Yuri Manga: Gokujou Drops, Volume 2

July 27th, 2009

Everyday at the Ootori Dorm is a passive-aggressive kind of day in Volume 2 of Gokujou Drops (極上ドロップス), one of the Yuri manga distributed on cellphone by Ichijinsha.

Komari is not *quite* as sappy as she appears, and certainly not nearly as sappy as she started out in Volume 1, but she’s not conquering the universe yet, either. While Yukio and Komari are more of a couple than previously, Komari is well aware that Yukio in no way considers her anything like a partner or equal in their relationship.

Sexual harassment around the dorms is toned down to an introduction to and sexual harassment chapter by yet another upperclassman, Sai, who is considered to be weird even by the other decidedly weird dorm residents. But after that, Komari is left to stress out about Yukio unreservedly.

And stress she does. Yukio goes home with nary a word and no follow up communication at all. Komari puts up with the silence, but is concerned. More for Yukio’s well-being than her own. She calls up all the courage she has and visits Yukio at home, but is coldly rebuffed by her lover. Even I can’t blame Komari for crying herself to sleep for nights on end at this point, and I definitely wanted to slap Yukio for being a jerk. Because…you just *know* its going to be something she could have explained with words. It is, of course. When Yukio returns, she and Komari make up in time-honored fashion.

The final chapter follows Komari and Yukio on a date, during which they have an actual heart-to-heart talk and mutually decide that they’d like to cut the date short for some other body part-to-body part activities.

A surprising end to what I feared would be a creepy, icky book, but wasn’t really at all. My criticism of the first book was that the girl-loving-another-girl was about 1/25 the Yuri, while the remaining bits were girl-sexually harassing-another-girl. In this volume the ratio was flipped. The bulk of the book is Yukio and Komari having a totally consensual relationship. What a difference a volume makes!

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 9
Service – 7

Overall – 7

Like Shoujo Sect the end doesn’t justify the memes, but it does make it tolerably decent as a story. I don’t love and adore the art, but I don’t hate it either. I would have liked to see less fetishism and more lesbianism, is all.

5 Responses

  1. darkchibi07 says:

    Judging from this review, I’m assuming this is the last volume of the series? Or is there more coming?

  2. Senbei says:

    I wasn’t as disappointed with the first volume as I thought I’d be (though my expectations weren’t very high). I think my initial trepidation grew out of just how many non-consensual encounters Komari undergoes. Also the art style isn’t very striking, and the characters all seem to be pretty abhorrent. Interestingly, it wasn’t a bad read though and somehow shows promise. I’ll definitely consider getting volume 2 if i ever have the money.

  3. AristocraticRose says:

    I think there’s more coming because mangaupdates or some other website said it was ongoing. Would you know if it is ongoing Erica?

  4. No. I don’t know anything conclusive. Not until a new volume is announced.

  5. Anonymous says:

    it says on the character introduction page that there will be a vol.3. Hope it comes out soon

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