Yuru Yuri remains on the JManga best seller list, as it has since it premiered on the digital platform. Not surprisingly, I’m pleased to see it there, because we at ALC were able to be part of the team that brought it to you.  I was even allowed to contribute a short essay on the Yuri landscape in Japan to the feature story for the series. (And, I erm, just noticed that they called me the Yuri Master on the feature page. /snort/) As a result, I think I should disclaimer this review – I think we did a bang-up job on the thing and I have no intention of combing the book for mistakes. ^_^

That having been said, something popped up on Twitter yesterday that inspired me to do a quick review. I’ll get to that in a second.

The number one criticism of Yuru Yuri is, well, the lack of Yuri.

Basically, Kyouko sort of desires Chinatsu, who can’t stand her, Chinatsu loves, akogares and probably desires Yui, who probably knows but isn’t doing anything about it. Ayano has a made-up-in-her-head rivalry with Kyouko, because she hasn’t really figured out that she likes her, Sakurako and Himawari are a completely fictitious couple made up by the author to jerk the readers around. No one even notices Akari.

The only “real” Yuri in the series is in Chitose’s fantasies. Chitose is, of course, the stand-in for the readership. All the “Yuri” in the series is in our heads, because if you step back for a second, we are pairing up 13-year olds and how creepy does that make us? Massively creepy.

So for no reason at all, except because I find it amusing to do so, I’m going to ‘splain the real relationships in this series.

Here’s the picture that started this whole train of thought (Here’s a link to the original artist’s page on Pixiv. You’ll need to be logged in to see their page. Painting and links via Scott Green on Twitter)

This picture, “Yuri Meninas” is a mashup/parody of Velazsquez’s famous painting Las Meninas.

And I thought to myself, well, if this artist can see something in Yuru Yuri worth mashing up with Velasquez’s work, (often considered the best painting in the world), then clearly, I need to look at it again.

And so I have.

Yuru Yuri is, like Sasamekikoto, a discussion of Yuri tropes. Best friends, rivals in love, opposites attract, akogare out of control, etc. But where Sasamekikoto focused on tropes of plot common to Yuri stories, Yuru Yuri is focusing on character tropes common to moe stories…and making fun of the characters and the people who read so much into so little. In effect, Yuru Yuri can be seen as a commentary by the artist on the audience who works so hard to develop the characters which are, in reality, kept simple by design.

The main character of Yuru Yuri is not, as the story might imply Akari, nor is it Kyouko… the main character is Chitose. That is to say, the main character of the series is *you.* You are the one developing the series from 2-dimensional in every way, to anything at all that has some third dimension. Like Velasquez in Las Meninas, the reader must be involved with the narrative for it to make any sense at all.

So, because I as a reader (even though as I edit, I try hard to not engage with the story) am forced to form some opinion of it as I read, here is what *I* saw.

There is, in truth, only one couple here. Chitose and Ayano. To turn Ayano into the masochist she truly is, Chitose will, therefore, have to learn how to be a better sadist. She’s got a lot of work ahead of her. Sakurako and Himawari are a McGuffin. Himawari genuinely can’t stand Sakurako, and Sakurako is merely using Himawari. Chinatsu (who has been inexplicably described as “dark”) is a bore. Yui will come to realize this and then realize that she actually does like Kyouko…but only after Kyouko and Chinatsu become a couple.

So, that’s what this series looks like in *my* imagination. ^_^

No, not really.

In my imagination, this series doesn’t exist at all. ^_^

I am not, like Velazquez, reflected in the art. I am not represented by Chitose. I stand outside the story, outside the narrative and, instead of watching the subjects of the narrative, I watch the audience. I watch you as you paint the picture.

So, what I want to know is – what do you see when you look at Yuru Yuri? Where are you in the picture? Tell me in the comments!