Get to Know Us Better

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get to know us better

Since quite a few of you were interested in getting to know the two of us a little better, we decided to do a little Q&A with questions we found might be interesting to you.

If you have any questions left, feel free to just post them in the comment section and we will answer them (if we feel comfortable doing so).

For those who don’t yet know us, let’s introduce ourselves first:

Hi there. I’m Lena. 24 years old, female, and from Germany. Now that sounded like a profile on a dating website, but whatever. 😛 As you know, I love yuri with a burning passion, though, I like other things, too, like music, especially Japanese electro music as well as games, like Overwatch or Super Smash Brothers~

Hallo leute. I’m James. Soon to be 22 years old, male, and from the US. Besides YR-related stuff, I also like MMA, football (American football, not soccer :P), all sorts of music, playing quizzes, and a few games, like Overwatch~

Now switch roles and introduce each other.

Hi, I’m James. I’m a total cutie from America with a soft spot for cats and Korean music, as well as girls with glasses 😛 I’m super awesome, hard-working, funny, and way too good at Overwatch~

Hi there. I’m Lena, a forgetful (but adorable beyond words) German girl who’s way too nice, and I sometimes try to hide my lewdness, but it always comes shining through. I’m incredibly charming, an absolute pleasure to be around, very hard-working, and extremely tolerant, since I always have to carry my schild over here to victory in Overwatch~

When was it that you became interested in yuri?

Oh, well, that’s been so long that I have a hard time remembering it. Friends had to force me to watch anime back then, because I was so unwilling to try to enjoy something like this. Fortunately, they succeeded, and my love for anime, coupled with my love for lesbian media, quickly made me find yuri anime, such as Kannazuki no Miko and Strawberry Panic. The rest is history~

^^ I don’t have a fancy backstory like that, but it was actually Lena herself who opened my eyes and first got me interested in yuri, years ago. I’m not exactly sure what the first thing she recommended to me was, but it might have been Strawberry Panic. After that, it was a slippery slope, and I continued to get more and more into it. Little did I know that from that fateful meeting, things would escalate so much~

Why do you think you still love this genre so much?

It never gets boring, to be honest. Even if we don’t get as many yuri shows as I’d like, there are new yuri manga and doujinshi popping up daily. The amount of yuri visual novels has also been increasing at such a rapid pace that I can’t even keep up with it all. Furthermore, reading yuri manga or fanfiction or anything yuri really, helps me relax after a long day of work. Having something to look forward, like a new yuri doujinshi, surely helps to get through the day, and that can sometimes be really, really helpful.

Unlike Lena, I haven’t really gotten involved too much with yuri manga, doujinshi, fanfiction, or visual novels (though, that’s something that I’m slowly trying to change), yet it’s hard to say exactly why I enjoy it as much as I do. It’s true that it never does get boring, but I guess I just like what I like.

If you had to explain yuri to anyone who doesn’t already know what it means, how would you describe it?

Well, of course, you’d explain that it’s the term used to describe girls’ love in Japanese media, such as manga and anime. Though, that’s of course not enough. Yuri is like a religion with Godoka watching over all of us~ And if you explain it like that, you can be sure to have at least one more person who thinks you’re insane. 😛

Since I’m pretty terrible at explaining things, I’d just use the generic explanation, followed by sitting them down and forcing them to watch episodes of Aoi Hana, Kannazuki no Miko, Yuri Kuma Arashi, and Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, just so there’s a nice variety. They should get the idea.

How do you enjoy working in the YuriReviews team?

Well, it’s only us two, but I have to say, I really love working in this team. I remember a few years back, when I was still doing all of this alone. The blog didn’t even look half as great, and it was lacking in many ways. Ever since James joined, the whole blog improved by so much, that it’s sometimes hard for me to even remember how it worked out without him back then. He’s always coming up with new ideas for posts, and never once in his life has he had to rely on me to help get a post done (unlike me… :D). The only thing that can be bothersome at times is his ways of correcting my grammar and spelling mistakes, making fun of it at times even (though, please don’t stop correcting them). 😛

^^ That last sentence makes me sound like some sort of grammar monster! I don’t actually make fun of it, but I do hold her to a high standard, so if she makes a mistake, I’m not afraid to let her know. 😛

But back on topic, I think it’s great when you’re able to work alongside someone you admire, so I love it. I honestly wouldn’t have started doing this if it was with anyone else, and I have absolutely zero desire to do this without her. She can be demanding, but that comes from her passion to make YR a better place, so it’s all good~

How would you like to improve the blog?

I’d like to add some features like a chat function, monthly themes, or some ways of having our readers decide what they want to read about more. Well, I’d also like to improve the reviews by structuring them in a different way, adding more media, and just making it a little more creative. Though, that’s, of course, not as easy as it might sound. It all needs some time, but we’ll get there, I’m sure.

I leave decisions like that up to L, but I would just like to keep trying to make YR an enjoyable and informative site to visit. Whether it’s someone new to the genre or someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes yuri, hopefully they’re able to find something interesting here~

What are you most looking forward to this year yuri-wise?

Well, that’s just too easy to answer. It’s the Netsuzou Trap and Citrus anime. I seriously can’t freaking wait to see how they will turn out!

It would be impossible not to say the anime adaptations of Citrus and Netsuzou TRap, so that’s the obvious answer, even though the track record of the studio in charge of the latter (Creators in Pack) makes me a bit wary. And since I’m slowly inching closer to finishing Ne no Kami, the second part is also on my radar~

What are you most looking forward to outside of this genre?

Well, I’m definitely looking forward to movies like Guardians of the Galaxy 2 or stuff like new music coming out. The summer and winter Comiket definitely mark my two most anticipated dates of the whole year. Plus, if I can manage to do so, I’d also like to visit Japan again. So yeah, maybe there will be quite a few nice things to happen in 2017~

Doomfist in Overwatch! Besides that, the spring anime season looks really great. Well, not in terms of yuri, but there are a lot of sequels to shows I enjoyed like Shingeki no Kyojin, Shingeki no Bahamut, Boku no Hero Academia, and Kekkai Sensen. And I’m hoping Steins;Gate 0 actually starts airing this year as well~

If you could change the anime/manga industry in one way, what would you change?

Well, yeah… I’m going to say what everyone expects me to say: We need more yuri, duh. 😛 Though, I guess I’m more or less okay with the amount of yuri manga we get. What we really need more of might be yuri anime (plus some actually good yuri hentai, because, in my opinion, the only good one around is the Sono Hanabira OVA, and that is just not enough.)

The world could always use more heroes yuri anime, so in addition to drastically increasing the quantity of yuri anime, I’d also diversify the the types of yuri anime we’d get. I like schoolgirls and magical girls, but maybe having more variety among the different shows would appeal to more people and help yuri expand it’s audience.

Compared to the present day, how do you think yuri might change twenty years from now?

Despite the fact that we will have way more content to choose from in the future, what I’m hoping for is “simply” for this genre to get more popular. But not just by getting more people to like it, but buy having more people actually accept this genre or simply homosexuality in general, so shows that involve stuff like a lesbian kiss are not forced to air after midnight anymore… .

I’d just like to see more of a general acceptance of yuri. Hopefully, by then it would no longer be a big deal if we get an anime season with several pure yuri shows and the gender of fictional characters that are in love won’t an issue anymore. Instead of someone seeing two girls in love, it would just be viewed as two people~

What’s the most difficult thing about being a blogger?

The most difficult thing for me is the fact that I sometimes feel pressured to get a post ready, to let’s just say, stay on schedule. Time is something quite valuable and when work is wearing you down, and you have to study for an upcoming test as well, then feeling like having to write a post for the blog can just be a little too much to handle.

^^ I second that. I know one post a week might not sound like it would be that difficult, but for me, it’s actually really hard to write stuff. So when Tuesday comes and you haven’t even finished watching a show, yet you’re expected to post the review on Wednesday, it can get quite strenuous.

What piece of entertainment do you wish you could erase from your mind so that you could experience it for the first time again?

Oh just sooooo many awesome fanfics. What would I do to just be able to experience this kind of awesomeness all over again… . Same goes for Kindred Spirits on the Roof. This has been such a great visual novel that I’d pay a lot of money to be able to experience this for the first time again.

It’s hard to only pick one thing, but if I had to choose, I’d say Lost. When I was a kid, that was a show that completely captured my imagination, and I’d always look forward to every Wednesday so I could watch the next episode over and over again.

Any last words?

Well, this has been a short Q&A mostly focusing on yuri-related stuff, as well the blog itself, though, if you know of any fun blogger game or set of questions we could do, feel free to tell us all about it. Furthermore, you can simply leave your questions down there, and we’ll answer them in the comments~ Other than that, I’d simply like to thank you all for sticking with us for so long. As hard as it can be sometimes, being part of the YuriReviews team—and this awesome community in general—is definitely one of the greatest things in the world~

That sounds ominous! 😀

I’d just like to thank the readers/visitors of YuriReviews for their continued support. Being able to share your passion with such a great community is amazing, and it makes all the hard times worth it~

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76 thoughts on “Get to Know Us Better”

  1. Pingback: Get to Know Us Better | The Yuri Nation

      • Romance is nice, and I do like the girls with guns subgenre, as well as sci-fi.

        But I think I can do without fantasy, or at least high fantasy. And I hate mechas. 😛

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  3. This was a neat feature you guys did, great to get to know you two better! 🙂 There seems to be a lot of Overwatch love here, but I have yet to buy and play the game yet >.< It is fun posts like these that set this website apart from all the others. 🙂 Can't wait to see what else you do to connect more with everyone. Oh and uhh just throwing this out there…. you should all read Gamma! 😀

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  4. Oh and my previous post mentioning Gamma gave me a question to ask. What yuri anime and manga do you know of but have yet to read or watch?

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    • Gamma….. 😀 Okay, well I read like 2 chapters *proud*
      In case of yuri anime, I think none for me, but yuri-ish I think Sailor Moon. Though, as hyped as I was, I hated the whole series when I was a kid, so it was hard for me to watch the new season 😛
      As for manga I’d say “The Love Doctor”. It’s another non-Japanese one that looked interesting but that I never got to read~

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      • Haha 2 chapters is a start but the whole series is worth reading! I guarantee it! 🙂 for me there are still so much in terms of yuri anime, manga and visual novels I have not watched, read or played! 😦 I know… bad chimeko. but I am rectifying that now! been playing through Flowers and loving it! 😀

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  10. I guess I’ll ask my own question on here. 😛

    For a very brief moment in time last year, you told me you were no longer going to be updating the blog. So, a day after the fourth anniversary of the very first blog post on YR (I totally forgot… :D), how (if at all) has blogging helped you deal with life’s challenges?

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    • And I guess I’ll answer my own question on here. 😀

      For me, having an outlet, like blogging, helps take your mind off things that you may be going through. It can be really easy to dwell on the negativity, so the blog has been a way for me to channel that negative energy into something more positive and productive. Seeing that other people seem to enjoy what we do just helps to validate that for me.

      And it also helps having someone like you involved that can assist in overcoming those challenges~

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      • Oh I remember that day and I’m not proud of how quickly the problem I then had to deal with got me to say something like that.
        Then again, I was quick to recover from it and just like you, I feel like blogging helps me get my mind somewhere else. It’s like a hobby for me and I’m quite proud of it.

        Also, seeing that people love what we’re doing gives me a special kind of boost, and I’m sure as hell not gonna give any of that up, even or maybe especially not when life is hard.

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  11. Have either of you two read Yuzumori-san? It’s actually pretty popular on Dynasty Reader (Some people are suggesting that it could be the next Citrus!). It’s got some good subtext & a unique art-style. I personally think it’s Okay but It would seem that it might be the series for you. (Aside from the fact that it’s lolicon, but It actually takes lolicon cliche’s and turn’s them on their head)

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    • I haven’t, and the fact that it’s lolicon makes me want to keep it that way. 😀

      But at least the chapters aren’t that long, so it could be worse. *bookmarks*

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      • Oh I read the first few chapters last year, but it seems like I lost interest at some point since I didn’t even notice there were already so many chapters out.

        Guess, I’ll have to continue at some point, though yeah, the lolicon tag makes me wonder… 😛

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      • it’s very shoujo in style. I mean, it’s hard to explain, but it’s not like you’re seeing pantsu of little girls. It still can get very sensual, but in a way that you don’t often see nowadays with the anime that go all out with ecchi.

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  12. Ok I just thought of another question! If you could change anything in a yuri anime or manga, what would it be and why?

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    • That’s an easy one for me. I’d change the ending of Blue Drop.

      SPOILER
      Highlight the empty space below to read. 😛

      You know, the part where Hagino sacrifices herself to save Mari and everyone else from the invasion. That’s just depressing, so I’d change it to where she survived and her and Mari could be together~

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      • Oh, I’m the same! I hate depressing endings, even though they usually stay in your head the longest.

        Like Kannazuki no Miko, I’d totally change the ending and have them live happily ever after 😛

        Or how about Love Live? I’d change the show so that every character actually found a fitting partner (of the same sex) and then have them make it so obvious that even non-believers couldn’t help but call it pure yuri 😀

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      • This one is for both you and Lena, but I can’t reply below.

        Ending Blue Drop or Kannazuki is a decent answer…

        But holy Maria-sama, no changing Yamibou’s ending???

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    • @Lena but Kannazuki did have a happy end! they were reunited in the end after the credits and even said they fell in love all over again! 😀 though yes I agree that they should have been together the entire time instead of reuniting who knows how long after they defeated Orochi. 😛

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    • To answer my own Question:
      First one would be Yuzumori-san, but I would like it to be animated further down the road. Needs to get further before it’s animated. As it’s bi-monthly, it could be ready late 2017. But it is just a fantastic spectacular read so far. I look very forward to this weekend~
      Second would have to be Majyo megane. A 4koma that did everything right for me, and pulled something that I’ve yet to see any other yuri manga with magic do. Something that I continuously question why it’s the only one to do so…

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  14. First of all, I’d like to say I’m a big fan even though I don’t really comment 😀
    I really like the changes you guys have made. Not that the old setup wasn’t nice, but this is really cool. I just have one request, could you maybe post a list explaining your yuri rating scale? Or if you’ve made it, could you maybe put a link to it up? I’ve tried to find one but couldn’t. It might just be my stupidity, though 😛
    Lena, ich drücke dir ganz doll die Daumen, dass es mit deiner Japanreise klappt. Ich war letztes Jahr da und will unbedingt zurück!

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  15. Nice!So, what’s your ultimate OTP (favorite couple/pairing) from all the shows/manga/game that existed up to now? Also, what’s your NOTP (most hated pairings)?
    I am only asking for yuri though… (No het, man)
    I mean because I really want to know since it was on my mind for years now (Yeah! I followed this site since 2015 since I discovered what yuri means, but lost my ancien gmail accont
    I used to go as Laya Chaz)
    W-watever, nice day and good luck on trying to find your OTPs. (If possible, may i ask for a top 5?)

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    • OTP: Pharmercy (Overwatch)
      NOTP: ShizNat (Mai-HiME)

      Top 5 OTPs
      1. Pharmercy (Overwatch)
      2. Akaga (KanColle)
      3. Kyouko x Ayano (Yuru Yuri)
      4. Aya x Youko (Kiniro Mosaic)
      5. Sumi x Kazama (Sasameki Koto)

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      • You do really like Overwatch, don’t you?
        Also, never watched KanColle, so…
        And yes, I do really love Kyoko/Ayano too!
        Who wouldn’t ship Aya/Youko? Seriously, they’re so cute together!
        Also, I dropped Sasameki Koto after 3 episodes since I was still running an otokonoko manga marathon.

        Talking about which, these are mine:
        5. Nanako/Yukari
        4. Ayano/Kyoko
        3. Tamao/Nagisa
        2. Chika/Riko
        1. Kinana/Sumi (I know it’s a manga, but these two will always be my first, my fav, my raison d’être!)

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      • Whaaaat?! Just because I sometimes find a way to work voice lines from the game into my reviews, and just because I happen to be level 686, and just because I sometimes make dumb Overwatch videos…

        doesn’t mean I really like it. 😛

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      • @Lena > Indeed! I am a huge Riko x Chika fan (thanks to the “I love you” confession with the sunrise – :p – as a backgroud). Sure, You needs some attention, but OT3 are not my things. I do like when they are described as threesome, but couples are always couple. You know the saying right? “When two people are together, 1 + 1 = 1!”

        @Rock > Mmmmmmmm *jiiiiiiiiiiiii*…. Is it true that Shingeki no Kyojin and Code Geass will get another season this year? Also, are they worth trying if the rumors are right? I sure am craving for some Ymir x Krista. These two could end up 7th in my top 10 yuri pairing.

        Also, I just finished watching Suumatsu no Izetta and I shamelessly will admit that my new top 5 (anime couple) is:
        5. Ayano/Kyoko
        4. Honoka/Maki
        3. Chika/Riko
        2. Finé/Izetta
        1. Cocona/Papika

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        • The second season of Shingeki no Kyojin is airing right now (and the fifth episode was the Ymir x Krista one), so I think it’s definitely worth trying~

          And another season of Code Geass was announced back in November, but I’m not sure it has a start date yet. I haven’t seen any of the seasons, so I’m not particularly hyped about that one. 😛

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      • Just watched shingeki no kyojin episode 6 by the way. It was awesome. [spoiler] Historia and Ymir maga a great couple. [end of the spoiler]

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  16. Just watched shingeki no kyojin episode 6 by the way. It was awesome. [spoiler] Historia and Ymir maga a great couple. [end of the spoiler]

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