Last summer it was my genuine pleasure to read and review a series of short Pixiv webcomics by Kurukuruhime-sensei about couples living together and sharing their lives. Yurigurashi was a fun read, that served as a nice intro to several couples’ lives. Today it is my even greater pleasure to review the English-language edition of this book, fresh from Yen Press, Yuri Life.

Each story in this collection is a short slice-of-a-couple’s-life together. We learn enough about the women to get a sense of their personalities, their foibles and the nature of their relationship. There’s little complication in the chapters, and almost no conflict beyond communication misfires and personality clashes. But that doesn’t meant there isn’t room for whimsicality and weirdness. ^_^

There is no lesbian identity here,  and I’m not entirely sure there’d be a place for it, as the scenes tend to focus on domestic moments…and it’s not like an established couple has to reaffirm their queerness to one another all that often outside bed. ^_^

Taylor Engel’s translation is comfortable and enhances the ease of reading, Likewise, letting by Alexis Eckerman helps ensure this volumes is the authentic manga reading experience fans are looking for. The color palette of this manga is very appealing and adult.  Kurkuruhime-sensei’s art is likewise appealing, with that slight sketchiness I quite like. I consider Kurkuruhime to be an artist worth following. I’m looking forward to future work from them – and indeed, have something new on my to-read pile!

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – N/A
Characters – 8 Are all presented as likable, even the grouchy OL
Service – 3 some nudity, but nothing salacious or sleazy
Yuri – 10

Overall – 8

As a series of entertaining slice-of-life webcomics that feature adult women living lives with the women they love, you can’t really beat Yuri Life. (Actually, as an enteritaining life, you can’t really beat living the Yuri life, but that’s a whole other story…. ^_^)

Thanks to Yen Press for the review copy! This was a book I’ve looked forward to for a year and it was everything I hoped it would be. ^_^

This past winter, I took a look at Mayu, Matou, Volume 1 in Japanese which I had wanted to read before the English-language volume hit shelves. Today, I’m taking a look at the much-anticipated English-language release from Yen Press, Yuriko Hara’s Cocoon, Entwined. Volume 1.

My initial review covered the most visible of the symbols in this volume – namely, hair. More specifically, that hair chews up the scenery in nearly every panel. In my original review I said, “their hair is the main character and the people attached to that hair are merely abstractions.” which is still partly true. The characterizations of both people and place are overtly inspired by Maria-sama ga Miteru‘s Ibara no Mori, with Saeki very clearly a Sei-stand-in. Whether either Hoshimiya or Yokozawa is ultimately her Shiori or Youko, we’ll have to  stick around to learn to find out.

What I was able to enjoy this time around, is the building of a love triangle in which only one participant has any idea that they are participating. This story builds up in non-linear, almost episodic fashion and it’s easy enough to take each chapter on its own without applying it to a macro narrative, but by the final chapter, a very solid whole has been constructed. One finds that there is a backstory; histories, both institutional and personal, and a clear dynamic between the characters and the situations.

I still would caution anyone skeeved by hair as a fetish/major imagery/plot point/conflict that hair takes up a lot of space in both the narrative and on the page. But aside from that, it’s a pretty intriguing story, with solid art. I look forward to the next volume. The translation has been handled smoothly although any added Keigo formality has been stripped from the dialogue by translator Amanda Haley. It makes for a slightly more casual read in English. I feel as if I am reading by looking through a curtain of hair, but the story, I hope, will be worth it.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Service – Hair
Yuri – 3

Overall – 8

High marks for this unique look at love and obsession at an elite girls school, the classic Yuri manga trope.

Thanks very much to Yen Press for the review copy for today’s review.

The story has grown on me, and no I will not make a stupid hair joke here. Fill one in on your own time.

Volume 1 of Akiyama’s Killing Me!
was not exactly thrilling me
Carmilla’s invoked
As a kind of  joke
And that’s about as good as you can expect from this series.

Saki is a vampire who was apparently turned at about age 13 and she is love with fam-trad Vampire Hunter Miyoko who, frankly, sucks at her job. Saki’s in love with Miyoko, who is obviously in love back, but that is not the point of this manga. The point is that Miyoko sucks at killing Saki, who professes her love, which Miyoko passive-aggressively ignores. Haha!

This kind of story is not really violent, although guns appear, and not really a love story, although little hearts decorate Saki’s words.

Akiyama describes the story in the author’s note as “kind of like a Hamburg-steak rice-omellete covered in curry” with which I agree with 100%. It is a pile of glop that you may or may not find to be delicious.

Ratings:

Art – moe
Story – One line
Characters – One joke per
Service  – Blood sucking children…so, yes
Yuri – That too

Overall – Go For It

Akiyama also describes this series as “kill-or-be-killed comedy.” We clearly have different ideas about the word “kill.”

And “comedy.”