Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Monthly Dengeki Daioh, January 2019 (ζœˆεˆŠγ‚³γƒŸγƒƒγ‚― ι›»ζ’ƒε€§ηŽ‹ 2019εΉ΄1月号)

December 13th, 2018

One of the most fascinating aspects of 2018 for me is the fact that I am once again reviewing individual magazine issues much more often this year than I had for years previously. And typically, with mainstream manga like Yagate Kimi ni Naru/Bloom Into You, once it gets established and popular I tend to not bother, since I’ll review the collected volumes.

However. The January 2019 issue of Monthly Dengeki Daioh (ζœˆεˆŠγ‚³γƒŸγƒƒγ‚― ι›»ζ’ƒε€§ηŽ‹ 2019εΉ΄1月号) contains something so extraordinary and – for me – so important – that I felt it was worth a special call out. And it had a clearfile. ^_^

To begin with, I will remind you that I have had several reservations about the narrative and characters of Yagate Kimi ni Naru, since the beginning. I have also trusted Nakatani-sensei to have good judgement and have trusted her to tell a compelling story that holds up to scrutiny. I feel that my trust has been well-placed, which is really refreshing.

I will also remind you that I have long desired the portrayal in manga of adult role models for younger characters, so they are not left to struggle with feelings of same-sex love in what they believe is isolation. This is one of the things that keeps me coming back to this particular series, as we’ve seen Kodama Miyako, the cafe owner, befriend high school student Sayaka and take on this role. 

In this issue, we learn how Miyako and her lover (a teacher at Yuu’s school,) Hakozaki Riko, met. They met in college and while their story is not groundbreaking, it is pleasant and realistic. What is groundbreaking is that we see the two getting ready for bed and chatting – and Riko-sensei says to Miyako that it must be strange for her to be a role model to Sayaka. Miyako says that it is a little weird to be guiding the girl, but it must be harder to be a teacher. 

This exchange is mind-blowing. Not only is there an established female couple to exist as role models for the young woman who knows well enough what she is, but is still looking for who she is, they talk about it. I have never before seen that in a Yuri manga. In the real world, most of the older LGBTQ folks I know do, in fact, talk about this. We talk about the importance of being out and being role models precisely for this reason. But even in manga where characters openly identify as LGBTQ, I have never before seen a character say, well, yeah, it’s weird that I’m a role model, but I’m glad to be able to help a young person find their way. Which Miyako basically does.

And that, my friends, my dear readers, is the “cut, scene,” moment for 2018 for me. We have come so far in such a short time. I cannot *wait* to see what 2019 has to offer!

Ratings:

Adult Role Models who know that that is what they are doing for the fucking win. 10

I’m going to spend some time this weekend working on the end-of-year- Top Ten lists and I have never before looked forward to them so much!  ^_^





Yuri Manga: Nettaigyo ha Yuki ni Kogareru, Volume 3 (η†±εΈ―ι­šγ―ι›ͺγ«η„¦γŒγ‚Œγ‚‹ )

December 11th, 2018

Nettaigyo ha Yuki ni Kogareru, Volume 3 (η†±εΈ―ι­šγ―ι›ͺγ«η„¦γŒγ‚Œγ‚‹ ) is, honestly, a very frustrating interlude in a story that had been developing so sweetly. 

It’s summer and the whole town really digs in and does the summer festival. Konatsu is looking forward to going to the festival with Koyuki – and she convinces Koyuki to participate with a show at the aquarium. 

Koyuki is, as usual, reticent to get involved. But she’s finding herself becoming more and more focused on Konatsu and is dragged along by her, until she agrees. They meet on the night of the festival, but they are both avoiding talking about what is developing between them. 

Konatsu is able to show Koyuki the fish show she’s planning for the next day and Koyuki is genuinely moved by her passion and enthusiasm, but as the next morning dawns, Koyuki is sick in bed.

It felt like the brakes were applied on an already slowly-moving story in this volume…for not much narrative payoff. It was both disappointing and frustrating. 

Ratings: 

Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Service – 1 on principle only, there really isn’t any
Yuri – 4

Overall – 7

I enjoy this series and was hoping to see it move forward, not backward in Volume 3. Here’s hoping Volume 4 picks up .

 





Yuri Manga: Yurikon, Volume 1 (γ‚†γ‚Šγ“γ‚“)

December 4th, 2018

You know what I needed this week? A bag of sesame cookies and a Yuri manga that was sweet and sappy and feel-good. Luckily, I had both to hand. One package of Ginbis black-sesame “asaparagus”* cookies, a cup of Ceylon tea and a copy of Hisakawa Haru’s Yurikon (γ‚†γ‚Šγ“γ‚“) scratched all the itches. ^_^

Yurikon is based upon an adorable/ridiculous premise. We meet two women who will get married. At the end of the chapter, the baton is passed on to a different couple who then likewise get married, and so on. It’s sickly sweet sugary nonsense…and I love it.

In the first chapter Kimiko’s life is over, her favorite pop idol has a lover and she doesn’t. She’s still pining after her high school love, Wakana. Moping and depressed, Kimiko heads out to a drinking party with her school friends, who tease her. When Wakana finally shows up for the after party, she asks Kimiko to marry her! They go on to have a lovely church wedding where Hanako catches the bouquet. 

Hanako heads home to her lover, who seems to be taken aback to be asked “when are we going to get married?” “You want to get married?” But its not that sempai doesn’t want to…it’s that she responds to surprise with a question and this surprised her. After this misunderstanding almost breaks them up, Mizuki and Hanako get married in a very traditional Japanese Shinto wedding. Two spectators muse about their own marriage and ask their children, Nanami and Aoi, which kind of wedding they should have?

When Nanami’s mother said she was divorcing her father, she wasn’t really worried, but she did have a little trouble making friends at the new school until Aoi took her under her wing. Aoi and Nanami have been closer than anything and promised each other that they would marry each other one day! When their mothers got married that made them sisters…which upset Nanami. She wanted to be Aoi’s bride!  But they explained this to their mothers who fly off happily on their honeymoon.

Coming back to Japan, is Akira who fell in love with Himekawa-onee-san when she was young and stayed in love with her when “Hime” became a teacher in her school. Akira left for America but told her that she’d come back and come back she does. “Hime” finds she can’t bear to lose Akira, so they marry after all.

The fifth chapter is my favorite, as we circle back to the beginning of the volume and follow the top idol group ‘Princess”s center, Sana. Sana and center for top idol group ‘Prince, Akane are positioned as rivals, but in reality they are in love. In a scripted scene in which they are supposed to fight and cause a rift between them, they break down on camera and confess their love. The company intelligently goes with the flow on this and they do a new hit single together called… “happy marriage” because of course they do. ^_^

There is nothing realistic at all about Yurikon. There is no discussion of the lack of marriage equality in Japan, the limited nature of same-sex partnership certificates, the social, legal or financial arrangements involved. Families, friends, even employers are presumed to be on board with it. There’s not a trace of homophobia, nor are there any lesbians or bisexuals in the book. These vignettes are 100% pure “gay for you” fantasy. It’s trash, honestly, but on the enjoyably reality-free trashy side.

The epilogue takes a quick look at the previous couples and promises us that this will all be continued. For which I am eminently thankful as I really needed something with the all the sugary sweetness and goofy Yuri love-love of this volume. 

Ratings:

Art – 7 Competent, leaning towards the moe.
Story – 7 The narrative equivalent of a box of Dum Dum lollipops
Characters – 8 Everyone is cute, but the two idols make the volume for me
Service – Obsessing about weddings and drawing different wedding dresses is a form of service for some people. Come at me, I will throw the 100100009 wedding magazines in existence at you. ^_^ But nothing salacious. 
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9 Oh heck, I am full of cookies and tea and Yuri weddings. Metadashi, metadashi. They all live happily ever after.

* Ginbis “asparagus” cookies are so named because they are supposed to look like asparagus, which they do not. They taste like black sesame, wheat, salt and sugar, which they are. I love them and recommend them highly if you like black sesame flavored things and things that go crunch.





Yuri Manga: Chocolat Shakaijin Yuri Anthology （ ショコラ η€ΎδΌšδΊΊη™Ύεˆγ‚’γƒ³γ‚½γƒ­γ‚ΈγƒΌοΌ‰

November 26th, 2018

While we’re on Yuri anthologies(!), it seems a great time to 1) mention that there’s a new Yuri + Kanojo anthlogy out and, without having actually read any of it except the first story, it’s already my favorite of the series, Yuri + Kanojo Tomodachi ha Kinou Made (η™Ύεˆ+γ‚«γƒŽγ‚Έγƒ§-ε‹ι”γ―ζ˜¨ζ—₯まで-) and, 2) talk about yet another Yuri anthology set in adult life, this one from Yuri Hime Comics, starring many of your favorite artists, Chocolat Shakaijin Yuri Anthology ( ショコラ η€ΎδΌšδΊΊη™Ύεˆγ‚’γƒ³γ‚½γƒ­γ‚ΈγƒΌ).

This is a “who’s who”of Yuri manga right now, with contribitutions by Kodama Naoko, Ohsawa Yayoi (whose story, in which a newer employee falls for “2DK, GPen, Mezamashitokei”s Ryuuko (of course.) I quite enjoyed the color page story in the first couple of pages by Kishi Torajirou about a late-night office talk that goes raunchy pretty quickly.

Stories by Pikachi, Tokwotsumu, Takemiya Jin, Momono Moto and others explore any number of not-always office not-always romances.

In yet another sign or me getting old, I’m really starting to enjoy the not-really romances. ^_^ Those moments that don’t work out are more appealing Weird, huh? Most of the stories have a happy ending, but there’s a nice balance of art style and story-telling here. ‘

Ratings: 

Overall – 8

Like other anthologies, Chocolat is a great way to get a number of perspectives on a scenario.

 





Yuri Manga: Γ‰clair rouge Anata no Hibiku Yuri Anthology (エクレを rouge あγͺγŸγ«ιŸΏγη™Ύεˆγ‚’γƒ³γ‚½γƒ­γ‚ΈγƒΌ)

November 25th, 2018

Γ‰clair rouge Anata no Hibiku Yuri Anthology (エクレを rouge あγͺγŸγ«ιŸΏγη™Ύεˆγ‚’γƒ³γ‚½γƒ­γ‚ΈγƒΌ) is the fourth Yuri anthology of the Γ‰clair, series, the first of which, Γ‰clair: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart has been translated into English by Yen Press.

Back in the day, when I was first collecting Yuri manga, anthologies just like this one – often based around a specific series – were a mainstay of “Yuri” in manga stores. Since there were no Yuri magazines, or series that were overtly and explicitly Yuri genre material, artists who drew Yuri doujinshi would gather their work together and publish them in anthology form. Some of the very first original work I purchased by the first generation of top Yuri artists were included in anthologies like these. Now we’re into a second and third generation of Yuri artists and many of the newer contributors have never worked in a world that didn’t have Yuri as it’s own genre, with magazines of its own. How amazing is that?

What hasn’t changed is the utility of Yuri anthologies as a proving ground for younger Yuri artists, with anchor stories by more established ones (often the same ones who were contributors in those long-ago anthologies! Because that was only like ten or fifteen years ago, not seventy or anything!)

Here in Γ‰clair rouge we see contributions by many well-known names. Canno and Nakatani Nio, of course, and Itou Hachi and some old doujinshi names: Kitao Taki, U35, Amano Shuninta, Morsihima Akiko and Hirao Auri all have contributed stories. And we’re seeing some newer names from other anthologies and magazines, Kabocha, Hiroichi, Musshu, Yuikawa Kazuno Fumio Fumi, etc.

It’s a bit like a walk around the Yuri section of a doujinshi show. Many of the stories take place at school or involves teens, but a few break out of this mold or shift themselves into a slightly different moldy trope. ^_^

My favorite story of this collection is more of a “what might have been” called “Hajimesmashite, Hisashiburi,” subtitled in English “Nice to Meet You, Long Time No See,” about two inseparable friends who were just on the cusp of being more, when they went separate ways. Reunited by chance, the one gets to see the amazing person her friend has become,  but they don’t get together. It wasn’t really bittersweet, just one of those moments where a timeline diverges and years later, you look back and see the alternate you that might have been.

I also quite liked “Legend to Shijin to Watashi” which was a complicated and delightful and goofy office romance story by Kitao Taki.

Morishima Akiko’s story, “Kanojo no Button no Hazusu Toki” is worth mentioning, as well, as it’s about two adults whose relationship hasn’t become sexual, because one of them is adamant that she never been seen naked. Rikako wonders if Miyu is trans, or has scars, but is content to let Miyu set the pace on their relationship. Rikako’s not concerned, but would like to make love with Miyu. but she won’t pressure her in any way. When they start talking living together, Miyu is sure that she’ll be rejected by Rikako for this reason, but Rikako proves that her love for Miyu is more than physical attraction. Miyu finally feels comfortable sharing herself completely with Rikako. I wanted to mention this story because when Rikako is wondering why Miyu is so hesitant, and she considers that her lover might be trans, her response to that thought is to convince Miyu that she is loved for herself. I thought that was a nice touch. Morishima-sensei had pointed this out to me when I commented last spring that Yuri had a lot of room to grow and making it more trans-inclusive was one of those areas.

Ratings: 

Overall – 8

All in all, probably the best of the Γ‰clair anthologies so far, with some excellent art and good stories for your money.