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

Guest Review by Patricia Baxter.

If there is one word you could use to describe the penultimate volume of Yuriko Hara’s Cocoon Entwined it would be “change”.  While it is clear that these changes have been gradually building up since the series’ inciting incident of the elusive and mysterious Hoshimiya-san cutting her hair and leaving the school, Cocoon Entwined, Volume 5 showcases how the rest of the cast is now changing, or refusing to change, in response to how they’ve grown or stagnated.The volume begins with an interlude from Takagi-sensei, a teacher who has been present in the series since its first volume, and yet not given much of a role outside of providing exposition on Hoshimiya Girls’ Academy’s history.  We learn about her personal history as a student, watching her two onee-samas’ love flourish and abruptly end once the eldest of the pair graduates.  In the present, Takagi receives a letter from this eldest onee-sama: a wedding invitation revealing that she is engaged to a man.  Takagi’s story reinforces the classic formula of Class S narratives, where the love between two girls is merely “play-acting” love, a “practice” for adulthood where one enters “proper” heterosexual relationships, just as Takagi’s eldest onee-sama eventually does.  These stories are of bittersweet, ephemeral love, that cannot continue outside of the school walls.

Thankfully, Youko enters and disrupts this melancholic narrative, prompting Takagi-sensei to take up the pen, literally and metaphorically, to help re-write the story and end the cycle.  Chapter 30 highlights that while Class S narratives are an important baseline for many contemporary sapphic narratives, yuri or otherwise, they cannot continue as they have in the past.  As the world continues to grow and change, we need to be willing to foster a narrative environment where sapphic girls and women can find happiness together, rather than “grow up” and fall into society’s expectations of heteronormativity.

On the flip side, Ayane’s story shows the negative implications of change, specifically when it is done not out of personal desire, but to fill and fulfill a role for the sake of tradition.  Ayane’s obsession with Hoshimiya-san causes her to latch onto the void she left behind, wishing to shape herself into the “princess” of the Academy, and make Hana her prince.  Ayane’s current arc in the story shows just how damaging holding onto certain legacies can be, as she forces Hana, Hoshimiya, and herself to participate in a cycle that is causing them all grief.

In terms of visuals, Yuriko Hara continues to be one of the most gorgeous and striking comic artists I have ever read, not just in terms of her use of light and shadow, but her dynamic panelling and visual metaphors.  This volume in particular showcases Hara’s prowess in creating some truly haunting visuals, my favourite of which being the two-page spread of the seniors covered in veils before the Christmas party.  This feeling of dread permeates the entire book, even when the scenes are brightly lit, but thankfully the spark of hope, and change, remains true.

Volume 5 of Cocoon Entwined is an excellent book to read, building up on the tension that Yuriko Hara has established since the series’ inception, and continuing to showcase her prowess as a cartoonist and character writer.  While it is clearly setting the stage for the grand finale, it remains an engaging and engrossing read, asking important questions about the nature of the stories we tell and re-tell, and providing an insight into how we can change those narratives for the better.

Ratings:

Art: 10
Story: 9
Characters: 10
Service: 0 (unless you count gorgeous art as fanservice, which would make it a 10)
Yuri: 8, but it’s a bittersweet and, in some cases, more of a performative gesture than genuine desire
LGBTQ+: 2 (Chapter 30 addresses heteronormativity and societal expectations)

Overall: 9