Archive for the Artists Category


Bloom Into You Anthology, Volume One

November 12th, 2021

The Bloom Into You Anthology, Volume One is something we didn’t used to see much in the west – an “official” collection of shorts about the characters by artists other than the creator. It’s a testament to the popularity of Bloom Into You, that this series had two volumes of this official anthology. Today we’re looking at Volume 1.

To begin with, I find I never reviewed this volume in Japanese. Having re-read it now, I know why. It’s a fun read and very enjoyable if you are a fan of the series or, more specifically, of Yuu and Touko. Most of the stories focus on them and their dynamic, often with a kind of goofiness that I imagine is very appealing if you like them. Here you’ll discover works about Bloom Into You by other Yuri artists such as Canno,  Yuriko Hara and tMnR.

Tthis volume had a few stories I enjoyed.  Particularly, “Onigiri, Croquettes, Rolled Eggs,” by Okara Miyama, which looks into a bad day in the life of Yuu’s friend, aspiring writer Koyomi. It’s a lovely look at friendship.

Also appealing to me was Kazuno Yuikawa’s “In the Box,” for – again – taking a deep dive into Sayaka’s feelings about and relationship with Touko.

It’s a no-brainer that I like “Bitter Coffee Time” by Hiroichi, for focusing on Riko and Miyako.

This volume was beautifully lettered by CK Russell, and nicely translated by Jenny McKeon. The small error of Sayaka’s birthdate has already been acknowledged and will be changed in future editions. I wouldn’t mention it at all, except people do like to jump on that kind of thing, so I wanted to assure you, it’s been noted already.

Which brings me to a point I want to make yet again – should you see an error or have a sustainable argument against a translation choice, there is an effective means to communicate this to companies. Go to their website, click their contact forms, write a politely worded message detailing the error. Remember human beings work at these companies, so do be sympathetic. The wrong thing to do is become rude or vicious in a public forum, so avoid that if possible. I assure you, being polite works. I’ve addressed many problematic language issues in the years I have been writing here. All you need to do is be polite.

If you loved Bloom Into You and want more time with Yuu and Touko and their friends…this is the book for you!

Ratings are variable on account of it being an anthology.

Overall – 8

Bloom Into You Anthology Volume Two (linked here by an amazon affiliate link. I’ll get it up on the Yuricon Store when all the options are avaialable) will be out in January, so you have another chance to indulge your passion for this series, just around the corner.





2DK, G Pen Aftertime Ohsawa Yayoi Short Story Collection (2DK、Gペン、アフタータイム。大沢やよい 短編集)

November 11th, 2021

Ohsawa Yayoi’s adult life romance, 2DK, G Pen, Mezamashitokei was a part of the monthly Yuri contributions from Comic Yuri Hime from 2015 to 2018. After 8 volumes, in which we became familiar with the details of our protagonists’ lives and loves, we may be forgiven for wondering how they are doing now. ^_^

Ohsawa-sensei gives us a glimpse of Nanami and Kaede’s home life in the cover story of her new collection, 2DK, G Pen Aftertime Ohsawa Yayoi Short Story Collection (2DK、Gペン、アフタータイム。大沢やよい 短編集). They haven’t changed. Nanami is still busy, Kaede is still incapable of taking care of herself and a little prone to imagining things, but they are still love-love.

This is followed by a her recent shorts for Comic Yuri Hime. “Sono Hi, Night Date Nanode” is a delightful story about falling in love with, and under, the stars. And “Take Out Dekimaska?” is a nice little scenario between a delivery woman and a waitress that was both kind of sweet and deeply satisfying when the waitress loses her patience with the delivery woman not cluing in.

“Guragura Platonic” is a Ohsawa’s spin on a sex-worker fantasy. “Campus ni Trap,” is a teacher and student story (with bonus drunken teacher, so CW if this is not your thing). The final story is one of my faves, “Office Sempai, Kiraina Watashi,” which wraps up the 2DK storyline by showing us Tanihara Yuuko, Nanami’s over-acheiving kouhai, who now has a mythos of her own because Ohsawa-sensei could not let her go. I have a calendar from a Yuriten gone by of Tanihara exhorting me to give it my all at work, every month. It’s so annoying and hilarious I keep it on the living room table.  This month she reminds me that Business = Drama, so “Everyday Make Drama”. 「えヴリデイ、メイク・ドラマ」

Tanihara’s new kouhai just *cannot* figure out her enthusiastic sempai. Okata is completely confused by this bundle of motivational poster-energy and finds her both annoy and realizes that she likes her. ^_^

It was lovely to revisit with characters we know and meet new ones. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – 5 There is some nudity and sexual situations, especially in the sex worker story.
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9

I’ll always look forward to Ohsawa-sensei’s work and to see where it takes us and her. ^_^





I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 1…again!

October 29th, 2021

It’s not unheard of that we sometimes review the same book more than once here on Okazu. Books that were published by one company, then again by another are the most common culprits – like Azumanga Daioh by ADV Manga and again by Yen Press or Aria by ADV, then again by Tokyopop. We’ve definitely had more than one reviewer taking a look at the same material such as various perspectives on the Citrus anime. Today marks  – as far as I can remember – the very first time I am reviewing the same book that I have previously reviewed. And let me tell you, I’m really happy to be doing it!

In March, I took a look at the first volume of the manga for I’m in Love With The Villainess, which I had previously read in Japanese, but not reviewed because of delayed shipping.  This was followed by a review of Volume 2 in Japanese.

In the end, there were some problems with the first volume in English that I felt were impossible to ignore. I wrote a polite, detailed email to Seven Seas. I, like you, love this series, and wanted – needed – it to be perfect.  Imagine my surprise and delight to hear back from them recently, with an offer of a new edition!

So, today, for the first time ever on Okazu, I am reviewing the exact same book for the second time. Today I am looking at I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 1, written by inori, art by Aonishimo, character design by hanagata.

The story follows a Japanese office worker, Oohashi Rei, as she finds herself transported to the world of her favorite otome game, Revolution. Freed(?) from her previous life as a wage slave and given the chance to be the game’s protagonist, Rae Taylor as she is now known, pursues her favorite character – the game’s villain, Claire François.

The beginning of the story is goofy, as Rae plays the fool to Claire’s stereotypical high school rich girl villainess. But, as the story goes along, Rae’s behavior seems to have a different meaning and Claire begins to wonder what makes this odd and annoying commoner tick. We are also introduced to the rest of the players from the first novel of the series.

My sincere concerns about the word choices have been wholly alleviated. Claire remains high-handed and imperious, but now lacks any signs of vulgarity or uncouthness. She is the high-born noble daughter that Rae, and we, fell for. ^_^  I thank everyone on the Seven Seas team for going back over this translation and smoothing the rough patches out of the book. My especial thanks to translator Joshua Hardy, and editors Dawn Davis and Peter Adrian Behravesh, Also, some recognition to Courtney Williams who was given time to letter and retouch, which gives the story a smoother feel than just jotting in translated sound effects. (I know how hard that is and why it’s not possible for the artiest of s/fx, but I always appreciate the effort.) And once again, Nicky Lim’s cover design is lovely, with the embossed title.

As an added bonus, I genuinely think the illustrations by Aonoshimo-sensei actually enhance the story. This volume is of course, early days on this collaboration, but I know from later chapters, the art is good and will become fantastic.

This is the edition we wanted. Now I can recommend the manga as highly as I do the light novels. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 9
Story – 8 It will improve over time. ^_^
Service – 5 Nudity and bathing
Yuri – 9

Overall – 8

Volume 2 is heading our way in English in winter 2022 and I look forward to it with as much enthusiasm as I do Volume 3 in Japanese. Thank you Seven Seas for this review copy, and for taking our concerns and desires so seriously. It is very much appreciated.





Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts, Volume 3 (欠けた月とドーナッツ)

October 19th, 2021

What is love? How do we fall in love? What does that even mean? How do we make space in lives that are full already, for other people?

In Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts, Volume 3 (欠けた月とドーナッツ), Hinako and Asahi are wrestling with these questions and others. They aren’t the only ones, either.

The story begins with a crisis from an unusual quarter: Subaru is not planning on taking the college exams. Asahi, who has been working on the assumption that her younger sister would go to university, is confronted by an immovable will. Subaru has watched her older sister sacrifice everything for her and, frankly, doesn’t want that any more. They have a fight, Subaru says she’s leaving. Asashi insists it’s too late, so she’ll leave. And so she does, ending up with Hinako.

This precipitates a crisis with Fuuka, who is tired of waiting to be noticed. It’s too little, too late, but it does clear the growing miasma. Asahi and Hinako both have come to a realization about what they want…but they both, in their own different ways have no how idea to understand their own needs and desires. More importantly, they haven’t found a way to talk to each other about it all.

I love this series. I love how complicated every character is, how neither Asahi nor Hinako have any context for what I’ll call romantic affection in their lives, for completely different reasons. Asahi, who has prioritized her sister, is discovering her sister has other plans than the track Asahi expects. When that sister is off on her own, will Asahi even be able to prioritize herself? Hinako had been trying to fit herself into a path that does not fit and ever day is finding that path more confusingly unsuitable… . Now she’s starting to see the direction she needs to head in.

And for both these women, Fuuka and Subaru can see more clearly than they and know that they cannot squeeze too hard, or these fragile emotions will break.

I am interested in a frank conversation Fuuka and Hinako have here, about Hinako’s desire for Asahi. Hinako realizes that, while yes she does want to be with Asahi, she does not seem to have desire for her. As I am reading ahead a bit in Comic Yuri Hime magazine, I hope that this expression of asexuality is not tossed aside causally as it was in Bloom Into You. I’d like to see Hinako continue to be asexual, as opposed to her having never felt desire for her boyfriends because they were guys. For no particular reason I can verbalize, I trust Usui Shio-sensei more on this matter. I may be wrong, of course. It’s clear that Asahi and Hinako are on a course to, at the very least, be by each other’s side. What that relationship will look like is still in the future…but not that much more in the future, as this series is ending with Volume 4. (This link goes to Yuri Anime News, a great bunch of folks who translate JP Yuri news into English. Follow them on Twitter!)

Could I read about these characters forever? Yes. Should I? No. This story is going to end, and that’s okay. Usui-sensei has more to come and I will be here for it.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 6
Service – 0

Overall – 9

Volume 2 of Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon is out now in English, from Seven Seas and Volume 3 will arrive next March. You can pre-order it through this appropriately labeled affiliate link to Amazon, or, as soon as it’s listed on all of our multiple vendors, on the Yuricon Store. ^_^





Even Though We’re Adults, Volume 3

October 12th, 2021

Akari and Ayano met in Volume 1, but their relationship was instantly complicated by the fact that Ayano…is married. In Volume 2, Akari moves to give herself a fresh start only to find herself literally face to face with Ayano, as her new home is across the street.

In Even Though We’re Adults, Volume 3, Akari can’t get a break…she’s walking to the train in the morning with Ayano, and home with Ayano’s husband Wataru. As they chat, Akari is sucked deeper and deeper into the quicksand of their family life and her own past. Akari returns to her previous job, which means she’s meeting her ex, as well. It’s a complicated set of circumstances in which no one is wrong, and everyone is trying, but the mortification just keeps piling up. Poor Akari.

I’m absolutely convinced that this is the best work Shimura-sensei has ever created, as the people are all relatable; from the two girls in Ayano’s class who may be targeted because they like each other, to Eri, Wataru’s shut-in sister.

Every single character here is doing their best; every single character is trying to figure out how to be, how to navigate the complicated waters of society and relationships. And nearly everyone is struggling. I love this story. There’s no good guys or bad guys, there’s no one who is more than slightly, very normally awful. Everyone is smiling, but also hurting, and trying to figure out how to make it through the rapids of life safely.

In and among all of this, I am particularly on tenterhooks about the two girls in Ayano’s class. They don’t know, yet (or ever) that they have an ally, but I hope that they end up okay.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 7 I’m liking most of them, even if they annoy me sometimes ^_^
Service – 0
Yuri – Yes. Also Queer.

Overall – 8

Thanks very much to Seven Seas for the review copy! Volume 3 is hitting shelves today, so grab yourself a copy of this queer and complicated story about adult life. Excellent lettering by Rina Mapa, as well as outstanding translation by Jocelyne Allen.

I especially loved this panel of a phone argument. ^_^