With today’s review, I am caught up with Galette magazine! Galette No. 34 (ガレット) was a wonderful issue, which made me just that much happier. 

In no particular order, I really enjoyed,Nehohariko22’s “Torokeru Heya no Naka”which is a ridiculous story and a ridiculous premise, but I like it anyway, as a girl let’s classmate crash at her place because she doesn’t want to lose contact with her, and the guest finds that her classmate is actually a popular and successful writer or erotica. This story is also featured on the mini-clearfile that came with this volume and Mimi’s Owari Sazanami,” about two friends suddenly really realize how they feel about one another.

Kitta Izumi and Momono Moto’s “Liberty” is back! With a time skip. It works, honestly. The story had gotten caught in a corner with itself and skipping forward a couple of years frees it up to end with joy. I wholly approve.

Morinago Milk came in with “Himitsu no Recipe” bring us just about to or to the end of the second volume (I’m too lazy to check) and “Watashi no Kawaii Neko-chan” in which chronic anxiety is still the major plot point, but still Reina is now addressing her hypersomnia, so it’s time for Yuna to, hopefully, build her business. 

Yorita Miyuki’s “Houkenshitsu no Ano Onna” has done a 180, as we learn that Tsukino-sensei has been watching Yukino-sensei all this time.

Sakuraya Yukino offers her continuing maid story, and Nakato Nui’s not-creepy doll, but still creepy doll story continues, as well. Inui Ayu gets a center color page for her story about a girl who contracts with a cool, masculine woman for a “date,” in order to try and get used to the idea of dating a boy, but she falls hard. The pages of this volume are filled with the 140 character stories, and another novelette chapter and Yuri’kko Research column, celebrations of Galette‘s 8th anniversary and the English-language volumes, for a very satisfying 34th issue. 

I never less than thrilled that this magazine has survived this long and I look forward to another year of creator-owned, crowd-funded Yuri fun with the folks at Galette WORKS. 

Ratings: 

Overall – 9

You know what this means, right? I am caught up! Volume 34 is in my to-read pile as a digital file and will eventually be on the way as a print volume. Phew.

The physical edition of Galette, No. 33 (ガレット) includes a small clearfile with art by Nekohariko22 of the characters in her new series, “Torokeru Heya no Naka.” A young woman is so unwilling to lose the presence of an emotionally distant classmate she admires, that when told the girl was leaving school, offers her a place to stay. Immediately her mind wanders to other things that might happen between them.

“Houkenshitsu no Ano Onna” by Yorita Miyuki, finally turns to relly look at that woman in the infirmary. Her life has not been idyllic. Tsukino-sensei lost her parents while in school. Rumors about her were comon. She’s always had her eye on Yukino-sensei, however…

In Yamada Toriko’s “That Girl – Day In the Life,” the secret thoughts of our protagonist Chidori are not sunshine and lolipops. She finds herself looking for someone everywhere she is. Like looking for just the right outfit, she knows, when she comes home to the woman she loves…this is the one.

Morinaga Milk’s “Watashi no Kawaii Neko-chan” Rena is once again sure that she is holding Yuna back, but wants to go home and tell her parents about them. Will Yuna come? (Of course she will, but not without agonizing…)

Miho’s story was the winner for me. A new teacher comes to school and Itsuki is sure that she won’t be remembered…but she is. This story was incredibly sweet, as short as it was.

Morinaga Milk’s “Himitsu no Recipe” come to the close of the summer camp arc, about 2/3 through Volume 2 of the series.

“Start no Soko e” by Miim follows the story of a woman who is surprised to learn that the woman she and her friend encountered on the street is actually her friend’s ex-girlfriend, and that her friend is in love with her.

Hituji offers an “odd couple” story of a good student who wishes to be more free, like Nakazato, who somehow doesn’t seem to care about what people thing.

“Mitsumeru Sakini” gives us a classic girl finding herself looking differently at another girl…but actually telling her that she’s cute is a good start. ^_^

This volume gives us the end of the short story, “Gomen ne, aisteru,” more 140 character stories, and one illustrated story. And of course color art by the creators.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

This was a particularly good volume. It feels like Galette has weathered a(nother) storm and is back into peaceful waters, growing their creator list again. If the world can just stop blowing up for a few issues, that would be great. I look forward to another great year of this creator-owned, crowdfunded Yuri manga magazine!

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. ^_^