Yuri Hime Color Artworks Chronicle (百合姫カラーアートワークス CHRONICLE) is exactly what the title says it is. This is a collection of color illustrations from Comic Yuri Hime and Yuri Hime S magazines and several of the collections published under the Yuri Hime imprint, from 2005-2010. And it is therefore a chronicle of the magazine from its birth through its cytokinesis into two magazines.

The book is split into a number of sections – Cover Works, Pin-Up Works, Color Comic Works, Other Works and Comic Cover Works. Overall, they provide a really wide variety of styles, tone and Yuri. Noticeably absent are the covers and art created by Hibiki Reine from the first five issues of Yuri Hime. The collection begins with the cover of the sixth volume, by Eiki Eiki and Zaoh Taishi. From there, the covers are arranged chronologically.

As a historical artifact for Yuri history, this book is pretty remarkable. As an artbook, it’s fantastic.  While I might not like every picture, there’s still plenty to enjoy, with such a variety of talented artists. Nearly every page reminds me how many people have contributed to the making of this magazine.

A side effect of flipping through the pages of this book is to remind me how much I really didn’t much enjoy a great deal of the color art for Yuri Hime S.  Kind of a no-brainer, I suppose. But it also reminded me in a very visceral fashion, just how relaxing I find Fujieda Miyabi’s art. I’d be flipping past a series of moe-servicey things and get to a picture of Sarasa and Seriho and just…relax. ^_^

If you never did get a chance to read the early issues of Yuri Hime, or you just relish the idea of collecting all the color pictures, Yuri Hime Artworks Chronicle makes a great addition to your Yuri collection.

Ratings:

Art – Variable, obviously

It is my very, very genuine pleasure to thank Okazu Superhero George R for his sponsorship of this review and for the contribution of this piece of Yuri manga history to the world’s largest collection of Yuri!