The cover of Comic Yuri Hime August 2023 (コミック百合姫2023年8月号) is exactly what I myself did this week – got my feet wet in the ocean. So, I really feel the seasonality of this cover by mebachi. And I am convinced* that the next turn of events will not go as well. Although we are merely getting snapshots, this cover story has been full of tears and longing in between the bright moments.
We begin at the beginning of the magazine with “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!,” with Kanako’s story about meeting Hime -a story that we have already heard due to the rearranged timing of the anime. It serves, IMHO, to reinforce how naïve Kanako is, in the largest sense of the word. She is unable, rather than unwilling, to see Hime outside the frame she has created for her. Nonetheless, I see hope – ironically perhaps – in the sisterly relationship between Sumika and Kanako…if they can manage to keep it there.
Kaori and Shizuku come to the point that they have always inevitably had to come to, in “Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata.” Kaori does not want to go gently into that good night and who could blame her. I wonder if Yuama will give in to a last minute save.
“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou. Maid Kitchen” illustrated by tsuke, has begun and it is as silly as one might have expected! Claire has a problem, Lene and Rae fix it with food, tada! ^_^ This is followed by the next chapter of “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” proper, with a lead-in to the story of Oohashi Rei’s first love, a section which is painful for both Rae and reader. We will eventually understand, but right now it’s just picking scabs.
“Koharu & Minato” has migrated from the back of the book to the front for this chapter of the long distance relationship of two women who now live together, by Daruma and Hiarron.
“Watashi no Shitteru no Oneesan” is a sweet little story about a mysterious cool woman at the bookstore and the girl who becomes infatuated with her, by Otokawa Akari.
Okay, bear with me because, “Shikabane Shoujo to Ai ga Omoi Sei Kishi no Toubatsu Gakuen Life” is not bad. A young woman who i , apparently a zombie, has come to a school for magic users…which she is not, but as she undergoes an extremely extreme first day she meets her new “onee-sama,” a powerful holy knight.
“Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru” by Utatane Yu, turns towards the current leading pair in the Quadrille trials; Kiki’s former partner, Shion, and her new partner. They may be leading, but who is following?
A new sci-fi fantasy story, “Garan no Hime” has a lot of setup, but gets lost in what, without question, the worst body/clothes design since semelparous. In the meantime, monsters, dead princesses, gormless villagers, check.
“Osoto Gohan,” re-imagines s’mores in a way that I approve more than the “Tsukuritai Onna, to Tabetai Onna” iteration. (Ritz crackers? Meh, too salty. Chocolate biscuits, yes,)
And, in “Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemita,” Kurumi’s feels for Ruriko are shifting but she doesn’t check with Ruriko to see if they are on the same page…and she may have broken something important.
As the year is about to shift into autumn, this whole volume feels autumnal.
Ratings:
Overall – 8
As always, there were other stories I read (or didn’t). It was a solid issue, with some new stuff, some old stuff and eating yummy food.
*The September issue is already here and …yep.
