Archive for the Comic Yuri Hime Category


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. ^_^

 





Comic Yuri Hime, March 2023 ( コミック百合姫2023年3月号)

February 27th, 2023

In front of a grey school and windows, girl in a dark blue school uniform stands in front of a railing looking down, while another girl on the floor below, in partial B&W smiles one hand extended, to catch rain.So, what do we think of the cover art story this year by Mebachi? In a sense, the lack of color is a bold choice, after last years’ brightly colored and textured cover images. It still feels like a one-sided love story, but that remains to be seen.

The magazine gets off to a bangin’ start as things we’ve been waiting for in “Sasayakuyou ni Koi wo Utau” collide. Of the several things we have our eye on – Shiho, Aki, the battle of the bands, and Yori and Hima, I care less about everything than the last. Before Yori gets up on stage once again, they share a lovely kiss. A moment of joy.

I can’t wait to see this as an anime. ^_^ Color pages give us a glimpse at the seiyuu comments and staff.

“Osoto Gohan wo Goissho ni” teaches Japanese readers to make a fat sandwich. I doubt anyone cares, but fat sandwiches were birthed at my alma mater while I was there as an undergrad.  As you watch Fuuka and Yomogi eat a burger with fries on the roll with the burger, you can tip a hat to the excellent grease trucks of Rutgers University. Especially the Sunrise food truck – they made the best damn fat burgers on the planet. I miss those burgers.  ^_^ (Chalk this up to things you’d never expected to learn on Okazu. I was an OG fat sandwich eater. I skipped class to get those burgers.)

Middle of the book color pages include info on the upcoming Yuri is My Job! anime. And then..”Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” goes to the place I was really worried it might go to. This was a “Holy Shit!” chapter as Youko does something we really wish she would not do. The consequences are immediate. I refuse to spoil this, but I will say that the thing I didn’t want was followed by one of the two things I did want. Now we just need another of those and the other thing I want and I’ll be happy. ^_^ Holy shit, Miman-sensei… .

Claire and Rae are walking around Euclid and Claire is getting a completely different view of this commoner she’s finding it increasingly difficult to not admire. We see that Rae has many things she does not explain to Claire…and Claire feels left out. Claire is also made much more aware of the limitations of commoners’ lives…and the Ship of the Undead approaches. in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.”

Shizuku is finally forced to face the truth about Kaori in “Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata” and it finally galvanizes her to finish the novel and talk with this girl she’s come to care about. But, will it be too late? I hate to be rude about this story, but, look, either Kaori’s gonna die, or she won’t, and both endings are a little trite.

As always there was a lot I haven’t mentioned here. The Yuri Hime editors’ symposium and the continuing look at design in the magazine, and many other comics. There is a lot right now I’m not reading, but I don’t hold that against the magazine. I just hope there will be some new series that capture my attention! The April issue is out on Japanese shelves and I should be getting it shortly, so we’ll see. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 7

I do want to say one tangential thing which is relevant to the editors’ symposium. A whole lot of Yuri recommendations in the past year have suggested Takopi’s Original Sin as a fantastic story . I have to say – I found it to be one of the most unpleasant and traumatizing things I’ve read in years. I not only don’t recommend it, but would like you to understand that it is about child abuse and bullying in very real and awful ways. There is a kind of Yuri, and a not-entirely-awful end, but I would not call it happy. So should you see that suggested on a Yuri reading list, consider it with all the content warnings you can imagine. I found it to be an appalling thing that I can not scour from my memory. Your mileage, I hope, may vary. 





Comic Yuri Hime, January 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年1月号)

January 4th, 2023

We’re still banging on about beginnings here on Okazu. ^_^ And every January issue of Comic Yuri Hime is a new beginning!

For Comic Yuri Hime January 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年1月号)  we’re getting single-panel comic by Mebachi for the cover, with a small text paragraph in the upper-right-hand corner. It is a melancholy story, of loss and longing and concern that the speaker hadn’t been a good listener. The larger letters spell “Sazanami ga, jama wo shita.” My Japanese grammar is a bit not great, so I’m not sure if the ripples were disturbed, or they were disturbing. Hopefully one of you will weigh in that.  I don’t want to get ahead of myself on feel, because next month seems awfully like it’s going somewhere else, but it feels melancholy.

This issue begins with a fantasy tale by SikuSiku, “Sekai De Ichiban Sutekina Owarikata,” a title that offers some hope.  This is followed by a number of new stories, which I will wait on to see if anything develops.

“Sasayakuyouni Koi Wo Utau” has finally gotten to the punchline of Shiho’s drama…and she’s shocked at learning the obvious truth. Now we’ll get the battle of the bands. Phew!

In “Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata” the inevitable end is approaching, but Kaori get a chance to talk about her dreams with her friend Ruri-chan. Yuama’s work has really gotten stronger, but I feel that it is time for this to wrap up…as we know it will.

“Utsotsuki Hime” is a short prose story that takes place in Europe in World War Two, about connections that can’t be.

I don’t want to be unkind, but “Natsu to Lemon To Overlay” has ended and it was, very sadly, forgettable. I loved the premise, but there was no conviction in it, and it became a story that, had it started there, I would have liked, but it had to throw away it’s whole premise to do what it did. Writing that sentence without spoiling anything was not easy, let me tell you. ^_^;

Taguchi Shouichi’s “Futari Escape,” too…what the…you don’t begin a chapter that way and expect us to laugh it off. FFS.

And now we come to the story I really want to talk about. “Watashi no Yuri ha Ohigoto Desu!” goes …I don’t even know. Dark? Like I totally trust Miman at this point and I don’t think anything bad is likely to happen, but the dark, foreboding music in the background and the two-page center color of a boudoir image of Youko has left me with shivers. You hurt Kanako (who, yes, is not okay and needs help) and I’ll murderize ya! I don’t even know how to describe this chapter beyond “ominous.”

“Usui Shio’s “Onna Tomodachi to Kekko Shitemita.” gives us a lovely, relaxing chapter in which everyone, for one moment, is quite happy. I needed that. ^_^

Last of the things I want to note, Muromaki does a comic essay in the back about German Yuri & BL and the German Yuri fandom, that I found interesting.

Again, there were a lot of other stories that I either read or didn’t, and enjoyed or didn’t. As 2023 opens, I think anyone picking this magazine up will find a reasonable balance of adult and school stories,  and relationships that run the spectrum from hand-holding to fully realized adult relationships. We’re poised to lose several stories next issue and welcome some new ones.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

The February 2023 issue is already out and has a center-color spread from “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” by Aonoshimo!