Well, it had to happen. The May volume of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫2023年5月号) was mostly not of interest to me. There’s a lot of stories that have sex portrayed in a way that is super unappealing to me. Coerced, manipulated, not an expression of love, but of power or desperation. It’ll never be my thing, but if you love shocked/unhappy faces in your sex scenes…enjoy.

There were a small handful of go-to series that I read.

We finally got Lorelei’s performance at the Battle of the Bands and of course it was super intense after Shiho dumped her whole heart on Aki in Takeshima Eku’s “Sasayakuyou ni Koi wo Utau.” I’m kind of sorry the anime will never get this far in the manga.

This chapter of “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou,” written by inori and illustrated by Aonishimo, is the very-intense Undead Hunt, which will lead up to a shock next month. Speaking of anime, we have a date for the ILTV anime! Clear your calendar in Oct 2023.

Miman’s “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” goes somewhere I feared it might, but manages to work it’s way through a deeply awkward and painful moment for Kanako and Sumika. I finally have hope that we’ll see them both come out of this okay, now. Phew.

For some reason a number of the stories I genuinely like are all headed off various cliffs, some of which are plot, but a few feel a bit like “who needs a plot when we have drama?” So overall, this was not my favorite issue ever. But that happens and then the next issue comes out and we’ll be good again. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 5

I would like a few more new stories about non-moe characters doing interesting things and falling in love, and much less about unpleasant high school girls being manipulative and creepy, but YMMV.

I know I’m running way behind on Comic Yuri Hime magazine. I have been unable to go to the Japanese bookstore since March, and reading Japanese was too much effort for me until recently. So, I’ll do my best to get the May and June issues asap and get caught up.

In the meantime, let’s look at what is now ancient history in manga years, the April issue of Comic Yuri Hime. ^_^

To begin with, our cover story seems to have hit a major turning point, as our two protagonists dance together in a gymnasium. I love how Mebachi’s story has slowly moved from almost-monochrome, to adding a little color with every passing month.

“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou” written by inori and drawn by Aonishimo, heads into the Euclid arc. There are a number of things that the manga can do that the LN could not, so I’m finding this iteration very interesting.

In “Sasayakouyouni Koi wo Utau,” by Takeshima Eku, Shiho takes time before the battle of the bands to tell Aki how she feels. Finally. Phew. Now can we have the battle of the bands? ^_^

Usui Shio’s “Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemita” turns a page, as Rio packs up and goes home. All of them have been changed for the better, but Kurumi and Ruriko have their place to themselves once again…then the phone rings.

Deep breath, because “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” has consequences to deal with. Youko may be gone at last, but her actions have fundamentally screwed with Kanako and Sumika. I do want to spoil this chapter a bit because one of the two things I wanted to see in this arc was Sumika punch Youko (the other thing would have been Nene punching Youko.) Well, we get a beautiful punch here as an opener. It was very gratifying.

Keyyang’s “Kimi to Shiranai Natsu ni Naru,” has taken a realistic and somewhat depressing turn. Can Haru and Hi-chan turn this around and find their ideal life? I’ll have to wait to find out!

And last for me, “Oodoriba Skirt ni Naru,” by Utatane Yuu, also shifts a bit as Michiru gets ill from an oncoming typhoon and Kiki takes care of her. When she wakes up, Michiru finally comes to the conclusion that she’s falling for Kiki-sempai. I still love this manga and hope it just keeps dancing along.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

As always there are other stories I read and some I did not. Each issue is a good balance between things that keep my attention and things that are for people who are not me. Honestly, I’m just really glad to be reading manga again. ^_^

So, what do we think of the cover art story this year by Mebachi? In a sense, the lack of color is a bold choice, after last years’ brightly colored and textured cover images. It still feels like a one-sided love story, but that remains to be seen.

The magazine gets off to a bangin’ start as things we’ve been waiting for in “Sasayakuyou ni Koi wo Utau” collide. Of the several things we have our eye on – Shiho, Aki, the battle of the bands, and Yori and Hima, I care less about everything than the last. Before Yori gets up on stage once again, they share a lovely kiss. A moment of joy.

I can’t wait to see this as an anime. ^_^ Color pages give us a glimpse at the seiyuu comments and staff.

“Osoto Gohan wo Goissho ni” teaches Japanese readers to make a fat sandwich. I doubt anyone cares, but fat sandwiches were birthed at my alma mater while I was there as an undergrad.  As you watch Fuuka and Yomogi eat a burger with fries on the roll with the burger, you can tip a hat to the excellent grease trucks of Rutgers University. Especially the Sunrise food truck – they made the best damn fat burgers on the planet. I miss those burgers.  ^_^ (Chalk this up to things you’d never expected to learn on Okazu. I was an OG fat sandwich eater. I skipped class to get those burgers.)

Middle of the book color pages include info on the upcoming Yuri is My Job! anime. And then..”Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” goes to the place I was really worried it might go to. This was a “Holy Shit!” chapter as Youko does something we really wish she would not do. The consequences are immediate. I refuse to spoil this, but I will say that the thing I didn’t want was followed by one of the two things I did want. Now we just need another of those and the other thing I want and I’ll be happy. ^_^ Holy shit, Miman-sensei… .

Claire and Rae are walking around Euclid and Claire is getting a completely different view of this commoner she’s finding it increasingly difficult to not admire. We see that Rae has many things she does not explain to Claire…and Claire feels left out. Claire is also made much more aware of the limitations of commoners’ lives…and the Ship of the Undead approaches. in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.”

Shizuku is finally forced to face the truth about Kaori in “Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata” and it finally galvanizes her to finish the novel and talk with this girl she’s come to care about. But, will it be too late? I hate to be rude about this story, but, look, either Kaori’s gonna die, or she won’t, and both endings are a little trite.

As always there was a lot I haven’t mentioned here. The Yuri Hime editors’ symposium and the continuing look at design in the magazine, and many other comics. There is a lot right now I’m not reading, but I don’t hold that against the magazine. I just hope there will be some new series that capture my attention! The April issue is out on Japanese shelves and I should be getting it shortly, so we’ll see. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 7

I do want to say one tangential thing which is relevant to the editors’ symposium. A whole lot of Yuri recommendations in the past year have suggested Takopi’s Original Sin as a fantastic story . I have to say – I found it to be one of the most unpleasant and traumatizing things I’ve read in years. I not only don’t recommend it, but would like you to understand that it is about child abuse and bullying in very real and awful ways. There is a kind of Yuri, and a not-entirely-awful end, but I would not call it happy. So should you see that suggested on a Yuri reading list, consider it with all the content warnings you can imagine. I found it to be an appalling thing that I can not scour from my memory. Your mileage, I hope, may vary.