Archive for the Magazines Category


Yuri Manga: Game

August 29th, 2014

gametjI’ve been saving this review for a really good day. The weather today is perfect. We took a long walk, enjoyed fresh vegetables from local farms for our meals and it seemed awfully like today was pretty perfect. And so, it seems the right time to review game by Takemiya Jin-sensei, a lovely collection of her stories from Comic Yuri Hime. (Also available on Kindle in Japan.)

In the first half of this volume, we return to Mayu and Saki’s school from Omoi no Kakera. (Saki even makes a brief, uncredited cameo.) Moriko is facinated by the foreign student in class, Becky. Becky’s smart, attractive…she’s shiny. And when she really gets a good long look at Moriko, she sees a strong resemblance to a character she really likes in a series of h-games. Becky adapts some pretty underhanded tactics, moves past Moriko’s boundaries and seduces her.

But Moriko can’t shake the idea that it’s not Moriko, Becky sees, but Mako-nyan. Making things worse, Becky seems awfully close – and similar to- Moriko’s gay older sister. Moriko feels like any sincere relationship isn’t possible with Becky not being truthful about her real interest. As Moriko realizes that she herself is interested in Becky, it all becomes intolerable.

Thankfully, some honest discussion solves matters and the two end up as a happy otaku couple. This story plays with the idea of fandom, using doujinshi games, novels, manga and cosplay as tools in Becky’s seduction of Moriko, as well as insight to her/our inner lives. There’s a bit of service of very fannish variety. More implication of things happening than actual explicit scenes.

The second half of the volume ties up Satomi and Nana’s story. Satomi, you may remember, came to understand herself in the “Mekakushi no Koi” story arc in steps. We originally met Nana back in Kila Kila, when she had a crush on her best friend Youko’s sister, Tsukiko.  Now, finally, circumstances forces  Nana to be honest about her feelings for Satomi and to see that Satomi has always been honest with her. I very much like how Satomi, who was reserved and frightened when we fist met her, has really become completely comfortable with herself and is now a bit of a tease. ^_^

It’s a wonderful wrap up to stories set in this increasingly populated world that Takemiya-sensei has created for us!

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 10
Yuri – 9 / Lesbian – 9
Service  –  6

Overall – 10

I’m always insanely happy to read and review another collection from one of my favorite authors. This was a perfect way to end a perfect day. ^_^

***

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Yuri Manga: Rakuen Le Paradis, Volume 15 (楽園 Le Paradis)

August 24th, 2014

RLP15By Volume 15, Rakuen Le Paradis has settled into a routine. Thankfully, it’s a routine I’m really comfortable with. ^_^ The stories are a mix of genres with a hard edge of WTF, which I approve of, even if I don’t always enjoy it. And I frequently do. I’m still reading and enjoying wholly straight romance by Mizutani Fuuka (“14-sai no Koi”) and Kazuma Kowo (“Darling”). There are a number of series I read, but have no idea if I like, honestly, like everything by Nakamura Asumiko and Ninomiya Hikaru. And there’s Yuri, some of which I love.

Topping the “I love this” is Takemiya Jin’s “Omoi no Kakera,” which comes to a completion, at last. It’s a pretty gentle landing for a series that started rambunctiously. Mika is happy, Saki and Mayu have a chance to be happy and I’m hoping we’ll get more from her. Her name isn’t on the roster for Volume 16.  :-(

Nishi UKO’s “Collectors” was actually laugh out loud funny this time, as Shinobu sparks a meme of a sort, and  “demande” was a paean to sweets, work and a happy life.

Kurosaki Rendou is getting soft. This volume had a Yuri story not filled with manipulation or BDSM. Kinda creeped me out, to be honest. ^_^; I kept waiting for the boot to drop.

A little surprisingly, Sengoku Hiroko’s Yuri one-shot is now a short series. The teacher and the student have it out between them. The student asks the teacher to teach her about love. The teacher responds with an important first lesson about consent.

Not Yuri, but loads of fun was Unita Yumi’s (creator of Usagi Drop) story “Nemuri-hime” about a middle school girl dragged into godhead by a wandering kami. It was just delightful. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

Rakuen Le Paradis remains my favorite magazine with it’s eclectic collection of stories, art and perspective.





Rakuen Le Paradis (楽園Le Paradis) Magazine, Volume 14

August 4th, 2014

In the light of Hirari magazine folding, I’m even happier than usual to still have Rakuen Le Paradis(楽園Le Paradis). This magazine, which is sex- and fetish-friendly, has so far been pretty good to us Yuri fans, but I’m not taking anything for granted.

Volume 14 has a few ongoing series and a surprise or two.

“Collectors” traces Shinobu’s hunt for a specific edition of a specific book and is amusing in a way only book collectors will understand. ^_^

For once, Kurosaki Rendou allows the to girls in his story “Ren Lao” to not have nasty hideous sex. That’s was a surprise.. ^_^;

Aoki Ume has been added to the roster, but her story, while adorable, is straight as the day is long. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her work that isn’t a vaguely Yuri-ish story. It was actually refreshing. That makes, her, Kowo Kazuma snd Mziutani Fuuka all manga artists that I became aware of through Yuri, doing straight romance in this magazine.

Meanwhile Sengoku Hiroko, whom you may remember from the Mikazuki no Mitsu collection, has returned to Yuri with an uncomfortable student/teacher pairing in “Usuyamigari no Mune no Uchi.” (“Uncomfortable pairing” effectively covers about half the stories in this magazine and “hideously adorable pairing” covers the other half.)

Nishi Uko’s second offering this volume is “Roulette” which is quite possibly my favorite 4-page comic ever, as lovers kiss, they let the traffic light decide when they will finally part.

Take miya Jin’s “Omoi no Kakera” is drawing to a close, you can tell, because Mayu finally approaches Mika about what she overheard between the upperclassman and Saki. And, for the first time, Mika acts as an upperclassman and sempai, offering Mayu some common sense about her best friend. The next chapter will probably be the climax of this series, which made it three volumes, so that’s something!

Ratings:

Overall – 7

Volume 15 is already sitting here, I’d better get reading. ^_^





Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari to Cease Publication

July 30th, 2014

Volume 14 of Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari is the final volume of the magazine.

According to Comic Natalie’s report, a few additional collected volumes will be released after suspension, including Morishima Akiko’s “Seijun Shoujo Paradigm” (聖純少女パラダイム) and Kari Sumako’s “Watashi no Iyana Tomodachi” (私の嫌いなおともだち（仮）).

Currently on sale from Hirari Comics is Takasaki Hiromi’s Obentou to Kaze-san. (おべんとうと加瀬さん。) and Kazama Ayami’s Hoshi wo Futari de (星をふたりで)。

There’s a sense of creeping irony here for me, as I just recently pronounced it apparently stable. After 13 volumes, I finally relaxed and expected it to be sustainable for a bit. Still 5 and half years and 14 volumes is a good run and everyone who worked on it should be proud of their work.

Now we’re back to just one Yuri manga and there’s definitely room for more in the market. A number of my favorite manga artists are shifting back to doujinshi work. I hope someone will step up and start another Yuri magazine. I’m available, if they need help. ^_^





Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, Volume 13 (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり)

July 16th, 2014


 The cover of Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, Volume 13 (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり) is a bit of a tease, as it shows the characters from Amakure Gido’s Shuden ni ha Kaeshimasu, which is over and done with. :-( But it’s still a cute picture.

The lead story by Itou Hachi, “Haru no  Minuet” is a lovely story about a girl who becomes close with a hearing-impaired classmate. I’d love to see more Yuri stories that include issues of ability (and, gosh, folks, if you’re drawing/writing Yuri or lesbian-themed work, let’s get some diversity in there!)

In “Taiyou to Kaze-san,” Yamada and Kaze get to spend the day together in the pool. This series is so sweet it hurts.

I adored Shimano Yae’s “Makoto Gohan” for many reasons, none of which will be surprising. An adult woman, in a long term relationship with another women who communicates her love through food. This is my life and it made me extra happy to see it in manga form.

In Morishima Akiko’s “Shoujo Paradigm” Masami and Midori need to work out just exactly what their relationship is, really.

Morinaga Milk’s “Ohime-sama no Himitsu” takes a turn. As Miu and Fujiwara-sempai decide to give their relationship a real go, Fujiwara’s fans desert her for another cool sempai-type, Hirozawa, since Miu has Fujiwara wrapped up. Fujiwara is clearly happy with their new course, but Miu is starting to think she’s holding everyone back from being happy….This series started out a s bit of fluff, but I think we’ll get at least one solid volume from it, and with the new chapter, I’m really hoping for  two and a decent story. It definitely has potential.

What do you do if the person you didn’t know you liked tells you she has a girlfriend? This is is what Akuta Fumie asks in “watashi no sukina anokonokoto.”

“Under One Roof” continues to roll around in the same scene over and over as Miho comes home to her landlady’s gay friends over for dinner and innuendo once more, but it works for me. ^_^

As always there are many other stories and artists of note in this issue and surely there will be something  that will appeal in this solid Yuri anthology magazine.

Ratings:

Overall – 8