by Samantha Melton, Guest Reviewer
Hey Okazu readers! My name is Samantha, and I have been passionately reading Yuri for nearly twelve years.
Alter Ego 2: Noel and June (aka Alter Ego 2) by Ana C. Sánchez is the sequel to her manga-inspired Spanish comic Alter Ego. Alter Ego 2 picks up shortly after the end of the first volume, with Noel and June, our two heroines, navigating their busy lives and going on their first official date together. June’s recently published book is selling well, but she’s feeling the pressure of starting the sequel to the best seller, unsure of what to do with the plot going forward. Meanwhile, Noel’s struggling with her feelings for June, her own insecurities around their relationship, and her inexperience with dating in general.
After a conversation between June and Noel about how to write a good sequel to a generally wrapped up first book (a clear nod to the reader on Sánchez’s possible approach to Alter Ego 2), Noel ends up helping a mysterious stranger get his phone back from a thief. This stranger is Gabriel (Gabi,) and he’s come to their city with a particular goal in mind. With June’s discussion on sequels and their structure in mind, it’s clear Gabi’s the wrench that will be thrown into Noel and June’s relationship.
From here, Noel and June uncover sensitive topics in their relationship and must learn to communicate and work through their issues properly without letting their pasts and insecurities separate them. Surprised confessions throw them off course, fear of their own darkness threatens to break them up, and they are pushed to look inside themselves and acknowledge their shortcomings and mistakes.
I reviewed Alter Ego almost two months ago, and my impression of the manga boiled down to it being a great start but rough around the edges with its themes and setting. It’s strong suits were the intriguing emulation of typical Yuri manga styles, despite being a Spanish comic, along with its status as a well contained experience for a single volume story. Going into Alter Ego 2, I wasn’t expecting anything incredibly different. However, I was blown away by how Sánchez crafted a narrative that made significant improvements when it came to themes and plot beats. It also constructively tied back into the shortcomings of the first volume to put those elements into a new perspective in mature, compelling, and natural ways.
June, as a professional writer, often waxes poetic on topics of love and relationships. While I liked this aspect of Alter Ego (I do it myself, what can I say?), I found June’s perspective sometimes didn’t tie well into the character arcs, and it left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. In Alter Ego 2, Sánchez seemed to focus on improving this, making every deeper conversation hold meaning and fit into the plot. She also took time to reflect on some of what was left hanging in the original work. I was impressed by how she improved upon the maturity of certain moments and characters, making unlikable or flat characters feel like they have depth or a desire to be better as people.
The most notable improvement is Noel, who’s still off-putting at times, but is even more clearly shown as immature, inexperienced, and struggling with her own sense of self worth. She still has moments where conflict could have been avoided if she just expressed herself openly, but the framing around her is much more appropriate and it makes her growth satisfying, not from a “love solves everything” angle, but an “I need to reflect and address my insecurities” way. We see she wants to get on a better path and shed the toxic traits she often slides into.
Side characters are also fleshed out and improved, most notably Hiro and Elena, who both get time to be more than just Noel and June’s friends. Elena shows some of her vulnerabilities and passion for her friends, and Hiro gets a chance to have some agency and maturity in his relationship, making him less of a stock boyfriend and a little more of a likable and genuinely supportive partner for Elena. Gabi, as the new character in the bunch, is a surprisingly mature, supportive, and positive addition to the story.
Given the time between my reading of Alter Ego and Alter Ego 2, I had stowed some of the less prominent plot points of volume one into the back of my mind, so when they came back in big ways, I audibly squealed in excitement. I’ll be the first to admit, I found these connections incredibly satisfying.
Alter Ego 2 is obvious with its Yuri, portraying plenty of strong, sapphic moments with intense emotions and art. With a 13+ rating, this story doesn’t have any explicit nudity or sex, but the scenes we do get of Noel and June together are bursting with Yuri goodness and feelings I just can’t get enough of!
Alter Ego 2 doesn’t touch on any political implications, staying in an idealistic and generally frictionless parallel to reality. There are no difficult moments of coming out or experiencing societal pushback. As much as I am a bit frustrated by non-political stories, I have to admit, this story has a handful of delightful moments with supportive family and friends. It made me smile, but from a critical perspective, it avoids some of the deeper aspects of queer existence.
Alter Ego 2 genuinely shocked me with how much of a step up it was from its source material, and Alter Ego genuinely benefits from its sequel coming to tie some of the loose ends. This series went from decently good to absolutely great, and I would highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates maturity, character growth, and is intrigued about the subtleties of a Spanish manga. You can find the English edition of Alter Ego 2 by LoveLove, an imprint of Tokyopop, at various booksellers, as well as the Spanish edition from Planeta Manga.
Ratings:
Art: 9
Story: 9, but maybe lower if you read the two volumes back to back.
Characters: 9
Service: 6, though I find passionate kisses quite serviceable.
Yuri: 7
Overall: 9
Samantha started collecting Yuri manga in 2022, and I have been growing my physical collection ever since. I started reviewing Yuri as a hobby in early 2025 on my substack page as a way to collect my thoughts on each series I completed. The genre helped me discover myself as a person, and I have a passion for analyzing Yuri from a historical, political, and critical perspective, with a focus on approachability and positivity. If you want to keep up with my reviews or updates, you can also check out my Bluesky.
It is absolutely gobsmacking to think that we have been following these two young woman in real time almost as long as they have been alive in story time. The Kase-san series turns 15 years old this summer. Boggling.
