Archive for the Comic Yuri Hime Category


Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime September 2019 ( コミック百合姫2019年9月号)

August 27th, 2019

After a lovely cover image by Shiromisakana to give this issue flavor, Takashima Eku’s “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Uta,” an over-flowing with emotion first love story starts off Comic Yuri Hime September 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年9月号) with a good feel. It’s not ground breaking, but I really like it.

One slice-of-life high school story is followed by another, as “Tsurezure Biyori” continues. Koharu and Mafuyu share a watermelon-flavored kiss, as one does in summer.

“Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatteiru” remains painfully adorable as date night ends up being interrupted by Hayama-sensei being a kind soul and helping a lost child.

“Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts” finally hits a jump-off point, as Uno-san starts to push back at the limitations of her “perfect” life and finds herself getting to know Satou-san better. Satou is a very honest and grounded person; she’s the kind of character we need to see more of, to teach other characters (and readers!)  to live your life, not what’s expected of you.

I skipped the next third of the magazine, straight to Ohsawa Yayoi’s “Hello, Melancholic,” which is hitting a number of buttons I had no idea I still had. I remember what it felt like to play music with others, when it all just worked. I have a particularly fond memory of a post-performance marching band jam, when were all locked out of the bad room and just played an arrangement of “My Favorite Things”…and it was just perfect. Hibiki obviously wants that for Minato and for her emotional wounds to heal… I do, too.

Oh thank the gods “Luminous Blue” did what I wanted it to do! ^_^ I was getting a little worried, but I can see that Iwami Kyouko-sensei has her characters well in hand.

“Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” by Miman-sensei has also finally taken the turn into the story it’s been running parallel along and fully committed and I am here for it. I am so looking forward to seeing where this goes. – and how it gets there.

This issue includes a short prose story called “Love Song wo Sakebu wake” by Suo, which is also available on Pixiv. We are definitely witnessing a shift in Yuri…

Ratings:

Overall – 9

…next issue of the magazine will include a bouldering comic; we’re seeing a foray into prose from Hayakawa publishing putting out more science fiction Yuri and LN’s from J-Novel club. Yuri is changing and that’s always a good sign of a healthy genre. ^_^

The October 2019 issue is out and we’re gonna pick it up today! I am slightly caught up for a day. ^_^

 





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime August 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年8月号)

July 31st, 2019

Here we are, heading into slow, lazy days of summer and here we have an excellent bit of reading material for those very days in Comic Yuri Hime August 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年8月号). Most of the series running are matured a bit, having settled into their own millieu and we can just sort of sit back and watch the slow trainwrecks of oncoming dramatic crisis or enjoy the bright smiles and happy faces of couples enjoying their time together. Perfect beach reading, really. The cover story is cute and girly, as a woman convinces her lover to be her truest self in the clothing store.

This chapter of “Itoshi Koishi” by Takemiya Jin-sensei was the climax of Volume 2, in which Hina’s friend Rena lets Hina know that she knows Hina is seeing Yayoi. It’s a sweet and touching moment, when Rena affirms her love for  her friend and in doing so, convinces Hina that her friends can be her allies, if she can let them be.

“Scarlet” continues once again, moving forward and back at the same time. I wonder if it’s going to be allowed to go anywhere.

“Luminous Blue” is heading for a crash, one that we have been able to see coming for a long, long time and one that I’m not all that comfortable with. I expect the full collision next issue.

Shiki-sempai and Hina are both slapped upside the head with desire for one another and no physical or emotional space to unpack it in “Ikemensugi Shiki-sempai!”

Ohsawa Yayoi’s new story “Hello Melancholic!” is very reminiscent of “12-minute Etude” with almost identical setup, but I am content to see how it plays out. I like(?) Hibiki-sempai’s complete disregard for personal space. ^_^; Girls in band. I can be patient.

“Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatteiru” remains absurdly adorable, as the teachers tour the school festival and make out on the roof of the school. Absolutely inappropriate, both of these last two stories. Oh well. It’s summer, screw propriety.

Ashima is trying to figure out what she wants, even as she’s afraid of losing it, while Mayumi and Rin teeter on the edge of something more intimate, in “Umineko Bessou.”

As I said, a great summer read with stories for just about any taste in Yuri. Adults, school girls, creepy dysfunctional relationships, sweet functional ones, undying children, werewolves and whatever those other things are. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

I really like that I’m reading about 2/3 of the stories, (even the one about the undying child, and the horrible people in FLOWERCHILD’s story, both of which are grim as fuck,) and liking them, with only a few series I’m skipping whole because they are too intolerable. ^_^ And then getting lovely stuff like two teachers being so cute together I can barlye stand it and Hina and Yayoi and their friends, as comfortable places to return to.

If we can stay like this for just a while, I’ll be very happy. ^_^

 





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime July 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年7月号)

July 2nd, 2019

Comic Yuri Hime July 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年7月号) was a little bittersweet for me. It marked the end of a series I hoped would never end, hisona’s “Goodbye Dystopia.” But aside from that there was so much that was else going on, that I didn’t have all that much time to be sad. ^_^

Kodama Naoko’s “Umineko Besso” took a different direction as we get to understand the story of Ayashima, and why she’s taking Mayumi’s intrusion on their happy household so personally.

“Tonari no Rakuen” by Kiriyama Haruka is a cute little adult life story about a working woman who needs a break and the partner who makes sure she gets it.

At last, we’re starting to get the backstory on Yano in “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” by Miman. She is not sure that she can trust Hime…and not sure its worth it, but she’s sympathetic to Sumika’s request to fake it beautifully for the sake of the cafe.

It’s school festival time in “Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatte iru” and Terano and Hayama could not be cuter if they tried. Until next month, when they will be even cuter. ^_^ Speaking of cute, Takashima Eku’s “Sasayakuyouni Koi no Utau” remains an adorable young love scenario. I’d add Yuama’s “Ikemensugi Sugi-sempai” to this list, as well. And “Itoshi Koishi” by Takemiya Jin.  All of these series have something that Yuri occasionally lacks – characters who really enjoy each other’s company. And now that I have said that out loud, as it were, I realize that that one thing is totally my boom in a romance. I really like it when characters like each other’s company. ^_^

“Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts” is turning out to be a surprisingly touching, as an office worker begins to question the assumptions she’s made about adult life.

“Scarlet” and “Kimi ga Shine Made Koi Shitai” scratch the horror itch, in completely different ways.

The end of the magazine includes a new JP publisher’s initiative to avoid piracy and the advert for Ohsawa Yayoi’s upcoming new series, about which I will have thoughts shortly. ^_^

Once again, this was a solid issue full of things I read and did not read and liked and did not like. The Yuri gods are in their heaven and all is right with the world.

Ratings:

Overall – 9 if I remember to not read – or even look at – several of the creepy moe series, 6 if I don’t

The August issue is already available and I’m already halfway through it. I love that there’s so much Yuri, but ahhh! I can’t keep up!

 

 





Yuri Magazine: Comic Yuri Hime June 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年6月号)

June 11th, 2019

It’s my great pleasure to be able to discuss with you another solid issue of monthly magazine Comic Yuri Hime for June 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年6月号).

A news series has begun, and based on the opening color pages, I will be wholly ignoring “Yurimeguri yuimeguri.” Aside from childish faces on too-adult bodies and bathing scenes it appears to have little going for it. This is a series who knows it’s own audience and doesn’t care about me. I am convinced that it was commissioned to be turned into an anime, which I will also ignore.

I’m quite fascinated by the nothings-going-on of Miman’s “Watashi no Yuri ha Shigoto desu!” because really, nothing much can be going on, since our cast is approximately 7 people, a pair of which are taken up with each other. So we turn back to Yano, who is deeply struggling as is Hime. It’s been established that they each believe they were the victim, and from our perspective they were both also the bad guy. But what they have not yet had is the conversation they need to work through all of this. And really, after holding onto it for so many years, would it even be possible to talk this through? Yano doesn’t think so – she can neither forgive, nor forget.. Hime seems to believe there is nothing to forgive. This is going to have to come to some kind of a head.

“Luminous Blue” by Iwami Kikyoko is edging slowly, but inexorably, towards a crisis that we have been able to see coming for months.

I still really like Takeshima Eku’s “Sasayaku Youni Koi o Utau” for reasons I cannot define. Perhaps that everyone seems so drama-free and just enjoy each other’s company?

FLOWERCHILD’S “Warikitta Kankei desukara” is meant to make me feel uncomfortable…and so it does.

Hisona’s “Goodbye Dystopia” is meant to make me feel nostalgic and fails. But it feels so much like something is about to come to an end in that. I hope it’s not the series.

In “Itoshi Koishi” Hina is going to have to decide what to do with her life. Imma gonna guess and say she’ll study baking or cooking because, we’re headed there. In a weak moment, seduced by chocolate and Hinano’s adorableness, Yayoi breaks down and gives her an adult kiss. I’m waiting patiently for what I believe will eventually be an actual coming out scene in this manga. It’s got the right setup.

“Ikemensugi desu Shiki-senpai” has now entered conventional romance territory, and I kinda like it. By necessity, both Shiki and Hina end up coming out-ish and realize that they really, really, really want to be together. I’m all for it.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

As every other month, these are not the only stories in the magazine, nor even all the ones I read. I am following all but three of the current serializations, and those you could not pay me to read. ^_^ So, something for everyone.

A solid volume and another one on the way. I’ve just gone through the July issue and if anything, I think it was even a little better.

 

 

 





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime May 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年5月号)

May 16th, 2019

Due to a conflict with a recent update, the Yuricon Store is not currently functional. We’ll get it back up as quickly as we can, but in the meantime, links on Okazu will go straight to Amazon or Amazon JP. We apologize for the inconvenience.

It seems a lifetime since I read Comic Yuri Hime, May 2019 (コミック百合姫2019年5月号).

The first story, by Usui Shio, “Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts” tells a bittersweet story of the sacrifices a woman makes in her life to be correct and popular; the breakdown she has over her inability to be what society expects of her and the coworker who comes to her rescue. Will it be love? We’ll have to tune in to find out. (No, obviously not, it runs in Comic Yuri Hime for pity’s sake. It will be love, duh. ^_^)

Although it appears to be yet another high school love story, I am really liking Takashima Eku’s “Sasayaku You ni koi o Utau” about a girl and the lead singer she’s fallen for – and who is shocked that she’s falling back.

Iwami Kiyoko’s “Luminous Blue” is heading for a confrontation between various pieces of this love triangle and I don’t see any way around it.

Okay, it’s time to talk honestly about Kodama Naoko’s “Uminekosou Days.” I do not dislike it. I actually kind of like it. But can I just admit that I hate the main fetish here? Mayumi has run from a relationship with a guy with whom she didn’t (couldn’t? wouldn’t?) have a child. And that relationship and the idea of having a child (or not…it’s not really clear whether she wants to and can’t or doesn’t want to,) is haunting Mayumi here in this tiny village in nowhere. This is why I have never loved anything Kodama-sensei writes, even when I like it…it always centers around a compulsion or fetish and won’t move past it. I hope to heavens that this series moves past this, because I actually *want* to root for Mayumi and Rin.

Flowerchild offers two different teacher x student things. “Idola the Coward” is another cute workplace story, by Kayoko, whose art reminds me of something.

Ah…ha! “Itoshi Koishi” by Takemiya Jin has cracked the “coming out” wall. I have been waiting to see this story from her for years. Hanano and Yayoi are making their New Year’s hatsumode when they run into a bunch of Hana’s classmates. Hana, under pressure, lies and says Yayoi is a relative. The older woman is totally understanding, but Hana is devastated by her own internalized homophobia. Yayoi asks Hana if she’s afraid her friends will reject her. Hana says they *know* she’s seeing someone older…and she thinks at least one has figured it out, but…she finds herself, yes, scared. She decides she’s going to tell them. Soon.

This is the narrative we almost never see in Yuri manga. Watch this space as it develops.

“Scarlet” wraps up the current arc and we learn of the promise between Fine and Iris.

In “Goodbye Dystopia” nothing important is said, but as we walk away from Asami’s story, we are clearly about to head into Mizuki’s.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

As always there are many more stories I didn’t mention and some I didn’t read, (and some I did, but this review had gotten so long I wanted to wrap up!) and overall this was a really strong issue of Comic Yuri Hime, that ought to appeal to just about everyone, from moe Yuri fans, to folks looking for fetishy stuff or those looking for adult life Yuri and it’s even edging towards having a lesbian character.