I had the opportunity to read this for ANN reviews. Oddly, at the end of speed-reading 6 volumes of the light novel series, I was still enjoying it. ^_^ So check out my review on ANN. 

While I would not call this a Yuri series in any meaningful way, it had enough Yuri decoration to make it worth mentioning here on Okazu. 

A privileged and absurdly young talented Japanese woman gets on to a plane with a bunch of otome game otaku and is never seen again. Reborn into the the game world, with a new name, she is raised by a single mother who is – so obviously – the former Saint. After her mother dies, the girl decides to fully engage in the one thing she actually cares about – being a maid. As Melody Wave, she takes on the rehabilitation of an impoverished family of nobles with her even more absurdly overpowered Maid Magic. 

Completely unaware that the entire game revolves around her, Melody’s Saintly powers are spent on clothes and cleaning and occasionally creating portals through space and time. While the otaku on the plane, now reborn into the game world as nobles good and bad, flail to understand who the main characters are and why the game plot has gone off the rails. The author, Atekichi, is not above inserting comments, both about maids and Melody, and also is having so much fun with the story that it ends up being fun to read.  The translation is likewise rather amusing. Matthew Jackson includes some banger lines, like the “legally distinct-from-Doraemon Everywhere Door. ” Absolute perfection.

While the story could not be sillier if it tried (it does try), the characters are mostly likable. Melody’s powers are just too, too much  – like creating life out of nothing so she can have help in the house that isn’t just one of her 50 clones… so the family she serves has a meeting to try and explain why she should she tamp them down. 

As for Yuri, Melody’s mistress and she have a pleasantly intimate friendship, but the Yuri tends to be scattered about as Melody and later her disguise, Cecelia (and of course, her true form,) gain male and female admirers. The Prince’s potential fiancée, Anna-Marie, is said to be interested only in women. Later, we are introduced to a Princess from the neighboring country who acts as if she is a Prince and is not above seducing women if it serves her purpose.

The only downside, as I say in my ANN review, is that the art and story are wholly, irreparably, not in sync. We are repeatedly told that Melody is magnificently beautiful, as Cecilia  she is even more so, and as her truest form, she is beyond gorgeous, so of course all we see is a blob-face moe girl. It is, frankly, enraging. Good art would elevate the books, but no. Blob faces it is. 

There is a hefty amount of hand-waving needed to make the plot move, but the author has no compunction about just making a thing happen to have it happen, so as long as you are comfortable with that, this is a very fun light novel series.

Ratings: 

Art –  5.84 Not bad, but just not good for the words on the page
Story – 9.75 It’s ridiculous
Characters – 9.75 
Service – For maid obsessives 10 otherwise, .62
Yuri – 3.03

Overall – 8.26
 

To get right to the point, Unsung Epics of the Hero’s Journey, Volume 1 was good. Like, really pretty decent.

Rhuys Ferme is a cleric with an important, but secret, mission. The Hero’s Party is out hunting the Demon King, and she needs someone with serious skills to help achieve her goal. To that end, she commissions Araignée Les, an adventurer with a reputation for having mad skillz.

Unsure and terrified, Rhuys undertakes this dangerous mission with Araignée, whose nonchalance confuses Rhuys. As they travel together, they begin to open up to one another. They find they share a lot of similar baggage; both women having a past filled with rejection and exile. They draw closer, as they move towards a climactic battle with a powerful foe. Will they have enough trust in one another to achieve their goal? 

The story was reasonably well-constructed with characters one could sympathize with. This included some of their opponents, a tack I appreciated. The way contracts and commissions were serious business in this world gave it a bit of “real life” flavor. Araignée’s story, while interesting, was the most predictable, with two important reveals, one of which was telegraphed from the beginning of the book. She was still a solid character. Rhuys was a more complicated character. Her backstory made her actions and beliefs stand out as fully fleshed out. By the end of the book, I was wholly behind these two as a partnership, both in adventuring and life. 

The writing was, for a light novel, rather decent. Hachigatsumori clearly thought things through. All of the fighting was both interesting and sensible, as well as being clever at times. I love when writers get creative within their own rules. An extra point for the bad guy pulling the strings in the background actually just being punished. That was novel.

 NAT’s illustrations had our protagonists fully clothed, with armor that made sense! Points off for Araignée wearing shorts, but I’ll allow it. since her armor covered her chest in a way that might actually protect her.  And! the art is not moe. It was a nice change of pace, having characters that look as they are described. Thank you, NAT.

Ratings: 

Story – 9
Characters – 9
Art – 8
Service – 2
Yuri – 7

Overall – 9

Overall, I found Unsung Epics of the Hero’s Journey, Volume 1 to be an entertaining read, with strong characters, good action, some clever touches and a nice bit of Yuri. Volume 2 is headed our way in August, I’ll definitely be reading it.

Jinsei Zenbu Kakete mo, Gin no Majyo ni Kachitai (人生全部賭けても、銀の魔女に勝ちたい) by Fukami Koucha, illustrated by Nekotarou was…pretty good, actually. ^_^

I’m not sure what actually drew me to this the first time I saw it, the cover art is nice, but not dynamic. The description was interesting by not compelling. But, as a winner of a Yuri novel contest, I wanted to give it a try. And over all, I think it was pretty good. 

Frandre Rainforest is a Count’s daughter, who is hyper aware of both her magical abilities and her position in life. Illegitimate daughter that she is, her father only values her for that magical ability. She trains endlessly to hone it. So when she is enrolled into a magical competition, her world comes crumbling down when she loses to another girl her age who wields three elements and builds from them a dragon. Fran is devastated and livid. Her affinity with fire cannot stand the insult. She marches up to the girl Cruel Hyedeline and is appalled when the girl reaches out and hugs her. Even more insulted, Fran challenges Cruel to a duel 5 years from now when they both enter the Kingdom’s Academy of Magic.

5 years pass. Fran has trained mercilessly. With one maid, Kei, her only confidant, and no friends, Fran enters the Academy ready to take on Cruel, only to find her opponent only at the beginner level, barely able to wave a magic wand. Fran is enraged and set out to find out what could possibly have happened. What she learns is unexpected and will change both Fran and Cruel forever. 

There are a lot of decent elements to this book, so let’s get the slightly weak pieces out of the way.

The naming is weaksauce. Fran’s name makes more sense as Flandre, but Flan as a nickname irked me, so I’m going with Fran. I’d bet a box of desserts that it’d be Flan in any translation and I already hate that. ^_^ Cruel is an ironic name I guess, because it makes no sense for her. Totally should have been the other way around, because Cruel is a pudding of a girl. ^_^

The Yuri. The story is, as I said, pretty good. The relationship/rivalry between Fran and Cruel works on it’s own.It didn’t need help. But there is two elements of fanservice in the story and neither of them make the story better. Fran’s relationship with Kei is problematic and the other thing which is an important feature of the story and could have been handles so much better, instead of the skeazy way it was. 

My last complaint is a compliment – I wish there was more to this book. Both Fran and Cruel’s families sound like assholes and I would have liked to see them take them down. And, while the book ended in a perfectly fine place, I would have also loves to see them at the school handling the aftermath of the book, beyond the bit we see.  Even in such a short time, we get a clear idea of the history of the country and (pertinent to my wanting to know more) a specific piece of that history which was tantalizing in context. I’d like to know more about that, as well.

The magic as climax was very good. You’ll have to trust me that it was worth it – and it nailed the landing. But how Fran and Cruel actually figure themselves out was just a teeny bit better. The emotional depth of this little volume was solid, well-conceived ( and very welcome, as I spent the rest of this week reading 23 volumes of an emotional wasteland of a manga for ANN ^_^;)

The art is by Nekotarou (creator of The Fed-Up Office Lady Wants to Serve the Villainess) and was, therefore *good*! Actually illustrating some of what is happening, as well as the characters. Really look at that cover – that exceptionally good. Those ornate uniforms with correct capes…what a pleasure!

Ratings: 

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Service – Realistically only about a 4, but in context, that was too much, it was just not needed
Yuri –  7

Overall – 8

Overall, this was a solid little Yuri VN,  I’ll recommend it to J-Novel Club, and hopefully they’ll get it for us. ^_^

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Volume 8.5 is a collection of short stories about Anis, Euphie and the folks in their orbit. It was surprisingly good for being little more than  fanfics of the authors’ own characters. 

These stories mostly take place after Euphyllia has ascended the throne as Queen, and Princess Anisphia has found a place at her side. We do spend, a little time earlier on, as we watch Lainie, still a maid at the separated palace and Ilia, deepen their relationship. Also at the separated palace, we get a nice new beginning for Tilty, Anis’ friend and a little more about why she is interested in curses.

But it’s not the whys or how that shine here.  It’s the repeated acts of reconciliation, friendship, family and love that makes this volume work. Among these is the very complicated  story of Halphys’ family and the above story about Tilty. Ultimately the strongest chapter is that in which Anis and her mother finally talk after years and years of not addressing the things between them. 

Karasu’s writing is often very superficial, but there are moments that really grab you here, presuming you care about  Anis, Euphie and the rest. I find myself among those that do.  This volume won’t change the world, but for the author and the characters, it’s all important stuff that has to be addressed before the 9th volume of the series heads our way this summer.

Ratings: 

Story – At their best a 9 and even the weakest are fine, if you like the characters
Characters – 8 Would you even be reading this if you didn’t like them?
Art – Deep, frustrated sigh. The art is getting better, the subject matter is just obnoxious
Service – Yes and there is not one good reason for it
Yuri – 10/10

Overall – 8

If you’re enjoying this series – as I am – this is a nice, if occasionally silly (please, tell us that Lainie wears a maid outfit, again, that can never be repeated too often and let’s make sure we mention breast size or have bath scenes), series of shorts, with moments of genuine emotional depth. 

Despite the flaws of the light novel medium, it still manages to be worth reading if you care about the characters.