In Volume 1, we met loner Akira and enthusiastic girl Pyua, who claimed to love her.

In Volume 2 of Strawberry Fields wo Mou Ichido ( ストロベリー・フィールズをもう一度), we spend most of our time inside Akira’s head as she tried to figure out what the heck is going on with herself. 

What is going on with her, (obviously, to us) is that Akira, who is a very lonely person, is struggling with the idea that she cares about another person. 

We learn why she and her brother live alone – their father left, took up with another woman and had a second family, and their mother withdrew emotionally. Mom died in a car accident, leaving Akira alone but for her hikkikomori brother. 

And her brother is not on Akira’s side. He tries to run Pyua off unbeknownst to his sister. Worse,  at Pyua’s behest, Akira goes off to see her father for the first time in years. She’s doing well, even admitting that her new baby half-sister is cute…until her father’s new wife shows up. 

Akira runs off to find Pyua, trying to sort herself out. The moment she sees the other girl, she puts a name to everything she’s feeling. 

The art is clean and pleasant, typical of a Dengeki comic, and with little to no service, which is unexpected and nice. 

Volume 1 didn’t leave me with any particular hope that this series would develop any depth, but  Volume 2 surprised the heck out of me, frankly. Actually delving into Akira’s inner life turned out to be more uncomfortable than expected and watching her finally admit that she likes Pyua was more satisfying than I would have guessed. 

Ratings: 

Art – 7
Story – 7
Character – 7
Service – 2
Yuri – 6

Overall – 7

Whether this series will develop further, I don’t know. Guess I’ll have to keep reading. ^_^

Totsuzen Yuri ( 突然の百合) is a collection of 40 shorts about various pairs of girls and women in various stages of their relationships, from first love to living together. Each couple has about 4 pages to express their love to one another and we move on…although several couples come back for a second appearance and a few even get a third or fourth.

The scenarios vary wildly, from girls bonding over pets, old friends confessing long-held affection, one-sided crushes, with results that likewise span the spectrum. The book begins with Kae and Yuko, a girl with a dog and the gal who falls for her. It end with them still together, with the dog.

The art  by Azumakawa Miso is pleasant, and the stories require little commitment, but tend towards fun, loving and goofy. East Press does a great job of highlighting the many forms of relationships on the front, back and inside covers, which gives you a good idea of the kind of sweet collection of Pixiv stories that you’re in for.

Ratings:

Art – Pleasant
Story – Variable, but they tend toward cute and fun
Characters – Likewise
Service – Not salacious or gross, but there is a bit
Yuri – 100%

Overall – 8

“Cute and silly” Yuri, more than “suddenly,” but it was a fun little collection.

Back in the day, Takebe Ayako was the toughest girl in her school. But that was years ago, and she’s not been in a fight recently as Watashi no Kobushi wo Uketomete! Volume 1,  (私の拳をうけとめて!) opens. 

When Takebe receives an invitation to her friend’s wedding, she decides she’d better upgrade her clothes from the gang style satin jacket and sweats she still wears. As she buys something to wear to the wedding she’s amazed and annoyed to find that the woman at the shop who is helping her was her number one school rival, Soramori Kirara! Just as Takebe’s leaving, Soramori asks her quite suddenly if she is Takebe. Takabe – who wears a perpetual scowl – is sure that a fight is about to break out.

Instead, Soramori asks if Takebe would go out with her, confessing that she’s liked he since school.

In this goofball comedy, the joke is always on Takebe. She’s puzzled and annoyed and discombobulated by Soramori’s confession and request, but also can’t see any reason to say no to her either, despite being half convinced that the universe is screwing with her.

The former gang rivals go fishing, head to an amusement park to take pictures for social media and generally find that they honestly enjoy each other’s company, although Takebe can’t figure out why. After one of Soramori’s friends successfully makes Takebe jealous, they come closeish to kissing, until Soramori punches Takebe’s lights out. She apologizes, though, (and admits to the aforementioned friend her heart was pounding hard there for a moment.)

The art is simple and tends towards goofy faces. The plot is gag comedy where the gag is the plot. Takebe is a slightly-more-realistic-than-usual butch, with a heavy dose of clueless, forcing femme Soramori to be the aggressor.  Even in a series like this, where the relationship roles don’t apply, they kind of do. ^_^

I don’t know that we’ll ever see the scowl leave Takebe’s face or the two of them get any less awkward with each other, nonetheless, this series tickled my funny bone. I particularly enjoyed Soramori (who, you remember, works in a clothes store) playing dress up doll with Takebe.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7 
Characters – 8 
Service – 0 Although I agree with Soramori, and do think Takebe looks good in that leather jacket.
Yuri – Yes? I mean they are going out. So, yes.

If you want to take a look before committing, you can read the first 8 issues for free (in Japanese) on Pixiv. It’s goofy fun gag romance.