Urk. I have like no time at all to review stuff today. So, please bear with me while I review Yuri Hime, Volume 8 in a zillion parts. :-) (Today’s review – Page 6!) Seriously, though, I should be a little more settled by next week, so if I’m erratic this week, just hold on. I’ll be back.

Yuri Hime, Volume 8 starts off with the first cover *not* done by Hibiki Reine. Instead, the cover was designed and illustrated by Eiki Eiki and Zaou Taishi. It looks pretty much like everything else they’ve ever done. (I know that they are incredibly popular, and I’m very glad that they are making money drawing Yuri, but I’m afraid that I am not their biggest fan.)

The color poster inside is a nice grown-up looking mistress/maid picture by Mizushiro Setona. It’s no more unique than anything else, but I like the color use and the story the picture tells is more to my taste than most of the color pages so far.

The first story, “Epitaph”, looks like every loli game ever. Two gothloli girls of unidentifiable age , but clearly in the range of pubescence, one in white, one in black, vow to one another: Eternity, Life, Death, Love. You know, the usual. Then the story starts. These two girls function as messengers between life and death, bringing letters from the dead to their living loved ones. It’s a snazzy premise and I’m fairly certain that had the characters not been twelve I would have really liked it. As it was, I thought it was a snazzy premise. I’ll reserve judgment until I get a few chapters in me.

Following on “Epitaph”s coolly distant story, we hop right into the new and always frenetic “Strawberry Shake Sweet” where Ran, having realized her feelings for Julia, now fears coming within twenty feet of her, certain she’ll be labeled a freak. Julia is concerned that Ran’s behavior means that she has discovered Julia’s feelings about her. Ran runs away only to find the photographer Sera, so they can once again discuss their mutual non-relationships. Ran’s candor gives rise to several funny spit-takes and similar gags on Sera’s part. I very much like how these two women are set against one another as foils. As the chapter ends, we see Yuriko looking out on the scene, making dire pronouncements about the future. No – it’s not actually Yuriko, but that’s basically how I see her, yeah. lol If it turns out to be an older pop idol, I’m calling her Yuriko anyway. :-)

“Mermaid Line” returns to the first chapter and the story of Megumi and Aoi, and the relationship that builds between them as they share the mermaid picture book. Only this time, when Aoi is teased about her “lesbian” relationship, she insists that *she* isn’t a lesbian, which causes a bout of gay-bashing against Megumi that drives a wedge between them. Megumi is moved to seek out one of the boys who likes her, and ask him out to prove that she also is not a lesbian. What will happen? Tune in next issue to find out.

Love is in the air in “Hatsukoi Shimai.” We get some serious quality time between Haruna and Chika, with some moments of downright sexy. All of their love-love serves to leave Akiho feeling disenfranchised – but not enough to run into the arms of Touko-sensei, dammit. Not that Touko-sensei doesn’t try. I’ll give her that. Akiho’s feelings are welcomed and mirrored by Teshigawara (Akiho,you clod, don’t tell her how lonely you are when she feels the same way because of you!) who runs into a mysterious younger girl on campus. Back in the main plot, Haruna invites Chika over for an overnight. Over tea and sweets, Chika finds a picture of Akiho and Haruna as little children and asks to see their photo album. Responding as if from a great distance, Haruna tells Chika no can do. The chapter ends with a cold feeling of mystery.

“Apple Day Dream” continues to be a series of 4-koma (4-panel) gags about two employees at a high-end GothLoli dress store. Kaoru still likes large breasts and Mayu still has large breasts and is totally passive-aggressive about Kaoru. (Tsundere is really just passive aggressive behavior. Not really cute in my book, appealing blush on the cheeks or not.)

Which brings us to “Creo the Crimson Crises”. Suou is an average high school girl, yadda yadda, complete with a best friend who appears to want her (aka “manga lesbian stereotype 1.”) She feels out of sorts for reasons she can’t explain, nor can she explain the clearly supernatural woman who keeps appearing and trying to possess her. Suou puts her life on the line to protect her friend from this creature, when she is scooped up by the woman in an embrace, with a somewhat shady explanation of their bond. Suou passes out and when she awakens, finds her “bond” to now be material, as the woman has clamped a collar around her neck. Joke’s on Suou now. ;-) I love the title of this story and the alliterative transliteration issue (say that three times fast!) just makes it that much better.

That takes us to halfway, so I’ll stop for today. Upon reflection, if I appear to sound dismissive of the stories in the volume, it was unintentional. I actually thought that the first half of the volume was pretty strong. :-)

To Be Continued in Part 2

HaruNatsuAkiFuyu, (Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter) is collection of stories by Zaou Taishi and Eiki Eiki that ran in Yuri Hime and Yuri Shimai magazines. I got the deluxe version with Drama CD, a review of which will be a separate entry, because I said so.

It reads oddly, because the first two stories here were done as one-shots, then a third story took off into three-part mini-arc, which was followed by another two chapters that tied it all together. These are followed by an extra original chapter for this collection, and the Zaou Taishi story “Her” that ran in an early issue of Yuri Shimai (I think.) As an exercise in making omelets from cracked eggs, it’s incredibly successful.

The first two cracked eggs we meet are Akiho and Haruka. Haruka is one of the stars at St. Teresa’s school for girls; tall, beautiful, accomplished, friendly – she also has an unpleasant habit of molesting girls by grabbing their breasts. This is meant to be seen as funny, in case you were wondering. Akiho, who has just transfered in to the school, likes Haruka, but is put off by this behavior – can you imagine? After some soul searching, she comes to realize that it’s not that she dislikes Haruka grabbing her breasts so much as Haruka grabbing *other* girl’s breasts. She confesses this to Haruka who is surprised, but not displeased. She also ends the chapter by taking miles where inches are being offered.

The next story is sort of the same, only worse. Our eggs in this chapter are new transfer student Fuyuka who is very excited to be starting a new life at an all-girl’s school. Her anticipation soon turns to terror as she becomes the target of extreme stalker/molester behavior at the hands of another of the school’s stars, Natsuki. (All four of the principles have names with the seasons, hence the title, btw.) After knocking herself out cold running away from Natsuki, Fuyuka wakes in the doctor’s office and tells the school counselor about how she was sexually abused by a male classmate from her previous school. Now she’s developed a fear of men, and had hoped to put it all behind her at this new school. Natsuki, who has heard all of this apologizes, and admits that she has a similar phobia. The story is meant to be read as resolved as the two of them fall asleep in each other’s arms. I really, really don’t like this chapter. I didn’t like it when it ran in the magazine and it doesn’t work any better for me this time around.

This takes us to the three-part story of the school counselor, Reiko, and her childhood friend, and also another teacher at the school, Ayano. Although they both are *clearly* pining away for each other, it takes a while for them to get it. Long story short, they realize that they are in love with one another and live happily ever after. By far and away, my favorite arc.

Fuyuka’s story continues after Reiko tells her to go for it, in regards to her deepening feelings for Natsuki. But when she invites Natsuki over to her house when there’s no one else home and Natsuki doesn’t so much as try to kiss her, she’s not sure if she’s reading the signals right. Depressed, she runs into Akiho from the first chapter and the two uke retire to the roof for conversation, where they become good friends right away.

Natsuki starts to notice Fuyuka’s absences. She confronts Haruka, asking what *her* lover wants with Fuyuka? Haruka has no idea, of course. The argument escalates and they take it to the roof to battle it out, when they come across Fuyuka and Akiho. Natsuki demands to know what’s going on and everyone, including all the onlookers, are flabbergasted when Akiho says that she’s fallen in love with Fuyuka, and kisses her.

The final chapter begins with Natsuki beside herself with anger, and Haruka looking mightily surprised at her lover’s confession that she’s bored and was looking for someone new. When Natsuki starts to drag Fuyuka away, she belts Natsuki and screams at her that she, Natsuki, needs to put up, or shut up. If Natsuki loves Fuyuka, she needs to *say* so. Teachers Ayano and Reiko shoo all the rubberneckers away and leave the four to work it all out.

As Natsuki and Fuyuka confess their feelings, Akiho and Haruka leave them behind, with a short apology on Akiho’s part and a refreshing comment from Haruka that yeah, she was surprised, but she “got” what Akiho was trying to do and believed in her, implicitly. Good lord – does that ever happen in manga? Meanwhile, back on the roof, Natsuki and Fuyuka have it out. And in the end we learn that while Fuyuka maybe uke in school, she has no intention of being the bottom in bed.

The last chapter of the story is new for this volume. The four girls all go to the beach off season together. I very much like the looks on Haruka’s and Natsuki’s faces as they sit in the train grumping that they have to share this date with the other couple. But they perk up when they learn that they have separate rooms. They are accosted by generic guys trying to pick them up, so our female wolf and jaguar can cuddle their girls and tell them no guys need apply. Despite a promise of fireworks, they all end up in their respective beds and, erm, forget to leave for the rest of the night. Last panel, Akiho and Fuyuka lie unconvincingly about how they just were so darn tuckered out they fell asleep, how funny, us too, while Natsuki and Haruka roll their eyes.

And, again, the last chapter is Zaou Taishi’s one-shot, “Kanojo” (“Her”) that tells the story of yet another couple who have the same feelings for one another , but don’t know it.

So…was the omelet worth the broken eggs? Yeah, I think it was. If we had to see one more chapter with “funny” sexual harassment, I probably wouldn’t say so, but I can just get past the two that are here. Although I’ll be honest, the first chapter with Fuyuka and Natsuki really just bothers me in every conceivable way. (And bothered me worse in the Drama CD….) But I genuinely liked the “First Kiss” arc that dealt with the teachers, and enjoyed the turnaround after Fuyuka begins to pursue Natsuki. The last chapter on the beach was a nice extra and sort of tied it all together with a cute ending passage about them being together in each of the four seasons (coupled with pretty bed scene stills). So yes. It’s a nice enough omelet.

Extra come-withs – the picture of Fuyuka and Natsuki above on the front cover is complimented by a similar picture of Haruka and Akiho on the back in the same outfit, only green. Also – many color pages reproduced, including all of the pinup art of the two teachers, and a postcard of them during their school years. And, of course, a Drama CD. ^_^ …I can’t forget to tell you that the under-the-dust-cover gag art may well be the funniest I have ever seen on a manga, ever.

Ratings:

Art – 7 (I know, I know, insanely popular artist…but I find myself obsessing about the mouths because they bother me…)
Story – starts at 4, ends at 8
Characters – same as above
Yuri – 10
Service – lots of “boobies” 7 (“Boobies????” the wife says. “WTF?” Yup)

Overall – 8

I don’t think this is their strongest work, but I really did appreciate the skill that went into tying up all the loose ends and making the thing work as a whole.

Just in time for the next wave of manga collected from series that run in Comic Yuri Hime, I’m reviewing the last of the first wave of manga collected from series that run in Comic Yuri Hime, Mucchiri Mooney’s Zettai Roman.

And how I wish I could say that I liked it.

But I didn’t.

I didn’t realize how much I didn’t care for the stories that are collected in this volume, until I started reading and suddenly realized that we’d been following *one* couple in all the Yuri Hime issues! Seriously, I’d never even noticed that this was a series….

Reading it all at once, it was a little better to get a bead on why I didn’t care for it (and why all the Japanese language Yuri blogs are giving it top ratings.)

Let’s go over the story quickly…easy enough to do, since there isn’t much of a story.

Cool, beautiful, (long, straight) black-haired Tsubaki stalks pursues keeps asking cute, bubbly blonde(ish) Aoi out, until she gives in. Tsubaki confines Aoi in a storage room in the gym, confronts her in her home and generally does things that, if she were a guy, would have had the police there in *seconds*, but hey, since it’s two girls, it’s GREAT! (Or so the Japanese Yuri blogs say.) It falls directly under my umbrella of “not good” Yuri.

We are, of course, led to believe that Tsubaki is only persevering to make Aoi aware of her true feelings, and she *does* give in and even become jealous of a possible rival, but I got tired of the tropes (and the non-consensual issues) pretty fast. There’s only so many face faults Aoi can do before we’ve seen her whole repetoire.

The fact that they are the stereotypical black-haired beauty and blonde cutey was the only fun touch, IMHO. Because it definitely has the feeling of having been done on purpose.

Lastly, and I feel kind of bad about this…I really just don’t like the art.

Ratings:

Art – 4
Story – 4
Characters – 4
Yuri – 8
Service – (basing this solely on the Japanese fandom response) – 8

Overall – 4

Of all the Yuri Hime collections, by far and away, the weakest. But if you’re a yuri FanBoy/Girl, have little discrimination or, like myself, need to get every damn Yuri thing out there, because that’s what you do, enjoy! ^_^