Yuri Light Novels 

Via YNN Correspondent Sean G, Seven Seas has listed the Strawberry Panic! Light novels as digital releases. If you missed the “Hikari cries” drinking game the first time around, now’s your chance! Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3. This parody of all that is good in Yuri was well worth reading, if only for having some of the most absurd language in the history of writing. It was so overblown and precious I dubbed it moego.

Yuri Live Action

A while back I mentioned that Fun Home the Musical, based on Alison Bechdel’s breathtaking graphic novel would be reaching Japan in February. I thought you might enjoy the look a promotional video of rehearsals, featuring former Takariesienne Sena Jun as “big Alison.”  I hope the version they see is is as good as the version I saw on Broadway.

Yuri Events

The Yuriten 2018 Yuri Fair website is up and running and has a full line-up of creators who will be there. I took a look at the 2017 photos and I can see that there’s a fair amount of male gaze art and photography. I expect there will be this time, too (because I recognize the artists), but I also know some of the creators there are decidedly female gaze, and hope to see (and buy) some great stuff.  ^_^

To celebrate, the March issue of Da Vinci magazine will feature Yuri manga artists Morishima Akiko, Shimura Takako, Takashima Hiromi, according Nakatani Nio, according to Comic Natalie. Da Vinci is a woman’s magazine, so I’m hoping that will inspire female fans to turn out to the event. (I can hope, can’t I? ^_^)

Yuri Anime

Our good friends in Japan will now have the chance to enjoy Steven Universe via Cartoon Network Japan. (Dear Yuri gods, it would be cool to be able to see an episode while I’m there….)

A month’s worth of Yuri news and reviews, for the price of a sandwich!

Other News

According to ANN, Rose of Versailles may have been hiding a vampire in its cast. ^_^ Girodel does look awfully youthful….

Are you old school? Then you might find this fun – a web-based Winamp player. I have been assured that it will accepts skins, so drag those old backups out and have a little fun! Or, hey, search for the few Angelfire sites left where you can download them. ^_^(If you didn’t follow anything in this sentence, just ignore it.) 

Her’s a little eye-candy for your weekend. Via Comic Natalie, Nokizaka 46 is featured in a new commercial campaign in which they model men’s and women’s office fashion. ^_^

The Proplica Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune wands are a joy to behold and…to listen to. Watch the video and marvel at the fact that soon our our toys won’t need us at all, they’ll keep each other company.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Super short report today.

Yuri Manga

The Asagao to Kase-san official Twitter feed noted that Kase-san and Apron, the fourth volume of the series in English will be on sale on February 20th!

Yuri Anime

Via Comic Natalie, we have key visuals from merryhachi’s “ecchi comedy” Yuri series,  To Lie Angle anime. By “comedy,” they mean that girls fall in inexplicably awkward ways, so you get to are forced to look up their asses, at their crotches and down their shirts repeatedly. I have no doubt it will be popular, but that makes 3 series in a row from Comic Yuri Hime which make me wish to vomit. The amazing thing is – there’s plenty of good stuff they could choose, but clearly they believe that the only people interested in Yuri anime are bottom-feeders. 

LGBTQ News

The key visual for the live-action television miniseries for Tagame Gengoroh-sensei’s manga series Otouto no Otto, sold here as My Brother’s Husband, is up on the NHK site for the series! It looks great and I think I might be able to catch an episode while I’m in Japan (if the  hotel has this station. ^_^) The series will star former sumo wrestler Baruto Kaito as Mike. Thanks to YNN Correspondent Mudakun for the heads up!

Other News

Hollywood Reporter has a really interesting article about the $100 million Crunchyroll is currently pumping into the anime industry. As I have repeatedly said, when we contribute money to the ecosystem of anime and manga, everyone benefits. 

Did you catch NBC sports describing Sailor Moon to the USA television audience? Figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva  is a huge anime fan, and has previously skated as Sailor Moon. During her profile, they showed her Sailor Moon routine and Usagi’s transformation scene, while the commentator told the world who she was. It was squeeworthy for this household. ^_^

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Yuri Manga

Via YNN Correspondent Alextasha , Volume 3 of Pulse by Ratana Satis is available for Pre-order!

Also from Alextasha, the sad news that Ssamba, the creator of popular Korean Yuri webcomic, Fluttering Feelings, has passed away as a result of cancer. Sympathy to fans, friends, and family, for their loss.

Webcomic Hero-san to Onna Kanbu: Ai ga Tomaranai (ヒーローさんと女幹部さん　#1 愛が止まらない) on Pixiv is a fun read.

Live-Action

Today’s must-watch video is the teaser for NHK’s up-coming Otouto no Otto live-action miniseries based on Tagame Gengoroh-sensei’s series . To celebrate he drew a little cartoon. ^_^ I cannot wait to watch this. It’s going to be amazing.

ANN has the news that Sailor Moon Musical: Le Mouvement Final will be screened in selected US theaters.

Yuri VN

Fans of the Kiss for the Petal series will be happy, the new VN, A Kiss for the Petals: Maidens of Michaels was releases this week, from the folks at Mangagamers. You can buy this directly from Mangagamers.com, or on Steam.

Yuri Anime

ANN hosts a discussion on citrus anime by Michelle Liu and Steve Jones. I think they do a fair job of covering the weak and strong point. Jump in in the comments over there!

Other News

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Yuri Anime

Yesterday on Twitter, the official Asagao to Kase-san anime account announced new cast members and a (squee!) Drama CD with the next manga volume, which will be released in Japan on May 20, Sakura to Kase-san (さくらと加瀬さん。).  Check out ANN’s report for cast details. 

Yuri Manga

Seven Seas’ English language edition of My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness won the Best Manga Category at Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards last week. 

Via Comic Natalie, the very exciting news that Kowo Kazuma’s new Yuri comic for Rakuen La Paradis 26 (楽園 Le Paradis) will be a new story continuing from her Yuri Hime comic, Junsui Adolescence!

Galette creator Hamano Ringo’s works from 2012-2017 have been collected into a single volume for the first time as Cotton Candy.

From Ichijinsha we have Miyata Waltz’s Onna no ko Ichiban Yawarakaitokoro (女の子のいちばんやわらかいところ。) and Fusion Product has put out a second Yuri anthology,  Yuri + Kanojo Suki ni Nattemoii? (百合+カノジョ 好きになってもいい?)

MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 5 is out in English and Volume 10 is out in Japanese. Get your psychotic lesbian serial killer on!

Other News

ANN has the scoop on the very important adult items all professionals need – Sailor Moon business card holders. 

Don’t miss your chance to see the final Sailor Moon Musical in US theaters this month! I’ll be at one, you can be sure, even though I am squeezing it in between two trips. ^_^ Check out the theater listings and watch this teaser video to get yourself psyched up. 

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

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Yuri Events

Don’t forget that Sailor Moon Musical – Le Final Mouvement is in selected US Theaters – today. Drop what you’re doing and go see it if you can!  Here are the theater listings. Tune in tomorrow to get my take on it. ^_^

The Revolutionary Girl Utena Stage Musical has begun in Tokyo. It’s sold out, but I’ll do my best to get over to the theater, to see if I can pick up any goods. It runs from March 8-18th. If you have tickets, let us know how it is!

The Galette Magazine book signing has wrapped up in Japan by the time you read this – if any of our readers were there, do let us know how it was. 

I’ll certainly let you know how the Yuriten Yuri Fair is. Join me on Saturday, March 17th at the Ikebukuro Marui Building to see bunches of Yuri artists! ^_^

Yuri Manga

The April issue of Wings magazine will include a new chapter of the Kase-san series and a feature on the upcoming OVA.

Via ANN, Kadokawa will be publishing  Yuri Drill (百合ドリル), in March as a “Yuri Textbook” full of illustrated tropes, drawn by 39 creators. (I expect that none of them will be “two adult women happily in love with one another.” but guarantee that “sisters-by-marriage fall for one another” is. ^_^;)

The third and final volume of  Watashi to Kanojo no Otomari Eiga ( 私と彼女のお泊まり映画) hit shelves this month if you like your movie reviews in manga form, with a little light Yuri-ish flavor.

Yuri Visual Novel

From the Prototype Twitter feed, March will see the release of a new FLOWERS franchise VN, FLOWERS Fuyuben  (FLOWERS冬篇).

Sailor Moon News

Crunchyroll News reports on the cover art for the 25th Anniversary Sailor Moon Tribute Album. Since the 20th Anniversary Tribute Album covered the OPs and EDs, I wonder if this one will cover image songs.

And from Komatsu-san on Crunchyroll, we have some fun news: The Cook Islands are going to release a series of gold and silver coins in honor of the 25th Anniversary of our favorite champion of love and justice. ^_^

Other News

Wrapping up for today, keep your eyes out this April, Uniqlo will be rolling out a line of Rose of Versailles-themed tee shirts! Available online, as well, for those of your not near a Uniqlo store.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Yuri Anime

The Asagao to Kase-san Official Twitter account announced the brand new Asagao to Kase-san OVA main trailer video on Youtube. They’ve also added English to their header on Twitter and REALLY want to hear from you on their new video. Don’t forget to let them know you love it and can’t wait to see this OVA. ^_^

Kase-san creator Takashima Hiromi’s Twitter feed also announced a new web commercial for the Kase-san manga  and the upcoming chapter, “Sakura to Kase-san” in Wings magazine.

To Lie Angle Yuri anime is hitting Japanese broadcast TV in April, according to Paul Chapman at Crunchyroll. As I’ve said, it’s pretty much 150% fanservice, so my enthusiasm for it is low.

Yuri Manga

At Mikazuki Gakuen all the committees compete to run the school. The most popular committee becomes the Student Council in Pixiv Comic Yuri Hime manga,  Foolish! (フーリッシュ)

A young OL is deeply interested in her sempai at the office. So deeply that she becomes a creepy stalker in Yuri Kagi ~ Sempai no Himitsu wo Nozoitemita~ ( 百合鍵 ~先輩の秘密をのぞいてみた~) because of course she does.  ^_^;

Kara Dennison over on Crunchyroll News has the scoop that Seven Seas is putting out Yuri one-shot Beauty and the Beast Girl. And Joseph Luster reports on Seven Seas’ license of another Comic Yuri Hime one-shot Now Loading…! about a woman who gets her dream job as a phone game developer.

Yuri Event

Folks in or around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday, March 26 may wish to attend a lecture by James Welker on Boys Love, Yuri, and More: Tracing the History of “Queer (But Not Necessarily LGBT) Media in Japan at Temple University. I’m going to do my damnedest to be there to cheer James on and, I have no doubt, learn a lot from him.

Comic Natalie reports that the Yuriten exhibition is back on for Tokyo at Studio Lightbox in Aoyama for April 28- May 4. The website has updated with the date, location and participating artists.  I’ll let you know more when I get further details. ^_^

Other News

Katriel Page has written a personal retrospective of Revolutionary Girl Utena for Anime Feminist, Ohtori Revisited: My 18 Years with Revolutionary Girl Utena. 

Mondo’s gorgeous Korra and Asami sculpture from Legend of Korra is up for pre-order. It’s above my comfort level for a figurine price, but it is very lovely. Do let us know if you get it! Unboxing videos welcome.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

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It is my very great pleasure today to confirm that the Yuriten 2018 Yuri Art Exhibition has a new Tokyo location and has been rescheduled!

Yuriten 2018 will take place in Osaka, March 31-April 8, and now, in Tokyo April 28-May 4 at Lightbox Aoyama. Fukuoka dates and locations are still being finalized. 30 artists are still confirmed for the show and Village Vanguard now has a webpage up for creator goods.  A reliable informant tells me that they can be purchased via buying service. Ole reliable uses Buyee.

I took a look at Lightbox Studio and I have to say, it’s a pleasant venue and location. And, so I have rebooked my Japan trip and will definitely be there for the opening of Yuriten in Tokyo!

I’m going to do a Yuribu tour while I’m there, as well. There’s one I haven’t been to, yet. ^_^ If there’s anything else I can get to between now and then, I’ll do my best!

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Yuri Events

Please join me at AnimeNEXT 2018, on June 8-10, 2018 in Atlantic City, NJ where I am a guest for the event! I’ll be doing a pile of panels and hanging out with friends (including you, I hope!) at my favorite local convention. I will also be bring many things to give away as prizes for good questions. So. Many. Things. ^_^ Please come to my panels, armed with thoughtful questions and your love of Yuri!

I’ll be doing another lecture at Hunter College, NYC in April, and of course, the Yuriten Yuri Fair is in Tokyo from April 29 – May 4. I am then taking the next several months to travel, eat too much and then recover. If your school, organization or event would like me to speak on LGBTQ manga and anime for the autumn, please contact me!

Yuri Anime

Gunsmith Cats anime is getting a reboot short and it’ll be premiering at Anime Central May 8-10, in Rosemont, IL. I’m holding out for a classic Goldy moment. In a pinch, I’ll accept a Misty moment.

ANN reports on a promotional video for Yuri “ecchi comedy” Tachibankan To Lie Angle.

ANN also has news that Yuri-ish horror series Happy Sugar Life (which I have not yet read), is getting an anime this summer. As it’s a Gangan Joker series, I expect more horror than Yuri.

Yuri to Watch Out For

A few folks have weighs in with suggestions of series with some kind of Yuri (mostly subtext) and while I’m no longer running back and forth trying to parse what might be there, I thought I’d start a new category so we don’t miss these tidbits. 

Nicky from Twitter suggests that Farewell My Dear Cramer, a manga available over on Comixology has some Yuri rivalry subtext.

Super mentions “Princess Principal portrays a highly “romantic” relationship between the main girls, but never says that this is something more than just friendship.”

Kickstarter Watch 

Gabi Mendez and team are putting out a much-needed all-ages novel about queer folks, called Lemonade Summer that is well worth our support! 

If you are watching or reading something you think deserves a mention, let us know!

Other News

My friend Mandisa’s thesis documentary video, Who Are you Wearing? “about how geeks use alternate social identity to build a society across lines of social/cultural division” is once again on Youtube. I hope you’ll go over and give it a like!

Autostraddle has an insightful article: Lena Waithe’s “Vanity Fair” Cover Is a Watershed Moment for Black Lesbian Visibility.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Kase-san Series News

Couple of pieces of news about the June 9th Asagao to Kase-san anime OVA theatrical release. For one thing, we have a release date! ^_^

The second wave of deluxe ticket sales are supposed to come with a Drama CD, Sakura to Kase-san (さくらと加瀬さん。), so as you might imagine, I hope I can get one. It’s asking a lot that they’ll still have it by late April, though, I may end up just ordering it from Amazon JP.

Check out this web commercial for the comics  and the Drama CD on Youtube!

Eagle-eyed YNN Correspondent Verso S. took these photos in the lobby of a local theater. (Did someone sticker over their faces(?) ^_^

Verso says, “Maybe difficult to get a sense of scale but Yamada and Kase are approximately the height of real high-schoolers. Didn’t see their cut-out.” 

The Asagao to Kase-san official website launched a a series of Kase-san series web icons for you to enjoy on your phone or computer. AND a new series of Kase-san LINE stamps were released, as well. Inexplicably, I had coins on LINE and thus, those stamps are mine! Bwahaha! ^_^ (Seriously, I have no idea at all where those coins came from….)

Maria-sama ga Miteru News

ANN reports that a 20th anniversary project is in the works for Maria-sama ga Miteru! I was just saying last night that they had to be planning something….

Okazu News

We are launching the first of our 2018 Okazu micro-goals! For every $50 on Patreon from this point on, I will become patron of another creator. I’m launching this goal with two *amazing* Patreons:

The first is Nakawē Writer Mari, a talented writer and artist who was part of the Absolute Power anthology! As a patron of her work, you get poetry and prose by a very talented queer Native creator. 

The second is: The Ladybroad Ledger, a group of female and nonbinary cartoonists from Vermont, who produce a free twice annual newsprint publication to promote comics and comic art by femme Vermont cartoonists. I just got my first issue and it’s so good, I’ve added it to the to-review pile!

Like my Kickstarter activity, this new micro-goal gives me a chance to pay forward the kind of generosity I’m receiving and puts money into the creative ecosystem at the creator level.  I buy the books I read to fuel the publishing economy. I back crowdfunding campaigns to give smaller publishers a chance to publish the kind of content mainstream publishers won’t or can’t and, now, I’m giving money directly to creators who can use it for whatever they need or want, just as you help me get to events like Yuriten and read the latest volume of MURCIÉLAGO. ^_^

LGBTQ Comics

YNN Correspondent Sam wanted to let you all know about. The Princess and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang. Sam says “Sebastian is a teenage prince who likes to wear dresses and sometimes feels like a princess, and Frances is the dressmaker keeping his secret. There is a lot of pain for both characters, but it ends with a kiss and both of them getting to live as their truest, most authentic selves. The art is clean and fun to look at and you get a lot for your money – it’s a thick graphic novel.”

Yuri Manga

Comic Natalie says that the new chapters of Revolutionary Girl Utena will be collected into a volume Shoujo Kakumei Utena – After the Revolution (少女革命ウテナ -After The Revolution-) which will be released in May.

Yuri Hime Comics are publishing comics they’ve been running on Yuri Hime on Pixiv, including this manga that I liked, despite the terrible name, Watashi ni Karada, Utteminai? (私に体、売ってみない?).

Nishio Yuhta’s After Hours, Volume 3 (アフターアワーズ ) is on sale in Japan. and we’ll be seeing it in English at the end of 2018!

Yuri manga series from Galette magazine  are being released as standalone chapters for download on Booklive.jp. I have not yet tested this for overseas purchase, but Chiara has some thoughts on it in the comments here: “I often buy from Booklive because their coupon system is pretty cool, and as far as I’ve seen I never had problems with purchasing from them using my cards. They don’t offer paypal as a payment option, though, and their point system is tied to the T Card circuit. The main problem is, their app isn’t available on overseas app stores (or at least the android one), and while they offer a web viewer, it’s not very comfortable to use.”

Anoko to Me ga Autabi Watashi ha Shakaiin Yuri Anthology (あの娘と目が合うたび私は 社会人百合アンソロジ)ー is an anthology of Yuri love in the office by Satsumaage, Yukiko and others.

Comic Natalie has news about a harem story with some inevitable Yuri in Minori to 100-nin no Ojousama (みのりと100人のお嬢様).

LGBTQ Comic and Manga Events

This weekend in New York City, don’t miss the NYC Queer Comics Fair, at Bureau of General Services-Queer Division 208 W 13th St, Rm 210, New York, New York.

I will definitely be talking about Queer Manga at Hunter College in NYC on April 13, with Anne Ishii of Massive. If you think you want to attend, please contact me and let me know and I’ll have you added to the guest list!

The Yuriten art exhibition opened in Osaka this week! At least one reader is there and I’ve asked for them to report back.  YNN Correspondent Christian L also reported in with an overview of the Yuriten goods he bought from Village Vanguard. “I dug into the calendar…some of the illustrations are familiar to English-speaking fans, and the rest you’d probably recognize as Japan-only at the moment. The clear files are really neat (I’d gotten one of the main Yuriten illustrations, and Canno’s one specifically). And the K&WL bag seems really cool.”

And to wrap up for today, I also suggest you revisit the Yuriten main page, and scroll down to the Yuriten Introductory Manga (百合展紹介漫画) at the bottom, which shows a tired career woman finding refreshment for the mind and body at the Yuriten cafe…and maybe a beginning of something more. By Miman-sensei, creator of Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!, familiar characters make a cameo and it’s just a lovely mental image of the Yuriten as I’d like to imagine it. ^_^ 

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Yuri Manga

Anoko to Me ga Autabi Watashi ha Shakaiin Yuri Anthology (あの娘と目が合うたび私は 社会人百合アンソロジー), anthology of office Yuri romances is hitting shelves at the end of April!

Mansoufutou ni Gikami Meikyuu (万葬不踏の欺神迷宮)  is a dark fantasy about sisters in a labyrinth of death and deceit.

Seven Seas has put the  Strawberry Panic! Light Novels on Kindle! Grab a copy and read one of the greatest Yuri parodies every written. ^_^ Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3. It’s text-to-speech enabled, which I think is a terrific feature and also want to hear my tablet try to read. The language is overwrought and filled with random Japanese terms. 

Seven Seas also very excited about the upcoming release of Riyoko Ikeda’s Claudine! which they have settled on describing as a “LGBTQ classic.” I think that’s completely reasonable.

ANN reports that the next new volume of Rose of Versailles will be the last.

Volume 1 of Nameless Asterism, also available from Seven Seas, includes a love complication between two of three girl friends.  I’ll be reviewing that soon and I swear to heavens I’ve read it before but cannot for the life of me remember when or where. ^_^;  

One more Seven Seas nugget, Cutie Honey a GoGo is available. For a wonderfully butchy Na-chan and my favorite manga version of Kiseragi Cutie, I recommend it to you. 

Yuri Anime

From the Asagao to Kase-san Official account, news that there will be a monitor playing interviews with the voice actresses and creator of the Kase-san anime at Yuriten. Woot! (And while we’re talking Yuriten, check out  Zoey B.’s comment about the Osaka event, with a fuller review to come!)

The Tachibankan To Lie Angle anime account on Twitter is sharing a promotional video clip of their upcoming anime. If breasts bouncing in a unrealistic fashion and people falling on top of each other in a unrealistic fashio appeal to you, you’ll like it. I’m giving it a pass, so contact me if you feel up to writing a review!  Comic Natalie reports that the anime will be holding a special event.  ANN reports that’ll it be a 12-episode season, which will be simulcast on Crunchyroll.

ANN has the news that Sentai filmworks has licensed the new Cutie Honey Universe anime.

One more from ANN, horror Yuri anime Happy Sugar Life main visuals have been made public.

We’ve got some amazing stuff coming up, guest reviews and event reports. All patrons of Okazu will be able to get a sneek peek to another new piece written for the Big Book O’Yuri, so if you can throw a dollar or two a month to help keep Okazu running, you’ll get a unique piece of writing to enjoy!

Yuri Visual Novels

YNN Correspondent JD shares the news of Lovestruck a VN company creating new visual novel phone app content that have strong and positive queer love stories.  Check out this Jstationx article on the series: Lovestruck: How This Romance Visual Novel Platform Appeals to Lesbian and Bisexual Women.

LGBTQ Live-Action

From the ‘Meanwhile, in America’ file: 

Jill Gutowitz writes that ‘Blockers’ is the Lesbian Teen Comedy We’ve Been Waiting For. 

This news makes me feel hope and despair, FX orders pilot based on post-apocalyptic comic series Y: The Last Man.

Other News

Look like, I may end going to the Yayoi museum for the Schoolgirls and Sailor-fuku exhibit, which will include some Sailor Moon art, according to ANN. (This museum does all sorts of wonderful culture and comics related events. You may recall Bruce was able to visit it for a Yamagishi Ryoko exhibit some years ago.)

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Thanks to everyone who came to yesterday’s Hunter College lecture, it was a great crowd. Many thanks to co-lecturer Anne Ishii, whose work with gay comics has been pivotal (and who is a moving force behind My Brother’s Husband, Volume 1 and Volume 2 will be out this fall). And thanks to Professor Takeda for having us once again!

Yuri Manga

This is kind of cool. We’ve been watching the evolution of the Yuribu at Animate, Gamers and Shosen, and, via Comic Natalie, we now can welcome online bookstore Kadokawa’s Comic Walker to the party! The Comic Walker Yuri Club (百合倶楽部 ) has been launched, with access to serialized and collected Yuri titles online!

“Barikyari to Shinsou” (バリキャリと新卒) by Esuesu, an office romance between a careerwoman and newbie in the office is being serialized on Comic Walker as part of the Yuri Club. You can read new chapters (in Japanese) for free on the Comic Walker reader. There is a very real movement I’m seeing on Yuri Twitter (Yes, duh, of course there is a  community of Yuri fans and creators on Twitter, as there is a community for everything else  on Twitter…) for adult Yuri, especially office romance. Apparently, I am not alone in wanting a little less schoolgirl in my Yuri. ^_^

Yuri Anime

From April 14, tickets for the theatrical release of Asagao to Kase-san will be sold at Animate, Gamers and Shosen (all chains that have “Yuribu”).  Ticket purchases will include Yamada and Kase-san post cards by other former Hirari anthology artists, Morinaga Milk, Morishima Akiko, Hakamada Mera, Amagure Gido and Imura Youko. Check out the official Kase-san account for support messages from the artists for the upcoming anime!

ANN reports that Crunchyroll will be simulcasting Tachibankan To Lie Angle. I feel the need to disclaim that while I do not personally care for this series, it at least is populated with happy people who smile and like each other, unlike previous Yuri anime from Comic Yuri Hime.

Sailor Moon News

I kind of think this mashup has been inevitable….members of idol group Nogizaka 46 will be starring in the next Sailor Moon musical, “Team Moon, via Comic Natalie. 

Yuri Events

The Yuriten Exhibition has opened up in Fukuoka! It will run from April 14-22 at the Tenjin Core. It’ll open on April 28th in Tokyo and if you’re planning on being at Comitia at Big Sight in Tokyo , check it out – Yuriten will be exhibiting there, via YNN Correspondent Zoey B. That’s very cool. Last year, Comitia had a number of small exhibitions and the corporate booths also displayed original art (and there were also some set up to do portfolio review, which thrilled me no end.). I like Comitia more and more these days.

Other News

Comic Natalie posted an interview with Kazuma Kowo and Mizutani Fuuka, two of my favorite Rakuen: Le Paradis magazine authors, on the nature of “love,” which includes discussion of harem stories and Yuri among other things.  (In Japanese.)

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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I have so many great news items to share today, but I wanted to, once again, start with….

Yuri Events

Next week the Yuriten Yuri Exhibition hits Tokyo and I plan on being there. At the same time the Animate in Ikebukuro is doing the 1st anniversary Yurimate event! Once again, the third floor of the headquarters in Ikebukuro will be turned over to a Yuri-focused space, with special Yuri manga promotions. I’m also planning a visit to the other Tokyo area Yuribu at Gamers and Shosen Book Tower in Akihabara. All three are doing a joint Yuribu member recruitment, which is cute.  When I get back, I will be doing a bunch of Lucky Boxes that are going to be amazing~~!! (Hear this spoken in Oprah’s voice. ^_^) 

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is guaranteed to be full of great queer content, as well. I’ll be moderating, I can’t wait! I’m so excited. And I’ll be talking to queer comics creators and other folks that you’ll want to hear from, so join me if you can.

Support Yuri News, Event Reports and Interviews!

Yuri Anime

YNN Correspondent Su L wants you to know that Rightstuff is putting out Sweet Blue Flowers as a Blu-ray box set – for only $23.99! Gawd, I remember when that was cost of one episode of anime on a VHS tape, two if you were lucky. We’ve come a long way.

I’m pushing the limits of “Yuri Anime” pretty far here, but…Sailor Moon Super S, Part 1 will be hitting shelves this month! The Outers have pretty limited roles, but Haruka and Michiru  are increasingly gay as the series goes on. Stars is where they hit peak gay.^_^

The folks at Asagao to Kase-san are slamming out the cool goods right now – this June will see an original soundtrack CD for the movie with an original epilogue mini drama! Check out the news about Ashita e no Tobira on the official page.

Yuri Manga

Webmagazine Yawara Spirits has made Nighty-night Sheherezade (おやすみシェヘラザード) by Shinofusa Rokuro available for reading online (in Japanese).

The English-language Yuri manga anthology, Éclair: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart, will be available in June, from Yen Press. Featuring stories by Canno and Nakatani Nio, you’ll want to put it on your wish list.

We’ve added Koi ni Urusai (恋に煩い), a collected of Yuri manga by Gotou Yuuki from Ichijinsha on the Yuricon Store.

Other News

Alex Myung has written an interesting piece for Our Queer Voices, Where are the Gay Voices in Animation?

And Michele Kirichanskaya talks about Anime and It’s Contribution to LGBTQ Media on Blendtw.

Okazu Hero and author Louis P shares this: Celebrating the characters of the fantastic erotic comedy visual novel Ladykiller in a Bind its Ladykiller in a Zine! 

Jutin Hall’s brilliant anthology No Straight Lines is being made into a movie. No Straight Lines – The Story of Queer Comics with Vivian Kleinman directing. 

And we’ve added the pre-order for the gorgeous, but quite expensive at $270, Korra and Asami in the Spirit World figurine on the Yuricon Store!

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Just before Yuriten opened in Tokyo, there was some big Yuri news!

Yuri Anime

Nakatani Nio’s Yagate Kimi ni Naru manga, which is sold as Bloom Into You by Seven Seas in English, has been greenlit for an anime! ANN has details and the main visual which was also on display at Yuriten.

I still have a lot of mixed feelings about this series. At lunch after Yuriten, we were discussing what makes a thing “Yuri.” Kawamoto-san’s position is similar to the Yuricon definition – anything with character or characters who fee emotional, physical or romantic attraction to another woman. I said that that’s the official position of Yuricon, but what I personally look for is, you know, two women actually in love with one another. Morishima-sensei and I were kinda in sympatico on this. Yagate Kimi ni Naru is Yuri, but it’s still not what I’m looking for in a Yuri story. Kase-san is. Two women who are actually in love with one another is a lot to ask from an anime, I know. ^_^

Speaking of Kase-san, the Shosen Book Tower in Akihabara will be hosting a Kase-san event from the end of May through the middle of June, with a Kase-san “Museum”. According to Comic Natalie, there will be a book signing by series creator Takashima Hiromi-sensei on June 2.  The fifth book in the series, Sakura to Kase-san with a new, original Drama CD (さくらと加瀬さん。) is on sale at the end of May. The OVA will be in theaters in Japan on June 9th.

Yuruyuri is getting a 10th anniversary anime, ANN reports. Speaking of not-really Yuri in any meaningful way. ^_^

Nozomi/RightStuf is losing the license to Maria-sama ga Miteru and is currently selling all it’s stock off at $12/season litebox set!  Get them while they last.

Yuri Manga

Nishio Yuhta’s After Hours, Volume 3 (アフターアワーズ) has hit shelves in Japan.

Yuri manga quarterly, Galette, Issue No. 6 (ガレット) will be released this month!

Seven Seas has licensed Yuri one-shot manga Bocchi Kaibutsu to Momoku Shoujo (ぼっち怪物と盲目少女), which is on my to-read pile, as Beauty and the Beast Girl, with a 2019 release date. It it is the story of a blind girl who falls in love with a monster girl who has secluded herself away in the forest. More details can be found in this report on Crunchyroll News.

Live-Action

Netflix will be streaming the live-action Kakegurui, according to ANN. I’ve been watching some of the live-action anime-based stage plays on Amazon Prime and they are less good than one might hope. ^_^; I didn’t review Blood C  – The Last Mind, because it, while not terrible, had little enough to do with the series as I knew it and there was no Yuri at all, even if you squinted this time.

Other News

ANN has a report of Intersex manga creator, Arai Shou’s life and work being made into a documentary. Seibetsu ga nai! is currently being crowdfunded and is worth taking a look at.

Matt Alt has a fascinating article in The New Yorker called The United States of Japan. “Hit Japanese products such as Pokémon have long captivated us, but Japan’s most influential export might be its own lived experience.”

Yuri Events

Yuriten 2018 in Tokyo is over and so is Comitia, but there’s still a bunch of stuff coming up, so get your calenders ready!

Toronto Comic Arts Festival – May 12-13, Toronto, ON, Canada – I’ll be moderating a Queer Romance Comics panel and conducting some interviews and there is always a lot of queer content and comics to enjoy. If you’re there, do drop in and say hi!

Girls Love Fest – May 19, Oota-ku, Tokyo, Japan – As, always, this is a combo event. Girls Love Fest will be joining AiFest and related “cute girl” doujinshi events at the Oota-ku Industrial Plaza Pio. The participating circle list can be found here. If you’re planning on attending,  please contact me about doing a report for us.

AnimeNEXT 2018 – June 8-10, Atlantic City, NJ, USA – I’ll be a guest, doing some panels, giving piles of stuff away. Definitely do not miss this! There’ll be loads of Yuri and lots of fun!

Yurithon – August 3-5, 2018 – Montreal, Canada  – This was so much fun last year, I recommend it highly. All the benefits of a small con, with Yuri-focused programming and the massive Dealer’s Room of a larger event. ^_^ It’s literally the best of all worlds. I really want to get back, but I just can’t do it this year because of other things I have scheduled. So, again, if you’re planning on attending, please contact me about doing a report for us. And I’m gonna put this back on my calender for 2019!

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Yuri Events

Yuriten Yuri art exhibition wrapped up successful weeks in Osaka, Fukuoka, Tokyo and an exhibit at Comitia, and now, is opening up this week in Sapporo, Hokkaido! How exciting for them!

Next event on my schedule is AnimeNEXT, June 8-10 in Atlantic City, NJ. They’ll be showing the Kase-san anime movie teaser for me, and they have an exciting new announcement – pre-registered  attendees can see a screening of the Sailor Moon Musical: Le Mouvement Final at the Showboat casino. If you are attending ANEXT and haven’t had a chance to watch it, definitely take this opportunity, it was the best SeraMyu I’ve seen. ^_^ 

If you are in or near Montreal, Canada in August, do not miss Yurithon! And say hi to Meggie for me.

Yuri Anime

The theatrical release of  Asagao to Kase-san is in only a few weeks and the news is coming thick and fast. A special early-preview event is being held in Japan, and Youtube and LINE will stream a live cast talk event on May 24. ANN has the scoop on the new visual from the movie.

ANN reports that Comic Ryu magazine is going online. The final issue announced an anime for Hirao Auri’s gag idol Yuri manga Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu (推しが武道館いってくれたら死ぬ) of which I have reviewed Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3. Volume 4 is on sale this month. (Hi, everyone who has wandered over here from searching that title!) I can see why it got an anime – it’s a gag comedy with pop idols and Yuri. All the flavors of the month. ANN also has details on the announcement.

YNN Correspondent Eric P notes that Media Blasters is listing a Strawberry Panic! Blu-Ray Box set with RightStuf for  a June release. I cannot imagine that the animation for this series will hold up to blu-ray, but YMMV.

Live Action News

Okay, this isn’t Yuri, but I am going to cross my fingers very hard, because Noelle Stevenson, one of the creators of Lumberjanes just announced she’ll be showrunner on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power for Netflix. A girl can dream, can’t she?

Variety reports that Jennifer Aniston will be playing the first female President of the USA and Tig Novaro will be playing her wife, in a Netflix series called First Ladies.

Yuri Manga

Galette Magazine, Issue 6 is on sale now. You can get it in print from Japan or on US Kindle.  In addition, Galetteweb has announced an anthology of their own called Meets, which will be on sale on JP Kindle in August. I’ll keep an eye out for it on US Kindle for you. Galette Online has a number of online short stories and manga (in Japanese) for you to take a look at, as well.

Via Kawamoto-san, here’s another Cycomics online title, Shoujo Junrei (少女巡礼) about a manga artist and the girl who enters her world and changes everything.

Yuri Visual Novels

There is both Good and Bad news this week. Beginning with the bad… Valve is purging quite a number of games from the Steam system, many of them Visual Novels from Japanese license holders.  Mangagamer announced that excellent Yuri VN (even I liked it) Kindred Spirits on the Roof is one of the causalities, despite the MG folks working with Steam to fill all their requirements. The game is still available for download, however.

On the Good side, Studio Elan has released their first Yuri Visual Novel, Heart of the Woods…on Steam. Heart looks beautiful. “A fantasy yuri visual novel filled with magic, fairies, and a ghost girl. When Maddie and her best friend, Tara, journey to a remote forest village to investigate rumors of the supernatural, they find a whole lot more than they bargained for.”

Other News

My Brother’s Husband, Volume 2 in English is up for pre-order. It’s got a September release date.

Luscious Spirit Studios, maker of Yuri VNs, announced a kickstarter for their first Lesbian short story anthology!

Vox has a fantastic article on the body of Janelle Monae’s discography as a Afrofuturist sci-fi work. Great reading.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Kase-san News

The theatrical debut for Asagao to Kase-san is rapidly approaching and promotion is ramping up. Given that this movie is targeted towards a niche genre, they are doing a fair spread of promotional efforts. YNN Correspondent Verso S has kept on top of all of them for us:

“Yamada and Kase feature “in character” in an advertisement for キネパス/Kinepass, the ticket booking / payment system. The animated ad, narrated as a “Kase-san to …” mini episode by their voice actors, “currently” plays in the loop on foyer monitors as well as in the cm block with trailers etc, screened before main features in the cinema. (screened independently from the OVA PV). [Yamada fancies a film date with Kase but how to arrange that? Kinepass makes it easy …]” You too can see this ad (which I found highly amusing,) included in the “LineLive / YouTube broadcast” with the voice cast, beginning at the 1hr, 6 minute mark. I have not yet had a chance to watch the cast talk, but that’s on my to-do this weekend.

The fifth volume of the Kase-san series, Sakura to Kase-san (さくらと加瀬さん。) went on sale in Japan this week, and will hit the English-language market as Kase-san and Cherry Blossoms  in December 2018. There’s also a deluxe set on Amazon JP, that includes the manga, an original Drama CD and clearfile, for those of you who are huge fans.

Just to circle back to the issue of promotion – folks presenting their tickets at a participating theater June 9-15 will receive an original manga by series creator Takashima Hiromi! And the official site is pushing special premier movie events the week of the release, as well as the live cast talk mentioned above. Additionally, the twitter account is doing a “language of flowers” post every day, featuring a flower and it’s meaning, which makes me absolutely want to hug someone. ^_^

LGBTQ News

Verso continues to wow us with more news. Tasogare Shimanami by Kamatani Yuki has been licensed by Akata for release in France as a two-volume set and the publisher has announced that a portion of the proceeds will be going to an organization that combats homophobia!

Also from Verso, NHK has announced a DVD release for the NHK live-action TV drama of Otouto no Otto (弟の夫) in late July. 

Yuri Manga

Read the first chapter of Seta Seta’s Yuri-kabe  on digital publisher Sukima (in Japanese.) The title and cover art indicates that “kabe-don” (pinning someone to the wall with one’s arms) is going to be the defining theme. ^_^

Via Comic Natalie, You can also take a look at  Koi, Irodoru Made, (恋、彩るまで) by Kyouko Kouta, a Yuri school life fantasy online (in Japanese) for free on comico.

Yuri Anime

ANN has news that Viz is planning theatrical showings for the Sailor Moon movies this summer, including the Ami’s First Love short with Sailor Moon SuperS!  Check out the Fantom website for ticketing and location details.

New cast and music news have been added to the upcoming Yuri-ish, horror-ish anime, Happy Sugar Life on ANN.

Yuri Visual Novels

After last week’s announcement that Valve was cutting off Visual Novels by a number of creators and companies with little warning, Mangagamer has announced alternate arrangements to host their Yuri VNs, including Kindred Spirits on the Roof and A Kiss for the Petals series on GOG.com.  ANN reports that Steam is now saying that they will review each game before a decision is made (which is just about the stupidest thing ever, as that would have been an obvious first pass, had any one thought about it for ten seconds.)

Other News

ANN has news that tween novel imprint Aotori Bunko will be shipping a new novel adaptation of the Sailor Moon series, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon 1 Ebereta Senshi, (美少女戦士セーラームーン①選ばれた戦士) authored by Fairy Navigator Runa‘s creator, Ikeda Miyoko. I’ll keep my eyes out for a pre-order link for this.

Via Twitter, Webtoon is running a contest to find their next set of stars. The LINE Webtoon contest will run from June 11 with a substantial amount of money for the winner – and, even if you don’t win, a place for your comics on Webtoon.  

Yuriten in Hokkaido will be wrapping up shortly, and so far that seems to be the end of this year’s run. It was an amazing and wonderful and crazy spring for Yuriten and I look forward to seeing what’s next. I won’t say お疲れ様でした just yet, in case they have any new news. (Especially as the Kase-san movie events seem like a possible extension.) But I will note that via Verso S once more time, the editors of BELOVE, from Kodansha, tweeted about the Yuriten flyer they saw at Comitia noting that Yuri manga is hot right now.

I have intermittent issues with my various Japanese IMEs and recently found that Google has a useful Input tool that can allow you to type in romaji for Japanese kana and kanji output. If you don’t want the hassle of setting up an IME, but want to occasionally be able to type in Japanese, bookmark this baby! It makes for a good backup when something has borked your IME, as well. ^_^

Okazu News

We’re only 6 Patrons away from our Spring Patreon campaign goal and (if I do say so myself) this is a great time to become an Okazu Patron!

You’ll be getting more advance glimpses at the “Big Book o’Yuri” in August and all patrons at a cumulative $25 are eligible to set up an hour Skype with me as a their own personal Yuri panel. Now you can *finally* ask me what I really think of a series, since I don’t take that question at public panels. We’re also looking into a bunch of new rewards, including an Okazu news podcast, a Discord channel and more! A dollar a two a month makes a huge difference, so don’t hesitate to subscribe at the $1 level. Every patron is an important part of the team. If you’d like to become a patron, click on the Okazu Patreon link and start today!

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Yuri Events

One more time with gusto – join me next weekend at AnimeNEXT in Atlantic City, NJ! I have so many things to give away for good questions! Please ask me good questions*, so I can give you things!

* I’ll be talking about what makes a question objectively “good” or “bad” during a panel in this week’s YNN Analysis Podcast, so be sure to tune in! (Okazu Patrons get early access at all levels. For as low as $2/month, you’ll get same-day access to this new feature, now available on Patreon!)

I’ll take this opportunity to remind you that there won’t be an YNN Report next week. But I may do some extemporaneous videoing (no promises!) from the con!

Yuri Anime

It’s the all Kase-san week, as we are seven days away from the huge theatrical release of Asagao to Kase-san in the theaters in Japan.

Yet *another* goodie for folks attending the movie has been released, reports Comic Natalie, original artwork by series creator Takashima Hiromi and a photo shoot of Yamada’s voice actress, Takahashi Masami and Kase-san’s voice actress, Sakura Akane has been posted online. The photo shoot was done by Hasegawa Keisuke, the same person responsible for the Yuriten main visual.

Rightstuf has a very attractive pre-order deal for the Revolutionary Girl Utena Blu-ray set, which includes production sketches, a simply gorgeous box set design and both Student Council and Black Rose rings. I have no money and should absolutely not be getting this, but…Black Rose Ring. ^_^;

ANN has the 2nd promotional video of Happy Sugar Life and reports a July premier.

Yuri Manga

Blick Publishing has announced a digital agreement with Morishima Akiko-sensei to digitally serialize her story for Galette magazine, Motto Hanjuku Joshi, (in Japanese). Just as the title indicates, Motto Hanjuku Joshi takes place after the conclusion of her two-volume series Hanjuku Joshi. Take a look at Okazu reviews of Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the original and drop by Booklive.jp for the newest chapters!

Yurigurashi (ゆりぐらし) tells the story of a two women in a relationship, living together. Hits me right in the “I want that so hard it hurts.”

YNN Correspondent Pat wrote in to let us know that there is a third Yuri + Kanojo anthology, Yuri +Kanojo Heroine doushi no Happy End (百合+カノジョ-ヒロイン同士のハッピーエンド). It’s already in my shopping cart. I’ve enjoyed both the Yuri + Kanojo volumes I’ve read. 

The final volume of Viz Media’s definitive English release of Shimura Takako’s Sweet Blue Flowers is hitting shelves this month. I hope they did that on purpose, it being Pride Month and all….

Speaking of which, because heaven knows I don’t have enough on my plate I decided to release a “Good Pride Month Manga to Read” a day on Twitter. Because I can.

Yuri Visual Novels

I’m not trying to beat this Valve thing to death, but just after I posted this report last week, a news item came across my desk which was a bit of an ah-ha. Nick Statt on The Verge wrote: Apple rejects Valve’s Steam Link game streaming app over ‘business conflicts’. 

LGBTQ Comics

Being True, a comics anthology celebrating LGBTQ life and identity, has just launched a Pride Month kickstarter, and is already past their halfway point. Run by a local comics group out of Boston, the sincerity and sweetness of this collection is really quite lovely.

Other News

The Animate Cafe in Kyoto is celebrating Maria-sama ga Miteru‘s 20th Anniversary with special themed cafe items.

If you liked Marvel’s Black Panther, check out Nnedi Okorafor’s TED talk on science fiction that imagines a future Africa.  I’m a huge fan of her work and found the talk enlightening.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Kase-san Series News

June 9th was the official theatrical premiere of Asagao to Kase-san, the anime based on Takashima Hiromi-sensei’s manga of the same name. The press for the event has kept up the energy and at least a few theaters have booked the run for a week or even two, while other have an open-ended time frame. 

In the meantime, the interviews and articles are coming thick and fast. 

Comic Natalie reports that folks who see the OVA have another new piece of art in the pamphlet. The Director and voice actresses have a discussion about Yuri. Comic Natalie also has an event report from the premiere event. And Movie Walker has an article about the movie. (All of these are in Japanese.)

Yuri Anime

The folks at Comic Yuri Hime have yet another new anime license and, again, it is one of the stories I don’t follow, Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maoirita!  (I read about half the comics now – you know, the half they aren’t animating. ^_^) Check out the ANN report for details.

ANN also has news that Kaishaku’s incoherent Yuri-ish series, Eikyuu Monogatari ~Eternal Alice Rondo has been licensed by Diskotek. If you’ve never seen this, you won’t believe my description of it, anyway, so you might as well watch it, then come back and read my 2006 review, since not one moment of it makes sense anyway. ^_^

Yuri Manga

Killing Me~! (キリング・ミー!) is probably-a-vampire Yuri number four
It could turn out to be a bore
I may never know,
my motivation is low
I don’t think it could suck any more.

For folks who like high school love, Dare mo Ienai, Futarigoto (誰にも言えない、ふたりごと), first chapter is available online in Japanese.

There’s a new Yuri anthology on the block! Avalon (girls x garden comics) looks nice, but We’ll see. ^_^

Ichijinsha is putting out a perfect edition of Fujieda Miyabi’s Ame-iro Kouchakandan (飴色紅茶館歓談　完全版) in two volumes. Volume 1 and Volume 2 are slated for release at the end of this month. That means a new chapter in which Seriho makes Sarasa blush. Worth it.

I’m looking forward to the first volume of Model-chan to Jimimane-san (モデルちゃんと地味マネさん) about an attractive, yet flaky model and her serious, not-particularly-stylish manger.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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An extra super-duper long YNN today. Check back in at the end to see why!

Yuri Anime

As the prophecy foretold, Anime Expo, July 5-8 in Los Angeles, will include a premier of the Asagao to Kase-san OVAhosted by both the director and producer. Check out the ANN report for details. 

Both Animage and Newtype magazine July issues spends some time giving coverage to the movie.  

Of all the interviews and articles I’ve mentioned here in support of the movie, the oddest and least apparently relevant so far has to be this interview with AKB48 member Okada Nana, who assures us that it doesn’t matter if its girls in love. Well, that’s settled then. ^_^

Funimation slams back onto our radar with complete DVD/Blu-ray combio boxset releases of the entire Mai HiME collections, My Hime, My Otome and My Otome: Zwei + My Otome 0: S.ifr! All the Shizuru x Natsuki, Chie x Aoi, and Haruka x Yukino for the win!

Yuri Manga

My Pride Month Manga recommendation list is still going strong onTwitter! This past week included not-manga suggestions that I thought folks should really not miss. ^_^ (In case its not that obvious, I’m trying my damnedest to give you a variety of genre, age, subject and publishers. Unlike my usual capricious choices, this one has been curated within an inch of it’s life. ^_^ If you value the effort, please consider spending a buck or two a month to support Okazu!

Do you remember that Yuri manga I mentioned last week called Yurikabe (ゆりかべ)? I thought it was about “kabe-don”, you know when people box someone in on a wall? I was soooo wrong. The wall is a Yuri matchmaker! It’s nuts. And great. Check out Seta Seta-sensei’s wacky story on Sukima for free (in Japanese).  My wife reminds me that one of my favorite youkai is Nurikabe, so perhaps this is his lesbian cousin. ^_^

Galette magazine is looking for Yuri doujinshi artists to contribute. They are very clear that they do not provide editorial support or take non-digital submissions, but if you’re interested, check out the guidelines on Galette [meets].

Nishio Yuhta’s After Hours, Volume 2 is now available in English from Viz!

In Bakejyou! ~ Youkai Gakuen Youkoso~ ( ばけじょ! ~妖怪女学園へようこそ~), 4-panel gag comic, Azuki enters a high school for youkai. 

Sakura Minori is an average girl, why is she so popular with the other girls at this rich girls school? Find out in Minori to Hyakunin no Ojousama ( みのりと100人のお嬢様 ).

Mushroom Girls In Love, about the valiant fungus-girl Arriala, fighting to rescue her love, will hit English-language shelves in July. Bruce would have been so pleased (and puzzled).

Shiori o Page-tachi ( しおりを探すページたち) from Comic Yuri Hime magazine is a belated entry to the Yuricon Store. And sweet slice-of-life Yuri, Tsurezure Biyori ( 徒然日和 ) joins it.

LGBTQ News

Have some queer news for Pride Month. ^_^

Do you want more comics about lesbian witches? I know I do! Then check out I am Hexed Kickstarter for the comic by Kirsten Thomas!

Sapporo, Japan has issued cards proving LGBT partnerships for use in emergencies, the Kyodo News Agency reports.

Meanwhile, Mainichi reports that Sexual minorities seek recognition of same-sex partnerships from 23 municipal assemblies. 

The Japan Time says that high-profile Japanese businesswoman Katsuma Kazuyo has come out as being in a same-sex relationship with political activist Masuhara Hiroko. 

Syfy channel‘s official Twitter account did a quick tweet with 5 queer comics creators whose names and work you should know!

Here’s a first for Okazu…Good Morning America(!) has an article on the 27 countries where same-sex marriage is legal. It’s a start.  I never expected to ever mention GMA here, for sure. ^_^

Visual Novel News

Studio Élan’s first Yuri Visual Novel Heart of the Woods demo is available on Steam and itch.io. 

Aikasa Collective has entered the Yuri Visual Novel market with Mizuchi (白蛇心傳),  a supernatural fantasy, inspired by the Legend of the White Serpent. 

Other News

Deb Aoki takes a look at the growth of the English-language manga market for Publishers Weekly in A New Golden Age for Western Manga.

Rachel Thorn has a new article on her blog called The Rise, Fall…and Rebirth…? of Shōjo Manga, in Japanese.

Okazu News

After several months of frenetic events and paneling, I am taking a well-deserved extended vacation from Okazu for a few weeks. I have a bunch of reviews lined up to post while I’m offline, I expect/hope/desire to get one last YNN report out this month. For the first time ever, we will have a Guest YNN Editor! I know you all know Louis P for terrific Visual Novel reviews. Louis has kindly accepted the charge of filling in here for at least one YNN Report in July. So please appreciate the effort, the time and thank them. I know that I’m ecstatic over this. I’ve never had anyone to step in on YNN before! Whee! I will be intermittently online, but mostly, I’ll be out having fun, so you go have some summer fun too. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. 

Check out the Episode 2 of our Okazu News Analysis Podcast now on Patreon!

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Yuri Anime

ANN reports that the Yagate Kimi ni Naru anime has cast announcements and a promotional video. Minako Kotobuki (Tsumugi from K-ON!) and Yūki Takada  (Eruma from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid) will play Touko and Yuu respectively.

Happy Sugar Life has unveiled some new visuals, in this report from ANN.

One more from ANN, Comic Cune magazine’s Yuri-ish Tonari no Kyuuketsuki-chan will be getting an anime for the fall season. Anyone interested in writing some review limericks?

LGBTQ Manga

We wrap up my 30 Days of Pride Manga recommendation list on Twitter with fabulous news from Seven Seas, who have just announced that they have licensed Kamatani Yuhki’s Shimanami Tasogare!

Yuri Manga

Coupla new items up on the Yuricon Store! Hana ni Arashi (はなにあらし) follows Chidori and Nanoha who are almost as close as lovers. 

Miman’s debut volume Kimi-iro Shoujo (キミイロ少女 完全版) has been given a Perfect Edition.

In Hiru Shitagari, Mata (昼下がりに、また), Katakura Ako’s most recent volume, a married woman is wooed by her downstairs neighbor.

Sailor Moon News

The Nogizaka 46 casted version of the next Sailor Moon Musical has some cast visuals to share.

LGBTQ Comic News

Directly from creator Tee Franklin on Twitter, LGBTQ comic Bingo Love has a new edition coming out this fall!

The Comics Journal has an interview with our long-time friend Nikki Smith on her LGBTQ comic Crossplay.

Yuri Sim Game

I have no idea at all what the content is, but, Yuri Oboeru Yuri Amor / Yuri Oboeru Esperanto (百合でおぼえるユリアーモ/百合でおぼえるエスペラント) looks fascinating. Someone play this and tell us all about it!

Other News

Great news from YNN Correspondent Verso S, Julie Yllogique‏ on Twitter posted that the Annecy Film Festival featured “an all-women panel, and more importantly that it “didnt [sic] revolve around “being a woman in the animation industry”, just focusing on these amazing director’s work.” 

From Jawn-Luc Picard on Twitter, this amazing panel (from an anti-gay comic)…the birth of Diesel Dyke!

The Akihabara Gamers store is celebrating a year of their Yuribu with a special giveaway event. Buy 3 volumes of a selected set of Yuri manga and get a free first anniversary pamphlet!

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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Hello everyone! This is Louis here for the second week of YNN.

Yuri Anime

Shōjo Kageki Revue Starlight is an anime out this season and the it has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks in the U.S. and while I don’t detect any powerful Yuri vibes from it the story is about childhood friends reuniting at a takarazuka-esque school where everything seemed normal in the first episode before it ended in a dramatic magical duel between two characters spectated by a talking Giraffe so… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Flip Flappers is out in the UK released by MVM, if Eric P‘s review made it seem like something you would like why not try checking it out?

Yuri Manga

Sweet Blue Flowers Volume 4 Is now out to buy in English. Sweet Blue Flowers was one of the first yuri manga I tried to work my way though with a dictionary and I loved it and after not one but two false starts I can finally read it all in English and so should all of you. While it starts off as a ‘proper young rich girls’ story Sweet Blue Flowers does eventually give our characters society both in the trappings of education and beyond it. This comic holds a very special place in my hart and if you are fifteen to nineteen and reading this I cannot recommend this title more.

And that is the end of my brief time writing an approximation of an YNN for you all while Erica is away. I hope you found it as interesting as the usual programming which will resume next week. Thank you so much Erica for a wonderful and fun opportunity and thank you to all of you for reading.

Become a YNN Correspondent by reporting any Yuri-related news to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with your name and an email I can reply to!

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

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