How 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. ^_^;

It has been my habit of the last few years to begin the year with an exceptional Yuri series. I immediately thought of Galette magazine, whose evolution I have been supporting since the first issue.

In 2017, in the years after the collapse of two Yuri manga magazines, several Yuri manga artists and writers built a new project – an independent, crowd-funded, quarterly Yuri manga magazine, which they named Galette.

As a publishing project, Galette has weathered a number of storms – more than one crowdfunding tool pulled out from underneath them because of credit card issues, a pandemic which impacted sales at events, and the usual kinds of obstacles magazines face of shifting readership and economic downturns. Galette has survived for seven years now and is still quarterly, which is pretty amazing for a magazine, for an independent project and for a crowdfunded work. The lineup has changed over the years, too, but the current roster includes some big Yuri names. Galette has even held a few events of its own and artists have partnered with ANCHOR rainbow port Tokyo for events at the world’s only Yuri cafe, as well. In recent issues, Galette has included its readership to provide short 140-character stories.

Last year the folks at Galette launched a Kickstarter for an English language edition. Of course I backed the project, as I have backed the Japanese edition since the beginning. I’ve reviewed Issues 1-26 here on Okazu so far, with No. 27 queued up for review soon.. Kickstartr rewards are shipping globally as we speak. Mine arrived in time to celebrate a new year and it looks even better than I expected! ^_^

My rewards package included the Galette Issue 01, an adapted edition for the English-reading audience, featuring work by Miyuki Yorita, Milk Morinaga, Haru Yatosaki, Nekohariko22, Ringo Hamano, and Izumi Kitta and Momono Moto. The cover art by pen – whose work has graced every cover since – is the same as the Japanese edition and the size is the typical B5 of a Japanese manga magazine, which provides a great reading size for the 242 surprisingly thick pages of this issue. This has always been a stylish magazine, with excellent design work by blankie and chipco design. I did not get the autograph level, but those folks who did got a page with the creators’ autographs. Because the kickstarter made it to the third stretch goal, our volumes include color pages from every creator and extra cover art by pen, as well as an under jacket color book cover by pen. pen’s cover art has been one of my favorite things about the magazine, so I’m delighted to get more. ^_^

My reward level also includes a “mini” version of the first issue of the magazine in Japanese, at about the size of a standard collected manga volume, B6 size. If you did not get this level of reward, you can still get Issue No. 1 as a digital release. This issue includes works by Amano Shuninta, Otomo Megane, Takemiya Jin, and Yotsuhara Furiko (and, as a result, you can kind of see how this magazine was a result of the demise of Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari and Tsubomi magazines.)

Also included in this reward level is a “Galette Special Booklet” which is doujinshi sized at B5, featuring a very prismatic cover of art by Milk Morinaga, with more stories by Nekohariko22, Mera Hakamada, Mono Momoto, Haru Yatosaki, Miyuki Yorita and Ringo Hamano. Like the Galette Meets supplements, these are a bit more adult than the main magazine.  I also received an adorable little set of art cards from these artists.  The production team went with Red Strings Manga for translation, after a number of backers recommended them. They have worked with other Yuri manga kickstarters and shown themselves to be very solid in their grasp of spoken English and character voice.

So, as backers, we have received the same stylish magazine we know and love from Japan, with contributions from Yuri manga artists we know and love, and an excellent translation, for an authentic reading experience.

As a perfect example of perseverance of the Yuri genre, Galette Magazine 01, Special English Edition is everything I hoped it would be – with extras!

Ratings:

Overall – 10

The Kickstarter for the second volume of Galette magazine in English has launched, so you too can be part of this project to bring independent Yuri manga to English-language bookshelves.

Yes, this review is almost a year late. While my excuse that I fell ill the very week this came out might work for this issue, it doesn’t explain the rest of them, so let’s just say that the year got away from me ^_^;

Galette, No. 25 was a really interesting volume of this crowd-funded, creator-owned magazine. I finally had time this weekend and really *read* all the way through it in a way I have not done in many issues.

Firstly, there is a short by Inui Ayu that takes a look at conformity in the workplace. This story warmed my heart and kind of made me laugh a bit at my much younger self, who wore a top hat into the office for a year or so. My first job was with a VERY conservative ad agency. I wore pants (gasp!) and got facial piercings and tattoos over the years I worked there. I took pagan holidays off. I was a constant thorn in their policies, because I did things before they thought to forbade doing them, then they couldn’t forbid them. ^_^ Rock on weirdos and noncomformists! But this story speaks to how conservative Japanese companies are. It’s only very recently a very, few Japanese companies have allowed employees – even employees with naturally lighter hair – to wear any color other than black or dark brown.

Also of note is a story by Kase-san creator Takashima Hiromi, a sweet little school life story.

Hakamada Mera’s “Aikata System” continues with Abiko-sempai being just so annoying and manipulative that you can’t like her but Cairo finds that, the idea of not being her partner if the Aikata system is revised, is devastating, after all.

My favorite story was “Yoru ni Tsutsumaru,” by Uno Junior, a brief little tale about how dangerous it is for women to hike in the mountains at night, because you might meet the god of the mountain, she might eat you, become a human and the two of you may live whole lives together. ^_^

Te magazine ends with a long interview with Inui Ayu-sensei about how she going into manga, and Yuri. Here’s an amazing fact – Comic Yuri Hime magazine has existed since she was in elementary school. … I don’t feel old at all…..

Overall – 9

As these issues have been piling up on my desktop – I am getting the digital copies of the magazines as a backer – it has felt a little intimidating to get back into reading it. Now that I have finally read this volume, I’m jazzed about hitting the next one! Galette No. 26 (ガレット) is available in print and digital.