This is the third similarly “one night stand” themed anthology I have read. Ichijinsha has done one which I found depressing, rather than entertaining, and I believe Kadokawa has done one as well. The fact that I have not reviewed these and can barely remember them indicates to me that I did not, particularly, enjoy them.
Now, Takeshobo’s Bamboo Comics has published One Night Yuri Love Yuri Anthology (ワンナイトラブ百合アンソロジー) and, generally, it was entertaining.
For the most part, the stories favored people who liked each other, did not have massive, uncomfortable power differentials and, except in one notable story, they end up happily, forming a deeper relationship.
The collection includes works by Yodogawa, Ikuta Hana, Ajiichi, Yukiko and other names we recognize.
Yodogawa’s story looks at two office rivals, Tsuzu Ran’s was about a woman who sleeps with the proprietor of the Izakaya she favors. Ikuta Hana offers up a fun and concerning office one night stand between an aggressive junior and her hapless superior (of course, or it would be power harassment.)
Ajiichi does something that I did think was notable, as it changes the end of a story I never like. Two childhood friends, one who is in love with the other, who is straight and constantly complaining about the men she dates. This is a very, tiresomely common plot for these anthologies. The straight girl gets drunk and says something that I would consider a friendship killer. As she kisses her long-suffering friend she says a line that is one of my least favorite lines in any media, “I wish men were like you.” At this point, the lesbian knows this is the wrong choice, but she sleeps with her friend…knowing this is the end of their friendship. Usually in stories like this, the lesbian is left and either ghosted or the straight friend pretends nothing happens.
Here, for the first time I have ever seen, the lesbian blocks her friend on her phone. Screaming at the unfairness, crying, but she yeets the woman who has kept her from moving on in her life, I cheered. It’s not easy to cut off a relationship of any kind, but to see a woman take back her life from someone who has been squandering it, felt like freedom.
Ratings:
Art – variable, but averaging 8
Stories – same
Service – shockingly little for the situation, some nudity and sexual situations
Yuri – 9
Overall – 8
So of the several one night stand anthologies I have read, this was the least unpleasant, and most empowering one. That it was from Takeshobo is really odd, as their Yuri tends to be Yuri-as-a-gag, or could-be-Yuri-could-be-something-else type stories. I hope they take the leap into genuine stories about Yuri (or even, gasp! lesbian!) life and love.
