Okazu

Yuri Manga: Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan, Volume 2 (あめ色紅茶館歓談)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:17:57 PST

In Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan, Volume 2 (あめ色紅茶館歓談) Sarasa and Seriho have been working together for a while now, and have settled into a routine. They kind of know that they really like one another and they are kinda sure the other feels the same way, but neither has actually broached the topic with the other.

When Seriho's old friend Sumire arrives, this changes. Sumire likes to tease Seriho, and does not like women who are meant to be together to be kept apart by their own obtuseness, so she sets them up on a date. They have a wonderful date. Sarasa has shown up a little early (2 hours or so) and has scoped out the best places to eat and shop. But it's Seriho that finally does what has never been done - she buys herself a ring and a matching ring for Sarasa and says, "I mean it 'that way.'" (Sumire-san - good job!)

Having been asked - well as much as one can expect from this delicately-spoken serie - Sarasa now has to decide if she will accept that ring. She asks Seriho to sit and be her customer as she prepares tea and scones, and, in as much as she'll ever come right out and say anything, accepts. They embrace, only to find out that all their customers and friends are watching from the window, and cheering them both on.

Things that are this cute start to hurt.

The chapters of Otome-iro Stay Tuned are collected here, so we can be reminded where we first heard of the St. Lotecia novels.

This volume ends a with Sarasa and Seriho some time in their future, talking about the impermanence of things, and the permanence of their relationship. And, we are told on the final page, that we have a new series in that future to watch for - Ame-iro-Kouchakan Kandan ~ Golden and Silver Tips, which is a damnably clever name; if you're a tea drinker, you know why.

Ratings:

Art - 8
Story - There still is no "story" per se, but as an evolution of a relationship, it's great - 8
Characters - 9
Yuri - 9
Loser FanBoy - 2 Loser Fujieda Fan - 9

Overall - 9

I'm sitting here, finishing up a cup of Darjeeling (Twinings, which used to be good, but has now become harsh and cheap and requires both milk and sugar to make it drinkable, bleah,) and thinking how there can never be enough of this series. If we chained Miyabi-sensei to his chair, he could never, ever write enough to satisfy me. This series had a light flavor, cheery body, and a satisfying mellow, ever-so-slightly bitter finish. A good afternoon read, with a good tea, (maybe a Keemun?) that calms and refreshes my spirit. Too bad we finished off the scones the wife made. Oh well, next time I want to revisit the Amber Teahouse, maybe she'll make me more and I can brew some tea for us. ^_^

The picture above is for the deluxe edition that comes with the Drama CD Blue Christmas and one of the bonus CDs. For the non-deluxe edition, use this link.

A Completely Different Kind of Graphic Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:24:28 PST

Many years ago in the Song Dynasty in China, there was a painter we know as Zhang Zeduan. He painted a massive scroll that depicted the life of a town, the Qingming Shanghe Tu, (清明上河图) "Along the River During the Qing Ming Festival." For all intents and purposes, this scroll, painted during the 12th century, is a graphic novel, done in pantomime. There are no word balloons, no action lines, but it clearly shows the life of a town during a busy day. The original is the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Last year during the Singapore Expo, a massive transmedia program was designed to bring this painting to life. It's...extraordinary. The water flows around rocks in the ground, people wander through town, meet, speak and part...a child runs after a pig, a woman rocks her infant. The very famous camel caravan wanders through town, passing under a gate. As a work of art, this has always been a striking piece - animated, I fell for it all over again.

For your entertainment - and some perspective on the concept of a Graphic Novel - please enjoy Zhang Zeduan's Qingming Shanghe Tu.

Yuri Manga: Yurikan Feuille (百合缶 Feuille)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:56:55 PST

Every few years or so, someone comes up with the idea of creating a Yuri stand-alone anthology. [ES]~ Eternal Sisters, Shoujo Yuri, Yuri Monogatari, Yuri Tengoku and many others have graced my shelves.

Some of them have borne great fruit. The characters of Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan, for instance, were first seen in [ES]. Some artists are more comfortable in these doujinshi anthologies than they are in the pages of a magazine. Morinaga Milk-sensei, for instance, spent many years drawing for exactly these kinds of anthologies, before she found a home at Comic High.

And now, a new Yuri Anthology series has arrived. The first of these, Yurikan Feuille (百合缶 Feuille) reads pretty much like any of these, with few stories that stand out and a lot of the same kind of Story A. Tears, a few kisses, a few gropes, more tears, protestations of like, sometimes love, the story ends with a sense of relief that both girls are on the same page, romantically speaking.

The first of this series features Morinaga-sensei with her Hitomi and Nana clones, who like each other, and just have never had a chance to actually say it. An accidental encounter gives them that opportunity. This pretty much sets the tone of the rest of the volume. This is fully embedded in Story A tropes - schoolgirls, confessions, confirmation. None of them really stand out as unique. They aren't awful, just a set of the same story told by different artists. Not a single one breaks the mold, except one story which adds "funny" sexual harassment to the mix.

Ratings:

Variable, obviously, being an anthology.

Overall - 6

As a collection of the same one trope, Yurikan Feuille is not terrible, not great.

Hayate x Blade Manga, Volume 15 (はやてｘブレード)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:51:47 PST

So, Volume 14 came and with it, the greatest fight ever seen at Tenchi Academy. Sae and Shizuku, out of the fight and only Hitsugi and Akira left to battle it out. Students and guests were on the edge of their seats and so were readers, I can assure you.Well, at least this reader was.

The battle ended as it had to. Bloodied, on one knee, but unbowed and unwilling to give up, Hitsugi defeated Akira. Phew, because if Akira won, Tenchi would have been disbanded. And here, in Hayate x Blade, Volume 15, (はやてｘブレード) we finally learn why.

We know that Akira's father is a bastard - we've known that for a long time. We know he favors that prig Ryouichi and treats Akira like dirt, merely because she is a girl. And we learn why, exactly he let her come to Tenchi Gakuen - to destroy the Amachi family and the school. Having won the battle, Hitsugi cheerfully pronounces Akira's punishment - to take over the school as chair. Akira now holds in her hands exactly what she was sent to get, and she runs off to give it to her father, and maybe, finally, get approval from the old man. But...Akira has undergone a transformation, and so has Sae, and together they walk away from what they were told would be their fate, in the quirkiest way possible. I won't spoil it, but I will tell you that it involves a plastic bag from a convenience store (this time, the late, much lamented AM/PM) cut into a mask.

And so Akira and Sae return to school to find that nothing has changed - except everything has changed. The new trimester has begun and Tenchi Academy is moving! But before that, there's new uniforms. And more epic battles between "randomly" chosen opponents who are so unrandom that everyone in the audience questions Hitsugi's honesty. Ayana is once again paired with Yukari; Yuho returns, and Hayate meets (as in "meets in battle") Nagi's shinyuu-to-be, Kanae and lots of stupid shit happens.

I was recently discussing Hayate x Blade with Bruce and I said that generally I really dislike physical comedy. Hayate x Blade has a ton of physical comedy - that makes me laugh out loud. The story that wraps the comedy is so smart-dumb that it's impossible not to laugh. In my imagination, Hayashiya-sensei is Hitsugi, pulling strings and manipulating characters, just to get the best damn story she can out of them. Which, she does.

Ratings:

Art - 9
Story - 10
Characters - 10
Yuri - 1
Loser FanBoy - 1

Overall - 10

Once again, Hayate x Blade is the manga I wait with greatest anticipation for monthly issue and tankoubon alike.I pray daily that this manga becomes the longest-running story ever, because I cannot imagine my life without it and I expect to live a long time.

Yuri Network News - January 21, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:21:38 PST

Yuri Anime

From multiple sources in the Phillipines comes the news that Sailor Moon is returning to TV there. Johann C from the Yuricon Mailing List says that it's getting "a New Tagalog dub with Jenny Bituin (Misaki Suzuhara in Angelic Layer, Sakura Kinomoto in Card Captor Sakura) as Usagi."

The first episode of Gokujyouu anime will be streamed for free online on January 30th and if that doesn't turn you off then we have nothing left to discuss, you and I.

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Yuri Manga

So, yesterday we announced the partnership of JManga and ALC Publishing to bring Goto Hayako's POOR POOR LIPS to digital format. Let me address some of the obvious issues that came up, to the best of my ability.

Distribution - I am pushing to try and get JManga to establish access for Yuri publications outside North America, but this is primarily an issue between JManga and the Japanese rights holder. You all know how I feel about this nonsense. If it were up to me, everyone, everywhere would have access to this book. Unfortunately, I am only in a position to suggest.

Digital Format - Yes, this is a digital format only. And only on JManga. JManga is the rights holder, not ALC. We have no say about the format.

Yesterday, this question became an issue, as some people claimed that they preferred to buy books. That may be true, but 1) As I've said many times, the book-buying Yuri audience is not yet sustainable and 2) Digital makes a lot more sense going forward than books. We are at one of those moments in time, between two formats and everyone over the age of 18 is digging in their heels saying "But I prefer books." What we really mean is, "I am used to books." Digital is not going away and, in days to come you should probably expect more digital, not less. 3) People who rely mostly on scans really, I know most of you do (not all, Okazu readers are very likely to buy when they can and I know that!) really have no voice in the distribution/format wars. I understand fully why you rely on scanlations. You don't have to justify that. But, when a legit version is available, and a person is still downloading illicit scanlations, and says, "I prefer to buy books," it's disingenuous, at best. What that person is really saying is, "I prefer free."

4chan has already stated that they want rips of the JManga edition. This is what publishers hear when "fans" say "We want a thing." They could have it, all three current volumes of Poor Poor Lips, but oh wait, not for free. So they'll just rip it and move on. THIS is why I am not trying to license the print version. There's no other reason, just this. Until this changes, I have no incentive to invest my money in the market. I don't have an angel company pouring money over my head, so I have to be very cautious.

So, while I'm very proud to be bringing the Yuri audience Poor Poor Lips, and will do what I can to make it available to as many of you as possible, I'm still frustrated by the instant "I won't buy it because..." reactions. If you have any reason at all that you won't support it, you've given up your voice in the conversation. As for all of the non-North American fans out there - I want you to know that I really understand your frustration and will keep pushing for your right to read this!

And, in keeping with the concept of anyone, anywhere reading a comic, Tsubomi magazine has put several of their comics online and they do not appear to be region-locked! Of course, they are in Japanese.

Here's the moral of the story - the market is still changing and changing quickly. Publishers are scrambling to make things available and also scrambling to pay their bills. (Like...if you do work, you should be paid for it. Well, so should the people who work for the publishers.) Japanese publishers are still a bit behind the times, but they are also doing their best. Not too long ago, someone on Twitter asked about using Kickstarter to fund an obscure series and I had to tell them the facts about publishing. The bits you see - translation, lettering and distribution are only a teeny portion of what goes into the licensing and publication of a book. Because most of the steps are invisible to readers, they may think that that's all there is. But, just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. ^_^ So, please, be patient with the industry. We're trying.

David makes a good point in the comments - the business model for JManga is off-putting for some folks. I don't disagree. Honestly, I'd prefer to have ad hoc sales as an option, too. I've mentioned that to them as well. So yes, the whole thing is imperfect. You know what? Life is imperfect. ^_^ All we get is to choose how we react to life's imperfections.

***

That wraps it up 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.

ALC Publishing and JManga Announce POOR POOR LIPS Partnership!

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:26:27 PST

Okashi Nako is a young woman living in poverty. When she applies to work at a Gem store, she learns that store owner, Otsuka Ren, is a lesbian. Ren promises that Nako’s not her type, but she may be lying…. Nako takes the job and so begins a comedic tale of rich and poor, sickness and health, for better and for worse!

ALC Publishing and JManga are proud to announce a partnership to bring you Goto Hayako’s Yuri love comedy, POOR POOR LIPS!

From JManga, the world’s first official Japanese manga portal website, directly from the 39 prominent publishers that make up the Digital Comic Association, and from ALC Publishing, a pioneer in Yuri Manga comes a partnership that brings you some of the best in Yuri digital manga straight from Japan! With the honest representation of lesbian life you’ve come to expect from ALC and the convenience of digital manga, Poor Poor Lips is sure to please Yuri fans.

(Cover Image: Poor Poor Lips Volume 1 (c)HAYAKO GOTO/Takeshobo Co., Ltd.)

Wandering Son Manga, Volume 2 (English) Guest Review by Kayden L

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:22:44 PST

Welcome back, I hope you enjoyed yesterday's blackout. As you may have guessed from my many years of writing about it here, freedom of expression is pretty much the one issue I consider to be the single *most* important issue there is. Obviously, as I discuss copyrighted materials here, and post covers and the like, it's critical to me that no one decides that my blog or any of its content must be blocked. Framing SOPA and PIPA as saving American jobs is especially nasty, as it is those very same corporations that supported these bills who have systematically undervalued, underpaid and outsourced the creative efforts of the people who make the material they lay claim to. Of course I support creators' rights and their copyright, but SOPA and PIPA have no stronger provisions for creators.

As with LGBTQ content and purges to supposedly "save the children," I feel as if we must be extra vigilant with any designs to block Internet access. Thus, the blackout. Thank you for bearing with me.

In any case, today we come back with a bang! A brand new Guest Reviewer, Kayden L, is joining our ranks. When I reviewed Wandering Son, Volume 1, Kayden made some great points in the comments about the spectrum of transgender and genderqueer life, and so I requested Kayden review Volume 2. And here we are. ^_^ Please welcome Kayden and enjoy this guest review!

Ahoy, everyone. My name is Kayden and I identify as a trans/genderqueer individual, and here’s my review of Wandering Son...

Time seems to be moving quickly in Volume 2 of Wandering Son. Already, Shuichi is heading into the 6th grade, but as the characters soon learn, age comes with increased social and gender pressures.

When Yamazaki-sensei tells the class to write an essay on what their dreams are, we find that Shuichi experiences “censor’s block” (rather than writer’s block). After struggling with the assignment for several nights, Shuichi submits a paper that says, “I don’t know yet. I’m sorry”. As readers, we know that Shuichi has a dream – “to be a beautiful woman” – but the portrayal of Shu’s self-policing is one of many examples of Shimura-sensei’s excellent storytelling skill. Through Shuichi, readers are able to get a glimpse of the closet in which many LGBTQI people hide. Seemingly irrelevant day-to-day decisions, such as the simple task of writing about one’s hopes and dreams for the future, become difficult for many closeted individuals who feel like they may be ostracized, ridiculed, or harassed for having personal wants, needs, preferences, and/or goals that deviate from social norms.

Luckily, Shuichi is able to find full acceptance with Takatsuki-kun (Yoshino) and Chiba-san (Saori), and it is within this the tiny community of friends that Shuichi develops a positive outlook on identity. That community is slightly expanded when Shuichi and Yoshino, dressed as a girl and a boy respectively, go out on one of their excursions and befriend Yuki (the woman who flirted with Yoshino in Volume 1). Initially, Yuki believes that Shuichi is a girl and that Yoshino is a boy, but she eventually learns the truth and becomes a sort of mentor, along with her boyfriend, Shii, to both kids by offering emotional support; adult approval of who they are; and a safe physical space in her apartment, where they can be themselves. Perhaps most importantly, Yuki tells the kids to have pride in their own selves: “You must never become discouraged or afraid… you two are just too good for that”. When a classmate harasses and calls Shuichi a faggot during a school trip, it is Yuki’s words that inspire Shuichi to find the strength to stand up against the bully.

Shimura Takako’s Wandering Son is a beautifully drawn and skillfully executed story about being different and how people struggle with being alone. It is an excellent springboard for LGBTQI discussion, and I believe that its universal themes (eg. finding your identity, being bullied, growing apart from friends) can appeal to everyone, rather than just LGBTQI audience.

Naturally, the story does not reflect all trans/queer experiences, but when I read this series, I get nostalgic because I see my younger self in Yoshino and Shuichi; I remember doing, feeling, and thinking the exact same things. I take my hat off to Shimura-sensei for capturing a trans/queer experience that feels genuine and honest.

For any of you who are interesting in reading Volume 2, I tried not to reveal too many things… so if you want to know Yuki’s secret, or find out how a family member reacts when Shuichi’s secret is discovered, you should give Wandering Son a try. Also, there’s an essay, written by manga scholar Matt Thorn, at the end of the book that’s titled “Transgendered in Japan” that may be of interest to some of you.

Ratings:

Art: 8
Story: 8
Character: 9
LGBTQI: 9
LFB: 1 for Yuki’s “cradle robbing”… and for what her boyfriend did in the elevator

Overall - 8

Thank you Kayden for another perspective on what I agree is a stellar series!

Yuri Manga Tsubomi, Volume 15 (つぼみ)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:33:58 PST

Volume 15 of Tsubomi (つぼみ) begins with illustrations by Hayashiya Shizuru that, when I saw them the first time, motivated me to tell her on Twitter that they were "stimulating." A female bodyguard and her charge are seen surrounded by a crowd (opening, awards event, something like it, there are floodlights and photographers and a crowd) on one color page and on the other, black-and-white page, sharing an intimate moment in bed. Really, truly great. Hayashiya-sensei said that she'd love to draw their story one day and I said that I'd love to read it. ^_^

"Hoshikawa Ginza Yon-choume" continues with Minato coming down with a cold...again. Now that I've read the whole second volume, I'm kind of cooling on this series, unless it actually goes somewhere that doesn't make me dislike everyone more.

"Walk Wit Me" [sic] comes to a crisis, and probably a close, as Mallory and Wendy leave their moribund town and the dead souls that live there. In this chapter, it becomes more plain that this is a dust bowl America we're in. I'd want out too. They end up heading down Rt. 66 to wherever.

Shou belatedly realizes what Chiharu means to her, in "Kurai mori, Shiroi michi."

Hakamada Mera's "Higashitotsuka of Eden" is finally starting to take shape, not so much as a Yuri story, but as an otaku story. "Kiku-chan" finds herself outed as a doujinshi author, when the manga research club participates in a comic event.

Hikaru and Megumi go to the ocean with friends in "Prism". As they kiss, in a corner of the beach away from the rest of the crowd, they are seen by a passing group of people who are rude about it. Later, as they leave the convenience store, they encounter that same group, who proceed to intimidate them physically and verbally. Not surprisingly, this scene is rough. One feels one's stomach go tense almost immediately, and when the girls are cornered, then harassed, you start to look around the room for help. Luckily for Megu and Hikaru, help arrives and they are freed from a quickly escalating ugly situation. But the feeling lingers for a while. This scene is uncomfortably realistic, which means that the creator has managed to convey the situation well, and make us care about the characters. Another sign of the evolution and maturity of Yuri, we're getting yet another look at some of the less savory issues a lesbian couple might face. Tsubomi pushes the envelope once again. Kind of a surprise, really, that Tsubomi is the one willing to take that risk, before the older, more established, Comic Yuri Hime.

The rest of this volume was of less interest to me, but might be high interest of you, so do consider buying this magazine and showing your support for the Yuri creators that are working quite hard to bring you stories of interest.

Ratings:

Overall - 7

Utena Black Rose Box Set Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:52:02 PST

Thanks to everyone who entered the Revolutionary Girl Utena Black Rose Box Set contest.

The winner this time around is Jeri Mitchell. Congrats!

Yuri Webcomic: Girly, Volume 4 (English)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:10:10 PST

The last volume of Josh Lesnick's Girly series, Girly Forever, is a testimony to passion. Passion for cartooning, first and foremost, but also the obvious, laudable, passion Otra and Winter have for one another.

Having established Winter and Otra as a couple in previous volumes, Josh felt comfortable splitting them up for a good chunk of this story. But, before we get there, in Volume 3, there's a number of flashbacks and story building leads that we need to get through, then a few digressions and premature story starts and stops and then, suddenly, in Volume 4, the plot is a gigantic ball of story elements moving downhill and gathering complications like a webcomic version of Katamari Damacy.

When I was reading the chapters that would become the last volume as a webcomic, it was maddening. I would save up a few months of strips at a time, in order to feel like something was happening. Reading it as a volume, I found it worked much better than the previous volumes in terms of narrative. In effect, this was the closest Josh comes to a "graphic novel" rather than a comic strip collection.

The story as a whole has a pretty Yuri-riffic ending, in which Love saves the day - and is suitably rewarded with Sex, which is as it should be. And the things that made no sense still make no sense, which is also as it should be.

Ratings:

Art - 8
Story - 7
Characters - 8
Yuri - 9
Loser FanBoy - 5

Overall - 8

I'm kind of sorry Girly is over. Reading these volume (or re-reading the strips, however you look at it,) has made me miss it. Girly was the only webcomic I ever really followed. Nothing else has been consistent enough, cohesive enough and wacky enough to hold my attention for any length of time. I seriously want to thank Josh for Girly, it cheered me up on many a day that I needed a smile (since shooting someone into space was not an option) and congrulate him on this complete collection. I'm proud to have helped contribute to the Kickstarter and hope he'll do another series some day that I can follow at irregular intervals and still enjoy.

Yuri Network News - January 14, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:52:43 PST

Happy first YNN report of the New Year! It looks like there'll be a lot of shiny fun for Yuri fans of all persuasions this year. Today we'll catch up on some anime trailers and the like.

Yuri Anime

Looking forward to Black Rock Shooter anime? Check out the trailers on the official website. (I'm really hoping that this series looks half as good as all the figurines for this series, which tempted me mightily over the New Year holiday in every single store.)

The Smile! PreCure commercial has aired, take a look here.(NicoNico Douga is iffy, so if you have an account there, try logging in to see it.) The "difference" this time is that they are going with a team right out of the box, rather than two to start, then adding in a new character at intervals. They are also going with extra super teeth-grittingly cute names. I think they are punishing the adults who watch the series. Cure Happy, Cure Smile. Ugh. ^_^

Of great interest to me, the first Jormungand anime trailer is up on ANN, with the pleasant bonus of Itou Shizuka as Koko (She was Nadie in El Cazador de la Bruja and Rei in Maria-sama ga Miteru.) She's a perfect choice for the role, I couldn't be happier. And, while I say this knowing I should be careful what I wish for, I hope they leave the Valmet-Koko service in, because I like it. ^_^

Probably no more Yuri than its predecessors, but by Yuri-friendly Nanzaki Iku, Queen's Blade: Rebellion is slated for a spring release.

Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, A Channel and Yuru Yuri are all getting second seasons of anime.

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Yuri Manga

JManga is now offering Morita-san ha Mukuchi for your reading enjoyment! The Yuri is very light in this series, but the overall story is enjoyable enough that it's worth a read.

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Other News

Manga Erotics F magazine announced a line of toys this year, including an Ah-chan figurine, for fans of Aoi Hana.

And for those who like to take their Yuri in game form, the trailer for the upcoming Madoka Online Browser game is streaming.

I was joking on Twitter a few days back, about which series has been the most over-merchandised series of 2011. The top three suggestions were One Piece (which has got to have hit some kind of saturation point in Japan by now...there are no stores of any kind without One Piece *somethings*) K-ON! and Madoka.

My three favorite random branded items seen for these are:

Axe has One Piece body spray available, I can't imagine what Luffy or Chopper body spray could smell like and I never tried to find out...

K-ON! themed "Fuwa Fuwa Time" cotton candy in a bag at Lawson.

Madoka men's trunk underwear.

So, yeah, these three win.

***

That wraps it up 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.

Revolutionary Girl Utena Anime Box Set - Volume 2, Disk 3 (English)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:28:11 PST

Revolutionary Girl Utena, Volume 2, Disk 3 provides a whole lot of food for thought, doesn't it?

So, first of all, let look at the final of the puppet duelists for the Black Rose, Nanami's henchchick, Keiko. Like Wakaba, Keiko's story hurts. It hurts, because she's not one of the beautiful people and not one of the chosen. She's a real person, with big gaping flaws, but we can't quite hate her, or dismiss her, as we might Tsuwabuki, precisely because, like Wakaba, her dreams are so mundane. Anyone might wish for a moment alone with their idol. It's a dream that is dull as dirt. As a result, when Nanami is horrible to Keiko, we feel it. When Yuuko and Aiko are horrible to her, it's especially unforgivable.

And, at last, we reach the core of the Black Rose story, and the illusions with which Mikage has wrapped himself. The story, however one looks at it, is at best, creepy and self-serving. At worst, it's possible the single most depressing illusion in the entirety of the series. There was a young, sickly boy, Mamiya and his sister Tokiko and Mikage became obsessed with their memory...but it's not Mikage at the center of the manipulation, we learn incontrovertibly. It's not just Akio, as we might have suspected. For whatever reason - and at this point I'm inclined to think that Anthy's line about lying to one's self for love is the first honest thing she's said in this series - Anthy is involved. In the first arc, we thought to ourselves, "She is merely being used." But when Akio tells us that Anthy does not exists at the school, we have to wonder how much of everything is her doing. Akio has social engineering skills and he apparently wields the power, but then, we have to ask ourselves now...what is Anthy?

At the end of the arc, we get a completely different kind of clip episode, highlighting Nanami's duplicity and ego. It's very hard to like her at the end of this arc. It's important to remember, yet again, that Nanami is about 13. She may pretend to be grownup, but...it's clear now and will become even clearer later, that she's basically clueless about people. This will also become very, very important towards the end.

Here at the end of the Black Rose Arc, we're no closer to understanding any of what's going on, or are we? We know several things; Akio is manipulating the situation, even as far as Utena and Anthy's relationship. We know that he has all but abandoned the Student Council, except as tools, and we know that whatever is going on, Anthy is the center of it, in one way or another.

And we know, although she truly does not yet understand this, that Utena is the only sword that can cut through this Gordian knot.

The third and final arc is on our plate and I find myself tense about watching it. In fact, I've been kind of avoiding it for the last few years.

In the extras Ikuhara gives us some answers as to why there is an apparent strain of lesbianism in the series. His answer is cogent - for him, making Utena and Anthy "lesbians" is a visual symbol of otherness. But that only explains some of what's going on, really, the stories of incest and male homosexuality that are either hinted at, or explicitly stated. I've said for years that Utena is a series that is exactly like any other high school, on steroids, and in this case the sexuality is stand-in for all the many things that make us different. For once I think Ikuhara did a good job of answering really crappy fanboy question. Dudes, there were *way* more than just lesbians in the series.

Last, before I do ratings, we're going to wrap up the Black Rose Arc contest this weekend, so if you haven't already gotten the series, and want a chance to win the second Box Set, read the contest rules and send in your entry by Midnight Saturday, January 14th. Winner will be anounced on Sunday. Thanks for your patience in getting to the end of this arc.

Ratings:

Art - 9
Story - 10
Character - 9
Yuri - 3
Loser FanBoy - 3

Overall - 9

Princess Knight Manga, Volume 1 (English)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:20:17 PST

In 1954, Tezuka Osamu began the first serialization of a series called Ribon no Kishi, Knight of the Ribbon. In the subsequent four serializations, the story was altered slightly and even had a sequel. But, throughout these iterations, the main story held true - in a country in which the position of ruler was entailed, so that only a boy could become King, a daughter is born. To hide her true nature, she is brought up as a boy, Prince Sapphire.

Sapphire is endowed with two hearts, that of a boy and that of a girl. The boy's heart makes her athletic, honorable and strong. The girl's heart makes her emotional and weak. Yes, yes, I know, it's exhausting. Think of Tezuka like your grand (or great-grandfather if you're young) who never did figure out what the 60s and 70s were about and didn't understand why feminists didn't like having the door opened for them.

Sapphire is, in any case, stuck in a bad situation. Although she'd like to be a "normal" girl, instead she's forced to be a beautiful prince. She and her family are well aware of the consequences of being found out, so she does her best, manning up as much as she can. This is complicated by the schemes of Duke Duralamin, who is just positive that Sapphire is a girl, and wants his own son to rule the Kingdom in her place.

Now, at last, brought to us in English by Vertical Publishing, we have Princess Knight. These volumes are a translation of the 1977 Complete Works Edition of Ribon no Kishi. (Interestingly, the very same version I happen to own in Japanese.)

I won't beat around the bush - this story is frustrating as hell. When she has her boy heart, Sapphire is commanding and decisive, but without it, she's a mess. There's no way we can forgive that, can we? But let's look, not at the story itself, but what it spawned. Because, for Yuri fans, Sapphire is most important for her heirs....which is a really bizarre irony, when I say that out loud.

Lady Oscar of Rose of Versailles - born a girl, raised as a boy, but never for one second less aware of her existence as a woman, with conflicting, simultaneous roles as a leader of the military, a noble, a servant of a spoiled queen and a person who believed deeply in the rights of her fellow humans.

Princess Ereminia of Paros no Ken, who struggles as a female warrior with the heart of a man, forced to marry in order to put her kingdom under the protection of a man, who ultimately chooses to abandon her country to be with the woman she loves.

Tenoh Haruka, Sailor Uranus of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, who, we are explicitly told, has the hearts of a man and a woman and, when asked what gender she is replies, "Does it matter?"

Also topically once more,

Tenjou Utena of Revolutionary Girl Utena, who wears the boy's school uniform and wants to be the Prince Sapphire wishes she weren't.

All of these - and many other favorite Yuri characters - owe their existence to Sapphire. Although she might not have been able to find the strength in her girl's heart, one look at this list, and we can be comforted that her successors most certainly found their's.

Vertical's translation/reproduction is swell, but I do have to take issue with their extremely ugly covers. I have no idea what the thinking behind the cover design was. The pink, i.e. "Girl" cover (ARGH!!!!) is a pale, washed out pink. Sapphire herself is all-but-colorless. Compared to, say, this:

it looks pretty blecch. Volume 2 isn't really all that much better, with an equally bland blue "Boy" cover. (Not the super-saturated blue in the Amazon listing, a sort of pearly, light, greyish-blue.)

Princess Knight, Volume 1 is not as satisfying a read as you might expect, but don't look at it that way. Sapphire *is* Snow White on a horse, with a sword and, as such, she's actually pretty darn cool. And for those who came after, we all must bow in her general direction and honor her as the great ancestor she is.

Ratings:

Art - 8 Tezuka is an acquired taste, like fine wine
Story - 8 Not without problems, but overall, kind of fun, what with the pirates and witches and giant birds and other pop culture elements from literature of the ages.
Characters - 7 Both bad and good guys are stereotypes, but they aren't entirely unlikable
Yuri - 0
Loser FanBoy - 1, on principle only

Overall - 8

Thanks Vertical for bringing this here and letting us all see the origin of our Girl Prince!

Note: Let me just make two afternotes here:

In some Native American traditions, mixed gender people are known as Two Hearts or Two-Spirits. I have no idea if Tezuka knew that or not.

Also, it's well-known that Tezuka gew up in the town of Takarazuka, home of the Takarazuka Review, which strongly influenced Princess Knight.

This way you don't have to feel obliged to write in and tell me these things. ^_^

Himawari-san Manga, Volume 2 (ひまわりさん)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:09:13 PST

In Himawari-san, Volume 1, Matsuri discovers that a nearby bookstore is run by a quiet, pleasant woman. Matsuri falls for the woman, and starts hanging around the book store. Matsuri begins to help out around the store, even though she doesn't really seem to enjoy reading, at all.

Himawari-san, Volume 2 (ひまわりさん) begins with a reaffirmation by Matsuri that her affection is rather for the bookstore's owner than the store itself. Among other things, we learn that Matsuri is not the only person who has had her life altered by Himawari-san. Her somewhat stand-offish classmate, has as well. We also learn that Himawari-san is so well regarded by the town that she can't really just go out for a chore or two without being loaded up with a few kind extras.

But the real star of this volume of Himawari-san is Himawari-san's origin story. Who knew that a quiet, bookish store owner would need an origin story?!? But indeed, Himawari-san does. It turns out that she was a taciturn young woman whose brother used to go to the store. She was not a reader at the time, and didn't care, but was creeped out, then fascinated, then kind of taken with the owner...a woman called Himawari-san.We learn that Himawari-san is not the current owner's true name, but one she has been given as the owner of the store. And so, we learn how the original Himawari-san befriended our current Himawari-san. In the meantime, our Himawari-san was a student in high school, with a sempai that actually cared for her deeply, and asked her to leave school to travel the world with her, as she took photographs. When the original(?) Himawari-san becomes too ill to continue, our Himawari-san suddenly decides what she wants to do with her life. She passes on her sempai's offer and becomes the owner of Himwari Bookstore.

Matsuri, it turns out is definitely not alone in having her life changed by a Himawari-san.

A short extra makes it plain (sort of annoying, because you know, really it was obvious) that Himawari's brother also liked the original Himawari.

And so a second volume of Himawari-san draws to a close. It feels like the ending of a British period drama. Who knows whether we'll ever hear of Flambards again, but for that moment in time, those characters were important to us.

Ratings:

Art - 9
Story - 7
Characters - 8
Yuri - 2
LFB (Loser FanBoy) - 1
LFB (Lesbian Favoring Bibliophile) - 10

Overall - 9

I was being snarky when I mentioned Flambards. It's all Downton Abbey now, as if there'd never before been such an amazing series about people living in a manor house. But, there has been. Many. Grazillions. Flambards came first. So did Upstairs Downstairs and many others.

Many thanks to today's sponsor, Okazu Superhero George R. for more pleasant time spent at the Himawari Bookstore!

Yuri Manga: Tsubomi, Volume 14 (つぼみ)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:36:14 PST

Tsubomi, Volume 14 (つぼみ) starts off with a very interesting story. "Walk Wit Me" [Sic] takes place in the Dust Bowl of America during the post-WWI area. This is not entirely apparent in this first chapter, but the abandoned oil rigs and clothing are a big hint in that direction. I'm not sure what Wendy's mother's issue is, but nonetheless Mallory and Wendy face issues of class, and of course acceptance.

In "Hana to Hoshi" Hanaii is made aware of Hoshino's relationship with her sempai and this shock is compounded when a male classmate confesses he likes her.

Kiku-chan is drawn into the Manga Research Club in Hakamada Mera's "Higashitotsuka of Eden." This seems like it's a good thing, but Kiku-chan certainly doesn't appear all that happy with it. That may be more because she just doesn't know what to do with her rich, attractive, neighborly next-door neightbor, Hiyoshi-san's outgoing personality.

Another one of those series that I took a long time to getting around to noticing is "Prism" by showhigashiyama. Once I noticed it, I suddenly realized that I actually liked it. Hikaru and Megumi have a shockingly normal and realistic relationship. I look forward to seeing this in collection now, so I can retrace the story of two very real young ladies in love.

"Kuraimori, Shiroimichi" isn't heading anywhere fast, but I want to believe that Shou will realize her feelings for the blind woman who has intruded into her life.

"Candy" continues with an entirely unrealistic, but very cute chapter, in which Kanan and Chiaki commit a minor piece of school vandalism in order to have an intimate moment together.

And that was it for stories I liked this month. Less than half but there's probably something in there for you, so please, remember to support Yuri when you can with actual money. Downloading scans doesn't pay the artists. Thanks. ^-^

Ratings:

Overall - 7

Yuri Manga: Lonely Wolf, Lonely Sheep (ロンリーウルフ・ロンリーシープ)

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:49:43 PST

Have I added Mizutani Fuuka to my "squee" list yet? No? Oh well, consider her officially added. Squee! It's true that my favorite work by her is the entirely straight 14-sai no Koi, but Lonely Wolf, Lonely Sheep comes really close.

Lonely Wolf, Lonely Sheep (ロンリーウルフ・ロンリーシープ) is predicated upon a coincidence. Kakimoto Imari, is sitting in a physical rehab office waiting room, waiting to have treatment on her left hand. That is, two people, improbably named Kakimoto Imari are waiting. When their names are called, it further turns out that they both have left hand injuries and that they are born only one day apart. Thus begins an awkward and sweet friendship that becomes something more.

"Big" Imari is indeed a tall, boyish woman, who works for a landscaping company and is not used to the company of women. "Little" Imari is short, cute and, suffering from depression. As we learn, she is an artist, but suffering from a complete block and has been doing herself harm as a result. Big Imari has a resolution for her problem - Little Imari can just stop painting, and come to work with her at the landscaping company doing mosaics! Which, she does and the two become even closer.

But that leads into a darker, more serious arc, as we meet Imari's sempai, a unpleasant woman who clearly emotionally manipulates Big Imari in order to keep her dependent. She goes so far as to push Little Imari down the stairs to keep them apart, but Little Imari has other plans and together, she and Big Imari free themselves of the odious presence.

The final chapter has the two of them pondering the chances of such an unlikely meeting. "Almost zero," Big Imari says, but little Imari takes her hand and replies, "Not zero at all." Squee!

This is the second series from Tsubomi that deals with an abusive relationship. This time, emotionally abusive, but the facts are plainly put. It's only Little Imari's strength of will to stand up and fight that drives Rika away. And it's Big Imari that dispels the darkness with which Little Imari has surrounded herself.

As ridiculous a premise as it is, I read every single chapter in Tsubomi rooting for the Imaris. Which is exactly what I like best about Mizutani-sensei's work. I root for the characters. I *want* them to get together. In a short story about two people meeting in this crazy world, that's really the very best you can hope for as an author.

Ratings:

Art - 8
Story - 8
Characters - 10
Yuri - 8
Loser FanBoy - 1

Overall - 8

So, while its not much more than a really well-told "Story A," it's a really well-told "Story A"!

Prunus Girl Manga (プラナス・ガール) Guest Review by Tomo K.

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:55:01 PST

Today is an extra specially lucky day for all of us - we have a new Guest Reviewer! Tomo K. has graciously offered to write up a review of Matsumoto Tomoki's Prunus Girl. You may remember that Tomo told us about this manga, which runs in Square Enix's Monthly GanGan Joker last month.

I hope you'll all extend a warm Okazu welcome to Tomo! Kind words in the comments fields will be appreciated.

Prunus Girl (プラナス・ガール) begins on the day when the result of Maki's senior high entrance exam is posted. He meets a cute girl and it looks like a fated encounter, but the girl, Aikawa, later turns out to be his classmate and an 男の娘 (otoko-no-ko: a male who looks/dresses/acts completely female).

I found it amusing how quick the other students adapt to Aikawa, with the girls treating him like a female friend, and the guys accepting him because he's cute. Even the teachers let him wear a girl's uniform at school, because what he is wearing is a school uniform after all.

Aikawa seems to like Maki quite a bit, telling Maki he'd prefer to be "a girl" in front of him, barging into Maki's dorm room and insisting they sleep in the same bed, barging into the dorm room another time and borrowing Maki's (male) uniform and wearing it to school the next day. Maki realizes he does enjoy spending his time with Aikawa, but he's not sure whether it's because Aikawa's his best friend, or whether it's because he sees Aikawa as a girl.

Now for the Yuri part. In vol. 2, Hanazaka, Maki's friend from junior high, transfers to his class and introduces herself to everyone by tell them that she likes girls.

Then in vol. 4, Wakakusa, Maki's first love and Hanazaka's ex-girlfriend, transfers to the senior high as well. Wakakusa has chased Hanazaka to the school, demanding to know why she'd
been rejected.

Now Hanazaka turns out to be the only daughter of a company CEO. He expects his daughter to get married and have the groom be his successor, so of course he protests when his daughter declares she'll never get married and will spend the rest of her life with Hanazaka. So Hanazaka had left to prevent a breakdown of her girlfriend's family relationships.

In the end, the two do get back together, and Wakakusa tells Hanazaka she will make her father congratulate the two, no matter how many years it takes.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Maki and Aikawa's relationship evolves, as the Yuri episode seemed like a foreshadowing of problems the two'll face if they decide to go out as a couple.

In the latest episode in the magazine, Maki and Aikawa are dressed as groom and bride at the school's culture festival, running from the other students, as the student council suddenly declars that any student that captures either of them will be granted a one-day date with them. So Maki is carrying Aikawa like a princess, and is dashing around.

Art - 7
Story - 6
Character - 7
Yuri - 4
Fanservice - 6
Overall - 7

Vol. 5 is scheduled for a spring release.

Thank you so much for this review, Tomo. This is exactly why a Yuri Network is so important - we would never have known about this series without you!

Comiket and New Year's Swag

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:44:07 PST

For fun, we unbagged/boxed all of our stuff this time, even the wife's piles of stickers and postcards. Click on the picture for a larger image. Let the detailed examination begin!

Up against the pillow are all the calendars I got. I have more calendars than I have room for calendars....

Warratte! Sotomura-san (笑って！外村さん) Manga, Volume 1

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:09:00 PST

I jokingly refer to a certain set of magazines as "Manga Time Kirara (and all its little wizards)" around my house. When, mere hours ago, I stood in a store and faced down the many, many Manga Time magazines, I was reminded why. There are a truckload of these, ever so slightly dissimilar magazines that, when looked at as a whole are all pretty much identical.

And because Yuri is on the list of acceptable fetishes for this particular set of just-slightly-dissimilar 4-koma manga, many of the series found in the pages of these many magazines have some Yuri. For instance, Morita-san ha Mukuchi, which effectively has one joke (Mayu doesn't talk) and two possible Yuri characters.

I picked up Warratte! Sotomura-san (笑って！外村さん) by Minamori Minamo, expecting one joke and no Yuri, and was right about one of those things.

Sotomura Natsuki is a very nice girl, who likes typical girly things but, has a very unfortunate smile. Unfortunate in the sense that when she "smiles," she's likely to terrify people and make them think she's about to punch their lights out. This, combined with a natural shyness that is expressed in terse sentences...and the fact that she wears her school skirt long, makes Natsuki look like, well, a gang boss. Everyone in her class is convinced that she bosses her poor younger brother around, beats up children and animals and gets into fights before school. In reality, her brother and she get along perfectly well, she likes children and animals and is likely to ruin her uniform climbing up a tree to rescue a balloon or a kitten.

This is the one joke in the manga. Natsuki smiles like wolf grins and talks like a gang boss. That's it.

Haruno, a girl from another class, befriends Natsuki after she realizes that that leer *is* Natsuki's smile. So now Natsuki has a friend. This made the difference between this being a very sad manga and a totally tolerable one. Natsuki also has an admirer.

Early on in the manga Natsuki saves a girl from being bullied and later in the manga, the girl reappears, ready to become a good gang member, dedicated to protecting her boss. But, of course, Natsuki is missing this completely, as she inappropriately replies to the girl's request to call her Onee-san, by telling her to call her Anego (gang patois for "Big Sis.")

Her admirer takes up bokutou to better be able to protect the boss and shadows Natsuki, (much like the glasses girl stalks Mayu) and possibly admires her more. And that's about that for that.

Ratings:

Art - 6
Story - 6 (It skirts being too full of pathos for my taste)
Characters - 6
Yuri - 2
Loser FanBoy - 1

Overall - 6

As I say, there's only one joke, so reading too much of it at once can be too much. I suggest reading manga like this in small chunks over a few days for maximum fun.

Kibbles and Bits

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:50:00 PST

Just wanted to share this with you - it's the Life-size Gundam from the Yurikamome train:

Comiket Day 3 and New Year's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:20:37 PST

Comiket Day 3 was a short, to-the-point shopping day. Day 3 at Comiket is always ero-day and, as a result, the lines are longer, the crowds are bigger and more claustrophobic. I tend to think of it as a ride made out of people. ^_^ Pro tip: At winter Comiket, the smell is less AND winter coats provide padding to ward off bruising.

We headed straight for Atelier Myabi, because a year without a Fujieda Miyabi calendar is a sad year. The wife commented that the dining room just wouldn't look right without one. We threaded our way through the East Halls until we reached our only other objective, Junk-Lab and Raku-gun. This year's Junk Lab doujinshi is, according to the note in the back, the last. With three pro gigs, Takemiya-sensei just doesn't have time, I bet. Good for her. And we stopped by Himekawa Akira's table in order to meet the artists for the Arabic-language manga, Gold Ring. That was very lovely.

We lunched with Ana and Kazami Akira-san, a very nice gentleman who follows the North American anime and manga markets for Japanese readers. The conversation covered how much Comiket has changed since we first were there ten years ago. Even on Day 3, there were many women this time. And people chatted on line, which they never used to do. We saw more cosplay just walking around. And, most striking, we saw people reading doujinshi in public. When we attended in 2002, Rica and I discussed how that was not done. She asked me for a doujinshi and sat on the train reading it openly, just because she's like that. This time, we saw people doing that.

The biggest change in ten years was this. Ten years ago, if you asked me what Comiket was, I'd have told you it was a place to be alone in a large crowd. Now, it's much more of a social event. As you can imagine, I think that's a wonderful thing. We even saw a couple or two there on dates to Comiket. It was very cute. He had his circles, she had hers...but they were clearly together.

New Year's Day in Japan is a great time to visit temples and shrines. The wife and I have our particular favorites. We actually managed to hit all of them today. At the Zojoji, which is a very popular temple/shrine complex that belonged to the Tokugawa family, we traditionally eat our New Year yakisoba. After paying our respects to Buddha, I pulled a fortune and got "excellent luck"! That was cool, and we headed around the corner to visit a small Benzaiten temple I very much like. We then went to the Toyokawa Inari shrine for the wife, where I discovered I had lost a glove. On the way back to the subway, I found the glove. See, excellent luck after all! ^_^ (I really like these gloves....)

We're back in the room eating exceedingly unhealthy snacks and planning on heading over to Fuji TV tonight, perhaps, or maybe something else.

I hope you all have excellent luck in the new year. ^_^

Postscript: We did get to Fuji TV, where we found Hello Kitty's roger ala One Piece, Hello Kitty dressed as Chopper and funniest of all, Chopper dressed as Hello Kitty. Then we wandered over to Aqua City Odaiba for food. Without fail, it was the most depressing place I have ever been to in my life. For a fashionable hotspot, it was dreadful.

Top Ten Yuri List of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:05:37 PST

As always, this list is a conglomeration of people, things, companies and random items of note. This list is not subject to sense or sensibility, it's just whatever pops into my head as being notable.

Honorable Mention) Princess Knight - This story isn't Yuri, but it created the enduring and popular Girl Princess trope, and for that, we really need to thank Vertical for publishing it in English. Without Sapphire's two hearts, we would not have had Haruka, or Utena, or Oscar or Erminia. Thanks Vertical for giving us a chance to read this manga classic!

10) MangaTime Kirara/Comic High/IKKI - Not Yuri magazines, but more and more supportive of Yuri (or Yuri-ish) narratives and sometimes, even a lesbian or two. To some extent, the popularity of Yuri is driven as much by these series, as by anything in one of the all-Yuri manga magazines, because these magazines may well reach a wider audience. In any case, without these, we would not have Poor Poor Lips, GIRL FRIENDS, Sasamekikoto and a host of other Yuri-friendly series.

9) Tsubomi/Pure Visual Anthology Hirari/Comic Yuri Hime While I do not love every story in every issue of these magazines, it's hard to be grumpy about the fact there there are three Yuri-focused magazines out there that are financially successful enough to stay afloat for some years running. The size of the Yuri market is still small, but with more good titles and a few blockbuster titles, like Yuru Yuri, we're sure to see it's gradual growth - thanks to these magazines.

8) Rakuen Le Paradis - This magazine does not get enough love. It should get a LOT of love, for being the vehicle for Nishi UKO's "Collector"s Series, Takemiya Jin's "Omoi no Kakera" and not least, Hayashiya Shizuru's re-etry into Yuri. It's josei in the way that Comic Beam is seinen, which is to say, sort of, but really for anyone. It's a great read and whatever the orientation of the story, it's a great read.

7) Okazu Readers - Always, you make this list. Every time. Because every year, it's you that makes writing this blog worthwhile. Your comments, your challenges, your support and your enthusiasm for Yuri is what keeps me going. And you are the market for all this new Yuri. Okazu readers buy what we want to read or watch and thus support the industry we love. Once more, I am honored and pleased to be able to thank you and let you all know that you are the greatest readers, Guest reviewers and Heros!

6) Nozomi/RightStuf - I think it's important to take a moment and really, seriously thank Nozomi/RightStuf for once again investing money in Yuri fandom, when that's still a leap of faith. A shout out here to Seven Seas and JManga for their investments as well. Hopefully we can make those investments worth it and support these companies that bring us books we want to read and anime we want to watch!

5) Minamoto Hisanori/Fujieda Miyabi - These two gentlemen write sweet, soft Yuri, with women who love each other and want to be together forever. They create atmospheres we want to be a part of and people we want to know. How many of us have thought how cool it would be to have a real Amber Teahouse? I know I have. For the many hours pleasantly passed with their characters, these men make number 5 on the list.

4) Hayashiya Shizuru - This is a woman who has been "in Yuri" for a very long time. She started in doujinshi, with the same brand of physical comedy and goofy romance that we've come to love in Hayate x Blade. I'm not entirely sure she could write a non-silly story. For all her efforts over the years and for her absolutely likable characters, Hayashiya-sensei and her work makes my Top Ten once again. May she never stop drawing.

3) Morishima Akiko/Nishi UKO/Morinaga Milk - Like Hayashiya-sensei, these three women have been "in Yuri" for many years and for all of those years, in three completely unique ways, they all have continually pushed the boundaries of what Yuri is. Yuru Yuri is popular now, but is the opposite of timeless, draped in current tropes as it is; what these women have wrought will be around for years.

2) Takemiya Jin - For bringing discussion of LGBT lives firmly into Yuri in a way that we have never before seen, and for creating young, openly out and confident characters, my second position of the year goes to *another* doujinshi artist turned pro.

If that doesn't prove to you how important it is to just get out there and start creating, then nothing ever can. Seriously - the lesson here is - get your stories out there! Don't wait for anyone to "discover you." The Internet makes it easier than ever before, so what are you waiting for? Draw, write, something. Just do it already!

Which brings me to my Number 1 Yuri anything for 2011...

1) Nakamura Ching's GUNJO

Here is the moral of the story, in a simple, easily digestible sentence - do it, and do it your way. Don't worry that it's not what's popular, but just tell your story, tell it your way and don't worry what the world thinks.

GUNJO is the most unique, most extraordinary manga I've ever read. It fits no categories, and will never be an anime (god, what a thought...). And the reason I consider it number 1, again, for 2011 is exactly that - it's unique and extraordinary.

Looking at this list, it's easy to see that what moves me most is people with a vision of their own, who work hard to make those visions real. What I want to see now is more American Yuri artists bringing their own visions to life. What will push Yuri to the next level is not if more companies bring stories over, where they are read by a passive audience, but when that audience rolls up their sleeves and starts creating for themselves.

Here's looking to an extraordinary 2012 for all of us in Yuri! Happy New Year!

Winter Comiket 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:44:54 PST

In a very sudden last-minute decision, the wife and I ran off to Tokyo to be here for Comiket and New Year's Day. This afternoon is the first chance I've had to play catch up to let you know where I am or what's happening.

I took a very few pictures already that I want to share:

In the parking lot next to our hotel is this Type-Moon itasha.

The sigil lines are painted in silver, but the flash made them pop out.

We woke up the first morning and came downstairs to see the line for Comiket running right past our hotel:

When we got in, we headed straight for the JESUS DRUG table and for the first time, I was able to meet Hayate x Blade creator, Hayashiya Shizuru-sensei. I fangirled all over her, poor thing.

We found a little Marimite section, and then just threaded our way around all the halls. The wife found some doujinshi she liked and we headed back to the hotel to crash and burn.

In a crazy coincidence, my commanding officer Ana is staying in the hotel around the corner, so we caught up, and had a visit with Dan Kanemitsu, to discuss his work opposing Bill 156.

Day 2, today, we had only a very few tables marked off to visit. First, we headed to the Yuri section, greeted circle UKOZ and then walked around. A few circles I hadn't seen in years were there. Then we wandered through the halls, stopping at random tables. We ran into the bara section and it was wonderful! Both men and women were selling and buying, but more men, and they were all so happy. I bought a doujinshi (O-san Love, how could I pass that up?) and they guy said, "It's a gay manga." I said I know and I think it's terrific! It's smiles all around. A gay manga! How awesome is that?

We utterly flipped two circles out. I picked up a Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei/Madoka crossover and the guys just stared at me, like "WHY would you get this?!?" and two women were floored that we knew Tezuka. Oh, oh, oh! And George Washington gave us a US colonial coin, that was swell. We were in the East Halls in the "anime series that never die" section, to check out Sailor Moon stuff, when we gaped at a Violinist of Hameln doujinshi and the circle gaped at us for knowing that series. That was pretty funny.

Late lunch with the C.O. and then we dragged back to our room where we are very busy sagging into throbbing balls of pain. Cement floors are not your feet's friend.

Tomorrow is ero-day and we have a few circles to find, and a vast crowd to navigate. Time to rest up and build up energy.

Anyway, I'll do my best to get the Top Ten List together before end of tomorrow, but if I don't have a Happy New Year!

No posts for a few days

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:11:18 PST

Okazu'll be a bit bare for a few days. When I get back on track, you'll see why. ^_^

Top Ten Yuri Manga of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Erica Friedman) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:43:24 PST

In stark contrast to last week's top ten anime list, I liked doing this one...and never before have I liked doing it as much as I have this year. The ONLY downside was having to whittle this list down to ten entries (and, as you'll see, I didn't really.) Of course as always, you may all feel free to add your additions or subtractions in the comments. ^_^

It is with great pleasure that I present Okazu's Top Ten Yuri Manga of 2011...

Honorable Mention) Collectors - Nishi UKO's delightful series about Shinobu and Takako, two women who share passion for collecting completely different, mutually exclusive, things. This is the after happily-ever-after story I'm always looking for and I just adore it. Shinobu and Takako do not have a perfect relationship, but they have a good relationship. They and their friends are very real, and people I would totally have over for lunch.

When it gets collected into a volume, it's Number 1. Right now, it's just disparate chapters in Rakuen Le Paradis magazine. Nonetheless, because it really is exactly everything I keep asking for, I really wanted to give it a place at the table, so I squeezed a chair in for it.

10) Tsubomi/Pure Visual Anthology Hirari/Comic Yuri Hime/MangaTime Kirara/Comic High/ IKKI/Rakuen Le Paradis - The magazines that are bringing us this good Yuri definitely deserve recognition. Without these magazines investing in Yuri comics, we'd be back in the days of a character here and one over there and thinking that, gee, wouldn't it be great if only there was a whole series? Well, there are whole series...there are whole *magazines* of Yuri now. And, slowly, carefully, they are coming over here. Time and market size will make the difference. It's worth thinking about what the Yuri market will look like in ten more years (then getting back to work making that future happen!)

9) Sasamekikoto/Octave/Girl Friends - These three series are entirely different, they have nothing at all in common, except that they are really decent stories about two females in love that didn't spend too much time pandering, and spent alot of time inside the heads of women figuring it all out, with support from friends, but not from society. When I'm old, these kinds of stories will seem bizarre (what was the big deal?! kids will say,) but right now...they are critical. And they were all, in their own way, good stories.

8) Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi - I cannot express how glad I was for this story. It ran in the queen of shoujo magazines, Nakayoshi. And it ended with the girl getting the girl! Blue Friend was fine, but Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi was the perfect Yuri entry, with all of the most enduring and popular Yuri tropes.

I hope it inspires a lot of young women to create more Yuri. More specifically, I hope that one of the young women who read this series becomes the next Konno Oyuki.

7) Cardcaptor Sakura - This is not hardly a Yuri story, but it is a Yuri classic. Without Tomoyo, none of you would have had a Tamao. And heck, it got my nephew reading shoujo manga, so it goes on the list! It's still a little bizarre that Dark Horse is the one rebooting this series, but good on them to bring it back. I'd forgotten how much fun it was, and I'm thrilled to read it all over again. Oh...and...Sonomi. Just sayin'.

6) Renai Joshika - Morishima Akiko continues to slide the bar slowly, steadily towards sensible discussions of relationships between women, all with moe art and hideous amounts of adorableness. Her work is the best of both worlds, something for every Yuri fan, femme or butch, man or woman, moe fan or not. Although I will never care about wedding dresses for myself, I love the unrepentant girlyness of this series. I forgot to mention this in my review of Volume 2, but inside the dust cover, Morishima-sensei wrote "I am happy to draw a Yuri series about adult women." I am also happy that she drew one. ^_^

5) Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan - There are no lesbians in this series, but there are women who are, magically, mystically "together." Together for 50 years, by your side, they say, without actually saying they like one another or want to kiss or anything, but you know...I don't care. Spending time at the Amber Teahouse is a gentle, calming experience, like a cup of Blue Sapphire Ceylon tea from Betty's. Delicate, sweet, and gentle, this series lingers pleasantly on the palate and leaves a delightful memory behind. (I'm not being facetious here, either, this tea is exactly like this. If I could send Fujieda-sensei a message, I would send him this tea and say "Your story tastes like this.") Both tea and story are perfect way to warm up on a cold day.

4) Fu~Fu - It's true that there are no lesbians here, either, but there are couples that are long-term, living together. There are a wife and her wife. They do every day things, like eat together, shop together, spend days and nights together. Above all things, they love each other, and I gotta tell you, there is NOTHING more important to me in a Yuri series that that. For hours on end of domestic bliss, and a sense that someone out there "gets" the whole women in love thing, and isn't afraid to tell the Yuri Danshi out there about it, this series makes number four for this year. On any other year, it might well have been number one. In years past it might have been my screamingly over-the-top zOMG! I can't believe that this exists manga. It's a testimony to how far we've come that this *only* makes Number 4 this year.

We've reached my top 3 Yuri manga for 2011. Looking back at the list, there are even more Yuri stories about adult women than ever before. I'm, as we say, kvelling. But what makes the top three so special is something we have never, ever had before on this list. All of my top three manga have...lesbians.

3) GUNJO - This may seem like the series is slipping a bit in my esteem, but I assure you, it is not. GUNJO is not the third best thing I've read this year, it is the very best thing I have ever read. I dread it, I fear it, I am addicted to it. There are two chapters left; I cannot wait to know what will happen, but I don't want it to end.

This series has a character who is a lesbian. She was in a lovely, supportive, long-term relationship, with a woman who wanted to marry her and live together until death do them part. She walked away from that, and then death parted them and she has no idea what awaits her, death, life, retribution, punishment. Whatever it is, the blonde is still a lesbian, and during the course of the story, she has discussions with her brother and his wife, and the brunette about just what that means to her - and to us.

2) Aoi Hana - Yes, Fumi is "that way." What that might mean to her is as yet unknown. She's young, with her whole life ahead of her. It's hard to imagine that she and Akira are likely to be together five years, ten years, twenty years from now. But that's not important to Fumi right now. Right now, she's in love. With her best friend. And she knows this about herself, that she is gay and her love includes physical intimacy.

This story is not only beautifully drawn and beautifully told, but I completely believe that there is a 15 year old kid out there hanging on to this story, telling herself it's okay. For that, for that kid, I love this story with all my heart. Because it is okay, and one day, that kid is going to change the world. so everyone else knows it's okay too.

For once I can, with 100% assurance say...you never saw this coming....

1) Omoi no Kakera/Kila Kila/Seasons - In 2011, Takemiya Jin-sensei kicked all your asses and you never even noticed.

In all three of her volumes released this year, at least one of the characters was an out lesbian. In all three of her volumes, she used *gay words.* Not just "lesbian" but things like "tachi" and "neko" and even slangier versions of slang like "bari" (a reversed form of "riba," which means reverse, a lesbian that switches neko/tachi roles.)

She talked about the fact that what women (or men, for that matter) do in bed has only some bearing in "being gay." And she created Mika, a confident, likable, out high school student, who likes older women.

In her work, Takemiya-sensei is not afraid to confront stereotypes or tropes. Her work tends to stay in school settings, but within that oh-so-typical setting, she gets a lot of miles out of human relationships.

She mentioned lesbian sex and love hotels and emotional connections, and what it means to be gay or lesbian and, no seriously, what does that mean? I have loved her work for years and years and this year, if I could hug her, I would. My number one manga for the year 2011 are all Takemiya Jin creations.

I very much hope to read more and more of her work in the days to come.

And there you have it folks, my Top Ten Yuri Manga for 2011. I gotta tell you something, this was my favorite list to write, ever. I almost want to lay these books down and roll on them they all make me so damn happy.

One last list to go and it promises to be a low content, rabid pile of fangirlish squeeing. ^_^