Guest Review by Patricia Baxter.

As the curtain closed on Yuriko Hara’s Cocoon, Entwined series, I knew that a truly remarkable story had ended.  There have been times when I’ve experienced narratives, manga or otherwise, with strong writing in their characters and world-building, only for the ending to stumble, negatively altering my perception of the entire work.  Thankfully, Cocoon Entwined did not falter but instead ended in a tremendously fulfilling way, both in terms of its numerous visual book ends and how each principal character emerged from their metaphorical cocoons.

As the Christmas dance reaches its climax, the cycle of Hoshimiya Girls’ Academy is finally disrupted in a dramatic and unsalvageable way.  Even more shocking is that this disorder isn’t caused by Youko, the main protagonist, with her verbal plea for change, but by Hoshimiya-san whose actions speak the loudest without saying a single word.  Some readers may be put out by Youko not having the big dramatic “win” during the dance, but I felt Hoshimiya-san being the one to unravel this unchanging cycle made the most sense.  Between her familial connection to the school, her dramatic exit setting the stage for the whole narrative, and the way she has been constantly idolized and objectified by other characters, it is only fitting that Hoshimiya-san finally reasserts her agency by ending the system.

Thankfully, Youko has her moment of personal triumph when she meets up with Hana in the dressmaking room for the last time.  Youko shows just how much she has grown since the beginning of the series, and Hana is finally taking the initiative to step away from her role as the “prince”.  Their dance might be one of my favourite sequences in this series, showcasing just how much these two girls have changed themselves, and each other, for the better, genuinely making me misty-eyed as I read it.

The rest of the cast is also given their chance to change and move forward, though Ayane and Haruka’s story felt a bit rushed in comparison to the rest of the cast.  I honestly wish we would have had more time to explore their relationship, especially considering how much Haruka has been impacted by Ayane’s actions, but the resolution we do see is still satisfying.

As always, Yuriko Hara’s art is some of the most gorgeous art you can ever read in comic form, with extremely striking visuals that stay with you even after you have closed the book.  It is clear to me that she is an astounding talent in the medium of comics, who continues to develop and hone her skills, and I look forward to seeing what projects she tackles next.  I also sincerely hope that we can get her two manga collections, Out of the Cocoon (アウト・オブ・ザ・コクーン) and Atami no Uchujin (熱海の宇宙人), in English someday soon, since her talents in writing and art also excel in one-shots, as showcased in the Éclair and Bloom Into You anthologies.

Cocoon, Entwined was a delight for me to read, both as a yuri manga for its depiction of sapphic relationships and as a manga for showcasing the power of storytelling that only comics can achieve.  Even if I can’t see more of Youko and Hana’s story, I know that they are walking together, moving forward and always remaining open to changing themselves for the better.

Art: 10

Story: 10

Characters: 10

Service: 2 (for Youko and Hana wearing slips on the cover and during the dance sequence)

Yuri: 10

Overall: 10