Hope all the people who were at shoujocon enjoyed themselves. It's really the first convention I ever attended, if I don't count the half hour I spent at Otakon one year, and I enjoyed it enormously. We'll have a full report for you soon, but for now just a few of the highlights from the convention.

• Patarillo -- Absolutely the strangest and most hilarious anime series I have ever seen. If you enjoy Utena and Monty python, find this video by all means. It is specially subbed for Shoujocon, so I'll keep you informed about where to obtain the fansub.
• Never Meant To Be - A gorgeous Utena music video about Touga and Saionji.
• A yaoi-anatomically correct Servis doll with a glowing blue light cone.
• Meeting all the members in person.

With the success of Shoujocon, we are a bit more confident about the plans for yaoi-con next year. In the mean time, Aestheticism will start to make more appearances at anime and slash conventions. If you live on the West Coast, look for us at Friscon dealer room in October. We'll also have a room for those of you don't want to attend the con.

Those of you who don't read Chinese can breath a sigh of relief. I'm more or less over my Chinese BL reading binge, or at least have run out of the urge to talk about it to everyone I meet. Instead, in this issue, I'll give you some links about the quintassentially Japanese topic -- samurai and history.

Ruroni Kenshin has probably interested more Western anime fans in Japanese history than any other series. Susan, our great and fearless leader, has also fallen victim. Read her account of the adventures of a Shinsengumi fan in Tokyo. And for those of you with a strong stomach, here are actual photos of Saitoh and Okita. Modern bishounen they are not. You can find out more photos on this page.

As promised, this issue contains an introduction and synopsis of Hoono no Mirage, one of the most popular yaoi novel ever published. Part of the story is set against a period of Japanese history that is probably less familiar to people in the West than the Meiji.

For a bit of background on the Civil War period, here's an academic page. The page at the Shi-Bo-Ri Japan Museum is also very useful.

For a more comprehensive source, try Duke University's Japanese history resource.

If you're interested in studies of homosexuality in Japan, there is a new book named Cartographies of Desire: Male-Male Sexuality in Japanese Discourse.

Mimi