Last month’s manga giveaway featured boys’ love, so I figured it would only be fair that this month girls would get their chance to shine. I have a Strawberry Panic starter pack—brand new copies of the first volume of the manga and the first volume of the light novel series—for one lucky winner. The contest is open world-wide, so if you’re interested in a chance to win some yuri, read on!
I admit it. I’m not actually all that familiar with yuri, although I am actively trying to change that. One of the best resources in English on the subject that I know of is the incomparable Erica Friedman and her blog Okazu (which I highly recommend checking out). Strawberry Panic (written by Sakurako Kimino and illustrated by Namuchi Takumi) is one of the few unquestionably yuri titles licensed and readily available in English. The manga was also included on the list of recommended titles from the Gay for You? Yaoi and Yuri for GBLTQ Readers panel at the 2010 New York Anime Festival/New York Comic Con. (My personal response to the panel can be found here.) Friedman calls Strawberry Panic a “parody of many typical yuri tropes” and even though my experience is limited I tend to agree. I’m not as fond of Strawberry Panic as I am of, say, Hayate X Blade, but I do still appreciate it and the artwork is lovely.
So, you may be wondering, how can you win a Strawberry Panic starter pack?
1) In the comments section below, tell me about a manga that you’ve read that has yuri/girls’ love elements to it, OR if you’ve never read yuri before just mention that.
2) If you’re on Twitter you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).
One person can earn up to two entries for this giveaway. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on December 29, 2010. You’ve only got one week to get your entries in, so good luck!
VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address, link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.
Contest winner announced—Manga Giveaway: Strawberry Panic Starter Pack Winner
I’ve been reading it off and on for a little while. I actually think Strawberry Panic was my first title of the genre.
I recently read “Kotonoha No Miko To Kotodama No Mahou To” (“The Caged Miko and the Whimsical Witch”), an interesting almost one-shot (6 chapters, but feels like a one shot) tale of a Miko and a Witch. It reminded me of Touhou Project’s Reimu and Marisa, a Miko and a witch themselves respectively. I recommend it!
Oh, and here is the MyAnimeList page on it: http://myanimelist.net/manga/5000/Kotonoha_No_Miko_To_Kotodama_No_Mahou_To
I have never read yuri before, so I hope this is my chance to start. I have read yaoi. My favorite is my first; “Fake.” A chance is all I ask for. Either way thanks. ^_^ Drop me a line or fill me in on the results by email at yalyj15@gmail.com.
Great idea Ash – I’ll post a link to this on Okazu. I’ve posted my Top Ten Yuri Manga picks for the year here:
http://okazu.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-ten-yuri-manga-of-2010.html
My number 1 pick for the year is Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi, which is running currently in Nakayoshi magazine.
I haven’t read as much yuri as I’d like but for me it’d be a toss up between Cotton and Free Soul. I love them both for totally different reasons but in the end I’d probably have to go for the quiet melancholy of Cotton.
One of my favorite yuri mangas is Ameiro Kouchakan Kandan. I always find Fujieda Miyabi´s work very pleasant. It always give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, sparing us the usual angst present in a lot of yuri. (My e-mail is ayana.mudou at gmail.com)
As Ayana mentioned I love Fujieda Miyabi’s stuff, but my current favorite is ‘Aoi Hana’ by Takako Shimura. It is just amazing.
I can be contacted via Twitter at: @FurrySaint
I’ve never read a bona fide yuri manga before, at least one that wasn’t a doujin for another series… I may have read a few one-shots translated by Lililicious though.
Email: ddegruyl@wideopenwest.com
Twitter: @TheKid965
I haven’t read a english licensed yuri manga yet but my fav. manga for scanlators are Ameiro Kouchakan Kandan, Aoi Hana and Girl Friends =]
twitter: kumako08 (re-tweeted)
I recently “read” the manga Battle Athletes, and by read I mean it was in Japanese so I followed the story by following the pictures. I’ve seen the ova and the series though so already knew of the premise. Between the manga, ova, and series, I prefer the ova best, but the ending of the manga is pretty darn cool since it was actual yuri and not subtext. The manga leading up to the ending isn’t really to my taste though.