Comic Yuri Hime, April 2026 (コミック百合姫2026年4月号) begins with a deep, chocolately brown cover of a girl  cheerfuly buried under a pile of hats. The gloved woman behind her looks as if she is trying to ward the inevitable collapse off. 

So, now that we have 4 issues in hand, we see that this is not a story on the cover, per se, but a series of clothing, make-up, hair-related scenarios, in which one girl is in the front, being managed by another (obscured) woman behind. Chiriko’s covers are striking and colorful, but not necessarily meaningful.

The book begins with a newcomer, Usami Miki’s tale of finding joy in dystopia, “Zangai Shoujo, Kirakirana Sekai no Soko” whics has the English translation, “wreckage, maiden, sparkle at the bottom of the world.”  

Lorelei gets their big break in Takeshima Eku’s “Sasaybig-time Sasakuyouni Koi wo Utau”! A big record label (Queen Records, hint hint) has discovered their videos…do they want to go pro? Shiho knows what she wants, but are the others on board? Hajime agrees, but questions what her goals are.

In ” Tayutau Koi no Chirisai ni,” our protagonists go on their first date, but have no idea how money or tickets work? Kind of threw me out of the story there.

Ikuta Hana’s “Hone ni Negai o, Hoshi ni Horoi o” Aoi and Mashiro begin to go through Akane’s things, lancing the wound that binds them both.

“Kimi no Seinandakara, Sekinin o Totte you ne” Reina and Suichan continue their progression from paid escort and client to girlfriends.

Tsumugi Meme’s “Hina-chan ga Iketeru nara” continues to be creepy as fuck, as Hina-chanan, apparently returned from the dead after years, and who has not aged, is angry that Ku-chan has gotten her period, first, leaving Hina behind.

“Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” takes a long look at Mitsuki who, IMHO, is neurodivergent, and the struggles she has at school reading other people’s intent. As she has to decide what she wants to do with her future, the quesion looms havily for her. Hime offers her a safe haven. 

inori. and Aonoshimo offer up an emotional chapter of “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijo.” Rei, demoralized and defeated, finds unexpected allies in her quest to free Claire.

Koharu and Minato get deep into “oshi-katsu” and idol fandom in “Koharu to Minato”, which will be out in English in April as Koharu and Minato: Happy Life with My Girlfriend, Volume 1!

Ayster and Oto-toi bring us another weirdly compelling editor motivates low-energy manga artist in “Haru no Uzumibi.”

And interestingly, Kubara Yuuko’s “Film ni Saku Yurinohana o Atsumete Kimi ni Okuritai”, comic essay takes a look at the explicitly lesbian movie Carol, based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt. This movie  was brilliantly acted and directed and is, IMHO, a must-watch.

I am reading and enjoying close to half the work in this magazine right now, which is an outstanding amount for me and any magazine. And many of the most popular series aren’t in my wheelhouse, so there is really something for just about everyone. ^_^

Ratings: 

Overall – 8

The May issue is out now in Japan!

Comic Yuri Hime, March 2026 (コミック百合姫2026年3月号) cover is another colorful piece by Chiriko. This time a girl is being playfully buried in different clothes by a woman behind her. I still don’t know if these  cover hair, lips and fits will also include blades, but we can hope . ^_^

A new series about a earnest, naive young lady being hunted by the school “wolf”,  “Dareka Ookami-san no Shitsuke-kata Shirimasenka!!?” by Anmi Tsuki has begun. I am not entirely sure how I feel about it and will give it time.

Touma’s “Kimi no Sei dakara, Sekinin totte yo ne” is heating up as both rental girlfriend and her client are thinking it could be more. If the series is going to wrap up swiftly, they’ll be fine. If this is supposed to continue…expect drama. ^_^

In “Hareta Hi no Dress Code” our protagonist is thinking about how the scars on her legs have shaped her life and shes really not okay with that anymore, while Natsuki wishes she could just wear pants and doesn’t really know why she won’t.

Inori. and Aonoshimo are absolutely killing it in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” as Rei has to face the complete failure of her plan to save Claire. Misha is there to slap her out of it (and send her to her death, but…)

Woops! I hadn’t had a chance to pick up my books in a while and fell behind two months on my Yuri. ^_^ Comic Yuri Hime, December 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年12月号)  is the final issue with hechima’s cover story….our two young women having a June wedding. ^_^ The cover text tells us that they are 25 years old, and the writing, I think was well chosen for this magazine in it’s 20th year: “Thank you for every shared moment.”

The color pages at the beginning advertise the live-action Futari Escape, the manga reprint and new chapter of the Taguchi’s manga, the upcoming anime shorts for Does It Count If You Lose Your Virginity to an Android? and the Comic Yuri Hime 20th Anniversary Cover Art Collection.

The first story is a new series, by Touma, “Kimi no Sei dakara,  Sekinin totte yo ne” about a “rental girlfriend” i.e., escort, who takes on her first femal client and finds love. There’s a move in there somewhere. ^_^

“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” by inori. and Aonoshimo is coming up on the climactic chapter, as Re and Claire face down Dole and lies to Rae about facing things together.

In “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau” Himari finally meets Yori-sempai’s parents and it turns out that her becoming a musician carries a lot of baggage for this family.

Nana has come to an important conclusion about her relationship with Princess Luriam in “Muryoku Seijo to Munou Oujo ~ Maryoku Zero de Shoukansareta Seijo no Isekai Kyuukokuki ” by Tamasaki Tama. 

“Chouuchyuu Yori Ai wo Komete,” by Ashidaka Woz is moving deeper into Ten’s school trauma, as Lulu is jut good and kind and helpful. A threat is on the horizon, though and it is not from this world.

The team’s music video is done in Kashikaze’s “Kimi ga Hoeru Tame no Uta o.” and now it is out in the world to be enjoyed and judged.

Time is running out in SheepD’s “Kanaria ha Kiraboshi no Yume o Miru” but the clothing design is being worked on for a customer and both protagonists are committed facing the future together. Clearly crisis awaits.

A gal agrees to turn into a magical girl as a part-time job in “Majyo’tte Baito-dai demasu?” by Pya. I really enjoyed this take on the genre.

Koharu and Minato play house, and columns look at movies, books behind the scenes of voice acting and more. 

Ratings: 

Overall – 9

A very strong, very fun issue to round out the year. Congratulations on 20 years, Comic Yuri Hime!

The January 2026 issue is already on shelves, with a new cover artists and more 20th anniversary fun.

I love when the end of the year in Comic Yuri Hime is strong. There is one manga we’re saying goodbye to in Comic Yuri Hime, November 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年11月号), but we’ll get there in a moment.

To begin with hechima’s cover is homey and warm. We’ve had 11 months with these two young women, they are beginning to feel like friends. I’m hoping the December issue shows them a bit older, but I always hope for older adult representation. ^_^

As mentioned on YNN, Futari Escape is getting a live-action series. I’m very interested to see how they’ll do that, as it was heavy on the goofy, travel and goofy, weird fun and low on the Yuri scales.

The opening series is a new one…and I do not yet know how I feel about it. “Hareta Hi no Dress Code” features a girl who wishes she was brave enough to wear the slacks that her school dress code allows, but she also loves dressing in cute skirt and a girl who does dress in the slack because of scars on her legs, but wishes she didn’t have to. I hope very much that this develops into a story of freedom from gender presentation rules.

“Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” closes the Kanako x Sumika arc, but in a very humanly imperfect way. I do not know what the characters might face, but I hope Nene gets to meet someone nice now. ^_^

Lulu and Ten are accidentally dragged into the relationship issues faced by another student in Ashiaka Waz’s “Chouuchyuu Yori Ai wo Komete,” and it both puts strain on and opens a new door in their own relationship.

merryhachi returns to Comic Yuri Hime for the first time in years with a very cute one-shot, “Touko Swing-By.” Honestly, it was really sweet.

Somtime and suoh’s  “Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” comes to an end. It’s a good end, a very solid end, but I don’t want it to end! Oh well. It was nice. I just wish we could have more! Waaah~~~

And props to the comic essay “Film ni Saku Yurinohana o Atsumete Kimi ni Okuritai” for not just talking about the Utena movie, but presenting an interesting fan discussion that the movie is Yuri, but the TV series is not. I agree that Utena and Anthy are not, in the TV series, a couple, but surely we cannot discount Juri and Shiori? Anyway. Good column. 

Once again, there were many stories I read and enjoyed and other I did not, or did not read. It’s an incredibly solid magazine now and I look forward to new series starting.

Ratings: 

Overall – 8

The December issue will be out on October 18. There is no cover image available for it yet, but you can pre-order it on Amazon JP now.