Comic Yuri Hime March 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年3月号) begins with another documentary photo/illustration. Titled “why is it that I feel so cozy when I am with you?” The subjects are now 19 years old, sitting under a heated table in December. The prisming of the light in this image is just lovely. Hechima’s cover art is a bit moe for my taste, but I am very into the concept. ^_^

Kashikaze’s “Kimi ga Hoerutame no Uta wo” starts taking steps forward as Haru and Yuu go to Karaoke to practice in a safe space and bring Haru face to face with her hopes and fears.

“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou,” written by inori. illustarted by Aonoshimo, is knee deep into the activating events of the Revolution arc. As Claire, Lily and Rae confront Salas in front of the king, Salas reveals Lily’s  dark secret…and Mt. Sassal explodes. Chaos is about to fall on Bauer.

Shiho and Aki are gonna be okay. In “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau,” they finish their date without their tail of Hima and Yori, and have some important conversations. Even more importantly – they have fun. But don’t worry, there is at least one more couple to pair up in this Yuritopia. ^_^

In “Muryoku seijo to munou Oujo ~ Maryoku Zero de Shoukansareta Seijo no Isekai Kyuukoku-ki” the princess is kidnapped, , but more importantly, Arisu gets over herself and begins to truly work with Nana.

This chapter of “Gakeppuchi Reijou wa Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” was really kind of wonderful. As Frost-sama in her Black Knight persona is going all out with equal-in-might bodyguard Shion, Clarice is inside winning with her power of conversation, insight and complete confidence in Frost. This battle had two fronts and both were handled beautifully. I’m really enjoying this story by sometime, illustrated by Suoh, in part because the premise is just…part of the story.

“Stellvia no Bouquet” continues to be quite emotional. Liza meets with her mentor, then says goodbye to Ellen now that her protege has graduated. It is a tearful parting that I am 1000% sure will end next chapter. ^_^;

“Kiraware Majo Reijou to Dansou Ouji no Konyaku” ends with the happily ever after we expected. I enjoyed this series, but kept wanting to to do what the Black Knight story does – find an actual story, instead of just having the relationship be the story. Dark magic is recognized as a legitimate form of magic, the end.

Kobara Yuuko’s column “Film ni Saku Yurinohana o Atsumete Kimi ni Okuritai” took a look at the movie based on Shimura Takako’s Dounika Naru Hibi (どうにかなる日々) which I reviewed in 2020 under the English title Happy Go Lucky Days. Like me, they enjoyed the lesbians meet at a wedding scenario. ^_^

I always say this, but I feel it is important to understand – I read about half of this magazine regularly and enjoy roughly a third of the stories, varying from month to month. Of these, I summarize a handful, because not every chapter of every story is notable. I also want to repeat the fact that there are stories I both read and don’t much enjoy or don’t read at all. Why is that important? Because you and I may not agree on the kinds of Yuri we enjoy, so if you understand that Comic Yuri Hime has stories for different kinds of Yuri, maybe you’ll give it a try. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

The April Issue has already hit JP shelves and is in my current reading pile and some very interesting stuff is happening in those pages! ^_^

Two little girls playing on monkey bars in the snow.

Comic Yuri Hime February 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年2月号) begins with another cover “photo” by Hechima, this one labeled “Hey Let’s Make A Snowman if it snows!” Monday, January 2016 GMT +0900 /10 years old.

In Torii Shizuku’s “Yume to Koi de ha Tsuriawanai” the protagonist is convinced that she cannot fall in love and do well in school…and maybe she’s right, but he love interest thinks she can do both.

 “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou,”  Rei and Claire fight over marriage expectations. For Claire, marriage is a contract that is not bout love, for Rae, her modern perspective is completely different.

“Muryoku Seijo to Munou Oujo ~ Maryoku Zero de Shoukansareta Seijo no Isekai Kyuukoku-ki ~” Nana and the Princess are committed to saving the village. As they begin tracking down the source of the miasma and seem to get close get close…they disappear.

“Muryoku Seijo to Munou Oujo ~ Maryoku Zero de Shoukansareta Seijo no Isekai Kyuukoku-ki ~” A villainess character has entered our world, but doesn’t seem to care about Machino….why is why is she here and where will she go?

Minato and Koharu go to a friend’s wedding and go all out in style “Koharu to Minato”. They are adorably excited to see each other dressed up.

In Utatane Yuu’s “Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru” – Kiki and Michiru go for their hatsumode, make wishes, and they clear the air between them. Kiki is committed to their partnership at last.

SheepD’s “Kanaria ha Kiraboshi no Yume wo Miru”  takes a short, but grim look at Tsubaki’s life as a prostitute and presents the shock that her clients are, right from the get-go, women.

“Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!”  – while a war of words rages inside between Clarice and the representative of a merchant clan that wants her to owe them, an actual demonic fight rages outside between their guardians.

Ciel outs herself to save her brother in “Kiraware Majyo Reijō to Dansou Ouji no Kon’yaku.”

I’ve been reading “Gan no Hime”  since it launched and I have to dmit that, while I love the post-apocalypse scif fantasy, I just do not love the art. It’s a great story, though, traveling through the still-living relics of a cultural collapse.

I’m not reading about a third of the magazine, and there are always stories I read, but do not mention. 2/3rd of the magazine being interesting enough to read is a bleeding triumph.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

The March issue is already on shelves and I am ready to read it!

A new year has begun for Comic Yuri Hime and a new story begins on the cover of Comic Yuri Hime, January 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年1月号), this year by artist Hechama. The first image we have is of two schoolgirls meeting on the stairs as one walks up and the other down. This is tagged with a date stamp of  “(Thu, May 27th, 2021 10:56:21 GMT +0900/16 years old)”. I can see from the next issue that photos of these two will be the through-line of the covers. I’m of course hoping for a interesting story-by-image.^_^  There is text on the cover, printed in non-accessibility yellow. It begins “”Everytime I turned around you were there.” It is in English. But also in yellow. ^_^;

The first story is, I’m glad to say, a new story. Somehow that suits a January issue. Torii Shizuku’s “Yume to Koi de ha Tsuriawanai” is about a girl who believes her dream of going to a good school and having a good life is not compatible with her falling in love, which she then does.

As a kind of fitting post-Episode 11 & 12 chapter for “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau” Himari and Yori end up stalking Shiho and Aki while they are on a date.

In Usui Shio’s “Bokura no Ai ha Kimochi Warui, we learn the origins of Komugi’s obsession with Megumi…but we still kind of have to just acknowledge some mental unwellness to make it work, really. I read this story at a bit of a distance, because I don’t enjoy committing to monomaniac obsession as a plot driver.

SheepD’s “Kanaria ha Kiraboshi no Yume wo Miru” went where it basically had to, and now Ayano knows what we had guessed – that Tsubaki is a prostitute. But I don’t expect this story to end on a bad note. It has a very MIST magazine feel about it and not just for the “no, really, she’s really a prostitute” scene. ^_^

There are a lot of stories in this volume in which characters look very unhappy. I strongly dislike this as a general rule, but especially so in stories where the sex is the point. I’m especially unhappy to see so much of it in a Yuri magazine with a proven majority audience of adult women, some of whom it ought to be expected to enjoy sexual and romantic relationships with other women. I’ll never be  fan of toxic Yuri. Life is too toxic as it is. Give me…

….”Koharu to Minato” are back and they are buying a car and going to a movie together. Yay! ^_^

“Muryoku Seijo to Munou Oujo ~ Maryoku Zero de Shoukansareta Seijo no Isekai Kyuukoku-ki ~” Nana and the princess learn about the town struck with misama and together they help the villagers purify their crops and water. Not everyone is on their side, but they are doing what they can to help the village.

In “Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” takes a turn towards a more than 2 volume level plot complication as Clarice and a barely-disguised  Frost-sama meet a powerful merchant and her butchy bodyguard. Sparks fly, plots thicken and a story appears!

Claire and Rei come face to face with the leader of the Revolutionary forces and take their investigation to Salas, as “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou,” heads toward the truth of just who the traitor is. This chapter was really outstanding, in both art and writing.

“Salvia no Bouquet” brings Ellen and Liza to finally talk about who and what they are to one another. I kind of hope this doesn’t just wrap up, but also, would love to see a sequel after Ellen graduates.

“Kiraware Majyo Reijō to Dansou Ouji no Kon’yaku” by Chinmi Chiruha, adds a new complication to Eve and Ciel’s story. Ciel’s brother may not be the enemy they thought he was, but is this little girl really the power behind the threat of dark magic?

As always, there were other stories I read and others I did not, and columns and interviews and ads for pop-up shops and color spreads and more in the more than 600 pages of the first issue of Comic Yuri Hime for 2025. Here’s to a great kickoff and a good Yuri year for us all. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

Comic Yuri Hime for February 2025 is already available online and in print and is waiting for me at the bookstore. ^_^

As the year comes to an end, I am, for a brief moment, caught up! As usual with final volumes of the year, Comic Yuri Hime, December 2024 (コミック百合姫) is not the end of things, but merely a transition from one thing to another.

The volume begins with a turning point for “Muryoku Seijo to Munou Oujo ~ Maryoku Zero de Shoukansareta Seijo no Isekai Kyuukoku-ki ~.” Both Princess and Saint are taken to a small village that need their help. Nana, still struggling with how to be what these people need and want of her, remembers that the most important skill is the ability to get people on one’s side.

I’m not vibing with Usui Shio’s new series “Bokura no Ai ha Kimochi Warui,” not because it’s fetishy, which it absolutely is, but because neither of the characters are particularly likeable. YMMV of course.

Having committed to the reverse isekai bit “Genjitsu Sekai Demo Shiawasenishite Kudasai ne?” had added another character from the game world to ours.

Kashikaze’s name is now spelled as it is on EN volumes, once again. Their “Kimi ga Hoeru Tame no Uta o”  ramps up as Haru and Yuu buckle down and write a song together. For the first time, Haru is really feeling the music.

In “Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru” Kiki leaves her sister and finds Michiru to finally, truly express her feelings. Now they can dance.

Ciel takes on her older brother’s impeccable skills, but with Eve’s support overcomes her low self-esteem and triumphs…but at what cost, in “Kiraware Majyo Reijō to Dansou Ouji no Kon’yaku.” 

“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” jumps back into the past to explore Thane’s family issues. Little Rod is so annoying. ^_^ And Rae confronts the leader of the Rebellion!

In “Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” Frost-sama is “in disquise” as a gigantic bodyguard, as her new wife roots out the troubles in one of Frost’s towns.

Ellen is making herself miserable over Liza in “Salvia no Bouquet”, and Liza isn’t really noticing, but a late-night heart-to-heart helps.

As always there were stories I read, stories I did not and a couple I ward off with a cross and holy water, but overall, another strong volume of fantasy and school stories. I’m really hoping for some good mystery, sports or scifi in the new year!

Ratings:

Overall – 8

The January issue is already on JP shelves! Fingers crossed.