Yuri Manga: Aoi Hana, Volume 8 (青い花)

October 29th, 2013

And here we are, at the final volume of Aoi Hana (青い花). Wow, have we come a long way.

High school graduation approaches, but before it arrives, the girls of Fujigaya head to London for a class trip. Unbeknownst to Fumi, Akira and Kyouko catch up with Sugimoto-sempai who now lives there with Kawasaki-sempai.

Then graduation comes, and Fumi and Akira are forced to have the conversation that has been building between them for some time. Is there, in fact, a “them” to discuss?

In the meantime, Yamashina-sensei finds that a confidence shared off the record has become general knowledge. The students learn that her lover is female after all.  And in the end, nothing changes. But, it seems likely that she’ll feel less inclined to be honest with the next student who asks. And you just know the rumors will continue.

Graduation passes, and so does time. Everyone is drawn together once again, this time by a happy occasion – Kyoko’s and Kou’s wedding. Time moves on, as Ya-san notes, for all of us.

Yamashina and her lover, Haruka’s sister,  consider holding a wedding ceremony themselves, a scene that made me inexpressibly happy. ^_^

Without spoilers, I will assure you that you the ending does not bring closure. It has the one thing I had hoped for – ambiguity.

Ratings:

Story – 10
Characters – 10
Art – 10
Lesbian Life – 10
Service – 3

Overall – 10

The story began on a day that led to many other days, full of joy, sadness, loneliness, friendship and love. Aoi Hana ends on a day that will lead to more of the same.

Happily Ever After is, as we well know, a process, not a destination. And for Fumi and Akira life is, as well.

This is the third manga series I like that has come to an end in 2013 and for the third time, I find myself left feeling happy, rather than sad. ^_^

8 Responses

  1. dm00 says:

    I keep thinking this has been licensed, but it’s Sasameki Koto (Whispered Words) that is on my Amazon wish list….

    Well, in another year or so I think my Japanese will be good enough to read this in the original.

    Looking forward to reading it, in whatever form I end up being able to purchase…

  2. Don’t hold yourself back because you think your Japanese isn’t good enough. The easiest way to get better is read over your level. ^_^

  3. Jackie says:

    What are the other two series that ended this year? Hayate x Blade (does that count?) and… drawing a blank here. Searching Okazu for both “final” and “end” did not give me an answer.

    Since I am in Japan, the time for buying manga in the original Japanese is obviously now. b(^.^)d I’m with dm00 on it probably being above my level, but if I want to work my way up to the Marimite light novels I’ve gotta start somewhere right?

  4. ItAintEazy says:

    Hi, longtime reader, first-time commentator. As a proud owner of all the volumes in the series, I thought the last volume is pretty enjoyable. However, I seriously think the ending was pretty rushed for a series that prides itself on deliberate storylines that slowly develops the characters.

    The fact that Shimura-sensei also hastily ended her other series, “Wandering Son,” and the fact that she has not added a new chapter to “Awajima Hyakkei” since long past forever, I really think there is something else going on that perhaps forced her into an abrupt retirement.

  5. ItAintEazy says:

    Okay, hopefully this doesn’t look like I’m trying to start an argument, I just like discussing this manga a lot :)

    We all know how many volumes it took for Akira to get together with Fumi, but it took just one volume for all those spoileriffic events to take place? Something isn’t right, from what I see.

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