Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime April 2017 (コミック百合姫2017年4月号)

March 27th, 2017

Yep…monthly is really pushing my limits. ^_^  But let me tell you, what a problem to have! Ten years ago, I trawled the shelves of used manga stores obsessively, looking for hints of Yuri in this series or that, or an homage anthology that paired up characters in a not-gross way. (Still am appalled at all the Sakaki-san and the creepy cat from Azumanga Daioh doujinshi back in 2003.) Just to find something to blog about. And here I am, with an excess of Yuri. I am not complaining, I assure you. ^_^

So here we are looking a Comic Yuri Hime, April 2017 (コミック百合姫2017年4月号) and I find we have another problem, slight though it might be. We’re 4 issues in and a number of the newer series are starting to fall apart already. No surprise, as they weren’t stories, they were story ideas. Gag concepts only carry you so far. Of these “Holmes-san ga Suiri dekinai” by Nemachi Dorumaru has suffered the largest collapse. It hasn’t really been Yuri, and now that it is, it’s actually become less interesting.

However, there were still a goodly number of fair-to middling series. Of the ones that work best, “Now Loading”, “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” and 2DK, G Pen, Mezamashitokei” are still my standout three. That they all seem to be about women working is just coincidence, I am absolutely sure.  ^_^ “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” deserves a special mention, for having added female customers to the Yuri cafe, which I had previously noticed were absent. 

I also liked the go-nowhere “Hakushi no Kanata” by Hamuro Kei. This is pure one-shot stuff, but it was a nice bittersweet “what might have been, if only” tale that could change a life which was quite nice. And “Demi-Lfe” and “Roku + Ichi Sodarashi” are still forced and a little fun, even though they don’t have much substance. 

Ratings:

Overall – 7

So, points off for the complete dissolution of “Holmes-san” but holding steady else wise.  Let’s see how long this can be sustained. I pick up the May issue tonight. ^_^





Yuri Manga Interview on Barnes and Noble Blog

March 24th, 2017

Thanks to the kindness (and good timing) of Brigid Alverson, the Barnes and Noble blog has an interview with me all about Yuri Manga. The good timing part is really important, because I get to talk at length about some of the great Yuri manga that has recently hit shelves. As you all know, the main thing that will convince publishers to license more Yuri manga is good sales of the Yuri manga they are currently putting out. So the more folks who learn of and buy the very decent Yuri manga in the store right now, the better. ^_^

Drop by the interview and make your suggestions for more great Yuri manga to buy in the comments!





Yuri Manga: My First Lady (マイ・ファーストレディ)

March 9th, 2017

My First Lady (マイ・ファーストレディ) is a short story collection by Takemiya Jin of stories that ran in Comic Yuri Hime magazine. The single unifying factor is that, in each story, under unique circumstances, a girl realizes that she has feelings for another girl.

The stories themselves differ mostly by outcome. In the cover story, the girl gets the girl. In another, the girls gets the girls, but we can see that the relationship will be manipulative and creepy. In another, the girl does not get the girl. In the last, she may have been pining away for the wrong girl.

The collection is a bit like a “roll the dice” game version of Yuri story-telling, but while nothing is spectacular, it’s still enjoyable.

The one thing that remains tight throughout is Takemiya-sensei’s ability to capture enignmtaic and complex emotions in character’s expressions. Sometimes, I’ll spend more time on wondering what a character is thinking than worrying about the overt text, especially in shorts like these. 

So, while this isn’t a standout collection, it’s a good solid look at first love with a variety of outcomes.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7
Character – 7
Yuri – 7
Service – 0

Overall – 7

I’m always happy to have another collection from Takemiya-sensei. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Akuma no Riddle Manga, Volume 4 (悪魔のリドル)

March 6th, 2017

Akuma no Riddle V4 I read Volume 3 of this series in both English and Japanese and so, I thought I’d keep that up. Only, Volume 4 didn’t come out and didn’t come out and didn’t come out…and I got tired of waiting. Of course, just about the time I finally gave in and read it in Japanese, Volume 4 came out on Global Bookwalker in English. ^_^ Volume 4 is also available in English from Seven Seas in print.

Nonetheless, as Volume 4 of Akuma no Riddle  (悪魔のリドル)is, like the previous three volumes, almost word for word to the anime, there was nothing lost in the not-translation. The manga is every so slightly more Yuri than the anime, but nothing else is significantly different.

Itsuke makes her play to make her gay parents proud…and fails. Banba’s split personality isn’t much of a net positive for her…she goes down. And finally, Hanabusa come up with  an overcomplicated plot just to learn that Tokaku is better at it all than she is. Oh well.

Volume 4 is mostly presented as the final set of battles but, of course we know that isn’t true.  We still have a lot of expository dialogue to work through to figure out, exactly, what is going on. And for all that effort, I’m pretty sure we never really figure out what the deal with the unanswerable riddles ever is.

I’m really hoping that the final volume of the manga provides more depth than the anime did. It’s not that we don’t all love the endlessly creative ways in which girls are tortured and their lives ruined (barrrrffff) but emotional and physical abuse can only carry a story so far. At some point, we want answers and for someone to slap that guy on the phone.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – If you like sympathizing with killers – 7, if not  – 4
Characters –  7 All the feels for the poor abused psychopathic killers
Service – 5 Bathing
Yuri – 3 Toukaku and Haru have been “coupled” by the plot, but it appears that Toukaku actually likes Haru.

Overall – 7

My fingers are crossed for a end that resonates more than the anime did, which could be summed up as “well, that was a thing I watched.”





Yuri Manga: MURCIÉLAGO 9 ( ムルシエラゴ 9)

March 2nd, 2017

By Volume 9 of MURCIÉLAGO (ムルシエラゴ), one might expect the schtick to be getting a little tired. I mean, murderous bad guy, extreme violence, blah blah blah. But..nope. ^_^

The arc with the war-era group of crazy nationalists comes to an end with a strange connection to Hinako. But it comes to an end. And, as the final battle is occurring in the sewers below the city, a new/old character is handing herself over to the police. Aiko returns to us from an earlier arc and with her -at last – there is someone who is not Kuroko to care for former serial killer Ringo. In fact, Ringo and Aiko make a great team, as we see later in the volume.

To celebrate wrapping up the case, Hinako demands a beach vacation, where she and Ringo fish and swim and *finally*, moved to action by the return of another character from a former arc, Chiyo admits she desires Kuroko. While the gang fishes with the-woman-formerly-known-as-Teresa, Narumi, Chiyo gets to enjoy Kuroko’s freakishly long forked tongue.

And then the robot lands in a ball of fire.

Mad scientist Saki is being tailed by another mad scientist and Hinako gets to be a pilot in a giant robot fight! It was awesome.

The whole volume was pretty great. Entire buildings are destroyed, but only a few people we didn’t like anyway die and Hinako gets to pilot a giant robot.

Ratings:

Art – Um…
Story – 9
Characters – 8
Service – 9
Yuri – 9, but really more for Chiyo cluing in than the sex which was um….

Overall – 9 Probably my favorite volume since the Virginal Rose arc and much less gruesome.

It wraps up with a oh-so-ironic story about incestuous sisters that I will now forget completely.