Archive for the Magazines Category


Comic Yuri Hime August 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年8月号)

August 20th, 2023

Two girls in Japanese "sailor-style" school uniforms play on the beach. One has her shoes off, standing in the surf, the other stays on the sand with her shoes on, watching her.The cover of Comic Yuri Hime August 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年8月号) is exactly what I myself did this week – got my feet wet in the ocean. So, I really feel the seasonality of this cover by mebachi. And I am convinced* that the next turn of events will not go as well. Although we are merely getting snapshots, this cover story has been full of tears and longing in between the bright moments.

We begin at the beginning of the magazine with “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!,” with Kanako’s story about meeting Hime -a story that we have already heard due to the rearranged timing of the anime. It serves, IMHO, to reinforce how naïve Kanako is, in the largest sense of the word. She is unable, rather than unwilling, to see Hime outside the frame she has created for her. Nonetheless, I see hope – ironically perhaps – in the sisterly relationship between Sumika and Kanako…if they can manage to keep it there.

Kaori and Shizuku come to the point that they have always inevitably had to come to, in “Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata.” Kaori does not want to go gently into that good night and who could blame her. I wonder if Yuama will give in to a last minute save.

“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou. Maid Kitchen” illustrated by tsuke, has begun and it is as silly as one might have expected! Claire has a problem, Lene and Rae fix it with food, tada! ^_^ This is followed by the next chapter of “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” proper, with a lead-in to the story of Oohashi Rei’s first love, a section which is painful for both Rae and reader. We will eventually understand, but right now it’s just picking scabs.

“Koharu & Minato” has migrated from the back of the book to the front for this chapter of the long distance relationship of two women who now live together, by Daruma and Hiarron.

“Watashi no Shitteru no Oneesan” is a sweet little story about a mysterious cool woman at the bookstore and the girl who becomes infatuated with her, by Otokawa Akari.

Okay, bear with me because, “Shikabane Shoujo to Ai ga Omoi Sei Kishi no Toubatsu Gakuen Life” is not bad. A young woman who i , apparently a zombie, has come to a school for magic users…which she is not, but as she undergoes an extremely extreme first day she meets her new “onee-sama,” a powerful holy knight.

“Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru”  by Utatane Yu, turns towards the current leading pair in the Quadrille trials; Kiki’s former partner, Shion, and her new partner. They may be leading, but who is following?

A new sci-fi fantasy story, “Garan no Hime” has a lot of setup, but gets lost in what, without question, the worst body/clothes design since semelparous. In the meantime, monsters, dead princesses, gormless villagers, check.

“Osoto Gohan,” re-imagines s’mores in a way that I approve more than the “Tsukuritai Onna, to Tabetai Onna” iteration. (Ritz crackers? Meh, too salty. Chocolate biscuits, yes,)

And, in “Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemita,” Kurumi’s feels for Ruriko are shifting but she doesn’t check with Ruriko to see if they are on the same page…and she may have broken something important.

As the year is about to shift into autumn, this whole volume feels autumnal.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

As always, there were other stories I read (or didn’t). It was a solid issue, with some new stuff, some old stuff and eating yummy food.

*The September issue is already here and …yep.





Comic Yuri Hime July 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年7月号)

June 15th, 2023

A smiling girl in a summer Japanese school uniform of blue shirt and white blouse, balance a red umbrella on her palm. The sun is shining, casting shadows in the road.Well hahaha on me. I picked up Comic Yuri Hime July 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年7月号) from the bookstore and plowed through it, with every intention of reviewing it right away, so I’d be caught up. Yeah, well. But let me assure you this was another good volume. I say that, even when there are a number of stories I myself will not read, because I am fully aware that my tastes are not everyone’s tastes.

Once again, I am loving the cover story. Color fills the screen now; the text speaks of admiration and joy at the smiling girl’s smile. Nice work, Mebachi-sensei.

This issue gets off to a strong start as we meet Lily in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” Lily will, of course, become an important character, but also importantly, Rae stands up for gay people openly in the Church, chastizing some nuns about their intolerance. You go, Rae!

The SS Girls get their day on stage at last! Of course they slay their set, but they have a surprise left up their sleeves… “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau” is always fun to read.

In “Kiraware Majoureijo to Dansou no Ouji-yaku,” once again, a well-bred young lady is treated like crap by her royal fiance, but the actual heir to the kingdom takes a fancy to her. She may wear a uniform, but she’s all girl underneath!

Kurumi is practicing hugs in “Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita” but when it comes time to lay one on Ruriko, has she really considered the consequences?

Ohsawa Yayoi’s contribution to the Yuri is My Job! Official Comic Anthology ( 私の百合はお仕事です!公式コミックアンソロジー), “Uragaeshimai” is an amusing look at the change in dynamic when Hime suddenly grows up. Gosh I love her art.

There are other stores with manipulative high school students, aliens, android maids and lesbian brothels as usual. A wide variety of work for, hopefully, a wide variety of readers!

Ratings:

Overall – 8

The August issue hits shelves today in Japan! (So maybe I’m not so far behind after all.)





Comic Yuri Hime June 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年6月号)

May 22nd, 2023

Two girls in white Japanese school uniforms, with blue collars and skirts stand in front of a window as they discuss something. One has a satisfied smile, as the other looks at her. The text reads "At that moment, you were dazzling." Comic Yuri Hime June 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年6月号) begins with a vastly shifted cover story. What was near-monochrome and pensive looks, now has shifted to color and happy expressions of every day joy. I think Mebachi-sensei’s work here has been quite good. I expect that summer will see more bright smiles, but will autumn and winter chill them? I guess we’ll see.

The first chapter is rather emotional fallout of Shiho’s confession in Takeshima Eku’s “Sasayakuyouni Koi Wo Utau.” Now Aki has to deal with her own feelings for Yori, urgh. But the festival progresses and SS Girls have a great day. And then they get some shocking news….

This is followed by a critically important chapter of Miman’s  “Watashi no Yuri Ha Oshigoto Desu!” For the first time in this series, I feel like Sumika and Kanako may be all right. Phew. Kanako even smiles! She’s ready to tell Sumika her story about the time she told Hime-chan how she felt. Yikes.

I am 100% all in on slice-of-life series right now. In fact, I have an article idea floating loose in my head about them. So “Osoto Gohan,” by Haduki is right in my wheelhouse now as our protagonists head out to a campground to spend a relaxing day making a whole roast chicken on a camp stove. ^_^

It’s Shion’s turn to have a crisis of identity in Utatane Yu’s “Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru.” I would love for this series to be licensed, because the art is just lovely, but I wonder how this story of ballroom dancing and teen angst would sell?

The Euclid arc comes to a dramatic climax in “Watashi no Oshi na Akuyaku Reijou.” Claire comes closer to understanding what poverty really means to families. Next up we have the Church arc. Lily will be officially introduced.

This is followed by a short by Yudepan, in which a woman meets a high school girl when they sit near each other most days in the library. This is a rare manga that uses people wearing masks as a normal thing.

On her date with Kaori, Shizuku is set up to face the source of her own trauma, when she and Ichinose-san are sent off together to do an errand. Will they be able to heal their shared wound? Yuama’s “Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata” has got to be heading towards a climax now, surely.

“Kimi to Shiranai Natsu ni Naru” by Keyyang, has gone to a rather dismal place, but I am still hoping it will turn around.

And “Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemeta” by Usui Shi,o gets Rio all sorted in her new job.  While Kurumi is thinking more and more about how she feels about Ruriko.

As I said, last issue, I knew a stronger issue would be on the way.  ^_^ Most of the shorts this time were readable… I’m really just skipping the 18+ series as they aren’t interesting to me at all. I’m not opposed to sex in my Yuri, but when the story is “they have (the same) sex this chapter, too” I get kinda bored.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

The July issue hit shelves in Japan this week, so for one brief second, I am again caught up! Yay me. ^_^





Comic Yuri Hime, May 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年5月号)

May 12th, 2023

A woman in green, with a dog, watches as a group of schoolgirls in dark blue Japanese school uniforms walk past.Well, it had to happen. The May volume of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫2023年5月号) was mostly not of interest to me. There’s a lot of stories that have sex portrayed in a way that is super unappealing to me. Coerced, manipulated, not an expression of love, but of power or desperation. It’ll never be my thing, but if you love shocked/unhappy faces in your sex scenes…enjoy.

There were a small handful of go-to series that I read.

We finally got Lorelei’s performance at the Battle of the Bands and of course it was super intense after Shiho dumped her whole heart on Aki in Takeshima Eku’s “Sasayakuyou ni Koi wo Utau.” I’m kind of sorry the anime will never get this far in the manga.

This chapter of “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou,” written by inori and illustrated by Aonishimo, is the very-intense Undead Hunt, which will lead up to a shock next month. Speaking of anime, we have a date for the ILTV anime! Clear your calendar in Oct 2023.

Miman’s “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” goes somewhere I feared it might, but manages to work it’s way through a deeply awkward and painful moment for Kanako and Sumika. I finally have hope that we’ll see them both come out of this okay, now. Phew.

For some reason a number of the stories I genuinely like are all headed off various cliffs, some of which are plot, but a few feel a bit like “who needs a plot when we have drama?” So overall, this was not my favorite issue ever. But that happens and then the next issue comes out and we’ll be good again. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 5

I would like a few more new stories about non-moe characters doing interesting things and falling in love, and much less about unpleasant high school girls being manipulative and creepy, but YMMV.





Comic Yuri Hime, April 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年4月号)

May 3rd, 2023

Two girls in blue JP school uniform dance in a school gym, surrounded by other pairs of girls.I know I’m running way behind on Comic Yuri Hime magazine. I have been unable to go to the Japanese bookstore since March, and reading Japanese was too much effort for me until recently. So, I’ll do my best to get the May and June issues asap and get caught up.

In the meantime, let’s look at what is now ancient history in manga years, the April issue of Comic Yuri Hime. ^_^

To begin with, our cover story seems to have hit a major turning point, as our two protagonists dance together in a gymnasium. I love how Mebachi’s story has slowly moved from almost-monochrome, to adding a little color with every passing month.

“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou” written by inori and drawn by Aonishimo, heads into the Euclid arc. There are a number of things that the manga can do that the LN could not, so I’m finding this iteration very interesting.

In “Sasayakouyouni Koi wo Utau,” by Takeshima Eku, Shiho takes time before the battle of the bands to tell Aki how she feels. Finally. Phew. Now can we have the battle of the bands? ^_^

Usui Shio’s “Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemita” turns a page, as Rio packs up and goes home. All of them have been changed for the better, but Kurumi and Ruriko have their place to themselves once again…then the phone rings.

Deep breath, because “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” has consequences to deal with. Youko may be gone at last, but her actions have fundamentally screwed with Kanako and Sumika. I do want to spoil this chapter a bit because one of the two things I wanted to see in this arc was Sumika punch Youko (the other thing would have been Nene punching Youko.) Well, we get a beautiful punch here as an opener. It was very gratifying.

Keyyang’s “Kimi to Shiranai Natsu ni Naru,” has taken a realistic and somewhat depressing turn. Can Haru and Hi-chan turn this around and find their ideal life? I’ll have to wait to find out!

And last for me, “Oodoriba Skirt ni Naru,” by Utatane Yuu, also shifts a bit as Michiru gets ill from an oncoming typhoon and Kiki takes care of her. When she wakes up, Michiru finally comes to the conclusion that she’s falling for Kiki-sempai. I still love this manga and hope it just keeps dancing along.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

As always there are other stories I read and some I did not. Each issue is a good balance between things that keep my attention and things that are for people who are not me. Honestly, I’m just really glad to be reading manga again. ^_^