Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga：Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu, Volume 2（推しが武道館いってくれたら死ぬ）

November 13th, 2016

budoshin2 In Volume 1 of Hirao Auri’s new series, we met the idol group Charm Jam, and the otaku who “idolize” them. In Volume 2 of Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu,（推しが武道館いってくれたら死ぬ) we are given a sobering glimpse of the rigors of that fandom.

The popularity rankings have arrived and we find that they are driven not by applause or mail-in cards but purely by sales. Each idol sells goods and CDs at a table, post-show, which we kind of all knew, but never really grasped. Idols whose fans buy the most are accorded higher rank. 

(As an aside, I was not sure I could loathe the Japanese idol industry more than I did, but upon learning this, I found room to hate it more than ever.) 

Having emptied her account, Eri is able to catapult Maina into the front row. 

We digress into a story about Reo, the most popular of the group, and the group’s history, and some of the relationships between the girls themselves. It’s not hard to see something more than just fellowship between Sorane and Yumeri.

Eri does not realize it, but she wields a lot of power as a superfan. The other fans look to her for colors, sales leads, and other indications. She only has eyes for Maina, so much so that she cannot see that Maina herself wants desperately to reach pass the important wall that exists between fan and idol. Neither have any idea how to make that connection, since both play by the rules.

The end of the book forces us to see a situation in which the strict rules of contact and communication actually hurt, rather than protect.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8, dammit
Character – 8
Service – 1
Yuri – 4 I’m running out digits to cross, with the need to strangle the author.

Overall – 8

Despite myself, (very, very much despite myself) I find that I actually want to read this series. I’m not always comfortable reading it, but I am learning a lot and finding all sorts of new ways to strangle Hirao-sensei in my head with every page.





Yuri Manga: Ani no Yome to Kurashiteimasu. Volume 1 (兄の嫁と暮らしています。)

October 31st, 2016

51-ohr1mxyl-_sx348_bo1204203200_Shino is a normal high school senior. Her parents died when she was young, so she moved in with her older brother and his wife. Then her older brother died, leaving her living alone with her young, beautiful and extremely sweet sister-in-law, Nozomi.

Did you ever have that moment, when reading a manga, when you’re about two chapters in and you think, “Why on *earth* am I reading this?” Yes, that was me about two chapters in to Ani no Yome to Kurashiteimasu. (兄の嫁と暮らしています。). Then, while staring at the cover, it suddenly dawned on me that this trope-tastic story was by Kuzushiro-sensei. I shrugged, decided to trust her and kept reading.

Shino and Nozomi are both perfectly nice characters and I wouldn’t really mind, particularly, if they did get together, but the trope of falling for the sibling-in-law is soooooooo tropey, I kind of cringe at that. I mean, this was a chestnut back in the early 90s, when stories like “Jukkai Me no Jukkai” were what passed for Yuri.

Shino starts to head down the slippery slope of attraction first. Nozomi is an elementary school teacher, she’s cute and cheerful and she and Shino are actually pretty good friends. Nozomi’s enthusiastic and easy to get along with. Shino starts noticing Nozomi more. Her expressions, her reactions…Shino’s edging closer and closer to “like” and is aware of it. She worries about their relationship. Are they…friends? Relatives? When Nozomi introduces her as a sister, Shino is both happy and sad.

Nozomi may appear clueless, but she’s not. She’s not seeing Shino’s interest in her, but is definitely aware that she’s aware of Shino. This distresses her, as she feels she should be the adult in the household, responsible and solid. 

The pot comes to a gentle boil when Shino decides to buckle down and really study for exams. Nozomi happily offers to help. As the books ends, they are both locked in a battle inside their heads over what they feel and what to do about it. I’m not even sure, yet, if this is a “Yuri” manga. I’ll just have to wait and see.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Cuter and less messy than her usual
Story – 7 Cuter and less messy than her usual
Characters – I’m tempted to repeat myself again, but no. They are just kind of…normal
Service – 2 In the form of “look how attractive she is just now”
Yuri – 2 Just barely edging in

Overall – 7

I’m willing to give this story the benefit of the doubt and hope fervently that Kuzushiro-sensei pulls out a new iteration of this tired old trope that blows me away. If anyone can, I think she’s the one.





Yuri Manga: MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 8 (ムルシエラゴ)

October 27th, 2016

mv8kyI’m sorry to say that in MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 8 (ムルシエラゴ), no one dies. Well, no one we care about, anyway. In fact, a lot of people die.  A whole army of nameless cannon fodder.  But since we don’t care about them, it’s like no one dies.

Kuroko and the team are still looking to find the new/old terrorist group that appears to be assassinating people for reasons that kind of made sense 70 years ago, but now appear to be petty. While Kuroko and Hinako track the ringleader through the subway, unleashing Ringo for some light murder practice, Reiko, the sexy sniper of the second arc of the series makes a reappearance.

A chunk of the book is given over to Reiko’s rooftop battle with a muscle-bound sniper which she, predictably, wins.

Ringo does not not manage to kill terrorist second-in-command Shizuka, when beefy, scared bartender Kokoro, stopped the fight before it becomes fatal. In return Shizuka promises to tell Ringo about her psycho father, the Skin Collector.

While everyone takes on the terrorist cell forces, Kuroko and Hinako take on the cell leader and we’re left with the creepiest feeling that all of this somehow relates to Hinako.

In a short flashback, we get to see a young Hinako and something we thought, but never expected to have confirmed is confirmed, at last. Hinako is very broken.

The epilogue follows a young lady whom Reiko saved in an earlier arc taking a visit to the sniper, and cuts off as the lights go down on them kissing. I’m very happy for Reiko….and for us. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Service – 5
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8

MURCIÉLAGO is messy and gross and violent and gay. There are no good guys here. I like it so much.

 





Black Yagi to Gekiyaku Madeline, Perfect Volume (ブラックヤギーと劇薬まどれーぬ 完全版)

October 21st, 2016

downloadIn 2012, Ohsawa Yayoi had her big break in Yuri with the collection Black Yagi to Gekiyaku Madeline, which I reviewed here on Okazu.  It was a short story collection that had some good and less-good stories, but the one that stood out was the oddball title story, which then went on to a sequel, Strange Babies, which I also reviewed in 2013.

Now we are here in 2016 and Ohsawa-sensei’s original volume has been re-released, with additional content in Black Yagi to Gekiyaku Madeline Perfect Volume (ブラックヤギーと劇薬まどれーぬ 完全版).

The cover image got my hopes up immediately, with Yagi and Mado-chan as adults, and they are contrasted nicely by the color page inside. Unfortunately for me, the cover art is unsupported by the new content. Boo….

The stories from the original remain exactly the same, wrapping up with the story of two net idols who couldn’t be more different if they tried. Original chapters follow their first date out in public as a couple, on which Yagi brings along her Baphomet just in case and how Kokoto and Arisu end up at their school. I found this chapter frustrating for all the reasons watching Arisu pine after Kokoto were frustrating in Strange Babies.

I had hoped that we’d get a chance to see Yagi a little older and more self-assured and Mado-chan post cute idol phase, but I guess I’ll just have to use my own imagination.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Stories – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 2

Overall – 8

The one thing we do get is a quick glimpse at just how much Ohsawa’s art has improved. Just contrast the cover with that color page and the difference is amazing. In the last 4 years, she’s really gotten better. I want to see a story about that couple…





Yuri Manga: Lily Love (English)

October 20th, 2016

llev1In 2015, it was my sincere pleasure to introduce you to a Thai Yuri manga artist by the name Ratana Satis, when I first reviewed her story Lily Love. Because the book was in Thai, my understanding of the story was rudimentary. But as the plot was a fairly standard “Story A”, it required little stretch to follow. Donut, a young woman in college, falls for her next-door neighbor, a lesbian known as Mew.

Now, with the help of the translation team the Three Musqueeteers, Lily Love is available in a printed volume in English. Because I pre-ordered, the English language volume came with a bookmark, a postcard and a pin featuring the main characters, Donut and Mew. The cover has a different image than the Thai version, the same filmy wrapper, which makes the image look dream-like, and a lovely fold-out color image of the protagonists.

The English translation is quite good, and I’ll go so far as to say that it helped smooth some of the rough edges of the story a bit.  It’s still very much a basic girl-meets-and-falls-for-girl story, with a heavy hand on the “but we’re both girls!” stick, however, Donut’s naivete is not hard to swallow, as she’s well-established as a pretty naive person right from the start. And her friends make her coming out way more than tolerable. They are all kind of cute, in fact.

Additionally, the book has translation and cultural notes, and a few pages of added sketches. Ultimately, it’s a really nice addition to any Yuri collection.

If you’d like to check the series out before you buy this volume, it’s all available on the Three Musqueerteer’s tumblr. If you enjoy it, do support the artist and translators by picking up a copy. This is your Yuri ecosystem, it’s important to get the money flowing through it.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 8
Story – 7
Yuri – 7

Overall – 7 and I look forward to more.

Although my scores are up from the Thai original review, nothing at all has actually changed in the story. I think I’m just in a mellower mood today. ^_^

Satis’ next Yuri series to be published, Pulse, is  currently up for pre-order on the Musqueerteers’ site, as well. I’ve pre-ordered and will be sure to let you know how it is!