Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: After Hours, Volume 2 (アフターアワーズ)

July 27th, 2017

In Volume 1 of Nishio Yuhta’s adult life series, After Hours (アフターアワーズ), office worker Emi and DJ Kei meet at a concert. Kei’s freewheeling life sucks Emi in and the next thing she knows, she’s part of Kei’s team…and life. But what, exactly, she is to Kei, Emi has no idea.

In Volume 2, Kei decides to throw a rave event. The bulk of Volume 2 is given over to surprisingly technical details of how to run a musical event. Kei and Emi have to secure a space and a team, and equipment…exactly the kind of content that inspired me to start Okazu 15 years ago, as I was starting up an event of my very own. ^_^

But behind the energy and the excitement, Emi is feeling the strain of not knowing what, exactly, she is to Kei. This isn’t just an emotional issue to her, as she’s neglected to tell Kei she has no money, can’t afford her apartment, and has kind-of-moved-in under false pretenses. The strain is killing their relationship and Kei can tell something is wrong, of course. Both women spend as much time blaming themselves as they do wondering what’s going on until, finally, the dam breaks.

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When Emi admits that she needs to stay with Kei, but isn’t sure what they are to each other, Kei convinces her the old fashioned way, while also plainly saying that they are lovers and of course lovers can live together. The sex scene that follows is extended, but never really explicit or grossly immature. It was, I thought, a well-deserved bit of adult service for readers who now knew more about speaker set-ups than they ever expected to. ^_^ And I thought it a realistic way to resolve the “are they on-again, off-again, or an actual couple?” question we ended the first volume with. Which ws pretty much Emi’s perspective, as well.

Kei and Emi, having come to an agreement about their relationship, face squarely into the future together as the night of the rave arrives. ^_^

To celebrate the publication of the second volume, applicants are submitting comics for a special present booklet, called After Hours bonus track, sneak peaksoft which are available on the After Hours Twitter account. New chapters of the manga are available on Pixiv for preview.

I like everything about this series, except the character design. Kei is 30 and Emi 24, but because moe art prevails, they look 12. I know I’m mostly alone in this, but I would pay more to see them look 24 and 30. That aside, the actual story is great and I love both the pacing and the world building for it. Nothing feels “off” about the story itself. I’m very thankful to those of you who told me to give it a try. ^_^

Ratings: 

Art – 5
Story – 8 
Characters – 9 
Service – 2 The sex still reads/looks adult and sincere, rather than creepy leering.
Yuri – 9

Overall – 8

Volume 2 has no English language release date yet, but believe me, as soon as there is one, I’ll let you know. Volume 1 (which I reviewed in June 2017) is available and a free preview of Volume 1 can be read on the Viz Media website.





Comic Yuri Hime, August 2017 (コミック百合姫2017年8月号)

July 23rd, 2017

HAH! I’m almost current.

The August issue of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫2017年8月号) had much to recommend including an amazing opening, climactic chapter of “2DK, GPen, Mesameshitokei.” (A climactic chapter, but, one hopes, not the climactic chapter.)

Up until now in Ohsawa Yayoi’s adult life story, we’ve been fully invested in Nanami. Her interactions, he inner life has been 95% of what we’ve been watching. And, now, suddenly, after 5 volumes, we realize we know next to nothing about Kaede. Hopefully, we will now.

Of course, continuing series continue. But more importantly, there are several stories by new creators that are reasonably good, I particularly liked “Otona to Kodomo to Koi to Melty Black” which felt like every doujinshi I bought in 2005. ^_^.

Beginning in August, several new stories are starting on Pixiv including a new series by Mimoto.

Ratings: 

Overall – 7

Overall, a solid collection, even if the stories the editorial staff like best and the one’s I don’t like the most seem to be the same ones. ^_^;





Yuri Manga: 2DK, G Pen, Mezamashitokei, Volume 4 (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。)

July 19th, 2017

In Volume 4 of 2DK, G Pen, Mezamashitokei (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。) by Ohsawa Yayoi, we come to realize that Nanami is a chick magnet. ^_^

Kaede has made her manga debut at last, and Koyuki is helping her out. Both Kaede and Nanami are very focused on work, but Nanami is starting to get a better idea of her focus at home. She’s been imagining life without Kaede and it isn’t making her happy. When she and Kaede are going through the kitchen, they find a large cooking vessel and Kaede starts to wax eloquent about her former roommate. Mere days pass, when that roommate shows up to get her pot, and Nanami is face to face with a woman who had flirted with her outrageously in an earlier volume, Aoi.

Volume 4 becomes poke at Nanami’s feeling from this point on. As Aoi plays Nanami, half to get her in bed and half to tease, Nanami is finding it harder and harder to deny that her thoughts go to Kaede’s face when she starts thinking about home. Aoi leaves, but the change in Nanami does not. After Aoi is gone, a former underclassman from Fukuoka arrives and immediately asks if Nanmai’s seeing Kaede. Mahiru doesn’t ask innocently, although Nanami does not know that. She also doesn’t know that Koyuki is in the same cafe and overhears the conversation. As Volume 4 ends, Koyuki joins Nanami in being shocked at the idea.

The final chapter is Kaede having a bachelor night without her roomshare-wife. It’s all fun, until Nanami runs late and Kaede starts to realize she’s lonely.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 4
Service – 3 Some light bathing and Aoi hitting on Nanami (with all the subtlety of a bag of bricks.)

Overall – 8

So far in 4 Volumes, we’ve had Yuuko, Aoi, and now Mahiru macking on Nanami. She’s a chick magnet. And I can see that – she’s fashionable, smart, competent and, apparently completely together.  The biggest question I have at this point, is how shocked will Kaede be at the idea? We’re about to find out….

I’ve started noticing that among the pages are references to Ohsawa-sensei’s other works. Keep your eyes peeled for Black Yagi‘s show on “LIME.” ^_^





Yuri Manga: Galette, Issue 2 (ガレット 2)

July 10th, 2017

In the comments of my review of Galette, Issue 1, Jim assured us that the next issue was even better. Jim was right. Galette, Issue 2 (ガレット) is very close to the kind of manga anthology I hoped Galette would be. 

The cover illustration by pen is lovely, the construction of the cover, with reflective metallic ink is exceeding pleasant. The inside cover art is likewise appealing. Interior color pages open up Morinaga Milk’s contribution and include a photo set, something we haven’t seen in many Yuri anthologies. and further illustrations.

The opening story by Otsu Hiyori was satisfying (as was seeing her back in a Yuri collection!) There were any number of good to excellent stories. I found way more of them – even those set in school – more complex, less “girl meets girl” than we’ve come to expect. This issue had a number of stories that looked at regret for what never was or might have been, as well as stories where facing down one’s feelings and putting a name to them is the story. 

It was a strong enough book that, having finished it, I went back and re-read it. I only do that when I want to make sure I caught everything. Of course I loved Takemiya Jin’s ex-Yanki, now-adult comedy, and Morinaga Milk’s story was very solid and not at all childish or school-life. But the standout story for me continues to  be Monomo Moto and Kitta Izumi’s “Liberty” which took off in such a different direction than expected, but was just so good, that I’m really hoping it’ll continue in Volume 3!

As with the first volume, you can get it in print from Amazon JP (until is sells out, which apparently Volume 1 has) and (in Japanese) on digital for the US Kindle from Amazon.com. I’m still so damn excited about that for you. No shipping, and there you go, you have it in your pocket.   Volume 3 will be out in Japan in print at the end of August, so keep an eye out for the Kindle version later this sumer. For a sample of the next volume, visit the Galette Lineup page. 

And, if you want to support this creator-owned work, take a look at the subscription page for a variety of plans to pay for  the level of support you want to give. There are limitations, so please read the page carefully before you  apply! You’ll get rewards from 100￥/month and up and you’ll get your name on the thanks page! I imagine that shipping to overseas locations has some limitations, so, again, please read carefully. But, look, it’s the writers we want to read, making the manga they want to write. As far as I’m concerned, that’s worth my support (I’ve chosen the “Normal” level of support. Can I just say how amusing I find that?) So whether you’re supporting the work with a subscription, buying the print or the digital, let’s show these creators that the Yuri fandom outside Japan has their back.

Ratings:

Art – 9 
Story- 9 
Characters – 8
Service – 4 A little in “Liberty”
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9

Cannot wait for Volume 3!

 

 

 





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime July 2017 (コミック百合姫2017年7月号)

July 6th, 2017

We hit that moment – I am officially behind with reading Comic Yuri Hime. ^_^ I knew monthly was going to get me one day – I’m just kind of glad it took 7 months. ^_^

The cover story – as pink and gauzy and moe as it is, is actually pretty lesbian, “I fell for you at first sight, let’s be together forever.” Uh-huh. Might as well have had a U-haul catalog on the bed with them.

But, more importantly, Comic Yuri Hime July 2017 (コミック百合姫2017年7月号) issue was good! 

It starts off with an absolutely slappable plot complication for “Watashi no Yuri  ha Oshigoto desu!” to which I say, learn how to write a fucking story. No, you did not meet each other in school and then one of you *completely* forgot the other one. It was like 3 years ago, not 30. Look, people are not complete idiots. I was standing at the airport having trouble with a Global Entry machine and a DHS guy walked up and said, “Hey you taught Tai chi!” and I looked at this guy with a beard and said, “Oh my god, Marc?” We hadn’t seen each other in more than a decade, and he hadn’t had a beard and I had long hair and we were out of context and I’m terrible with faces and names…and we still remembered each other. If I can remember a guy I saw weekly for a few years, after 15 years, this character can reasonably be expected to remember a friend she saw every day and hurt really badly a few years later. /rant

“2DK, GPen, Mezmashitokei” went there. At last! I’m so happy it took so long and hope to all the gods they don’t just wrap it up, the end. Please oh please give us a few more volumes.

I still can’t get a bead on “Shuumatsu nani shi ni kou.” but I enjoyed (almost despite myself) Fujimatsu Mei’s “Aisareu Watashi no Monogatari” in which a lonely woman hires her favorite novelist -who has writer’s block- to write her a love and a family…and, in the process, they become both to each other. It was a really nice meta-fanfic.

“Kai to Alterna-rock” (オルタナロック is short for ‘alternative rock’, but if it is anything else, I don’t know what it is. Suggestions welcome) made me laugh out loud. I have read this “mean boss” and employee  who fall for one another story about a hundred times, but I still like it anyway.  ^_^

Takemiya Jin offers up another fan and idol story, so far, the best of the bunch in “Musou Artifact.” No surprised as it’s about my specific kind of geekdom, so yeah, of course I like it. Duh. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

As always, there are any number of other stories and some you will like and I will not. But this issue was pretty strong for me so I’m extra glad I finally had time to read it!