Archive for the English Manga Category


Amayo no Tsuki, Volume 9 (雨夜の月)

June 6th, 2025

Two girls in white t-shirts and red school shorts run a three-legged race smiling happily, while their class cheers them on.In Amayo no Tsuki, Volume 9 (雨夜の月) it is once again is sports day and this year, as Kanon reflects on all the things she has done in the last year, she is motivated to participate fully in this event. Sh.e has friends and she wants to be a part of the activities they enjoy

That motivation cause her even more self-reflection. What has been the difference this last year to all the years before it, since her hearing was impaired and she pulled away from the world? Saki. It all comes down to Saki. Over and over her thoughts return to Saki. But it is not for Saki that she wants to participate in the three-legged race…it is with Saki that she wants to do so.

Saki has both been busy and is trying to give Kanon some freedom, and therefore is putting a little distance between them. Kanon asks to talk and they discuss the race…and come up with a plan. To keep themselves in pace, they”ll run to a well-known children’s song. The race is a huge turning point for them both. I won’t spoil it for you. ^_^

And added bonus was Tomita joining in as well. Their class is a role model of disability inclusion and equality. I hope people reading this book come up with ideas for their own groups and classes.  

The end comes with a plot complication in the form of a new person – the nosy photo club stereotype! What will this person bring to the story? The title of the series for one thing….We’ll have to  wait for Volume 10 to find out what she means.

Ratings: 

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – Not really
Yuri – 6 and climbing

Overall – 9

Every single volume of this story has been re-read worthy. I’m still amazed and pleased that we have Volume 1-6 out in English as The Moon On A Rainy Night. The absolutely outstanding Volume 7 is on the way in October!





X-Gender, Volumes 1 & 2 (complete)

May 30th, 2025

A cartoon of an ungendered human with short dark hair close to their scalp, wearing white shirt, grey pants and brown boots, their arms crossed in front of them in an 'x' mirroring the white 'x' on a yellow background they are in front of.by Eleanor Walker, Staff Writer

Content warning: this series discusses topics including human euthanasia and suicide.

Perhaps inspired by the success of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness and its sequels, Seven Seas has also published some other queer autobiographical manga, including The Bride Was a Boy and the subject of today’s review, X-Gender (性別X) by Asuka Miyazaki. X-gender is an umbrella term used in Japan to describe various non-binary and genderqueer identities.

This series is most definitely aimed at people who have no knowledge of LGBTQ+ or women’s health, as it was originally serialised under Kodansha’s Young Magazine umbrella, a seinen (aimed at young men) magazine. There’s lots of explanation of basic queer terminology which may seem superfluous for many readers of this site, as well as a chapter explaining periods, but probably needed for the average reader of Young Magazine. I hesitate to compare this directly to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, as I don’t really feel it’s fair to compare people’s real life experiences, but there are definitely some parallels to be drawn with the stories. Being queer can often be an incredibly isolating experience, and X-Gender tells the story of Asuka finding a community they can be a part of at local gay bar Poker Face, owned and run by a fantastic trans man known as “The General”, only to then have it ripped away from them by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Whilst volume 1 mostly deals with Asuka’s finding themselves as a newly out X-gender person, there’s a noticeable change in tone in volume 2. Japan and the rest of the world is shutting down due to Covid, and Poker Face, Asuka’s favourite IRL hangout, is closed. I did find this volume rather unfocused compared to volume 1. This is acknowledged by the author though, as they were finding life very difficult during the pandemic and lockdown. The chapters are much shorter, and there’s very little story continuity between them, they’re more like a set of short stories with recurring characters. I don’t like to criticise someone’s real life experiences when used as the basis for a story, but I do think that Asuka is a good visual storyteller, the panels flow nicely and it’s an easy read visually.

Gender non-specific person with short dark hair, striped button down shirt, grey pants and brown boots in front of a large white 'x' on a light blue background. They hold their left arm up making a 'V is for victory" sign, smiling, while their right arm is help in a fist at their right hip.Overall, I’m happy this series exists and was released in English. It’s a good introduction to non binary identities for those who have absolutely no idea what they are. (I am a cis lesbian with many non-binary friends, and I acknowledge this is not a substitute for actual lived experience.)

Obviously this is only one person’s story and the non-binary experience is vast and variable, but I feel like a lot of readers of this site can relate to the feeling of not belonging in society or not being comfortable in our bodies, as well as the isolation many of us felt during 2020. For the cishet men this was aimed at, I hope it can be an insight into a life that’s very different to your own, but ultimately a reminder that we’re not so different after all.

 

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 6. This one is definitely best read a chapter or two at a time, rather than all in one go, especially volume 2.
Character – 7. The General is by far my favourite.
Service – 7. There are some fairly graphic descriptions of the author’s porn and sex preferences but nothing explicitly illustrated..
LGBT+ – 8

Overall – 7





Kase-san and Yamada, Volume 4

May 29th, 2025

Two girls snuggle on the cover, surrounded by colorful silhouettes of tea cups and tea posts. One has medium length blonde hair, wears a brown plaid skirt and cream blouse. The other a pink shirt and grey shorts. They hold matching teacups.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.

And, finally, they seem to be growing up a bit. But they still have some hurdles to clear in Kase-san and Yamada, Volume 4, which is the ninth volume of this story!

Kase-san and Yamada are planning on moving out of the dorms and into an apartment together. Yamada finds the perfect place, but Kase-san cannot get herself together to sign the lease. Instead of leaving the dorms, she finds herself unable to cope with the unrequited emotional baggage of her roommate.Her teammates are no help at all, and encourage Kase-san to race Fukami, because they want a race, and Kase-san isn’t strong-willed enough to claim her own space.

Meanwhile Yamada finds that she has managed to build a little nest of friends on her side. Hana and Fukawachhi help her move in and she unloads the absurd story on them. And then Kase-san arrives and it’s just as wonderful as Yamada dreamed. Whene she casually reminds Kase-san that her plan is to study in England, we feel the future looming up ahead, but for now, Kase-san and Yamada are happy in their own place together. Yay.

This is a spot at which the series could, if it needs to, stop. And it will have served all the functions we can ask of it – we got to see Yamada meet and fall in love with Kase-san, Kase-san return her feelings, they graduated and moved to the big city, and now, are living together, at last with nothing between them. And yet! There they are in this issue of Wings magazine with a color page and a slight mismatch of schedules once again, causing mild chaos that will resolve with the two of them happily together. This series has traveled a long road, between magazines and online publishing and, like it’s titular characters has foun it’s home and is quite settled in, thank you.

Kase-san and Yamada are not flashy people, this manga is not a flashy title, but it has quietly been doing an amazing job of bringing us a lovely Yuri couple for 15 years now, and I think Takashima Hiromi-sensei deserves a lot of praise for her work.





Review on ANN: Does It Count If You Lose Your Virginity To An Android, Volume 1

May 27th, 2025

To say life has been busy this week is understatement. While I have not had a review up here on Okazu, I did take a quick look at Does It Count If You Lose Your Virginity To An Android, Volume 1 from Seven Seas over on ANN! I hope you’ll read and drop a comment there. ^_^





Alter Ego 2: Noel and June

May 23rd, 2025

Two woman curl up together on a sofa in bright morning light. 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.