2022 has been an absolute celebration of amazing Yuri manga licenses and releases. Almost everything I wanted to have been licensed has been. Of the two remaining that haven’t, I am very hopeful that we’ll be getting good news in that regard before the end of the year, because this series is one of my favorite so far this year.

I’ve talked at length about some of the reasons why this series by Kuzushiro is so good, in my reviews of Volume 1 and Volume 2. In Amayo no Tsuki, Volume 3 ( 雨夜の月) we get the last piece that would make this series perfect, IMHO. Whatever happens now, I am in the front row, rooting for everyone.

The story begins with Saki and Kanon out doing, y’know, stuff. They run into a woman handing out fliers for a salon, who asks Saki to be a practice model. As it happens, she needs her hair cut, so Saki ends up there and has one of the most extraordinary conversations of her young life. Because…the woman cutting her hair – and doing a great job of it – has accurate gaydar and sees Saki for who she is. She talks to Saki like she’s been there  – for the first time in her life, Saki has a person with whom she can, should she want, confide in about the one secret she keeps closes to her chest.

Saki meets Kanon’s father who is in town to conduct his orchestra in a performance, and another extraordinary thing occurs. Rinne, Kanon’s younger sister, calls Saki and asks her to spend the evening with Kanon, so she’s not alone on the night of the concert, as Kanon does not wish to attend. Why is this extraordinary? Because it’s a perfectly nice thing a sister might do for a sister she loves…something we really don’t get much of in manga.

Saki invites Kanon over for a sleepover, but gets no sleep at all. She’s more and more aware of Kanon and her feelings for her. On the other side, spending time with Saki is definitely changing Kanon. She’s more open to new experiences. She’s having fun. And she’s looking forward to the next chapter in her life. She wants to be independent when she goes to college, but it also frightens her a bit. Saki suggests they live together and, embarrassed, admits that she cares about Kanon more than anyone else.

Mortified, Saki is ready to be treated differently the next day at school, but Kanon is the same as always, Saki runs away, just a little, still embarrassed…and runs into the girl who hurt Kanon in her previous school. Ayano tells Saki the story from her perspective…it’s honestly sobering. Saki will have a lot to think about in the next volume.

So this series is solid on HHD representation and perspective, shows families that like each other, but still have problems to deal with, pressures faced by people who are caretakers (even if they are self-imposed and/or misguided) and now, has added the last piece. Will Saki open up about being gay? How will Kanon respond? This series is #1 on my most-anticipated license of 2022 and I’m just impatiently waiting now. ^_^ Among other things, it’ll be the second time Kuzushiro has had a series licensed in English. Previously JManga licensed Kimi no Tamenara Shineru, which I edited and of which I have reviewed the first 6 volumes, it continued for many more volumes after that. It was so good, but super obscure. ^_^ I expect this one will have a much broader impact.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – Really not
Yuri – 4, LGBTQ – 6

Overall – 9

I love this series and I hope you all will be able to read it soon, too.