New book introduces 140 titles from the yuri genre that explore the topic of lesbian love.
While a lot has been written about the “Boys’ Love” subgenre of male homosexual romance that’s often depicted in manga and anime, and even explored in a South Park episode, the corresponding subgenre of “Girls’ Love” is often left unexplored by comparison. Known as “Yuri”, which literally translates to “Lily”, this category of manga revolves around romantic and erotic female-female relationships, and is usually written for female readers. It’s unusual name can be traced back to the male chief editor of Barazoku (“The Clan of the Rose”), Japan’s first magazine geared towards gay men, who is believed to have first used the word “Yuri” to describe lesbian love in 1976, saying that if “Bara” or “Rose” was being used to describe his male gay clan of readers, the word “Lily” would be a fitting term for a corresponding female gay clan.
While the yuri subgenre has a dedicated fanbase both in Japan and abroad, one Japanese publisher aims to demystify the genre for both avid readers and newcomers to the scene with a new book called Yuri no Sekai Nyuumon or The Introduction to the World of Yuri.
The book introduces more than 140 works that belong to the yuri genre, along with manga recommendations from notable authors, and a feature that reveals the best book covers from yuri manga, as chosen by popular voice actress Izumi Kitta.
There’s even an “event report” on a recent exhibition dedicated to works related to the topic of Girls’ Love in modern art and photography.
Whether you’re an avid reader of yuri manga or looking to find out more about the subject, this 128-page book covers all the basics with a large collection of beautiful images.
Published by Genkosha, The Introduction to the World of Yuri was recently released on 18 October, and retails for 1,500 yen each at bookstores around the country.
Source, images: @Press
[ Read in Japanese ]
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