Demons, women, women demons and women who fight demons. It’s a much of a muchness in Hakodate Youjin Buraijou Himegami, Volume 5 (箱館妖人無頼帖ヒメガミ).

Having defeated the evil, demony, well-endowed, cross-dressing French proprietor of the Black Widow brothel, Himeka has been indulging in some well-deserved snuggling with Hyou, despite Hyou’s reluctance. Once the marks of her curse recede, Hyou uses that as an excuse to escape from Himeka’s clutches. (What a maroon, as Bugs would say. Himeka’s also well-endowed with full lips and soft skin. DUH, Hyou.) Himeka is making no bones about her interest in Hyou. We’ll just have to imagine that she wears the girl down eventually.

In a long, drawn out bathing scene (where we see Hyou, Himeka and her Himegami sisters Ranka and Aika – but not Kirika – naked, without seeing anything at all, which is kind of an art in itself, I think) we learn that Hyou’s “miburo,” the marks on her back that indicate the presence of the Youjin, the power that forges the Himegami’s transformations and the power that the evil Frenchwoman held are all related, in a sense.

Having invoked her, it’s no surprise at all that, when a new enemy appears, it’s just the same enemy all over again – apparently they didn’t kill her enough.

More importantly, this time she uses the Himegami’s power against them, forcing Hyou to save Himeka this time. Yay

Oh – and Hyou’s beloved dead teacher turns out to be the Himegami’s not-quite-as-dead-as-Hyou-thought teacher. In the final scene, Hyou joins the ranks of Himegami at Himeka’s side. Just to put a period on it, Himeka tells Hyou she loves her, to which Hyou replies in time-honored Han Solo fashion, “I know.” We’ll have to imagine the celebration on our own, because the story really, truly comes to an end there. ^_^

This was brain-crinkling nonsense, but I just adored it. I wouldn’t actually recommend it to anyone who isn’t me and there’s no hope that it would ever be licensed because it’s dire. But if I hit the lottery on Monday, this series would be second on my list of things to throw money at. Because it’s dire, but fun!

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 4
Service – 8

Overall – 8

Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4

“Do you remember, the moment your love first began?”

Thus begins Linkage, the collection of Yuri Hime stories by Kurata Uso.

These stories are linked only by their exploration of that one moment, when two people realize that they share the same feelings as one another.

Two office workers who misunderstand their importance to one another, a young flutist and the woman who loves her, a rebellious schoolgirl who falls for a blind girl, two sisters who have always been close, and an AI researcher and her creation. None of these really has any ‘link’ to one another. The links are forged between the women in the relationships, and between them and us as we watch their love blossom into something real.

There’s little here that stands above and beyond the Typical “Story A,” really, except that that characters are well drawn and well conceived. Despite the fact that only one of them even acknowledges the difficulty of the admission of loving another woman, these stories are pretty darn good.

The best, if over-sentimental, story follows rebel-chick Keiko and her gradual fall into love with blind, brave and honest Haruka. It was sappy – good heavens it was sappy. It not only involved brave, plucky handicapable Haruka undergoing dangerous surgery, but ends with Keiko’s softer, gentler side being praised by the rest of the class. Who could stay dry-eyed in front of a thing like that?

Yes, this is a collection of girl meets and girl likes and other girl likes her back the end, stories. Don’t look for more beyond that or you will be disappointed. Nonetheless, there is at least a little variety in age and circumstance and, the whole office affair and Yoshino in a suit to start the book off works for me.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Stories – Average 8
Characters – 7
Yuri – 7
Service – 1

Overall – 8

I would very much like to see a longer story by Kurata. I think there’s some solid story-telling potential in there, and hope to see something beyond just a one-shot.

In Volume 1 of Tenbin ha Hana to Asobu (天秤は花と遊ぶ), Yohko is a transfer student into the elite Lotus Girls High School. She’s tremendously energetic and, it turns out, athletic, but she’s not clueless or clumsy. She’s just not elegant. Certainly, not as elegant as Shuu, the lavender-haired beauty who takes Yohko on a tour of the school.

Upon meeting Shuu, Yohko’s reaction is rather unusual – she claims to smell blood and asks Shuu if she’s hurt. No, Shuu answers, but looks like there’s something more to behind it.

Shuu shows Yohko around, but after hours Yohko realizes she’s forgotten something, and runs off to the the infirmary where she comes in on Shuu apparently drinking the blood from the school doctor’s neck. The school doctor confirms what Yohko thinks she just saw – Shuu is a vampire. Not only is she a vampire, but at the moment she is genderless. Depending on whether she drinks more male or female blood, when she turns 18 she will become male or female.

Yohko promises to protect Shuu’s secret and with it, Shuu. She attaches herself to Shuu’s hip, despite Shuu’s protests. The next time Shuu starts to feel weak from lack of blood, Yohko offers herself without reserve.

Now Yohko and Shuu are inseparable, even when rumors start to spread through the school. There’s something going on, the students whisper to one another between Shuu and the school doctor. And there is – he’s her older brother.

There’s a short story in which we learn that of the many girls who fawn over Shuu, there is at least one whose feelings go deeper than just admiration. But it is Yohko that Shuu relies on and it is Yohko she misses when she’s not around. And, she confesses to her brother, something weird is happening – recently, Yohko’s blood is starting to taste…good. Her brother reassures her that that is normal for someone she loves. Loves? Loves?! Shuu is very concerned but, as the book draws to a close, that may not be her worst trial – it appears that someone has learned her secret. Oh no, Volume 2 where are you?

When I mentioned this book a few weeks ago in the “Snatches of Yuri” section of the news report, I said I wasn’t sure whether I liked it or not. Honestly, I’m still not sure. It’s not that surprising that the Next Big Thing, i.e., vampires, appeared in Yuri. (In fact, I’m reading *another* Yuri title right now with a Goth-Loli loli schoolgirl vampire and as you can imagine I’m just loving it….) I neither like nor dislike vampires, so that isn’t helping. The first time around, I was leaning more towards dislike and this time around I’m leaning more towards like, I guess.
If you like both vampires and schoolgirl Yuri, this would probably be an okay mix.

I’m still on the fence. I guess I’ll see what Volume 2 brings.

Ratings:

Art – 7. Typical moe.
Story – 6
Characters – 7 Yohko is a little atypical – smart and energetic and competent
Yuri – 3, with potential
Service – A surprising 1 Hardly any underwear at all, Poor FanBoys

Overall – 7

I do think it’s interesting that “Story A” has been done so many ways now that Yuri is starting to branch out past it, and bring in other ways to tell the same story differently.

The title is really odd, btw. “Tenbin” is scales or a shoulder pole used to carry heavy things. The image I get is a scale or shoulder pole with two baskets overflowing with flowers. I assume it is some literary reference I am not getting.