So, what do we think of the cover art story this year by Mebachi? In a sense, the lack of color is a bold choice, after last years’ brightly colored and textured cover images. It still feels like a one-sided love story, but that remains to be seen.

The magazine gets off to a bangin’ start as things we’ve been waiting for in “Sasayakuyou ni Koi wo Utau” collide. Of the several things we have our eye on – Shiho, Aki, the battle of the bands, and Yori and Hima, I care less about everything than the last. Before Yori gets up on stage once again, they share a lovely kiss. A moment of joy.

I can’t wait to see this as an anime. ^_^ Color pages give us a glimpse at the seiyuu comments and staff.

“Osoto Gohan wo Goissho ni” teaches Japanese readers to make a fat sandwich. I doubt anyone cares, but fat sandwiches were birthed at my alma mater while I was there as an undergrad.  As you watch Fuuka and Yomogi eat a burger with fries on the roll with the burger, you can tip a hat to the excellent grease trucks of Rutgers University. Especially the Sunrise food truck – they made the best damn fat burgers on the planet. I miss those burgers.  ^_^ (Chalk this up to things you’d never expected to learn on Okazu. I was an OG fat sandwich eater. I skipped class to get those burgers.)

Middle of the book color pages include info on the upcoming Yuri is My Job! anime. And then..”Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” goes to the place I was really worried it might go to. This was a “Holy Shit!” chapter as Youko does something we really wish she would not do. The consequences are immediate. I refuse to spoil this, but I will say that the thing I didn’t want was followed by one of the two things I did want. Now we just need another of those and the other thing I want and I’ll be happy. ^_^ Holy shit, Miman-sensei… .

Claire and Rae are walking around Euclid and Claire is getting a completely different view of this commoner she’s finding it increasingly difficult to not admire. We see that Rae has many things she does not explain to Claire…and Claire feels left out. Claire is also made much more aware of the limitations of commoners’ lives…and the Ship of the Undead approaches. in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.”

Shizuku is finally forced to face the truth about Kaori in “Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata” and it finally galvanizes her to finish the novel and talk with this girl she’s come to care about. But, will it be too late? I hate to be rude about this story, but, look, either Kaori’s gonna die, or she won’t, and both endings are a little trite.

As always there was a lot I haven’t mentioned here. The Yuri Hime editors’ symposium and the continuing look at design in the magazine, and many other comics. There is a lot right now I’m not reading, but I don’t hold that against the magazine. I just hope there will be some new series that capture my attention! The April issue is out on Japanese shelves and I should be getting it shortly, so we’ll see. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 7

I do want to say one tangential thing which is relevant to the editors’ symposium. A whole lot of Yuri recommendations in the past year have suggested Takopi’s Original Sin as a fantastic story . I have to say – I found it to be one of the most unpleasant and traumatizing things I’ve read in years. I not only don’t recommend it, but would like you to understand that it is about child abuse and bullying in very real and awful ways. There is a kind of Yuri, and a not-entirely-awful end, but I would not call it happy. So should you see that suggested on a Yuri reading list, consider it with all the content warnings you can imagine. I found it to be an appalling thing that I can not scour from my memory. Your mileage, I hope, may vary.