Archive for the Magazines Category


Yuri Manga: Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, Volume 7 (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり)

April 12th, 2012

Almost despite itself, Pure Yuri Anthology, Hirari, Volume 7 (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり), actually includes some Yuri.

Yes, most of the stories still skate on the thin edge of thinking/feeling and acting, but a few stories make the jump to actually expressing the emotions and desire out loud.

Yostsuhara Furiko’s “Ai o Kakujin” is not one of these, but it was sweet in its own way. A girl can’t stop herself from writing her object of desire into a novel as a romantic lead, despite the friend’s discombobulation.

“Suhin Behin” was a strangely taught little story about the importance of makeup and clothes to a woman, but also about how makeup and clothes are a form of lying about how one “really” looks.

In Hakamada Mera’s “Salomelic” Salome’s flaky mother is not helping her settle in at all, but at least she’s decided to make up with her boyfriend, and stay in town. To celebrate the fact that she won’t be moving again, Salome officially switches into the school uniform. Oh, and she confesses to Hikari that she likes her. But Hikari has a secret she isn’t sharing…^_^

The cover story wins this time. “Harukaze to Kase-san” went in a completely unpredictable direction. Yamada has been training with Kase-san to run the school marathon and for the first time ever, should be able to complete the course. Due to a freak accident however, Yamada is injured right at the start, and while Kase-san wins (not just for the girls, but overall, beating all the guys, as well) she immediately runs to the infirmary. Once she’s made sure Yamada is okay, she takes her prize for winning 1st place – a kiss.

This issue of Hirari actually had a few kisses. Like I said, despite itself it’s actually leaking out of the characters’ heads into action. Let’s not tell anyone, or they may put a stop to it. ^_^

As always there are loads of other stories, but these were the most notable IMHO. Your mileage will surely vary.

Ratings:

Overall – 7





Yuri Manga: Tsubomi, Volume 16 (つぼみ)

March 26th, 2012

Tsubomi, Volume 16 gets off to a strong start with the cover story “Aoi Honou,” about a girl that falls for another girl in school (what originality!) with ceramic making as the club prop,  but ends some years in the future with a satisfying ending.

I’ve been on the fence with “Hoshikawa Ginza Yon-choume,” but now that they’ve moved into this loft, I’m find the story intolerably creepy.

On the other side of the fence is “Prism,” a series that I’m liking more and more with every chapter. *Now* we’re moving into after happily ever after.

And so it also is with “Candy” in which real life affects Kanan is a way she had never intended. Both this and “Prism” are the only two stories where the characters reactions read close to realistic. As a result, they are my favorite stories.

In “Hana to Hoshi” Hanaii learns about Hoshino’s past a bit and ends up in a ping-pong game for Hoshino’s affection.

There are so many other series, and most of them are fine to good, but these are the stories that stood out, good or bad in my opinion this volume. It’s a better read than it was a few years ago, that’s for sure.

Ratings:

Overall – 6





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

March 19th, 2012

I am absolutely overwhelmed with work this week (a week I desperately hoped not to be overwhelmed during) so reviews will be thin. My apologies in advance.

To start thinner-than-average review week off right, here is a not particularly chunky review of the March 2012 issue of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫). ^_^;

The new “cover story” is being told in pantomime, with few words. As it is a schoolgirl story with moe designs by Namori, I have already checked out of it and simply do not care what happens.

The first story of some note is an absolutely bizarre pastiche by Ohsawa Yayoi, that involves a computer website, two girls and a goat head. I will say no more.

Morishama-sensei’s “Koibana Valentine” remains adorable. The balance of older couple (Haha. Older. Like 26) and younger is delightful and never fails to make me smile. Plus, candy and sex. Win.”Love Preparation” by Takemiya Jin has left my household with a new phrase “Oppai-o gozaimasu.” I wish she hadn’t done that. ^_^

In “Fu~Fu,” we learn the reason for a random woman suddenly confessing her love to Kinana on the street…she had mistaken her for Kanana! Bwah~ bwah~ bwahhhh~~ Especially as Kana has a girlfriend now and one who is rather possessive. Oh, but don’t worry, Arata has no intention of backing off. Of course.

Sai Nica’s “Cirque Arachne” is clearly the story we really wanted from Kaleido Star and is making no bones about it.

There were, as always, a lot of other stories and your mileage will vary on all of them. I’m feeling the wind swinging back towards stuff I don’t like much at Comic Yuri Hime and it is not making me all that happy. OTOH, we usually get one meh volume and then one great one, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the next one is better. At this rate Yuru Yuri and Yuri Danshi will take over the whole magazine, though.

Ratings:

What I liked, I liked 8, but the magazine as a whole was 6





Yuri Manga: Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり) Volume 6

February 24th, 2012

Yes, yes, I know. I promised I was done with Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり)…if there wasn’t any Yuri, because for a “Yuri” anthology there’s been very little sign of it.

So, of course, I’m reading Volume 6 (I said I wouldn’t review it, not that I wouldn’t read it…) and it laughs quietly to itself as there’s actual Yuri to be seen. I guess I should threaten anthologies more often – it worked with Tsubomi, too. ^_^

As always I am skipping any story I didn’t like, don’t feel was notable or just have some resentment towards and want to see suffer. (That is a joke. Don’t get all “See, see? She’s a bundle of barely contained anger at the world!” on us.)

So the second story, “Hiragana-sen, Aiu Eki Yori” is a ridiculous meeting on the train between a cute girl and a “tough” girl that turns out to actually quite like the cute girl and everything that first appeared one way is something much more sensible. Even the title makes sense, eventually.

In “Shiroi koto ga Toi Dress” a girl comes out to her mother and she and her lover discuss their future plans.

“Anata no Tamenara” tells a very overblown story about a girl and her bodyguard. It was actually kind of funny, in a strange way.

Scarlet Beriko’s “Corolla 2” looks fantastic. I mean, visially it appeals to me in every way. Unfortunately, the story, which seems to wrap up with this chapter was kind of more of the same. But, hey, the girl got the girl.

In “Hajimari no Kotoba” Girl A confesses to Girl B, and is rejected but…it was sort of by accident. Paper snowflakes help them mend the rift poetically.

Despite myself, I really like “Under One Roof” the story of a college student and the lesbian whose house she rents a room in. I honestly wish we got a few more pages a month, but it’s not that there’s a story, just moments where Miho is starting to think about Fuuka in a new light.

“Sneaker no Kase-san” follows the title character as she takes her friend shopping for sneakers and a few fraught moments as they become very aware of one another and of the fact that they are on the same page.

The winner of the volume – and I’m just as surprised as you, believe me, is “Tsuki no Shita no Miyabi-chan” by Auri Hirao. The same Auri Hirao that writes Manga no Tsurikata. When Miyabi-chan confesses that she comes from the Moon, it’s not surprising that Neko isn’t convinced. Until, that is, the moon maidens come in through her window, demanding their Princess back. This story was funny, a little touching and just so out there it was hard to not like.

In Hakamada Mera’s “Saromelic,” Salome is painfully aware that she likes Hikari, but may not have the chance to do anything about it.

There were other stories, of course. Please feel free to discover them for yourself. I have no doubt that you will like them more than I did. ^_^ Still, I think this magazine is actually improving. It could still be a fluke. Volume 7 will be out next month and we shall see.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

I will be at MangaNEXT in Secaucus, NJ this weekend. Yuri Panel is 7:00 PM on Saturday night – there will be goodies to give away. “State of the Industry” Panel is at 11AM Sunday and otherwise I will be at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund table. Stop by and say hi!





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime, January 2012

February 6th, 2012

Having concluded Fukami Makoto’s story about girls and guns in the November issue, the January issue begins inauspiciously with looking in a window at girls getting dressed. This will be the new novel carried in Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫) and in a mere blink of an eye, I was already uninterested in it. The author will be Namori, creator of Yuri Yuri, so that seals that deal. It’s pretty much not for me.

The magazine begins with loads of colors pages, this time, asking us to determine which of the 4 Yuri Danshi type we are and suggesting manga based on that. As I am a Yuri Joshi, this pretty much missed the mark entirely for me, but between that, the cover novel and the many pages about Yuru Yuri, it clearly communicated that I am, once again, not their audience. It was with some genuine relief, then, that I found a number of excellent stories within.

Kazuma Kowo’s “Recalculation” is that moment when you realize that what you thought that the other person thought is not true, and they do like you after all. ^_^

I still have no idea where “Rock It Girl” is going, but this chapter was pretty silly, as all the musicians get together and find they haven’t a single artist/song/style in common.

I’m finally getting the feel of “Kimono Nadesico,” and still pretty much think it’s a Noriko x Shimako fanfic in disguise. ^_^

I haven’t had a moment to read either of the short stories. So far none of them have been to my taste, so I haven’t really made the time, to be honest.

“Cirque Arachne” by Saida Nica has begun and I’m already feeling it’s a cross between one of those women-only 70s scifi books, Kaleido Star and something French and/or Dada. Then again, circuses always make me feel that way.

“Fu~Fu” strays back into real territory, for a moment. Kina, terrified at the confession by some strange woman that she’s in love with her, runs back to Su-chan’s arms, only to find that her normally together lover pretty much falls apart at the idea of losing Kina. “For an entire year, I’ve been worried,” Su-chan admits. Any of us who look at our lovers/wives and think they are obviously wonderful and desirable may have felt this, so it was kind of charming to see it verbalized.

Amano Syuninta’s series about college women, (with a name I have yet to transliterate, because I am lazy and think of it as “Amano Syuninta’s series about college women”) is not comfortable.  If find that I cannot empathize with anyone, and keep hoping one of the characters will say something that makes me like her. In any case, Remia is starting to find Fueko’s relationship makes her jealous, and Sachi’s boyfriend is really starting to piss her off.

Morishima Akiko wins the world. I give her the Stargazer Lily Award, for telling the realest tale ever about lesbian relationships. Two women, who have been together for ten years, provide comfort and a positive example to a young woman, but more importantly, are the snuggliest couple I have ever seen in manga, which makes them closest to my life and therefore totally true and real. ^_^

The story of Kuro-sempai and Mayu and their online/real life different relationships continues in Takemiya Jin’s “Ki ni Nachatte Gomen Nasai.” Mayu comes to a conclusion that she’s sure will ruin a friendship, but Kuro seems to be more together than that.

Hime Cafe this time is narrated by editor Nakamura-san and Minamoto Hisanori-sensei (Fu~Fu).

A section on “Yuri anime” is really a section on moe anime with some Yuri in it.

“Love Gene Double XX” uses one of the oldest gambits in the world, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, in order to make both Sakura and Aoi even more aware of their feelings for one another. (Oh, shock, oh horror. Two Adams in love.) Erika-sama is obviously going to try and ruin Aoi’s life now.

And I am done with “Yuri Danshi.” It’s, well, not terribly interesting. At least this chapter it actually had some Yuri in it that wasn’t in Hanadera’s imagination. Perhaps if the Yuri plot deepens and the deranged screaming of the Yuri Fanboys is toned down….

As always, there were other stories, but these felt worth mentioning for one reason or another and the rest didn’t. They may, of course, appeal to you, so please remember to support the artists you like by buying Comic Yuri Hime!


Ratings:

Overall – For Morishima-sensei’s story alone, this volume is a 9.