As the title suggests this will be the first batch of updates on anime and video games centered around yuri or show potential of the new year. Let’s see what we got so far.
First up is the upcoming release of the Chinese Yuri Visual Novel Melancholy Love, developed by White Dew Games and published by Kikaiism.
Plot Summary: A coming-of-age yuri visual novel set in a private girls’ academy. It’s a romantic journey that follows an elite student born to privilege and a delinquent who wishes to break free from the chains of the academy.
Features Mandarin voice acting and 3 endings.
The game is available on Steam HERE.
Next is one I had been anticipating ever since I laid eyes on a certain someone. Oh, and of course the premise sounded great too. It’s LOVE BAKUDAN, by Noodletub Games.
Plot Summary: LOVE BAKUDAN is an 18+ erotic yuri dramedy, focusing on the life of Haruka Mishima. When she returns to her coastal hometown of Akiyama after a long time away, she finds that there’s much more waiting for her than just inheriting her family’s erotic bookstore, Bakudan Books. But between romancing girls and selling erotica to the locals, Haruka finds that she’s in for an even wilder ride than she expected…
With the option of dating the beautiful lovelorn bartender, your cheerful best friend, a dangerous mobster, a drop-dead gorgeous firefighter, a mysterious Korean idol or a shy mangaka in the making, which girl will steal your heart away?
Features six romance options, each with their own unique route and available comics to unlock and read.
640000+ words between all main and bonus routes, comics to read and side-characters young and elderly, all lesbians.
A muscular dark skinned firefighter.
Love Bakudan is now available on Steam and itch.io.
Next is another work of art in the making courtesy of the beloved developer around these parts, ebi-Hime. It’s My Dear Prince. This one is a Kinetic Novel.
Plot Summary:
Akiyama Momoka is an ordinary girl who lives on a small, rabbit-filled island called Omorishima with her parents and her bratty little sister, Mikan. She works part-time as a maid at a small seaside café alongside the bombastic Saya and the dour Yukie, but she has dreams far grander than that. Momoka adores girly romance manga, and she wants nothing more than to become an artist herself, and a writer of sweet love stories…
But how can she tell such a story when she’s never been in love before?
Summer comes to Omorishima, and Momoka’s hopes swell with it. She knows, despite her sister’s teasing, that there must be a prince out there for her. She’s determined to find him this year, and with his support write a wonderful romance story.
Then, on one sunny morning, while she’s walking to work, Momoka meets a handsome boy on the beach. She feels drawn to him at once, and she’s certain he must be the one she has been waiting for…
But Momoka soon learns that his handsome boy is, in fact, a handsome girl.
The girl’s name is Hattori Aoi, and though she lives in Tokyo, she will be living in Omorishima for two weeks while her overworked father takes a much-needed vacation.
Aoi begins to work at the same café as Momoka, she lives in the same house, and as time wears on, Momoka finds herself growing closer to Aoi than she ever imagined. Aoi might be a girl, but she’s even more princely than the love interests from Momoka’s favorite romance stories.
Currently there is no definitive release date but Ebi hopes for sometime between February and April. For now the interested can add the game to their Steam Wishlishts HERE.
Next is an upcoming Kickstarter campaign for a game that combines elements of Monster (Blob) taming, Farm Life Simulators and Slime Rancher. It’s Ova Magica, developed by ClaudiaTheDev‘s team and published by Top Hat Studios.
Note: This trailer is of an early build/tech demo.
Basically Slime Rancher X Pokemon X Story of Seasons, meaning same-sex romance options and marriage. The interested can learn more and potentially support the Kickstarter HERE. While the project already got funded there are Stretch Goals promising more cool additions.
On the topic of Story of Seasons.
The newest entry in the series, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is on its way. It will include most of the features in Friends of Mineral Town with many new additions. Thankfully same-sex marriage and parenthood remain intact. This time an Expansion Pass will be included with monthly extra features such as new costumes and even bonus areas to explore featuring returning love interests from a previous Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon game.
The game will release on Nintendo Switch March 22nd. American and Canadian readers can pre-order the Basic or Premium Edition which includes the Expansion Pack and extra goodies HERE. European readers can do so HERE.
Yes I know this poster is from the anime but the point is to remind readers the Princess Connect mobile game is available for download in English on Google Play. It may be region locked for some. How good is the game? I dunno. Heard there are several other pairings and couples besides Karyl X Pecorine and the “sisters”. Only ones I play nowadays are Genshin Impact (Technically the PS4 version) and Honkai Impact 3rd. Pokemon GO I only play to transfer caught Pokemon to Sword.
Huniepop 2: Double Date is scheduled for a February 8th release on multiple PC stores.
I just hope if there are female pronoun options for the invisible avatar they do a better job of distinguishing genders this time. The interested can add the game to their Steam Wishlishts HERE.
These are the games that popped at the top of my head. There will surely be more on the way. Let’s move on to upcoming anime.
Let’s start with a simple one first, meaning just shipping potential as far as I know.
Plot summary: Faceless shadow nobles living in a vast mansion, attended by living dolls who spend much of their time cleaning up the soot endlessly emitted by their mysterious masters.
Follow the story of Emilyko, a young and cheerful living doll, as she learns her duties serving as the attendant for Kate Shadow-sama. What dangers and dark secrets will she and Kate encounter, as they become more deeply involved in the inner workings of the shadows’ society?
I don’t know how much potential there is exactly but I hope there’s enough to warrant covering the show. Shadows House is scheduled for a Spring premiere.
Next is another one I sense has potential.
Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san.
Plot Summary: Kiyo and Sumire came to Kyoto from Aomori Prefecture, dreaming of becoming maiko. But after an unexpected turn of events, Kiyo starts working as the live-in cook at the Maiko House. Their story unfolds in the Kagai, the Geiko and maiko district in Kyoto, alongside their housemate maikos. Kiyo nourishes them daily with her homecooked meals, and Sumire strives toward her promising future as the once-in-a-century maiko. Step into the glamorous Kagai, warm your heart with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and Kiyo’s kitchen episodes. Stay tuned for this touching tale of 2 childhood friends lifting each other up as they grow together.
Maybe it won’t be super ship worthy but it looks like a nice chill watch. The show is scheduled for a February 25th premiere. Check out the trailer HERE.
Another anticipated Light Novel anime adaptation with yuri potential that was announced alongside Journey of Elaina, “300 Years of Slime Killing“, is scheduled for a Spring 2021 premiere.
Next are Summer 2021 big shots. Hopefully there will be more but for now these are the heavy hitters.
HameFura Season 2
Hopefully the ladies pining for Bakarina’s heart will once again shine brighter than the guys.
Kiniro Mosaic Thank You!!
The KinMosa Movie will premiere in Japanese theatres so the real world situation has calmed down by then. Expect English subs to come out sometime next year.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 2 is also part of the Summer lineup. Hopefully Shamiko S2 will not be far behind.
Next is an anime adaptation of a story whose premise alone has me pumped.
Tai Ari Deshita. ~Ojо̄-sama wa Kakutо̄~ Game Nante Shinai~, which roughly translates to “Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games“.
Plot Summary: A hot fighting game played at the girls’ school!!
Aya transferred into Kuromi Girls Academy a month ago with the goal of changing herself into a proper lady. After meeting the breathtaking Shirayuri, Aya is blown away by her elegance and posterity. Imagine her surprise when she finds Shirayuri after school playing… a fighting game?! And if that wasn’t perplexing enough, she is challenged to a duel by the unladylike Shirayuri!
So there we go. Maria-Sama X Hardcore Fighting Gaymer. I love fighting games. I don’t play in tournaments or online but I still love them. Looking forward to learning more. Dunno when this one will premiere but hopefully in 2021, Spring or Summer. Give it to me!
Finally the one that caught many by surprise.
Aquatope of White Sand.
Plot Summary:
Kukuru Misakino is an 18-year-old high school student who works in a small aquarium in Okinawa, and she knows about the “secret” of the aquarium: sometimes you can see mysterious things. One day Kukuru meets Fuuka, standing in front of a water tank with flowing hair and a tear rolling down her cheek. Fuuka has given up on her dream of becoming an idol and she has run away from Tokyo to Okinawa. Wanting to find a place to belong, Fuuka earnestly asks to work at the aquarium. The anime follows Kukuru and Fuuka as they deal with the issues of the secret of the aquarium and a looming crisis of its possible closure
Hopefully it has a better outcome than Amanchu S2. White Sand Aquatop is scheduled for a Summer 2021 premiere.
I think that should do it for now. Stay tuned for more in future posts.
The Yuri Empire 
Young Ladies is probably the best new yuri anime they could announce, can really become of the most popular for combining elegant girls playing games
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Exciting stuff to look forward to this year! And we’re only just getting started too!
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I bought atelier ryza 2 I am going to see if it has yuri or not.
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Atelier games usually do.
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The only yuri is a master and slave relationship with side characters…..
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Priconne is entirely het as the girls are glued to the protagonist dick. There are shippable moments but the game makes sure to remind you that the protagonist exist and that any potential yuri is purely foreplay. Fuck this game
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The Young Ladies manga is entertaining.
Aquatope of White Sand looks stunning and judging from the voiceovers it shows a lot of promise. But you never know.
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“Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san” is a very wholesome tale of an aspiring maiko girl and the caterer (her childhood friend) that supports her. There isn’t a romance between the two, but seeing their bond as they support each other without needing words is very amazing to see. There is actually a love triangle here (meaning there’s a boy) but there isn’t much of that love drama cliche that’s present in other series and as the series goes on, you can tell how very sweet these two girls are. It’s a slice of life work that looks at the everyday lives of maikos (and their caterer) and one that I’m very glad to see adapted.
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just finished Melancholy Love, read all 3 endings. The VAs did an excellent job! Cute yuri story. The only thing i dislike is the principal’s character design. The good end is touching and satisfying.
Highly recommended.
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