[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by musouka

Their roots started similarly, so you can learn things about where they diverge and why. Personally, I like comparing the two, even though I have a slight preference. I still like yuri a lot, I'm just more picky with what I read of it. (I love classic shoujo in general, so my reading habits are of the Epic Tragic variety spiced with stuff like Rica'tte to remind me that lesbians can be happy too. )

lol Watching how the lesbian/gay character in regular anime/manga always gets the short end of the stick kinda make you think the producers want you to believe homosexuality leads to a life of misery

Originally Posted by musouka

I'm pretty sure it's been canceled more than once, or at least canceled and restructured more than once. Regardless, I'm confident in my assertion that it's reaching for a dual readership, as it's a relatively niche product and I remember reading something along those lines concerning it.

Well, the stated target demographic is not always the real target, so who knows. Speaking about their mobile phone yuri manga, the target audience is usually stated on the authors' websites, but that may not be consistent with the publishers' marketing intention.

My point is just that many of Ichinjinsha's yuri manga are stated as female-oriented, either by the authors or the publisher itself.

Originally Posted by musouka

I don't think it's a waste of time to explore how the concept of BL and yuri is used in mainstream media, especially as the lines blur more and more in terms of pandering to audiences.

Well, anime is not really mainstream (with few exceptions) but an Otaku-oriented market. But anyway, it's like you said, in anime BL and Yuri is just there to pander to the audience: as fanservice or comic relief; nothing more. That's why I don't think to much about it.

Originally Posted by musouka

(Personally, I have little interest in Yuri Hime stuff aside from what is personally recced from me after reading the magazine several times and coming to the conclusion that it was like your average BL mag in its overall lack of substance. Which, I suppose, is technically a good thing...but not a thing I want to be reading on a regular basis...)

I tend to agree with that. There are just a few running stories I really like. The rest I just read it because you really don't have a lot to chose from when it comes to yuri.

Originally Posted by musouka

Plica is wooonderful. I haven't gotten around to reading "Honey and Honey" myself, though...

Honey and Honey is a bit difficult to swallow, because it revolves to much about the most stereotypical things about being a lesbian: you know, slang and things like that. Plica is way more refreshing: she's like "who cares" and just want to get it on .