Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: GIRL FRIENDS, The Complete Collection Volume 1 (English)

February 3rd, 2013

Five years ago, I had the pleasure of reading GIRL FRIENDS by Morinaga Milk for the first time. This cutely drawn story of an introvert girl and her extrovert best friend struck home for me (as it did, I have no doubt, for many readers.)

My reviews for Volume 1 and Volume 2 cover the evolution of the story from a “shoujo manga for men” to a realistic exploration of two young women who are totally different becoming friends…and ultimately finding themselves with much more complex feelings for each other.

Volume 1 of Seven Seas’ GIRL FRIENDS, The Complete Collection, primarily deal with the relationship from Mari’s perspective. A natural introvert, Mari has never had a best friend before. This adds an extra level of complexity – and stress – to her changing feelings and increases her desire to prove to herself that she is “normal.” (Which is *exactly why I and other people are out – to show young people that we are perfectly normal. The more people who are out, the less young people will have to go through that.)

Volume 1 ends at a difficult point and many new readers have expressed concern about the ending. Be patient readers of Yuri, this is a 5-volume manga presented in 2 omnibuses. Volume 1 of this edition ends in the middle of the story. Give the plot time to play out and enjoy the whole thing, crises and all instead of wanting to rush to the end. ^_^

Ratings:

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

Overall – 7

Seven Seas did a very nice job of localization, as usual.  Extra thanks to translator Ana M. (who is also an Okazu superhero!)  for the donation of a set of both volumes of GIRL FRIENDS, the Complete Collection as a prize.

To enter to win this complete set of this delightful Yuri romance by Morinaga Milk, in the comments write a message of encouragement and hope to a young LGBT person who isn’t sure about their self or feelings right now – or even a message to your younger self. Please include your name,  – if you plan on being Anon, please give yourself a nickname so I can let the winner know they’ve won.

If you’ve won a contest recently, please feel free to enter, but you’ll understand if I pick someone else. ^_^

I’ll announce winners when I review Volume 2!

My message – There is nothing wrong with you. Society might have some catching up to do, but you are perfectly fine. Find people you can talk to, a local LBGT-friendly church or group at a university. You are perfectly fine – and you are not alone. We’re all here with you. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Ohana Holoholo, Volume 4 (オハナホロホロ)

February 1st, 2013

Some years ago, Maya and Michiru were lovers until Michiru left. After she bore a son, his father passed away, leaving Michiru and Yuuta at the whim of his not-particularly welcoming parents. Michiru returned to her former lover, asking Maya if she could stay for a little while, and Maya welcomed her as a dear friend. Together with the former male lover of Yuuta’s father, Nikko, the four of them form a very happy family unit.

Ohana Holoholo, Volume 4 (オハナホロホロ) begins with Maya having a break down in front of her fiance’, Hidesuke. Her admission that she still loves Michiru is made in Michiru’s hearing. Frustrated at the unfinished business between the two women, Hidesuke sticks them both in his car and drives them to a hotel, telling them to work it out. It’s obvious that he and Maya can’t get married, and he’s angry, but still a decent guy.

Michiru and Maya spend the night together. They share a bath and sleep holding hands. They next day they decide to go on one last date to the ocean where they share one last kiss. Michiru returns home alone, in tears at the realization that she does love Maya.

Maya takes a separate train, and starts to prepare for living alone. She can’t stay with Michiru, who needs her independence and she obviously cannot go to Hidesuke, which would be a lie.

Michiru still has issues at work, but is beginning to notice she has allies as well as enemies.

Nikko talks honestly about his relationship with Yuuta’s father with a friend and how he treasures Yuuta for himself as well as his father.

Mochizuki-sensei is, I’m afraid, going to be in for a hard Volume 5.

In the meantime, Yuuta continues to be a little getleman. He gets to protect Hiyori from some mean classmates and stand up for her when they blame her for something they did. For the first time ever, Yuuta has friends over to play when Michiru invites Tamaki and Hiyori to stay.

Maya receives an invitation to a high school club reunion, where Hidesuke is rather cold to her. We get to see the club president reminisce about how she met Maya and recruited her to the club. (High school Maya was adorable. Squee!) The club president is sharp enough to see what lies between Hidesuke and Maya and intrudes *just* enough.

As the volume draws to a close, Hidesuke talks about what he wants out of life, then asks Maya “What do you want?”

No matter what, despite all odds, replies Maya, as she sees in her mind the image of Michiru, Yuuta and Nikko at the kitchen table they all share.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 5
Service – 4

Overall – 9

Is that a light at then end of the tunnel I see?





Manga no Tsukurikata Manga, Volume 6 (まんがの作り方)

January 29th, 2013

Do not start with me. I know, I know, this manga is a wasteland. It pretends to be Yuri, so here we are. I try, to the best of my ability, to keep Okazu as comprehensive as possible without violating my own standards of  entertainment (which is why you have not seen a hentai collection review in a long while. They are so boring. Girls have unrealistic, messy sex. Wow. Really, how exciting.)

So, while Manga no Tsukurikata, Volume 6 (まんがの作り方) is not actually indecent by my very relaxed standards, it is no way decent, either. Indifferent manga artist Kawaguchi has been abandoned by Morishita who has a crush on her. Takeda, who has a crush on Morishita and hopes one day to debut herself has moved with her to Tokyo.

But, when Takeda sees Morishita’s editor macking on her, she realizes that her chances of debuting are small and something important happens – Takeda suddenly becomes the only character in the book that has a plot.

Crush, crush, nasty crush…the Yuri landscape painted in Manga no Tsurikata is grim. So grim, it’s a veritable DMZ of emotion. But now, after 6 volumes of watching two talentless hacks inexplicably make it in professional manga without hardly any effort, drive or skill, Takeda, bitter, unappreciated Takeda, stands up and takes this crappy series over as the only 3-dimensional character.

Ratings:

Art – Hirao nails ennui
Character – Practically existentialist
Story – I don’t know, maybe we’ll get one in Volume 7
Yuri – One for each crush (so, 3)
Service – I don’t want to think about it

Overall – Somewhere out there, someone must like this series. I wonder why

I absolutely love how miserable Masato spends the entire volume being drawn as if he is a total babe, surrounded by the three woman on the planet who think he’s as attractive as a slug. Get out kid, it’s your only hope.




Yuri Manga: Kanojo to Camera to Kanojo no Kisetsu, Volume 2 (彼女とカメラと彼女の季節）

January 28th, 2013

In volume 1 of Kanojo to Camera to Kanojo no Kisetsu, (彼女とカメラと彼女の季節) we met typical high school student Akari, atypical highschool student Yuki, who is a photographer and asocial outlier in class and sports hero student Fukuyama, Yuki’s childhood friend, who is interested in Akari.

Volume 2 begins with Akari experiencing an epiphany about her feelings for Yuki, followed up by a almost complete rebuff by the object of her interest. In the meantime, Fukuyama is there to support her emotionally…something that makes Akari as uncomfortable as her feelings about Yuki does. She’s really trying hard to not give Fukuyama the wrong impression about her feelings. On his part, he seems sincerely to not be under the wrong impression at all – he can see that Akari is interested in Yuki, but he really likes her and wants to be there for her.

Akari wants to see Yuki, Fukuyama wants to be closer to Akari.

And what about pale, ethereal Yuki, the photographer? When she returns to school, she seems to be driving Akari into Fukuyama’s arms. And yet, in quiet moments, it’s Akari she’s thinking of. She leaves provocative photos of herself in her dark room  – for Akari to find? Akari thinks so.

As volume 2 comes to an end, it’s Yuki’s turn to play her cards. What hand she’s holding, we just don’t know.

Ratings:

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

Overall – 8

This volume made me laugh a little, frown a little and left me really hoping hard for an ending I know I won’t get. ^_^; Will I?





Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫), January 2013

January 24th, 2013

Once again, the cover of Comic Yuri Hime (コミック百合姫) tells a story. The January issue’s story, which is helpfully titled “Love Story”, provides flashbacks to Mad magazines of old, as the cover and inside cover offer *4* pages of story with the fold.

This issue was primarily interesting for the various ways in which so many of the stories explored the typical tropes of schoolgirl Yuri with abandon. And I mean that – artists are really just going nuts within the same few basic ideas. Girls are still transferring into elite schools, where they encounter the star of the school…but none of the typical things one might expect are happening. The star of the school is not who she seems, murders occur, things are being smashed and thrown and kisses are hard, sometimes, and gentle sometimes. Characters are enigmatic, cheerful, angry, polite and crazy. This issue is not, really, in any way a great reflection of life, but that isn’t my point. My point is…wow there’s a lot of *stuff* going on in this magazine!

And once again “Fu~Fu~” wins the universe as Sumi decides that she and Kina ought to, y’know, have matching rings. Oh god this series is so cute! Kinana agrees that matching rings would suit them well…and she suggests that the next thing on the menu ought to be a wedding ceremony. ^_^ Squee!

This issue was a really nice selection of stories of girls and women in a variety of relationship from utterly dysfunctional to happily ever after. Exactly what I want in an anthology. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8