Where I live, it’s spring and the flowers are blooming, and the trees are that particular shade of new-growth yellow-green that make you believe all is and will be well with the world. What better way to celebrate the energy and joy of this season than with an adorable anthology about lesbian weddings? Sadly we don’t have that, but we do have this lovely Yuri anthology – and it does actually include a lesbian couple. So, that works.
White Lilies in Love BRIDE’s 新婚百合アンソロジー is one of the many current Yuri anthologies being heaved up by Kadokawa ASCII Mediaworks. Along with the multitudes from Ichijinsha and Futabasha, we are currently up to our neck in Yuri anthologies named after sweet and fragrant things. I am not complaining. ^_^
The first story takes a look at how important communication is in a new marriage, as newlyweds are not dealing with the gaps that have formed between them, and how they need to talk to work things out.
My favorite story, by the currently omnipresent relative newcomer, Miura Kozumi, (whose work I really enjoy) follows a couple who keep being completely blown away by seeing each other as their new bride. I loved this story for so many reasons. The two actually came out to their families, they had a lovely wedding, parents bought them cheeseball wedding gifts… and they blush to their roots at thinking about how they are newlyweds. This one was cute as a boutonniere.
Tsuzura Ryo’s story was a close second. A young woman whose lover has died sees a fox’s wedding and is able to marry the spirit of her deceased lover. Of course, she’s left living with with both a fox and the spirit of her wife, but that’s okay.
In close third was Kiriyama Haruka’s story of a couple that fights over everything but are wholly suited for one another. I liked the art best from this story as everyone looked their (adult) age.
Ratings:
Art – Variable, none of it bad 8
Story – Same 8
Characters – Everyone is very earnest, except the art teacher 8
Service – 3 A bit
Yuri – 9
Overall, a strong 8
As a nice collection of Yuri wedding bedtime stories, this was top notch.