Welcome to the May 2014 issue of Comic Yuri Hime, where the cover seems to be permanently suspended in a just ever-so-slightly skeazy Valentine’s Day scenario. The magazine opens with a feature on the Nekoyama-san to Inukami-san anime , which I really need to watch soon. ^_^;
The first really interesting story was by a newcomer, Aoto Hibiki, in which “Alice” keeps flashing back and forth between two worlds; one in which she’s a regular high schooler with classmates Shiroyuki (Snow White) and Akaukin-chan (Little Red Riding Hood) and a Wonderland environment. Alice isn’t sure which world is real, and she’s equally at a loss in both, but when Shiroyuki introduces a younger boy (that I’m betting is actually a girl) who was born a Prince, to their groups, you can kind of see where this is going. I just hope it’s fun.
Ohsawa Yayoi’s “Sensei Sotsugyou” continues the tale set up in the previous issue, in which a student learns more about her teacher than she bargained for, and finds inspiration in her.
In Amano Shuninta’s new series “Ayame 14”, Ayame fights with new feelings she’s never had to deal with, and one of their friends admits to her full mied-race name.
Okita Hiroko’s “Vespa” forces Kaoizuka to confront her commanding officer’s unrequited feelings and her feelings for her cruel Princess.
Takemiya Jin starts a new story, with a girl’s best friend making her see where her interest lies, in “Chouchou Nanan.”
Bosou Girlsteki Mousou Renaiteki Suteki Project follows a date gone terribly wrong in a story that has no idea where it’s going yet.
And “Rock It, Girl!” by Tanaka Minoru comes to a rousing finale that still managed to be freakishly weird. The girl gets the girl in the weirdest way possible. I really enjoyed this story, it basically followed none of the rules, ever. ^_^
As always there are many other popular series, 4-koma strips and the like for your entertainment. Comic Yuri Hime seems to have settled into a general level of just better than average quality for one solid issue after another.
Ratings:
Overall – 7
I’m liking Nekoyama-san to Inukami-san it’s cute, if silly.
Yes. So is Kimono Nadesico and that actually came to a bit of an actual climax this issue.
Oh wow. I don’t blame you in the least for not attempting to translate BGMRSP. Wouldn’t it literally be something like, “Delusionally Loving Wild Rampage Girls Beautiful Project”?
If you’d like. ^_^
I quite liked Kuzushiro-sensei’s ラブデス, mostly for the amusing contrast in imagery. It continues in the next issue, along with another five or so chapters by Kuzushiro!
I’m not nearly as big a fan of Ayame 14 as I was 私の世界(etc etc), but I love the way the characters are all the way 14. They are straight up goofy teenagers, and virtually everyone can empathise with Ayame’s situation.
I really like 喋喋喃喃 (particularly in light of next issue). The art’s as great as you’d expect, and while Chihiro/Shino is light hearted there’s more to the Nao/Aoi dynamic. Plus Nao is cool. Maybe not Mika cool or Moriyama-senpai cool, but she’s getting there.
I’m not really into Vespa, which is a shame since it’s not about schoolgirls. I think it’s a combination of not really loving the way the faces are drawn (rest of the art is pretty good though), and my complete inability to keep up with this much manga resulting in a fairly brutal cut-off for which series I give a decent read.
(caveat to all of above: I am probably still a year off being able to read Japanese worth a damn, I expect my opinion of various series will evolve as I’m able to read them more naturally. Assuming I’m ever able to keep up with all this Yuri – a nice problem to have, but it makes me glad I didn’t fall for a bigger genre :)
I know exactly what you mean. ^_^