As Yuri Bear Storm, Volume 1 begins, Kureha is invisible in class, and is desperately afraid people around her whom she believes to be bears. Until Ginko , a classmate who is definitely a bear and Kureha become friends. Kureha starts breaking out of her shell of invisibility, and find herself part of a much larger and much more complicated story. But, it doesn’t matter to her at all, as long as she can protect Ginko (and Lulu who inserts herself into their story, with an arc of her own that Ginko cannot remember.)
Kureha is not wrong, most of the people around her at school are in reality bears, and so is Ginko. But that no longer matters, as Kureha is falling in love with her worst enemy and best friend the bear princess, Ginko.
No, really, no matter how many times I read or watch this series it really doesn’t make any sense, but that’s okay. I’m just thrilled to pieces to see Morishima Akiko’s art in an English-language manga, with gleefully meaningless storytelling by Ikuhara Kunihiko, presented as a timeless and profound fairy tale which it completely is not. ^_^
Yuri in this volume is surprisingly staid, especially as compared with the anime. Kureha’s discovery of her feelings, Lulu’s public pronouncement of love for Ginko and a few kisses make a gentle counterpoint to the utterly impersonal sexual banter of the Student Council and the casual way Ginko offers her body for Kureha’s safety.
The best way to read Yuri Bear Storm is the same way you first watched Utena….cluelessly, guilelessly. Be an uncarved block and enjoy the story and don’t try to figure out what it means until you’ve finished it…and then you can back into whatever symbolism you believe you’ve parsed. It’s way more fun that way. In the mean time, marvel at the image of one of Morishima-sensei’s adorable pink-cheeked cherubs, aiming down the barrel of a long range rifle threatening to kill all bears. Because that’s a thing you’ll get here.
Tokyopop has done a fine job with the technicals, and I did not envy translator Katie McLendon her job. Making this make sense is a fool’s errand.
The next volume will give us another, even more complicated, love triangle and more bears. I am looking forward to it!
Ratings:
Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters – 8 More Yurika, please!
Yuri – 8
Service – 5
Overall – 8
My review of the anime and this first volume in Japanese had me thinking of Picasso. Reading it this time reminded me of Andy Warhol’s famously repetitive imagery. If we just keep saying “Bear” over and over, surely it will come to have meaning.
In the meantime, if you, like me, are a fan of Morishima-sensei’s work, keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Conditions of Paradise, a manga that does make sense and is kind of sexy, too. ^_^
I will try to follow your review of the English version of the manga, perhaps this motivates me to watch the original anime. I like the theatrical influence in his works, so I once watched Utena and Revue Starlight inspired by him, but I am practically not familiar with the rest of his works.
Ikuhara’s whole ouvre is worth checking out for anyone with an artistic mindset or who enjoys anime as a vehicle for social commentary and personal expression. Even his misses are highlights of whatever season they debut in:
BSSM:S season – widely thought of as the best Sailor Moon season
Utena – You’re familiar
Penguindrum – a lengthy meditation on broken families, terrorism, fate vs. free will, all filtered through the lens of Ikuhara’s childhood influences
Yurikuma – his thesis on social conformity, peer pressure, yuri as a genre and identity, and a bunch more inspiration from horror movies, fairy tales, and Japanese history
Sarazanmai – his mashup of Japanese folklore, male queerness and masculine identity and friendship, connecting or being unable to connect with others, and private vs public lives
Penguindrum is the most likely item on my list since I love theme of family and siblings as protagonists. I heard that there are some problematic yuri subplot, but I don’t know the details.
If you read my reviews here, you’ll see.
I already read it once last year, but I did not try to revive my memories, so as not to spoil my experience with the actual viewing.
Agreed.