Archive for the Magazines Category


Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime, May 2013 (コミック百合姫)

June 4th, 2013

The cover of the May 2013 Issue of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫) shows us a springy scene with what I imagine some people will see as a cute girl carrying boxes outside a door and what I imagine that some people will see as cute cats. Inside the cover, she comes into a comfy space with another girl, with hearts and cats all around. The cover can be cut to create a door to be opened, which will give the scene a sense of motion. This “Spring of Life” is as good a beginning as any, although I kind of miss the crazy violence of Kazuaki’s work. ^_^

I’m going to say this straight up – I liked Takahashi Mako’s story this time. Well, I liked the idea of an imouto-bot who says all the stock things one expects from a “little sister,” Yuri-style. Someone will make a lot of money off this idea someday. I hope it’s Takahashi-sensei.

Takemiya-sensei’s “Nakushimono Okurimono” returns us to Satomi  and Nana and the uncomfortable sense Satomi has that Nana still has feelings for Youko. (All of which is dealt with in Kila Kila.) Satomi comes up with a cute and creative way to resolve the issue.

Sa-chan and Ruki are on an inevitable course now, in ““Watashi no Sekai o Kousei Suru Chiri no You na Nanika” but it’s Remi who awakens Saki to the idea of being with a woman.

Of all the stories in this issue, the one that’s sticking with me is Osawa Yayoi’s, “Strange Babies”, the continuation of Black Yagi to Gekiyaku Madeline. Yagi, having never truly been socialized, is trying hard to be normal, while Madoka find herself cut off by Kokoto’s dominance of Yagi’s time and attention. Kokoto’s obsession is uncomfortable-making, a fair echo of fans who want more from idols than they can reasonably give. It’s very hard to know if Kokoto wants to be with Yagi, be Yagi’s lover, or just *be* Yagi. She may not know herself. All the while, Madoka finds herself pushed aside but incapable of saying anything. It’s also difficult to know if Yagi understands what is going on. It’s my guess that she really does not. ARGH. Frustrating story, but I’m emotionally engaged with it, so good. But ARGH. ^_^

For me, this was not a strong volume. The first half of the magazine this issue had too many physically and emotionally abused, neglected, broken and unhappy girls and way too much emphasis on love saving the day. It’s not cool, editors, not cool at all, to put love or having a lover in the position of “thing that will save you.” It doesn’t work like that and you know it.

Ratings:

Overall – 5

I will never ever enjoy a story where, to save the day, someone has to hit someone else over the head with a rock. If that’s your punchline, you’re on the wrong track for writing a good story.





Yuri Manga: Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari (ピュア百合アンソロジーひらり) Volume 10

May 20th, 2013

I note that I have five markers in the pages of Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari  Volume 10 (ピュア百合アンソロジーひらり), which is a very good sign. ^_^ Also note the very “Yuri classic” stylish cover by Konno  Kita.

In “Ichigo Drops to Kase-sen” Kase-san and Yamada-san take their relationship to a new level, finding a moment for some gentle intimacy on the class trip. One of the things I very much like about this series is how slowly it is progressing. This not the typical rushing from “we like one another” to “we’re together” to “have sex,” one so often sees. It’s perfectly plausible – and sweet – to see a relationship at this age develop at a more leisurely pace. This series continues to be the benchmark of the anthology, IMHO.

In Morishima-sensei’s “Seijun Shoujo Paradigm” Aoi and Lily find themselves on something that’s awfully like a date without meaning to be. I’ve wondered for years if this is a universal lesbian thing – apparently, it is. ^_^

“Majyou and Hikikomori” was just silly. As in Scape-God, sometimes a shut-in just needs a powerful magical creature of her own. In this case, to cook and clean for her lazy ass.

Mitsuki has a chance to fall in love with her lover Ayumu all over again in “Chandelier Stardust.”

But, the story that really did it for me this volume is a little princess and her knight ditty that was relatively standard until the final panel that was evidently meant to look like a piece of medieval artwork. Bing! Bing! We have a winner. ^_^

Ratings –

Variable, of course, it’s an anthology

Overall – 7

Hirari has settled into a very solid Yuri anthology and I am starting to anticipate getting each new volume, a far cry from my original apathy.





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime, March 2013 (コミック百合姫)

March 13th, 2013

Comic Yuri Hime, March 2013 (コミック百合姫) has so much going on that upon first glance, my thought was, “The most recent issue of Comic Yuri Hime feels like the end times. There’s a wedding, gay pride and an older couple. Whoah.”

Well, upon reading it all the way through, I would like to revise that to “The most recent issue of Comic Yuri Hime feels like the end times. There’s a wedding, gay pride, an older couple and a HELICOPTER! Whoah!”

But I get ahead of myself. ^_^

There is a wedding. Minamoto Hisanari’s “Fu~Fu” comes to a close in the goopiest, most smile-making way possible, as Kina and Sumi make vows that have meaning to them.

There is gay pride, as Takemiya Jin’s story of Satomi’s discovery of herself as a young lesbian comes to an end with Satomi telling Asuna off for her LGBTQ-loathing vision of what life should be like and standing up for her own normal. The end of this series echoes what I have so often longed for in others – take the lesbian out of the dysfunctional relationship and plop her down in a functional one.

There are older characters. I’m afraid I’ll never like Takahashi Mako’s idea of “romantic” but they do indeed grow old together in “Yuki Bara, Akai Bara.”

There is a breakup in “Watashi no Sekai o Kousei Suru Chiri no You na Nanika” that looks like a real breakup. The first that I have ever seen in manga. No histrionics, just two people who have irreconcilable differences. Darn you, Amano-sensei. I really wanted them to work it out.

There is good and bad and schoolgirls and adults in this issue of Comic Yuri Hime.

But more importantly than all of this.

There is a helicopter. ^_^ (As Mathilde says, “Let’s face it: it wouldn’t be proper Yuri without the helicopters.”)

In “Love Gene Double XX.” But  I’m not going to tell you why. In any case, it’s utterly beside the point. The point is, despite all logic, the newest, strangest, most delightful Yuri trope – forget butches on motorcycles – is helicopters. Hee hee hee! ^_^

 

Ratings:

Overall – 9

Not just because of the helicopter, but it helped. ^_^ Do you think I ought to add “Helicopter” as a Category, I wonder?

 





Yuri Manga: Pure Yuri Anthology, Hirari (ピュア百合アンソロジーひらり) Volume 9

March 5th, 2013

hirari9Pure Yuri Anthology, Hirari  Volume 9 (ピュア百合アンソロジーひらり) pulls out the big guns right from the start. Opening with a Morinaga Milk story about a bad choice that goes good,  using the setup of popular, athletic girl gets together with nice girl, it segues beautifully into Takashima Hiromi’s continuing series about Kase and Yamada, another athletic, popular girl and nice girl couple.

Kita Konno has an interesting little tale of gender, sexuality and acceptance of self, followed by Hakamada Mera’s fantasy of having a good excuse to not have to accept one’s self.

The standout story this issue, however, is set in that typical mythical private girl’s school, with gorgeous, accomplished onee-sama and average underclassmen pining away with admiration. Once again, Morishima Akiko-sensei is the recipient of *my* admiration with this chapter of “Seijun Shoujo Paradigm.”

Lily is still pining after Reika-sama, but Aoi cheers her up with heart-pounding collection of “Yuri” stories. They are all excited when they learn that schoolmate Midori is the author. They express how much they like the story, and Aoi says that she wishes she could see the characters after high school, together. Midori is confused by the request. This isn’t that kind of love – it’s just teen love, a love between young people in school. After school they’ll graduate, separate, get boyfriends, etc. Thinking about how unfair this is, Aoi starts to cry. They two girls are so in love, she sobs, they give it their all, and then they won’t even get to be together?  Lily comforts her by reminding her it’s just a story, but Aoi passionately swears that she’ll stay with Lily and help her find a real love, someone with whom she’s destined to be together forever!

What Lily and Aoi don’t know, is that Midori’s insistence on harsh reality has hurt another, as well. Secretly, class rep Toudou and Midori are a couple, but Midori’s been hurt by Toudou’s lack of verbal affection. They work through their issues and I hope to see Midori accept her new reality with a less unfair story for Aoi and Lily. ^_^

The most important thing about this chapter was, of course, Aoi’s passionate defense of stories that go beyond high school. As we know, lesbians don’t die or go straight just because they graduate. When one has one’s own place to live, income and schedule, it actually becomes easier to have a “real” relationship, not less easy.  Aoi, and Morishima-sensei through her, speaks for many of us (certainly for me!) when she says she wants to read more post school-life Yuri.

Ironically, since the editor of Hirari said that they probably wouldn’t be shifting away from school-life stories. And yet…

…I’m noticing more stories about adults seeping through the cracks, like Ohsawa Amane’s “Omiashi o Koko e,” a tale of shoe fetistry and emotional connection and Fujio’s continuing series,  “Under One Roof, which takes a surprising turn.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

So, almost despite itself, Hirari is becoming serious competitor to Comic Yuri Hime, with a wider range of stories, the occasional chapter with serious impact…and more stories about adults. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Collectors, Volume 1 (コレクターズ）

February 14th, 2013

In honor of Valentine’s Day I can think of no better candidate for review than Nishi UKO’s Collectors, from the pages of Rakuen Le Paradis magazine.

Nito Shinobu collects books. Kanzaki Takako is interested in fashion and collects clothes. The two of them love each other very much but, as they both consider their future together, their competing use of space could make living together awkward. ^_^;

With their friend Naomi and “the other one,” the unnamed friend who makes up the fourth in their group, Shinobu and Takako’s life together is detailed in amusingly realistic 4-koma strips or chapter-long stories.

From how they met, to Shinobu hiding from her students at a book store, to going away with friends, to bickering and moments of intimacy, their lives look remarkably like a real life that a real couple might have, rather than the melodramatic extremes of so much manga. For me, Collectors is a refreshing, realistic, fun look at a relationship between women who love each other. Weird huh? I mean really weird. Because there is hardly any manga like this.

Here’s my favorite scene – Shinobu, standing with Naomi and the other one (Okay, let’s just pick a name for her. Put your suggestions in the comments section and I’ll pick one, and send it to Nishi UKO-sensei as a suggestion. ^_^) waiting for Takako to arrive, when  Shinobu says Takako is heading towards them. Naomi asks where, as a woman walks up to them. Takako’s changed her hair color, but Shinobu knows it’s her from meters away. ^_^

They snipe at one another about each other’s collection habits, they have tender moments with hands entwined in each other’s hair, they live and they love. Just like me and my wife, just like you and your girlfriend, just like lesbians whose relationship does not end with a kiss or graduation. This is what after the happily-ever-after really looks like.

Whether you collect glasses, boyfriends, books or clothes, Happy Valentine’s Day from myself and everyone at Yuricon & ALC Publishing!

Ratings:

Art – 10
Story – 10 Life. What could be funnier, more poignant or more interesting?
Characters – 10
Yuri – 10
Service – 1

Overall – 10

As I read this book before bed, I look fondly over the multiple piles of books-to-read next to my bed and smile. I’m on Team Shinobu. ^_^

Go ahead and put your suggestions for Takako’s friend’s name in the comments. ^_^