Archive for the Comic Yuri Hime Category


Yuri Manga: Citrus, Volume 1 (English) Guest Review by Amanda B

February 4th, 2015

CitrusV1SSELast week I confessed I just wasn’t enjoying Saburouta’s manga Citrus, and asked you, my dear readers  to jump in with a review. And once again you are the best readers ever. As a result, – it’s another Guest Review Wednesday and we have another Guest Review! Please welcome Amanda B who has graciously written up her look at Citrus, Volume 1 for us!

Saburouta, who made an appearance in Yuri Hime Wildrose Volume 7 back in 2007 with a smutty one-shot, has returned to the Yuri scene with a drama-filled, pseudo-incest manga titled Citrus. Citrus is currently in its 4th volume, running bimonthly in Comic Yuri Hime, and was recently licensed in English by Seven Seas (yay for more Iuri!). It has caused such a stir in the Yuri world that a Promotional Video was created (voiced by a few notable actresses featured in various Yuri anime titles) to recount the manga up through its 3rd volume! It’s pretty obvious this series is a guilty-pleasure read. Not everyone is into the whole “incest” factor, so discretion is advised if this isn’t your cup of tea.

The carefree and fashionable Yuzu Aihara’s world is turned upside down after transferring to an all-girls high school upon her mother’s remarriage. Not even making it through her first day of school she manages to sully her reputation and anger the beautiful, but snobby student council president, Mei. After returning home, Yuzu finds out that Mei just so happens to be her newly inherited younger sister, a detail mom forgot to mention. It is made evident that evening that Mei clearly has some boundary issues after randomly kissing Yuzu, at which Yuzu becomes literally dumbfounded about her newly appointed role as the “older sister”.

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Throughout the volume, Yuzu finds herself constantly conflicted between her increasing lustful desires, and trying to gain Mei’s respect in order to increase their family’s cohesiveness. One night when attempting to kiss Mei, Mei cries out for her father, whom we have yet to see, and the matter is not discussed further (at least in this volume anyway). After a series of disastrous events, Yuzu finds Mei’s grandfather (headmaster of the school) collapsed on the floor of his office and brings him to the hospital. After coming to understand Yuzu acted as the caretaker for her grandfather, Mei appears to be somewhat grateful before instantly returning to her tsundere mannerisms. The final arc of the volume centers on Yuzu coming to the conclusion (after consulting with bff Harumin) that her attempts to become an older sister figure have failed and that she is in fact, in love with Mei.

As a fan of Saburouta’s Yuri works, I am beyond pleased with the artwork. It is gorgeous! There is quite a bit of service throughout with various kissing scenes, particularly the shower scene. The story however is very chunky with a plethora of forced drama. Mei’s cold exterior warrants the obvious dramatic plot-hole I’m sure will be explored at some point. I get the feeling a good portion of the fandom for this series are in it mostly for the illustrations – watching pretty girls go at it is something I too enjoy.

Ratings:

Art – 10
Story – 4
Characters – 5 (definitely room for character development in the upcoming volumes)
Service – 6
Yuri – 9
Overall – 7

Sometimes I can’t help but wish Saburouta would just instead collaborate with another mangaka capable of writing a decent drama (maybe Shuninta-sensei) while she provides the illustrations. Volume 2 will be available in April.

Erica here: Thank you Amanda! Much obliged for the review.

I was reading Fujimoto Yukari’s essay in Eureka magazine’s “Yuri Culture” issue and something sort of dawned on me. In Oniisama E, we spend a lot of time watching Miya-sama and Saint Just’s unhealthy relationship on screen, but there’s actually another half-sibling relationship directly in front of us the entire time that is perfectly healthy – for a number of reasons, not least of which because Nanako doesn’t know it exists. Henmi and Nanako serve as sane, healthy foils for Rei and Fukiko, letting the audience know that it’s not normal to be so weirdly manipulative of one’s half-sister. Citrus is in desperate need of a foil couple, some representative healthy relationship,  to relieve the thick atmosphere of “this is not and really cannot be a good thing.”





Yuri Manga: Yuridori Midori (ゆりどりみどり)

January 13th, 2015

yuridoriAfter Minamoto Hisanari-sensei’s stunning debut, Fu~Fu, (and the sea change at Comic Yuri Hime, which has moved away from “stories about lesbians” and shifted back over to “stories about unthreateningly cute girls who are in no way lesbian, but who sometimes like each other”) it was going to be really hard for him to hit that same level of storytelling and relevance. In his short story collection, Yuridori Midori (ゆりどりみどり), he doesn’t really try.

Which, in many ways was pretty smart of him. Had he gone the same route with a series, he’d be pinholed. Instead he shuffles out a pile of ootsey-cutesy stuff for the moe fans and dresses it up with the occasional meaningful concept. “Look,” he says, while drawing impossibly adorable animal-eared girls, who are, in reality, animals, thus making the cat-owning animal-eared moe fans extra happy, “Look,  I am one of you.”  And then he throws out a story that just happens to touch briefly on an actual issue.

 

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As a result, no matter what you’re interested in, Yuridori Midori is a mixed bag.

In the first story, we revisit the fairytale of Snow White and her new evil stepmother – who isn’t really evil, and would really like to become closer with Snow. Really close.

The second story is a plot that I will never like no matter how many times mangaka use it. The “cute girl who rolls around your house is a cat” story has been done well past to death, but apparently, every generation recreates it in their own image.

The third story is an after-hours expose’ of the lives of the seven mysteries of the school, and the age-long love affair of “Toilet Hanako” and the “Girl in the Painting.” Also done a million times, but I adore the idea the spirits have a life beyond just scaring the plebes. ^_^

In the next story, we edge so close to being relevant, that it’s almost painful when it doesn’t go there. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, “Yuri” marriages become legal. And in trend-conscious Japan, “Yuri-kon” become the trendy thing to do. So, when the protagonist asks her lover to marry her, she refuses, because she doesn’t want to be seen as following a fad. I get the story, but feel awfully like he could have done something more important and real with it, if he had really wanted to.

This was followed by another animal-eared girl story I couldn’t bring myself to read in the magazine and wasn’t able to manage this time, either.

The next story was my favorite of the collection, about a woman and her lover who is a “suit actor” for a Tokusatsu TV show. In other words, she does the action scenes in a Power-Ranger-like show. Not only is Shio a ranger character, she’s the Red Ranger…and anyone who has ever watched a Tokusatu show (or The Shinesman) knows that means she’s the leader. Rina loves Shio, but Shio isn’t sure if it’s her, or the fact that she’s Red, that’s the real draw. When Shio gets hurt, she learns that it was her, all along.

The final story follows a woman whose girlfriend breaks up with her via Line (a Japanese SMS-based social platform) and, while contemplating suicide, is met and befriended by a young (straight) woman who gets her to smile again.

Now, here’s the interesting thing about doing these reviews – when I read the stories originally in the magazine, I felt the same way as I felt at the beginning of this review – close, but no cigar. But, having rendered down each story to its essence, I find that I was wrong. MInamoto-sensei is doing something important. And because he’s hiding behind humorous one-shots, it’s not obvious until I’ve looked backwards at where this volume took us.

Ratings:

Art – 8 As expected, absurdly cute and moe
Story – Variable, but we’ll call it 8, for more better than not for me
Characters – Variable, and one-shots are hard. Let’s say 7
Service – 4 Animal ears

Overall – I’m feeling generous, let’s go 8

The animal-eared and fairy tale stories aside, this volume looks at same-sex marriage, staying together through better and worse and recovering from an ugly break up. Hrm. It’s almost subliminally lesbian. ^_^ You know… I think I like it!





Yuri Manga: Hakkou Snowflake (薄光スノウフレーク)

December 26th, 2014

hakkouAs I mentioned in my review of the November issue of Comic Yuri Hime, the last few stories were all from recent collections, like Himitsu no Kakera and today we’ll look at the last of them, Haya’s  Hakkou Snowflake (薄光スノウフレーク).

In a snowy country, with an impenetrable accent (so much so that furigana with Standard Japanese is needed for even the most common phrases) Chou meets a mysterious kimonoed girl Se-chan. Se-chan isn’t sure if she’s a Yuki-Onna, or a ghost, and neither are we, but it is absolutely obvious that she is not of our world.

Nonetheless Chou adopts Se-chan, becoming friends, teaching her about fashion and presents and modern life. Se-chan starts to take it personally when she sees Chou having fun without her, but only because she’s fallen for her friend. As the book closes they kiss and we have to hope that the spring will not destroy the relationship. Or something, I guess. Since Se-chan isn’t human, it’s kind of hard to know where we’ll go from here.

The story runs to the sweet and cute and mostly-disconnected from real life. There are no adults, no cars, no trains, hardly any other people, in fact, except for a few schoolmates. The world-building is unconvincing, but doesn’t really have to be convincing, as we’re supposed to be focused on the girls. The is as much of a well as that in the YuriTetsu ~ Shiritsu Yurigasaki Joshikou Tetsudobu manga. Elsie, Lacie, Tillie and Peanut, meet Chou and Se-chan. You should all enjoy each other’s company very much, as there are no other humans in your worlds.

Despite the one-dimensional world these two one-dimensional characters live in, I can’t say this manga left me unmoved. It left me with a sense of melancholy. The entire time, I kept waiting for Chou to come home and find nothing left of Se-chan but a puddle and obi. It was actually a bit of a surprise to find it was given a happy ending.

Ratings:

Art – 5
Story – 5
Characters – 5
Yuri – 6 There is a kiss.
Service – 4 Some non-sexual nudity

Overall – 5

It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good.





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime, November 2014 (コミック百合姫2014年11月号)

December 25th, 2014

CYH1114The issues I had in regards to the September 2014 Comic Yuri Hime have, to some extent, passed. As usual, I have partially adapted to the new world order and partially the magazine has backed off. As a result, I can talk more coherently about Comic Yuri Hime, November 2014 (コミック百合姫2014年11月号).

There’s still a shift toward fetishtry that is unappealing to me. “Fat girls” (who are not fat), “sisters (who are not sisters), “Mean girls” (who are not mean), “idols,”  etc. On the one hand it’s clear that the girl meets girl scenario is played out and the magazine is looking for hooks, but on the other hand, it’s equally clear that the editorial direction is shifting back to pandering.

The first third of this volume passed without anything of real note. The above fetish pieces, and Yuri Hime‘s featured, but still not-terribly interesting to me series, and a couple of Story As.

As we hit the middle third of the magazine, my interest grew. Takemiya Jin’s “Chou Chou Nan Nan” has been cute, but unremarkable. I do like the fact that she’s focusing this chapter on the one girl who can see what is going on and lays it all on the table. ^_^

The second chapter of “Yuri Joshi” was so meta that it hurt. Saori meets her “onee-sama” to confess that she’s really upset about the discontinuation of Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari and how she’s relieved that the “Kase-san” series is continuing online. The mention of that series specifically made me immediately wonder if Ichijinsha is in negotiation for it. If not, there’s always online. ^_^

As much as I adore Amano Shuninta’s work, I’m creeped out by “Ayame 14.” I find myself not reading it to give the poor girl some privacy. I really am not that interested in puberty. Ick.

Kuzushiro has 4 stories in this volume. He’s taking over and frankly, I don’t really mind. “Hara-san ha bitch” and “Nikochau” are about girls who does not live down to expectations and no surprise at *all* I really enjoy “Love Desu,” about two young women who alternately fight to the death, then have a passionate love affair. Yeah, well. I’m still – almost amazingly – enjoying “Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san.” Apparently Kuzushiro-sensei gets me. ^_^

Ohsawa Yayoi’s back! Yay! “Spice Girls” was a weird twist on a  customer girl meets shopgirl story, and her art  just sort of settles me down. Cute, finite, cute.

The last third of the volume are stories that have been published in collections that I have already or am about to review. It made for a weird deja vu feeling as I read.

Shifting the mass of pages away from Yuri Danshi and Yuru Yuri (neither of which are Yuri, really) to Kuzushiro-sensei’s work (which mostly is) was a massive relief. “Yuri Joshi” is an exploration of Yuri tropes through the eyes of a female character, which, while still not a Yuri story, is less grating to me. Sexist? Probably. Oh well, I prefer girls to guys, it should hardly come as a shock to anyone.

The upshot was that the stuff I disliked was dispersed more and there was generally more to like.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

I have the January 2015 volume here to read already. The thing that sticks in my craw, is that moe is not showing any signs of being less popular. Surely a decade is long enough for fetuses in frilly dresses? When will I get pretty, sexy adults back in my Yuri?





Yuri Manga: Tsuki to Sekai to Etoile, Volume 3 (月と世界とエトワール)

December 21st, 2014

downloadIn Volume 1 of Takagami Yuriko’s Tsuki to Sekai to Etoile (月と世界とエトワール), we were introduced to the Gekkoukan, an exclusive all girls music school, in which skill in singing and music writing translates to rank among the student body  – and pairs of songwriters and singers are known as Etoile and Chevalier. Yozora is an new student, but has already become “engaged” to Sekai, her songwriter. Yozora and Sekai have become a threat to the established top star couple, Umiyuri and Towa.

Volume 2 shows us that behind their beauty, Umiyuri and Towa are not nice people. They’ve been responsible for the destruction of one girl’s musical career already and are clearly, despite their smiles and kind words, gunning for Yozora.  Despite their interference, Yozora persists and, while she loses to them in the big competition, it’s clear that she poses a threat to their rank.

Volume 3 begins as summer vacation looms. Yozora learns that Sekai does not go home, so she invites her Chevalier to join her. We meet Yozora’s grandmother and learn the not-at-all-shocking fact that she and Sekai’s grandmother were once Etoile and Chevalier as well. Sekai decides to return home and deal with her family for the first time in a while.

Missing Sekai deeply, Yozora returns to school, where she is embroiled in some new cockamamie scheme by Umiyuri and Towa to crush her spirit, only to be rescued by Sekai who has come back. Umiyuri asks Yozora to accompany her to a performance, again to make her fail, but Yozora, bolstered by Sekai’s belief in her and her feelings for her Chevalier, rises to the challenge.

As the volume ends, the next performance festival is around the corner and Yozora and Sekai will surely face more outright competition from the school’s star couple.

I had purchased this volume before I left for Tokyo in October. While shopping in Comic Zin, I came across a doujinshi for this series. I scooped it up, with a comment to my wife that if the doujinshi artist was not the actual series creator, it had to be an assistant, the art was that similar.

SekaitoKotori

As it turns out, it was indeed by Takagami-sensei, a fanfic of her own world, which made me quite happy. The story takes place a few years before Sekai and Yozora meet. Sekai manages to help a classmate who keeps cracking under performance pressure. And it sets Sekai up as a bit of a playgirl, as well. ^_^ Yozora isn’t her first girl, after all.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri –7 More kisses and some actual affection
Service – 1, on principle

Overall – 7

This story is growing on me. And it looks like it’ll be one of the first 4-volume series from  Yuri Hime Comics (along with Citrus) that has actual Yuri. This volume is also available on JP Kindle.