Love after high school graduation. Surprisingly few Yuri manga address the idea of a same-sex relationship in the “outside world” after secondary education. There’s a good reason for this, honestly, as life rapidly becomes more complex once a person is on their own. One day, you’re picking out a set of plates for your own kitchen and the next, you’re searching for renter’s insurance and a job that still offers real vacation time.
Of all the many thousands of reviews here on Okazu, a mere handful of Yuri manga have so much as explored that space between high school and adult life. Morinaga Milk’s GIRL FRIENDS literally took a look at it, then shied away from dealing with the reality of adulthood.
All of which is why I absolutely love Kase-san and Cherry Blossoms by Takashima Hiromi, the fifth book of the Kase-san series, out now in English from Seven Seas. Yamada does not suddenly become a confident adult the moment she graduates, Kase-san is not suddenly less jealous than she was, Miwachi isn’t less of a haphazard mess. They are all who they were in high school….and then again, they aren’t. The thing I’ve liked best about this series from the beginning is the naturalness of it. I feel like we’re watching these people in real time (although, as Takashima-sensei notes in the Afterword, the series began in 2010 – that’s a long time to be in high school!)
Kase-san and Yamada, that is to say, Tomoka and Yui, sleep together and grin goofily at one another, as one does. They support one another and spend time together. It’s just lovely to see them maturing and becoming adults who are in love.
As always, Jocelyne Allen’s translation is so good, I can hear Yui and Tomoka saying the lines. The reproduction is high quality. Once again, Seven Seas has provided us with an authentic, enjoyable manga reading experience.
Ratings:
Art – 8 So much improved over the early days
Character – 9
Story – 9
Yuri -10
Service – 6 Some gratuitous underwear shots
Overall – 9
It’s unlikely that we’ll see Yamada and Kase-san addressing homophobia, social or political issues; some other manga will have to go there. But that’s okay. That’s not what we read the Kase-san series for.
Kase-san has just been a joy to read <3 Is the manga continuing past this volume?
In Japanese, publishing company Shinshokan is still publishing new chapters in their Wings magazine, from time to time … while Takashima also drops occasional extras on various online platforms…
Subject to change but according to the preview illustration for the next issue, Wings is scheduled to include a new chapter – out April 27.
I don’t think a new Japanese volume has been announced, yet. There is already enough material so hopefully it will be worth their while to bundle that too at some point…
How exciting, huh? I was able to get the February Wings, with a lovely color image of Kase-san in button down shirt serving Yamada a drink. It was a nice, if nostalgic look at a Yuri plot I hadn’t seen in a while.
I had the impression that it would, at least from my reading of Cherry Blossoms.
One of the best things about reading the series, over and above the naturalness of the characters, is that the two leads are the *most* *adorable* couple ever. In the competition for most romantic couple, they’d be up there with Miles and Ekaterin, Darcy and Elizabeth, Harry and Hermione–oh, wait, scratch that last. ;-)
Heh. I’m not sure about the timelessness of Yamada and Kase-san, but I’m certainly happy to spend as long as I can in their company.
But what about yuri’s work about adult characters? Or you mean only those stories that were originally told about teens?