Archive for the Magazines Category


Yuri Manga: Salomelic (さろめりっく)

October 23rd, 2012

Like most transfer students, Salome is trailed by rumor, innuendo and scandal. In conjunction with her dark, gothic image and her lonely expression, this makes her a target. In  Salomelic, from Hirari Comics, Salome is indeed a melancholic character.

The rumors say that Salome is a witch, that she uses magic to cheat on her grades and that *something* – what exactly, no one is sure – caused her to move from her former school. As with most lives, the reality is a bit tamer…Salome moves around a lot because her mother is a fortune-teller who leaves town after her love affairs fall apart. Oh, but Salome is a witch.

Salome is befriended by the allegorically named Hikari, who brings light into her dark life. As they grow closer, Hikari is rejected by her old friends, but it all gets patched up after a bit. Salome is happy using her magic making chocolates for Hikari and her friends, but nothing stays the same for long. Salome’s feelings for Hikari are not just “friendship” and she appears to be losing her magic…and to add insult to injury, her mother wants to move again!

Even typing all this out, it is a tad exhausting. Hakamada Mera has squeezed in all of her pet plot complications, making Salomelic into a bit of a rushed mess. But of course, in the end, everyone lives happily ever after – and kind of nicely, even after happily ever after. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7
Character – 7
Yuri – 6
Service – 1

Overall – 7

I’m never honestly sure if I’m being extra hard on Hakamada-sensei or if I really think she has something special in her that we just haven’t seen. I’m going to presume its the latter and hold out for a story by her written with some real conviction and passion. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫) September 2012

September 11th, 2012

September’s Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫) starts off with a shock! moment for the characters of Namori’s cover story. This is followed by color page after color page singing the praises of the new Yuru Yuri anime, goods, manga, goods, CDs and goods.

Ohsawa Yayoi’s “Double Bind” was a pretty awesome throwback to the old days of doujinshi by lesbians for a strictly lesbian audience. It has the angst level of of a story by Ang (who, I one day hope to see suddenly pop up out of the woodwork again.) A relationship ends, re-starts and ends once more only to start again, fresh.

“Rock It Girl” comes to a climax, but not the last one. Happily this story will get at least one more, and perhaps a few more chapters after that. I’m so pleased that it hasn’t been cut off just as it’s beginning to get on a roll.

“Love Gene XX” also comes to a climax, as well. Momiji confesses her feelings to Aoi who is suddenly thunderstruck with the obvious about her feelings for Sakura. Aoi runs off to the mountain woods and, as a real thunderstorm starts, Sakura runs off after her. Will Erika-sama be wiling to sacrifice her own fiance’ in order to get revenge against Aoi? Who knows….

Kazuma Kowo’s “Namae ha mada nai” is her very typical play of facial expressions, body language and simple words as a backdrop to a play of emotions that belies the simplicity with which it is presented. Neither we nor the main character understands, yet, what the unnamed honor student has in mind.

Kanana and Shiroyuki are wracked with doubts, but poignant and sweet advice from Sumi and Kinana saves the day in Miyamoto Hisanori’s “Fu~Fu.”

As Fueko and Asuna’s relationship falls apart, we learn about how it began in Amano Syuninta’s “Watashi no Sekhai o Kousei Suru Gomi no You na Nanika”.

Kiss marks are the topic of the day in “Leave Hickey” by Takemiya Jin.

And it looks like Kimiko’s story is coming to a close in Morishima Akiko’s “Renai Joshi Tantei File.”

There are many, many other stories in this volume, tear-jerkers, 4-panel gags and Story A galore, for readers of many interests.

Ratings:

Overall – 8





Yuri Invades JManga (Again!) With Yuru Yuri

August 23rd, 2012

In the 1960s the British Invasion was led by the Beatles, in the 2000s, the Manga Invasion was led by Tokyopop and in the 2010s, the Yuri Invasion is led by JManga and ALC Publishing!

Today on JManga, namori-sensei’s hit manga series from the pages of Comic Yuri Hime, Yuru Yuri lands with the kind of splash that only 4 girls sitting around doing absolutely nothing could provide! (Judges’ score: 10 out of 10 for having fun)

For fans of Yuru Yuri, there is a contest quiz – answer questions that show your knowledge of the series and be entered to win prizes and great fame. ^_^

And last, (but not least, because I wrote it,, so don’t forget to tell JManga how awesome it is, ^_^) JManga’s Poi Poi features an essay I wrote about the Yuri publishing landscape in Japan from 2003-2012, called The Yuri Scene in Japan 2003 – 2012. Enjoy!

More Yuri manga will be coming in the days ahead and more promotional fun from JManga, Ichijinsha and ALC Publishing!





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime, July 2012 (コミック百合姫)

July 30th, 2012

Comic Yuri Hime,(コミック百合姫) July 2012 starts off with a new story by Kazuma Kowo (yaaaayyy!!!) “Namae ha Mada Nai”, about a transfer student who, I hope, will turn another student’s life upside down. ^_^ 

Shin Yui bridges the gap between two languages in “Niñas”.

 “Mashoujo” takes a manipulative and evil-eyebrowed look at a teacher/student relationship.” Sakamoto Mano’s ending is a handwave, but I can’t trust eyebrows like that…ever.

Ohsawa Yayoi’s “Chemical Romance” is the second Yuri story I’ve read this year that deals with allergies. I love the fact that everyday things like this are creeping into our Yuri fantasies. ^_^;;

Takemiya Jin’s “Step Forward” brings Ryouko’s relationship with Ah-chan to a bit of a climax, as Ryouko waits for the older woman to say “I love you” back…to complicate matters their relationship is discovered by one of Ryouko’s classmates – who has no intention of blabbing, she says, she’s got a girlfriend too.

“Renai Joshiko Tantei File” by Mizoguchi Akiko, digs a little into the backstory behind Saki’s ex, Kimiko, how she finds Saki again and how her assistant helps her (well, forces her, yelling the whole while…!) to move on.

“Inugami-san and Nekoyama-san” adds a mouse, Nezu Mikine, (nezumi means mouse) and a cow, Ushiwaka Yukiji, (ushi means cow) to the menagerie.

Amano Syuninta’s “Watashi no Sekhai o Kousei Suru Gomi no You na Nanika” as expected, brings the issue of Sa-chan’s emotionally abusive boyfriend to a head and amazingly, sets it aside with way less damage than I expected. Phew. 

“Fu~Fu” proves that the author really does understand lesbians, when Kina and Su-chan foster a cat. But in the end, they decide to stick with their two-human relationship.

“Ame-iro Kochakan Kandan ~ Golden tips and Silver tips~” proves to us once and for all that people who refer to themselves in the third person are odd. Oh, and we follow Hinoka and her girlfriend. ^_^ 

Erika-sama is up to no good in “Love Gene Double X” but we knew that. Aoi is starting to clue in to her feelings, and Momoji gets a lesson in lovemaking. (So much for that no Adam couples, no Eve couples thing, huh?)

“Kimono Nadesico” are 4-koma, so you know, the same kind of bwa~wah~waahh.

And in “Cirque Arachne,” Layla starts to notice Sora, I erm, mean Charlotte starts to notice Tetei.

As always there are many more stories, these are just the one I wanted to call your attention to. ^_^ 

Ratings:

Overall – 8





Yuri Manga: Tsubomi, Volume 18 (つぼみ)

July 9th, 2012

Tsubomi, Volume 18 begins with a phenomenon I’ve heard of but never actually seen…a chapter that hasn’t quite been completed.

Despite the fact that it lacks tones and final inking, “Hoshikawa Ginza Yon-choume” returns from a pointless digression to a very powerful chapter in which Otome learns that her mother (who never bothered to get in touch with her to let her know that she and her father had divorced,) belatedly sends a letter informing her that she’s remarried…and wants Otome to come live with her again. Suddenly, both Otome and Minato have to face the fact that they have no legally viable claim on one another. Now, at last, this story will deal with the reality that has been buried behind the deepening relationship between them.

Suzuki Yufuko’s “Candy” comes to an end, with exactly the kind of epilogue I enjoy most. This series is a real dark horse entry for my Top Ten this year, with an unexpectedly sweet and satisfying love story.

“Joouhachi no Jirenma” is a nice twist on a relationship between rivals.

Hoshino and her sempai have it out and put the past behind them, while we get a little glimpse into Hanaii’s past, as well, in “Hana to Hoshi.”

And, of course there a ton of other stories with things like panty shots (gods…how tired I am of those…) and other exciting moe Yuri tropes. All very fascinating if you’re not me. ^_^;;

Ratings:

Overall: Let’s see, 4 stories out of 16 that I liked, 2 more I didn’t mind… okay, let’s call it a 6.