Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Whisper Me A Love Song, Volume 9

October 21st, 2025

Two girls, one with shoulder-length blonde hair and the other with long black hair, wearing Japanese school uniform hold hands and look deeply into one another's eyes.In Volume 8, Shiho finally admits to the “other” reason she split from Aki’s band. Yes, she does want to be a pro and is driven to excel beyond just having fun, and yes, she lives with the memory of a dead friend and rival she can never surpass haunting her…but mostly, it’s because she’s in love with Aki. It is this last that proved the impassable barrier, until Himari forced Shiho and Aki to have it out. 

Here in Whisper Me A Love Song, Volume 9 Himari isn’t done. In her role as cupid, she knows that it’s Aki’s turn to say something, so she forces Shiho to be there to listen. Aki take the opportunity of the finale of their Battle of the Bands set to talk intimately to Shiho…in front of the entire school. 

The school festival comes to an end. Unsurprisingly, Laurelei wins the battle. It would make no sense for it to be otherwise. (This was something that the anime did very well. SS Girls had cute music, but Laurelei’s song were amazing. ) Shiho, having had every one of the many wounds she let fester finally lanced, has no choice now except to try and be the person she was avoiding being. She must embrace joy and love…and everyone is watching over her to make sure she doesn’t fuck it up this time. ^_^ This arc took a long time to come to this point, but I think Shiho and Aki are perfect idiots and will be just fine together. Now we can all move on.

This volume reminds us that Hajime and Momoko are a story we have yet to address, but they are not where the next arc will take us.  The fantasy element of this story means that it isn’t going to drag these characters through the next morning angst of having to go to school where everyone knows your business. For the moment, we’re all free to just be a bunch of happy teens in and around a band.

Ratings:

Art – 8  The art is good, but the closeups are getting so close at this point, it is sometimes hard to see what we are looking at.
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 0
Yuri – 8

Overall – 9

Who will be paired up next? IYKYK!

9 Volumes in, and with only a very few scenes as exceptions – and those, only mild exceptions – I still think this story is one you can give to just about anyone to read. It’s sweet and earnest and occasionally intense. Kodansha’s team continues to do amazing work on it. As schoolgirl Yuri goes, I consider this one of the best series I have read. 





Comic Yuri Hime, November 2025 (コミック百合姫2025年11月号)

October 12th, 2025

Two women sit at a low table, eating, smiling and talking animatedly together. The image is laid out so the magazine will need to be rotated horizontally to see it properly. 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.





Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord, Volume 5

October 10th, 2025

Two women stand in the yard of a Japanese home, laundry in a basket behind them on the veranda, as they dance. A woman with short dark hair, draped in a sheet as a dress, laughs as she is dipped by a taller woman with long blonde hair, wearing denim jeans and jacket.It has been a bit of while since we took a look at Suga Asako and her landlord, former idol group leader Miyako. This adult slice of life story by Yodokawa is the perfect manga to sink into for some emotional comfort food. 

Asako and Miyako are comfortable now thinking of themselves as a couple. After visiting Miyako’s family, Asako is looking forward to her days with her landlord, but when Matsuba stops by and makes her truly consider what that future means, Asako finds herself once again at a loss. 

But all that needs to be put aside, because Miyako has been found by paparazzi hanging out with the current Elm members and it has created instability for all of them. Miyako and Elm suggest a bold plan to quell rumors and set the past behind them.

There is something charming and special in this slice-of-not-everday-life. Few among us are ever going to have to live the life of an idol, or be partner to one. (I admit to spending surprising amount of time thinking about just that, as our Yuricon mascot Yuriko is exactly that kind of mega-popular idol and I think about the next novella about her when I am not able to sleep, which is frequently. ^_^;) But there are so many things in this story which might resonate with anyone – navigating complex feelings, letting someone into one’s life, meeting family, building a future. All of that is something any adult might experience, even if one’s partner is not mega- (or even micro-)famous .

Yodokawa’s art has grown into this story, as well. Along with fantastic expressions, body language here is exceptional, particularly as the story builds up to the climax.

Ratings: 

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – 0
Yuri – 9

Overall  – 9

This is an immensely satisfying end to an entertaining and satisfying series. I look forward to more from Yodokawa-sensei, for sure. 





Yuri Manga Magazine Galette To Begin 4th Issue Kickstarter on October 15

October 9th, 2025

Two catgirls cuddle intimately. Art by Morinaga Milk.After much consideration and discussion, a survey of backers and mores discussion, Galette WORKS have decided to go ahead with the launch of Galette Special English Edition, Issue 4.

Tariffs on good from Japan have, for the moment, settled at 15%, but shipping costs are going up and it is very likely that after the election, tariffs will rise more as well, regardless of the outcome. But as GW notes, there is no point to waiting on this, because it is not going to magically get better soon.

Therefore, on October 15, Oct 15, 2025  at 9 AM JST, (1AM in the UK,2 AM in Europe,  8PM US Eastern Time) Galette’s fourth Kickstarter will commence. It will be a 15-day campaign once again, so if you are interested in backing the highest levels, you will need to move quickly. ^_^

Once again, I want to affirm my commitment to Galette – not to get something, but to back the work and the creators. In this ever-darkening world, Yuri and queer manga shines a light and I want to support and spread that light. I don’t need physical goods. I need to know that Yuri and queer manga are being written, read and enjoyed all over the world. 

But the standees are cute, too. ^_^

Click to get notified when the campaign goes live on the Galette Volume 4 Kickstarter page!





Heimin No Watashi Desu Ga Koushaku Reijou-sama o Taburakashite Ikite Imasu, Volume 2 (平民の私ですが公爵令嬢様をたぶらかして生きています)

October 2nd, 2025

Two girls in the same white an red uniform lean back to back on a red cover. One girl has short purplish-black hair and purple eyes, the other has long, pale silver-blue hair and eyes, They both smile at us. In Volume 1, we met Laila, a commoner set adrift when her useless parents sell her off to slavers. She reconnects with a childhood friend, a noble who sponsors Laila to the Royal academy. Laila has the ability to adapt to any magic simply by mimicking what she sees and she quickly gains notoriety, both good and bad at school on account of being a commoner.

In Volume 2 of Heimin No Watashi Desu Ga Koushaku Reijou-sama o Taburakashite Ikite Imasu, Volume 2 (平民の私ですが公爵令嬢様をたぶらかして生きています), nobles continue to harass Laila, trying to drive her from the school. When religious extremists attack an innocent student, Martha, Laila and Touka, Laila becomes more friendly with Eva, a powerful noble and magician at school. Eva extends the protection of the ducal house of Mayer to Laila, angering her father and brother. 

The King, concerned about religious fanaticism, declares a competition between the 4 ducal houses, meant to showcase the magical strength and ability at his side. Representatives of all 4 houses will compete, using their physical, mental and magic skills.On the day of the competition, House Mayer starts down 3 competitors and, facing sabotage at every turn must defend Laila’s right to compete, and Eva’s status as the most powerful magician at school.

I absolutely love this story. I’ve followed Kitao-sensei’s work for decades and generally adore her hapless butch characters, but Laila being confident and smart (and powerful doesn’t hurt) is fantastic. Laila’s honorable nature means that people who don’t like her can be persuaded to at least be her ally, like Touka, and her fighting skills means she doesn’t need protection, just friends.

It is important to note that only Volume 1 is available as a print manga. The remaining 4 volumes are digital only. I am comfortable with this, and indeed bought a new tablet for the specific function of reading digital manga this past year. I’m not in the habit of shilling for new tech, but it is absolutely outstanding being able to read a whole page at a time on this tablet. I really don’t use it for much else, but it has completely changed the way I consume digital media. (And, as I am reading more for ANN, I need to be able to quickly pull up a lot of PDFs.) So, if you, like me, are interested in Laila’s continued adventures, you’ll be reading it in digital format..

And, I am interested. I want Eva and the Mayer team to stick it to the other houses. I want Laila to find the allies and power she needs for some stability in her life. And if Laila and Eva can find happiness together, that would be very nice too. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – Not much this time around, as genteel hostility was ramping up
Yuri – 4, who has time when everyone wants to fight you?

Overall – 9