The Heartwarming Art of Pandesaii

In this special interview, Pandesaii captured the hearts of many due to her beautiful art featuring girls crushing and falling in love with each other.

Pandesaii captured the hearts of many due to her beautiful art featuring girls crushing and falling in love with each other.

Based in the Philippines, Sai or known as Pandesaii, captured the hearts of many Yuri and GL fans due to her beautiful art featuring innocent girls crushing or falling in love with each other in a Filipino setting.

I discovered her works sometime during the height of the pandemic, and every single time I saw her art pass my feed, or on my timeline, I couldn’t help but spend a minute or two just admiring the warmness each art gives. I am so honored to be given this opportunity to ask her a few questions about her inspiring works of art.

The Lily Cat: Before I start with the questions, I want to let you know that I feel so ecstatic that I am doing this interview with you. I admit that I have been such a huge fan of your work for so long. Can you tell me how you started making art?

Pandesaii: Thank you so much for having me! It feels nice to be interviewed by someone really passionate about GL. I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been that weird artist child, I never really excelled in academics and I have dyslexia which made writing and etc. hard for me.

Illustration was the only way I could express myself truly so I started taking it seriously very early. I’ve been painting since I was in grade school and started traditionally training from 6th grade until 4th year and went to art school after that.

The Lily Cat: Most of the art you share on your lovely FB page is mainly centered on Filipino girls’ love. I admit that it always gives me kilig vibes every time I see it on my feed. Has this been your main focus since?

Pandesaii: I didn’t really start drawing GL until college, I was originally aiming to be a concept artist for a big western company, it was my goal since childhood but as I grew older and learned more about myself and the industry, I started shifting my goals and art to what feels genuine to me. The lack of local Sapphic representation too made me sad and I’ve made illustrating more GL my goal since.

The Lily Cat: Every artist has an inspiration in doing what they love doing. I’m curious who or what inspired you to do these lovely creations?

Pandesaii: My main inspiration is mostly my gf/partner Ten, this might be shocking to some people but I’m not really the romantic type, I never took non-fiction love seriously until I met Ten. They gave me flowers, took me to dates, took care of me and they made me feel like I was genuinely in love for the first time in my life. The emotions that I show in my art are mostly from what I feel when I remember our good times.

Another inspiration was the things that I didn’t get to experience due to self-hatred and denial. I draw for my inner teen who never really had representation that could’ve helped me accept myself earlier, I also draw hoping that it can help a young Sapphic that’s currently struggling with their identity.

The Lily Cat: Has the pandemic affected you in a way in creating your art? Knowing that your GL works were made/published during a very tough time.

Pandesaii: The pandemic had a huge effect on me and my art. It arrived after I graduated college; when I was hoping that I can finally be free to explore the world and meet other people like me but the pandemic shackled me back to my childhood home, the place that I was trying to leave.

I used art as an escape. Harana, the piece that started it all was made through yearning. The huge time gaps between the works that I put out were also because of the pandemic. It’s been hard but I’m just currently hoping for the best.

The Lily Cat: I’m curious. What GL media (anime, manga, webtoon, and so on) are your faves at the moment?

Pandesaii: Ohh I’m not sure if I have new faves at the moment but I just recently caught up to Relationship Guidelines! I am absolutely in love with the art style and excited for the side stories. I’m also currently waiting for new updates of Whispering You A Love Song! While Opium, Getting to Know Grace, and Soul Mates are on my to-read list.

The Lily Cat: Anything you want to say to your growing followers? Also, where can they find you?

Pandesaii: Omg aaaa hello! Please give me some recommendations, I would love to explore more gl media and I hope ya’ll are doing well, you can also reach out to me mostly on Twitter and Instagram (@pandesaii) thank you so much for having me! Also please continue supporting local GL artist!

If you love her art, you may also consider supporting her here. Look forward to more interviews and features only here on The Lily Cat!


Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts here and on FacebookI’m also on Twitter just in case you’re interested.

Support The Lily Cat in providing news, reviews, and features by leaving a cup of coffee.

Oh, where do I begin?

After a few months of absolutely nothing but cobwebs, I am back! Just barely. I am just fixing some stuff here and there to make sure the relaunch for this site is a great one. 

I don’t want to get this into a long wall of text, but a lot of things have been happening with my personal life which has drained me emotionally, mentally, and financially. I have promised that the site will have regular updates sometime a few months ago, but due to some family-related problems, those pushed back. 

I am still struggling from the recent hardship but hey, we come back stronger. I am not sure if I don’t have the funds to keep the site afloat until the end of the month so any amount of support is greatly appreciated. I only need around 18 USD this month. It’s the hosting that I pay monthly. 

What Happens Next? 

Well, as promised there’s some content going up in a couple of weeks. I have to rewrite a lot of them to edit the timeframes and update some info. But a few yuri reviews will be in here as well some feature articles that I have in mind of quite a while. Officially, the non-yuri stuff will be transferred over to Zenbu. The site is just an extension of this one so if you’re looking for my non-yuri anime, manga, and video game reviews, Zenbu would be the place to go. 

So I guess that is all I can share for now. The site might go offline soon to make way for the major changes but I do appreciate yuri fans visiting the site from time to time. With the relaunch, I will do the best I can to provide the yuri and latest fandom news and reviews to you. Thank you so much. It means a lot. See you soon. 

‘The Rich Man’s Daughter’ Actress Rhian Ramos Sends Birthday Greetings to Co-Actress Glaiza De Castro, Fans Hyped and went on a #TRMD Throwback

Fans of GMA’s 2015 lesbian TV drama series The Rich Man’s Daughter cheered and went on throwback when actress Rhian Ramos posted a birthday greeting to her co-star Glaiza de Castro on Thursday, January 21 on her official Facebook page. Ramos and De Castro played the lead roles of Jade and Althea respectively.

Happy birthday, Glaiza De Castro

Posted by Rhian Ramos on Thursday, January 21, 2021

As of press time, the said post has reached more than 21,000 reactions with almost 700 shares. The majority of the comments were birthday greetings to Glaiza with some saying that they missed The Rich Man’s Daughter. Their chemistry is well-loved by fans that their fandom ships are named RaStro (a combination of the girls’ last names) and JaThea (a combination of their TRMD character’s first names.) Posts (e.g. fanfiction, fanart, fan videos) related to this pair are still very much around the net even if the series has ended years ago.

Glaiza made a response for everyone who greeted her on her birthday on Twitter.

 

Unfortunately, the ship will not be sailing as Glaiza is happily engaged to her Irish boyfriend. A September 2020 report revealed that Rhian is single again after dealing with a bad breakup with her boyfriend.

Missed the series? You can watch the entire episodes of The Rich Man’s Daughter here.

Glaiza De Castro is a Filipino actress and singer notable for playing the role of Althea from GMA Network’s 2015 top-rating lesbian TV drama series The Rich Man’s Daughter. The show also starred Rhian Ramos as Jade. De Castro also stars in the 2016 remake of Encantadia as Pirena and the titular character of the network’s 2010 TV fantasy series Grazilda. 

Source: Rhian Ramos (Facebook), GMA Network, Manila Bulletin


Join our growing Yuri and Girl’s Love Community, Yuri/GL Philippines


Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts here and on FacebookI’m also on Twitter just in case you’re interested.

Support The Lily Cat in providing news, reviews, and features by leaving a cup of coffee or be part of the Kitty Squad. You may also visit my literary notebook, Fragments.

Yuri/GL Philippines Podcast Series is now on Spotify

Yuri/GL Philippines, the Philippines’ most active Yuri and Girls’ Love community organization announced on Thursday that their official podcast series is now on the popular music and podcast streaming platform, Spotify.

Members of the org have announced last September that a podcast series centered on Yuri and GL media was in the works. The premiere episode was uploaded on the official Facebook page in the same month.

Established in 2017, Yuri/GL Philippines aims to unite yuri and girl’s love fans all over the country (primarily through their Facebook group) and also to promote related works by Filipino artists and writers. They are hoping to partner with various groups and institutions to organize more events (and hopefully a convention dedicated to Yuri and Girl’s Love) in the future.

Source: Yuri/GL Philippines Facebook Page


Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts here and on FacebookI’m also on Twitter just in case you’re interested.

Support The Lily Cat in providing news, reviews, and features by leaving a cup of coffee or be part of the Kitty Squad. You may also visit my literary notebook, Fragments.

YangYang Mobile Releases Trailer for Yuri Visual Novel Game ‘Perfect Gold’

Philippine-based game company YangYang Mobile recently released a trailer for their yuri visual novel game Perfect Gold. They launched a Kickstarter campaign for the game and were able to successfully passed their initial USD $8000 goal in just 48 hours!

The alpha demo of the game is currently released on their Steam page for those who want to try. If you are interested in the game, it’s recommended that you support their Kickstarter campaign which is still up for 14 days.

Their Steam page gives us overview about the game:

Perfect Gold is a coming-of-age yuri visual novel about two former friends who escape detention in order to celebrate the Sunflower Festival. Set in the magical city of Castlecoast, readers get to know Audrey Clary, an alchemy student and heiress who secretly dreams of a different life, and Marion LaRue, a rebellious elemental magic student in search of someone she once loved.

As the reader, your choices affect the outcome of Audrey and Marion’s day together.

Game Features:

  • A Lesbian Story for the Lesbians: Follow a heartwarming, slice-of-life story between two girls as they get a second chance at love and friendship.
  • 2 Playable Characters: See the story unfold through the eyes of Audrey and Marion.
  • Vibrant Visuals: Immerse yourself in the magical city of Castlecoast, brought to life by animated characters, backgrounds & illustrations.
  • Interactive Dialogue Choices: How would you like Audrey and Marion’s day to end? Your choice will determine which of the two unique endings they will get.
  • Original Soundtrack: Listen to beautifully composed music tracks that accentuates the story’s most emotional beats.

YangYang Mobile has launched very successful games in the past, with Love Esquire as one of their popular titles.

I will be trying out the alpha demo of the game soon. So please look forward to it. Also, continue to support this site and providing yuri updates and reviews by leaving a Ko-fi!

Yuri/GL Philippines Team Teases of an Upcoming Podcast Series

Last weekend, some members of the Admin, Mod, and Creatives team of the Philippine-based Yuri organization, Yuri/GL Philippines have teased posts and screenshots of a recording session for an upcoming podcast series centered on discussing yuri and GL media. The said content was revealed in the team members’ personal Facebook accounts.

A representative has stated that the series will be posted on their Yuri/GL Philippines Facebook page “very soon” and will be available for listening on various podcast platforms later on. This will be a regular segment for the org as they have announced previously that they have to withdraw from any related events this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the org has been doing virtual events such as giveaways and unboxing videos to provide content for fellow Yuri fans.

Established in 2017, Yuri/GL Philippines aims to unite yuri and girl’s love fans all over the country (primarily through their Facebook group) and also to promote related works by Filipino artists and writers. They are hoping to partner with various groups and institutions to organize more events (and hopefully a convention dedicated to Yuri and Girl’s Love) in the future.

“Let’s Be Lonely Together, Miss Gu!” – The Third Party by Enjelicious Review

DISCLAIMER:

The following images used in this article are selected (not whole pages of the webtoon/s) and will only be used for the sole purpose of this review. The Lily Cat does not claim ownership of the webtoon art and images featured. 
Official links to the author's webcomics are also included for the benefit of the readers and to support the creator's works. 
Thank you for your understanding.

It has been a while since my last review on something related to webcomics (for a very good reason, I will explain later).

This has been long overdue. I honestly wanted to talk about this series for a (very) long time and those who have known for me for years can prove that while this series was ongoing, I couldn’t stop talking about it. So finally, here it is! My review on The Third Party by Enjelicious.  Spoilers ahead!

The Basics

The Third Party was released in 2017 (during the hype of Lezhin Comics’ GL Renaissance) in the Lezhin Comics EN website. This was created by popular Filipino artist Enjelicious notable for doing cover arts for the physical release of the Diary ng Panget books as well as other local manga releases in the Philippines. Her ongoing work Age Matters can be read on LINE Webtoon and has earned a massive following to this day.

Going back to TTP, the webtoon won First Place in Lezhin US’ first webtoon competition. When the teaser of the series was released, yuri fans were excited and very much looking forward to it.

The Third Party is centered on the romance of two girls: Gu Jeong Hui and Moon Hae Jin. Gu Jeong Hui is the daughter of the CEO of a TV broadcasting company, GBS. Here’s the thing: Jeong Hui is in an arranged marriage with one of the TV anchors, Kang Sang Hun. She immediately obeyed her father’s wishes of marrying Sang Hun regardless if her life still feels empty. It took a different turn when she met Hae Jin, who is a Producer-Director of the company.

While Jeong Hui’s purpose in GBS was to obey her father and her husband’s wishes, Hae Jin had different agendas to why she was there: to get revenge and answers on the death of her father. She didn’t care if she had to manipulate people to do this. She did everything whatever it takes. However, her plans seemed to have slowed down when she met Jeong Hui. Eventually they fell in love with each other.

The webtoon is roller coaster of intense drama and romance. You are sure to be completely hooked.

Late Reaction to The Hype

Due to I was focused on another webtoon series What Does The Fox Say, I admit I never really got into the hype fully. It was when it reached to Chapter 10 when I finally decided to give The Third Party a read. And oh man, I regretted for not starting too soon.

My Undying Love for PD Moon

I am not ashamed to say that ever since her full appearance in the first chapter, I was completely in love with PD Moon (Moon Hae Jin). Just who wouldn’t? She works in a Media company (which is in my line of career), she’s very beautiful, and just whatever she does makes you wish that she’d noticed you. I always tend to joke that “I want PD Moon to step on me” because of how I greatly admire her from her character design to her constant change as the story progresses.

As The Third Party moves forward, you would probably notice that ever since Gu came into her life, PD Moon was torn of avenging her past or just embrace the present thing she has now. She had Gu, she didn’t need anything else. She was willing to let go of almost everything she worked for because of her. But on the other side of the coin, she was already at that peak where the answers that she always demanded and work FOR YEARS is still conflicting.

The Art, Drama, and Intensity

Reading this webtoon for the first time was really a ride. Almost 90% of the time, each chapter ends with a cliffhanger. But you really can’t ignore the art of this webtoon. This is probably the first webtoon series I’ve read in which 3/4 of each chapter has a background. Most of the time, webcomics are only filled with white background and not many details are added except the character. In The Third Party, however, every panel has a background and the artist really took a lot of effort to add in backgrounds to give the scene a bit more life.

Every Monday night was something to look forward to as the intensity of the story grew as each chapter moves forward.

The Ending

For the benefit of those who haven’t read The Third Party ending (or haven’t even started yet,) I won’t spoil much. When the last chapter was released, I was already expecting a lot of people to comment about the ending. How I wish I can elaborate more–but I have to say that that ending was definitely okay for me. It wasn’t sad or it was a happy ending. It was some that people didn’t expect. While people had a lot to say about it, it honestly gave me hope that there will be a continuation of Gu and PD Moon’s story. I don’t mind how long I will be able to wait for that happen. However, it was a good end for me. Let me know in the comments section what you think of the ending if you’ve read it already. I’m curious!

The Webtoon That Got Me Back to the Yuri Community

Yes, that’s PD Moon in a coffee shop. At the same time, it’s my laptop and me in a coffee shop.

Okay, this part may be a bit personal so incoming feels trip.

The time The Third Party was released, I was at that particular moment of my life when I wanted to leave the Yuri community. The story behind this is very long and I promised my friends to no longer talk about it. I honestly lost the energy and motivation to do the things that I wanted to do. So I made the decision to just quit. However, this webtoon got me back. I read this in one of the darkest periods of my life as a yuri fan. Until now, I am very thankful that this series was made. I think giving a hundred or even thousands of thank you’s to Enjelicious aren’t enough to express how this webtoon got me back to loving yuri and just do stuff for this fandom.

Also, I realized that I have such a connection to PD Moon especially when it comes to the topics of romance and life are concerned. We all make mistakes and we take the wrong risks along the way. However, a certain fragment of your past shouldn’t be a reason not to keep going. We keep going even if we have to keep that someone in our life or let go for the better.

Conclusion

No webtoon series is perfect and The Third Party is one of them. I do not want to go technical or critical on this because my overall conclusion is that this webtoon is a must-read. Some of you may be reading her current work Age Matters, but if you have extra webtoon coins to spare, please do read The Third Party. From art to story, and to the characters. I actually lost count to how many times I’ve read the series. I think you might say this is my go-to yuri webtoon to read, and I do hope it would be the same for you guys too.

You may read The Third Party on Lezhin Comics.

Note: The title for this review is inspired by Avicii’s song “Lonely Together”. The lyrics fam. (RIP Avicii)

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Happy Holidays from Your Fave GL Creators!

2019 was one awesome year for the Yuri fandom. What better way to add in more love into the yuletide season but by seeing our favorite GL series celebrating the holidays, getting ready for the new year.

This year we have spotted  a few of our GL content creators posting Christmas art related to their works and here they are.

What Does The Fox Say creator Team Gaji posted a Christmas art of both Sungji and Sumin together. Sumin is wearing a Santa outfit as she was lifted by Sungji wearing a Reindeer costume.

https://twitter.com/gaji0712/status/1209504789102350338

Also, the webtoon (which is published in Korean on Kakaopage) has recently ended. You can read the series officially in English on Tappytoon in both SFW and NSFW versions.

Thai GL manga and webtoon artist Ratana Satis posted a Christmas art in her official Facebook page. Featuring the main characters from hit GL works PulseLily Love, and Lily Love 2 – Frosty Jewel

https://www.facebook.com/ratana.satis/photos/a.788935964499217/2769830703076390/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDaQk_TM9Tpy-Kl_sPR9A5gEotKM7bovapBK0W3NtNXsThezmd0GwMThq5S_eVYtoMsTr03iFJYhAw1OknjhIeczN671FN-9ciEq5TDuBI2HfQgOLls0SteOq5a7QXuXk8dHf-wjRWw9N_AsMJCx18yM_Pvu9FfpNgHdV1um5nZ1TtaQc0FnvibJCQO-X8wO5zK6QU5p9T19jDPc_blwCJ5-2M2z4GLZRl8N3dCEIGutFq4D1VCOAYTuV1FzZj3yZJKpFa_mcfP8RD-L7Sxpn7WBiFUCROxJxu4duhsrPqit0QSOEjDtAjncTLJEj86KoTK9ujIUGE0HS18Pj3rIBdX6w&__tn__=-R

The artist has recently teased art and characters of her upcoming GL series Soul Drifters.  Speaking of Pulse, you can preorder the 6th volume right now

Artist Darunni has also posted a Christmas on her official Facebook page featuring our two lovely girls from She’s A Keeper. 

https://www.facebook.com/artsbydarunni/photos/a.872399416243692/1476960549120906/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAxXghLm_5NUy6TT8FkHuakzhrB4hvKTJyAUWGWNnghnpT0-arJjFbX_mF7oHOlc6-R9IBRCFTbAiznvo1dSzGiq6IFhIIy2RHQKZU5ZS_pbHjnm5-jPOeDVPf_OCWNFg_R0bWYZXiOaENLbrbpy9oWZ6HKc2vth-oPnmW3kGIm56aKD_3MQWb0NNGNFoub6RexU0KTUUNGMz5cLdAltNxbytc9xKVK3MpYCSDemEfGw_ivap7TzRRxlSd3Tpom9PllQhaBO5sIRX8T9glNk4PgC3zWa0QecHOKDRbyLwOMo9dLnQzdICHatls_ZkfWQfRpwmhs7KCT1jImIuacg4LrUQ&__tn__=-R

She also has another ongoing webtoon series titled BABE! which you can read on WEBTOONShe’s A Keeper can be read on Webcomics.

Tan Jiu, creator of the popular Their Story / SQ Begin with Your Name series also posted a Christmas update on their Weibo page. Also, let’s not forget that December 25 is also Sun Jing’s birthday!

Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope your holidays have been great and may your 2020 be awesome.

Yuri/GL Philippines will be at Cosplay Mania 2019!

 

Philippine-based Yuri community Yuri/GL Philippines confirmed in their Facebook page recently that they will having an exhibitor’s booth in this year’s Cosplay Mania. This is the organization’s second time to have an booth dedicated to Yuri and Girl’s Love in the country’s most highly anticipated anime and cosplay convention.

https://www.facebook.com/YuriGLPhilippines/photos/a.2087960891432996/2442587575970324

The said convention will be held at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City from September 28-29, 2019.

Established in 2017, Yuri/GL Philippines aims to unite yuri and girl’s love fans all over the country (primarily through their Facebook group) and also to promote related works by Filipino artists and writers. They are hoping to partner with various groups and institutions to organize more events (and hopefully a convention dedicated to Yuri and Girl’s Love) in the future.

Source: Yuri/GL Philippines (Facebook)

Pride March 2019 in the Philippines Records More Than 100,000 Attendees

During the Metro Manila Pride March 2019 program held at the Marikina City Sports Center this afternoon June 29, it was announced that this year recorded more than 100,000 attendees.

People from all walks of life, including various organizations and institutions have joined in the Pride March as a way of supporting equality for the LGBT+ community with #ResistTogether as this year’s theme.

https://www.facebook.com/mmprideorg/videos/2365096546907795/

The Marikina City Council has also passed their Anti-Discrimination Ordinance as their primary protection against SOGIE-based discrimination in the city. 

https://www.facebook.com/912158388810754/posts/2851308208229086/

This year had welcomed such a massive crowd–evidence that this community deserves to be recognized for who they are inside out. Happy Pride!

Posts from Metro Manila Pride (Facebook)