Over the last 16 years we’ve gone through a lot of changes together, you and I. Today marks the end of an era here on Okazu. It’s not the first time, either. Obviously, almost 20 years ago, when we started this journey, I used to review just about everything and anything with any possible Yuri, because just there just wasn’t all that much. That’s changed radically and now, I’m in the happy position of struggling to keep up with all the new Yuri coming out.

As 2015 began, I gave up reviewing Yuri porn anthologies, because they were almost all really dreadful, written by and for people with limited understanding of female bodies and no understanding of or interest in of women’s interior lives. And, along with them, I gave up reviewing things that I considered just generally terrible on the principle that it’s true that you may wish to know why a thing is terrible, but I don’t wish to subject myself to it for your benefit. Now I’ve outsourced that to my guest reviewers (^_^) 

And, with today’s review I’ve decided I’m no longer reviewing “Story A”s in which nothing particular happens and there’s no defining or unique characteristic. That doesn’t mean I’ll no longer review Yuri that is “Story A,” just that its got to have something more than merely “there is a girl, she likes a girl, the other girl likes her back, the end.” And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that and if you love those kinds of stories, and use legit means to buy them and would like to see some reviews on Okazu, then go ahead and submit your reviews! But I’m drowning in Yuri (yay!) and want to talk about the great stuff that I’m reading. As a result, I’ve got less time for stuff like today’s manga. 

In Mamoto’s  Korede Wakattayo! (これでわかってよ!), the volume is split into two mini-series. “Ai Irenai Futari” follows two high school girls who are always bickering, but are a couple. They share school days and beach days and enjoy their time together, even as they argue constantly. 

In “Donkan Shoujo to Inu” a hardworking, misanthropist is worn down by a cute. cheerful girl. The two of them share dates to the aquarium, ice cream, pastries and classwork.

These two shorts add up to a nice, if otherwise unremarkable, volume. If I had to guess, I’d say that these are several doujinshi collected into a single volume. 

There’s nothing bad about this volume, the art is decent, the characters are nice, as for as they are developed, which isn’t far. There isn’t anything that makes this volume stand out, either. 

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 6
Characters – 6
Yuri – 5
Service – 3 Manifesting mostly as bizarre body angles

Overall – 6

There’s so much excellent work hitting shelves now, unless something is either terrible enough to be funny (or appealing) I’m culling the herd of nice, but not compelling, Yuri. 

Long ago, I labeled the stereotypical Yuri story of girl-likes-girl, other-girl-likes-her-back, the end, as “Story A.” I was trying to riff on generic credits, like “Girl A,” but I’ve never been sure the reference carried over. “Story A” remains the  definitive Yuri story, although as the genre has developed, it has flowered into any number of Yuri-specific tropes. (We’ll come back to that later this week, so tune in later for a discussion of that.)

“Story A” isn’t a story, per se. It’s a set-up, a plot bunny, a prompt. There is a girl, she likes another girl who likes her back. For most of the last 15 years, I have been reviewing a vast array of “Story As.” Unsurprisingly, I’ve often longed for something different, something…more.

As I read this month’s issue of Comic Yuri Hime magazine, I realized that I was reading a number of stories in which nothing at all was happening – and I loved it. These aren’t “Story A” replicas, but they are stories in which the romance is not the plot, either. Slice of life stories and travel stories and fantasy and even adventure without  any focus on “Look, these two get together, the end. OKAY?! Jeez.” It’s really nice. It’s actually super nice. 

Tsurezure Biyori, Volume 1 (徒然日和 ) by Hamuro Kei, is one of these new nothing-happens-but-its-nice stories. There is almost no tension of any kind, nor do these tranquil days need it. Koharu is starting her second year in high school and is surprised by the return of a friend from elementary school to the area. Mafuyu and Koharu pick up where they left off, and, along with Koharu’s room-sharing friends Minori and Nanaya, the four live their peaceful days doing rather typical things. Minori and Nanaya seem awfully like a married couple (although they are not in a relationship) and Koharu and Mafuyu just naturally grow closer together. When Koharu finds that Mafuyu is holding her hand as they both slept while waiting for the bus, it’s perfectly natural, as well.

Nothing is going to “happen” in this series. Month after month we get stories about the young ladies in question going out for cake or over each other’s homes for dinner. Summer will bring them together to have intense conversations about hugging. (2018 is the year hugging reaches manga. This series is one of several manga series I have read recent where hugging without any sexual or romantic overtones is sold as a feel-good/feel-happy thing to do.)

Feel-good/feel-happy seems like a perfect description of this series. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7 A lot of talking heads, so the simplicity of the art doesn’t affect the story
Story- 7 Same as above
Characters – 8 All likeable (although Nanaya really ought to so more of the chores)
Yuri – 6 Simple and sweet and given a lot of time to develop
Service – 0

Overall – 8 A pleasant read about nothing in particular.

The book came with a short 4-page color comic printed on card stock as an extra. Seems to be all the rage right now.