Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Sweet Blue Flowers, Volume 4 (English)

July 9th, 2018

Of Volume 3, I wrote “This volume is, in my opinion the strongest of what Viz will release as four volumes. We can see the progress the young women make as people, before the story turns back into itself to fulfill the requirements of a romance series.” 

Volume 4 of Takako Shimura’s Sweet Blue Flowers, begins with a  problem. Akira is dating Fumi. They have a physical relationship and she’s not unhappy with it, but…she’s not happy, either. Fumi’s interest is sincere and intense, but Akira is going along with it to make Fumi happy, not for herself. This is not a problem that will go away with time.  

The ladies of Fujigaya and Matsuoka schools are all heading into their third year. Once again, the focus is on the school festival, the play and, this time, the class trips. Fumi and Akira’s friends all scramble to find themselves as high schoolers, before they are asked to become adults. Lives and loves are in turmoil as they decide at 18, what will affect them for years to come. 

Akira goes to London, where she seeks out Sugimoto, who seems to have found herself at last. Sugimoto gets Akira to admit that there is a problem with her relationship, but it remains unaddressed – and Sugimoto walks any criticism back.  Which, as an adult reader, made me want to storm into the room and sit them both down. 

The problem builds quietly until, just as quietly, Fumi and Akira break up. Once again, as a reader, I was relieved. And I was thrilled to see, through Akira’s eyes, Fumi with someone else. If the book had ended there, I would have been satisfied. But it didn’t. Was Shimura-sensei pressured by her editor or the fans? Did she have no particular conviction? Or was this the plan all along? I don’t know. 

As I said in 2013 when I reviewed the end in Japanese, “Without spoilers, I will assure you that you the ending does not bring closure. It has the one thing I had hoped for – ambiguity.”

Other relationships, however, get my blessing. Ko and Kyouko, having gone through so much, maybe have a chance, but the one wedding that I wish we had spent more time on was Yamashina-sensei and Ono’s big sister, who come out to family as a couple, even if their families aren’t ready to accept them.

Ratings: 

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters –  9
Service – 3
LGBTQ – 10

Overall – 9

Here’s the the thing that’s amazing about Sweet Blue Flowers – it started serialization in 2005. It’s 13 years old. More than a decade ago it was a beacon of Yuri. In 2018, it’s an important stepping stone to where we are now, and now that we have a definitive edition for this in English, it’s time to move forward into a genre that has matured.





Yuri Manga: Éclair: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart

July 6th, 2018

Éclair: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart is the first-ever Yuri anthology to be translated into English. Featuring work by Canno (Kiss and White Lily For My Dearest Girl) and Nio Nakatani (Bloom Into You), along with other well-known names in Yuri circles, sucha Shuninta Amano, Hachi Itou, Taki Kitao, Sakuya Amano, Auri Hirao (whose Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu is being made into an anime later in the year)  and others. 

The stories primarily focus on school-life scenarios, with a few forays into adult life. Nakatani-sensei’s opener sets the tone, with a complex and nuanced look at how complicated attraction can be. This continues throughout the volume, in which love is not as simple as “A girl likes another girl.” More often, the girl has much more layered approach to the other girl, as in Shuninta Amano’s “Human Emotion” in which a girl finds her essential humanity by caring.

I especially like Kagekichi Tadano’s “Game Over” in which two girls appear to be living in a post-apocalyptic story, but aren’t. No one will be surprised that I like Taki Kitao’s “Two Apples and Us,” as I’ve been a fan of her work for (erk!) decades.

For a slick, professional look at “Yuri” as seen by a number of unique artistic voices and styles, Éclair is a great example of one of the foundational blocks of the Yuri market from the days before Yuri manga magazines – collected stories by talented artists in a thematic anthology. I hope you all enjoy Éclair and clamor for more – there’s at least three more in the series,  rouge, blanche and bleue. ^_^

Ratings:

All ratings are variable as its an anthology.

Overall – 7

For a glimpse of people doing their own work in the confines of a major publisher’s rules, Éclair is an “original” work. In English, it’s unique.





Anoko ni Kiss to Shirayuri wo, Volume 8 (あの娘にキスと白百合を)

July 5th, 2018

In Anoko ni Kiss to Shirayuri wo, Volume 8 (あの娘にキスと白百合を), it’s student council election time and arumour is floating around that Shiramine will be running. The thought doesn’t make Kurosawa as happy as she thinks she ought to be. 

But the true rivals for the position are Tatsumi and Torayama who, although roommates, really don’t much like one another. Forced to live with her rival due to family circumstances, Torayama is determined to beat Tatsumi., only she doesn’t. Annoyingly Tatsumi offers her the VP position, and they seem to have a truce. When at last Torayama is released by her mother to move into the dorm, she comes to the conclusion that she’s been very, very wrong about her rival. 

In the meantime, Shiramine has been told by her mother to move out of the dorm and come back home. Kurosawa supports her unconditionally, and the two move even closer than before. They are both getting very close to being people who could be in a relationship with each other and it be good for them. 

It’s been 8 volumes and 4 years and finally, I am able to see Shiramine and Kurosawa as a couple without having to squint too hard. I am now looking forward to their story progressing a bit.

Ratings: 

Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters – 7 
Yuri – 5
Service – 1 on principle only

Overall – 7

As a complete aside, have I mentioned that I really like the creative hairstyles Canno-sensei comes up with for this series? I do. It’s not that easy making a manga about girls in the same uniform that simple to differentiate. She does a really nice job with their hair. ^_^





Yuri Manga: After Hours, Volume 3 (アフターアワーズ )

July 2nd, 2018

It was with great anticipation that I cracked open the final volume of Nishio Yuhta’s After Hours (アフターアワーズ ), the story of 30 year-old Kei and 24 year-old Emi and their life together. 

It begins, as it must, with the rave that they spent all of Volume 2 creating. The rave is hit and Emi expects that their group will put on another show. Instead, Kei receives a communication from her hometown and rides off to deal with family issues. Emi, feeling abandoned, returns to her parents’ house to pick up her life of unemployed and unambitious adulthood.

Because you too will be able to read this, I’m loathe to spoil the ending – not because it’s epic and amazing, but because it feels realer and more satisfying to me than something epic.

Volume 2 is now available in English and so I hope you, too will want to read Volume 3, when it comes out at the end of the year. And I hope that you, too, will find this a refreshingly adult look at a relationship that isn’t epic, but might be real.

Ratings: 

Art – 7 Either it’s getting better, or I’m getting used to it
Story – 8 
Characters – 9 
Service – 2 
Yuri – 9

Overall – 8





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime August 2018 ( コミック百合姫2018年8月号)

July 1st, 2018

Another excellent volume of Monthly Comic Yuri Hime, August 2018 (コミック百合姫2018年8月号) begins with  a new anime announcement…for, predictably, a series I don’t follow. I want to address why this seems to be the norm for me. Let’s talk about the “lowest common denominator,” for second. When we apply this mathematical term in qualitative analysis, as we are doing here, “common,” is used as in “the broadest appeal.” And “lowest” means the bar at which the most people, the most broadly, will find something to like. 

There are certain trends in anime, specifically, that exist to maximize both the audience who will be interest and minimize the time and money that go into making a production. Simplified character art, limited backgrounds, small ensemble casts, and simple storylines tend to make for a good anime. Physical comedy appeal broadly and, of course, every genre has tropes that any reader would expect.

One of the things you’ll see least in anime is manga that runs in women’s magazines. Think about why that might be. Fewer action or blunt comedy series. A lot of people talking, complicated emotional scenarios…jousei manga are made of the kind of material that is used for television series. Anime tends to look for wacky rather than witty, action-packed, rather than dramatic, and loud public displays of emotionality, rather than more contemplative scenes. And I prefer the laterto the former. I can say with confidence that 2DK, GPen, Mezamashitokei would make a slow anime to watch, as we see scene after scene of people inside their heads, churning over emotional complexity. ^_^ So, instead we get wacky, jumpy, grabby, bouncy and cry-y stuff as anime. Which, while it maximizes everything for the production company, leaves me less than compelled. I don’t hold it against Ichijinsha that they have announced Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maoirita! as  an anime. I’m just hoping that something I like gets made into an anime or live drama one day. ^_^

Speaking of Ohsaw Yayoi’s 2DK, GPen, Mezamashitokei, Kaede and Nanami have returned home and Kaede is stressing over having kissed her roommate on the train, while trying to pretend everything is normal. Thank heavens for Koyuki who has fucking had it with these two. ^_^

Miman’s “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” is cruising for a climactic bruising. Hime wasn’t a particularly interesting character, but both Kanako and Sumika are. I think they will make a good couple, once we work through all the stuff that stands between them.

Hayama-sensei to Terano-sensei ha Tsukiatte iru is a ridiculously cute story about two teachers who are, as of yesterday, dating, and their colleague’s reactions, by Ohi Pikachi. I particularly liked the scene where the school chairman was told and say, “Nice! You’re both young. Have some fun.” ^_^ 

“Oya ga Urusai no de Kouhai to Gizoukekkonshitemita” by Kodama Naoko slams into a confrontation with the annoying parents and, quite probably a happy ending. This looks to be a one-volume over and done story, but I really needed it after her last story.

I love “ROID,” by Shiroshi. I’m a sucker for stories about the nature of humanity as seen through the eyes of an android. 

Hisakawa Haru’s “Yurikkon ~ Girls Wedding Omnibus” offers us a unlikely story with an unlikely ending, but that’s okay, not every chapter has to make sense. ^_^ Next up, pop idols.

“Zenbu Anata wo Tabetai” by Tanaka Rin plumbs the depths of despair and cancer, for an unusual, unrealistic story.

In neji’s “Prisontown e Youkoso” Meari and Akari have a confrontation that ends with mutual confessions. The story is set to continue, so I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes, now that they are a proper couple.

And, predictably, in “Takane no Hana ha Usotuski desu” Yukiho realizes that she’s made a mistake trying to drive Meguru away.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

As I said, a really strong volume. The September volume is available in a couple of weeks!