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.

Yurigurashi (ゆりぐらし) by Kukukuruhime is a full-color Pixiv webcomic put into book form by Kadokawa Media Factory that shows us a variety of mostly adult female couples’ lives together in short 8-page vignettes.

There is no story here, just quick slice-of-happy-life scenes, starring a web site designer and her lover the illustrator, or the college student and pet shop owner and their dog, or the Systems Engineer and the Shinigami who loves her or the OL and freelancer who have a contentious, but loving, relationship. Or some other couple. Each relationship is different, but the overall concept is the same – here is a happy couple. Let’s get to know them!

The art is sketchy and loose, with a different color palette for each couple, a touch I quite like. Backgrounds are sparse, and the overall sense is talking heads, which fits well with the concept. This was a cute, relaxing book to read, full of happy female couples.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – N/A
Characters – 8 Are all presented as likable, even the grouchy OL
Service – 3 some nudity, but not salaciously
Yuri – 10

Overall – 8

If you’re looking for a plot, you’ll be disappointed. But for a webcomic-to-print set of Yuri lives, this is a lot of fun.

When the first chapter of Mansoufutou no Gikami Meikyuu (万葬不踏の欺神迷宮) by Takekawa Sin, ran in Comic Yuri Hime, (it continues serialized on Comic Yuri Hime on Pixiv) I thought it had potential. It wasn’t enough to my taste for me to follow it, but the basic idea wasn’t bad.

Sisters Chino and Arisa are exploring an old-tyme house, digging around the random photos and furniture and guns laying around when a being shows up, kills Arisa, and gives Chino an ultimatum. She can prolong Arisa’s life by fighting monsters and harvesting their “cores” which she can use to keep Arisa’s alive.  Sure, why not.

I picked up Volume 1, having already formed an opinion about the story, but I learned upon reading it, that the actual point of the story was not so much a magical action-adventure with a Yuricest romance – although, that was indubitably what we had here – but actually a magical action-adventure with a Yuricest romance which allowed characters to merge create new forms, so that dress-up is justified. Also, why not.

So, while this volume was still not for me, it’s obvious it will be for someone and that someone will undoubtedly enjoy Chino merging with her half-animal/half-human and all-human friends to kill beasties in order to kiss her sister lovingly and prolong her life in this labyrinth of deceit.

Ratings: 

Art  – 7 The art’s not bad, the costuming is not…great
Story – 7
Characters – Honestly, other than the incest, they aren’t terrible
Service – 4 Mostly the incest
Yuri – 7 Same as above, but some other interest in Chino by her companions

Overall – 7

If fighting magical creature in unrealistic (and uncomfortable-looking) costumes for the reward of sisterly love appeals, then I think you might honestly like this. I’ve certainly read worse.

In Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu! Volume 3 (私の百合はお仕事です! ), by Miman, we turn our eyes away from protagonist Hime and her “schwestern” at the Yuri concept cafe of Der Liebe Gakuen. (It appears I never reviewed Volume 2, so let me assure you that Hime and her “onee-sama” resolve their issues. Now that I think about it, I remember why I didn’t review the volume. It was beyond my ability to suspend disbelief when Hime was capable of remembering that she had seriously hurt a classmate by rejecting her a few years ago and be beating herself up about it for years, but unable to recognize that that former-best friend and classmate was her onee-sama. Please.

By Volume 3, Yano and Hime seems to have patched up their issues, but another problem is brewing among the cafe staff. Sumika, bookish third-year at the cafe, gal off-hours, can see that Hime’s best friend Kanako has a problem – she’s dangerously obsessed with Hime. Hime, focused on winning the title of “Blume” during the annual cafe popularity contest, has not noticed, but Sumika has. And Sumika is worried that Kanako’s jealousy may destroy more than one relationship.

We learn what the source of Kanako’s loyalty to Hime is, but it doesn’t really excuse her jealousy. And, we learn that Sumika may well have been the third party in a similar situation in the past. I quite like Sumika – she seems pretty insightful and interesting and look forward to her opening up and, possibly, dragging Kanako out of the darkness that threatens to possess her. 

I like that the characters aren’t always what they seem here, and that they have richer internal stories than what we’re seeing. I don’t much like either Hime or Kanako, but Sumika, who is a gal and reads a lot and can see and understand what’s going on around her, interests me mightily. Whether she and Kanako become “schwestern” remains to be seen, but I’m all in for the journey.

I’m so torn about the idea of a Yuri concept cafe. On the one hand, it’s brilliant, on the other hand, I know I would die of a dozen forms of death while trying to not blow a kidney out my back from laughing at how excruciating it is, should I actually have to sit at one. On the third hand, I had a fun time at the Hozuki no Reitestsu cafe, so maybe I can behave. Fingers crossed that the next Yuriten event tries it. ^_^ 

A notable addition in this volume is the specific naming of a cafe regular, who is very clearly a woman. Who Shimamoto-sama is and why she gets a panel to herself, we may never know, but I would love to find out! ^_^ Given that other customers are typically no more than a blob or a generic person, to have such a specific panel becomes a mystery.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 8 
Service- Ugggghhhh, how do I rate this? Not really, but kind of, since the whole concept is sort of service? 4, fine It’s a 4.
Yuri – Kanako’s creeping on Hime, Hime and Misaki play it up for the crowd, Sumika…? Uggggh. 5

Overall – 8

I really like this series, any actual Yuri aside, just for the concept. That there may be, in Sumika’s history, some actual Yuri. (Am I rooting for Sumika to be one of us? Yes, yes I am.) And Kanako being a bit of a weirdo makes her far more interesting than just being the perfect best friend she appears. It looks like Hime is not the only one with a carefully cultivated false persona.