For a magazine with a big ending, Comic Yuri Hime July 2022 (コミック百合姫2022年7月号) left me feeling very hopeful.

The cover sets the mood. Instead of nightscapes and urban decay, our two travelers find themselves in a flat plain, accompanied by a horse who is calmly grazing. Colorful prairie flowers and a colorful sunrise greet them, as they search for love and themselves. As an issue that came out after the Summer Solstice in this hemisphere, it’s pretty spot on for mood.

We get a three-page spread on the upcoming anime, followed by a powerful and potentially heartbreaking chapter of “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” by Miman. Having been given character designs for the anime, Sumika is now blonde…and hopelessly in love with Kanako. We know it’s hopeless – or, at least, we know it ought to be hopeless. There’s some rough times ahead for these two. I’m more invested in them than I was in Hime and Mitsuki, too, which means this is a little torturous. ^_^; Sumika’s a dumbass, but I like her. I’m still holding out for a concerted revenge plot against Youko.

Tsuama’s “Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata” is moving in an unexpected direction, as Shizuku is taking her new understanding of Kaori’s situation and actually trying to be a better person.

I’m really enjoying “Natsu to Lemon to Overlay” by Ru, purely for it’s unusual setup, but I’m hoping the story goes somewhere interesting, as well.

And then we come to the final chapter of “Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts” by Usui Shio. On the one hand, I would have been content to just pass time with Hinako and Asahi for longer, but the story had come to a natural conclusion. Hinako had worked out the nature of the weight she was carrying and, in doing so, has shed it. Asahi has determined to try living for herself for a change.  Usui-sensei nails the ending. That’s all I’m going to say for now. When the final volume comes out in English, we’ll talk more. ^_^

In “Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita” also by Usui-sensei, Kurumi gets to see the stresses inside someone else’s marriage, as her sister-in-law calls for some tea and sympathy.

Keiyang’s “Kimi to Shiranai Natsu ni Naru” settles down for a quiet chapter with Haru and Hi-chan settling into their new beachside town life.

Inui Ayu takes a look at her and Kon-san’s different comfort levels with public displays of affection in “Kyou mo Hitotsu Yane no Shita.”

As always there are many other manga in the magazine, some of which I read and some of which I did not.  There are two 18+ manga, Citrus+ is still running (and characters are still smiling) and many other new and continuing series.

Ratings:

Overall – 9, for Usui-sensei sticking the landing.

The August issue is already on Japanese shelves, and hopefully will be on mine shortly, because “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” is moving into my favorite arc – “Love Scales.” ^_^