A whole bunch of volumes ago, when Liebe cafe was having it’s Blume competition, Sumika pulled Hime and Kanako aside and told then a story. It was a sad story, about how a conniving cast member stole her little sister away. Sumika blamed love. She dislikes romantic loev because it tears people apart. As Blume, all she wants for the cafe is that everything remains the same as it is right now. Even at the time, Nene pointed out that Sumika’s version of that story wasn’t complete.
Here in Watashi No Yuri Ha Oshigoto Desu!, Volume 11 (私の百合はお仕事です) we learn the rest of that story.
But first, we must spend time with an increasingly unstable Kanako. It’s not because she’s isolated. Hime and Sumika attempt to reach her. But she’s convinced herself that the problem is not her. She may be partly correct, but that still leaves a lot of the problem being her.
We kow understand Nene a little better, we think. But it turns out that Nene may not have understood herself back then…and no one understood Youko. She’s not playing a manipulative character, she is manipulative because it is fun. Consider this a warning. She plays this game hard and doesn’t seem to care about casualties.
We finally get all the pieces of that above story, when Nene and Sumika finally talk it all out. This was an outstanding scene. There’s a lot of movement on the page, a lot of references to Nene’s and Sumika’s time as schwestern and some fantastic body language and expressions.
But that still leaves Kanako hanging out there, vulnerable and manipulable. And Youko is right there to pick her up.
Next volume is gonna be a thing, let me tell you. I’m reading the current chapters doing a lot of screaming at the page. ^_^
But here’s the amazing thing…this manga is getting better. It started so funny and cute and now it’s deep and darker and I feel like the goofy characters are turning into people. Miman’s art is getting better and better – how about that cover? Here we are, an unthinkable 11 volumes into this series that was a goofy comedy and we’re getting better mood and narrative than ever before.
Ratings:
Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – 2 There is bit of body staring, especially in the decolletage. It’s not appalling, but it is there.
Yuri – 10 It doesn’t get Yurier, surely
LGBTQ -10
Overall – 9
This series has been a real surprise in every way, not least because this “S” Yuri concept cafe story is actually quite queer after all. ^_^
Volume 12 is not yet out but get those vocals chords ready. It’s a screamer. ^_^
The anime led me to reread the volumes of the manga that have been released in English. This is a much more intense way to read the series, much better than in biennial installments with the delay affecting the impact.
Then the cliffhanger (of sorts) at the end of volume ten left me impatient for more. Even though v11 will be out in English in a few weeks I was off to Bookwalker to grab the next two volumes.
Looking forward to your review of v12.
I have been sort of avoiding talking about 12. ^_^; It’s right here, in the TBR pile next to me, but I shy from it.