Archive for the Magazines Category


Galette, No. 29 (ガレット)

April 3rd, 2025

A cute girl looks at us from under a veil, her blue eyes sparkling with light.And….I was wrong. ^_^ Galette No. 28 was not the end of Hakamada Mera’s “Aikata System,” just of Kairo and Abiko-sempai’s story. In Galette No. 29 (ガレット) The next chapter takes the same seven years later to bring Nao and Ibuki-sempai back together. Nao is a beloved gym teacher at their old school, but when they sit down to talk, they’ve both left behind so much of what made them them in their school days, it feels like a goodbye at a reunion and not much more.

I am really very sorry that Hakamada-sensei did not take the opportunity to actively destroy the Aikata system that caused so much pain for our leads. Yes, maybe their circumstances were special…and maybe, more probably, they were not. I would really have loved to see Kairo go ham on the system. Ah well.

Bing! Bing! We have a winner! Aneido-sensei wins this issue with a fabulously original story. A grifter and her girlfriend target the accountant for a religious cult, when the handsome grifter pretends to be  the cult’s god.  I am absolutely dying to read the next chapter. ^_^

Morinaga Milk has two entries once again, “Watashi n Kawaii Neko-chan” in which Ren’a disatisfaction with Yuna’s sleep schedule grows and a reprint of Himitsu no Recipe from 2011-13 along with Yorita Miyuki’s “Kanojo no Kuchizuke Kansensuru Libido,” reprint from the beginning, as she announced a new movie based on her series.

Two original stories caught my eye, Yama Yuriko’s “That Girl – Day In The Life” and “Tochuu no Happy” by Miimi were both delightful monologues of just genuinely enjoying the company of the person one loves. Thumbs up for that. I have quite enough drama in real life, I can go for some “this was really just…nice.” ^_^

So this volume felt like a lot of reprints, but also has a pile of continuing content and new stories and 140-character pieces. Aneido-sensei’s story made me hurry up, so I could move on and grab Issue No. 30!

Ratings:

Overall – 8





Galette, No. 28 (ガレット)

March 27th, 2025

Almost abstract winter scene portraying two women leaning in to one another, one with longish gray hair and the other with a fur hood and blonde hair.Galette No. 28 (ガレット) ended something I felt might never end, but I get ahead of myself.

I am finding it harder to read things on the computer than I used to and manga on my phone was absolutely too stressful for my eyes, especially at the end of the day, so I recently invested in a super cheapo tablet to function as a reader. I find that manga looks good on it, despite complaints that the images for this model are fuzzy. The complainants’ eyes are better than mine I guess, because I find it to be perfectly fine. More importantly, when reading something like Galette, which is designed to be a magazine size, having the whole page in front of me at once makes it much easier to read. I got myself a FEONAL Android tablet. This is not a paid sponsorship, it was just a cheap Android tablet that had everything I wanted, including a keyboard. ^_^

But let’s talk about Galette. There are three stories I want to highlight for various reasons, I’ll save the best (IMHO) for last. But to be fair, I was very checked out of the high school Yuri stories. It’s not that I dislike them, but was just not in a mood to be very receptive.

That said, the first one I want to talk about is the final chapter of Hakamada Mera’s “Aikata System.” On the one hand I am very sympathetic to Hakamada-sensei, who has had more than one series cut short mid-story and had to move publishers to see it finished. On the other, I really hoped she would take some risks with this story and show us Kairo just burning the system down. Sadly, we did not get the ending the story deserved.  It was a happy end of a sort, just not the one I hope. ^_^; It went on so long and had so much anger and angst, a happy ending felt discordant.

Secondly I want to briefly touch base on “Watashi no Kawaii Neko” by Morinaga Milk. Again, I have a great deal of sympathy for the creator, who is very much writing out of her comfort zone. But we got *so* close to a real story, then pulled back into something pat and comfortable. It’ll make a nicer end for the series, but for pity’s sake, Yuna and Reina need to really talk some stuff out. You’ll see when the next volume of My Cute Little Kitten comes out in English from Seven Seas.

Lastly, I want to tell you about a short that I genuinely enjoyed, this one, by Aneido titled something like “An Isekai about a salarywoman who becomes a knight and complains about it.” The titular character is doing the Isekai version of Groundhog Day – reliving the same scenario over and over. Sent to rescue the Princess from the Demon Queen, she just cannot get a break. Even when she does rescue the Princess, she treats the Knight like crap. This time, she sneaks into the Demon Queen’s Palace and learns why! The Demon Queen and Princess are having a passionate affair. The Knight helpfully offers to join and is violently rebuffed. This story honestly made me laugh out loud. Thumbs up from me on this one. ^_^

This volume also contains a short story, and the 140 character stories sent in by fans, which were interesting.

I know I’m still behind, I received No. 33 in the mail and won’t get to it for a while, but now that I have my new tablet, hopefully I can finally make my way through the next couple of volumes more quickly now.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

I now have Volumes 1-21 (except 14 which was the COVID volume, and has a short printing) in print, Volume 22-30 in PDF from Pixiv Fanbox, 31-32 from Bookwalker and 33 in print, again. As I said on the Okazu Discord, it’s a good thing I am not an obsessive completist. I just want to read the stories! ^_^





Comic Yuri Hime April 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年4月号)

March 16th, 2025

Cover of Comic Yuri Hime, April 2025. Two young women walk, in thr frot of the image, in grey Japanese sailor style uniforms, smiling, blurred, as we focus past them on a lone girl with long, dark hair, in the same uniform, watching them from behind.As both a commentary on Hechima’s cover art for Comic Yuri Hime April 2025  (コミック百合姫2025年4月号) and a life reminder, neither brooding, nor stalking are positive life skills. We can perhaps frgive, as we are informed in this illustration, 13 years old. After that age, those two behaviors are not at all cute or desirable.

The volume begins with “Chou Fuka Uchuu yori Ai o Komete” about a loner who is approached by a large alien. This story has very Rose Quartz from Steven Universe vibes, not only because the alien is giant and pink, but also sweet and very affirming.

Haru and Yu are finding their way closer and together, through Haru’s self-loathing in “Kimi ga Hoerutame no Uta wo” by Kashikaze.

Lily’s secret is fully revealed in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou,” written by inori. illustarted by Aonoshimo, as Mt. Salas erupts and the castle ceiling comes collapsing down. Next month this series will be off, as Volume 10 is releasing soon.

It’s cute smiles, huge faces and sweets this month in “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau,” as Miki ponders how to reply to her senior’s confession of love.

In “Odoriba Skirt ga Naru” Kiki and Michiru are finding their own rhythm as the next Quadrille test approaches. They take time to notice the seniors in the club and learn from them about dance, and life. Among themselves the senors admit that they never really believed Kiki and Michiru would work…but, there they are, killing it.

“Gakeppuchi Reijou wa Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” written by sometime and illustrated by suoh, continues to be excellent. It is very, very obvious to us that Frost cultivates a fearsome disposition as a way of protecting herself. We learn a bit about her hurtful hustory and can see Clarice genuinely feels for her, but Frost simply will not believe she has an ally. At last Clarice pulls out her final card and kisses Frost, while forcefully insisting that she actually likes the Black Knight. Will Frost be able to accept that? Probably not, but Clarice tried.

Fumino is introduced to her fiance in an arranged marriage, but cannot stop thinking of Tsubaki. She is convinced she can save the girl from a live as a prostitute. Surprisingly, her fiance seems to understand and support her, in SheepD’s “Kanaria wa Kiraboshi no Yume o Miru.”

And time has leapt forward three years in “Stellvia no Bouquet.” Liza is returning, a hero and a master of magic and Ellen has some important things she wants to say to her mentor.

As always there were other stories I read, and others I did not. This was one of my favorite kinds of issues, where everything is just moving forward, and we can just sit back and read good Yuri. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8
The May issue is out in Japan this week and I am caught up once again! Yay!





Comic Yuri Hime March 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年3月号)

March 6th, 2025

Two women sit under a heated table in the morning sunshine One has her hair tied up in a bear-ear headband and holds a mug, the other wears a dark hoodie as she eats.Comic Yuri Hime March 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年3月号) begins with another documentary photo/illustration. Titled “why is it that I feel so cozy when I am with you?” The subjects are now 19 years old, sitting under a heated table in December. The prisming of the light in this image is just lovely. Hechima’s cover art is a bit moe for my taste, but I am very into the concept. ^_^

Kashikaze’s “Kimi ga Hoerutame no Uta wo” starts taking steps forward as Haru and Yuu go to Karaoke to practice in a safe space and bring Haru face to face with her hopes and fears.

“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou,” written by inori. illustarted by Aonoshimo, is knee deep into the activating events of the Revolution arc. As Claire, Lily and Rae confront Salas in front of the king, Salas reveals Lily’s  dark secret…and Mt. Sassal explodes. Chaos is about to fall on Bauer.

Shiho and Aki are gonna be okay. In “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau,” they finish their date without their tail of Hima and Yori, and have some important conversations. Even more importantly – they have fun. But don’t worry, there is at least one more couple to pair up in this Yuritopia. ^_^

In “Muryoku seijo to munou Oujo ~ Maryoku Zero de Shoukansareta Seijo no Isekai Kyuukoku-ki” the princess is kidnapped, , but more importantly, Arisu gets over herself and begins to truly work with Nana.

This chapter of “Gakeppuchi Reijou wa Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” was really kind of wonderful. As Frost-sama in her Black Knight persona is going all out with equal-in-might bodyguard Shion, Clarice is inside winning with her power of conversation, insight and complete confidence in Frost. This battle had two fronts and both were handled beautifully. I’m really enjoying this story by sometime, illustrated by Suoh, in part because the premise is just…part of the story.

“Stellvia no Bouquet” continues to be quite emotional. Liza meets with her mentor, then says goodbye to Ellen now that her protege has graduated. It is a tearful parting that I am 1000% sure will end next chapter. ^_^;

“Kiraware Majo Reijou to Dansou Ouji no Konyaku” ends with the happily ever after we expected. I enjoyed this series, but kept wanting to to do what the Black Knight story does – find an actual story, instead of just having the relationship be the story. Dark magic is recognized as a legitimate form of magic, the end.

Kobara Yuuko’s column “Film ni Saku Yurinohana o Atsumete Kimi ni Okuritai” took a look at the movie based on Shimura Takako’s Dounika Naru Hibi (どうにかなる日々) which I reviewed in 2020 under the English title Happy Go Lucky Days. Like me, they enjoyed the lesbians meet at a wedding scenario. ^_^

I always say this, but I feel it is important to understand – I read about half of this magazine regularly and enjoy roughly a third of the stories, varying from month to month. Of these, I summarize a handful, because not every chapter of every story is notable. I also want to repeat the fact that there are stories I both read and don’t much enjoy or don’t read at all. Why is that important? Because you and I may not agree on the kinds of Yuri we enjoy, so if you understand that Comic Yuri Hime has stories for different kinds of Yuri, maybe you’ll give it a try. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

The April Issue has already hit JP shelves and is in my current reading pile and some very interesting stuff is happening in those pages! ^_^





Galette, No. 27 (ガレットNo.27)

February 16th, 2025

Seen behind obscuring greenery, two women in black and white look at each other intimately in pen's cover image for Galette. No. 27How did I get anything done on Okazu when I had a job in an office originally? It’s been 15 years since I had a commute and phew, this really sucks one’s time away, doesn’t it? I kind of remember taking a mid-afternoon break every day in the 00s just to write, I might have to institute that again.  ^_^ I am still running way behind on reading Galette magazine in Japanese. Volume 33  was just released to supporters and Volume 32 is available to the general public now. And here I am….

Galette, No. 27 (ガレットNo.27) was a turning point for the magazine. In it’s 7th year of publication, the roster of creators had sort of solidified. Hakamada Mera and Morinaga Milk were leading the charge with some of their earlier works beefing up the volume. Galette began hosting their own events, signings and more. They were beginning to partner with physical locations and accepting fan-submissions of short stories to be illustrated. And some of the stories shifted as well.

Besides a reprint of “Himitsu no Recipe” by Morinaga Milk, her “Watashi no Kawaii Neko-chan” turns surprisingly serious for a moment. I have not yet read ahead and do not know what to expect.

Hakamada Mera’s “Aikata System” almost feels as if it is self-healing. I’m still hoping that Cairo can destroy the system, but it’s not looking good at this point.

Momono Moto gives us a whole new story, “Goodby Daisy” in the wake of Kitta Izumi stopping writing “Liberty.” It is very in her wheelhouse, with coercive behavior and tears. She knows what she likes, I guess. ^_^

Other series by Yorita Miyuki and Nekohariko 22 continue and the magazine includes one-shots by aneido, Shirinu, Asube Yui, Sakuraya Yukino and Miho, with  a short story by Ookita Tsugumi and illustrations by Haamin and Miruko.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

I’m going to start No. 28 today.  I think I need a new tablet, so I can read this in bed. It’s hard to read on a laptop screen. ^_^;