The end of the cover story of Comic Yuri Hime December 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年12月号) is a little melancholy, surprisingly. But this issue, which marks the third year of being a monthly magazine was, as it has been all year, quite strong.
The opening story is a new gambit, “Lonely Girl Sakaraenai,” a high school story about a great student who is a shitty test-taker and the girl who changes her life.
“Tada no ichinichi” was one of three stories I read in one day that featured bubble tea, and almost immediately after that I read an angry treatise by a Japanese columnist about how bubble tea had become the new “get off my lawn” moment in Japan. Every generation just cannot stop being angry at whatever the next one enjoys. ^_^
“Yuri is My Job” comes to a shocking climax. Well, shocking for Hime, anyway. Mitsuki seems pretty surprised at herself, as well. I’m rooting for her, because I always root for people who tell the truth, no matter how bluntly. ^_^
Yuri about women in bands is picking up speed with two entries in this issue: “Omae ni Kikasetai Uta gaAaru” about beginnings and endings, and “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau” in which Himari and Yori both find somewhere to be. Volume 1 of Hello, Melancholic! came out in October, so there was no chapter this issue. (I like to pretend when the artists get a month off its to give the creators a bit of rest, but it’s actually so they have time to do signings and colors /cover work and extras for the collected volumes. No rest for the weary.)
“Umineko Bessou Days” turns dark, with the appearance of Mayumi’s toxic “friend.”
Thankfully for us, “Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatteiru” and “Itoshi Koishi” remain heart-warming. Phew!
As always there are way more series in the issue that I’m reading than those mentioned here and several I am not. In general, I really like that the magazine has a nice mix of things I’m enjoying and some stories I completely don’t care about with a bunch in between. In my opinion, that means they are doing it right. ^_^ 2019 was another year of doing it right.
Ratings:
Overall – 8
The January 2020 issue has hit shelves already and the cover color palette has changed considerable for the new story. I’ll be getting my copy this week and will let you know what I think!
What is your thought about Ogino Jun’s soon to be serialized new series in Yuri Hime? I’m half looking forward to it but also half afraid, he has shown to be an amazing writer if he wants to be (透明人間の骨 was the best magical realism and psychological series I read this year, and the depiction of female friendship in that series was simply amazing. Also, the story of Gamma was for the most part, good), but then he was also known for his interest in shoving in gratuitous lesbian sex whenever he can. It’s good for YuriHime to diversify and it may benefit to bring in a proven shounen mangaka, but giving him space in a yuri magazine and looking at his previous one shot I’m honestly afraid that any story will go out of window for this serialization.
I don’t have any thoughts, until I actually see what it is.
It’s not like he’s the first guy to draw for Comic Yuri Hime. I’ll wait to see the work before judging.
I understand. I just think he is notable because while evidently he is not the first guy who drew for Yuri Hime, I think it’s still rare to see a shounen mangaka to make an appearance.
Also what is your thought on Yuri Hime diversifying and what do you wish to see more? I for once I’m glad that for the past year, they have been trying to get more adult yuri and more variety in the magazine, since honestly I’m a little bit tired to read story between JK again and again.
I’m not familiar with him or his work, so I really can’t comment on how I feel about it until I’ve seen the actual story. If his story was the one featured in the coming soon, I will probably not like his art.
I’ve commented frequently that I like the variety. While I am also tired of high school love, I’m even more exhausted and bored with lolicon stories. They are creepy and gross and the fact that the art is moe only serves the creepy folks who don’t want to have to feel bad about enjoying pedophilia. If they replaced that shit with shounen takes on Yuri I’d be delighted. But no, they’ll probably crowd out stories about women by women because god knows, the male editor-in-chief is sure worried about men’s concerns in Yuri.
I have looked at the art now and I hope to gods that story is good, because that art makes my brain bleed. Tits do not look like that, they do no act like that. I don’t know whose fantasy that is, but it makes me sad for them.