And so, the new Year dawned with a new cover “story,” this time by Fukahire*, which seem to be a series of portraits of Yuri schoolgirls couples thus far, with no story as such.

The opening color pages promote current (when the magazine was sold) and future anime from series that run in the magazine. The first story with accompanying color pages is FLOWERCHILD’s  ‘Utsushicha Damena Kao” (映しちゃダメな顔) which has not grasped hold of me. It’s too rooted in discomfort for me to enjoy reading it, but it is always very well-drawn. Even when I wish it were not. ^_^

Then we move right into the continuing “WatasIo no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” in an original arc that requires all our principal characters to appear dressed as commoneSr and fight a ring of baddies. Next month will get us back on track with the novel, but I am happy spending more time with these characters and don’t mind this extra content at all. Next month will be the beginning of Yuu’s arc and I am very interested to see how that is adapted to manga.

Hino Arashi’s “Shikabane Shoujo to Ai ga Omoi Seikishi no Toubatsu Gakuen Life” is one of three manga I really *want* to like and hope they develop some depth of story as well as character. This chapter starts developing character.

Himari sits Yori-sempai and Shiho-sempai down to work on whatever is between them, finally, now that she’s fixed Shiho’s relationship with Aki, in “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau” by Takeshima Eku. Aki decides to take a step forward as well.

Okay, when I started reading Miman’s “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” I was sure that Hime was never going to be able to stay protagonist. I was wrong. Even here, neck deep as we drown in Kanako’s arc, Hime is the only person in that cafe who has her shit together. There’s good reasons why, too, which makes her more interesting than she insists she is.

Kodama Naoko’s story of an unhappy married woman and the lesbian she’s using is, oddly, less disturbing than her usual icky-feeling set ups.”Usotsuki Hanayome to Dousei Kekkon-ron.”

Second in my “I reallllly want to like this” list is “Kiraware Majo Reijou to Dansou Ouji no Konyaku” by Chiruha Chinmi. It was doing well, then took a turn that kind of made no sense, but the protagonist Eve, is really holding this threadbare story together by being awesome.

I am skipping the middle of the book, which is full of maids and creepy and/or miserable children and some unpleasantness and the 18+ stuff which, at the moment, is not doing it for me.

That brings us to “Osoto Gohan Issho ni” which wraps this book up. You know what? I do not need these two to fall in love. It is perfectly okay that they just get together and eat food, Really. Like, let food and intimate friendship be the point and comfort be the outcome. and I will be happy. Thank you.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

The February issue is already out in Japan and I hope to be getting it soon!

* Someone needs to do a study on the use of “food as pseudonym” among artists and writers in Japan.