Here we are at the April 2020 issue of Comic Yuri Hime magazine(コミック百合姫2020年4月号). This year the cover theme is women in ill-fitting clothing having what always looks like furtive assignations in back alleyways and deeply weird fonts.  ^_^

A number of series have wrapped up and to fill the spots, the editorial staff have done some interesting things. This month I want to focus on two specific entries, as we did last month.

First up, in Ruume’s “Yuritsukushi no Kyoushitsu de” (ゆりづくしの教室で) which appears to be a class full of “Yuri” pairings, the first chapter is focused on establishing the people in the story, so there’s a bit of wandering about and “meeting” everyone. Among the characters we meet a fat girl, called “Sachin” by one of the other girls. Sachin is fat and pretty. She’s not slightly, vaguely plump, like we are usually given, she doesn’t just have a very slight bit of fat when we’re making a point (I’m looking at you, “Pochi Climb.”) Sachin is large. Sachin is also sparkly and kind and has food with which to feed those around her. She reminds me of my wife. ^_^ It was nice to see some body size variety that ins’t just big breasts in the magazine.

Secondly, there is at the end of the issue, a short 4-page story from/intro to the Rakugo school Yuri manga by TNSK, “Uchi no Shisho ha Shippo ga nai.” (うちの師匠はしっぽがない) You might recognize the creator’s name as the person who did the cover art for Yuri science fiction LN, Last and First Idol. I’m not yet convinced that this will be for me, but I’m willing to give it a try, as the idea of a Rakugo Yuri story works, and I’m a sucker for Taisho period stories. The first two volumes are out in Japanese (Volume 1 and Volume 2) and the series is running in Kodansha’s good!Afternoon magazine. You can read the first chapter on that site, in Japanese.  Which is why I wanted to point it out – this preview is not for a comic in Comic Yuri Hime at all. That interests me a lot. It’s not the first time we’ve seen this, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it for an already well-established comic in another magazine.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

The May 2020 issue will hit shelves on the 18th of the month which means, for the first time since this magazine went monthly I am ahead of the curve. Haha, take that, giant piles of things to read! There’s no cover image up yet, so I have no idea what monstrous font they’ll use this time. Did you notice this month the title was in English? ^_^

Last note: I think it’s time to drop the “Yuri Manga”, “Western Comic”, etc., tags from the titles on Okazu posts. Back in the day when Yuri manga or anime was super hard to find, those tags made an impression and people needed to know that that stuff was out there.

If I drop the tags from the title, will it be too difficult for you as a reader to recognize what the thing I’m reviewing is? Let me know in the comments whether you find the title tags useful or distracting!

Now that we’ve settled into to the new year’s look of artistic fonts vomiting all over the cover and ignoring the third of the magazine that makes me want to punch people, we’re all set for Comic Yuri Hime March 2020 (コミック百合姫2020年3月号). ^_^

In this volume one of the two stories that really stood out for me is “Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts,” by Usui Shio, which is a paean to building one’s self-esteem wrapped in a gentle office maybe-romance. I know it’s never going to break ground, but reminding adult women that it’s perfectly okay to not fulfill other people’s expectations is a win.

In Ohsawa Yayoi’s “Hello Melancholic” we get the back story on two of the more enigmatic members of the band, as Chika pulls Minato’s strings while telling her about her relationship with Sakiko. Minato is very easy to tease, so Chika doesn’t have to work at it too hard, but Minato is kind of cute when she overreacts. ^_^

And things are getting serious in “Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatteiru” as the happy couple celebrates a major anniversary – their first! Rings are being deployed. Presumably Hayama-sensei was galvanized by meeting her new friend last issue. ^_^

As always there are more stories I read and enjoyed and others I read…and others I didn’t read at all. ^_^;

Ratings:

Overall – 7

The good continues to be good, but the bad has shifted from marginally awful to bad. I will continue to support the good!

The April issue hit shelves in Japan today, so so far, I’m all caught up to 2020. Yay me! ^_^

Welp, I kind of knew this was coming. Statistically speaking, we were long overdue for a not-good issue of this magazine. Comic Yuri Hime, February 2020 (コミック百合姫2020年2月号) is not great.

Several new series that wallow in grotesque fetishtry and are clearly meant to appeal to people who do not like women, or want to see them happy, are combined with the end of a series by an artist who does like women and wants to see them happy, made this volume a very difficult read.  As the number of the stories that are lolicon, exploitative, and manipulative are increasing, while the number of stories about women enjoying – or learning to enjoy – being together, now number less than previously.  I find myself clinging to the few I genuinely enjoy and making my eyes glaze over as I pass by so much of the magazine. I have, in past years, continued reading what was at the time Yuri Hime, when it was down to two series I liked, but I really don’t want to return to those days.

In the middle of so much that is not good, let us rejoice in what is. It felt a tad rushed, but the ending of “Itoshi Koishi” by Takemiya Jin, gave us a couple who we can absolutely believe will have a happily-ever-after. Yayoi and Hina are cute together and we can rely on Hina to be grounded. Sure it’s a fake wedding now, but one day I hope they will get the “real” wedding they deserve.  ^_^

“Terano-sensei to Hayama-sensei ha Tsukiatteiru” did something that amazed me, in a good way. In a great way. Hayama-sensei is off to do what teachers around here call a “service day.” That is, she’s attending a class or workshop of some kind off-campus. While there, she meets a woman and they speak of their girlfriends. Together. Like adults. Hayama-sensei has been given a person to speak with who is another adult woman, in a relationship with another woman. Their meeting was part of their daily life. It was all perfectly normal, everyday life stuff. The way lives actually are. I read this chapter over three times, just to make sure I hadn’t hallucinated it.

In “Hello Melancholic” by Ohsawa Yayoi, Minato is let into the private world of the upperclassmen in her band. Chika jerks Minato’s chain about seeing Chika and Sakiko kissing, but it’s mostly because Minato’s reactions are so OTT. ^_^

“Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” by Miman finally reaches the climax its been heading towards, as Hime has to reckon on what future to choose.

Kuwabara Tamostsu’s “Anta ga Senaka o Misetara” is a one-shot of a the sort of sports drama I’d love to see a full series of. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 7

As always, there were stories I read and haven’t called out that were perfectly okay. But I worry when the fourth series starts that is very clearly designed to appeal to much lower than lowest-common denominator. Writing this review has made me feel better about what is running that is good and I hope that that will continue.

I’m picking up the March Issue today and will keep fingers crossed.