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Lesbian Comic: Batwoman Elegy
2010-10-19 17:27:00
Two years ago, I had the pleasure of a guest review by David Welsh on the issues of Detective Comic s in which the Batwoman arc ran. This week I read the collected volume of Batwoman: Elegy by Williams and Rucka for myself and I find that I don't have a substantially different opinion than David did. I was an American comics reader for decades before I discovered manga. However, I was almost exclusively a Marvel reader. Not for any philosophical reason - Marvel series were just more appealing to me. So this was probably the first comic in the Batman world that I had read in more than 30 years. Batwoman Elegy tells the story of Kate Kane, the daughter of soldiers, who has been busted out of West Point and ripped from an exemplary military career for being gay. This section is poignant, as Lt. Dan Choi was consulted. I expect that the conversation Kate had with her C.O. was not unlike the one he had with his. Lost, flailing for purpose, she has a relationship with Renee Montoya (wo...
More About: Lesbian

Click Manhwa, Volume 6 (English)
2010-10-19 03:43:00
In the first 5 volumes of Click , I was able to pretend there was some Yuri and have therefore reviewed it. In Volume 6, there is none; the one "Yuri" character has disappeared from the narrative - literally. A few times someone comments, "gee where is she?" and is met with the complete and total unconcern of any of the main characters. So much for Heewon. She got a panel or three eventually, but no one really cares that the "beeyotch" is missing. So today I'm going to use my review to "beeyotch" about something apparently inconsequential. The icky-making bad translation of "gay sex" terms in manga and manhwa. You know, there's this whole Internet thing, which *ought* to be able to help manga companies (who somehow manage to employ not one single gay person among their staff) to get the right equivalents to things like Uke and Seme, Tachi or Neko. But. Apparently Not. When ADV and Infinity translated Yuri as "girl-on-girl" I assumed that it was LoserFanBoy-itis and laziness comb...
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Yuri Manga: Octave, Volume 5
2010-10-19 03:23:00
Octave, Volume 5 (?????)is a deceptively subtle volume. On the surface, it appears to be a similar formula to the previous 4 volumes - Yukino and Setsuko have a disagreement stemming from their disparate worldviews about their relationship and we watch Yukino assimilate, deal, integrate and grow. Only...it's not the same. Not this time. In previous volumes the driver of the disagreements has always been Yukino's lack of confidence in herself, in their relationship - even in her perception of what a future *ought* to be. And it is apparently Yukino who causes this disagreement again. But this time, it's *not* because she lacks confidence, or trust, or anything like that. This time it's less philosophical - she was completely blindsided. In Volume 5, Setsuko suddenly asks Yukino to move in with her. Yukino asks for time to think about it - and Setsuko has the hissy fit. "You could have at least said, 'Yay!' or something." But Setsuko has had time to think about it...and Yuki...
More About: Manga

Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime Wildrose, Volume 6
2010-10-17 21:59:00
I know, I know. I said I was done with this series. I say that sometimes. But then I need another item or two to make an order on Amazon JP worth it, so... Anyway, here we are in Yuri Hime Wildrose, Volume 6 and while I am not dancing a joyful "this is it!" dance, I'm not gritting my teeth or anything, either. And perhaps the folks at Yuri Hime are getting comments that echo my own, because in it's own PWP way, this volume of Wildrose steps up its game by a notch. This is most apparent in the first story of the volume, "Yume no Hanashi," in which Naho is moved to tears when she realizes that she is not alone in her school as a girl who loves other girls. Given that recently the US is dealing with reports of young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth struggling against  prejudice and abuse from not just the people around them but from the leaders of their communities, who don't seem to care that their casual homophobia is inciting acts of hate and intolerance...th...
More About: Manga

Yuri Network News - October 16, 2010
2010-10-16 16:00:00
Yuri Manga From YNN Correspondent Komatsu-san, French Yuri imprint Taifu Comics plans to release Morinaga Milk's GIRL FRIENDS in 2011 (in French, obviously). France continues to be a very girl-friendly space for manga. The final volume of GIRL FRIENDS hits Japanese store shelves in November...just after I leave the country.... Fans of questions never answered and running around and angsting alot are sure to want to pick up the first volume of Zettai Shoujo Astoria by the artist that did First Love Sisters, Shinonome Mizuo. FINALLY, the first volume of Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi will be out in early November - unlike everything else I want, which comes out after I leave Japan. I really think you ought to buy this one and read it. Really. Just do it. *** Maria-sama ga Miteru News YNN Correspondent Soul Assassin was kind enough to point us towards this Cobalt Shueisha special with photos from the filming of the Maria-sama ga Miteru movie. It made me all kvell-y and happy....
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Yuri Manga: Princess Princess
2010-10-13 06:08:00
Although I only "discovered" Aoki Mitsue's work in 2008 with Papaya Gundan, this incredibly pleasant, fun and goofy artist has been around since the early 90's. So, when I learned that she'd be drawing for Yuri Hime, I was confident that we'd almost instantly see stories that were appealing. ...And that was exactly what we got. In Princess Princess (???????????) the stories may be short, but they are full-bodied (much like the characters themselves) and drawn with the, what's the word I'm looking for...conviction, that many stories lack. The title story, "Princess, Princess" covers the well-worn territory of a smart girl and her slightly slower-than-average love interest. But where Aoki really shines is in stories like "Sweet Room" where she plays with her own fetish of an older woman in love with a younger woman, turns it on its head and makes fun of herself as she does it. (How do I know that this is her fetish? She writes about it *constantly* in her manga, and has ment...
More About: Manga

Gay for You? Yaoi and Yuri Manga for GBLTQ Readers
2010-10-11 19:57:00
Saturday at NYCC/NYAF it was my incredible pleasure to be able to sit on a panel about BL/Yuri manga for LGBTQ readers. It was, in my opinion, one of the best panels I've ever had the honor of being on. Great conversation - and great questions from the audience, too. One of the features of the panel was a handout that moderator Robin Brenner put together, of a suggested reading list based on the panelists' suggestions. I've edited my comments a bit, but this is otherwise what was handed out Saturday. Update: And, btw - Happy Coming Out Day. If you have a young LGBTQ person in your life, do them a favor and tell them you love them for who they are. Thanks. *** Yaoi and Yuri Manga for GBLTQ Readers Compiled by Leyla Aker, Robin Brenner, Christopher Butcher, Erica Friedman, Scott Robins, and Alex Woolfson Yaoi/BL After School Nightmare by Setona Mizushiro (Go Comi!, 10 volumes) Chris?s note: A complicated though somewhat intense handling of gender and trans issues, in a ver...

Yuri News: Strawberry Panic Light Novel Omnibus
2010-10-10 21:57:00
Press release from our friends at Seven Seas: Strawberry Panic: The Complete Novel Collection Story by Sakurako Kimino Illustrations by Namuchi Takumi This omnibus collection contains all three novels from the hit Yuri series Strawberry Panic at one low price. Included in this edition is the third and final Strawberry Panic novel, which has never before been published in North America. For new transfer student Aoi Nagisa, St. Miator Girls? Academy offers her the chance at a fresh start and a way to redefine herself. But these noble intentions go out the window when she catches her first glimpse of honor student Hanazono Shizuma, whose porcelain white skin and goddess-like beauty leave Nagisa speechless. It?s puppy love at first sight, but naive Nagisa is unaware that Shizuma is a serial heartbreaker who has set her sights on Nagisa herself. Will Nagisa end up as another notch on Shizuma?s belt, or does fate have other plans in store for the new couple? *** Finally! You too will...
More About: News , Light

Yuri Manga: Jormungand, Volume 4 (English)
2010-10-10 21:47:00
There are a lot of things to like about Jormungand....was the way I wanted to start this review, but in reality, there is *very little* to like about this series. I just happen to like it anyway. ^_^ In Volume 4, the gang is wrapped up in protecting "Dr. Miami" from an enemy she doesn't even know is there. Most of the rest of the volume is taken up in a game of chess with an ex-actress-turned-arms dealer/negotiator. Extra time is spent on Valmet and the good Doctor kvelling over Koko in a spectacularly impotent manner, while both USA pawn "Schokolade" and ex-actress Amalia Torohovsky are macking on Koko probably half in reality and half in my imagination. It hardly matters who likes who because the storyline is rushed and inconsistent and while it makes sense overall...it's not particularly well-conceived or executed. The real problem here in Volume 4, though, is that the art is utterly craptastic. There is one panel in the entire volume that looks nice. The rest look so rushed...
More About: Manga , English

Out of Office at NYAF/NYCC
2010-10-08 16:00:00
Just to remind you, I'll be spending the next few days at New York Anime Festival/New York Comic Con, so there will be no further reviews this week, and no news report on Saturday. (Yes, of course I could pre-type those, I'm clearly sitting here typing this, but I do not feel like it.) If you'd like to find me at the con, I will mostly be helping at the Media Blaster's booth, Table 2859. I will also be a panelist on the Gay for You? Yaoi and Yuri Manga for GBLTQ Readers panel on Saturday at 7:30PM with a number of incredibly intelligent and interesting people, so it really should be entertaining. And for those looking to sample some manga - including Yuri titles, drop by the AnimeNEXT/MangaNEXT Manga Library. They'll be open Friday 1pm-7pm, Saturday 10am-7pm, and Sunday 10am-5pm. Tell 'em Erica sent you. I'll see you at the con!
More About: Events , Office

Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime Collection
2010-10-06 21:32:00
Yuri Hime Collection (??? Collection) is (surprise!) a collection of short works by current Yuri Hime artists that have not been published in any previous commercial publications. It is an anthology of several artists' doujinshi. The anthology contains eight stories, two of which are two-parters. Masaki Miyuki's chapters falls into a category I've just named "Yuri with props." You know what I mean...when one character has a specific quirk or prop that indicates their personality and we spend a lot of time looking at it or obsessing about it? In this case, one of the girls smokes, which clearly shows she doesn't care about the rules - or her future health. Momono Moto's stories were about the pain and tears that come from loving someone in an untenable situation - like high school - and how being together and being apart can hurt. This contrasts strongly with the smiling faces and bright sun of Morishima Akiko's contribution, as two women enjoy sun, blue water and love on an...
More About: Manga , Yuri Hime

K-ON! Manga, Volume 3
2010-10-06 02:20:00
In K-ON! Volume 3 we are treated to sweet service filling layered in between crisp slices of life, for a delectable millefeuille that is gentle to the palette and relaxing to the mind. Serve with a cup of tea for a refreshing afternoon treat. Ratings: Art - 6 Story - Same 8 as before Characters - 10 Yuri - 0 Loser FanBoy - 4 Overall - 8 Believe it or not, this review took me an hour to write.
More About: Manga

Yuri Network News - October 2, 2010
2010-10-02 16:04:00
 Headline Teaser Expect some good news from Seven Seas next week! They will be making an announcement that will make Yuri Fans happy. Well, it made me happy...I can't speak for you. (^_^) ***  Yuri Anime Bubblegum Crisis, the original 80's edition is on Hulu. I haven't watched it in years. I might actually be tempted to watch something on Hulu for the very first time. And, if you've never seen BGC (which is probably most of you) you really should watch it. Thanks to YNN correspondent Komatsu-san for the tip! Episode 4 of Maria Watches Over Us is up on RightStuf's YouTube channel. Episode 1 and 2 will remain there indefinitely, but the rest of the season is screening for a limited time, so watch 'em while you can get 'em! *** Random Yuri News News tip from YNN correspondent y_yoshihide on Twitter, some fetching K-ON! and Hidamari Sketch computer wallpapers from Mangatime Kirara magazine. I was very pleased to have been allowed to join this week's ANNCast wi...
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Celebrate the Freedom to Read - Free Yuri Manga for Your Library from ALC P
2010-09-30 23:41:00
To celebrate "Banned Books Week," ALC Publishing is offering a *free* copy of any or all of the books in our catalog to your local library. Have your *library* email us at anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with the subject line "BBW Book Request". (We will only reply to official library requests. And by "library," I mean school, university or public library. Not clubs or private collections Yes, I am willing to ship to overseas libraries if they are willing to contribute to the shipping. Overseas shipping is just outrageously expensive and there's no "slow boat" option any more.) Put Shoujoai ni Bouken, WORKS, Yuri Monogatari 3, 4, 5 or 6 on your library shelves and celebrate the freedom to read whatever *you* want. This offer will remain open to libraries until Sunday, October 3 or we run out of a book, whichever comes first. ^_^
More About: Freedom , Library , Manga , Free , Celebrate

Banned Books Week Means Graphic Novels Too
2010-09-29 22:31:00
Welcome to a world in which leaders are stripping you of your right to think freely. Books are being pulled from public and school library shelves and are being kept out of bookstores or off book-reading hardware because of "inappropriate" content. Governments, school administrations, misguided politicians and community and corporate leaders, seeking to "protect" people from ideas that make them uncomfortable are banning books. Yes, still. Now. Today. This week is Banned Books Week . The people on the front line fighting war to maintain your freedom to read whatever you want are Librarians. The American Library Association has a list of Graphic Novels that are banned and/or challenged repeatedly. You'll see that most are GNs for adults that are misguidedly assumed to be for children, but in many cases are objected to simply because they portray sex or death at all - heaven help us all if it's gay sex. Librarians are fighting in many ways to make sure you can make your own dec...
More About: Graphic Novels

Shattered Angels Anime, Disk 2 (English)
2010-09-28 22:49:00
Disk 2 picks up the story in a state of complete chaos. Everything the Ayanokojis are attempting to do is falling apart. Their Angels are disobeying them because of crises brought on by personal feelings and Kyoshiro, the most idealistic of them, is falling in love with Kuu. For viewers, this means a lot of bouncing around between the Ayanokojis and lots of pointless fights and screaming. And sort-of love scenes. And talking. God, do they all talk. Everything comes to a kind of climax when the missing Ayanokoji, Kazuya, returns, with his own Angel (voiced by Ogata Megumi, using her UFO Princess Valkyrie Val voice.) Everything Kyoshiro believed in is crushed under Kazuya's heel in a scene I love with all my heart. I absolutely, genuinely believe that the scene that makes me love this series best is the moment Kyoshiro greets his long-lost, thought-to-be-dead brother Kazuya once again...and has his head pounded into the ground for his efforts. Kazuya turns out to indeed be as craz...
More About: Anime , Disk , English

Manga Moveable Feast: Afterschool Nightmare Manga (English)
2010-09-28 00:18:00
Mashiro is a hemaphrodite. From the waist up he is male, but his internal organs and lower half are female. This might not be a big problem in the long run, except today he just got his period for the first time and he's really uncomfortable with the idea of being a woman. What Mashiro wants more than anything else is to just be a guy. Mashiro is the protagonist of Setona Mizushiro's After School Nightmare . Soon, Mashiro's gender will be much more important and much less important than he could ever have expected. A mysterious teacher - who does not appear to actually exist - leads Mashiro to a basement in the school - which also does not exist - gives him no useful information whatsoever, and sets him to participate in a group nightmare shared by a number of students. Each student appears in the nightmare as their internal vision of themselves and they experience each other's darkest and most traumatic secrets, while competing for a key in order to "graduate" from school. In t...
More About: Manga , English , Moveable

Shattered Angels Anime, Disk 1 (English)
2010-09-27 22:22:00
On Disk  1 of Shattered Angels , we are introduced to the aptly named Kuu (? means "empty" in Japanese, among other things,) an average highschool girl in a not-at-all average world, in which there are many schools and students, but no apparent teachers. Kuu has a childhood dream of a prince with red hair taking her away, so when a red-haired "prince" by the name of Ayanokoji Kyoshiro arrives she, like the other female students in the school, is thrilled. But when she mets him for the first time, the "Prince" rips Kuu's shirt open, *then* asks her to come with him. Sensibly, she runs away crying. (I commented to Bruce at this point, "I think he got that the wrong way 'round.") And then all hell breaks lose as giant robot arms and legs fight in and around the school, reducing it to rubble and forcing Kuu and Kyoshiro to run away from....? Ultimately, Kuu and we learn of the existence of "Absolute Angels," creatures that look like girls, but actually contain within them tremend...
More About: Anime , English

Yuri Kisses and Free Membership from Crunchyroll
2009-12-16 23:13:00
Crunchyroll online video service and community invites you to share some Yuri kisses and enter to win a 6 month membership on Crunchyroll! To celebrate the end of the autumn anime season, from December 16th at 12PM PST until December 28th at 12PM PST, users are encouraged to watch the hit Yuri anime, Sasamekikoto. Members will be shown five different "kiss" scenes that appear in various episodes. Send in the episode # and the exact time that the kiss appears. If you get all five correct, you will automatically be entered to win a SIX-month premium membership at Crunchyroll! Crunchyrollwill be giving away two memberships. Visit Crunchyroll for more information. Share your love of Yuri and win! About Sasamekikoto: Sumika is in love with her best friend Ushio who only likes cute girls. Tall, athletic smart Sumi is anything but cute. Sasamekikoto ("The thing that is whispered") is a Yuri love comedy of errors about girls who love girls....even the ones that don't love them back.
More About: Free , Kisses

Yuri Manga: Hayate x Blade, Volume 5 (English)
2009-12-15 00:29:00
It is my greatest pleasure as a manga reader to read good stories, told well. Yesterday's series, Octave, is one such story. The subject of today's review, for totally different reasons and in totally different ways is, as well. Hayate x Blade is a good story, told well and adapted into English with excellence. These are three different things, mind you. Coming up with a good story isn't that hard, but telling it well is incredibly difficult. And, as you know, it is my conflict-of-interest-laden pleasure to be a small part of the team that creates an English adaptation of this manga that reads so smoothly, so *naturally* that it does not feel like a "transalation" that is "localized" or "adapted." It feels like I'm reading the original. It's that natural. Volume 5 of Hayate x Blade brings us to the long-awaited match between Hitsugi/Shizuku and Kurea/Minori. We get to see what we've always guessed - Hitsugi is 50% awesome and 50% freak of nature. And, it's wonderful. Wat...
More About: Manga

Yuri Manga: Octave, Volume 3
2009-12-13 22:02:00
At the end of Volume 2 of Octave, I expressed the sentiment that I did not want Setsuko to be hurt, even as I knew that there was no way to avoid it. And indeed, as the pages of Volume 3 open, there is Setsuko, crying. It didn't help that I expected Yukino to come home and lie about her evening. It did help that the characters of Octave are hyper real and they manage to deal with some very seriously drama-inducing situations in a way that few, if any, people would actually deal with them. And so, as Yukino's esteem issues come to a head, Setsuko and Mari's calm sensibility and reasonable natures forced Yukino to grow the fuck up and take responsibility for her choices. Phew. On the bad side, Setsuko cried. On the good side, Yukino comes out to her friend, the newly re-debuted idol and admits her jealousy of Mika. A pretty excellent scene - without "Afterschool Special" overtones, just one adult female having to verbalize something that is not real until it is actually ver...
More About: Manga

Yuri Network News - December 12, 2009
2009-12-13 05:24:00
The holiday season is in full force and buying is reaching frenzied heights - which I'm totally for. Let me see if I can help with some good suggestions for holiday gifts, shall I? ;-) Yuricon News The Yuricon 2009 AMV contest is heading into final hours. Please get those entries in soon! http://www.yuricon.org/contestsWe have a fabulous art contest coming up so keep your eyes peeled! The up-to-40% off sale on 100% Yuri is also coming to a close. Please get any orders in by Monday, Dec. 15 for Xmas shopping: http://www.yuricon.org/shop/alcp.html *** Yuri Anime RightStuf & Nozomi Entertainment announce the ARIA The Origination Collection for March 2, 2010. The set will include the series' third (and final) TV season, plus the OVA. For more info, downloads, extras and lots of pretty pictures, visit RightStuf's Aria website. Sasamekikoto is heading to the end of a successful first season and to celebrate there will be some contest-like thing you might want to know about. I di...
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New Round of "Utter Nonense!"
2009-12-11 15:43:00
It's that time again! Yes! Time for you to send in your questions about whatever and put up with my answers of "whatever." :-) For this next round of Utter Nonsense we're going to have a few simple rules: 1) I will not answer questions about "what is your favorite...." anymore. They distress me, because I don't *have* favorites, usually. 2) No "ham or cheese" or "Coke or Pepsi" questions. Please. They provide no entertainment to either you or me. 3) If you want to ask me what I see as the future of Yuri or why I like Yuri, I beg you to read all the previous iterations of my answers to these questions. If you have a real question about Yuri that I have not previously addressed, bring it on! 4) Please, please, no questions that can be answered by 30 seconds of actually READING one of my reviews here. (Sorry first question person - I've answered that three volumes worth. Search for the title here, or click the "Morinaga Milk" category on the righthand sidebar.) 5) And no "def...

Lucky Star Manga, Volume 2 (English)
2009-12-08 22:19:00
Okay, I think I got it. (I'd say "correct me if I'm wrong, but when have you ever hesitated to do that?!) Everything that comes out of a tsundere character's mouth in tsun mode is treated as if it's "Opposite Day." If he whines that he doesn't wanna do it, it really means he's going to save the world in a second or two and if she says he's annoying, it means she likes him. Am I close? So, in Lucky Star , Volume 2, we're specifically told that Kagami is tsundere so, when she protests that the chocolates she's giving Konata are just out of obligation, you're all "wink-wink-nudge-nudge," right? Of course, we are also told that Yu is a cop on a rampage, free and easy, but kind of hyper and in her own world, which in my book is four completely different personalities, but hey, whatever works for you. The single outstanding quality of this manga is the translation - but not in a good way. This volume has an editor credited - some part of me expected to see "Alan Smithee" on t...
More About: Manga , English , Lucky Star

Yawara, A Fashionable Judo Girl, Volume 2 (English)
2009-12-08 16:41:00
There is a fine line between "She doth protest too much" and "Standing one's ground." When it comes to a woman not buckling under the pressure of the wishes of everyone around her, I'm usually right behind her, rooting for her to make her own decisions. In Volume 2 of Yawara, A Fashionable Judo Girl , Yawara doth protest too much. Her Mom has already pointed out that girls who do Judo are still feminine. Everyone in her school looks up to her for guidance and leadership and even her friends think she ought to step up and shine a little more. But no, Yawara has a dream of being a nobody, of embodying the passive ideal of wife and mother and passing through life with nary an influence. Okay, fine, that's her choice, I got it. I don't agree with it, but it's hers, so I respect that. But, when the judo club implores her to become their coach so they can man up and defend their reputation, and Kazamatsuri begs her to compete, telling Yawara that she shines brightest when she's...
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Hanayashiki no Junin-tachi Manga, Volume 3
2009-12-06 20:58:00
In Volume 1 of Hanayashiki no Junin-tachi (花やしきの住人たち,) we met Aki, a boy who excels at "women's" tasks like cooking, sewing and being functional. As punishment he is sent to live at a girl's dorm, which just goes to show that his father and grandfather are idiots. In the Hanayashiki dorm, Aki meets energetic, cute and hungry Renge who falls for him, and creepy loner Ayame, who has an extra creepy twin brother who is really damaged. Aki falls for Ayame and, of course Ayame is interested in Renge, in standard fashion. In Volume 2, we learned that Ayame is a lesbian because she's only met broken and disturbed men and that her mother was distant and cold, just like Freud said. Now we are at Volume 3, and any chance that Ayame and Renge will get together is receeding quickly. Renge comes to grips that Aki isn't going to be hers anytime soon, and somehow Aki finds himself protecting Ayame more and more from Kakitsubata, her brother. When Kakitsubata starts to sex...
More About: Manga

Yuri Network News - December 5, 2009
2009-12-05 16:12:00
The end of the year draws nigh and I guess it's time to start thinking about my Top Ten Lists. Number One will be easy but ugh, the rest is going to be hard - this year because we had a ton of good stuff to choose from. And here's a few more titles, to complicate matters. :-) Yuri Manga Choir! was a horrible-looking comic strip that turned out to be totally tolerable, with moments of actual funny and a surprisingly genuine Yuri couple. Now there's a second volume out. I still haven't had a chance to read it, but Japanese Yuri lists say that at least one of the stories in Nakamura Ching's collection Chin-Man is Yuri. *** Yuri Drama CD YNN correspondent Katherine H. is glad to share the news that there is a *third* Saki original Drama CD in the works. While we're at it, I want to share the news that the Maria-sama ga Miteru Premium CD with original recording, is now available. Those of you who favor Yumi x Touko (by which I mean...Sean) will like the cover. *** Yuri Ani...
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R.O.D. - Read or Die Light Novel, Volume 2
2009-12-05 03:35:00
I write about many things here at Okazu, but above all, I write about love. There are, obviously, many types of love. Love of family, love of friends, love between comrades, love as an obsession. And in so many of these reviews, I deal with love that can't easily be expressed in simple terms. In the second Read or Die Light Novel, we find Yomiko and Nenene in this space. They aren't "in love" with one another, but they clearly need one another and love and care for one another. They are each other's most important person, but they are not lovers. More than friends, less than lovers, more than family. This is all in the small spaces in between the larger issues like the opening of the world's largest bookstore, the subsequent terrorist attack, the appearance of Mr. Gentlemen and lots of running around. R.O.D novels have a very specific genre pattern - goofy beginning, serious plot with loads of violence, Nenene in danger, evil bad guy, happy reunion between Nenene and Yomik...

Zombie-Loan Manga, Volume 7 (English)
2009-12-04 20:39:00
Gosh, if *only* Michiru found *just* the right time to say just the right things, maybe that tragedy with Yomi wouldn't have happened. Oh, wait, nothing has happened yet, but you just know something is going to in some future volume. Because in Volume 7 of Zombie-Loan , while Michiru really, positively has something very important she wants to talk to Yomi about, there just never seems to be exactly the right time without any kind of interruption or just the right atmosphere with no zombies, rivals or Shinigami. No, poor Michiru, she really, positively has something very important to say to Yomi, but just can't manage to find the right time or place to say it. In the meantime, the two teams of zombie-hunters fight each other, zombies and the people who are manipulating them, all pretty ineffectively, while the manipulators spout off random, over-blown and ultimately meaningless dialogue about life and death...mostly death. So, basically, more of the same, with a sprinkling o...
More About: Manga , English

Why Your Story Was Rejected - The Query Letter Conundrum
2009-12-02 18:05:00
Hello - "Thank you for your submission to "Yuri Monogatari." We know just how much time goes into the creation of a story, and we appreciate your effort. Unfortunately, your story doesn't really fit our criteria, and so we're going to have to pass. Of course we wish you the very best of luck in your quest to be published, and hope to hear from you again when you have another story that is suitable for the "Yuri Monogatari" series." *** There's nothing fun about rejecting a story. I don't enjoy it, the creator in question doesn't enjoy it. We're all unhappy. But it has to be done. There are a zillion "so you wanna be an author" books and magazines, and all of them talk about the rejection process. They say it's inevitable and that it isn't you and that if you do it *just* right, you'll get that magical request for more. This is all true - and it's all totally, completely untrue, as well. Like mostly everything, there's an almost random combination of luck and hard w...
More About: Story , Letter , Rejected