Archive for the English Manga Category


semelparous, Volume 2, Guest Review by G-Man

May 24th, 2022

Welcome to another Guest Review Wednesday, Today we’re welcoming back G-Man, who has a lot to say about semelparous, Volume 2. ^_^  Take it away, G-Man!

Time for a much overdue look at the continuation of everyone’s “favorite” yuri action manga! More action, more gay, more twists and turns, and more controversial art! But is this new installment in the semelparous saga an improvement on the first? Let’s take a look…

Spoiler Warning! To discuss major plot points in this volume, I gotta talk about the big twist I mentioned in my Volume 1 review.

When we last left our protagonist Yorino, she’d discovered that the kaiju attacking the walls between their world and ours were in fact spiritually connected to a person in the human world. In other words, every time Yorino or another bouhekishi soldier kills a kaiju, someone dies. Despite knowing this, Yorino powers ahead in her goal of putting a stop to the attacks once and for all. She’s willing to “descend into hell together” with her partner, Captain Youko.

Right out of the gate, Volume 2’s plot is much better than the first. Whereas Volume 1 felt like a kaiju-sized pile of setup, with exposition being dumped left and right and characters not being given much of a chance to shine, the opposite (for the most part) is true here. A lot happens in this volume. Like, a LOT. New characters are introduced, relationships are deepened, new plot elements are revealed, etc. We also finally get a glimpse at some human villains working behind the scenes. One could potentially argue that too much happens in this volume, resulting in breakneck pacing that doesn’t give readers much time to digest everything. However, I’d argue that it makes sure the story is never boring. I finished the entire thing in one sitting, always eager to see what would happen on the next page.

Volume 2 also does a good job of raising the stakes. Ever since the Kaiju-Human connection was introduced, I knew it would result in more heartbreak for Yorino. Lo and behold, a routine kaiju takedown results in one of Yorino’s school friends dying. While it does relegate said friends to more plot devices than actual characters, they do their job rather well. Not only does their death, combined with Haruka’s death from Volume 1, reveal that Yorino is being directly targeted by the villains, but it also gives the sense that no one is safe in this world. Seeing Yorino grow closer with Youko has me now fearing for Youko’s safety as well. And it was at this point that I realized something… I was actually starting to care.

Yes, this manga is still a guilty pleasure as many elements of it are problematic and completely ludicrous. As such, I can’t say that everyone will grow invested as I have. But I can say that what started as a mindless yuri action romp with distracting male gaze has become something that feels like it has genuine effort and passion put into it.

Speaking of caring, the characters (at least the main duo) are given some decent development. Yorino continues to have more trauma piled onto her with the death of another person she was close to, instead of just more random citizens. The scene where she goes to school the day after the fight only to find her classmate in tears is a genuine gut-punch. As for Youko, the volume starts with an entire chapter dedicated to her backstory and how she killed her own sister through a kaiju. She’s definitely the more interesting of the two leads as it’s not always clear how she’s feeling. It almost seems as if she’s accepted her past demons and become completely numb to them, and now she simply goes with the flow and doesn’t allow herself to feel anything beyond surface-level joy, anger, or other such emotions. Okay, maybe I’m reading a bit too much into it, but it could explain why she’s so desperate to protect Yorino. A scene where she has to persuade Yorino to mourn her friend’s death, saying “Crying is what keeps you from losing your heart,” reads to me as her trying to prevent Yorino from becoming like her.

There are a few other characters of note this time around, but not nearly as much to say about them. Yorino and Youko get two new bouhekishi partners in the form of Rina Kitamura and Ryouka Manabe. Rina crushes hard on Yorino like a typical tsundere, which some may find endearing, but she can also be rather creepy and borderline stalker-ish, as she enjoys reviewing Yorino’s combat footage and getting off to it (did I mention this manga was made by a hentai artist?). Ryouka has very little going for her, aside from occasionally teasing Rina about her crush on Yorino.

The artstyle pretty much carries over from Volume 1 in every way. The girls all still suffer from absurd proportions, impractical combat outfits, and in-your-face camera angles. Of course, as mentioned above, we’re stepping into hard NSFW territory now with Rina pleasuring herself to Yorino. This is not helped at all by character bios inserted between chapters that remind you these girls are in their teens. Bleh. However, what continues to impress me about the art unironically are the action scenes. I think I can safely say that semelparous has hands-down the best action I’ve seen in any yuri manga (which isn’t saying much given the lack of action yuri, but still). Ogino Jun truly understands the power of “wind-up and follow-through”; every punch thrown and sword swung is preceded by a panel of the kaiju or bouheksihi rearing back for the strike, which makes the force of the resulting impact that much more felt. That, in tandem with the destruction that follows the combatants’ strikes, makes the fights truly feel like clashes between colossal monsters and superpowered humans.

Finally, we have the yuri content, and I’m pleased to report that it’s yet another step forward. The leads’ relationship in Volume 1 was cute, but it was mostly just Youko teasing and Yorino getting either annoyed or flustered. Here, the two support each other not only in combat but emotionally. Youko wants Yorino to live a normal life and not be consumed by her mission to defeat the kaiju, and thus encourages her to spend time with friends. She’s also the first person Yorino shows a vulnerable side to, such as in the aforementioned scene where she tells her it’s okay to cry. It all culminates in their first kiss and declaration of love, and it’s honestly very heartfelt and adorable. After that, they share plenty more cute and flirty moments, including another shower scene (still a hentai artist). Yorino questioning whether Youko truly loves her, only for the Bouhekishi Captain to proudly declare she’s totally her type and would love to have sex with her admittedly put a stupid grin on my face.

 

Ratings

Art – 7 (again, when discounting the ridiculous proportions. 5 when counting them)
Story – 6 (a lot more going on and thus never boring, but still very nonsensical and can feel rushed in places)
Characters – 6 (the leads get more development, but the new additions are fairly flat so far)
Service – 10 (still for all the wrong reasons, only now we’re entering NSFW territory)
Yuri – 9 (seriously, what the heck is this sweet and healthy dynamic doing in my dumb ecchi action series???)

Overall – 6 (If this were my personal opinion I’d give it a 7, but I have to be fair. While several aspects are improved from Volume 1, there are still things that readers may find uncomfortable and impossible to look past)


One last note– as of writing this, semelparous is still on hiatus due to Ogino Jun undergoing medical treatment. Opinions on the manga aside, please wish Jun-sensei good health and a swift recovery.

Erica here: Thank you so much for this review. semelparous Volume 2 by Ogino Jun is out now from out from Seven Seas, available on Amazon, Bookwalker, RightStuf or wherever you get your manga. Volume 3 will be on sale this summer (Amazon, RightStuf).





Our Teachers Are Dating!, Volume 4

May 10th, 2022

Hayama Asuka and Terano Saki have been together for a while now. Their students think they are adorable, fellow teachers are on their side. In Our Teachers Are Dating!, Volume 4 they are shepherding the class trip to Okinawa…and a legendary island of Yuri bliss.

The ferry ride is rough and a bought of bad seasickness among students and tourists brings them to the acquaintance of an older woman, who has returned to this island to meet up with the love of her life. Asuka and Saki end up thinking about their lives, as well. In a climactic scene they make a major decision – they’re getting married!

The remainder of the book touches a little on the stress of explaining one’s self to one’s parents. Although Asuka was not rejected for being gay, there’s still baggage she’s got to deal with, while Saki’s family is absolutely darling.

Although it has only been a year since this manga series ended in Japan, it feels like a lifetime has passed already. What this series represents to me is two things: 1) an obtainable fantasy, in which we are surrounded by people who want to see us succeed, and 2) an adult fantasy, where love and sex are combined in a way that shows they are both important and can come from the same relationship without either being lesser.

In her author’s note, Ohi-sensei shows herself evolving from her animal avatar to human form to explain that she now has a girlfriend of her own! That story is continuing in Comic Yuri Hime in her essay, “Pillow Talk ha Fuku wo Kite.” I’m happy for her that Yuri manga brought her a real-life happy relationship. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 10
Story – 9
Yuri – 10
Service – 6

Overall – 10

I feel a little sad that we have made no progress in same-sex marriages in Japan and are regressing in a violently awful way here in the US. This series is perfect for a palette cleanser and some hope and joy in your Yuri. ^_^





Sex Ed 120%, Volume 3

April 27th, 2022

Sex Ed 120% has been a heck of a ride. Informative and highly whimsical, it’s provided a lot of solid information and fair amount of utterly useless information side by side, with a wacky sense of timing and humor that is not actually inappropriate for teenagers, but also would never happen in the real world. I’ve reviewed Volume 1 and Volume 2 previously on Okazu.

Clearly writer Kikiki Tataki knew this series was coming to an end here in Sex Ed 120%, Volume 3, because in this volume, two major school year milestones are squeezed in order to make room for the plot we all had hoped we’d get…Tsuji-sensei’s confession to Nakazawa-sensei.

I’m going to be honest, while it seemed pretty obvious that this relationship was being set up, I was still quite surprised when the narrative decided to center it. And while it was a bit on the nose, it gave the characters the chance to delve into bisexuality in a way that might have otherwise felt shoved into the school festival storyline.

Overall, I actually loved the festival story and the bulletin board of supportive messages. I had the feeling of “this is the world I want to be in” that I wish more manga would reach for. I’m tired of watching characters swim against the tide of sexism, homophobia, transphobia and the like, and am ready for stories that imagine a world in which students worldwide can talk openly about their lives. For that, Sex Education 120% is a pretty fun story that does some important things in an impossibly goofy way.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 10
Service –  1 A very teeny bit of Tsuji-sensei’s imagination running away with her, but in a mostly harmless way.
Queer – 10

Overall – 9

Sex Ed 120%, Volume 3, written by Kikiki Tataki, with art by Hotomura, is out from Yen Press, available on Amazon, RightStuf and Bookwalker (which is having a sitewide sale right now, just *after* I bought this. My timing is impeccable. ^_^;)





My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over, Volume 3 Guest Review by Luce

April 20th, 2022

Once again, it is my great pleasure to welcome guest reviewer Luce back to Okazu!

In volume 1 and volume 2, we met and got to know Sakiko, a shy girl who is a big fan of an idol group Spring Sunshine, and Chihiro, her favourite member, who sits next to her in school. Alongside is Maaya, an obsessive fan who is very focused on Chihiro as well, and their school lives together.

Volume 3 of My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over begins with the fallout of the confession – Chihiro thanks him but doesn’t accept, and is not impressed by Sakiko and Maaya’s interference, unsurprisingly, seeing it as unfair to her and Tanaka. Sakiko has a photography club competition with the theme of friends – but she can’t put a photo of Chihiro in as it goes on the website. They change into summer clothes and Sakiko notices. They have swimming lessons and her and Maaya both notice. They have finals at the same time as an album release, and Chihiro has some doubts about her idol life…? Finally, Spring Sunshine are announced for a big summer rock festival! Whilst this means Chihiro isn’t free much, Sakiko and Maaya are still thrilled. Upon getting there, though, they meet up with the girl in their class who was somewhat disparaging of Spring Shine…?

I’ve noticed that this series has a lot happen, because things wrap themselves up quite fast – not too fast, but they’re not endlessly dwelled upon. There aren’t many ‘wasted’ panels, not so many lingering looks or agonising thought monologues. It does what it needs to do – it helps that Chihiro, by nature of her being away from school so often, has to make the most of it when she is there, and Maaya is always driven to get closer and interact more with Chihiro, so we have two driving forces who are not shy about what they want. Sakiko is almost a different person from who she was in the first volume, which as I said last time, is great to see. Being able to be up front about her interests and becoming friends with Chihiro has done her a world of good.

This volume brings them into summer – which means summer uniforms with shorter sleeves, a heat wave, and swimming lessons. As such, the yuri quotient has gone up – not in a service kind of way, but Sakiko outright thinks herself a pervert for noticing Chihiro in a way she hasn’t really before. It’s pretty innocent, really, things like her pale upper arms and her neck, but it definitely makes it onto the yuri front. The swimming chapter is pretty funny, as Maaya distinctly can not deal, although Sakiko only does a bit better. When Sakiko promises to cheer for any prospective crushes Chihiro might have in future, Maaya… can’t. Possession? Love? I’m still not sure.

We get a bit of backstory for Chihiro in this volume, and some focus on her doubts about the reality of being an idol. One of the things that I actually really like about this manga is that it doesn’t idolise Chihiro – Sakiko and Maaya do, but the manga itself portrays her as a real person, who happens to be an idol. It actually does the same with the rest of Spring Shine. But she works through her doubts and fears about missing things and, with the help of the other two, comes out more sure of her direction. It was nice to see.

Story: 8
Art: 9 (I’ve noticed that everyone’s face is subtly different, something I like in manga)
Yuri: 6
Service: 3? Swimsuits and short sleeves. It’s the tamest service I’ve ever seen
Overall: 9

I’m a little sad this isn’t coming out as a physical book, honestly, I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. In Volume 4, Sakiko meets the girl who made fun of Spring Shine at the festival, and the summer concert! 

 




Yuri Espoir, Volume 1

April 15th, 2022

Kokoro has just learned that when she graduates high school, she is to be married to someone to whom her father owes a significant favor. She is not happy about this, and refers to it as “dying” after graduation. As a result of her impending “death,” Kokoro wants to live a happy Yuri life while she is in high school. She may never get to date the girl of her dreams, but she can at least draw pictures of the Yuri couples she observes and imagine their lives. Kokoro enlists her best friend and fellow art club member, Amami, in her plan.

Yuri Espoir, Volume 1, seemed like it might be fun. It quickly became…extraordinary. Yes, Kokoro sees Yuri couples, then draws what she imagines their story to be. The next chapter the tells us the reality of their story. As it tuns out, Kokoro has solid Yuridar. She gets the basic situation right, but the details are different and more complicated than her imagination. Everything in this book is more complicated than Kokoro imagines, in fact. Amami’s feelings, their art club advisor’s secret…everything. 

 I loved that we got the story of the Yuri couple and that those stories are truncated. We get bits and pieces, and maybe the wrap up…maybe they don’t. We may never know what happens to them, or we might, but it was compelling.  Unpredictable, ebullient, with a complicated and much vaster plot that it initially seemed, every chapter was a revelation. I couldn’t put it down.  What a fun and unusual manga!

Mai Naoi’s art is not practiced and slick, but solid enough that both Kokoro and Amami has vastly different styles that are themselves recognizably different from the main narrative.

The main narrative may or may not be good in the end, but the individual chapters are a fab collection of Yuri tropes remixed in and out of “reality.” I cannot stress this enough – I have not seen a story like this before. It was really very interesting. You may not like it, but I’m going to say Yuri Espoir, Volume 1 was worth reading.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Stories – 8
Characters – 8
Service – 0
Yuri – 9

Great job to Caroline Wong on translation and  to the entire Tokyopop team for a surprising Yuri manga. Thanks so much to Tokyopop for the review copy! I hope you’ll pick this up when it hits shelves this summer; it was genuinely intriguing. I’ll definitely be grabbing Volume 2 when it’s released in October.