Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Manga no Tsukurikata, Volume 1 (まんがの作り方)

May 11th, 2009

When Kawaguchi was 13, she debuted as a manga artist. But, due to many different things, she stopped drawing. Now she’s 19 and has decided to get back into it only…she has no idea what to draw.

After thinking about it, she decides to try her hand at Yuri, since BL and GL seem all the rage. Thus begins Manga no Tsukurikata (まんがの作り方).

Only…now Kawaguchi *really* has no idea what to draw.

Just then, she’s visited by a workmate and classmate of her young brother’s, Morishita. Morishita has a crush on Kawaguchi, so when the older girl asks her out, she gladly agrees. Kawaguchi thinks that going out with another girl will give her some inspiration, but finds pretty quickly that things are more complicated that they seem.

For one thing, Morishita is not just her workmate and a classmate of her younger brother Masato – she is also Kawaguchi’s favorite manga artist, Sacchi.

For another, despite her desire to gain inspiration from Morishita, Kawaguchi’s failure to take Morishita’s emotions seriously cause a complete blockage of ideas. Even after a magazine editor agrees to take a look at her work, Kawaguchi hasn’t the barest bone of a plot. And all the while, there’s Morishita looking at her with eyes full of honesty and desire.

And lastly, because nothing can be easy, Kawaguchi’s kid brother, Masato, also likes Morishita, so it’s a bit of a torture for him to see the two of them together.

While this manga is undoubtedly “Yuri” in the sense that Yuri is mentioned a lot, there is surprisingly little Yuri in it. Morishtia’s feelings are real, but aside from hand-holding and an arm around a shoulder, Kawaguchi is not exactly returning the emotion. In fact, the one or two times Morishita attempts to close the distance between them, Kawaguchi brushes her off. By the end, she’s pretty certain that she’s using the other woman, and won’t even tell her what she’s doing, which builds a wall between them.

In discussing this with Erin S. on #[email protected] we agreed that the biggest question for us in regards to liking this story is – will Kawaguchi just keep using Morishita or will she come to like her back, honestly. Or at least be honest with her.

If the relationship between Kawaguchi and Morishita stays the same, this series could become quite wearing. If one way or another Kawaguchi is honest with the other girl, then there’s some actual potential for the story.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 5
Service – 1

Overall – 7

Outside this rather major issue of honesty, the series is otherwise a non-stressful, silly, mostly realistic and not an unpleasant read. Another almost really Yuri story from Ryuu Comics. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Zombie-Loan, Volume 2 (English)

April 30th, 2009

As the curtain rises on Zombie Loan, Volume 2, Michiru has had to face the worst crisis of her life – a life already filled with far too many crises. Left alone by the death of her parents, she is being raised by her Aunt and Uncle who, she is sure, love her more for her enormous inheritance than herself. At school she is a doormat and is walked over by even those she considers friends. Life is bleak enough that she considers dying….until she actually does.

Michiru encounters two strange, unpleasant, but somehow admirable young men and slowly, she is introduced to a world in which zombies walk. Unfortunately, it is our world. Her ability to see the markings that indicate that a person is a zombie makes her – for the first time in her life – an important person. And in that small thing, she finds meaning. When she is killed, Michiru signs a “zombie loan” contract and is ressurected, to work off her debt by identifying zombies.

On the good side, Michiru gains some strength and purpose to a previously mopey life. On the bad side, chapter after chapter is filled with OMG, WACKY, CRAZY THINGS AND VIOLENCE! to the point where I was like, enough already.

Case in point. In the last chapter, Michiru and Koyomi are sent to go buy furniture. First, Koyomi spends the money on clothes for them, then OMG, WACKY, CRAZY THINGS AND VIOLENCE breaks out and in the end, the furniture is not bought.

This kind of thing is basically every chapter. Eat lunch? No, because OMG, WACKY, CRAZY THINGS AND VIOLENCE will make sure that Michiru does not get to eat lunch. Or clean her room, or…anything. Nothing normal will ever happen because of the wall of crazy-wacky-violent that springs up like an invisible fence everytime Michiru turns around.

There is Yuri. As in the anime, Michiru’s dormmate Koyomi has within her another personality, Yomi. Yomi’s ability to call forth the sounds of supernatural beings is also unique and valuable, so despite the disinterest in Koyomi, she’s kept around as a container. Yomi is also sexually attracted to Michiru – or so she says as an excuse for some light sexual harrassment. But, you know, by the end of the volume I kinda think she actually does like Michiru.

Nothing will come of it, of course. It’s service and no more. But with OMG, WACKY, CRAZY THINGS AND VIOLENCE happening every 30 seconds the occasional warm embrace isn’t a bad thing for Michiru or for us.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7 (I’m hoping this goes up as an actual story develops)
Characters – 7 (which is up one from the first volume)
Yuri – 6
Service – 4

Overall – 7, with potential.

I didn’t hate Zombie Loan by any stretch but if you, like me, need a respite and a balm at the end of this volume, let me recommend Walking Man by Taniguchi Jiro. An adult manga for adults, about a man who takes walks. That’s it. Nothing else. It was wonderful. My deepest appreciation and thanks to Deb Aoki who sent me a copy so that I could also become a convert and proselytize this book.





Yuri Manga: Octave, Volume 2

April 23rd, 2009

In Volume 2 of Octave (オクターヴ) Yukino continues to deal with the hole in her life left by the absence of everything she thinks she wants. In doing so, she really pissed me off. ^_^;

On the one hand, Yukino is an ex-pop idol, studying to be a manager, living a life that is a poor reflection of what she strived for. She longs for adulation, for recognition, for hordes of fans to tell her how wonderful she is so she can see herself in the reflection of their adoration.

On the other hand, she is a hard-working young woman, trying to build a career for herself, living on her own in the big city, with an older lover and a decent life.

Unfortunately for Yukino the former weighs much more heavily on her than the latter. And her expectations of herself and her life weigh even more heavily. Her weaknesses far outweigh her strengths in her own mind.

In this volume, Yukino visits her hometown, bringing Setsuko along, but is not strong enough to acknowledge her. She meets her old friend, who is getting a second chance as an idol, but her envy makes her vulerable. Above all, her desperate need for recognition and “normality” (as she defines it) leads Yukino to do something that will stick in the craw of every reader who likes Setsuko.

This volume was a little rough on me. I wanted to like Yukino, to sympathize with her, to support her. But…I couldn’t. By the end of the book I was ready to slap her and then she does something that really pissed me off. The thing she does doesn’t bother me at all – it was *why* she does it that gagged me. There is nothing I respect less than people who only feel validated when it comes from an external source.

Whether Octave has a Yuri ending – or even any kind of happy ending – is of no concern to me. Right now, I really don’t care much what happens to Yukino. I’m more concerned about Setsuko, because she seems like a pretty decent person and I don’t want her to be hurt by Yukino’s selfishness.

Ratings:

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

Overall – 8

Because of my strong feelings against Yukino and for Setsuko I have to admit that this is a good book. It’s got me giving a crap what happens.





Yuri Manga: Sasamekikoto, Volume 4 (ささめきこと)

April 13th, 2009

Sasamekikoto (ささめきこと) Volume 4 is the story of a misunderstanding. In fact, it is the anatomy of a misunderstanding, built up from the bare bones of misapprehension, attached by ligaments and tendons of high-school drama, and filled in with the muscle of self-doubt, covered in the thin skin of self-awareness.

(I’m not sure if the above paragraph is accurate, but it is impressively disgusting, isn’t it? ^_^)

The days immediately following Ushio’s and Sumi’s confrontation in Volume 3 are awkward and increasingly painful for both of them. We learn that Ushio was seen to have kissed Sumi, but she vehemently denies this, claiming that Sumi is – obviously – a “normal” girl, as opposed to her own publicly, repeatedly, stated perversion.

Sumi is, of course, not “normal” at all, but beset by fear and indecision, she makes no attempt to breach the gap between her, Ushio and their true feelings for each other.

The book them takes a look back once again, continuing the story of Ushio’s arrival in middle school and the fallout after her proclamation that she likes cute girls. It comes as no surprise that the girls around her mock her, call her “Lez-ko” and are generally unkind. Sumi makes an awesome Prince, standing by Ushio, befriending her and eventually making it possible for Ushio to become part of the crowd once again.

It is on a class ski trip that Sumi is suddenly faced with the disturbing fact that her feelings for Ushio are not merely friendship.

Back in “real” time, Ushio and Sumi are >this< close to saying something, to touching, to breaking through the wall, but when the book comes to an end, nothing has been said or done. The volume begins more lightly, with a side story about the president of the Joshibu, Tomoe, who turns out to be from an extremely wealthy family. Her lover, Miyako, is seen as an affront to the family dignity as much because she is the daughter of the chauffeur as because they are both girls. But Tomoe doesn’t care – she lives openly and happily – the complete opposite to the veil of lies that have trapped both Ushio and Sumi. Volume 4 is more serious than the previous three, but that is not a bad thing. The overall impression I had is that we’re now allowed to take Ushio and Sumi a little more seriously, and the accept that this is not “just a phase” or a whim or a crush.

Ratings:

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

Overall – 8

Will it turn out okay in the end? I don’t know, but I feel a few more plot complications coming on before we find out.





Yuri Manga: Akatsuki-iro no Senpuku Majyo, Volume 2

April 9th, 2009

Akatsuki-iro no Senpuku Majyo Volume 2 (暁色の潜伏魔女）is translated as “The concealment witch of color at daybreak II” which is a good argument for Japanese publishers not trying to do their own translation. ^_^

In Volume 1, we met Akira, a girl with the magic of electricity, who was burdened by a curse and is really looking for her sister at Tenshi Gakuen. She’s befriended by several of the other students, including Tokiko, and at the end of the volume she meets Yoru-sempai, her sister.

Volume 2 starts off with a glimpse at Tokiko’s true love, Shouya, who is in love with Yoru, who is in love with Akira, who is in love with a memory. Tokiko is desired by Tomo and Akira is the objet d’crush for Robert. It’s not so much raging hormones and love as raging crushiness and sincere “like.” Aside from the magic, it reminds me pretty thoroughly of high school, in fact.

This particular love polygon involves the characters in an extended-family of a sort, since they each want to support the person they like and are usually friends with each other. So when Akira is punished by a teacher for circumstances beyond her control from the first volume, they all pitch in to help.

Yoru creates a magic pill (magic medicine is her specialty) which she ends up taking, focusing her interest on Shouya who has a thing for her. but it turns out that she actually intended it for Akira, hoping to “become more friendly.” Akira rejects that, but is glad enough to be plenty friendly with Yoru as it is.

We follow Robert’s struggle with his magic power – the ability to make things move – that has severely lessened since he was young, and when Akira is struck with a cold, everyone moves heaven and earth to try and make her well.

Tokiko’s interest in Shouya brings Tomo up against a wall as she sees into Tokiko’s heart while trying to be kind to her. She’s not giving up, but she knows there’s really no chance for her.

And in a radical turn of events, a second girl trapped in an iron suit appears. Only this girl, Mimosa, brings with her an evil and unkind magic that possesses Akira and makes her do bad things. The book comes to an end as Akira faces the fact that it may have been a terrible mistake to let Mimosa out of her iron suit.

Yuri this volume is one-sided, a bit annoying, but constant. Tomo’s crush on Tokiko will remain unrequited, but it’s real. Yoru’s interest in Akira includes wanting to turn her into a love slave, so I think we can say it goes beyond sisterly feelings and there’s a random breast grope when Akira is possessed by Mimosa’s evil snake spirit.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Characters – 7
Story – 7
Yuri – 3
Service – 2

Overall – 7

As you know, I am not a Hakamada Mera fan, but as far as this particular artist goes, I think this way well be my favorite book and definitely my favorite series so far. It’s not great drama or hysterical comedy. It retreads extremely well-worn paths, but it’s quite nice actually, and comfortable, like a well-worn shoe…with magical shoelaces.