Really thick issue this time, with a fantastic “Strawberry Shake Sweet” cover. What a great start!

Hiyori Otsu leads the magazine off with another installment of “Clover,” her series of Girls Love one-shots. In this chapter Kazuyo met Ichige when they were very little and has had a thing for her ever since. As neighbors they are as close as sisters, and Kazuyo has watched passively as Ichige follows the usual path of wanting to be a wife, because it’s too hard to think of something else to do. But when Ichige’s boyfriend two-times her, Kazuyo’s had enough and tells Ichige to get *mad,* that she would never do that to Ichige, because she likes her. Ichige accepts the feelings, but does not return them. She’s happy enough with the two of them just being together. The first collected volume of Clover is slated to come out in October – I’ll be sure to get that one. I quite like Hiyori’s work.

In “Epitaph” both Towa and Ash are struggling with the feelings that they have for one another, an issue compounded by the Postal Officer’s harrassment of Towa, and Esca and Shiki’s overtly love-love relationship. When Towa, running away from the office in a fit of misplaced jealousy, sees Shiki and Esca kissing, she comes to realize that what she feels for Ash is love. And we see that the feeling is returned. So what was passing for the plot has been tossed overboard at last for an extended Goth-Loli fashion show and talking heads, which is where this series was always headed anyway. lol

The Yuri essay discusses a story I’m entirely unfamilar with – “The Girl with the Alto Voice.” Something for me to track down!

Hiyori and Shiho have decided to die together in “Yuri Kokorochuu.” The story looks back at the beginning of their relationship, when Hiyori was the brunt of everyone’s bullying, and how Shiho stepped in to defend her, clean her up, get her hair cut, new glasses and generally transform her. Shiho realizes that she’s falling in love with Hiyori, and when they kiss, Hiyori admits to returning the feeling. But as they make love, they are discovered by Shiho’s mother. The next day at school, rumors are rampant and Shiho becomes the brunt of everyone’s nasty comments. She decides to die, but Hiyori, who agrees, would prefer to live, since it was Shiho who saved her life and made her want to be alive. Each has gone to the Black Cat shop and despite their stated desire to die, they end up together, walking off hand in hand to face whatever the future might hold. In the end, they agree, that if they die, they can’t continue where they left off in bed. This series is drawn by Shinonome Mizuo, who did the art for Hatuskoi Shimai. The only reason I mention this, is that Hiyori looks very much like Teshigawara Chiyori and I think that she kind of wanted to end that story in a better place. lol

Things are heating up in “Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan” as Sarasa silently stews about this “friend” of Seriho’s, Sumire. Don’t you want to know about this Sumire, Haru asks. And even thoough Sarasa says no, she clearly does. Seriho hears the end of the conversation, and says that Sumire’s an old friend from school. Oho – an old girlfriend, Hinoko says. No, although, yes, Sumire does go out with women, they were just friends. Now Sarasa is really worked up – glad to hear that they were just friends, but…goes out with women? Sarasa asks Seriho if she’s busy after the shop closes, but denies she meant it the way Hinoko and Haru think she meant it. Seriho says that she also thought she meant it that way ~ To be continued and damnation why is this magazine quarterly?!? I so need my infusion of Seriho and Sarasa to be more frequent than that.

*Speaking* of heating up, we arrive at the penultimate chapter of “Strawberry Shake Sweet” as Saeki is sweating bullets about what might have happened between Ran and Julia on vacation. Photos of their onstage kiss are all over the tabloids (still looking pretty hot, I have to say.) Julia and Ran admit to having kissed, but not much more, and Saeki looks slightly relieved when Zlay randomly inserts themselves and sexually harrassed Kaoru into the mix. Shadow women lurk in the background, promising dire things, as Julia and Ran go out together holding hands. As Julia asks about a kiss, Ran’s phone rings…the caller name says “Mama.” What will happen in the last chapter? Will they be broken up forever or will it last two pages and they’ll live happily ever after? Stay tuned for the October issue!

It’s hot as hell in “Tokimeki Mononoke Gakuen” but Arare and Pero decide to go hang out with the snow demon, only to find her swamped by everyone. Rokurokubi-sensei saves her and brings her to her own room, which has air conditioning. Finding her arms full of a young, nubile snow demon, they both blush mightily and suggestively. Will inappropriate relations occur in the world of the Yokai – I kind of hope so. Creepy, huh? lol

Creo decides that if she’s going to protect Suou she has to attend school. She is challenged to a series of idiotic whimsical battles that she loses, but wins anyway.

Chi-Ran’s newest chapter almost actually deals with lesbian identity. Almost. In “Girls Love XXX” Mayu hasn’t really found anyone she really likes enough to go out with, but when Madoka asks her out, she says yes. Having gained what she thought she wanted, Madoka shys away from Mayu’s interest in being physically affectionate. At last she admits that the idea of going out with another girl is too much for her to bear, but Mayu’s affection and desire breaks through the wall and Madoka finds herself willing to keep this love alive.

“The Dream Sleeping Beauty was Watching” is a surprisingly violent entry by artist Yotsuhara Furiko. It involves the two leading actresses, the play they are in and their true feelings. And a moustache.

Which brings me to halfway in this volume and a good place to stop. I’ll finish this up in part 2!

Moving right along into the second half of Volume 5 of Yuri Hime S, we find ourselves wondering what on *earth* is going on in “Minus Literacy,” now that Miharu has left her mistress Yasumi and has wandered off to go into the wide world. Yasumi, Iinchou and the kid dressed like a miko track her down, only to learn that she’s become the “private secretary” for some Yakuza dude. Even as Miharu rebuffs her, Yasumi swears to never give up. You know, for a crappy story, it’s at least a little original. lol

Speaking of crap, Anna has decided that she REALLY likes Elza-oneesama in “Casseopeia Dolce,” but other than in her dreams, she manages to kiss just about everyone else but. She can’t even manage an indirect kiss when the situation offers itself, so we know she’s serious.

In “Sempai ha tokubestu desu” Yuki-chan is so happy that Haruka-sempai will go out with her, but starts to have second thoughts about it when Haruka says that she’s been researching her and knows her favorite foods and where she lives. Yuki starts to avoid Haruka, until her friend stomps on her for only wanting the image of Haruka she has in her head and not the real person. After all, Haruka liked her enough to find out all about her, and what does she know about Haruka? Yuki runs after Haruka to find her crying and apologizes. They walk home together, hand in hand.

“Nanami to Isuzu” is next.

“Present” is my favorite story of the issue. Keiko had been made fun of as a child, so she grew up into the class “bad” girl as a way of acting out. One day by accident, she comes across Haruka, who is blind. As they spend time together, Keiko discovers both her love of potpourri – and Haruka. When she finds out that Haruka is undergoing surgery but only has a 30% chance of recovering her sight, for the first time ever, Keiko prays with sincerity and fervor. She’s there when the bandages come off, but as soon as she knows that Haruka can see, she runs off without a word. Shortly thereafter Haruka tranfers in to Keiko’s school – into her class, in fact – and confronts Keiko, then hugs her and confesses her feelings. She frees Keiko to be herself, so Keiko shares both her true feelings, and her love of potpourri with the rest of the class – to everyone’s delight. It’s a truly lovely story.

Yuu’s inability to control her power has instigated a little test that involves her, Maria and Nagi, in “Otome Kikan Gretel,” but the real story is that Yuu is making pudding for everyone in the dorm. Nagi still has big breasts, there’s lots of tongue in the kissing and the first page is amusingly crammed with egregious double entendres – so much so that I feel like I was watching an episode of Three’s Company. Despite myself, I like this manga. lol

In “Kaichou to Fukukaichou” the Vice President inadvertently makes the President cry when she criticizes her horrible looking lunch. While reading out loud in language class, the Vice President begins to cry at a poignant passage, then runs off to the Infirmary, claiming a stomach ache – even though she knows that everyone will know what the real problem is. The President comes to visit her, and uses the opportunity to tell her a little bit about her home life and herself. As the sun sets outside, the two find themselves growing a little closer for real.

And finally, in “Blue Line” a ghost keeps meeting a girl who seems to know all about her. Little by little she remembers that the girl is her sister and lover, and the two of them were in a plane that crashed. In a coma, Yui, the younger sister, is watched over by Yuria in the hospital and then, every day, she goes to the beach to commune with her spirit. As the story draws to a close, Yui opens her eyes and the sisters are reunited once again.

So, okay, I really thought that this volume really was really catering to bottom feeders with that second story, but along with the usual artists that I enjoy reading, “Present” left me with such a good feeling that it carried right through to my overall impression of this volume. :-) Which makes this the best volume of the series so far.

Overall – 7

There’s definitely some good and some bad in Volume 5 of Yuri Hime S. The good gets pretty good, and the bad is – in *my* opinion – quite bad, but for some reason this volume left me feeling like it was the best so far of this Yuri fanboy-focused magazine.

The first story brings us full circle in Kurogane Kenn’s “Konohana Link,” dropping us into the story as transfer student Chieri tries to not be noticed just outside the window as two girls make out inside a classroom. She’s saved by Saori, who is ditching pre-school festival duties to feed a stray dog that comes by the school. In many of the most recent chapters of this story, I kept wondering where the Yuri is. It returns for a brief glimpse here, but I do hope we’re setting up a real story somewhere in all these random vignettes of nothing.

I found the next story, “Love Cubic,” to be tedious at best and replusive at worst and refuse to talk about it.

Yoshitomi Akihito’s distinctive style is a refreshing change from the previous story, and his “Natsu no Ari,” while a little distressing unless you *really* like ants, is not a bad story at all. ^_^;

For the first time, “Flower Flower” didn’t entirely consist of Nina abusing Shu. In fact, they seem to be getting along quite nicely, so Shu’s older sister feels as if she needs to break the accord between them. Nice. Despite that, the biggest challenge Shu faces is how to tell Nina that she is actually female – a concern that comes to a crisis when they suddenly find themselves in the bath room at the same time. Oh Noes!

“Yuru Yuri” is a gag-oriented comic about three friends, two of whom are older than the third, so it’s a moment of great rejoicing when she finally joins them at this school. Yay! The gags are mildly amusing, but there’s no sign of Yuri in any of the first two chapters here, at least. Just three friends.

“Ichiba Chikakute, Toi Futari,” is about a pair of sisters, one of whom is a student, one is a teacher. The teacher is sleeping with other students and her little sister is jealous. But don’t worry, they’ll be together forever.

Hiyori Otsu’s story-telling style suits the next story, “Katakoihime” perfectly. In this story, Ooishi is asked out by a guy, but turns him down by lying and saying there’s someone she likes. She heads out into the rainy season downpour to find Mizuno lying in the rain. Mizuno, who loves the rain because it cheers her up, is in love and Ooishi can tell, because she practically shines. Ooishi finds herself watching Mizuno all the time, so when she puts two and two together she asks Mizuno if the person she loves isn’t their female teacher. Mizuno is embarrassed, but admits that it is. When the news reaches Ooishi that their teacher is getting married, she runs off to find Mizuno. On this bright sunny day, Mizuno starts to cry, so Ooishi runs of to fill a bucket with water, pours it over Mizuno’s head and asks her to cheer up. A great, quirky story about first love.

You may remember that at the end of the last chapter, Arisa had Hinako pinned down to her bed, and had just confessed in “Otome-iro Stay Tuned.” Back at her apartment, Manager Matsurika plays video games and laughs when she receives Tomoe’s email about Arisa and Hinako. But, her attention is turned away when her own lover, VP of Production, Rui comes home. Arisa and Hinako manage to get a little “chuu”ing in, before the alcohol catches up to Arisa and she falls asleep. The next day Hina arrives to fined Tomoe, Arisa and Masturika calmly discussing *her* love life. The story ends as she screams about privacy, dammit.

And “Honey Crush” continues to weave its way through the story of boring ole Madoka and the girl, Kyouko, and the ghost that love her. Kyoko’s ability to see and talk to ghosts is debated in school, with Madoka coming to her rescue, which drives Kyouko to confess her feelings – again. The ghost objects and Kyoko’s battle with unseen forces to an obvious bwah-wah-wahhh~ ends the story.

Pretty chunky volume this time, so I’ll do this in two part, then wrap up a few comments for the overall. So, to be continued in Part 2. ^_^