The Anime Now! Podcast 19: Yuri Kuma Arashi
In this episode, Carl and Bradley try to wrap their mind around the yuri drama Yuri Kuma Arashi. Click HERE to download the episode or on the keyart above. We break down what some of the symbolism might mean and find meaning in some obtuse story developments, while delving into “fan service” before appreciating the art in phallic lasers powered by lesbian cyborg bears. Yes, it’s that kind of cartoon. You can watch all of Yuri Kuma Arashi on Funimation Elite or on Hulu.
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ALSO: Read Gabrielle Eken’s excellent write-ups on ANN, and savor Emily’s posts on for me, in full bloom And if you’re in the NYC area, be sure to check out Waku Waku NYC. This link has a discount.
Those Damn Cartoons! 
[Spoiler] Bradley, your reading of Ikuhara’s ending as irresponsible, or rather how you read his leaving the series off with the audience being afraid for the cyborgized bear and the girl for having to face an unchanged world, seems one step short of understanding Ikuhara’s intent (at least as far as I interpreted it).[/spoiler] As this show is commentary on the view of lesbians and lesbianism in Japan, I don’t see the ending as advocating for escape but as a condemnation of how some are forced to live. He wants that sense of unease in the ending to resonate, as you mentioned, with the audience in hopes of fostering real change in the real world. (As opposed to making viewers come away feeling that’s everything’s ok is a fictional world and carry over that complacency into their daily lives.)