i meant to get this out on saturday but i was very exhausted after being out the entire day (and still am, sadly orz) and then sunday night my internet went out. i spent most of my time writing this with a slight headache! yuri doesn't stop for anything!
this blog post is very image heavy, as a heads up.
this saturday i went to the yuri cafe event hosted by publisher yen press and held at enoch's, an art and community centered cafe located in manhattan, new york. i initially found out about this event from yen press' announcement post on social media, but was kindly informed by my sweet friend that they had switched to rsvps rather than walk-ins due to such a huge interest. last i checked, the initial announcement had thousands of views and notes across several platforms. considering this is the first time an event like this has been hosted in nyc, i think thats amazing!
despite there being an "extreme cold warning" of below 10 degrees, SO many yuri fans turned out to this event. the rsvps ended up selling out within a couple hours! i think it definitely shook my perception a bit of how well loved yuri is outside of online spaces. when we can all gather in one place like this, it really shows how well loved yuri has become in the present.
this yuri cafe was inspired by the yuri cafes of japan, where you can usually get a coaster inspired by a specific yuri title with your drink purchase. these spots also have a variety of yuri manga to browse and the ability to sign and draw in some kind of guestbook. theres several videos on youtube that detail experiences at such cafes if you're interested in seeing what its like, such as this one or this one at ANCHOR rainbow port tokyo. enoch's had all of these things, with four coasters (inspired by the guy she was interested in wasn't a guy at all, love bullet, i love amy and she looks to cook, and she loves to eat, which are all some of the most popular titles out right now), a cart full of different yuri titles to browse, a table of books to purchase from kinokuniya, and a scrapbook to place completed yuri cafe cards in. i was hoping to purchase a copy of murcielago, but sadly it was only a part of the reading library! kuroko koumori looks so good on this cover though......
i went with my earlier mentioned friend and their girlfriend, and we had a really good time. it was definitely packed but not shoulder-to-shoulder amounts of overwhelming. because of the limited hour timeslot, we spent most of the time waiting on line or food and remarking on and deciding what things to get. i really wish we could've stayed longer, especially to draw for the guestbook, but oh well. i purchased a couple single volumes i haven't read before (i love you so much i hate you and my broken mariko), got the free postcards, and the coasters that i wanted for myself or for my friends.
i was pleasantly surprised to meet editor, writer, translator, and long-time yuri fan erica friedman right as my group's timeslot was ending. to be honest, by your side: the first 100 years of yuri anime and manga is one of the reasons i am so fond of yuri today as an adult. my perception of it was skewed quite a bit in high school (i used to think kase-san was one of the only yuri titles out there for some reason?) but reading her book was one of the things that made the history and culture of yuri become more lucid to me, alongside talking to other fans and reading more titles. after getting lunch with my friends after yuri cafe i met up with her and her company at kinokuniya to talk about more yuri and browse the store. she was kind enough to share her kinokuniya discount card with me, so i bought the first volume of devilishly sweet girlfriend in japanese. i was so so grateful and so so happy!! T__T i haven't been staying on top of my language studies recently, but yuri is always a huge motivator for anything, right? you can check of erica's blog post about the yuri cafe on yuri blog okazu here!
all in all, it was fun! crowding and a lack of time aside, it just makes me so happy that so many people came together with a shared love for the many kinds of relationships between girls. (although i am grateful that i came earlier rather than later, there was a line forming outside in the cold as i left the cafe!) i really hope this sets a precedent for many more yuri events in the future. not necessarily even more yuri cafes like this (although a permanent location here in nyc would be absolutely wonderful) but just more yuri-related events in general. i especially want to see more events showing off lesser known titles that aren't as popular or well-known. my dream is a yuri themed rave... 💭
here is my final haul below!
yuri cafe at enoch's will be open until february 13th, so if you are in the area, please try to visit!
happy new years! i intended to make a post at the turn of the year but time has escaped me quite a bit.
i spent a lot of time reflecting during the last few days of 2025 and first week or so of this month. i still am, but i was thinking extensively in terms of my goals and shortcomings. i actually managed to find my resolutions bingo list from 2025 and laughed when i looked over it and realized how little i could actually cross out. i laughed because yes, it did sting. but i dont feel particularly upset about the fact. i dont think a person that is drowning in the sea is in any place to worry about anything other than desperately trying to breathe in air to survive. i honestly still dont have a goals list for this year (not that i'm required to have one) but one thing i immediately resolved to get scheduled was my starter locs appointment ive been wanting for a very long time. i also want to try to create a vn this year. even just a tiny one. it would make me very happy.
despite not meeting those goals, i do know i have accomplished a great deal in terms of my personal growth and happiness. i was miserable because i was trying to convince myself that being hateful was a good and righteous thing even if it made me feel sick. i am at my happiest when i am near someone and when i am creating something. i love to harness my creation magic. i am making peace with constantly feeling like an outsider. i dont think its a healthy way of thinking, but i also don't think its a bad thing to be that way. i like to meet people and you can only do so if you wander and look around. and i like that each individual tie sown with another living being is so explosive and remarkable. the strings dont have to be all interconnected, though i really do miss having a circle of knots, a little family friend home to always return to...
when i think of the people i love and the people i have yet to meet, i cant help but to think of this song.
im thinking of making a separate section or thread on this blog to reflect more on the media i go through this year. so far ive finished watanare, caught up with pluribus and played a couple vns. im still looking for employment, but a very sweet friend helped me reach out to an old workplace and i have some hopes about that. but im worried my creative drive will die out if i take such a job again...but i was really happy to hear that people missed me and would be happy to have me around again.
this year ill continue creating and being kind.
i got my pc back this weekend which means i can finally play more games and work on more intensive creative projects. 😊 yahoo! ive been anticipating this for almost half a year. its been sitting in storage ever since i moved back to my family home in the summer due to a breakup. i was only able to bring it back now after finally securing a room for myself, something ive been wanting for years. ive been sleeping on a couch since i came back. couches are not good for backs. but now i have a soft bed that im very very very happy with. my desk is gradually becoming full of critters again. so much delight!
i dont believe this a common experience (at least with those who do not share a similar socioeconomic status as i), but i have shared rooms with someone else for almost my entire life, whether that be with family or with roommates. the few times i have gotten a room have been due to a family death or college, and both have been temporary. so while this change honestly does feel strange, it is a very welcomed change. i really value my privacy and i do not think i really enjoy sharing a room with others, despite being really used to it.
admittedly i have been having issues with deciding what to do because theres suddenly a wide breadth of things i can do or play now...its hard to be indulgent with a myriad of options. i missed being able to cheese bosses and wander around in elden ring and immediately jumped at the chance to do so, but theres also a LOT of other titles i need to get to! id really like to start playing ffxi again and start second life...i was finally able to begin unbeatable and of the devil. the tension between beat and clef is funny and i would like for them to kiss about it. penny can watch.
outside of my pc, there are two other recent events that given me a lot of joy. recently i found out that rica takashima, author of rica'tte kanji (the first yuri manga published in english) was having a badge making + manga giveaway event in my city. i discovered her work when i read by your side: the first 100 years of yuri anime and manga a few years ago, and i really admired how cute and colorful her style was. meeting her and her family was truly such a sweet experience. ;__; it really feels like magic when i get along with strangers. i gifted the badge i made to her and she gave me a couple of hers in return. she was so overjoyed and i felt so so lucky!
the other event was seeing lustsickpuppy live in-person at a fundraiser for the first time, and honestly i think i can get over everything terrible thats happened to me this year just for this. i discovered her music this year while i was having a really hard time post-breakup, so its really meaningful that i can close this year by hearing her perform live. catharsis. also almost getting caught in a mosh pit was scary but honestly delightful. one day ill participate in one. people are fun.
lastly, i think im obligated to mention the blanksword demo since ive been rotating it in my mind lately. i wasn't expecting to like it as much as i did! its a roguelike rpg, something i usually dont play, starring an amnesiac angel named blank who is trying to get his brain back after an attempted assassination. all the characters are super lovable. i really enjoy how characters treat blank or expect him to act despite blank not remembering who he is and generally being a sad confused wet cat now. im especially fond of the game's ost and how addictive the turn-based combat is, but overall i think its a well-rounded experience and more people should give it a try.
also there is angel of waste disposal. you will love angel of waste disposal.
i hope you have a lovely holiday! thank you for reading! 🧣🧸🎀🎄