Since the third English language Galette magazine kickstarter has successfully launched and is working it’s way toward the 4th(!) stretch goal, I thought it a good idea to sit down with the very lovely Galette Magazine 02, Special English Edition.

To begin with, both the slipcover and the cover on the magazine are two of my favorite pieces by pen, whose art I find to be absolutely my aesthetic. Adult, atmospheric and intimate work on this cover art.

The book is, well, book-ended, by collected art works from the principle creators, illustrating their stories.

“Fluffy Fuzzy Dreamy” by Mera Hakamada is a school romance centered on a first year being noticed by her crush, and flailing cutely.

We get a full three chapters of “That Woman In The Infirmary,” Miyuki Yorita. I’d like to note this splendid translation in this story, from the title to “Drabzawa,” which probably no teen would actually say, but I think it a perfect choice.

Chapters of “Liberty” by Izumi Kitta x Moto Momono really get into how Maki is besotted and not at all really capable of coping with Liz’s personality. You gotta love Maki’s friend, hysterical at poor Maki, being played by a sexy singer. Boo fucking hoo. ^_^

Two chapters of “[Sky blue melancholic]” by Ringo Hamano, in which Bun turns out to be a very relatable character, Ichinose is clueless and annoying and the “annoying” Kiko-sempai turns out to be a decent person.

A majority of stories here are from the perspective of the less-cool, less-popular, less-powerful character, as they are swept up by the cool/popular character. I’d love to see the story from the other side, but I bet it seems super creepy. ^_^  Thinking about that, I guess that is exactly why I like aneido’s “Oh My God! Yes, I Am Your God.” so much. It is a perspective flip and, as the protagonist is not a child, but a grifter, we allow them to be a seducer with ill intent.

One chapter each from Nekohariko 22 and Haru Yatosaki, moving their stories forward a step.

The final pages, in classic manga magazine colored pages (a touch that is sure to delight anyone who reads shoujo manga magazines) Milk Morinaga presents a “GIRL FRIENDS” animal-ear alt universe story.

These seven artists kept Galette going through COVID, and they are still at it, pushing Galette forward into transational fandom. I am so very glad that you all have a chance to enjoy Galette as I have been and to help make it successful!

Ratings:

Overall – 9

Issue 3 Kickstarter is on now, and has blown past the third stretch goal with a bit more than a week to go!

We’ve made it to Galette, No. 31 (ガレット)!

Although I thought I was supporting Galette on Pixiv Fanbox, for some reason during the multiple kerfuffles with non-Japanese credit cards, I did not receive issues No. 31 and 32 by PDF. Luckily, Galette is also available on Bookwalker JP, so my current collection is now a higgeldy-piggely mismosh of this magazine in print, PDF and on Bookwalker. Luckily, all I want is to be able to read it and don’t really care what format I have! ^_^ I am a lousy collector and always forget to obsess about complete sets.

This issue does something very important. I was kind of waiting for this to happen, because the story as it existed was wearing on me. Honestly, in Morinaga Milk’s “Watashi no Kawaii Neko-chan,” Yuna has to change. She may well just have circadian rhythms that don’t work with Reina’s and that may be possible to work around, but not if she refuses to even admit there is a problem. In the final pages, after another chapter of watching Reina struggle alone, Yuna *finally* takes a step to figure out if there is a real problem. PHEW. I was really losing interesting in this story, as it just churned over and over the same unresolved issue every chapter.

Nakata Nui’s “Otome no Shinden” is, thus far, a creepy lesbian doll story in which the doll seems the most normal character.

Yukino-sensei is forced to deal with her complicated emotions about Tsukino-sensei in Yorita Miyuki’s “Hokenshitsu no Ano Onna”. Is it time that Yukino-sensei forgets the bias she’s carried all these years?

Once again, I adore the chapter of “Watashi ha Kimi no Kami da yo” by aneido, in which this apparently silly story of a grifter trying to scam a religious cult’s accountant, begins to take on more complexity. Our grifter is falling for her mark, and her partner can see it. Also, the mousy little mark is definitely not naive, and turns out to be quite gay. Will this be the end for our grifter or the beginning of something new?

A fun little one-shot from Hakamada Mera follows a cast of maids at a maid cafe, who end up picking character names from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, adding a maid cafe to the many reinterpretaions of the great heroes of ancient China. Do I love this? Of course I do. ^_^

The second half of this issue makes space for “repeats” of “Himitsu no Recipe” by Morinaga Milk and early chapters of  “Kanojo no Kuchizuke Kansensuru Libido” which Yorita Miyuki has recently published in English in two successful kickstarters. This followed by news of Yorita-sensei’s new kickstarter, which will bring the Kanojo no Kuchizuke Kansensuru Libido Short Movie (彼女のくちづけ感染するリビドー ショートムービー), reviewed here on Okazu in February, out with English subtitles. I’m looking forward to that, as I enjoyed the 3-part movie and would love for it to get a wider audience.

This is followed by the second part of an ongoing prose story in which a young woman meets an older one. Then 140-character tales, a report of the 4-creator exhibition, “Shoujo to Shoujo Yuri Sakka Yon-nin Ten” (link goes to the official account on X).  And of course the discussion pages., an add for Galette, No. 32, which I just finished up. Finally, we get an illustrated 140 character tale by Azuki Kuranbo, a very cute little story about two adults, one of whom likes melon cream sodas, illustrated by mina.

Overall – 9

A very chunky volume, even with the re-plays of earlier stories. No. 32 is next and, yes, to confirm that one says in the back that “Liberty” continues in No. 33, which I have here in print, once again, so I am doubly motivated to get caught up. ^_^

I am still amazed that I am able to enjoy both a major publisher-run monthly Yuri manga magazine and a creator-owned, crowd-funded quarterly Yuri manga magazine that will in a matter of days be launching a Kickstarter for a third English-issue, after two successful EN issue Kickstarters. That’s just amazing. ^_^

Still working my way through the backlog of Galette magazines, which brings me to Galette, No. 30 (ガレット).

Aneido’s “Watashi ha Kimi no Kami dayo”, which has the best English tagline of “Oh my God! Yes, I am your god” continues the delightful story of a grifter who is working on seducing the apparently innocent accountant for a religious cult, by pretending to be her god. Everything about this is wonderfully ridiculous.

Morinaga Milk’s Yuna mopes around because Reina will not handle her issues in “Watashi no Kawaii Neko-chan.” I need to spoil a bit here. Because I am now several issues ahead of this, I can say it gets better, but this was really a last straw for me. IF the story just kept going down this road, I was going to drop it. I wasn’t having fun watching Reina be oblivious to Yuna’s suffering while simultaneously ignoring her own health.

Yorita Miyuki’s “Houkenshitsu na Ano Onna” has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Those of you who are getting the English-language edition of Galette magazine are encountering a drab teacher and the glamorous women in the infirmary who obsesses her. It is becoming clearer than Tsukino-sensei and Yukino-sensei might actually be okay together.

I love Yamada Torico’s “That girl day in the life” for a number of reasons. The protagonist name is Seoyun, it’s nice to see a Korean name and it’s a refreshing change of pace from fourteen million ‘Hana”s and the like. ^_^ Her best friend who is making her question her feelings is a carefree and fun girl, but not reckless or dangerous. It’s just…sweet.

Momono Moto offers us a new work, since Kitta Izumi has backed off of writing Liberty. I’m sorry about that, but glad to see her sticking around.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

More manga, 140-character stories, Yuri discussion and illustration fill out a nice 216 page volume of Galette. I’ve already read No. 31, and hope to review that soon, as I am still trying to catch up. ^_^

This week, backers of Galette Special English Edition #2 were informed that May will see the next Kickstarter for Issue #3 (of an initial 7 planned.) We’ll be sure to let you know when that launches!