the lens of a popular light novel series, and has always always been a rom-com, unless it wasn’t, suddenly…isn’t. Not really. For one thing, it’s gotten rather queer, almost despite itself (I jest. Miman is a capable author and knows what they are doing…) and the insertion of Yoko into the story has made it feel rather grown-up and darker than it had previously been. Have a bit of pity for Kodansha, a company that licensed a goofy comedy and now has a pretty heavy story on their hands.

There’s an important little thing that happens in this arc. Originally, Sumika gave her version of what happened in the cafe to Kanako and Hime. Now we’ve encountered Yoko, and Nene has given us her version. There’s one more version to go. Wait for it. It’s important.

We now officially have an unwinnable situation. Nene is fucking done with everyone and who can blame her? Sumika is in denial, Kanako is delusional, Yoko is toxic relationships on the hoof and Hime and Mizuki are pretty much relegated to supporting cast. I wasn’t sold on Hime previously, but here she steps up and is a genuinely good friend to Kanako. Too bad it’s too late. Kanako is not okay. I wish I could feel bad for her.

The climax of this arc hasn’t yet happened and I really have no idea what will happen, but I know what I want to see. I want Sumika and Nene to team up and take Yoko down. Will I get that? Tune back in and we’ll see!

Ratings:

Art – 10
Story – 10
Characters – 10 Nene is now my favorite character. Sumika, you’re killin’ me.
Service – 5 Large breasts
Yuri – 9 Looking for love in all the wrong places.

Overall – 9

I summed this volume up in my review of the Japanese volume 10 as “Yikes.” But what amazingly scripted and drawn “yikes” it is.

I must mention Diana Taylor for a great translation job here – everyone has their own voice. You can practically hear Yoko ooze. Jennifer Skarupa does a fine job matching the S/fx to the Japanese’ everyone on the Kodansha team is giving us an excellent reading experience! Cannot wait to see what they do with the two-page color spread that just ran in Comic Yuri Hime. (It was a lot of Yoko’s breasts.)

Volume 11 is out now in Japanese (and on my list of things I will review shortly!), but you’ll have to wait until June to see Yuri Is My Job!, Volume 11 in English.

Posted in English Manga, Miman, Yuri Manga | 3 Comments »


Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 3 (作りたい女と食べたい女)

January 8th, 2023

On a white cover, two women look at one another as they shop for groceries. The taller of the two, a large woman with black hair in a ponytail, wearing a light grey sweatshirt and a black pillow jacket, pushes a shopping cart filled with food. The shorter woman, with reddish-brown medium-length hair, wear a black tutleneck seater and print pattern skirt, with a stylish grey coat. She holds a large package of meat. Green outlined letters read "Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna" in Japanese 作りたい女と食べたい女. A large white number 3 sits in the middle of the cover. In black letters across the top it shows the creator's name, Yuzaki Sakaomi, in Japanese ゆざき さかおみ.In Volume 1, we met Nomoto Yuki, a contractor in an office. She finds society’s expectations for women confining and stress-cooks to relax. We then met Kasuga-san, her neighbor two doors over, a large woman with a physically strenuous job who eats with gusto. They bond over the making and eating of food. In Volume 2, Nomoto comes to realize that she’s probably never been interested in boys, and is definitely interested in Kasuga. They enjoy each other’s company and the food they make and share.

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 3 (作りたい女と食べたい女) is everything I could have ever asked for. This is an excellent volume of this consistently excellent series.

To begin with, there are two Content Warnings in this volume, one for eating disorder-food phobia and one for parental verbal abuse.

Nomoto and Kasuga have an empty apartment between them. In this volume they meet and quickly adopt their new neighbor. Nagumo-san is young, very nervous and has a very fraught and uncomfortable history with food. Nomoto and Kasuga accept Nagumo immediately without demands that Nagumo conform to any behavior. When Nagumo offers up a given name, Sena, we learn that Kasuga’s given name is Totoko. Nagumo immediately refers to them as Yuki-chan and Totoko-chan, which turns them red. ^_^

Nomoto is also getting closer with an online friend, Yako. They watch a lesbian movie together online and have snacks, drinks and talk. Yako talks to Nomoto about the spectrum of sexuality – a great conversation, I thought. We learn about Nagumo’s problems with food. And then, we turn towards Kasuga when…her father calls. I don’t want to spoil this scene, not even to summarize, except to say it was magnificent. I’ll scream about it when it comes out in English. ^_^

Yako invites Nomoto, Kasuga, and Nagumo over for a meal, where they make and enjoy naan and a bunch of curies and sauces. Yako gets to see Kasuga’s eating powers for herself. Then they have a sleepover where, again, they discuss the kind of small family trauma that clogs up a childhood. We all have those stories in our hearts, where inequity forced us to accept things that denied us something truer to ourselves.

This volume came with a little extra comic about the work Nomoto puts in to her social media food posts, ^_^

Overall, this volume covers a LOT of territory and does it with skill and sensitivity. There is tremendous power in being seen. I cannot WAIT for you all to read this volume. Volume 1 is out now in English from Yen Press and Volume 2 is headed our way in March. Definitely read this series – it is an outstanding slice-of-life (and bread) story about found family, finding one’s self and sharing delicious food with friends.

Ratings:

Art – 9 Yako and Nagumo give Yuzaki-sensei a chance to ramp up expressions to 11
Story – 10
Characters – 9 (only to give them room to be even more wonderful)
Service – 0  Unless, like Nomoto, you consider watching Kasuga eat “service.”
LGBTQ+ – 10

Overall – 10

OH! And! Valentine’s Day is coming…and yes, Kasuga-san would love to make, give and get chocolates with Nomoto.  ^_^ We have that conversation.

No one:

Me: …I am 100% confident that I am not the only person who actually looked through their shopping cart on the cover, because between the inside cover and back color pages, we get an intimate look at what they bought. ^_^

Posted in TsukuTabe / She Loves to Cook, She Loves To Eat, Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – January 7, 2023

January 7th, 2023

Welcome to a whole new year of Yuri. ^_^

Yuri Events

20 years ago, I ran a three-day event to celebrate Yuri fandom. Yuricon 2003 was a small, but world-changing event. Due to  – /arms gesturing wildly/ everything – we’re taking our Yuricon 2023 celebration online. We already have nearly a dozen interviews and panels we’re working on, which will be shared throughout the year as they are completed on Yuri Studio. If you would like to run a panel or make a presentation on a Yuri-related topic, for Yuricon 2023 please fill out our Panel/ Presentation Application Form! Treat this like any other event and apply when you want to take charge of your panel.

I have a number of podcasts and events lined up where I’ll be talking about Yuri. I’ll announce these shortly. Suffice to say, 2023 is going to be another busy year!

Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu! has a themed cafe at Wonder Parlour Cafe in Ikebukuro in Tokyo from January 15 through February 14 in honor of the upcoming anime. Someone please go there and report back for me!

 

Yuri Anime

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady has launched on Crunchyroll. During our annual Okazu Patron holiday party, I was requested to do some react videos on all the Yuri anime coming out this year.  I just reviewed volume 3 of the light novel series, so I’m in. ^_^

Via Yuri Anime News on Twitter, Hikikomari Kyukuestu-hime no Monmon (ひきこまり吸血姫の悶々) is getting an anime. I am informed that the Yuri content in this series is of the breast-groping variety, in case this is not to your taste. Watch the trailer on Youtube. YNN  Sr. Correspondent Sean G has reviewed Volume 1 of  the LN for this series on his website, so you may wish to check to see if this is your thing. Alex Mateo has anime details over at ANN.

Birdie Wing Season 2 is coming! And the trailer is 10 out of 10 Birdie Wings. ^_^Egan Loo has the details over on ANN.

Also on ANN, Alex Mateo reports that Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury‘s Season 1 final episode will be delayed on some streaming services.

 

 

Support Yuri Journalism & Yuri Creators
Become an Okazu Patron Today! Just $5 makes a huge difference

 

Yuri Manga

Volume 5 and Volume 6 of Mayu, Matou (繭、纏う) will be released simultaneously, with a continuous cover (and, it would seem, the correct ending! ^_^). These are both up on the Yuricon Store for print or digital editions. There is no date yet on the English-language edition of these. Volume 4 of Cocoon, Entwined was released last winter by Yen Press.

Via Yurimother, we have news that Ana C. Sánchez’ manga Alter Ego will be getting a sequel this year. Noel Y June will be published later this year in Spanish.

I don’t remember where I found this, but there is a poly Yuri anthology called Fukusuunin Kousai Yuri Anthology (複数人交際百合アンソロジー レモネード) out on Kindle in Japan. It is also available in Japanese on US Kindle. This anthology has 30 contributors including Ajiichi, Utatane Yuu,  Mikami Teren, Usio Shio and more!

The Citrus 10th anniversary pop-up shop is now open! There is a link for overseas buying, if the goods look like your thing. I think they did a really nice job on the acrylic standees, honestly.

Joanna Cayanan reports that Sal Jiang’s Ayaka-chan wa Hiroko Senpai ni Koishiteru will be ending with a third volume over at ANN I reviewed Volume 2 last month here on Okazu. It’s been a lot of fun.

Sexiled creator Kaeruda Ameko is writing a new manga. Koucha no Majo no Yuuganaru Kyuutei Seikatsu Chiito o Hita Kakusu Saijaku Madou-shi no Madogiwa Life (紅茶の魔女の優雅なる宮廷生活 チートをひた隠す最弱魔導師の窓際ライフ) appears to be about a maid whose skill at making tea may change the world? The Yuri looks milk (maid in love with her lady-type) but it looks cute. You can read a sample chapter on Comic Zenon. I think I’ll be giving this one a try. ^_^

 

Yuri Doujinshi

I kept meaning to share this and kept forgetting. Hayate x Blade creator Hayashiya Shizuru (whose ULTIMATE-MAMA) is on my to-read/review pile right now) had a new doujinshi for winter Comiket. Continuing her food  + yanki girls beating the heck out of each other Yuri series, Yankoi Shoukudo C Set is available at Melonbooks.

 

Tip Okazu Writers a Coffee on Ko-fi! Help keep Okazu going.

Other News

The Yuri Fandom Survey will close on January 11. If you haven’t yet had a chance to fill the survey out, I hope you’ll do that before it closes. Please feel free to share the survey around to any fan spaces you are on. There is no way this can be comprehensive or complete, but the more responses we get, the more well-rounded the results will be. Thank you very much for your time. ^_^

 

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are the ways we currently have  \active to accept subscriptions and tips. Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons and Supporters who make the YNN weekly report possible! Support us on Patreon to help us give Guest Reviewers a raise and to help us support Yuri creators!

Become a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share and be part of the Yuri Network. ^_^

Posted in Yuri Network News | No Comments »