Yuri News This Week – July 11, 2008

July 12th, 2008

While there’s no huge news this week, there’s a *lot* of Yuri-related news this week, so here we go!

Yuri Manga

So, Seven Seas says that their Yuri line is fine, but many fans are frustrated and angry about their inability to *find* them. Even I have run into this. I’ve got some insight into the issue, but it is a very complex situation, so I’m going to write more about the publishing/distribution/buying cycle and its accompanying array of dizzying difficulties tomorrow. In the meantime, I’d like to hear from Seven Seas what they suggest for fans trying to find a copy of some of their earlier Strawberry titles?

Yuri Hime Volume 13 goes on sale next Saturday, as does YH Comics collections, Yuri Hime Wildrose 2, Tokimeki Mononoke Gakuen 1 (yay!) and Creo the Crimson Crisis 1, which I will be skipping. Preorders are up on Amazon JP.

Suzunari in English, will also be out shortly. It’s got some Yuri – I’ll be reviewing it here soon.

There’s a new manga coming out in English called Kasumi that has no Yuri whatsoever, but I thought was an interesting analogy for being a lesbian. Kasumi can become invisible when she holds her breath but, when she goes to a new school, she finds her true identity at risk. Made me think how much like being gay that sounded, so while not Yuri or lesbian, it still sounds very queer.

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Yuri Anime

Sean informs me that on the 2nd Lucky Star DVD, “the liner notes not only mentioned the MariMite (reference), but also a quick Glass Mask ref and the fact that Konata has Strawberry Panic on in the background at one point.” He adds that, despite that, Konata is *still* not gay.

From the world of my past, the husband-and wife team of designers that worked on the the Sailor Moon anime will be making an appearance at Otakon this year.

ADV has announced that the Best Student Council, aka Gokujou Seitokai anime is being discontinued. Get your copies quick! There will probably be some copies left on Amazon, so go through the Yuricon Shop and support the cause.

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Events

Speaking of Otakon, Yuricon and ALC *will* be there in the Dealer’s Room, and we’ll be running a Yuri Panel, as always. When and where to be announced. Like all other Yuricon and Yuri-related events, you can find details for where and when Otakon is on the Yuri Events age on the Yuricon site.

And also for your calendar, add in October 31-November 2 for the return of MangaNEXT in New Jersey. Yuricon/ALC will be there, and we’re looking for Yuri artists to join us for a Yuri block in the artists alley – details to follow.

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Other Yuri News

Yuri fan Chris points us to these two videos on YouTube that appear to be a discussion of shojo [sic] ai. I did not watch them, as I am less enamored of YT than mostly everyone in the known universe, but please do feel free to enjoy and comment on them! Part 1 and Part 2. (I have been told that he seems to have made these videos for me to comment on…sorry, I’m really not going to watch them. Feel free to email me with a short coherent email on your views if you want my opinion. I really don’t watch YouTube, I’m not very visually inclined. I prefer text.)

soulassasin has done us the favor of running his (my) Strawberry Panic Fighter jets through a flight simulator. The resulting pictures are fabulous. Check out the Astrea jets and the new “Miator Airways” in flight on his LJ. Awesome work, soulassassin! Can you work on making me some MariMite tanks now? (This is not a capricious choice – doujinshi artists LOVE to draw the Yamayurikai as Rommel’s desert tank forces. I have no idea why, nor do I wish to know. I just want General Torii’s Yellow Rose Division tanks. lol)

This is not Yuri, per se, but worth a note, I think. Merriam-Webster has added “fanboy” to its storehouse of words.

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That about wraps it up for the week. As always please send any news with Yuri interest my way and I’ll do my best to get it up on the report!

 

Posted in Yuri Network News | 15 Comments »


Drama CD: Hayate x Blade, Volume 3

July 11th, 2008

At last, we have another chance to wallow in the company of the competely dysfunctional students of Tenchi Academy, in Hayate x Blade Drama CD, Volume 3.

And wallow we do, as amusing dysfunctions are paraded past our bemused ears, in this collection of 6 unrelated, original stories that showcase a remarkably large cast.

In the first track, Ayana’s room is filled to breaking point when pretty much every character ever mentioned in the manga shows up and crowds in….including all 80 of Akira’s fan club, the A-team.

We follow Mizuchi and Sou on a shopping trip to town, so Mizuchi can shed her old lady image – an objective that seems to be working until someone calls them mother and child.

Jun visits Yuho for the usual touching moments, then – wait for it – the Amachi conglomerate’s helicopter comes to pick her up. Yes! Tenchi Gakuen *also* has a private helicopter! Isn’t that wonderful? Now I have three helicopters in my Yuri army air division! LOL In return for the visit, Yuho sends Jun inedible cookies to give to everyone. Listening to Ayana trying to bite into the cookies was funny enough to make me laugh out loud.

Momoko has a weakness and in track 4 we learn what it is – she really, really, really, hates bamboo shoots. Kiji hypnotizes her into pretending that they are shiitake mushrooms, which she loves, but of course there are unintended consequences. And Kiji and Moka are renewed in their mutal hatred…and the awesome otokoyaku slash affair that doujinshi artists love so much gets new fodder.

The last track spends time with the remaining white-uniformed council members as they end up torturing Kureha, because they can. ^_^

For the cast credits, the theme picked by Tatewaki is ditched in favor for the theme chosen by the fans – who would you pick for your shinyuu? It will comes as no surprise that many of the actresses picked the character that is their character’s shinyuu, but notably, several other actresses pick Akira – not just Sae’s seiyuu, Itou Shizuka (Rei, from Marimite, Nadie from El Cazador.)

Despite this, there is little Yuri in this volume, which is really okay, because all the couples are well-established in our heads now and it almost seems silly to beat the concept to death. Kiji and Momoka’s hate/love thing was clearly fanservice of Yuri proportions.

This drama CD was significantly longer than most of the others I have – closer to an hour, than the usual 45 minutes. And it was all original stories, which was extra nice. You know how I love having more time to spend with the characters. And for physical extras, the insert booklet has an original short manga by Hayashiya-sensei, special for this Drama CD.

The *only* downside to the whole thing is something that you simply can’t really get past – the cast is now so HUGE, that there’s not enough time to spend with everyone, and although pretty much every character makes an appearance, that’s about all they do – make an appearance. The vignettes worked well to counteract this, because they each followed 2-8 characters (except the first, which quite literally shoved everyone in) so we got to spend at least that much time with those characters, semi-exclusively. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 3
Service – 1

Overall – 9

A great addition to what is the most unique and interesting manga series, (while of course actually being completely generic and derivative ^_^) currently running.

Oh, and I would definitely pick Ayana as my shinyuu – she’s competent, nasty *and* violent. She’s practically perfect. ^_^How about you?

Posted in Drama CDs & Audiobooks, Hayashiya Shizuru, Hayate x Blade | 3 Comments »


My Zhime (My Otome) Anime, Volume 4 (English)

July 10th, 2008

Welcome to Volume 4 of My Otome, the straightest volume of this otherwise quite gay series. (Don’t worry, it gets gay again later.)

Before I forget (which I am often wont to do,) thanks go out to Eric P. for his kindness in sponsoring today’s review!

So, in Volume 4, we spend most of the volume following Arika, who is suffering from a nasty (and I mean that both ways) case of lovesick. In other scenes, the Federation begins to crack and several of the countries start to gear up for war. The worst possible thing occurs and two Meisters are ordered to fight.

Also in this volume we finally see that Tomoe has been the viper in the nest all along, as she sets Arika up to be attacked and throws Miya under the bus for it. We also get the first, brief, glimpse of her evil gayness, but it’s only a hint at the moment.

Speaking of gay, Shizuru leaves and we don’t get a tearful scene between her and Natsuki, just a quiet moment of regret which speaks volumes about the trust and intimacy between the two of them, but is just not gay enough to make us happy.

And, just as Mashiro is unveiling her new castle on graduation day at Garderobe, the entire story is turned on its head and war breaks out. Windbloom is invaded.

As usual, we’re really not paying attention to that plot stuff. We’re watching things like Nina’s obsession with hot sauce, Erstin’s snuggle deficiency, and Akane and Kazu’s deep abiding love for one another that practically brings their countries to the brink of conflict – off scene, because no one cares about their countries anyway. However, their story, with its fabulous Graduate-style climax continues in the most amusing extra to date, in which the two lovebirds are interruptus pre-coitus, to preserve both Kazu’s country and Akane’s Meister-dom. I couldn’t stop laughing when I noticed that the motel sign read:

Villa Motel

In Room Coffee
Cable-HQQ-Phone

*Someone’s* been driving the roads of America. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7
Characters – 7
Story – 8
Yuri – 1
Service – 4

Overall – 7

If, for some reason, you *are* following the plot, this is an excellent volume.

Posted in English Anime, Mai Otome | 1 Comment »


Seven Seas Says Strawberry Survives

July 9th, 2008

Breaking news!

Seven Seas was kind enough to let me know that their Strawberry line of Yuri manga is *not* on hold. In fact, Strawberry Panic Light Novel, Volume 2 is out *right now*. You should of course run right out and order it because it is utterly cracktastic.

Actually, while I’m talking about this book, let me warn you in advance that the translation is EXCELLENT. It’s just that the original text is really quite laughably bad. LOL (See my review of the Japanese volume here.) I’ll definitely review the English edition asap, because I want to see how they handled the overblown goings on at Astrea Hill. :-)

In any case, thanks Seven Seas for clearing that up – we look forward to more Yuri from you!

Posted in Yuri Network News | 7 Comments »


Hanayashiki no Junin-tachi Manga, Volume 1

July 8th, 2008

After my Ghost in the Shell lecture at the Brooklyn Museum, myself, Sean and the wife went over to the shiny new Kinokuniya bookstore on 6th Avenue in Manhattan. It was indeed quite shiny and had goodies like that month’s Cobalt Shueisha and a few other things of interest. Including Hanayashiki no Junin-tachi, the subject of today’s review.

Yet again, based solely on the cover art and my knowledge of Japanese manga, I was prepared to hate this story. lol I can’t say I hated it, but it’s not going in my top ten either. The art looked vaguely familiar to me, and I now find that the artist also did Blood +, so that explains that.

I knew that the story would have to be a threesome that included – and starred – a guy, since there are two girls on the cover, touching and this is a Kadokawa book. It could not *possibly* be a Yuri manga about two girls. And indeed, it was not.

The story follows a poor bastard named Aki, whose father is a drunken loser who beats Aki all the time, because he has the nerve to be a good cook – and that’s *women’s* work. His grandfather also obsesses unnaturally about gender roles so, to teach Aki a lesson, he forces Aki to live in one of the dorms for the girls’ school he runs. The dorm is called the Hanayashiki, the Flower Residence.

Normally, in a series like this, we would expect “accidental” walking in on half-dressed girls and other tedious unfunny scenes, but no. Aki is a very decent person and only once accidentally walks in on someone and it really was completely accidental and totally forgivable. And, just to hammer home the point, he does what a normal person might actually do, hastily apologizes and leaves. No nose bleeds, no falling on the girl, nothing else that makes one’s eyes roll.

So, while staying at the dorm, Aki is befriended by Renge, who is a nice girl who helps Aki out when she can, which is right away, as the first thing that happens is that the dorm leader demands that Aki survive some kind of crazed cooking challenge. Which of course, he does. But she didn’t do it out of malice or anything – she just thought it would be fun. ^_^

While living in the dorm, Aki also runs into mysterious and maturely beautiful Ayame. She seems to be very uninterested in classes and is always polite, but cool, to Aki. He starts to become interested in Ayame, especially when he learns that she and Renge are close friends.

Bizarrely, for all her lack of interest in classes, Ayame seems to be a good student. But that turns out to be because Ayame has a twin brother who also lives in the dorm and pretends to be Ayame when tests come around. Her brother actually passes as a girl because he wants to, but is glad to have a male friend around. Aki’s more and more interested in Ayame, when an incident with a school peeper brings out that she really dislikes men.

However, Aki is confused when Ayame admits to a bunch of students that she has someone she likes. Aki, who has completely decided that he likes Ayame, suddenly realizes that the person Ayame likes is Renge, as the book comes to a close. zOMG!

So, on the good side, Aki’s not a wimp, not a dork, not balless and not perverted. He’s the kind of guy you might actually like if you met and wouldn’t mind being if you were a guy. Renge is cute, but not a ditz. On the down side, Ayame is another man-hating psycho lesbian. Well…okay, that can be the good side too, if you want. ^_^

In any case, the Yuri, such as it is, will never be the point of the story and I don’t see Ayame and Renge ever getting together. But Hanayashiki no Junin-tachi not the worst book I’ve ever read and is much, much better than the cover led me to believe.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 2
Service – 2

Overall – 7

I’m torn between wanting to know what happens and not really caring all that much. ^_^;

Posted in Miscellaneous | 3 Comments »