Yuri Manga: Rakuen Le Paradis, Volume 8 (楽園 Le Paradis)

May 21st, 2012

Geting a new volume of Rakuen Le Paradis is, for me, what Girls Night Out must be for more typical women. Its a chance to kick back and read something made, pretty much for me, with just enough “bad behavior” built in that it feels hedonistic, even though realistically, I’m sitting here reading a comic book, just as going out for drinks and bad behavior must make “normal” women feel like they are being bad, while they are, in fact, not really doing much of anything, good or bad. ^_^ Sort of like the woman on the cover of this issue – it looks like she’s being hedonistic, and maybe, there’s a couple of things we might think of that she might be doing, but probably she’s just sitting on a railing drinking a glass of wine. ^_^

In Nishi UKO’s “Collectors,” Takako has changed her hair color, but Shinobu recognizes her from a distance anyway. (I once recognized my wife by her knees, so..,yeah.)

This issue of “My Dear” by Kazuma Kowo, Akito-sempai has to confront his mother with the concept that he is dating Chikako. It’s ugly, but he gets past it, and gets a kiss as a reward. One of my two favorite not-Yuri stories in the magazine.

I will never ever like Kurosaki Rendou’s art, but in “Kanojou Jikken,” [sic] his characters look less strung out than usual, although their feelings are mismatched.

“Seijukuki Jinmei Vega” by Hayashiya Shizuru continues, much to my suprise and pleasure. Vega, it turns out, is really suffering from Washime-sempai’s reluctance to recharge her with a kiss. When an attractive older woman kisses Vega for real, she returns to her full-sized alien form. Typically, Washime-sempai responds in the wrongest way possible. Sigh.

“Omoi no Kakera” hits two very interesting hurdles, as Mika is told that her preference for older woman is merely delusion and denial on her part and the owner of the cafe Mika thinks she likes comes very, very close to having to deal with her roommate’s feelings for her. I can’t say I want Mika to get together with Mayu, though…!

Nishi Uko completes another short “Ni-ju no Mugen” about a woman and what she associates her lover with.

Hisaki Mika throws in a little story about a kouhai that thinks her female sempai is cute in “Kawaiiyo.”

And, while not Yuri at all, but still one of my absolute must-reads. Kazuki and Kanata are too adorable for words, again, in “14-sai no Koi” as they discover that they’d actually like to touch one another when they do the traditional after-festival folkdance. Good heavens, these two are cute.

Typically, I will buy a magazine if I read two stories that run in the magazine. When it’s 6 perissue, like this magazine, it’s a no brainer for me. Rakuen Le Paradis remains my #1 magazine every issue. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

2 Responses

  1. Lin says:

    “I can’t say I want Mika to get together with Mayu, though…!”

    Interesting. Can you tell me why you don’t want them together?

    • Sure. Mika’s a confident, out young lesbian. She deserves a partner who is her equal in this. Mayu is still in the process of coming out to herself, and immature generally. Mika wouldn’t be getting a lover, she’d be getting a project. If/when Mayu has done her own work and can be proud of herself and of whatever relationship’s she’s in, then it would be a different story. ^_^

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