Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Asagao to Kase-san (あさがおと加瀬さん)

December 18th, 2012

Yamada is a completely typical Japanese girl, completely undistinguished, she thinks. On the other hand, Kase-san is athletic, attractive, popular. Kase-san’s a star long distance runner and Yamada is a nobody. There’s no way they could ever be friends.

In Asagao to Kase-san (あさがおと加瀬さん) Yamada finds that, amazingly, she does have something in common with Kase-san – they both take care of the flower boxes full of morning glories (asagao) on the school grounds. And, amazingly, they do become friends.

But as much as their friendship brings her joy, Yamada is tortured by Kase-san’s proximity. Her feelings are becoming far more intense than just friendship. She and Kase-san become a little closer when the runner decides that she’ll train Yamada for the marathon in gym class. They go out to buy Yamada proper running shoes, and we can see that their feelings are the same, but can they? It all comes to a head during the marathon when Yamada’s training is put to the test and so are Kase-san’s priorities.

Yet again, Hirari brings us a “Story A“-type story in which the pages end just as the story is beginning but, in this case, the emotions ring true and the story left me smiling. As “Story A” goes, this was a lovely little example of the beginning of a first love between two girls. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7 A little messy, but I liked it
Story – 8
Character – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 2

Overall – 8

The story broke no new ground, but the characters’ reactions were real enough to carry the volume. Of course, I wish we got to see them after this volume ends, when their relationship begins taking off. ^_^





Rock it GiRL!! Manga, Volume 1 (ロケットガール)

December 13th, 2012

Suzuhara Kaname is playing guitar in the park, being ignored by passers-by when a cute girl walks up to her and tells her she sucks.

Thus begins Rock it Girl!! (ロケットガール) by Tanaka Minoru.
Kaname, we learn, has a genuine talent for songwriting and playing the guitar, but that talent has not brought her joy. In fact, if anything, it’s been the tool others have used to use her.

When she’s approached by a talent agency, it terrifies her that they want her for these talents. When she’s paired with veteran drummer hippie Hanako and deadpan bassist Katsura, it gives even her less confidence. But when she learns that vocals will be performed by the very same girl who told her she sucked, Seira, it’s understandable that she’s at the end of her rope.

Even more confusing is Seira’s drunken confession that she desperately WANTS to sing one of Kaname’s songs.

It’s all too much, and the pressure of their first gig absolutely breaks Kaname. She runs away and hides in her home, until the rest of the band shows up. Seira breaks the walls figuratively and literally to confront Kaname, who tells her she’s written her a song, ロケットガール. “Rock it, girl”? Seira asks. “Um, no…it’s Rocket Girl,” mumbles Kaname.

Tanaka’s art is drippy and I’ll be honest, I don’t actually like it, but it’s so goofy and silly that it helps temper the serious scenes and keeps from them being too depressing.

Rock, it GiRL is a little about surpassing expectations, it’s a bit about pursuing your dreams, it’s a bit about how cold reality is and it’s a bit of “oddball ensemble gets together and makes it work.”

On the good side, this story is continuing, so maybe we’ll get a chance to see Kaname and Seira’s relationship develop past the tsundere tsukkomi and mopey boke that they currently are.

Ratings:

Art – 5
Story – 6, but rising
Characters – same
Yuri – 2 but there is potential
Service – 0 I cannot even imagine a single way to view this manga salaciously

Overall – 6, but I hope to see that score go up with the next chapters.





Yuri Manga: Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, Vol. 8 (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり)

December 11th, 2012

Let’s say I have a bowl of vanilla ice cream (schoolgirl Yuri) and I think vanilla ice cream is okay, but it’s not as exciting as it could be.

When you’re confronted with a bowl of plain ice cream (a flavor you think is okay, but not wow) what do you do to make it tastier? You cover it with sauce and and blend in exciting things like gummy bears and toffee. Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari, Vol. 8 (ピュア百合アンソロジー ひらり) is a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

So here’s the cover story by Hakamada Mera, in which Kikuka and Tsubaki become friends and maybe Tsubaki has a few internal monologue moments where she thinks that Kikuka is “pretty” or “interesting.” Pretty vanilla, right?

So then we add a little soy powder to the top of the vanilla in the continuation of “Kitsune-hime.” It’s an interesting taste, but a little dry.

No, what we want is something crazy – something really extra super yummy. How about caramel sauce, colored sprinkles and a LOT of whipped cream? Well, lucky you, because Morishima Akiko has you covered, in “Seijun Shoujo Paradigm.” Aoi comes to a real rich-girls’ school, all ready to be blown away by the ojou-sama in her class, so she’s a little disappointed when they turn out to be normal, Did I say normal? As they head up to the roof to do an AKB48 dance, you realize that you’ve landed in the sundaest story you’re gonna find in this mostly vanilla collection. ^_^

Sated as you are, you can peruse the rest of the stories and enjoy their different flavors:

Ballet and Yuri tastes like a blend-in of salted peanuts. Teacher/student Yuri tastes like bitter, bitter dark chocolate. Auri Hirao writing a Yuri story with actual Yuri tastes like finding a real vanilla bean in your vanilla ice cream. Grown up Yuri tastes like coffee liqueur over your the top. Each variation brings a different flavor or texture, even though the base is still vanilla. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – Jim Dandy

Age check – how many of you think “big bowl of vanilla ice cream” and think “Moby Dick” (If you get the reference don’t give it away.)





Yuri Manga: Fujiyuu Sekai (不自由セカイ)

December 9th, 2012

No no no no no no no.

That is the bulk of my reaction to Kodama Naoko’s Fujiyuu Sekai (不自由セカイ).

***

Subcribe with Patreon Enjoy today’s post? Subscribe to Okazu with Patreon!

***

Reo befriended Meiko back in high school when Meiko was not treated well by her classmates. Popular and attractive, Reo drew Meiko into society. Meiko joined the tennis club in order to be closer to Reo and, as a result, hurt her ankle during practice. One day not long after, Reo offered to walk Meiko home, but she refused because she was getting better. Reo went off and unknown to her, Meiko was attacked and raped.

Now, years later, Meiko is still making Reo pay for it.

Meiko refers to Reo as her slave, emotionally manipulates Reo and forces the other woman to run when she calls, keeping her from completing her coursework or having a life.

Into this tightly wound relationship comes one of Reo’s classmates, Hayase, who Meiko sees as a rival. Reo and Hayase get enough time together for Reo to draw some courage and tell Meiko that she will no longer be at her beck and call. When Reo tries to get in touch with Meiko, she finds that she no longer can.

Up to this point I was okay with the story, then it just went horribly wrong. Instead of Reo moving on, realizing that Hayase was awesome and the two of them getting together, Reo goes running back to Meiko…who tells her she was not answering the phone, because she was trying to be independent. The two of them kiss and live …what? Happily ever after? I doubt it.

Ladies – particularly if you’re younger and have not yet found someone you think might be “the one” – under no circumstances should you follow the lesson of this manga. Do not choose a broken, controlling lover over the empowering one. This is the wrong lesson. You deserve better than that. Don’t be Reo.

Ratings:

Art – 8 (I had high hopes)
Story – Could have been an 8, instead 5
Characters – Hayase – 8, everyone else 5
Yuri – 7
Service – 4

Overall – 5

It really could have been good, but it wasn’t.





Yuri Manga: Lemonade (レモネード)

December 6th, 2012

In Lemonade, by Shioya Teruko, Youko and Maki are starting middle school. It’s a rough start for them both. Maki wants the two of them to join a club together, but Youko knows Maki wants to join a sports team, and she’s no good at sports. Maki’s pretty upset, but Youko sticks to her plan and joins the handicrafts club, while Maki joins Tennis Club – the one team Youko absolutely, positively will not join.

Youko’s day was no better – one of the upperclass boys finds out she’s the younger sister of the former Tennis team captain and gives her the unfortunate nickname “imouko” to which Youko, yearning to be free of comparisons to her perfect older sister, reacts very negatively. Things only become more tense when it turns out that Keta-sempai, the obnoxious upperclassman, is Maki’s mentor on the team AND had a crush on her sister. Youko finds it harder and harder to listen to Maki talking endlessly about this guy. It’s not much easier in Handicrafts club, as the one second-year student has a crush on Naomi-sempai, the club president, and speaks of nothing but love and crushes. All around Youko it’s “Who do you like?” “Who is going out with whom?’

Maki and Youko come to a crisis over Keta-sempai, which almost destroys their friendship, as Maki admits she like Keta, and wishes Youko could be friendly with him, But he’s *still* teasing Youko and it really upsets her…and she’s feeling what can only be labeled jealousy. When she realizes she’s jealous over Maki, it makes Youko uncomfortable, but for her friend’s sake, she sucks it up. Before he graduates Keta-sempai finally apologizes so she can move on.

As Youko and Maki come to the end of their third year, and face graduation, one of the underclassmen in the handicrafts club confesses to Youko. She replies that there’s already someone she likes – the rumor flies fast. Youko likes someone? Who? Maki comes over to find out, and in the final pages, Youko tearfully admits that it has been Maki all along. Maki says she likes Youko too. As the book draws to a close we see the two of them walking off hand in hand.

This is a school life story that reads awfully like what I remember school actually being like. Everyone around me obsessed endlessly about who was going out with whom and who liked whom. ^_^; We can see Youko, Maki and the others are in a school, but we never see them do any school work. In Lemonade, it’s all relationships all the time. Gosh, I’m glad I’m not in school anymore.

Ratings:

Art – Very simple and plain – 6
Characters – True to their age, so kinda boring for this adult – 6
Story – Same – 6
Yuri – 6
Service – 1 on principle

Overall – 6

The final confession isn’t out of left field, but it was vaguely vexing that Keta-sempai was made the McGuffin. He was really annoying.