Out of Office at NYAF/NYCC

October 8th, 2010

Just to remind you, I’ll be spending the next few days at New York Anime Festival/New York Comic Con, so there will be no further reviews this week, and no news report on Saturday. (Yes, of course I could pre-type those, I’m clearly sitting here typing this, but I do not feel like it.)

If you’d like to find me at the con, I will mostly be helping at the Media Blaster’s booth, Table 2859.

I will also be a panelist on the Gay for You? Yaoi and Yuri Manga for GBLTQ Readers panel on Saturday at 7:30PM with a number of incredibly intelligent and interesting people, so it really should be entertaining.

And for those looking to sample some manga – including Yuri titles, drop by the AnimeNEXT/MangaNEXT Manga Library. They’ll be open Friday 1pm-7pm, Saturday 10am-7pm, and Sunday 10am-5pm. Tell ’em Erica sent you.

I’ll see you at the con!

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Yuri News: Strawberry Panic Light Novel Omnibus

October 7th, 2010

Press release from our friends at Seven Seas:

Strawberry Panic: The Complete Novel Collection
Story by Sakurako Kimino
Illustrations by Namuchi Takumi

This omnibus collection contains all three novels from the hit Yuri series Strawberry Panic at one low price. Included in this edition is the third and final Strawberry Panic novel, which has never before been published in North America.

For new transfer student Aoi Nagisa, St. Miator Girls’ Academy offers her the chance at a fresh start and a way to redefine herself. But these noble intentions go out the window when she catches her first glimpse of honor student Hanazono Shizuma, whose porcelain white skin and goddess-like beauty leave Nagisa speechless. It’s puppy love at first sight, but naive Nagisa is unaware that Shizuma is a serial heartbreaker who has set her sights on Nagisa herself. Will Nagisa end up as another notch on Shizuma’s belt, or does fate have other plans in store for the new couple?

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Finally! You too will be able to revel in the not one, but *two* unlikely helicopters in the third Strawberry Panic Light Novel.

The info they sent me didn’t have a release date, but man that would make a great holiday gift idea. “Here’s a book full of lesbian crack. Enjoy.”

Updated: Release is scheduled for June 2011, thanks everyone who wrote in!

Posted in Strawberry Panic, Yuri Network News | 18 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime Collection

October 6th, 2010

Yuri Hime Collection (百合姫 Collection) is (surprise!) a collection of short works by current Yuri Hime artists that have not been published in any previous commercial publications. It is an anthology of several artists’ doujinshi.

The anthology contains eight stories, two of which are two-parters. Masaki Miyuki’s chapters falls into a category I’ve just named “Yuri with props.” You know what I mean…when one character has a specific quirk or prop that indicates their personality and we spend a lot of time looking at it or obsessing about it? In this case, one of the girls smokes, which clearly shows she doesn’t care about the rules – or her future health.

Momono Moto’s stories were about the pain and tears that come from loving someone in an untenable situation – like high school – and how being together and being apart can hurt.

This contrasts strongly with the smiling faces and bright sun of Morishima Akiko’s contribution, as two women enjoy sun, blue water and love on an island vacation.

Back into the gloom and rain for a story about love at a distance by Yoshineko and the collection finishes off with some “wacky hijinx” love comedy-style wrapped around a semi-serious story by Yotsuhara Furikko.

In the cases of artists I recognized, one can instantly see these are earlier works. There’s a sketchiness about them that I find common among doujinshi, especially when they are early-ish in an artist’s career. The exception to this is Morishima’s story, but that one was published only a few years ago, and she had been in the industry for a while already. For the rest of this collection, there was a sense of these being earlier in both art and story, both of which had less confidence than one would like.

There is nothing worldshaking in this collection, but if you are a completist or, like me, you like to see where artists come from to understand where they are going to, this is a nice little addition to your Yuri collection.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

Yes, I *was* trying to use the word “collection” as often as possible. ^_^

Posted in Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »


K-ON! Manga, Volume 3

October 6th, 2010

In K-ON! Volume 3 we are treated to sweet service filling layered in between crisp slices of life, for a delectable millefeuille that is gentle to the palette and relaxing to the mind. Serve with a cup of tea for a refreshing afternoon treat.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – Same 8 as before
Characters – 10
Yuri – 0
Service – 4

Overall – 8

Believe it or not, this review took me an hour to write.

Posted in K-ON | 4 Comments »


Yuri Network News – October 2, 2010

October 2nd, 2010


 Headline Teaser

Expect some good news from Seven Seas next week! They will be making an announcement that will make Yuri Fans happy. Well, it made me happy…I can’t speak for you. (^_^)

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Yuri Anime

Bubblegum Crisis, the original 80’s edition is on Hulu. I haven’t watched it in years. I might actually be tempted to watch something on Hulu for the very first time. And, if you’ve never seen BGC (which is probably most of you) you really should watch it. Thanks to YNN correspondent Komatsu-san for the tip!

Episode 4 of Maria Watches Over Us is up on RightStuf’s YouTube channel. Episode 1 and 2 will remain there indefinitely, but the rest of the season is screening for a limited time, so watch ’em while you can get ’em!

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Random Yuri News

News tip from YNN correspondent y_yoshihide on Twitter, some fetching K-ON! and Hidamari Sketch computer wallpapers from Mangatime Kirara magazine.

I was very pleased to have been allowed to join this week’s ANNCast with host Zac Bertschy. The podcast also includes insight into a military man’s opinion of “military” manga, Daniella Orihuela-Gruber’s discussion of editing for Tokyopop and an overview of the upcoming anime season. Daniella and I are taping another podcast with Ed Sizemore today, I’ll keep you posted on that. ^_^

Speaking of Podcasts, be sure to listen to Fanfic Revolution members, Yuri fanfic authors and two men I consider very dear friends, Sean Gaffney and Alan Harnum on this week’s Femmeslash4Fans BlogTalkRadio show with host Allaine. They talk at length about writing Shoujo Kakumei Utena fanfic and about writing, in general. It was a great podcast and I hope you’ll all give it a listen.

The new stand-alone Batwoman series from DC is coming soon, and Afterellen has a squee-worthy look at some of the art and some words from J.H. Williams.

I probably should warn you all that this coming week is likely to be *very* thin on reviews. I have some personal stuff early in the week and New York Anime Festival/New York Comic Con the end of the week through the weekend. I will be working at the Media Blasters tables, so drop by and say hi! I’ll also be participating in a panel at 7:30 on Saturday night about Yaoi, Yuri and LGBT manga. I’ll look forward to seeing you there. Check the Yuricon Twitter account for updates. There’s a better chance I’ll be able to post there than here.

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Yuri Manga

Flower Festa is a new anthology featuring, among others, the work of half of Circle UKOZ, Houjo KOZ.

And Volume 3 of Yuri anthology Yuri Shoujo is on the way, as well!

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Snatches of Yuri
Banana no Nana (バナナのナナ) is a 4-panel strip beginning in Comic Blade about an ogre and a 8-headed creature. And it’s Yuri. Somehow.

Kono Kustu Shirimasenka? (この靴しりませんか?) is a new collection by Mizutani Fuka that has been popping up on all the Japanese Yuri lists.

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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 | 11 Comments »