Please spent some time reading this.
Shoujo-ai Canada is Here!!!
Shoujoai Canada is a group run by K,K,& N Manga. In 2000 the head of Kat & Neko Manga, writer/artist Kathryn K Williams, was asked to host panels at Anime North discussing gay themes in anime and manga. For several years she tackled all kinds of issues at many conventions across North America and even helped Yuricon for a time. Due to stress related reasons she left the convention circuit with hopes that someone else would take over for her at Canadian cons so she could focus more on her novels. Two years later she returned to find that the shoujo-ai/yuri presence at Anime North was almost nonexistent. She had been getting e-mails regarding the lack of content and poor quality of shoujo-ai/yuri panels for the past year but didn’t feel it was her place to do anything about it. Finally, frustrated with the shortage of shoujo-ai and yuri programming she and her soulmate decided it was time to step back into the light and raise awareness of this genre once again. Togther we recreated our site to have a greater shoujo-ai focus, created a forum for others like ourselves to talk about like minded subjects, started accepting submissions for lesbian stories, created fliers to hand out at clubs and changed our name and URL to http://www.shoujoai.ca
Our goal is to bring together the shoujo-ai/yuri community and give them safe places to discuss their favourite series along with spreading awareness of this genre of anime/manga. At the same time we plan to try and educate people into understanding that not all shoujo-ai/yuri series are pornographic and deal with the more romantic side of lesbian relationships. Making people aware that there are gay teens out there and that there is a need and an interest in the shoujo-ai genre as a hole. By doing so we hope to convince more conventions that this genre is not as bad as its reputation and maybe some companies may take notice and start licencing more shoujo-ai/yuri series for sale in North America.
Currently we are making plans for the upcoming Toronto Conventions of Paradise Comic Toronto Comicon, April 28 - 30 and Anime North, May 26 - 28. Where Kat was been requested to once again be a guest speaker. The AN programming staff are more then trilled with the idea of K&N’s return to panels. It would seem that the reason for the lack of shoujo-ai/yuri content the absence of knowledge in the field. So far we have managed to arrange 2 panels, “Romancing the Shoujo-ai Way” for all ages and “Shoujo-ai/Yuri Fanfic” which will be 18+.We are also working on getting a few new shoujo-ai series into the video rooms as well.
Paradise Comics seems to be a different matter. We are working on getting a “Gay Themes in Anime” panel and maybe have some shoujo-ai anime shown, however the anime section is rather small at this time and space restrictive. Plus, there is the fun of having to convince people that shoujo-ai/yuri panels and series are PG-13. This is not an easy case to pass seeing as so many instantly think that gay themed anything should be for Mature audiences. We will be updating our site and LJ as further news on panels and video scheduling arrives.
This is only the beginning of what we have planned. After these two cons we will begin preparations for next year, when we plan to have a larger involvement in Anime North. Hopefully this year we will be able to raise enough awareness of our presence to get a greater number of people together to help with running panels and the like in 2007. Well we hope to see some of you at the cons. Just look for the K&N Manga Banner or several Pride flags and you should find us.
If you are interested in helping you can post on our forum http://s15.invisionfree.com/Land_of_Lesbian_Lit/index.php?act=idx , or e-mail our staff directly at webmaster@shoujoai.ca. Be sure to include Shoujo-Ai Canada in the subject header.
Shoujoai Canada is a group run by K,K,& N Manga. In 2000 the head of Kat & Neko Manga, writer/artist Kathryn K Williams, was asked to host panels at Anime North discussing gay themes in anime and manga. For several years she tackled all kinds of issues at many conventions across North America and even helped Yuricon for a time. Due to stress related reasons she left the convention circuit with hopes that someone else would take over for her at Canadian cons so she could focus more on her novels. Two years later she returned to find that the shoujo-ai/yuri presence at Anime North was almost nonexistent. She had been getting e-mails regarding the lack of content and poor quality of shoujo-ai/yuri panels for the past year but didn’t feel it was her place to do anything about it. Finally, frustrated with the shortage of shoujo-ai and yuri programming she and her soulmate decided it was time to step back into the light and raise awareness of this genre once again. Togther we recreated our site to have a greater shoujo-ai focus, created a forum for others like ourselves to talk about like minded subjects, started accepting submissions for lesbian stories, created fliers to hand out at clubs and changed our name and URL to http://www.shoujoai.ca
Our goal is to bring together the shoujo-ai/yuri community and give them safe places to discuss their favourite series along with spreading awareness of this genre of anime/manga. At the same time we plan to try and educate people into understanding that not all shoujo-ai/yuri series are pornographic and deal with the more romantic side of lesbian relationships. Making people aware that there are gay teens out there and that there is a need and an interest in the shoujo-ai genre as a hole. By doing so we hope to convince more conventions that this genre is not as bad as its reputation and maybe some companies may take notice and start licencing more shoujo-ai/yuri series for sale in North America.
Currently we are making plans for the upcoming Toronto Conventions of Paradise Comic Toronto Comicon, April 28 - 30 and Anime North, May 26 - 28. Where Kat was been requested to once again be a guest speaker. The AN programming staff are more then trilled with the idea of K&N’s return to panels. It would seem that the reason for the lack of shoujo-ai/yuri content the absence of knowledge in the field. So far we have managed to arrange 2 panels, “Romancing the Shoujo-ai Way” for all ages and “Shoujo-ai/Yuri Fanfic” which will be 18+.We are also working on getting a few new shoujo-ai series into the video rooms as well.
Paradise Comics seems to be a different matter. We are working on getting a “Gay Themes in Anime” panel and maybe have some shoujo-ai anime shown, however the anime section is rather small at this time and space restrictive. Plus, there is the fun of having to convince people that shoujo-ai/yuri panels and series are PG-13. This is not an easy case to pass seeing as so many instantly think that gay themed anything should be for Mature audiences. We will be updating our site and LJ as further news on panels and video scheduling arrives.
This is only the beginning of what we have planned. After these two cons we will begin preparations for next year, when we plan to have a larger involvement in Anime North. Hopefully this year we will be able to raise enough awareness of our presence to get a greater number of people together to help with running panels and the like in 2007. Well we hope to see some of you at the cons. Just look for the K&N Manga Banner or several Pride flags and you should find us.
If you are interested in helping you can post on our forum http://s15.invisionfree.com/Land_of_Lesbian_Lit/index.php?act=idx , or e-mail our staff directly at webmaster@shoujoai.ca. Be sure to include Shoujo-Ai Canada in the subject header.