Douseiseikatsu 3 Watashi ha Anata dake no mono (同棲生活3 わたしは貴方だけのもの) is the third volume of Miyuki and Yuuko doing absolutely nothing and I’m pleased as punch about it. Volume 1 and Volume 2 were relaxed and, despite the slightly assertive title, Volume 3 is no less chill.

Miyuki and Yuuko live together. They love each other. Life is made up of stupid in-jokes, lazy afternoons snuggling, relentlessly teasing one another and being extremely happy in each other’s company with, yes, the occasional actual relationship problem to be addressed. 

As with previous volumes, this is a full color snippet-at-a time slice of life manga. We do see some of their friends and colleagues in this issue, but more often we spend time with them alone together. The final chapters look back at when they began dating and realizing that they liked each other a lot…and deciding to live together.

Satsumaage’s art is visibly improving and there are way more details than previously, which gives the panels some depth.

As an not-too-intimate look at an established couple, this manga feels a little too on the money sometimes, but is generally a pleasant way to pass the time.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service  – 1 Almost none, really
LGBTQ – 9

Overall – 9

It still makes a good “just a couple of pages” at night before bed kind of story. ^_^

Hayama-sensei and Terano-sensei have been together about a year now. Their colleagues think they are adorable together and so do their students. They love each other very much. So what conflicts can they possible face, in Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatteiru, Volume 3 (羽山先生と寺野先生は付き合っている)?

WELL.

There’s the time that time they go on a ski trip with the other teachers and get caught in a storm and Terano-sensei is lost….only that didn’t happen. Instead they snuggle all night in the cabin until they can ski back down the hill the next morning.

LET’S NOT FORGET

The day where Hayama-sensei has to do external continuing ed and misses Saki so much she sighs out loud…and meets another woman from a different school who misses her lover, who happens to also be the school’s gym teacher. So she gains a friend who is another queer adult woman and they promise to stay in touch.

OMG, THOUGH

Their 1st anniversary is approaching! So they buy thoughtful gifts for one another and spend an night together…and decide to live together.

OH, BUT

There’s the time when there is rumor of a haunted vase in the school. Only, Terano-sensei put that vase there.

So, do not expect there to be angst. I mean, there is. It’s whole panels worth of gut-wrenching concern and occasional irrational panic. But mostly this manga is about two adult women who love each other a lot and sometimes enjoy sex together.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 10
Story – 9
Service – 7 There is nudity and sex, but it feels less salacious than it actually is, because on the cover we are literally watching them in the bath.
Yuri – 10

Overall – 10

It’s all so wholesome and functional, it hardly feels like we’re creepy voyeurs, which we are. ^_^

I know what’s coming, too, because magazine(!) and it’ll just get more and more squee.

Volume 1 of this series is out in English as Our Teachers Are Dating, Volume 1 and Volume 2 is slated for a January 2021 release.

In Volume 1, we met Matoi, a high school senior with a talent for music and vocals. Surrounded by people her age who are in an out of love, she’s never felt “in love” before and has no idea what it’s like. We also meet Yuriko, a few years older, who has come home to help her family by working at their gas station. In Volume 2, both Yuriko and Matoi find they sincerely enjoy each other’s company. But with graduation around the corner, Matoi is planning on going to the city, and both of them aren’t at all sure what they want. Matoi leaves to go to a trade school.

Yuri to Koe to Kaze Matoi, Volume 3 (百合と声と風纏い) begins with Matoi in Tokyo for school, she’s made some friends…and met a lesbian couple, for real. Yuriko plans a trip to see Matoi, but becomes ill and ends up needing Matoi to take care of her – which is mortifying, but more importantly, Matoi sees the burn scars on Yuriko’s body. Nonetheless, Matoi is really starting to think that how she feels might well be “love” after all. Yuriko, full of self-loathing and fear is really not ready to be “in love” but may have no say in the matter as she’s really starting to like Matoi.

I love this series. Honestly, I really just like everything about it. Mei Ren’s art is not perfect, which I find humanizes the characters and the story. The story itself is sincere, rather than brilliant. But the characters are relatable and human, and even side characters get to be more than just a supporting role. We’re watching them change, even if we’re mostly paying attention to Matoi.  I even love that this from a Lilie comics, the relatively new Yuri imprint from Dogenzaka Shobo. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Service – 5 Naked Yuriko
LGBTQ – 7

Overall – 8

It’s a charming and fun read, with enough emotional impact that I really want Matoi and Yuriko to figure it out.

I hope there’s someone else out there who is reading this series , so we can roll our eyes at Chiba-kun and be like, “poor Rio-san, how annoying for her….” ^_^