To be very fair, the review for Yuri Manga: Rakuen Le Paradis, Volume 16 is pretty much word for word, what I’d write for this volume, too. I originally looked forward to this magazine every month precisely because it is not predictable, and so now that it has sort of developed a style, it’s a little bit of a let down.  And then it goes somewhere I didn’t expect it to, and I love it all over again. ^_^

In Rakuen Le Paradis , Volume 17 (楽園 Le Paradis) for thit chapter of Nishi UKO’s  “Collectors,” we turn to the one activity that differentiates an anything-philic and a “hoarder” which is to say, spring cleaning. ^_^

Sengoku Hiroko’s story has hit an impass. The teacher is not willing to cave to the student’s importuning please to teach her about love, but she is also not entirely making a clean break of it.

There’s a bit of BL in this volume as well, as Rakuen-kun, mascot of the magazine, finds love at the end of a decidely male arm, who feeds him in a cute chapter of  Nakamura Asumiko’s “Rakuen-kun to”.

Notable in this issue, Sayonara Zetsubo-sensei‘s Koji Kumeta makes an appearance with a very standard SZ-s chapter, including a cameo by Zetsubou-sensei himself. If you’ve ever read a chapter of the manga, you already know what it’s like. But I’m told the SZ-s manga ended “deliberately creeptastic,” so here’s a way to wash that out of your mind, if you enjoyed it initially. ^_^

Misutani Fuuka’s “14-sai no Koi” takes an interesting turn.

And it looks like we’ll be getting Takemiya Jin back for Volume 18. Check out the web previews (click the big pink button with WEB in it, then click  竹宮ジン for an idea of what we’re getting.)

Ratings:

Overall – 8

Please stay weird, Rakuen Le Paradis. I love you weird.

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. ^_^