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Yuri Network News - August 15, 2009
2009-08-15 20:57:00
There's just under a week left in the YNN logo contest, so if you have a logo you'd like to send in, get it in by August 20th! I'll run entries next Saturday and you can pick the one you like best.Now - on to the news!Yuri Manga Yuri Monogatari 6 has finally made it on to Amazon Japan, so if your Japanese penpals are looking for a copy, they can now order it locally!Some titles that you ought to keep your heads up for are:Octave 3 - We'll finally get to see what happens after Yukino makes her decision at the concert.Tsubomi 3 - There's been some excitement about this volume, as artist Ohishi Masaru has been added to the lineup.Choir 2 - No one really cares about this, but the first volume wasn't that sucky and the girl got the girl, so Vol. 2. Let's see if that develops at all.And Girlfriends 3 - So, now we can wallow as Acchan tortures herself. ;-)***Yuri AnimeKomatsu-san of Ultimo Spalpeen tells me that in the UK there is some noise about a reissue of Sailor Moon on DVD. He...
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Response to Requests for Recommendations
2009-08-13 13:34:00
I am now up to about 20 emails/posts/comments a week requesting recommendations for other Yuri titles that people would like me to guess that they would want to read (usually scanlations, because very very rarely do people ask what they can buy.) I do not do recommendations. I'm not really comfortable suggesting series for people, because I don't really know if your taste and mine coincide. And even if they do, I'm still not comfortable making series suggestions. I will suggest that you join the Yuricon Mailing List and ask there, since a lot of people do not have the same issues suggesting things to other people that I do. Also, I suggest going to Lililicious, I believe they have their scanlations arranged in different ways and you may be able to find series you like there. Of course the "Yuri Manga" category at Okazu has hundreds of Yuri manga reviews, but you'll need to decide for yourself what you are looking for in a manga.And if you are looking for something to buy, of c...
More About: Requests , Response

Lesbian Comic: Detective Comics
2009-08-12 22:33:00
What a week here at Okazu! Not only did we get to read that breathtaking interview with Nakamura Ching-sensei, but today I have a guest review written by none other than David Welsh of Precocious Curmudgeon. I'm all a-quiver with excitement at today's review.Some weeks ago on Twitter, David mentioned that he had gotten the Detective Comic s series with the new Batwoman (zOMG a lipstick lesbian who never has a steady relationship! That's NEVER been done!) and I asked if he'd like to review it for us here at Okazu. This may well be the first mainstream American comic ever reviewed here. History in the making. Anyway, not to delay a moment longer, David, they are all yours...)When I consider comics, the binary that comes most readily to mind is what drives the book. Is it plot, or is it character? I tend to favor character-driven stories, where the events spring from who the characters are, and they couldn't happen in quite the same way to anyone else. The binary is too limiting...
More About: Comics , Lesbian

Alice on Deadlines Manga, Volume 4 (English)
2009-08-11 19:32:00
After yesterday's amazing interview this will immediately pale into the obscurity it deserves, but it has to be done. :-)We have, through much hardship and effort, made our way through to the final, climactic volume of Alice on Deadlines and still, the title remains the best part of the story.The final showdown is less of a showdown than a melee and characters are being stabbed through the gut left and right (with scythes. Seriously? Who uses a scythe to *stab*?!? I mean, yes - you can do it, but what a miserable misuse of a lovely weapon. My long-handled, edged-weapons-loving self protests.)But in no way is this really anything to do with the story. The story, such as it is, is really about Alice and Lapan, each stuck in a body that is not theirs and only one of them happy about it. So the final showdown with Regina comes and, instead of it being Lapan vs Regina, it's everyone vs everyone, with really hard to follow art, but we're able to parse a few key concepts. The big takeaw...
More About: Manga , English , Volume

Interview with Gunjo's Nakamura Ching
2009-08-09 20:51:00
You may or may not remember that my love affair with Gunjo began when I received a message on Mixi from a young manga artist, asking if I'd be interested in a non-moe Yuri manga. Obviously, I was.A few weeks ago I asked Nakamura-sensei if she didn't mind, could she answer a few questions for us here at Okazu. Although she is very busy, she graciously took some time out to answer a few questions - I hope you will enjoy this interview as much as I did!***---------------------------------- ---------------------Q1: Please Tell Us About Yourself--------------------------------- ----------------------I was born in June, 1985. I am 24 years old.When I was 18 I drew my first manga, I made my debut at 20.My favorite foods are Indian and Mexican. I like Japanese food, too.My hobby is travel but, because I'm busy, I haven't been able to go anywhere.My favorite movies are The Namesake, KILL BILL, Roman Holiday, Bella Martha.I love dogs, I have 2.I have begun to study English, because it has ...
More About: Interview

Yuri Network News - August 8, 2009
2009-08-08 15:37:00
It's a lazy summer day, let's start off with news for the lazy!Yuri AnimeThe Anime Network has announced that in celebration of National Lazy Day on August 10, they are offering all of its online content, including "premium" content, for free. There a number of Yuri offerings in their catalog - they are an ADV company after all. YNN Chief correspondent Sean G also wants to add that ADV has added Revolutionary Girl Utena to their Anime Network Cable VOD, Satellite VODAlso from Sean "per Right Stuf's site, a My-Otome Complete Collection box is out 10/20 as part of the 'Anime Legends' series. Run time seems to suggest this is just the TV series, not including the OAVs."***Snatches of YuriYou probably dont even remember this manga, but almost exactly a year ago, I reviewed a title called Kaprekar, about two girls who are so close that when they kiss they become a magical being and defeat the bad guys. It's up to Volume 3 now. The girls really love one another. They kiss and defe...
More About: News , August 8

Hitohira Manga, Volume 3 (English)
2009-08-08 00:44:00
In Volume 3 of Hitohira, the spotlight remains firmly on Mugi's transformation from a pathologically shy girl to one capable of dealing with being in the public eye. But even Mugi's new pair of wings doesn't mean she's always going to be able to fly.Although they had their triumph, Nono's renegade Theater Group does not get enough votes to survive and is formally, and tearfully, dissolved. But, what Nono could never get while it existed, she finally gains as it is disbanded, and the two theater groups celebrate Christmas as one. Nono and Mirei look forward to their own parting from their precious kouhai, knowing they did everything they could to have the best possible time during their high school years. Although they have not yet left the story, exeunt Nono and Mirei.The spotlight shifts slightly now, allowing another character to enter from the wings. Mugi's friend, benefactor and protector, Kayo, tells her something that will completely derail Mugi's new-found freedom. She...
More About: Manga , English , Volume 3

Gunjo, Chapters 10-13
2009-08-07 05:33:00
I haven't talked about Gunjo (new spelling courtesy of the editors of Morning 2 magazine) in a while. It's not because it stopped running, although there was a hiatus for a bit of the spring. It was because, simply, I couldn't. I could not write about what is arguably the most amazing story I have ever read, bar none.I tried to verbalize why this was yesterday to the wife and began to cry, because I just couldn't talk about it. I last left you after the two protagonists spend a night of loss, love, passion and pain, after we get a glimpse into the lives they've put behind them, and watch as the blonde's former lover is forced by her sheer misery to come out to her parents - who kinda knew and, really kind of liked the blonde.That's when this story went from really amazing to sublime. And that's when I became incapable of writing about it.The morning after, the protagonists, whom I have given the horrible nicknames BL (Blonde) and BN (Brunette), walk away. I mean that literal...

Yuri Drama CD: Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan ~ White Engage
2009-08-06 01:44:00
It has been previously established that the Ame-iro Kouchakan rates very high on the 'ole Yuri -o-meter. In fact, it seems to draw female couples like bees to lilies and yes, I'm mixing my metaphors, thank you.So, it will come as no surprise that Mana-chan-sensei from the earlier mini DCD, "Pink Princess" has taken to doing her work at the Amber Teahouse. The Yuri atmosphere is perfect for her to get in the St. Lotecia groove. She loves watching Seriho and Sarasa dance around each other, She loves to love/hate her devoted editor Shiko and she just loves Yuri. And so we find ourselves in "White Engage ," the Drama CD that comes with the deluxe edition of Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan, Volume 1.The conflict here is small. And predictable. A sudden wrench is thrown in Mana-chan's and Shiko's working relationship that causes a crisis between them. Seriho and Sarasa are able to help the two of them work it out. They do work it out, rather creatively, I thought. And with a wonderfully voice ...
More About: Yuri Hime

Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime S, Volume 9
2009-08-04 22:24:00
Yuri Hime S, Volume 9 (???????S (??)) is...Yuri Hime S. I keep wanting to like it, I really do. And mostly I kind of sort of enjoy it. But it is not for me and I am reminded repeatedly of the fact as I face chapter after chapter of stories like "Yuru Yuri," "Love Cubic," "Minus Literacy," "Cassiopeia Dolce" and the new series "Konohana Teikitan." They are simply not for me. Like or not like is beside the point. I'm the older sister reading a younger brother's Yuri and just not feeling it.It's not even that the golden allure of schoolgirls' thighs are nothing to me, it's just that there's nothing *happening* in these stories, because the fetishism fills the pages so full with cat/wolf/elf ears and bathing suits and underwear that the characters don't have any time to develop. Take "Shingami Arisu," a story that had a pretty bloody opening in which our protagonists meet over a murder. Well, in this next chapter...our protagonists meet over a murder. It was pretty much the same ...
More About: Manga , Yuri Hime , Yuri

Digging the (Anime/Manga) Twitter Scene
2009-08-02 21:44:00
If you look on the right-hand sidebar of this blog, you will see a number of links that lead you to social media spaces of varying kinds. Yuricon on Facebook, my profile on Mixi, the Yuricon Mailing List and a number of other spaces. Today I want to talk about Twitter .Yuricon on Twitter is a bit of a mixed fruit crepe. In the AM, I tend to focus on Business, and in the evening I switch over to my jaunty Yuri anime and manga cap. In between I sprinkle a helping of LGBT issues for flavor. So far, no one has complained about the multi-tweeting. In fact, it has worked nicely to get Yuri into the hands of Twittering Lesbians, and LGBT issues on the plates of Anime /Manga fans. And then there's the Social Media piece. It fills my every tweet, really. I explain the hows and whys of social media, the whos and where and like so many others, the don'ts. As you may remember, last December I opened Yurikon LLC, the promotion company behind Yuricon & ALC Publishing, for business as a social med...
More About: Scene

Yuri Network News - August 1, 2009
2009-08-01 20:10:00
As Yuri con is about to turn 9 years old, and Okazu 7, I've been thinking about what we've accomplished so far and what there is still yet to do. In many ways we have no influence over what happens in Japan, of course. Other than perhaps buying so much Yuri that we actually become a blip on their market radar. In subtle ways, however, we are making some changes. How Yuri is (or is not) marketed, how well it does here and how likely a company is to pick it up - these things are still up to us. Most importantly, we've changed how the anime world perceives us, Yuri fans. We've been covered by The Advocate, Afterellen, Curve, The Blade, The Examiner and countless blogs and online magazines. We've run events in two countries and presented on three continents. It's true that we're still going to get hate from groups of emotionally and sexually immature people, but we really don't care about them. I care about you - my readers, my Heroes and Superheroes, my friends and the YNN Corre...
More About: News , Network , August

Maria-sama ga Miteru Special CD, Vol. 3
2009-08-01 01:45:00
You know you're really an otaku when you generalize "spending time with characters we like to spend time with" to "spending time listening to the people who play those characters talking about cake."Welcome to the second-floor council room at the Rose Mansion of Lillian Jogakuen and the quite meaningless, giggle-filled Maria -sama ga Miteru Special CD Volume 3, in which Ueda Kana (Yumi), Noto Mamiko (Shimako) and Shimizu Kaori (Noriko) discuss absolutely nothing of importance at all. And cake.Let's get the most important thing out of the way first - the fairy cakes were delicious. I know you were worried.Shimizu-san calls Noto-san "Oneesama" which makes Ueda-san squeal with delight. They answer questions in a Newlywed Game-like game called "Soeur no Kizuna" - in which they are supposed to see if they know how each other will answer. Shimizu-san comments on how intimidating the script for this Drama was, since she's never had that many lines in a row before....and how this is the f...

Yuri Manga: Tsubomi, Volume 2
2009-07-31 00:16:00
I was about to sit down this morning, at an obscenely early hour, while the sun rose into my living room (bringing light and heat, but not joy) when something important happened. I picked up my copy of Tsumbomi, Volume 2, (???) all ready to damn it with faint praise - how the stories were like eating Spicy Thai potato chips - pretty good, sort of painful and, after a while, you can't really taste them, because you've gone numb. I opened the magazine to realize that if I did so, I'd be lying. Because the stories weren't like eating Spicy Thai potato chips (recommended by the way) they were like that hard candy your grandmother had in a dish on the living room table. They were candy, it's true, and they were different flavors, but somehow they just never satisfied your craving for sweets.I was going to rag that Volume 2 was just like Volume 1, sort of bland and the same. I was going to hold up one solitary story, "Hotei and Ebisu" as an example of the only different story in the ...
More About: Manga , Yuri

Chicago Examiner Interview
2009-07-30 13:39:00
Jolie DuPre of the Chicago Examiner asks me all the right questions in today's Interview of the President of Yuricon & ALC Publishing.(If you've been a fan for a while, you know all this. Still, check out the interview and bump Jolie's ratings, will you? Also, feel free to send this link to your friend who doesn't "get" Yuri. lol)

Aria the Natural, Part 2 Anime (English)
2009-07-29 21:00:00
Squeezing Yuri from Aria the Natural , Part 2 is like making an essential oil from a rose petal. It's a lot of work, takes a lot of petals and, in the end, what you have is a beautiful, but ephemeral scent. Which is not to say that it's not worth your time. Like a rose, Aria the Natural, has a timeless beauty. And like the rose, Aria provides a lovely atmosphere. And...if you are a fan of Aria or Okazu, you've seen this coming since the first simile...it is ironically the Crimson Rose of Aria herself, Akira, that provides one of those essential moments. The little bit of Yuri, should you wish to don my super high-powered UBER-YURI Goggles (go ahead, the world looks lovely in lavender) is provided by the early butchiness of Akira who, as you know, I think is totally gay for Alicia. Because I *want* her to be. :-) Her badass tomboyishness makes my day every time. I'm also sure that, at the very end, the akogare Akari has for Alicia is laid on thickly enough for folks who want to se...
More About: Anime , English

Yuri Manga: Gokujou Drops, Volume 2
2009-07-27 23:38:00
Everyday at the Ootori Dorm is a passive-aggressive kind of day in Volume 2 of Gokujou Drops, one of the Yuri manga distributed on cellphone by Ichijinsha.Komari is not *quite* as sappy as she appears, and certainly not nearly as sappy as she started out in Volume 1, but she's not conquering the universe yet, either. While Yukio and Komari are more of a couple than previously, Komari is well aware that Yukio in no way considers her anything like a partner or equal in their relationship.Sexual harassment around the dorms is toned down to an introduction to and sexual harassment chapter by yet another upperclassman, Sai, who is considered to be weird even by the other decidedly weird dorm residents. But after that, Komari is left to stress out about Yukio unreservedly.And stress she does. Yukio goes home with nary a word and no follow up communication at all. Komari puts up with the silence, but is concerned. More for Yukio's well-being than her own. She calls up all the courage she...
More About: Manga

Women Make Comics...dammit!
2009-07-26 21:46:00
You may remember that, at the end of June, I mentioned that Deb Aoki, editor and writer of manga.about.com, had spearheaded a program to make the point that women and girls not only read and buy, but also make comics, after a particularly bad media backlash about female fans of the Twilight series "invading" San Diego Comic-Con.There are two entirely different issues being addressed by people writing articles on both sides of this discussion. Most of the women seem to be saying that, Twilight and the fans are not the issue - the issue is the serial dismissal that female comics fans have always gotten from the male fans. Partly because of social and emotional retardation and partly because men simply dis women so unconsciously that when women point it out, we're being over-sensitive. Male writers seem to be saying that they aren't dissing "women" in general, just the not "real" fans, the Janie-come-latelys, who they perceive as being only into one thing - obsessed with the mainstre...
More About: Women , Comics , Make

Yuri Network News - July 25, 2009
2009-07-25 18:14:00
This is the first week in a while that there hasn't been loads of Yuri news. Everyone is at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, and while there are tons of announcements coming out in manga, none of it has been Yuri. It's interesting to note that while Yuri manga is exploding in Japan, it has become nearly moribund here in the US. Lack of sales is a factor, of course. There's just nothing we can do about being a buying audience of 2000 people. When we're a buying audience of ten times larger, we'll be able to see more, I have no doubt. Luckily for us, Yuri anime is doing reasonable well right now here in the west and we can look forward to more on the way this year!In the meantime, let us wallow in the wave of Yuri manga coming from Japan. :-)Yuri MangaFirst and foremost, Ichijinsha's email newsletter insists that Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan hits the streets today. (Last night my time.) We'll see if Amazon JP agrees. ;-) If so, expect to get your Manga only edition or Deluxe editi...
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Zombie Loan Manga, Volume 3 (English)
2009-07-24 23:46:00
Having sold her soul to the Ferryman, Michiru's life went from miserable to chaotic. But, in Zombie Loan , Volume 3, it's finally settling down into a pattern of hunting zombies with Shito and Chika in order to pay off the loan that keeps her alive. Of course, as with all things regarding credit, the late fees, renewal rates and interest are, in this case quite literally, a killer.The first half of this volume ends the Butterfly arc, in which /massive spoiler/ serves to /spoiler/ /spoiler/. Sorry, I'm just being silly. Chika's best friend ever turns out to totally not be what Chika thinks and, as a result, Chika falls into a depression.The Ferryman, in a uncharacteristic moment of noticing that his employees have feelings, decides to take them on a short getaway to build team spirit. (Oh, yes, pun intended.) As usual with this kind of chaos-comedy, it only partially works. At the hot springs, Yomi comes on to Michiru pretty blatantly, but sadly Michiru doesn't bite. Yomi's reac...
More About: Manga , English

Your And My Secret Manga, Volume 4
2009-07-24 01:18:00
Crazy, wacky gender-bendy hijinks turn into slightly serious gender-bendy hijinks in Volume 4 of Your and My Secret . Akira, still stuck in Nanako's body, is being wooed by his best Senbongi, while Nanako, happily passing her days in Akira's body, is still going out with her best friend Shiina.The bulk of the volume follows Akira's wavering feelings, as he is alternately attracted to Senbongi, repulsed by his own interest, and still - he insists - in love with Nanako. Senbongi says plain out that he doesn't care that its Akira in there - he likes the Nanako he is. Akira gives in and they begin to date - which doesn't actually make him any happier, except when it does. We get a little glimpse back to their earlier years and see that Senbongi hasn't changed much. He's more sensitive in some ways and less in others, but overall he's not a bad guy. And there's no reason to doubt his affection for Akira.Their date ends at a love hotel, but nothing happens on account of the unlike...
More About: Manga

Hidamari Sketch Light Novel: Hidamari School Life
2009-07-23 04:17:00
I really intended on writing my own review today. Then I ended up sacrificing some hours to the gods of Tech Support and by the time I was done, I just couldn't do it. I just couldn't. Sorry. Bravely, George R. has leapt into the gap to save my shattered nerves and so, I commend him and his review to your care. It's all yours, George! I enjoyed the first Hidamari Sketch novel enough to go right on and try the second one, and I was not disappointed. Hidamari Sketch: Hidamari School Life (?????????????School Life) concentrates on Yuno's life at school, as opposed to the first one at her apartment. We are again treated to a set of short stories, where the characters are the focus, not the action. Autumn has come to Hidamari-sou and tomorrow is the day for everyone to change from summer to winter school uniforms. I've always been amused that the Japanese schools change their uniforms according to the calendar regardless of what the weather may actually be. Apparently consistency sc...
More About: Light , Light Novel

Yuri Manga: Butterfly 69
2009-07-21 01:13:00
Butterfly 69 is everything that is good and right about Yuri manga. It makes me happy to be a manga reader.Right from the first panel of the first story that ever appeared in Yuri Hime , I found Natsuneko's art appealing. It has vibrancy, an energy that lacks in most manga these days. It's not just that there's action and energy depicted. The characters feel lively and real - even when the situations are ridiculous and unreal. Which they mostly are. :-)In "Butterfly 69," the title story and one of my two favorites, we are introduced to Maria, the mixed-race singer of Butterfly 69 and Ageha, the prim and proper President of the Student Council at the elite music school Maria attends. Maria is an affront to everyone and everything at the school, with her crazy clothes and earrings and wild not-really Japanese self. Unbeknownst to the student body and staff, Maria and Ageha are engaged in a passionate love affair. Maria is given the opportunity to make it big overseas, but will have ...
More About: Manga , Butterfly

Yuri Network News - July 18, 2009
2009-07-18 17:11:00
Welcome to the relaunch of the News Report as Yuri Network News. YNN correspondents have reported in from around the world! I just whacked together this logo, so I'm officially announcing a YNN logo contest. Send in your YNN logo to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com and I'll come up with something fun as a prize, along with sincere gratitude and the approbation of your peers.Yuri Animedarkchibi wants you all to know that the first episodes of El Cazador de la bruja are available for viewing on the Funimation Channel. We're not sure if this is a reguarly placed series or a DVD teaser, but as soon as I know, I'll let you know.This hasn't gotten too much mention anywhere, but Needless will have some Yuri. It's not really a good series, unless you like magic fightin' school-lolis. If that's your schtick then you'll *love* it. For anyone else, I want to warn you, I've been reading the manga in Ultra Jump magazine and while it has some good elements, I often feel like my brain ne...
More About: July

Yuri Manga: Morita-san no Mukuchi
2009-07-17 21:19:00
There are *so* many ways Morita-san ha Mukuchi (???????) could have been annoying. But it isn't annoying. Not at all. It's very funny and very enjoyable.Morita Mayu is, compared with other people, more silent. It's not that she can't talk, or that she doesn't want to talk, it's just that she thinks before she speaks - she thinks a lot before she speaks and sometimes misses the chance altogether. Or the mood isn't right, or her timing is off. Honestly, she'd like to speak more, it just never seems to work out.At home, her mother tries to coach Mayu, but between Mom yelling at Dad or them being really lovey-dovey at each other, Mayu feels the mood is rarely conducive to her saying anything.Despite her silence, Mayu is not at all ostracized by the kids at school. Once the girls get used to it, they tell her all their secrets because they know she won't tell anyone. They trust Mayu and like her and she likes them back. There's one or two girls that find her a little odd at fir...
More About: Manga , Yuri

Yuri Manga: Butterfly Kiss Blade, Volume 1
2009-07-16 21:00:00
In the beginning, there were the Inklings. From the Inklings were born Lord of the Rings and the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. These misbegot such things as the Sword of Shannara and the Belgeriad and from these were, ultimately, begot Harry Potter. From Harry Potter came Negima! and now, here we are at the seventh bastard of the seventh bastard, Butterfly Kiss Blade , Volume 1.Homura and Sakurako (who are NOTHING like Setsuna and Konoka, let me assure you,) attend Prinpikia Academy, which is one syllable shift away from being a pretty great name. It is a school of magic, of course. And there are fights, of course. With giant weapons. There is also a nadesico-type classic beauty, complete with henchchicks and political and magical power who is in love with Homura's partner, the sweet, kind, passive, frontally lobotomized Sakurako. There are also panty shots, but I'll come back to them later.The bulk of the first volume is Shizuka's ever more pathetic attempts at defeating Homu...
More About: Manga

Gin Tama Manga (English)
2009-07-15 21:00:00
Welcome to Wednesday on Okazu, the day I crash and burn and pass the baton to whomever is standing closest and doesn't think to run away. Today's victim Guest Reviewer is the much beloved, admired and bewildered Sean Gaffney, Okazu's resident LFB correspondent. Let's welcome Sean with this Laurel and Hearty handshake.Gin Tama is a very successful Shonen Jump series that has been running in Japan since 2004. It's being released by Viz 6 times a year in their 'Shonen Jump Advanced' line (where it is less than successful, but hey, they can't all be Naruto), and Vol. 13 just came out this month. The basic premise combines a gag comedy with a samurai action manga. The manga is not afraid to veer wildly back and forth between these - 2/3 of the time it's stupid self-referential gag manga (Gin frequently can be found reading Shonen Jump, and a recent chapter arc has the characters fighting each other after seeing their rankings in the new popularity poll), but when it gets serious...
More About: Manga , English

New Anime Season Summer 2009: Yuri Anime: Kanamemo (English)
2009-07-14 03:20:00
We've talked about how similar 4-koma comics are to each other many times. They are usually slice of life, perhaps at a school, in a club, a bunch of friends, all hangingoutandbeingsilly. Life, you know.Well, Kanamemo isn't like that. It has a rather depressing set up, as it happens. Kana's parents had passed away when she was young and she was living with her grandmother until she also passed away, leaving Kana alone. So alone, in fact, that not a single adult, government agency or busybody neighbor even notices that she's got to go somewhere. As the movers begin to take her grandmother's items, it struck me as odd that whoever was in charge of the funeral thought to get the old lady's personal items cleaned up, but somehow forgot to find somewhere to put her *granddaughter.* When Kana panics and runs off with only a rucksack, she finds, after much travail, a live-in position with a newspaper delivery office populated by 4 adults, an elementary school girl for an office chief...
More About: Summer , Anime , English , Season , Yuri

Passion Art Show
2009-07-12 16:25:00
Friday night I was honored to be able to attend the opening of the "Passion " Lesbian group art show, which was part of the Fresh Fruit Festival at the Leslie/Lohman Gallery at 26 Wooster St., NYC. It runs through July 25, Tue-Sat, 12 Noon - 6:00 PM and if you are in or around the NYC area, please do stop by. I spent some time that night talking with people about Rica's art and taking pictures of them interacting with it. I invited them to visit this blog and see those pictures and copy them for themselves. Hopefully, we will be able to print them off and post them around the art itself in the gallery. Thanks to everyone who let me take a picture of them!Rica's art is about fluidity of identity, of gender and race. It's about how people treat us certain ways because of what is on our outside and sometimes we can only show a little about who truly are inside. She invites everyone to be someone new, something new, with her energetic and cheerful interactive art. Her exhibit consists...
More About: Show

Yuri News This Week - July 11, 2009
2009-07-11 16:10:00
I was in NYC last night at "Passion Fruits," the Lesbian art show that is running as part of the Fresh Fuits Festival this month. Rica Takashima has some pieces in the show. It was a really, honestly an amazing opening, and tomorrow I'll be posting some pictures I took of people with her art. In the meantime, here's this week's Yuri news!Yuri AnimeIt's an anime kinda week this week!First of all, as I announced yesterday, Afterellen.com will be streaming the Aoi Hana anime series, which is really amazing - and will get Yuri in front of a lot of people who never heard of it, but need to see it! There's a lot of positive response for the first episode, so hopefully it'll be a successful venture for all.Anime Network has announced that Revolutionary Girl Utena will be shown on their online channel. Since ADV rescued some of the CPM properties, this make loads of sense - and it's nice to know that this classic anime won't disappear entirely from the world.Katherine is pleased to ...
More About: News , Week , July