Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Koharu to Minato: Watashi No Partner Ha Onna No Ko, Volume 1 (小春と湊 わたしのパートナーは女の子)

July 25th, 2024

Koharu to Minato: Watashi No Partner Ha Onna No Ko, Volume 1Two women smile at one another holding tapioca teas. One is taller with collar-length black hair that fades into lavender, wearing a fashionable black suit and accessories. The other is shorter, with long light brown hair, casually dressed in a green tee and jeans with her arm around the other woman's waist. (小春と湊 わたしのパートナーは女の子) is a fictionalized autobiographical comic essay on the real-lives of the creative team, Daruma and Hiarron, which has been running in Comic Yuri Hime magazine. Originally in the end pages of the magazine, it has recently been moved into the body. Conveniently I found some time recently to finish up this first collected volume in the middle of a very busy week. 

The main point of this book is that Koharu and Minato are adorable together. 10 years apart in age, Koharu is a bit of a free spirit, naturally a bit butchier than Minato, while Minato tends to be a fashion plate. The two of them are good for one another and their relationship is wholesome as can be. (As I write this review, my wife and I have just shared a bowl of cereal for an afternoon snack and we’re feeling very wholesome ourselves, so, like, I get it. ^_^)

The story, as such, becomes more interesting when they tell they story of how they met online and ended up meeting, then dating long-distance and eventually moving in together. I will say that I find myself oddly interested in the minutiae of their lives together. ^_^

There is no major conflict here. Maybe they go out for boba tea, or they have a date to see a movie. They live together and are very in love. It’s the kind of manga you’ll want to read a small section at a time, so you’re not overwhelmed with the cuteness. The art here is loose and comfortable, a style that suits the narrative very well.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters  – It’s never not weird to score a person’s perspective on themselves. They both seem very nice. 8
Service – 0
Yuri – 10

Overall – 8

Although this is a fictionalized autobiographical look at their lives together – and they do discuss marriage at one point – there is little discussion of queer life in Japan (although that may be addressed in the next volume. For that reason, I am scoring this a a Yuri, not  LGBT comic.

This series began as a digital comic, but there’s a definite “meant for publication” feel to it. Despite that, it is currently in digital format only, so only available on Kindle in Japan, multiple JP digital manga sites and Bookwalker outside.

Volume 2 hit digital shelves in May, and if I need more comfort food Yuri, I’m sure to reach for the next volume as well.





Otherside Picnic, Volume 10

July 24th, 2024

Two women stand back to back. The shorter with collar-length dark hair in a green jacket over striped shirt holds her hand up to her face near a blue eye, that does not match her other brown eye. Behind her is a taller women with long, blonde hair, looking back over her left shoulder at us. In the background are a tall girl with red hair, her hand on a shorter girl's shoulder. The shorter girl holds up a fist as if ready to protect the other girl.by Sandy Ferguson, Guest Reviewer

Otherside Picnic, Volume 10 includes the satisfying conclusion of ‘Sannuki and the Karate Kid’, the beginning of ‘The Whisper Is At-Your-Own-Risk’ and the always welcome bonus Kozakura story ‘Getting Lost in Self-Loathing’, the title is a bit of a spoiler…

In this volume the events of the stories happen in our world. Sorawo and Toriko do not enter the Otherside, instead they are responding to the Otherside interacting with our world in both stories, though in very different ways.

Throughout this volume Sorawo shares her thoughts concerning the nature of the Otherside and how it becomes part of our world.

And through conversations Sorawo explores the distinction between those who actively seek an encounter with the Otherside, people like her and Toriko who are willing to risk the consequences of such an encounter, compared with those who stumble on a ‘patch’ of the Otherside that has somehow infiltrated our world. This is partly as an explanation of why she is willing to help those who stumble into the Otherside, but as she also makes clear she doesn’t want to deal with them being a nuisance who might get in the way of her and Toriko’s fun.

We hear more of Sorawo’s definitions of urban lore and ghost stories and why the distinction is so important to her, with a harrowing glimpse into her childhood to explain why this is the case.

One aspect of Otherside Picnic I appreciate is the ability to portray the presence of the Otherside in an ordinary setting that I find unsettling. For example, Sorawo’s response to seeing Satsuki in a crowd and what happens next.

Satsuki Uruma looms more and more into the narrative throughout this volume in a variety of ways, such as Sorawo becoming annoyed when people are happy to tell her that she looks like Satsuki.

Satsuki haunts Sorawo’s life, not just with her presence, but her fears of what will happen if she shares with Kozakura and especially Toriko that she can see Satsuki. We see more of the connections that Satsuki made, the young women who were drawn to her and who she recruits. The question that arises is what was Satuski’s objective bringing these young women into her vision of the Otherside?

In ‘The Whisper Is At-Your-Own-Risk’ we meet Runa Urumi, also known as Luna-sama, a Satsuki devotee touched by the Otherside with a talent that is a powerful illustration of the consequences of what happens when elements of the Otherside being deliberately introduced into our world.

But it is useful to remember that Satsuki and her ilk are not the only people bringing the Otherside into our world. Sorawo uses the gift of her eye to prepare Akari for her confrontation with the Kano Sannuki.

‘The Whisper Is At-Your-Own-Risk’ is one of my favourite stories from the novels, and the manga has already got a good start in its version of the story, with its dramatic recreation of the kidnap, the story of Luna-sama being touched by the Otherside and Sorawo’s realisation that she has to face the trauma of her past as she is confronted by held captive by a cult who worship Luna-sama.

I am really looking forward to Volume 11, which comes out in November!

I was particularly drawn to the bonus short story, “Getting Lost in Self-Loathing”. As always, we are invited to witness Kozakura’s perspective on events, and this one was a doozie. Kozakura’s honesty about her complicated feelings about Satsuki, Toriko and Sorawo and how they had drawn her into the Otherside is compelling and raw.

Sorawo’s role in Kozakura’s musings are particularly interesting, as Kozakura expresses a combination of annoyance with a dash of gratitude over how Sorawo has changed her life.

Ratings:

Story – 9

Artwork – 9 “A whole lot of…teeth?” is a scene that will be haunting my dreams. And then there is the ethical dilemma, can we enjoy the wonderful artwork of Akari beating up what looks like an old woman?

Character – 9 We are given more glimpses of the complexity that is Sorawo, how she responds to the trauma of her childhood and how this has shaped her ability to be in relationship with other people. And ‘Getting Lost in Self-Loathing is an excellent character study of Kozakura

Service – 7

Yuri – 8 In this volume we are introduced to more potential Yuri thanks to Natsumi and Akari.

Overall – 9





Assorted Entanglements, Volume 5

July 19th, 2024

Two young women wearing jerseys sit back to back. One with the side of her head braided, smokes a cigarette, the other with multiple ear piercings. They both look off to the right.by Matt Marcus, Staff Writer

Have you ever been on a bad first date? Like, a really bad one? Maybe you neglected to vet the content of the movie you bought tickets for (“I’ve heard good things about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo!”). Perhaps you chose a restaurant that doesn’t take reservations and you arrive to find a two hour wait for the next table (“Who knew this place was this popular?”). Or you somehow left your driver’s license at home so you cannot order any adult beverages (“Curse this babyface of mine!”). Maybe you let it slip that you did a hair too much “research” on your date’s social media profiles. Or what if…the two of you just don’t have any chemistry. Worse, what if that were true and—*gasp*—they were also your boss?

OK, so things don’t get that dire in Assorted Entanglements, Volume 5, but it isn’t far off.

Last time on Assorted Entanglements, we got some real, true character growth from the majority of our Sapphic menagerie. Iori and Minami are still as committed to each other as  ever, Shizuku and Saori are bonding, Heke-sensei and her editor Shinohara are very close to admitting their mutual interest, and Kujou’s obliviousness continues to helpfully shield her from making a serious mistake with her student Sugimoto, for now. Progress!

The large majority of the page-time in this volume, as it were, is dedicated to Best Not-Yet-Couple Heke-sensei and Shinohara-san. Editor-san, hearing Iori’s warning of missed opportunities ringing repeatedly in her ears, invites Heke-sensei to a meatspace date during one of their online meetups. Even though the event on paper was a slam dunk (a live gaming exhibition), the experience is horribly awkward. Heke-sensei was too nervous to speak to her gaming “idol”…but after the two get home and hop onto another gaming session, she admits that she was such a fan of Lala’s that she figured out Shinohara’s day job and intentionally submitted her manga at her company in order to meet her. Instead of a restraining order, Shinohara instead offers that they date—if Heke-sensei can get on her gaming level.

There are more extended chapters of the two awkwardly navigating this “not yet dating” situation, but now that their feelings are out in the open the gags have shifted from Shinohara deflecting her feelings (to Heke-sensei’s chagrin) to the mangaka being an awkward nerd with bizarre priorities that mildly exasperates her cantankerous would-be paramour. It’s an improvement from the “Oh thank god I hid my true feelings at the last second” tropes we’ve seen so far. There is also a nice moment where Iori invites Shinohara over for dinner, with Minami of course doing the cooking. It’s the longest stretch that the manga has gone without a sour note.

The bulk of the remainder are expanded backstories: one about Minami and Shizuku’s time in the childhood delinquent facility and one fleshing out Kujou’s college best friend/crush Akemi. Both are well told and add nuance to the stories we’ve heard the characters tell each other. I found Akemi’s ambiguous feelings toward Kujou to be a tasty morsel of melancholy that was more emotionally nourishing than I typically expect from this series. I half-expect her to reappear near the climax of the Kujou/Sugimoto arc, but I actually wish Mikanuji-sensei shows restraint and leaves her in the past.

The volume wraps with a summer vacation bonus story that reiterates that Iori and Minami are happy together, and that Saori and Shizuku are both miserable about it. Same as it ever was.

All and all, this volume breezes by and avoids nearly all of the pitfalls from the previous volumes. Somehow, online gaming has led to less toxicity; I guess that’s why this is fiction.

Art – 7 At least this time there are no new characters
Story – 8 There’s some actual, non-gratuitous pathos here
Characters – 8 The character-based humor between Shinohara and Heke-sensei earns an extra point
Service – 2 For a drunken college hookup
Yuri – 8 / LGBTQ – 8 Iori effectively comes out to Shinohara

Overall – 8 Feels like the story has moved up in the rankings

Volume 6 of this ensemble story of Sapphic misfits is coming our way in October.

Matt Marcus is a serial enthusiast whose range of appreciations include guitars, watches, and a particular genre of Japanese popular media named after a flower. Outside of writing for Okazu, he cohosts various projects on the Pitch Drop Podcast Network, where he frequently bloviates about video games, anime, and manga. He also hosts a blog Oh My God, They Were Bandmates analyzing How Do We Relationship in greater depth.





Kiss the Scars of the Girls, Volume 2

July 18th, 2024

A cute, short-haired blonde girl and a taller long haired girl with black hair, in dark blue old-fashioned Japan school uniforms hold hands as they smile gently at one another.by Christian Le Blanc, Staff Writer

Feet are not something to lance,
And the soft palate’s no place for hands.
Though we’ve been through school combat,
We should leave it at comrade;
You and me could write a stab romance.

As a quick refresher: Kiss the Scars of the Girls is a futuristic vampire Yuri manga from Aya Haruhana and Yen Press where vampires hardly have any powers or protections, and Class S dominates how vampire girls are educated at their vampire boarding schools which are located next to medieval-looking cities full of prey (and vampire hunters). Emille Florence is our bright, cheerful blonde, while Eve, with her long black hair and unapproachable manner, is her older ‘sister’ designated to show her the ropes and watch out for her.   

When I reviewed Volume 1, I felt a bit let down by how dull everything felt, and lamented the absence of vampiral shenanigans, including violence. Reader, you can well imagine my surprise and delight when Kiss the Scars of the Girls, Volume 2 treated me to a flashback of a primary school knife fight where plucky and sunny-dispositioned Emille gets Stabbitha Christie’d by the awkward girl who likes her, Yucca Lotus. 

I will admit, where this story features Class S prim and proper vampire ladies, I was rather surprised at how nonchalantly the narrator of the flashback says this all went down “on an otherwise unremarkable day” where they “were doing mock close-quarters combat training.” 

What surprised me even more was how OMG WTF shocked her classmates are, and how their teacher is furious at Yucca for going all Stabbicus Finch on someone, but, really, when you arm schoolchildren with knives and tell them to fight each other, I don’t know how you can expect anything other than a Black Stabbath concert to break out. 

As it turns out, vampires heal quickly and easily and Emille just waves it off and asks everyone to forgive her assailant, who then sticks with Emille from that point on to avoid getting bullied…I’d say the other students’ fear of ending up as a letter to Dear Stabby is really what keeps them from picking on her, but it’s hard to say with these vampire kids. 

Yucca ends up having one of those friendships with Emille that you only read about in the occasional Yuri compilation of short stories, where that one short makes you feel all squicky because the creepy character loves seeing her girlfriend upset, so she keeps tormenting her in little ways. It’s off-putting, and Emille’s big sister Eve eventually has to step in and resolve things. Yucca leaves a letter saying she has to go now, her planet needs her, and a big part of me hopes that Eve herself wrote it to cover up any extracurricular “murdering Yucca” activities she felt she needed to do as Emille’s senpai. 

Moving on, we start getting into the reason why the vampires in this book seem so human and normal, with the introduction of Colette, a clumsy human girl who Emille befriends in town. Can Emille and Colette forge a friendship, in spite of the fact that all vampires hate humans and all humans hate vampires? Lucce, Emille’s friend who works at the school library, seems to think so. When we learn that Lucce’s parents are a vampire and a human, and combine that with Lucce’s darker skin tones, we are definitely meant to realize that the vampires in this book are a metaphor for discussing prejudice and race, in much the same way that Yurikuma Arashi used bears as a metaphor for discussing prejudice and homophobia (just without any wild Ikuhara symbolism in Scars, unfortunately). 

Ratings:

Characters – 5 (a slight bump up from last volume thanks to Lucce)
Story – 6 (no huge stakes, but I’m mildly curious to see what’s next)
Service – 1 (5 if you’re into seeing tonsils get fingered)
Yuri – 5

Overall – 6

When I read the first volume, I was puzzled over how similar humans and vampires seemed, and I now understand that this is being used to tackle racial prejudice (and for the shock humour value when we see things like combat training). This has made me enjoy this series a little more, and I’m curious as to whether Aya Haruhana will do anything more with the conceit, or if this is simply the current storyline before it gets abandoned for the inevitable return of Stabby McStabface. 

Erica here: Volume 3, The Stabbening, is out at the end the month from Yen Press.





Comic Yuri Hime, July 2024 (コミック百合姫2024年7月号)

July 14th, 2024

Two girls frolic in a forested creek, a girl with short blonde hair sits on a mossy rock, her feet in the creek, looking up at a girls with a brown ponytail who holds her skirts above the water she stands in.Comic Yuri Hime, July 2024 (コミック百合姫2024年7月号) is 800+ pages of Yuri. I am still boggling at the size of this thing. If they used paper the same thickness as they used to, this volumewould be absolutely massive. Even with the laser-thin paper used now, it’s a pretty hefty tome. And, for once, this volume is less about the upcoming and ongoing anime and more about just…the manga. There is so much manga in this volume.

The opening story is a new one by Tamasaki Tama “Muryoku Seijo to Munou Oujo ~ Maryoku Zero de Shoukansareta Seijo no Isekai Kyuukoku-ki ~” another new fantasy isekai. It is…not terrible at all, even though it starts kind of rough. Nana has not managed to make anything of her life and is feeling quite depressed when she is brought to another world along with another woman to save a kingdom as Saints…only she has no power here, either. Until she meets Princess Lilium who has power but cannot use it. Together they are able to manifest the Princess’ power in explosive combination. And hopefully, they’ll save the kingdom.

In “Sasayakuyou ni Koi wo Utua,” by Takeshima Eku, having resolved all the complicated relationships among SSGirls and Laureley, where can the story turn to next for cute reactions to love? How about Miki, Himari’s bestie? Turns out her band (instrumental, not light rock,) senpai is in love with her.

Clarice is turning out to be a smart and capable Marquess in “Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” In this chapter she learns that her the whole staff left aT Black Knight Frost’s mansion are four maids. Everyone else has been driven off by the threat of monsters and the threat of their monster employer. Clarice, who is determined to save her family, explores ways to Frost-sama’s heart, but is not successful…when news arrives that monsters are attacking a merchant carriage that is headed their way. (I ask myself, though, why is a merchant coming to this monster-infested place with one carriage and no entourage of guards? What could he be selling that would make that journey worth it? …anyway…)

“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” has added a short interlude, as Rae is accompanied by Lily on what the Cardinal thinks is a date and Rae understands as part of the investigation of noble corruption. I have no doubt that this side quest is so we can see Lily in “cute” clothes. ^_^

“Salvia no Bouquet” takes a moment to explore Ellen’s feelings about Riza, as she faces down the loss of her mentor.

Shigizawa and Gotou have it out at last in “Utsotsuki Hanayome to Dousei Kekkon-ron” and Shigizawa loses to herself.

I haven’t talked about “Koharu to Minato” much, but his love-love comic essay has moved from the end  page into the magazine proper and continues to be a sweet, idealized day in the life of a couple. I’ve just finished Volume 1 of this series and will be reviewing it shorty. It is very cute.

“Kiraware Majoureijou to Dansou Ouji no Kon’yaku” has added new characters and a mystery – which is more interesting than the unsurprising romance between Ciel and Eve. Who is Eve’s mother and how is Eve able to do dark magic?

Oh yay, an historical Yuri set in the Taisho period about clothing. I am 100% excited for this new title by Sheep D, “Kanaria ha Kiraboshi no Yume wo Miru.” A girl with a dream, and a mother determined to crush it, and a beautiful Occidental girl will shake up the fashion world in Taisho Japan.

I was going to wine about the length of the titles, but I have decided that I actually prefer these longer, more descriptive titles over, like, “Fashion” or something like that. Still a pain to transcribe, though ^_^;

As always, of course, there are other stories I read, but have not mentioned and others I did not – indeed, there are several series I have never read more than one chapter. The offerings are leaning heavily towards fantasy right now…but let’s be honest, isekai is hot. There’s still a bunch of great work about adult lives and competent women in our reality and another world in this issue.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

With 800 pages, there is definitely something for just about everyone! The August issue is out, and I started reading it this week. There’s great stuff in there and I can’t wit to tell you about it.