To be very fair, the review for Yuri Manga: Rakuen Le Paradis, Volume 16 is pretty much word for word, what I’d write for this volume, too. I originally looked forward to this magazine every month precisely because it is not predictable, and so now that it has sort of developed a style, it’s a little bit of a let down.  And then it goes somewhere I didn’t expect it to, and I love it all over again. ^_^

In Rakuen Le Paradis , Volume 17 (楽園 Le Paradis) for thit chapter of Nishi UKO’s  “Collectors,” we turn to the one activity that differentiates an anything-philic and a “hoarder” which is to say, spring cleaning. ^_^

Sengoku Hiroko’s story has hit an impass. The teacher is not willing to cave to the student’s importuning please to teach her about love, but she is also not entirely making a clean break of it.

There’s a bit of BL in this volume as well, as Rakuen-kun, mascot of the magazine, finds love at the end of a decidely male arm, who feeds him in a cute chapter of  Nakamura Asumiko’s “Rakuen-kun to”.

Notable in this issue, Sayonara Zetsubo-sensei‘s Koji Kumeta makes an appearance with a very standard SZ-s chapter, including a cameo by Zetsubou-sensei himself. If you’ve ever read a chapter of the manga, you already know what it’s like. But I’m told the SZ-s manga ended “deliberately creeptastic,” so here’s a way to wash that out of your mind, if you enjoyed it initially. ^_^

Misutani Fuuka’s “14-sai no Koi” takes an interesting turn.

And it looks like we’ll be getting Takemiya Jin back for Volume 18. Check out the web previews (click the big pink button with WEB in it, then click  竹宮ジン for an idea of what we’re getting.)

Ratings:

Overall – 8

Please stay weird, Rakuen Le Paradis. I love you weird.