Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Vampeerz – “My Peer Vampires,” Volumes 4 and 5

June 4th, 2025

by Christian LeBlanc, Staff Writer

It’s not mentioned in the review,
But Volume 4 does something new:
There were a few bugs
Who drank vampire blood,
Now there’s vampire ants in the school.

Before you start reading your latest volume of manga – and I’m talking physical copy, because you like that it came from trees and you still lie about how much you love the smell of ink or whatever – have you ever flipped through it first so you can get a glimpse at all the cool scenes and pictures and get all excited to read it? Conversely, has the opposite ever happened?

On my initial flip-through of Vampeerz, Volume 4 about a year ago, I saw the book open on some standing doggy-style alley-sex, saw a naked dude standing threateningly in front of a tied-up Khara a few pages later, and at the end of the book, beheld Aria asking Ichika to massage around her groin before a child knocked a fart out of her. At least the ink still smelled good.

I will admit, that all knocked the wind out of my sails (no pun intended). Vampeerz, Volume 5, however, had a much better flip-test.

Vampeerz, as you may remember, is a vampire Yuri manga by Akili, published by Denpa, and more than ably translated by Molly Rabbitt, about Aria (ageless vampire, can pass for 14) and Ichika (14-year-old human). A small entourage of vampires have joined the cast, giving the book a more ensemble feel. And as enjoyable as the book can get (amazing art, sweet Yuri moments, sometimes hilarious comedy), there’s usually a bit of skeeze. A little sketch. Maybe not enough to stand out if you’re just reading for fun, but if you’re taking the extra time to do a review, it becomes that much harder to ignore.

Plotwise, Volume 4 introduces Lord Arthur, a bisexual vampire who drops literary quotes in between doggy-styling it with the ladies in alleys and hot springs. He figures into the Vampire Intrigues, claiming to be on Aria’s side amongst a power struggle coming from rival vampire royalty – mostly for the sake of protecting his ex-boyfriend Jiro, who is part of Aria’s camp (and wants nothing more to do with ol’ Art, who he warns is “a licentious man!”). I will admit, the Intrigues are fairly hard to keep straight, and referring to them in flashbacks later on certainly doesn’t help in terms of clarity. Arthur is all but absent in Volume 5, though, as a school camping trip takes priority over politics.

This camping trip leads to a touching story involving Ichika’s childhood friend, as the pair find themselves drifting apart after gravitating towards their respective love interests. Akili’s ability to portray such tender emotions right after a chapter that should have been titled Boobapalooza still makes me dizzy.

And that’s the really confusing thing about this series: yes, Volume 5 opens with Ichika sitting on the toilet as she hears Aria and her vampire entourage coming home, but we also spend 76 pages at the end of the book in a single chapter detailing Aria’s touching history with Ichika’s grandmother, Chiro. There is honestly heartfelt writing in Vampeerz, but Akili can’t help but toss in that little bit of sketch like it’s a secret ingredient. Perhaps Volume 6 (currently due out in English in October) will finally flip my opinion on this book one way or the other. 

Ratings:

Art – 9  Still my favourite thing about this book. 
Story – 8  The fifth volume in particular really stepped things up.
Characters – 7  I’m still on the fence about Arthur, but so is everyone in the book.
Service – 7  I mentioned Boobapalooza, right?
Yuri – 8  The second half of Volume 5 makes for a brilliant stand-alone story.

Overall – 7  





Class X

June 1st, 2025

Three girls in white blouses and blue skirts hold hands, one girl’s polka-dotted underwear visible, as they stand in a circle. A group of girls in school uniform sit in a circle… bending spoons. They stand in an circle, concentrating, they do classwork. They summon the alien ship, they rest. Then they do it all over again. In Class X, by Itou Hidemi, these girls are indeed special. 

The narrative is told in a mostly silent pantomime, with few words, especially at the beginning. At first it almost seems like related, but unconnected scenarios.  As the story evolves, we realize we are seeing a complete tale, one that will take on some sincerity, pathos and end with a surprisingly climax.

Yes, there is Yuri, two of the girls develop a romantic relationship in the style of a war-time couple who meet and connect in time to part, forever. It absolutely works. 

The art is as you see on the cover, simple, almost childish, one girl’s polka-dotted underwear visible, as they stand in a circle.  

This whole book was a surprise and a delight.  Thanks to translator Jocelyne Allen of Brain vs Book, who turned me on to this obscure, but wonderfully astonishing story.

Ratings:

Art – Not to my taste, but meant to do a specific thing
Story – 10
Characters – 10
Service – 4 
Yuri – 8

Overall – 9

This week was brought to you by the letter ‘X’. ^_^





Kase-san and Yamada, Volume 4

May 29th, 2025

Two girls snuggle on the cover, surrounded by colorful silhouettes of tea cups and tea posts. One has medium length blonde hair, wears a brown plaid skirt and cream blouse. The other a pink shirt and grey shorts. They hold matching teacups.It is absolutely gobsmacking to think that we have been following these two young woman in real time almost as long as they have been alive in story time. The Kase-san series turns 15 years old this summer. Boggling.

And, finally, they seem to be growing up a bit. But they still have some hurdles to clear in Kase-san and Yamada, Volume 4, which is the ninth volume of this story!

Kase-san and Yamada are planning on moving out of the dorms and into an apartment together. Yamada finds the perfect place, but Kase-san cannot get herself together to sign the lease. Instead of leaving the dorms, she finds herself unable to cope with the unrequited emotional baggage of her roommate.Her teammates are no help at all, and encourage Kase-san to race Fukami, because they want a race, and Kase-san isn’t strong-willed enough to claim her own space.

Meanwhile Yamada finds that she has managed to build a little nest of friends on her side. Hana and Fukawachhi help her move in and she unloads the absurd story on them. And then Kase-san arrives and it’s just as wonderful as Yamada dreamed. Whene she casually reminds Kase-san that her plan is to study in England, we feel the future looming up ahead, but for now, Kase-san and Yamada are happy in their own place together. Yay.

This is a spot at which the series could, if it needs to, stop. And it will have served all the functions we can ask of it – we got to see Yamada meet and fall in love with Kase-san, Kase-san return her feelings, they graduated and moved to the big city, and now, are living together, at last with nothing between them. And yet! There they are in this issue of Wings magazine with a color page and a slight mismatch of schedules once again, causing mild chaos that will resolve with the two of them happily together. This series has traveled a long road, between magazines and online publishing and, like it’s titular characters has foun it’s home and is quite settled in, thank you.

Kase-san and Yamada are not flashy people, this manga is not a flashy title, but it has quietly been doing an amazing job of bringing us a lovely Yuri couple for 15 years now, and I think Takashima Hiromi-sensei deserves a lot of praise for her work.





Alter Ego 2: Noel and June

May 23rd, 2025

Two woman curl up together on a sofa in bright morning light. by Samantha Melton, Guest Reviewer

Hey Okazu readers! My name is Samantha, and I have been passionately reading Yuri for nearly twelve years.

Alter Ego 2: Noel and June (aka Alter Ego 2) by Ana C. Sánchez is the sequel to her manga-inspired Spanish comic Alter Ego. Alter Ego 2 picks up shortly after the end of the first volume, with Noel and June, our two heroines, navigating their busy lives and going on their first official date together. June’s recently published book is selling well, but she’s feeling the pressure of starting the sequel to the best seller, unsure of what to do with the plot going forward. Meanwhile, Noel’s struggling with her feelings for June, her own insecurities around their relationship, and her inexperience with dating in general.

After a conversation between June and Noel about how to write a good sequel to a generally wrapped up first book (a clear nod to the reader on Sánchez’s possible approach to Alter Ego 2), Noel ends up helping a mysterious stranger get his phone back from a thief. This stranger is Gabriel (Gabi,) and he’s come to their city with a particular goal in mind. With June’s discussion on sequels and their structure in mind, it’s clear Gabi’s the wrench that will be thrown into Noel and June’s relationship.

From here, Noel and June uncover sensitive topics in their relationship and must learn to communicate and work through their issues properly without letting their pasts and insecurities separate them. Surprised confessions throw them off course, fear of their own darkness threatens to break them up, and they are pushed to look inside themselves and acknowledge their shortcomings and mistakes.

I reviewed Alter Ego almost two months ago, and my impression of the manga boiled down to it being a great start but rough around the edges with its themes and setting. It’s strong suits were the intriguing emulation of typical Yuri manga styles, despite being a Spanish comic, along with its status as a well contained experience for a single volume story. Going into Alter Ego 2, I wasn’t expecting anything incredibly different. However, I was blown away by how Sánchez crafted a narrative that made significant improvements when it came to themes and plot beats. It also constructively tied back into the shortcomings of the first volume to put those elements into a new perspective in mature, compelling, and natural ways.

June, as a professional writer, often waxes poetic on topics of love and relationships. While I liked this aspect of Alter Ego (I do it myself, what can I say?), I found June’s perspective sometimes didn’t tie well into the character arcs, and it left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. In Alter Ego 2, Sánchez seemed to focus on improving this, making every deeper conversation hold meaning and fit into the plot. She also took time to reflect on some of what was left hanging in the original work. I was impressed by how she improved upon the maturity of certain moments and characters, making unlikable or flat characters feel like they have depth or a desire to be better as people. 

The most notable improvement is Noel, who’s still off-putting at times, but is even more clearly shown as immature, inexperienced, and struggling with her own sense of self worth. She still has moments where conflict could have been avoided if she just expressed herself openly, but the framing around her is much more appropriate and it makes her growth satisfying, not from a “love solves everything” angle, but an “I need to reflect and address my insecurities” way. We see she wants to get on a better path and shed the toxic traits she often slides into.

Side characters are also fleshed out and improved, most notably Hiro and Elena, who both get time to be more than just Noel and June’s friends. Elena shows some of her vulnerabilities and passion for her friends, and Hiro gets a chance to have some agency and maturity in his relationship, making him less of a stock boyfriend and a little more of a likable and genuinely supportive partner for Elena. Gabi, as the new character in the bunch, is a surprisingly mature, supportive, and positive addition to the story.

Given the time between my reading of Alter Ego and Alter Ego 2, I had stowed some of the less prominent plot points of volume one into the back of my mind, so when they came back in big ways, I audibly squealed in excitement. I’ll be the first to admit, I found these connections incredibly satisfying.

Alter Ego 2 is obvious with its Yuri, portraying plenty of strong, sapphic moments with intense emotions and art. With a 13+ rating, this story doesn’t have any explicit nudity or sex, but the scenes we do get of Noel and June together are bursting with Yuri goodness and feelings I just can’t get enough of! 

Alter Ego 2 doesn’t touch on any political implications, staying in an idealistic and generally frictionless parallel to reality. There are no difficult moments of coming out or experiencing societal pushback. As much as I am a bit frustrated by non-political stories, I have to admit, this story has a handful of delightful moments with supportive family and friends. It made me smile, but from a critical perspective, it avoids some of the deeper aspects of queer existence.

Alter Ego 2 genuinely shocked me with how much of a step up it was from its source material, and Alter Ego genuinely benefits from its sequel coming to tie some of the loose ends. This series went from decently good to absolutely great, and I would highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates maturity, character growth, and is intrigued about the subtleties of a Spanish manga. You can find the English edition of Alter Ego 2 by LoveLove, an imprint of Tokyopop, at various booksellers, as well as the Spanish edition from Planeta Manga.

 

Ratings:

Art: 9
Story: 9, but maybe lower if you read the two volumes back to back.
Characters: 9
Service: 6, though I find passionate kisses quite serviceable.
Yuri: 7

Overall: 9

Samantha started collecting Yuri manga in 2022, and I have been growing my physical collection ever since. I started reviewing Yuri as a hobby in early 2025 on my substack page as a way to collect my thoughts on each series I completed. The genre helped me discover myself as a person, and I have a passion for analyzing Yuri from a historical, political, and critical perspective, with a focus on approachability and positivity. If you want to keep up with my reviews or updates, you can also check out my Bluesky.





Comic Yuri Hime, June 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年6月号)

May 22nd, 2025

Two girls walk through a rainy early summer day under clear plastic umbrellas, talking and smiling.Hechama begins our cover story for Comic Yuri Hime, June 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年6月号) June 19th, 2020, GMT +0900, 15 years old. I just finally noticed (duh) that the months are matching the issue’s month. Wow, I smart.

“I’m in Love with the Villainess” heads into the final arc, we start in despair and we end there as well. Thunks are looking bleak for Bauer. I know this will end when we complete the “Revolution arc” but oh how I wish we got Dorothea. If you have a moment, write Icjinjinsha and ask for a second series in Nur!

Takeshima Eku’s “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Uta,” continues, as Miki remembers Himari’s quandry about love, and decides to date her sempai while she sorts out her feelings. While sempai works on being the best, most supportive girlfriend ever.

In “Chouuchyuu Yori Ai wo Komete,” by Ashidaka Woz, while shopping Lulu and Ten help a little girl,  and  Ten works out that she’s probably been hiding Lulu out of embarrassment. A lock on her heart’s door is opened.

In Utatane Yuu’s “Oodoriba ni Skirt ga Naru,” Michiru ends up helping another girl to dance and Kiki suddenly realizes, finally how MUCH she wants to dance with her. We are set to head in to our final competition!

“Uraniwa Etoile” by Hoshino Kanata  goes over well-worn, but satsfying ground of an uninspired, ie. traumatized, student who sees a girl dancing in back garden, find her to be the strict student president. With the other girl’s helps, she her find her freedom.

Clarice cannot believe what she did, Frost hasn’t slept, in “Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!”  Frost-sama falling asleep on her plate is a very funny visual.

One-shot “Uchyuu wo oshiete My Baby,” is a romantic tentacle monster story that ends with a happy couple expecting a baby monster.

In “Gan no Hime,” Isana and Hime have found Isana’s sister and what they learned was beyond unexpected – this is not the first time they have all met.

Koharu to Minato decide to adopt a dog in “Koharu to Minato. Lots of cute puppy time. ^_^

The rest of the 500+ pages of Yuri is filled with columns, illustrations and more. As always there are stories I read and did not mention and others I did not read, but I am sure that many of you do. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 9

The July Issue hit shelves this week. I am once again caught up for the briefest of moments! Next up, getting caught up on Galette. ^_^