Archive for July, 2019


Urusekai Picnic Manga, Volume 1 (裏世界ピクニック )

July 25th, 2019

In advance of J-Novel Club’s release of Otherside Picnic, the sci-fi light novel by Miyazawa Iori, I picked up the manga for the story. In Urusekai Picnic, Volume 1 (裏世界ピクニック ) the manga adaptation of the story introduces us to Sora and Toriko, two women who have access to the “Otherside,” a world populated by weirdly wiggly aliens and strange phenomenon.

The manga begins as Sorao is dying. She has no idea why she is or how she got here, but here she is, submerged in some kind of liquid. She remembers finding a door to the “otherside” and seeing one of the wiggly aliens. She is rescued by another human, a woman of apparently about her age, Toriko.  Toriko tells Sorao that she’s hunting…and after she shoots an alien, it turns out that what she is hunting is the chrome cubes they leave behind along with their physical form.

Sorao almost loses her life once again, as the aliens grow inside her like a plant. Although Toriko saves her, Sorao finds that 1) she can kind of hear them now and 2) her one eye has turned blue,

We learn that Toriko is also hunting…a friend, Satsuki. It is pretty clear to Sorao and us that Satsuki was more than a friend to Toriko. What strikes Sorao as odd is her own reaction to that. She hasn’t put a name to it by the end of Volume 1…but I can.

The two women meet a man who has lost his wife and clearly some measure of his sanity on this Otherside. The guy is not with us long, but his disappearance is the catalyst for learning that Sorao’s alien eye can also see alien tech for what it is, which allows her, for onc,e to save Toriko.

I found it a little hard to engage with the book at first. Not because it lacks context (which it does) but because it lacked any kind of character development. Sorao is a blank. We know almost nothing about her when we meet her and by the time the first volume is over, we know about the same amount of nothing. The same is true for Toriko, although we can see that she is driven to find her – probably – lover. The two women are more interesting together because neither appears fearfulnor hesitant. When Toriko shows up at her school and asks Sorao to hunt with her, Sorao is right on it. If there’s a single specific quality of the characters that appeals to me, it’s that.

The art by shirakaba is conventional, but solid. All in all this looks and feels exactly like  what it is said to be – a science fiction manga with, one presumes, a Yuri plot somewhere in there.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Characters – 7
Story – 8
Service – 1, maybe
Yuri  – 2 by implication so far

Overall – 7

I have absolutely no idea where the story will go, but I guess I’ve signed up to go hunting with Toriko and Sorao. ^_^

 





Yuri Manga: Chocolat 2 Shakaijin Yuri Anthology ( ショコラ2 社会人百合アンソロジー)

July 24th, 2019

It still strikes me as rather fun that Yuri fans are practically buried these days under an avalanche of Yuri anthologies – and that so many of them are set in adult society among working women. ^_^ I can practically see myself in 2004 or 2009 or 2015, reading yet another collection that was so similar to everything else, that I just kind of snapped. But I kept coming back for more and so, I find myself today taking a look at another Yuri anthology set in working adult society. I am not complaining! (Not yet, at any rate. ^_^)

In 2018, I reviewed the first entry into this anthology series and found it entertaining. Today I am taking a look at Chocolat 2 Shakaijin Yuri Anthology ( ショコラ2 社会人百合アンソロジー).  The contributors are mostly names we’re very familiar with here on Okazu. Morishima Akiko starts off the anthology with a somewhat complicated relationship between two women who are balancing work-life-society issues.

Kashikase’s story takes a tried and true scenario – the unpaid therapy done by all women in the customer service industry – and turns it into a love story.

I’m reading a collection by Kiriyama Haruka and just finished a story last night that I really enjoyed – but was sure I had read before! Well I had…in this collection. A woman working for an insurance company comes face to face with the web idol she admires, in what I think is a very sweet little story.

A love that never quite manages to get past the gate is the subject of a sweet and a little sad story by Takemiya Jin.

For me, the stand-out story was the last one, by Shigisawa Kaya, called “Love Letter.” A deceased writer has left her unfinished manuscript to her former lover, also a writer, to finish. We travel the length of their relationship from when they met through their parting in this taught story about endings. This was, honestly, excellent. Shigisawa’s writing and art – which tends to center tension and discomfort –  hits exactly the perfect note of melancholy, unexpressed anger and love. Outstanding work by an artist I always want to like but often cannot.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

What this collection does is hold itself together by the thinnest of connecting strings. Other than the fact that these stories are all collected for this volume, there is nothing similar about them. Different art, different tone, and vastly different takes on the topic makes Chocolat 2 a superior Yuri anthology.

 





Yuri Magazine: Galette, No. 10 (ガレット)

July 23rd, 2019

I know I’m running late with this, but I am finally getting around to reviewing Galette, No. 10 (ガレット)! Yay!

Reading Galette is always such an interesting experience. There is much variety and I’m often surprised when something I didn’t think I’d care for turns out to be something I like, or vice versa. I was a little bit worried that this was the end of my favorite story, “Liberty,” as Liz and Maki had finally come to a point where they were on the same page. I didn’t want it to end because that would have been very “Story A.” It hasn’t ended, but is has immediately turned in a direction I laughingly called “Story B” inside my head as Liz’s thoughtless former lover is probably returning to cause drama.

Hakamada Mera has an unusual offering this issue, about an adult couple that was very pleasant. Morninaga Milk’s drama about two women and their cat came to a head over… the cat. ^_^ “Kuri-san Kamo” told a story from a backwards angle that I quite liked.

This volume had additions from Galette Plus and Petite Galette. Color photo pages and color ink pages gives it the feel, a little bit ,of the magazines one picks up in the convenience stores. I’m not sure if I think it works, yet. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

Another varied and fun issue of my favorite Yuri magazine! Here’s hoping that the crowdfunding picks back up and they can expand the issues a little. (I’ve bumped up my subscription, so I’m no longer next to the one name in the funders listing I actually know well. Awww. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Yuri is My Job, Volume 4 (English)

July 22nd, 2019

Yuri is My Job is unquestionably rooted in Yuri tropes. It is indubitably based around intense emotional relationships between women. There is one one-sided romantic relationship, the acted frisson of relationship between two characters and, in Volume 4, we learn of a past romantic relationship among the Liebe cafe staff. But there is not a romance among the main characters…as of yet. For all I know, there may never be.

So, I ask you, my dear readers: is Yuri is My Job a “Yuri” manga?” ^_^ Think about it, then tell me what you think in the comments. I’m not planning on editorializing about this, I just want to know what you think.

In Yuri is My Job, Volume 4, we delve ever more deeply into Kanako’s inner life, as she is poked and prodded by Sumika, who presents herself as coming from a high moral ground, but may in fact be more self-serving than she appears. We get to see that Nene is the staff member whose relationship Sumika has told Kanako about and it turns out that she may well have gotten that wrong, too. As Nene states so plainly. “I think I at least know how to fall in love with people on my own.”

Finally, the Blüme contest is on. Even after securing her vote, for some reason, Sumika will not leave Kanako alone. Kanako thinks of it as bullying, Sumika thinks of it as concern. And, after order has prevailed, Sumika as “third-year” has won; after all of the drama, the politics, all of Kanako’s desire to see Hime pull off a coup has been left behind, they come to a place where they are able to confide in one another. Kanako – finally – puts a name to her feelings for Hime.

And then the cafe moves on to the next marketing event! For the first time the “students” will be wearing summer uniforms. This brings a whole new crisis…and a whole new solution.

We get a couple of extras, including a fun little Yuriten-themed short Miman-sensei had drawn a “Yuriten Cafe” comic for the event the year I attended and I was all whiny at the staff about it not being real. Uchida-san told me they just couldn’t manage it that year. I hope they consider doing one eventually! I want to go to a Yuri-trope cafe and be made to feel uncomfortable about my interests. ^_^

The second extra follows Nene handling the various teas, and what motivated her to talk to Sumika about their failed sisterly bonds.

Once again, Miman-sensei gives us insight into their process, which I continue to find fascinating.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 5
Service – 4 since one piece of this volume pretty wholly focuses on breasts.

Overall – 8

Yuri is My Job hits all the right notes for all fans of classic “S” Yuri literature, animation and comics. One of my favorite volumes so far. There’s a lot of strong character-building for all of the staff.

So, what do you think of Yuri is my Job? Is it – by your standards – Yuri?





Yuri Artbook: Marguerite – Fly’s Art Works (Marguerite フライ作品集)

July 21st, 2019

Why yes, I am still catching up on relics from my last February trip to Tokyo! In Shosen Book Tower, where the Yuribu was impressively large and well-organized and has a variety of manga, photo albums, novels and other print matter, there were several large artbooks were visible on the shelves and near the register with a very attractive, eye-catching layouta. An artbook of Avalon Yuri anthology illustrations were prominently displayed as was the subject of today’s review Marguerite – Fly’s Art Works (Marguerite フライ作品集).

If you have been paying attention to Yuri recently, you have probably encountered Fly’s artwork.Fly’s done work for Kadokawa and has been the cover artist for Comic Yuri Hime. They have, of course been one of the featured artists at the Yuriten. I quite like their work. It’s got a gentle sensibility and is very moody without being depressing or dull. Pretty girls in contemplative moments set in appealing surroundings. There’s little service, and a lot of intimacy without exploitation. The artist’s very specific form of service comes through in the collection as a whole, but as fetishes go, it’s arguably ignorable. ^_^

The first section, “Innocence,” consists of portraits of individual girls. Section 2 and beyond feature more couples. Section 3 “Love Unrequited” is split between portraits of individuals and couples and Section 4, “Secret Love” is full of Comic Yuri Hime cover art and similar couple portraits.

Fly’s work incorporates a lot of background color and shape without much texture or depth, the art uses water and plant life as the setting rather often. The overall sense is normal days passing in the lives of young women, some of whom who happen to be together. There’s no drama, which makes this collection less like something to page through and more like something to pull down off the shelf and open up, smile at the image and put back for another day.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

It’s all very pleasant ^_^