Koharu to Minato: Watashi No Partner Ha Onna No Ko, Volume 1 (小春と湊 わたしのパートナーは女の子) is a fictionalized autobiographical comic essay on the real-lives of the creative team, Daruma and Hiarron, which has been running in Comic Yuri Hime magazine. Originally in the end pages of the magazine, it has recently been moved into the body. Conveniently I found some time recently to finish up this first collected volume in the middle of a very busy week. 

The main point of this book is that Koharu and Minato are adorable together. 10 years apart in age, Koharu is a bit of a free spirit, naturally a bit butchier than Minato, while Minato tends to be a fashion plate. The two of them are good for one another and their relationship is wholesome as can be. (As I write this review, my wife and I have just shared a bowl of cereal for an afternoon snack and we’re feeling very wholesome ourselves, so, like, I get it. ^_^)

The story, as such, becomes more interesting when they tell they story of how they met online and ended up meeting, then dating long-distance and eventually moving in together. I will say that I find myself oddly interested in the minutiae of their lives together. ^_^

There is no major conflict here. Maybe they go out for boba tea, or they have a date to see a movie. They live together and are very in love. It’s the kind of manga you’ll want to read a small section at a time, so you’re not overwhelmed with the cuteness. The art here is loose and comfortable, a style that suits the narrative very well.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters  – It’s never not weird to score a person’s perspective on themselves. They both seem very nice. 8
Service – 0
Yuri – 10

Overall – 8

Although this is a fictionalized autobiographical look at their lives together – and they do discuss marriage at one point – there is little discussion of queer life in Japan (although that may be addressed in the next volume. For that reason, I am scoring this a a Yuri, not  LGBT comic.

This series began as a digital comic, but there’s a definite “meant for publication” feel to it. Despite that, it is currently in digital format only, so only available on Kindle in Japan, multiple JP digital manga sites and Bookwalker outside.

Volume 2 hit digital shelves in May, and if I need more comfort food Yuri, I’m sure to reach for the next volume as well.