Yuri Hime Selection, Volume 3, like it’s predecessors Volume 1 and Volume 2, is a collection of one-shot stories. A number of them are by participants in Ichijinsha’s manga contests which haven’t made it into the quarterly magazines and the others appear to have run in Yuri Hime S.

Of these, my favorite was “Hasunetsu” by Shin Yui, which had both plot and art that reminded me very much of Mist magazine. In this story, “Bon” (so nicknamed for her bouncy, curly hair) finds herself falling in love and lust with model and upperclassman Kyouko. This story is pure female fantasy and it works. The happily-ever-after ending helps. ^_^

Immediately after this was a not-quite-Yuricest story that wasn’t bad, and that was followed by a lovely little morality play in which a girl who is a prostitute because she can be, lets go of her attachment to money and finds true happiness in the love of another woman.

These three were my favorites, but there were certainly other stories of interest. Unlike Volume 2, I mostly had not read or did not remember the other stories in this collection, so for that reason alone it was fun. There’s a number of one-shots by more popular writers such as Akihito Yoshitomi, Uso Kurata, Mizuno Tokho and others.

I’ve been generally pleased at the Selection collections. I was a little concerned that I’d feel used, buying the same stories I already had purchased in the magazines, but other than the first (which wrapped up the old Yuri Shimai one-shots) I haven’t felt that way at all about Volume 2 or 3.

This collection has enough new material to make it worth buying, and enough interesting material that you won’t feel ripped off.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

Once more, my sincere thanks to Okazu Superhero Dan P. – and my sincere apology that the items he’s sponsored off my Amazon JP Yuri Wishlist haven’t been crappier. I may have to thank him for something else, just to ensure that he maintains his inner Fanboy. ;-)