The Winter 2013 Anime Season

Hmm, not terribly excited about this season. I am looking forward to watching AKB0048's second season after finishing its first, and I'm hopeful that Tamako Market will be nice for something light. Otherwise... eh. I would normally be like, "Maybe there will be a pleasant surprise!" but... well, you'll see below. For now, I'm predicting that my definite shows for this season will be the second half of Psycho-Pass and AKB0048 season 2, and a very possible maybe is Tamako Market. But, different strokes for different folks. Maybe you'll find something else here that appeals.

12/21

Boku no Imouto ha Osaka Okan:
An adaptation of Chukei Shuppan's Osaka Okan Rule and Osaka Rule books, which are tongue-in-cheek guides to interacting with Osakans. In this series, Kyousuke reunites with his little sister Nanika, who he hasn't seen in ten years, and finds she isn't anything like he remembers. Each episode will be a few minutes long.

Well... Its first episode is on Crunchyroll now. I don't trust anything with "imouto" in its title at this point, so I'll pass. ^^;

Seiyuu:
Asumi Kana (Hidamari Sketch's Yuno)
Shiraishi Ryoko (Saki's Mako)
Iguchi Yuka (Symphogear's Miku)

01/01

Puchimas! Petite Idol Master:
A series of shorts airing online, featuring chibi versions of the Idolm@ster characters.

Tried Idolm@ster after hearing it wasn't awful. It actually wasn't, but wasn't good either, so I dropped it. So... yup. Pass on this.

Seiyuu:
Kugimiya Rie (Marimite's Touko, a million tsunderes)
Hirata Hiromi (R.O.D. the TV's Maggie)


01/02

Yama no Susume:
Another series composed of shorts. Aoi, a cheerful loner with a fear of heights, and her friend Hinata, who loves mountains, meet for the first time since grade school on their first day of high school and decide to climb a mountain to see the sunrise from its peak, like they did when they were kids.

Crunchyroll's streaming this one too. The first episode is cute. No service, pleasant enough. It covers the story's set-up- Aoi and Hinata meeting again, Hinata convincing Aoi to climb with her, and a couple flashbacks to why Aoi has a fear of heights and what her and Hinata's friendship was like when they were younger. That's actually quite a bit for three and a half minutes, but it doesn't feel rushed. I'll probably forget about this series by the time the next episode airs, but it's fine if you're looking for something light and low-key.

Seiyuu:
Asumi Kana (Hidamari Sketch's Yuno)
Iguchi Yuka (Symphogear's Miku)
Hikasa Youko (K-ON!'s Mio)

Mangirl!:
Another series composed of episodes that are a few minutes each. This one follows "Japan's cutest manga editors" as they try to create the #1 bestselling manga magazine even though they have no experience editing manga.

Crunchyroll has the first episode of this one up too. I like the idea of a series that takes one behind the scenes of manga publishing (not counting doujinshi publishing here), but our options for that in anime that I know of are... well, Bakuman (which is dripping with contempt for women), Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (a romantic comedy starring a lead couple with consent issues), and this (a comedy that isn't offensive, just... not funny). If you want a good yuri example of a manga with a manga publishing theme, you should check out Kodama Naoko's Renai Manga, which is about a stylish shoujo editor who gets assigned to her favorite mangaka- who she always envisioned being a chic person living a romantic, exciting life like the characters in her manga, but turns out to be a shy recluse who doesn't care about fashion.

Seiyuu:
Yuuki Aoi (Madoka Magica's Madoka)
Kayano Ai (Mouretsu Pirates's Ai)
Taketatsu Ayana (K-ON!'s Azusa)
Kitamura Eri (Madoka Magica's Sayaka)


01/03

Ai Mai Mi:
Yet another mini-episode series. Ai, Mai, Mi and Ponoka-sempai, members of their school's manga club, fight alien invaders, face rivals in tournaments and do other random things.

Crunchyroll has the first episode of this one up too. It was better than I expected- the fanfiction gag was funny. And I liked the visual reference to Morita-san ha Mukuchi. And it isn't servicey. But that one gag aside, its jokes didn't do much for me.

Seiyuu:
Kayano Ai (Mouretsu Pirates's Ai)
Ootsubo Yuuka (Yuru Yuri's Kyouko)


01/04

Cuticle Tantei Inaba:
An adaption of a manga running in GFantasy. Inaba Hiroshi is a private detective who was genetically engineered to be part wolf. He solves cases with his cross-dressing secretary Yuuta and a teenager named Kei. Inaba, Yuuta and Kei try to arrest Don Valentino, an evil anthropomorphic goat who likes eating money. PV streaming here.

Well... umm... okay. Batshit though the evil anthropomorphic money-eating goat being arrested by a half-wolf detective thing sounds, I think I'll pass.

Seiyuu:
Suwabe Junichi (Fate/stay night's Archer)
Ookawa Tohru (Shiki's Ozaki)
Asami Seto (Hourou Musuko's Takatsuki)
Saiga Mitsuki (Mai Hime and Mai Otome's Chie)
Sugita Tomokazu (Suzumiya Haruhi's Kyon)
Hikasa Youko (K-ON!'s Mio)

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha:
An adaptation of a light novel with unusual origins- it started on a 2 channel forum.

Maou ("Demon Queen") and Yuusha ("Hero") live in a world in which humans and demons are at war. When Yuusha confronts Maou over the war having started because demons declared war against humans, she explains that the point was to prevent humans from going to war with each other by giving them all a common enemy. Yuusha allies with her so they can come up with a way to bring peace to humans and demons alike.

This series's premise has potential- but going by the PVs, its protagonist is a bland audience stand-in and the Demon Queen... well, the PVs are pretty obsessed with her boobs.

Seiyuu:
Koshimizu Ami (Saki's Nodoka, Marimite's Kanako)
Fukuyama Jun (Code Geass's Lelouch)
Saito Chiwa (Madoka Magica's Homura)
Tomatsu Haruka (Mouretsu Pirates's Gruier)
Kamiya Hiroshi (Zetsubou-sensei)
Sawashiro Miyuki (CANAAN's Canaan, Blue Drop's Hagino, Psycho-Pass's Shion)
Tooyama Nao (Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon's Margot)
Fukuen Misato (Hidamari Sketch's Natsume)
Itou Shizuka (Marimite's Rei, El Cazador de la Bruja's Nadie, Psycho-Pass's Yayoi)


01/05

D.C. III ~Da Capo III~:
An adaptation of the D.C. III ~Da Capo III~ visual novel. Which haremette will the protagonist ch...zzzzzzzz. I watched an episode of the first Da Capo anime years ago. One of the dullest things I have ever watched. I don't have high hopes for this series. PV here.

Noteworthy Seiyuu:
Nitta Emi (Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon's Malga)

Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:
An adaptation of a light novel series. Eita, a high schooler, aims to get into medical school and, because of that and his parents' divorce, wants nothing to do with romance. A cool-headed beauty named Masuzu decides to make him her "fake boyfriend" to ward off unwanted attention. Eita's childhood friend Chiwa, who is "like a little sister" to him, gets jealous. Masuzu and Chiwa start fighting over him.

Well, this looks promising. Here are the trailers.

Seiyuu:
Tamura Yukari (Nanoha)
Akasaki Chinatsu (Mouretsu Pirates's Maki)
Kayano Ai (Mouretsu Pirates's Ai)
Kanemoto Hisako (Mouretsu's Pirates's Grunhilde)
Nazuka Kaori (Simoun's Yun)
Tooyama Nao (Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon's Margot)

AKB0048 Second Stage:
AKB0048's second season. At the beginning of the twenty first century, humanity fled Earth as a result of interplanetary war. In their new society, music and art are forbidden. Forty eight years after this ban started, AKB48 was resurrected as a guerilla group called AKB0048 that fights (often literally) to bring music to the people.

I recently started watching this series and have enjoyed what I've seen so far. I don't care about AKB48, so I wrote this series off when it was airing, assuming that it would be crap that would only really appeal to AKB48/idol fans. But then certain people told me that the AKB48 aspect is just branding- that this show has honest-to-goodness good characters and a fun story, courtesy of Macross's Kawamori Shouji helming it. From what I have seen, it is indeed a fun series with likeable lead characters- and the AKB48 aspect really is just branding. And it isn't servicey. I look forward to watching this season after finishing season one.

PV streaming here, but its first episode has already been released anyway. Sadly, no legal streaming sites have it.

Seiyuu:
AKB48 members Satou Amina, Ishida Haruka, Iwata Karen, Watanabe Mayu, Nakaya Sayaka, and Satou Sumire.
SKE48 members Yagami Kumi and Hata Sawako.
NMB48 member Mita Mao.
Kawasumi Ayako (Chikane, Saber)
Ueda Kana (Marimite's Yumi, Saki's Saki)
Nakahara Mai (Strawberry Panic!'s Nagisa)
Noto Mamiko (Marimite's Shimako)
Sawashiro Miyuki (CANAAN's Canaan, Blue Drop's Hagino, Psycho-Pass's Shion)
Shiraishi Ryoko (Saki's Mako)
Horie Yui (Hourou Musuko's Anna, Aoi Hana's Kyouko)
Tamura Yukari (Nanoha)

Minami-ke Tadaima:
The fourth season of a slice-of-life series focusing on a household composed of three sisters. PV streaming here. Just click the orange button that says "PVを見る."

I tried Minami-ke a while ago. Thought it was okay, but never finished it... so needlessly to say, I won't be watching this season. ^^;

Seiyuu:
Inoue Marina (Toshokan Sensou's Iku)
Satou Rina (Mouretsu Pirates's Jenny, Marimite's Tsutako)
Chihara Minori (Saki's Touka)
Toyosaki Aki (K-ON!'s Yui)
Ono Daisuke (Kuroshitsuji's Sebastian)
Kitamura Eri (Madoka Magica's Sayaka)
Mizuki Nana (Nanoha's Fate, Heartcatch's Precure's Tsubomi, Symphogear's Tsubasa)
Chiba Saeko (Mai Hime and Mai Otome's Natsuki)
Nanjou Yoshino (CANAAN's Maria)

Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun:
An adaptation of a manga series that ran in Ciel Tres Tres. It's basically a supernatural reimagining of Nasou Satomi Hakkenden, a 19th century novel about eight samurai half-brothers and their adventures.

Going by the trailer, this is a very loose adaptation of Hakkenden set in modern times. Doesn't look that interesting, so pass.

Seiyuu:
Takagaki Ayahi (Sasameki Koto's Sumi)
Kamiya Hiroshi (Zetsubou-sensei)


01/06

Senran Kagura:
Girls with big boobs fight. They're supposed to be ninjas. Oh, and the blonde's signature gag seems to be groping other women's boobs- so, some yuri-flavored service. I'm not biting for that, though.
PVs here.

Seiyuu:
Imai Asami (Steins;Gate's Kurisu)
Harada Hitomi (Sasameki Koto's Tomoe)
Mizuhashi Kaori (Madoka Magica's Mami)
Kobayashi Yuu (Saki's Yumi, Negima's Setsuna)
Iguchi Yuka (Symphogear's Miku)
Kayano Ai (Mouretsu Pirates's Ai)
Kitamura Eri (Madoka Magica's Sayaka)
Toyoguchi Megumi (Marimite's Sei)
Shiraishi Ryoko (Saki's Mako)

Love Live! School Idol Project:
Like Strawberry Panic!, Love Live! School Idol Project started as a "user-participation project" in Dengeki G's magazine, in which readers voted on the future of the characters. (In SP!'s case, readers voted on favorite pairings. Nagisa/Tamao won again and again, so thankfully clearly, those polls didn't ultimately hold much influence.) Online mobile phone polls also allowed folks to vote on the characters' hairstyles and costumes. Several music videos have been released starring these characters, and now they're getting an anime. In the anime, the characters attend a school that is in danger of being closed, so they become idols to save it.

Doesn't interest me. PVs found here.

Seiyuu:
Nitta Emi (Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon's Malga)
Suzuko Mimori (Yuru Yuri's Himawari)
Nanjou Yoshino (CANAAN's Maria)

Ishida to Asakura:
Another gag comedy series being doled out in extra-short episodes. (Two minutes in this case.) It focuses on two best friends in high school- Asakura, who wants to become a teacher at an all-girls' school, and Ishida, who wants to become a florist with Asakura.

*shrug* Don't think I'll be following this one either.

Noteworthy Seiyuu:
None.


01/07

AMNESIA:
An adaptation of an otome game, about a girl who wakes up with, surprise, amnesia. A boy who introduces himself as a spirit named Orion appears before her, offering to help her regain her memories. She gets a phone call from her boyfriend, but it being a phone call, she can't see what he looks like. Some super-powered villains are after her also. PV streaming here.

Not really interested in this one. It does sound kind of neat that in the game, apparently, one has a variety of personalities one can create for the protagonist, depending the route one chooses.

Seiyuu:
Nazuka Kaori (Simoun's Yun)
Ishida Akira (Mai Hime's Nagi)

Line Offline Salaryman:
Another series of shorts, this time based on the mascot characters from NHN's voice chat/messaging app. Line Offline Salaryman is a workplace gag comedy, taking place in a corporate office setting.

Not interested in this one either.

Seiyuu:
No seiyuu cast yet.

THE UNLIMITED: Hyoubu Kyousuke:
By the creator of Zettai Karen children, which I have not seen, a series about an "esper outlaw" who was betrayed by humans way back in his past. Looks like he fights some dude with heterochromatic eyes, and has adopted a psychic orphan. PV found here.

Doesn't seem like my cup of tea either.

Seiyuu:
Tooyama Nao (Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon's Margot)
Kugimiya Rie (Marimite's Touko, a million tsunderes)
Oohara Sayaka (Fate/Zero's Irisviel, Aria's Alicia)
Nakamura Yuuichi (Clannad's Tomoya)

Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman:
An adaptation of a pachinko game that has character designs by Monkey Punch- woe be to any Lupin III fans who are like, "Sweet, this looks like Lupin! It must be based on another series by the same guy!" The game stars Roman, a "phantom thief" living in the Genroku era (1688-1704) who steals back items that were unfairly taken from their original owners. The anime will be set during the Bakumatsu era, the years when Japan transferred from the Tokugawa shogunate of the Edo period to the Meiji government. PVs here and here.

I like Monkey Punch's character designs and the old school atmosphere the PVs are going for, but... well, the story is what's most important and this is a pachinko game adaptation. Those tend to be mediocre at best.

Seiyuu:
Nakai Kazuya (One Piece's Zoro)
Kitamura Eri (Madoka Magica's Sayaka)


01/08

Jigoku Youchien:
Another series of shorts, whose premise is self-explanatory. (Jigoku Youchien translates as Hell Kindergarten.)

Passing on this one too.

Seiyuu:
Asumi Kana (Hidamari Sketch's Yuno)
Ookubo Rumi (Yuru Yuri's Chinatsu)

Senyu:
A Jump Square manga adaptation. Demons invade a fantasy world, so its king declares that the demons must be fought by the descendants of "the hero." Seventy five people qualify. One of them teams up with a warrior from the palace to fight the demons.

Color me awestruck, this one has extra-short episodes too. There really are more series like that than usual this season. Pass, anyway.

Seiyuu:
Kayano Ai (Mouretsu Pirates's Ai)
Nakamura Yuuichi (Clannad's Tomoya)
Nakata Jouji (Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate's Alucard)


01/09

Tamako Market:
From Kyoto Animation and Yamada Naoko, the person who directed both seasons of K-ON (which I enjoyed), comes an original series about a girl named Tamako, whose family runs a mochi shop, and the other people who live and work in the Usagiyama shopping district.

This could be an enjoyable light series. At the least, it'll look really good (especially the lovingly rendered mochi) and won't be servicey. Will definitely be trying it.

Seiyuu:
Yukino Satsuki (R.O.D. the TV's Nenene)
Ono Daisuke (Kuroshitsuji's Sebastian)
Hikasa Youko (K-ON!'s Mio)

GJ-bu:
An adapation of a "4-koma novel", a light novel consisting of four page short stories. This one focuses on a boy named Kyouya and his four female classmates, who are in the Good Job Club. PV found here.

*shrug*

Seiyuu:
Suzuko Mimori (Yuru Yuri's Himawari)

gdgd Fairies season 2:
Each episode of this series will be fifteen minutes long. This completely cgi series focuses on three fairies with weak powers who live in the creatively named Fairy Forest.

*shrug again*

Seiyuu:
Mizuhara Kaoru (Ga -Rei- Zero's Yomi)
Suzuko Mimori (Yuru Yuri's Himawari)


01/10

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai:
Studio's SHAFT's offering for this season- an adaptation of a light novel series about a hikikomori named Sasami, who won't do so much as change clothes or eat without her older brother's help. (Let me know when there's a series in which an able-bodied boy needs a girl's help to carry out basic life functions.) She views the outside world through a "Brother Surveillance Tool" on her computer. Thus, she witnesses the "relationships worthy of a romantic comedy" that her brother has with three sisters.

Yeah, pass.

Seiyuu:
Nonaka Ai (Madoka Magica's Kyouko, Negima's Konoka)
Saito Chiwa (Madoka Magica's Homura)
Asumi Kana (Hidamari Sketch's Yuno)
Hanazawa Kana (Mouretsu Pirates's Chiaki, Black Rock Shooter's Mato)

Vivired Operation:
From the director of the utterly gross Strike Witches, a series about a 14 year-old girl who protects the Earth from alien invaders with her color-coordinated friends. There will be many ass and crotch shots.

Seiyuu:
Ootsubo Yuuka (Yuru Yuri's Kyouko)

Boku ha Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT (a.k.a. Haganai NEXT):
The second season of a series about a boy who has trouble making friends because people assume he's a delinquent because of his blonde hair and "fierce-looking" eyes. (Contrary to people's assumptions, he didn't dye his hair to look rebellious. It's naturally blonde because he's half-British.) He befriends a girl who has trouble making friends also, and they form a club for people in their school who have trouble making friends. PV here.

The premise isn't bad, but in practice, it looks like it's just an excuse to surround the lead with moe girls. Never tried the first season, so I won't be sampling this one.

Seiyuu:
Itou Kanae (Taisho Yakyuu Musume's Koume)
Inoue Marina (Toshokan Sensou's Iku)
Kimura Ryouhei (Penguindrum's Shouma)
Hanazawa Kana (Mouretsu Pirates's Chiaki, Black Rock Shooter's Mato)
Fukuen Misato (Hidamari Sketch's Natsume)
Iguchi Yuka (Symphogear's Miku)

Kotoura-san:
An adaptation of a 4-koma manga running online. Kotoura Haruka is a new transfer student. She can read people's minds, so she joins the ESP club. Her clubmate Yoshihisa becomes her love interest. PV here.

This one looks lame too.

Seiyuu:
Hanazawa Kana (Mouretsu Pirates's Chiaki, Black Rock Shooter's Mato)
Kanemoto Hisako (Mouretsu's Pirates's Grunhilde)


01/11

Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru sou Desu yo?:
A light novel adaptation, about a boy named Izayoi who is transported to an alternate world. He finds that two other "problem children" have been transported there, a girl named You and a girl named Asuka. A buxom bunny girl named Kuro Usagi ("Black Rabbit") tells them she summoned them there to overthrow the Devil.

Surprise, the trailer looks shitty.

Seiyuu:
Nakajima Megumi (Macross Frontier's Ranka)

Chihayafuru season 2:
The second season of that rarest of beasts, a josei manga adaptation. Chihayafuru is about a girl named Chihaya, her two childhood friends (and love interests) Arata and Taichi and several other friends, who all play in competitive karuta.

Have you ever started a series that you think is good and feel like you should love and faithfully watch week after week, but end up dropping it? That's what happened with me and season 1 of this series. It is a well-written show, I just... ended up dropping it. I'm glad for the fans who are looking forward to this season, though. Surprisingly, there isn't a PV out for it yet.

Seiyuu:
Asami Seto (Hourou Musuko's Takatsuki)
Kayano Ai (Mouretsu Pirates's Ai)
Miyano Mamoru (Ouran's Tamaki)


01/25

Hetalia: The Beautiful World:
Hetalia's fifth season- and the only show that can claim the fame of allowing BL fans to slash different countries. You should already know if you're going to be watching this gag comedy that anthropomorphizes different nations or not. No PV yet.

Seiyuu:
Onosaka Masaya (Trigun's Vash)
Noriaki Sugiyama (Naruto's Sasuke)
Konishi Katsuyuki (Gurren Lagann's Kamina)
Kaida Yuki (Prince of Tennis's Shusuke)
Takahashi Hiroki (Prince of Tennis's Eiji)

And, that's it!

Update:
02/03

Whoops, I forgot about Doki Doki! Precure. So... I guess I'll try it, since I've given every Precure series a shot.
PV here.

Seiyuu:
Nabatame Hitomi (Strawberry Panic!'s Shizuma, Marimite's Eriko)
Kotobuki Minako (K-ON!'s Mugi)

Happy New Year!: A Review of Yuri in Anime in 2012

As with my Anime of Interest to Yuri Fans in 2011 list, I'm just listing everything relevant I've watched alphabetically. (Also- like the fan art in this post? The X's below them are links to the art's sources.)

Binbougami ga!:
I know some people shipped this series's leads, but I didn't. It's here for Kuroyuri, a death god with a thing for her female boss who only shows up for the second half of episode nine. As a whole, this show was good for some mindless fun.

Binbougami ga! is streaming on Funimation.

Black Rock Shooter:
I could see Mato having feelings for Yomi and Yomi possibly returning them. I found this series's ending disappointing, but a number of people seem to like it.

X

Fate/Zero season 2:

Because this is me when Saber and Irisviel are together onscreen. Canon shmanon.

X

This show has a ripping good story to boot. Aside from the Kiritsugu flashback episodes, I really looked forward to seeing what would happen each week. Saber and Irisviel both got tragic endings as expected, like almost everyone who participated in the Holy Grail War, but I still find them squee-worthy.

Fate/Zero is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Girls und Panzer:
This doesn't really count to me, but I'm assuming that if I don't mention it, someone will be like, "What about Girls und Panzer?" Having heard that it actually wasn't servicey, I decided to watch its first episode when I was drunk one evening. I remember thinking, "That line's yuri fan-bait" at one or two points, but not what the lines are. I was amused by some bits (in a "Haha, wow, that's stupid" way), but mostly bored.

Girls und Panzer is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Jormungand seasons 1 and 2:
For Valmet's utterly unambiguous feelings for Koko. The first season was good, mindless fun, and the second season is... well, it's more ambitious than the first, but my feelings about it are much more mixed. The only spoiler I'll give for anyone who hasn't finished it- that jingle that plays over every next episode preview? ("Her name is Koko, she is loco.") It really isn't kidding.

Jormungand is streaming on Funimation.

X

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon season 2:
I can't say that I enjoy Horizon, but it has done an excellent job with its canon yuri couple, Malga and Margot. Malga got a bigger role and some good character development in season 2, and contrary to its heavily servicey execution, this series became frank about the fact that Malga and Margot are not only in love but sleeping together without being sleazy about it. I still wish I could move these two to a different series. ^_^;

Horizon is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Last Exile -Ginkyoku no Fam-:
I, erm, haven't finished this series. It fell by the wayside when things got hectic during my final college semester. I watched beyond the first episode to see Tatiana and Alister's cameo as an older, still ambiguously yuri pair.  It was nice to see them still together. And it was neat (if puzzling) to see Dio again. Otherwise... eh. For what it's worth, Last Exile didn't do much for me either.

Last Exile -Ginkyoku no Fam- is streaming on Funimation.

X

Mouretsu Pirates:
A show I like with a yuri couple whose relationship is made as clear as day? More like this, please! Jenny and Lynn are great characters, and are very squee-worthy together as a couple. They even get their own arc. I hope to see them again in the upcoming Mouretsu Pirates movie.

Mouretsu Pirates is streaming on Crunchyroll and Sentai is releasing it, under the cringe-worthy title Bodacious Space Pirates, with English subs and a dub on DVD and Blu Ray.

X 

X

(Yeah Rosalie, that's my reaction to Oscar too.)

Ikeda Riyoko's Oniisama E and Rose of Versailles are hardly new series, but they are both must-watch shows for yuri and shoujo fans that became licensed in English for the first time this past year. Oniisama E is streaming with English subtitles on Viki, as is Rose of Versailles. Rose of Versailles is also set to be released on two R1 DVD box sets by Nozomi Entertainment this year. Between RoV and Aoi Hana's pending DVD releases, not to mention Nozomi's earlier licensing of Utena and Maria-sama ga Miteru, I want to marry Nozomi.

X

Psycho-Pass (a.k.a. the show I won't shut up about on Twitter):
Because Shion and Yayoi are clearly doing more than work in Shion's workplace. And... well, Yayoi's a cool woman in a suit and it's a hot pairing.

I've been dying to see these two get more development (rather than continue projecting it in my head), especially Yayoi (man, she's been underused so far), and it looks like that is going to happen when this series returns from its two week break. I'm both excited about Yayoi getting her time to shine and anxious, since, you know, a lot of horrible shit has happened to the characters who have gotten the spotlight so far. (Pretty obvious that her bandmates were killed, and that's why her crime coefficient shot up.) I'm even more curious now about how she became an Enforcer. It's easy to see a fallen Inspector like Kougami being made into an Enforcer- but how did the powers that be decide that a pop band member with a high crime coefficient had a future catching criminals ahead of her? And of course, I'm really hoping for something further of note on the yuri front. Are Yayoi and Shion only in a physical relationship? Are there any feelings involved? Hopefully we'll see. I was originally lukewarm towards this show, but I'm really into it now and looking forward to seeing where it goes from where the mid-season climax left off.

Psycho-Pass is streaming on Funimation.

Rinne no Lagrange seasons 1 and 2:
Lagrange's first season started off dull, but became a lot of fun. Its second season fell flat on its face. I could see Madoka x Lan as a subtext pairing in season 1 and at the beginning of season 2, but like Lagrange's plot, it fizzled over the course of season 2.

Rinne no Lagrange is streaming on VizAnime.

X

Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side A:
This spin-off of Saki bored me to tears, but Yumi and Momo's cameo in the first half of episode 8 made me smile. Here's to seeing them again in Saki season 2, which I am really looking forward to.

Saki Achiga-hen is streaming on Crunchyroll.

X

Senki Zesshou Symphogear season 1:
Tsubasa loves Kanade and Miku loves Hibiki. This turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable series, with good characters, a heavy dose of camp and some catchy songs by Mizuki Nana.

Symphogear is streaming on Funimation.

Yuru Yuri season 2:
Same yuri as in season 1- but improved, since it showed us that Himawari and Sakurako have affection for each other instead of simply expecting us to interpret their snarking at each other as tsundere love.

Yuru Yuri is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Never watched Hidamari Sketch season 4 because, again, I'm sick of the franchise. I understand that Sengoku Collection has some canon yuri in it, but haven't gotten past its first episode.

I haven't seen the first two Madoka Magica movies, but really look forward to seeing where the third movie takes the franchise.

X

And I'm still doing cartwheels over the Sailor Moon reboot. :D

 X

I hope you have a happy year ahead! (^_^)/

Manga Review: Sailor Moon volume 6

At long last, a Sailor Moon review. Specifically, of the first volume of the S arc, which introduces the wonderfulness that is Haruka and Michiru.

I won't bother summarizing Sailor Moon up to this point. If you're considering reading the sixth volume of this series, you should already know what Sailor Moon's premise is. I will say that the volumes up to this point (covering the first two arcs) are excellent. And Haruka and Michiru are one of the most enduringly beloved, mega-popular yuri couples for good reason.

Just to be up front, although I've written about it here before, Sailor Moon is my gateway manga and anime and holds many sepia-tinted memories for me. For what it's worth, on re-reading this series as an adult, I still find it well-written and enjoyable, although naturally, some aspects of it read differently now.

As for what is in this volume...

A new arc, a new set of baddies. And a new pair of Sailor Soldiers who we know will be allies, even if Sailor Moon and the other Inner Soldiers don't yet.

Yes- kyaa!- this volume introduces Haruka/Sailor Uranus and Michiru/Sailor Neptune in its first chapter. Haruka being mistaken for a guy plays out less comedically here than in the anime, and there is more confusion on Usagi's part over her fleeting attraction to Haruka. And one... surprisingly creepy line from Haruka to Usagi. And there are a lot of helicopters. Helicopters seem to be to Haruka and Michiru in the manga what fluttering flower petals are to them in the anime.

We first see Michiru emerging from the swimming pool in her penthouse and Haruka wowing everyone at a racetrack before they fly together in their private helicopters to the elite school they attend. Strawberry Panic!, eat your heart out. One of the funniest moments in this volume is when a character Haruka and Michiru track for a bit (because she entered the villains' headquarters without realizing it) emerges outside and is like, "Oh wow, it's dark, and I need to get home. Kind of dangerous to walk after dark from here, isn't it," and they suddenly swoop down in a helicopter and are like, "Oh hey, we were just passing by in our helicopter. Want a lift home?" I also question the extent to which Haruka and Michiru desire to keep their Senshi identities a secret from the Inner Senshi, given that they give a big hint about it to Chibi-Usa and Haruka nicknames Usagi "Dumpling" (after her hairstyle) when she encounters her as a Senshi and as a civilian.

The Sailor Moon manga is darker and less campy than the SM anime, but it still has some comedic gems- this is the origin of attack names like "Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!", "Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!", and my favorite, from a later arc, "Star Gentle Uterus!" (Poor, poor Taiki.)

Mugen Academy, the elite academy that Haruka and Michiru attend, is a towering glass skyscraper where preschoolers through graduate students are cultivated to be the leaders of tomorrow. Mugen Academy and its affiliated lab are owned by Professor Tomoe, a mad scientist who acts as the ringleader of this arc's villains.

While the head villains in the previous arcs had fantastical backstories, Tomoe is just a widowed man with a sick young daughter named Hotaru. Hotaru doesn't know what her father is up to, although she notices that his behavior is strange and his hands colder than they used to be. Tomoe and his lab assistants, the Witches 5, create creatures that latch onto to people and turn them into inhuman things, which Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Soldiers vanquish when they encounter them, returning the possesed people to normal.

My one criticism of the villains in this arc is that the Witches 5 aren't as... well, entertaining in the manga as they are in the anime. Physical appearance and attacks aside, they're pretty interchangeable. The manga's pacing doesn't give it as much room to give them individual quirks as the anime does, but one still misses how much of a hoot their anime counterparts are.

Another downside of the manga's tighter pacing is that we don't have time to see Haruka and Michiru being playful and lovey-dovey in this arc the way we do in the S anime- although we will get that itch scratched later in the manga, when Haruka and Michiru don't have their hands full trying to prevent the apocalypse by themelves. Despite their current lack of lighthearted couple moments, they're very cool and display plenty of badassery while indubitably being an item.

The Inner Senshi come to distrust Haruka and Michiru for understandable reasons, but Usagi still believes they can be allies. More like Usagi than she thinks, Chibi-Usa believes that Haruka and Michiru are trustworthy also.

Chibi-Usa also meets Hotaru, who is reticent and reclusive and a little floored by Chibi-Usa's desire to befriend her. One of the nicest developments in this volume is Hotaru opening up to Chibi-Usa.

Towards the end of this volume, Neptune and Uranus save Mercury from an enemy attack and a familiar face pops up in Mugen Academy's university science department. How will these elements tie together? Keep reading and see! ^_^

The glitches in Kodansha's early translation of this series have smoothed out by now- but don't be mistaken, it has always been good and made me weep with joy compared to the old localized Tokyopop version. For a softcover release, Kodansha's edition of Sailor Moon has very good production values, with sturdy binding (another aspect I can't helping contrasting with Tokyopop's release from eons ago) and (in this case, somewhat spoilery regarding Hotaru) glossy color art pages at its beginning. There are translation notes in the back and a preview of the next volume.

I especially appreciate the color art pages because I love Takeuchi Naoko's ethereally pretty artwork. Takeuchi has some really freaking beautiful drawings, especially in color. The best aren't in this volume's color pages. I want to send Kodansha flowers not only for re-releasing this series in English, but going the extra mile by planning to release a snazzy new Sailor Moon artbook in Japan, the U.S., and five other countries (not sure which ones right now) in 2013, since the Sailor Moon artbooks have been long out-of-print worldwide. (I actually have the German release of the first Sailor Moon artbook, since I spotted it while traveling in Germany years ago.) There may be some artistic inconsistencies in the Sailor Moon manga, but Takeuchi's art style still delights me to an extent that few series match, just as her storytelling does.

Story: A-
Art: A- (A for the color art.)
Overall: A-, but even with its flaws, no less loveable than any other other series.

As a bonus, a cute Haruka and Michiru Christmas fan art by one of my blog's readers, Kori! (Who I know some of you know as the person who pens Prince of Cats, which I still find adorable.)

Her DeviantArt page (where I got this fan art) has a lot of other good Haruka x Michiru/general Sailor Moon pics.

Manga Review: Himawari-san volume 1

This book was originally intended to stand alone, so nothing on its cover indicates that it has subsequent volumes. After it came out, it sold well enough that it got green-lit to keep running in Comic Alive, the same magazine Sasameki Koto ran in.

Himawari-san is a pleasant, laid-back slice-of-life series about Matsuri, a high school girl who has an undisguised crush on the owner of the old-fashioned Himawari ("Sunflower") bookshop located across the road from her school. Everyone in town nicknames Himawari's owner "Himawari-san" after her shop. Himawari-san is a little gruff, but genuinely cares about her customers (who like her quite a bit in turn) and comes to have a soft spot for Matsuri- but not in a romantic sense, Matsuri's age being what it is.

Like many a manga heroine, Matsuri is cheerful and good-hearted but none too bright, so when she studied for her high school entrance exams, no one gave her much encouragement. Himawari-san believed in her, however, and that was the start of her crush.

Himawari-san helps a few other customers out with their problems in this volume- including Matsuri's younger sister Fuuko, who, amusingly, develops a crush on Himawari-san also, although she's slow to admit it since she was initially kind of a jerk to Himawari-san. My favorite chapter is the Jinbocho chapter, since it perfectly captures the appeal of browsing the stacks at a bookstore, especially when you find a book that unexpectedly captures your fancy.

It turns out that Himawari-san's older brother Kuroizato-sensei, who kind of reminds me of Fruits Basket's Shigure, is a light novel author, and there's a rift between him and Himawari-san. Matsuri pieces together the misunderstanding between them after reading his latest novel and, in a nice example of things coming full-circle, helps them patch things up.

So, like I said, this is a pleasant, pick-me-up kind of series. You're going to be disappointed if you go into it for the yuri (which I didn't, although I liked how no one reacts to Matsuri's obvious crush on Himawari any differently than they would to a teenaged girl who has an obvious one-sided crush on a guy), but if you're looking for a yuri-friendly slice-of-life with likeable characters and no fanservice, this is a solid pick.

As a bonus for folks learning Japanese, like Sasameki Koto, this series is chock full of furigana, so it's easy to read for a seinen series.

Story: B (But B+ for the Jinbocho chapter.)
Art: B+
Overall: B

Manga Review: Paros no Ken volume 3

We ended the previous volume of Paros no Ken on yet another cliffhanger- but this time the threat is real.

The contestants in the sword-fighting tournament are whittled down, and Yurias is one of the semi-finalists. Erminia hopes he'll win because they have sparred together since they were children and she has never lost to him. At this point, Yurias is competing not with the aim of marrying Erminia, but of freeing her to choose whoever she wants.

However, Yurias's next opponent not only defeats him, he slashes his right eye and exults over it. Technically, the man who blinded Yurias is still allowed to compete.

Enraged, Erminia rushes into the arena to challenge him, and the livid spectators cheer her on. Erminia holds her own to the point that the folks who had wanted her to be a delicate flower are really impressed. But then her opponent knocks her sword out of her hand, her uncle Alphonse throws her another sword, and Erminia finds, too late, that she has walked into a trap.

Long story short, Erminia's father dies, Kauros takes over Paros's capital, and Erminia wakes up imprisoned. The third prince of Kauros is there when she wakes up. He confirms what happened and tells her she will be his bride. The prince of Kauros is a sewer of a human being ("You may act like a man, but that does not change the fact that you are a woman! And women must submit to men." After being rejected by her: "Erminia... what a pity it is that such a beautiful woman holds men in such disdain. I shall cure you of that illness."), and tries to rape her, but thankfully, doesn't go through with it. He figures he'll have plenty of time to break her after she marries him in Kauros.

The procession escorting Erminia to Kauros stops at a town overnight, where Fiona and Erminia are reunited.

How did Fiona get there after what happened in volume 2? After being raped, Fiona threw herself into the river nearby and was rescued downstream by a nice older couple who live in the countryside. While living with them, she recovered somewhat.

After learning what happened to Paros's capital and Erminia, she organized the other youths in the area into a rebel group (in case you're wondering, Fiona is sixteen; Erminia is eighteen), helped Yurias leave his captivity (he was much less stringently guarded than Erminia; and somehow, knew what happened to Fiona), and hatched a plan to get Erminia to safety.

While the people who attended the sword-fighting tournament easily bought Alphonse's reason for indicting Erminia for her father's death, most of the citizens of Paros recognize that Alphonse's argument for Erminia's guilt is bullshit and are still willing to resist the Kauran military under her. Their loyalty to Erminia and Paros is so moving, in fact, that I felt pretty awful for them re-reading this volume, knowing how things would pan out.

In a nutshell, Fiona, Erminia, and Yurias all ultimately sacrifice everything else for love, and Fiona and Erminia get to be together.

The ending is pretty abrupt and leaves Paros's fate more ambiguous than I'd like. I suspect Kurimoto Kaoru wound up not having as much time to resolve things as she wanted, and had to do the best she could given the page count she had left. But, erm, despite the ending's problems- especially considering this series's context and the fact that Kurimoto could have easily written an unhappy ending for Erminia and Fiona for perfectly valid reasons- I'm glad Kurimoto was like "lol Nope" to ending things with Erminia accepting Fiona's sacrifice and sacrificing her own happiness with her, and made Erminia save Fiona anyway.

Despite its flaws, this is a very worthwhile series, both for its value to the yuri genre and simple entertainment value- especially if you're in the mood for a romance that is more plot-oriented than most.

Story: B+
Art: A
Overall: B+

Manga Review: Paros no Ken volume 2

Couldn't find a picture of this volume's cover online and my scanner's being funky, so I'm just posting a photo of my copy of it.

Volume 1 left us with a masked Yurias breaking into Erminia's room and covering her mouth before she could scream. He only snuck in because he wants to play fairy godmother and give Erminia the chance to go to Paros's capital city Paro's annual carnival with Fiona. Yurias made sure Fiona had the night off so she could go. Erminia gives Fiona a beautiful gown, dons a dapper outfit herself, and promises Yurias that she will return before midnight. If she doesn't fulfill her promise, Yurias will be found out and executed for helping her leave.

This series' artwork is always lush, but the carnival pages are especially vibrant and eye-popping.

The revelers admire how good Fiona and Erminia look together. (Granted, because Erminia is wearing a mask, they don't recognize her as their princess. They think she's some random guy.)

When Fiona and Erminia step away from the crowd, Fiona shares her fear that that night will be as good as it gets for them and she'll never see Erminia again. Not knowing how little Fiona has to look forward to in her day-to-day life (or how little hope Fiona had of seeing Erminia again after being demoted to an even more menial position than laundry maid because her co-workers are all assholes), Erminia has a more optimistic view of things. Erminia asks Fiona if there aren't any dreams she wants to fulfill, and shares her dream of traveling the world. Erminia is thrilled Fiona takes her dream seriously, because the only other person who has is Yurias. She is surprised when Fiona tells her that her only dream has been to meet the prince from her childhood, and that prince is her.

They kiss, but their moment is cut short when a tipsy masked man with a villain smirk shows up and hits on Fiona. He persists, so Erminia challenges him to a sword duel and kicks his ass. His reaction to losing makes Erminia think he might not be so bad after all. He reveals that he has been living the dream, traveling the world as a sailor. Erminia tells him that Fiona is an aristocrat who has seven days to choose a groom to marry, and Erminia cannot marry her because her status is too low. The stranger proposes a solution, which Erminia puts into effect when her time to choose a groom is up.

Erminia's suitors must compete in a sword-fighting tournament, and the last man standing must win a sword fight against her before he can marry her. Erminia, of course, expects to win- and then (although she doesn't mention it as a condition to her father), expects to be free to publicly make Fiona her bride as a result. Awww/nothing can possibly go wrong, right? ^^;

The part in which we see people in the various classes of Paros preparing for the tournament is cute- especially the cameo by Candy Candy's leads.

Erminia's uncle Alphonse, whose interests would be served by Paros being absorbed by Kauros, reminds Erminia of the very real possibility that she will lose and gives her a way to cheat. Erminia dismisses him, but can't bring herself to dismiss his plan completely. When she thinks that she would be willing to dirty her hands for Fiona's sake, you know the story isn't going to let that go.

Additionally, Erminia worries about an old legend saying that Paros will have its glory restored if it is ruled by one who is both a man and a woman, and will be destroyed if ruled by one who is neither a man nor a woman. The people of Paros are anxious to see if Erminia will turn out to be the former or the latter. Yurias freaks out about the legend after Erminia rejects him. You're more of an ally than an ass, Yurias, but please stfu about how if Erminia could just "regain a woman's heart" and like guys/you, you would be happy.

Btw, despite the context for this series, the effect I know its setting would have on how its characters conceptualize and discuss sexual orientation and gender (i.e. not how we do) and its awesome progressiveness and skewering of sexist and heterosexist social conventions, I'm annoyed by the weirdly conservative correlation drawn at points by the story between Erminia's lack of interest in men and her gender being possibly male/not-female. Claudine...!, which I compared to this series in my review of Paros no Ken volume 1 for having a protagonist who could be read as a butchy cis lesbian or a straight trans man, actually succeeded at pulling off that ambiguity without drawing that correlation. I remember a similar correlation coming up briefly at one point in Rose of Versailles also, and it annoyed me there, as much as I love RoV. (Like, to the point of having a PVC figurine of Oscar in uniform, brandishing her sword.) Ribon no Kishi plays with a similar idea (its protagonist Sapphire being cool and competent and actiony when she has her boy heart, but weak and damsel-in-distressy when she only has her girl heart), but takes it to the point that I dislike Ribon no Kishi.

Erminia cannot see Fiona until after the tournament. Unbeknownst to her, something horrible happens. Some knights from Kauros find Fiona and rape her, thinking she will be ashamed enough of it to never approach Erminia again.

On the last day of the tournament, Kauros's army crosses the border into Paros.

While volume 1 focused on setting up character relationships, this volume sets up the plot denouement that will take place in volume 3. What will become of Erminia and Fiona!? Tune in next time and see.

Story: B+
Art: A
Overall: B+

Speaking of portrayals of lgbtq folks in Medieval Europe-inspired fantasy stories, this two part blog post series, "Heteronormativity, fantasy, and Bitterblue", is really worth reading for its discussion of writing sexual minority characters in such settings.

Another Serving of Yuri Christmas Fan Art

It being December again, I'm posting a batch of Christmas and winter-themed fan art based on yuri and yuri-ish series. ^_^ My previous Christmas fan art posts are here and here. Without further ado...

Saber and Irisviel still make me giddy. I have a ridiculous amount of fan art of them at this point. XD

Can't find the original source for this image. If you do know it, please let me know so I can link! (The X's in this post are all links.)

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For anyone wondering, I am fangirling over a certain pair in Urobuchi Gen's newest series. Bless his heart for writing another cool, hyper-competent suit-wearing woman and making it surprisingly obvious (more than once) that there's... some sort of relationship between her and one of her female co-workers. I'm dying to find out more about them.

A cute moment with one of our classic couples. D'aww, Himeko.

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Squee, NanoFate! Speaking of subtext couples that I have a ridiculous amount of fan art of.

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No yuri Christmas fan art post would be complete without MariMite's loveable characters. Coincidentally (in all honesty), most of what I found features the White Roses again.

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I don't ship Yumi with Touko, but I still thought this was cute.

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Man, Sei, you player.

Seriously.

If, like me, you ship Sei with Kei, you should visit this Pixiv account.

The pic below is technically not a Christmas pic, but the star makes it feel Christmasy.

 

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The pic below was drawn to celebrate the New Year. The joke is that Yumi and Yoshino are giving Sei (whose birthday is on Christmas) a belated birthday present. In response, Sei's like "Woah, this is kind of late!! But thank you~"

Good times with the ladies from Noir.

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And of course, some Madoka Magica.

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Below the cut at the bottom of this post, you'll find a sweet but spoilery Madoka x Homura picture.

Yumi and Momo- definitely my favorite Saki couple.

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I also still like Saki and Nodoka as a couple.

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Yay, Haruka and Michiru! ^__^ Wonderful, as always.

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Last but not least, Alpha and Kokone, a pairing I like from another excellent classic series, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.

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