Yuri Network News – August 21, 2010

August 21st, 2010

Event News

For folks in Florida looking for something to do *this* weekend,* YNN Correspondent Katherine H. is running a Yuri panel at Mizucon in Miami on Sunday, August 22 at 10AM. She’s pretty awesome, so please join her and show your support!

New York Anime Festival has not approved a Yuri panel (feel free to write them and ask for one to be included) but I will be part of a LGBT comics and manga panel at the event. That panel is being run by a librarian, and seems to be pretty librarian-filled (including myself) so I’m thrilled to be a part of it. Please take a look at the NYAF schedule and join us for a non-otaku approach to things like BL/Yaoi and GL/Yuri.

This is not Yuri-specific, but I have a friend who runs the comic book store everyone wishes existed somewhere: Comic Fusion in Flemington, NJ. The store itself is not huge, well-lit, with big pluffy chairs, but the people are friendly, welcoming, part of the community in a way that comic book stores never are. They look up and say “hello” when you walk in. :-) On October 24, 2010, Comic Fusion runs Superhero weekend, featuring Wonder Woman Day. If this isn’t of interest to Yuri fans, I don’t know what is! People come by in costume, they do a silent auction to raise money for a local battered women’s shelter…. It’s an awesome thing. I hope you’ll drop by.

Last, but my god, not least, is MangaNEXT.

Let me disclaimer about MangaNEXT. I was on the original organizing committee for this event. I have *very* strong feelings about where it should go and what it should do and have, for this reason, avoided being involved with it up until now. I volunteered this year to provide their social media.

I have of course applied to run a Yuri panel there, and also panels on how to read manga (you know my rant about how manga readers read badly…) and how to talk to publishers. Not sure yet whether any or all of them will be accepted.

But that’s not what I wanted to say. I wanted to tell you that comic LEGEND Lea Hernandez will be there. She will likely be running an intensive comics creation class, from blank paper to full story and if you every thought to yourself that you’d like to be a professional artist, you should really sign up for this.

MangaNEXT also has as guests illustrators Juri H. and Dirk I. Tiede and oh my fucking god, filmmaker Nina Paley. Sita Sings the Blues Nina Paley. I know that most of you do not know why this is an OMFG moment, so just go watch the movie. PLEASE. It’s free, online for FREE. It’s genius. Please, just go watch it. Then take a deep breath, blow your nose and think, “O.M.F.G!” and register for MangaNEXT. ‘Kay? Thanks.

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Yuri Manga

Once more on the topic of the Shoujo manga Magazine Yuri Watch, Katherine wants to be the first to let you know that the first volume of Blue Friends is up for pre-order on Amazon JP. Get it while it’s still vaguely Yuri! :-)

Much more Yuri and more satisfying is Mitsue Aoki’s first all-Yuri manga collection, Princess Princess. She was all excited by it, I’m happy for her and for us!

Tokimeki Mononoke Gakuen continues in the current issue of Comic Yuri Hime, and Volume 2 is on the shelves and waiting to be bought! YNN Correspondent Erin S tell us that this is the end of the series, so you don’t want to miss it!

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Other News

Because I can’t stop myself from talking about Twitter, here’s a new resource I’ve found for those of you who like to stare at manga artists’ Tweets – Tanbishugi has an enormous lists of Japanese manga artists who are on Twitter. Some might surprise you. If you do decide to follow any of them, try not to be weird, okay? And if any follow you back, remember to say thanks! ^_^

Have I mentioned my recent obsession with manga that passes the Bechdel test? If I haven’t, let me mention it right now, because I need your help. As you may know, I write a monthly column on The Comics Journal’s Hooded Utilitarian. I try to have topics lined up a few months in advance so we don’t get to the last week of the month and I start running around the house screaming OH MY GOD!!! I NEED A COLUMN!

Well, one of my future columns will be about manga that passes the Bechdel test. The rules are deceptively easy: Mo, from Dykes to Watch Out For would only see a movie in which the following three criteria were filled: (1) it has to have at least two women in it, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man. Movies notoriously fail to meet these minimal criteria. Manga, actually, meets and exceeds them. To limit the things I’m talking about, I want to talk about the spirit of the Test, not just the letter. In effect – not just manga that technically meets these criteria, but might be something Mo or I (i.e., an adult, out, lesbian) might be interested in watching/reading.

So, while Strike Witches, or Ooku *technically* fit the criteria…neither really suit the spirit of the Test. (There’s a back story here, which I’ll tell you in the HU article. Trust me for the moment.)

I’m not looking for Yuri specifically, (in fact, most Yuri fails as being girls obsessing about other girls endlessly) if you can think of a manga that features adult women who discuss more than just men (or women) then by all means suggest them in the comments. I have a list already, but your help is much appreciated!

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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 Events, Yuri Network News | 4 Comments »


Shoujo Manga Magazine Yuri Watch: Waza-ari Kiwami-chan

August 20th, 2010

For the first time that I can recall, all three of the leading shoujo manga magazines have series with Yuri themes or characters running concurrently. Ribon has the soon-to-be frustrating Blue Friends, Nakayoshi has the totally satisfying Strawberry Panic-like Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi and subtexty Heartcatch PreCure, and now Ciao magazine joins the pack with Waza-ari Kiwami-chan, which has by the least Yuri by far, but is nonetheless an interesting read.

Kiwami is a young girl who steadfastly refuses to think of herself as anything but the equal of any boy. According to ANN she is supposed to be the “World’s Most Powerful Girl.” What I see is a completely normal girl who sees herself as powerful and, as a result, has all the girls around her seeing themselves that way too.

The chapter I read in the August issue of Ciao takes place at the summer camp Japanese schools seem to make students attend. While the girls prepare dinner, the boys screw around, instead of lighting the fire as they are supposed to. So when the girls have to collect the wood and light the fire to make dinner, they are absolutely not inclined to let the boys eat. You didn’t help with the chores, they tell the boys, so why should we give you anything? I just about stood up and cheered.

After the girls eat (and clean up, of course, because you couldn’t possibly expect the boys to learn any lessons from that clear and simple statement,) the boys demand a kimodameshi – a test of courage. Kiwami is not cowed by this at all – she considers herself the equal of any boy, so runs off as fast as she can towards the goal. She, and the leader of the boys, fight about everything, but when the light goes out, Kiwami tears up. He’s shocked that Kiwami – *that* Kiwami, he thinks, is frightened, so he’s galvanized into getting them out of there. Then it’s his turn to be terrified when one of the “ghosts” grab him by the ankles. But, we are assured, summer camp ends safely for all.

The Yuri in this series is one Ibuza Ai, nicknamed “Rabu” (Love.) Ai is absolutely gaga over Kiwami, refers to her as Kiwami-sama, idolizes her from afar and close by and generally worships the ground she walks upon. Because of Kiwami’s inner strength, Ai and Teruna, Kiwami’s posse, both find it possible to tell the boys off when they are acting like assholes. Which is like every ten minutes.

So, as a Yuri story, Kiwami-chan is pretty thin. As a much-needed feminist primer for elementary school Japanese girls, I think it needs to be treasured and perhaps made mandatory reading for all genders.

It’s unlikely that Love’s love for Kiwami will ever be anything, but just to watch Kiwami not tolerate being treated crappily by the boys, it’s worth a look.

Posted in Miscellaneous | 1 Comment »


Yuri Manga: GIRL FRIENDS, Volume 4

August 19th, 2010

GIRL FRIENDS Volume 4 is the kind of story-telling that fills volumes of literature, but manga fans generally can’t stand. Having established in previous volumes that both Mari and Akiko feel the same way about one another, manga fans (who have been trained to be terrible readers by illicitly scanned porn doujinshi and impatiently written fanfic) bitch endlessly “why don’t they just get together (i.e., have sex) already?”

Maddeningly for them, this series is not a porn series. Instead it is a graphic novel series about a shockingly realistic – and therefore frustrating – relationship between two girls young enough that merely identifying one’s feelings at all is problematic. One of the complaints I’ve heard regularly about this series is that it is not realistic at all, but I feel that it absolutely is realistic. The folks I’ve heard this from the most live in a culture and with families that are largely tolerant and accepting of same-sex couples. I can assure you that in parts of the world where there is not a high level of acceptance and/or tolerance, this kind of agonizing hesitation is quite normal.

In Volume 4, Akiko is confused, hurt, frustrated and puzzled by Mari’s lack of response to her kiss at the end of Volume 3. It seems obvious to Akiko that she’s communicated her feelings properly but, inside Mari’s head, the bunker has been shut down. Having only words and unreliable emotions with which to parse Akiko’s actions, Mari has convinced herself that this was merely a kiss between friends…despite all evidence to the contrary.

The bulk of the volume is taken up with the class trip, and the comedy of errors, misunderstandings and miscommunication that keep Mari and Akiko apart. Some of it is not their fault, but a great deal of it is simply lack of a quiet moment to have the talk that they need to have. When, over a heart-shaped stone that is supposed to guarantee eternal love, they finally have that talk – amazingly – much of what keeps them apart dissipates into the nothing it really was.

Now, at last, the two can start developing their relationship. We watch their first halting steps through the jaded eyes of their friend, Sugiyama, in what to me was a really miserable chapter about broken dreams and the death of innocence. But, hey, that’s realistic too.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 4

Overall – 8

Volume 5 will simultaneously bring fans the climax they desperately want and the end of the series so they have something to whine about – also a critical factor in fan enjoyment. ^_^

Posted in GIRL FRIENDS, Morinaga Milk, Yuri Manga | 6 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Girlish Sweet

August 17th, 2010

I officially declare this week Takemiya Jin week here at Okazu. True, I only have two books to review by Takemiya-sensei, but two is enough for me. ^_^

Today we take a look at Girlish Sweet: Atashi no Kanojo, (Girlish Sweetアタシノ彼女) a collection of stories published by Hakusensha (home of Rakuen Le Paradis, among other magazines.)

As with Love Flicker, the stories in Girlish Sweet are standalones that connect.

In “Truffe Nature” and “Thyme Orange,” Kaede and Miyako deal with their feelings for one another while together in school and apart in college. A short omake covers a first kiss is aborted for a very silly reason and I know exactly what doujinshi Takemiya read to get the idea. :-) After the story is over, there is an image of Kaede and Miyako heading into a “Main Hall” to be seated.

Kinoshita has been looking after and admiring the President since they were together in high school in “Sweet Acid.” It’s obvious they feel the same way about each other but there’s the whole ethics thing. The omake, “Best Friends,” covers the two women receiving tickets from actress Yukari to her performance. We see the two of them heading to the Main Hall in the interstitial space between stories.

Hanaoka and Sonohara meet by accident, but together they tend the school’s flower beds, in “Good Faith.” They study together…and fall in love. The omake for this is a short with two of Hanaoka’s friends, Kado and Mori, becoming closer, as well.

In “Be Connected,” Kaede buys tickets for them to see Yukari, Miyako’s favorite actress and it turns out that she’s Hanaoka’s older sister…and that Sonohara is a huge fan. They are all seen walking toward the Main Hall.

Kado, Hanaoka’s friend, find herself battling for Hanaoka with Sonohara, in “Hands,” and in “Be jealous of” and “April 2/3” Mori’s backstory is brought to light. But by “May 3/3” Kado and Mori are clearly an item and by “tee hee hee” other people can tease them about it. They are seen heading towards the Main Hall. ^_^

“July 1/3” continues with Mori and Kado’s backstory, but “3/3 Memories” picks up in a present in which the two live together. An extended, very painful backstory for Kado, takes up a good portion of the latter part of this book. This is not at all easy to read and involves some not-explicitly rendered violence against children. Given the light tone of the beginning of the book, this was a surprising development, but that’s exactly what it is – character development for two side characters that become more prominent as the book goes on.

The book ends with Kado and Mori finding “Happiness” together as all of them are seated at last and await Yukari’s performance.

This is one of those manga that starts off one place and, as the story progresses, it goes somewhere completely different. The worst of these are meandering and vague, but the best hold together to make a coherent, interconnected story. I consider Girlish Sweet be the latter and, in a lot of ways, prefer it to Love Flicker.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 9
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 1

Overall – 8

Where Love Flicker is a series of fun Story As that have an interconnected thread, Girlish Sweet starts off as a series of fun Story As, then turns into an actual story.

Posted in Takemiya Jin, Yuri Manga | 2 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Love Flicker

August 16th, 2010

Once upon a time, I found myself staring at my empty living room coffee table, wondering what I was going to review that day, as there was nothing really Yuri out. That was a while back and today, it occurred to me that I haven’t actually *seen* my table in a while. I’m not complaining. ^_^

You regulars here know that I very much like Takemiya Jin’s work. It’s not that the art is so incredible or the stories are amazing, it’s just that together, they are fun to read – which is my number one criteria for anything I read. I like fun things, because “fun” is better than a lot of the other options when I read.

The stories in this collection of Takemiya-sensei’s work, Love Flicker, (ラブフリッカー) is fun. And, much like Hiyori Otsu’s Clover, a chunk of it turns out to be an interconnected series and not just the one-shots we thought they were. Hah on us!

In the first story, Chika asks her sempai out because she likes her but, because of rumors, innuendos, a guy and other plot complications, sempai breaks up with her. Chika hits the guy on the head with an artist’s palette and they resolve the rest of the issues by ignoring them.

In the second story, a woman who works at her family’s bakery falls for a student who always buys one mini-croissant. After she tracks the girl, Sakura, down at the school festival, she learns that Sakura’s family is in the rice business. Rice bread is born and we all live happily ever after, except…

Ichi-sempai recruits tall, athletic Miharu to the volleyball team. Miharu finds her self attracted to Ichi, but Ichi breaks down and admits that the sempai (bakery woman above) she likes has a girlfriend. Double lez gross out, huh? Miharu says that she’s not grossed out by sempai’s sempai, or by Ichi’s feelings because she feels that way about Ichi!

At the new student ceremony, Kimura passed out. She’s caught by Kado, but it’s Rinko-sempai who carries her to the infirmary. Kado and Kimura decide to become love rivals for Rinko’s attention, but when Kado comes right out and asks Rinko, Kimura realizies that it wasn’t Rinko she was in love with. Luckily, Rinko realizes it too, and Kimura and Kado are able to get together.

Now that Rinko’s free, the Student Council President is able to realize her dream and capture Rinko for her own. When she and Rinko graduate they express their “close friendship” to Kado and Kimura in the form of a passionate kiss.

The book closes with Ichi-sempai realizing that her feelings for Miharu are…well..love. She and Miharu come out to her sempai and her mini-croissant girl. Ichi’s sempai responds to this with “You too?”

This wraps up what was an entertaining collection of “Story A” stories by one of my fave doujinshi to professional Yuri artists.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 1

Overall – 8

Want a fun collection of Yuri stories? Get this book.

Posted in Comic Yuri Hime, Takemiya Jin, Yuri Manga | 2 Comments »