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It seems a lifetime since I read Comic Yuri Hime, May 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年5月号).
The first story, by Usui Shio, “Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts” tells a bittersweet story of the sacrifices a woman makes in her life to be correct and popular; the breakdown she has over her inability to be what society expects of her and the coworker who comes to her rescue. Will it be love? We’ll have to tune in to find out. (No, obviously not, it runs in Comic Yuri Hime for pity’s sake. It will be love, duh. ^_^)
Although it appears to be yet another high school love story, I am really liking Takashima Eku’s “Sasayaku You ni koi o Utau” about a girl and the lead singer she’s fallen for – and who is shocked that she’s falling back.
Iwami Kiyoko’s “Luminous Blue” is heading for a confrontation between various pieces of this love triangle and I don’t see any way around it.
Okay, it’s time to talk honestly about Kodama Naoko’s “Uminekosou Days.” I do not dislike it. I actually kind of like it. But can I just admit that I hate the main fetish here? Mayumi has run from a relationship with a guy with whom she didn’t (couldn’t? wouldn’t?) have a child. And that relationship and the idea of having a child (or not…it’s not really clear whether she wants to and can’t or doesn’t want to,) is haunting Mayumi here in this tiny village in nowhere. This is why I have never loved anything Kodama-sensei writes, even when I like it…it always centers around a compulsion or fetish and won’t move past it. I hope to heavens that this series moves past this, because I actually *want* to root for Mayumi and Rin.
Flowerchild offers two different teacher x student things. “Idola the Coward” is another cute workplace story, by Kayoko, whose art reminds me of something.
Ah…ha! “Itoshi Koishi” by Takemiya Jin has cracked the “coming out” wall. I have been waiting to see this story from her for years. Hanano and Yayoi are making their New Year’s hatsumode when they run into a bunch of Hana’s classmates. Hana, under pressure, lies and says Yayoi is a relative. The older woman is totally understanding, but Hana is devastated by her own internalized homophobia. Yayoi asks Hana if she’s afraid her friends will reject her. Hana says they *know* she’s seeing someone older…and she thinks at least one has figured it out, but…she finds herself, yes, scared. She decides she’s going to tell them. Soon.
This is the narrative we almost never see in Yuri manga. Watch this space as it develops.
“Scarlet” wraps up the current arc and we learn of the promise between Fine and Iris.
In “Goodbye Dystopia” nothing important is said, but as we walk away from Asami’s story, we are clearly about to head into Mizuki’s.
Ratings:
Overall – 9
As always there are many more stories I didn’t mention and some I didn’t read, (and some I did, but this review had gotten so long I wanted to wrap up!) and overall this was a really strong issue of Comic Yuri Hime, that ought to appeal to just about everyone, from moe Yuri fans, to folks looking for fetishy stuff or those looking for adult life Yuri and it’s even edging towards having a lesbian character.
I don’t recognize your description of Uminekosou Days. I don’t think the idea of Mayumi herself having a child has even really come up. The problem was that her fiance cheated on her and got her only friend pregnant. The manga seems to put more importance on the betrayal by the friend than on the failed relationship with the anonymous boyfriend.
Thematically children seem important within it, but this appears to heading toward Mayumi and Rin raising Rin’s niece together.
It’s clearly stated in the beginning that the reason her fiance left her was because he wanted a child. That theme is repeated constantly and the idea of her best friend who is now his partner being pregnant is brought up again this issue. This is an obvious, repeated theme in the story and yes, it certainly seems that we’re heading to that ending, the whole having a child = family and fulfillment is a theme I find unpleasant.
“It’s clearly stated in the beginning that the reason her fiance left her was because he wanted a child.”
I don’t think so. He broke up with her because he got her friend pregnant. It’s not even suggested he wanted to get the friend pregnant, rather than him being in a shotgun wedding situation.
And I don’t think it’s fair to see the theme in that light. It wouldn’t mean it was equating fulfilment with having a child (I doubt that’s something Kodama would support). Instead it’s just being positive about a family formed without giving birth.
I do not quite understand what you are arguing about, since such English is still difficult for me, but in general, I believe that the idea of same-sex families is quite important for Japanese qeer media. Especially when one of the most persistent homophobic prejudices is the belief that gay people hate children or not able to properly raise them.
Of course, this is my personal opinion and I apologize in advance if I misunderstood the context.