Ohsawa Yayoi’s adult life romance, 2DK, G Pen, Mezamashitokei was a part of the monthly Yuri contributions from Comic Yuri Hime from 2015 to 2018. After 8 volumes, in which we became familiar with the details of our protagonists’ lives and loves, we may be forgiven for wondering how they are doing now. ^_^
Ohsawa-sensei gives us a glimpse of Nanami and Kaede’s home life in the cover story of her new collection, 2DK, G Pen Aftertime Ohsawa Yayoi Short Story Collection (2DK、Gペン、アフタータイム。大沢やよい 短編集). They haven’t changed. Nanami is still busy, Kaede is still incapable of taking care of herself and a little prone to imagining things, but they are still love-love.
This is followed by a her recent shorts for Comic Yuri Hime. “Sono Hi, Night Date Nanode” is a delightful story about falling in love with, and under, the stars. And “Take Out Dekimaska?” is a nice little scenario between a delivery woman and a waitress that was both kind of sweet and deeply satisfying when the waitress loses her patience with the delivery woman not cluing in.
“Guragura Platonic” is a Ohsawa’s spin on a sex-worker fantasy. “Campus ni Trap,” is a teacher and student story (with bonus drunken teacher, so CW if this is not your thing). The final story is one of my faves, “Office Sempai, Kiraina Watashi,” which wraps up the 2DK storyline by showing us Tanihara Yuuko, Nanami’s over-acheiving kouhai, who now has a mythos of her own because Ohsawa-sensei could not let her go. I have a calendar from a Yuriten gone by of Tanihara exhorting me to give it my all at work, every month. It’s so annoying and hilarious I keep it on the living room table. This month she reminds me that Business = Drama, so “Everyday Make Drama”. 「えヴリデイ、メイク・ドラマ」
Tanihara’s new kouhai just *cannot* figure out her enthusiastic sempai. Okata is completely confused by this bundle of motivational poster-energy and finds her both annoy and realizes that she likes her. ^_^
It was lovely to revisit with characters we know and meet new ones. ^_^
Ratings:
Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – 5 There is some nudity and sexual situations, especially in the sex worker story.
Yuri – 10
Overall – 9
I’ll always look forward to Ohsawa-sensei’s work and to see where it takes us and her. ^_^
It’s fun seeing Service addressed as a bullet point given how tame 2DK turned out to be. (Even if it’s because of the other stories in the book.)
I wish the german publisher of 2DK would pick this one up, but they have not licenced anything yuri in years. Only running series left are by tamifull and A Tropical Fish Yearns For Snow by Hagino Makoto.
Appreciate more Louko, though I’d have taken more Aoi over her in a heartbeat.
As an aside, I am excited for Hello Melancholics release through Seven Seas, but knowing that Chapter 13.5 most likely won’t make it in hinders my anticipation a little.