Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Witch Meets Knight (演劇部の魔女と騎士)

June 10th, 2015

In thinkdownloading about this book I coined a new phrase – “Dice of Life.” In “Slice of life” narratives we are given a glimpse into the life of a person during a period, or situation. In “Dice of Life” we focus on a single, small, aspect of a life, dicing it up into teeny bits of which we watch only one.

Inumaru’s Witch Meets Knight (演劇部の魔法と騎士) is a “Dice of Life” story. We see these characters for mere minutes out of their days. Nothing beyond these few, momentary interactions are ever even hinted at. We don’t see them at home. The have no breakfasts or dinners. Their lives are finely diced up into homeroom and drama club. If they ever do anything else, we don’t see it.

And yet, this isn’t a bad book.

First, let’s talk about the art. Everything is drawn in stark whites or blacks, with no screentone or shading. I found it disconcerting until I got used to it, then I came to like it. Backgrounds are mostly hinted at, with a line of wall, or blankly drawn windows, so that the figure in the school’s black uniform is what you’re completely focused on.

The beginning of this Hirari collection follows Naitou (Knight) Kanata, a free spirit, who becomes obsessed by the hair of over-achieving Yuiichi (Witch) Minato, and the slightly non-linear story of how the two of them become part of the Drama Club…with the focus always firmly on the tension between them. Although it is surprising to them when they kiss, it is not at all surprising to us.

The last third of the book follows Irina, a quarter-Japanese Russian transfer student and her adventures with the drama club.

These lives are diced so small we are barely guessing at their totalities, but what we see is kind of fun. The sexual tension between Yuiichi and Naitou is a strong presence without being burdensome or creepy. Despite that, their relationships with the rest of the club are very normal and undramatic. For the dice of life we are given, it’s pretty yummy.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Interesting and good, with that weird contrast/conceit
Characters- 8
Story – Dice finely, serve as garnish
Yuri – 6
Service – 0 Really, just not. There is simply nothing service-y, we don’t even see the kiss.

Overall – 8

There’s a whole lot of flavor in them there small chunks.





Yuri Manga: Himitsu Hitotsu (ひみつひとつ)

June 8th, 2015

downloadNakahara Tsubaki’s Himitsu Hitotsu (ひみつひとつ) is  a very solid exploration of an essential “Story A” trope – best friends whose feelings are more, etc, etc. Shorts in this collection are firmly rooted in school settings, with no sense of lesbian identity.

In most of these vignettes we’re told the story from the perspective of the friend who has come to the conclusion that their feelings are much more than friendly. In some cases, there is jealousy, but in most, the slide between friends and lovers is a short, relatively smooth slope, accompanids by artful, genteel tears and the occasional, “I feel that way too!”

As a primer for lesbianism, it makes it all look so easy. ^_^;

Ratings:

Art – 6 Typical, but sometimes the necks get out of control
Story – 6 Nothing made me hoot or holler
Characters – 4 All utterly cardboard cutouts. I can’t recall a single one, except for the one with the exceptionally long out of control neck
Yuri – 6 Nothing to offend the sensitivities of the fanboy, nothing to excite the senses of the fangirl
Service – 2 I think there is a panel with a thing going on.

Overall – 6

This is exactly the kind of Yuri Rica Takashima discusses in her article from Eureka‘s “Current State of Yuri Culture” issue which just happens to be going up for Patreon patrons this week! Become an Okazu patron and you too can see her take on the difference between 百合 and Yuri.

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Okujou no Yurirei-san Side A; Mou Hitotsu Yuritopia (屋上の百合霊さんSIDE A もうひとつのユリトピア)

May 31st, 2015

Originally released in Japan in 2012, Visual Novel Okujou no Yuri Yurei-san is an extremely popular Yuri series.

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As you know, I do not play VNs  – and I now understand why I don’t. /blink/

 

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It’s not the “game” aspect that bores me, it’s the excruciatingly slow reading mechanics. /unblink/

 

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Having to page forward after every sentence makes me want to stab my eyes out with frustration. /blink/

 

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The two or three facial expressions that change back and forth seem as ridiculously silly to me as me posting my own face at the end of every single sentence in a review. /unblink/

 

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Not every sentence needs an illustration. Much less the same illustration repeated over and over. /blink/

 

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And, so, as much as the story in Okujou no Yurirei-san seems kinda cute. I just can’t bring myself to attempt it. I already know I’ll get 5 minutes in and want to scream.

The thing is, the series is extremely popular in Japan. In fact, it’s spawned several Yuri-only doujinshi shows of it’s own…called “Yuritopia,” for obvious reasons, as you will see.

Okujoumou1In the VN, at a elite girl’s school,  Shouka Kokonotsuboshi Joshi Gakuen, Yuna is able to see the ghosts of two girls who watch over the school. They were in love, but were not able to be together in life, so in death, they long for the school to become a Yuri Utopia, i.e., “Yuritopia.” During the course of gameplay, several couples are formed, to bring the school towards the Yuritopia they desire.

In the first part of this two-manga set, Okujou no Yurirei-san Side A; Mou Hitotsu Yuritopia (屋上の百合霊さんSIDE A もうひとつのユリトピア) we meet Shiori, a quiet, unassuming student, who is friends with one of the original game characters, Maki. The school festival is coming up and Shiori does not want to be dragged into acting in their class play so she, Maki and Hina (who also appears in the VN) all volunteer to work on the set.

But the conflict of the story lies in Shiori’s fractured relationship with her childhood friend, Mako. Mako has already confessed her love to Shiori who, in a panic, ran away. She hasn’t been able to face Mako since.

Hina, who is on track team with Mako, can see the problem immediately. She encourages Shiori to make up with her friend. Shiori tries, but when Mako again confesses, she again runs away…even though this time, she’s not at all upset.

As the festival nears, Shiori learns that Hina and Yuna are an item, and at the festival meets Maki’s lover Miki (one of the VN couple plotlines). Having heard about the two ghost girls on the roof, Shiori pulls herself together just long enough to let Mako know she likes her back. The two ghost girls appear, glowing with joy, as another couple is added to their Yuritopia.

There is nothing “wrong” with this book, per se. Itou Hachi’s art is moe, but not at all in a fetishy way, the story is comfortable and untroubling. The only thing that strikes me as weird, is that in Yuritopia there are no men of any kind. Not so much as a male teacher or parent. There is, in fact, only one adult shown in the entire volume, a female teacher in one panel. All other parents or teachers are off-stage voices and no one in the audience for the play is an adult. It’s a clear indication that, like Thomas More’s Utopia, this is a not-place. Nowhere real, not obtainable, not really even all that desirable, Yuritopia is a fantasy only.

Interestingly, these volumes are being put out by Hirari comics and I’m betting Ichijinsha’s kicking itself in the butt for not grabbing up the idea. ^_^) Go Hirari!

Ratings:

Art – 8 Cute, without being teeth-grittingly sugary or in any way creepy
Story – 7 Predictable, but still nice, as one might expect from such a series
Characters – 8 Likable, a little thin in development as one might expect from such a series
Yuri – 9
Service – 1 Pleasantly free of thigh-staring

Overall – 8

Like the ghosts watching over the school, we can be perfectly happy for these not-real girls in their not-real world. ^_^ At least Yuritopia is fill of cute, happy Yuri couples.





Yuri Manga: Chou Chou Nan Nan (喋喋喃喃)

May 27th, 2015

downloadThe girl/guy next door, the childhood friend who has always been there for you, who can always read your mood, and knows just what to say; it’s a well-worn trope in every subset of romance. It’s equally as common to show the protagonist unable to return the favor, unseeing when their friend has deeper feelings than friendship for them, as they moon over someone else – usually someone unobtainable. It’s so entirely universal in fact, that it almost boggles the mind.

In Chou Chou Nan Nan (喋喋喃喃), Takemiya Jin takes a(nother) swing at this trope.

Aoi is in love with Chihiro and her best friend Nao can see it from a mile away. Unfortunately, Nao is in love with Aoi and Aoi can’t see it at all. Chihiro can see what’s going on and, because she’s a cheerfuly manipulative jerk, she teases Nao by manipulating Aoi’s feelings. Shino, the fourth of the group is uncomplicated and doesn’t care who is love with whom, just as long as they are all having fun.

There is never any reason to think that Aoi and Nao won’t get together, so it’s more or less just a matter of watching them get there, enjoying the stolen kisses, “shock!” eyes and narrowed eyes/manipulative faces that Takemiya-sensei does so well.

It is also stereotypical that the story comes to a head during the school festival, as Nao plays the prince and Aoi plays Sleeping Beauty. Reading as much manga as I do set in school, I thank my lucky stars that I never once had to do a play in a school festival. (The only thing I can recall doing for a school festival was making a highly popular, heavily alcoholic Black Forest Cherry cake one year for German Club.)

They end up together (of course) and we never learn, really, whether Chihiro feels bad about her role in keeping them apart or finds it all a hilarious joke. I was very much hoping that the doujinshi follow-up “Chou Chou Nan Nan 2” would look at Chihiro’s real feelings (my bet is that Chihiro found it hilarious. People like her are never sorry. ^_^;), but instead it gives Aoi a chance at taking the lead in a kiss for once. Also okay. ^_^

Ratings:

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

Overall – 7

A pleasant trip along a favorite path, decorated with beloved flowers. We all know it well, but it’s perfectly fine to enjoy it once again. ^_^

Many thanks to Jye N. for being kind enough to get “Chou Chou Nan Nan 2” and several other doujinshi for me! I’m savoring every page. Thank you for your kindness!





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime, May 2015 (コミック百合姫 2015年 05 月号)

May 22nd, 2015

CYH052015I’m nervous. I’m really enjoying Comic Yuri Hime these days, but nothing lasts forever, right? As I read Comic Yuri Hime, May 2015 (コミック百合姫 2015年 05 月号) I couldn’t shake the feeling that the boot will drop and soon.

It appears to me, that the magazine has finally struck a balance between the – to me – unfathomable needs of Japanese fanboys and my own unfathomable needs as an American lesbian fangirl. ^_^ Sure, you guys can have your weirdly shaped breasts and bizarre crotch obsession and teary blobby-headed little girls, I’ll take the adults, the depth of emotion, the violent fighting and Iono-sama. ^_^ Deal?

If you don’t like what I do, then there’s “Netsuzou Trap – NTR”, a creeptastic story about two girls with boyfriends who get naked and do stuff on each other while their boyfriends are conveniently not in the room with them, “Citrus,” (on which I have officially given up completely, when a bad old trope that we’d already wallowed in and discarded comes back for a second appearance) and “To Lie-Anguru,” which I will never mention again. ^_^ “Yuru Yuri,”of course, and the “Yuri Danshi” narrative continues on in a slightly altered form with input from male and female Yuri fans in “Ore to Yuri.”

Almost everything in this volume continued on from last time, but there were a few highlights that stood out for me. Ohsawa Yayoi’s “2DK, G Pen, Mesamashi Tokei.” went exactly where I had hoped, and shifted from “competent woman hustles while slacker slacks”, to “two adult women figuring out their lives.”

Nakahara Tsubaki’s “12 Minute Etude” is still cute in a non-intrusive way, as is “Inugami-san to Neko-yama -san,” and the excruciatingly adorable and fun “Kanaete! Yuri Yosei-san” which I still believe may be Minamoto Hisanari’s masterwork effort, in that he can combine the silliest of Yuri tropes, an absurdly adorable moe fairy and still have a lot of fun telling a story. ^_^

To scratch my itch for a little light violence, there’s still “Love Desu” and “Shoujo Shikaku”  for horror and major violence fans.

Takemiya Jin provides “Sakasama Oni-gokko”, Kano makes a debut with two stories and…to my absolute joy, Fujieda Miyabi is back, with a spin off of “Iono-sama Fanatics” called “Kokono-sama Fascinates” which follows the entirely unobjectionable adventures in love and lady-in-waiting gathering of Kokono, the daughter of Iono-sama and Eto. Squee.

So, see? We can all be happy.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

If they can just keep this up forever, I’ll be satisfied.  ^_^