Otsu Hiyori is a darn good storyteller. Not many mangaka are. If they can draw, they often can’t write. Vice versa applies, as well. And even if you have an awesome team of artist/writer, if the magazine’s editing staff has specific, overwhelming requirements, or they aren’t good at their job or any number of other things, the end result can, to coin a phrase…suck.

Not so with Otsu Hiyori, whose deft, light-handed touch makes for individual stories that read pleasantly and, when collected, turn into a little slice of wow. One such slice is Clover. It is a collection of stories that ran in Comic Yuri Hime and one fabulous omake chapter that makes it all the more ‘wow’-er.

Let us begin at the beginning. I *completely* missed that the stories that make up Clover were about 4 sisters. Sure, they all had the same family name, but I never noticed their family name in the first place. And the stories are told in non-chronological fashion – and the magazine comes out 3 months apart, so pardon me for not noticing, okay?!? ^_^

So, the Tachibana family has four sisters, each of whom have had at least one relationship that involves falling for another woman, or having one fall for them. They are all very cool about it; it’s not screaming, knife-wielding drama for this family (nor for any of Otsu’s characters ever, really.) And for most of the sisters it was but a fleeting moment in time. Except for one.

In “Bitter Girl,” Midori finds herself at rope’s end working at a cake shop during the holiday season with no help. She asks the girl who drops by all the time to help out and so, Sugiura starts to work with her. As they work together, they talk about themselves and ultimately, Sugiura and Midori start going out. Midori’s not entirely sure about this, because she thinks she’s doing it as a lark, but when a boy asks her out, and Sugiura breaks up with her to free her up, Midori realizes that she’s fallen for Sugiura! She runs after the other girl, only to catch up to her and find that despite the cheerful face she had on when she said goodbye, Sugiura is crying. Midori and she are honest with one another at last. The story had a nice extended epilogue in which we learned that Sugiura really don’t like cake at all – she liked the girl at the cake shop. ^_^

The collected volume Clover also has an extended epilogue omake that finds Sugiura and Midori still together 3 years later. Sugiura is in law school and always busy; Midori is home, feeling a bit resentful of playing the role of the wife. She feels as if she’s being taken for granted and is starting to rethink this relationship. When she confronts Sugiura, the other woman falls apart instantly, as she did all those years ago. Midori realizes that she was misinterprating Seiko’s feelings completely, and the two of them patch it up instantly. On the final page, we see Sugiura, now a successful lawyer (we can tell because of the suit,) being seen off by Midori – and so we can assume happily ever after.

I just loved this collection. Otsu’s stories rarely feel typical, even when they are playing in safe waters. There’s always a feeling of self-awareness about the characters, as if they are looking at themselves and seeing some of their situation from outside themselves. Otsu’s style fits the atypical stories – the ones set outside of high school – best, because her characters are so often mature and laid-back.

Ratings:

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

Overall – 8

A great book, one that will fly under most people’s radar because there are no mecha, no sex, no over-the-top melodrama. I know Seven Seas can’t bring over the more explicit Yuri Hime books and if they bring this out it probably won’t sell well because “nothing happens.” But this is a *fabulous* example of Yuri that does not suck and I hope that they can bring it over here and you can all prove me wrong by making it a best-seller. ^_^

We pick up Comic Yuri Hime, Volume 14 right after the shiny color pages with “Utsotsuki Engage,” the final chapter of Kazuma Kowo’s series about student Nanao and her affair with the school doctor, Matsumoto. Nanao runs into Hanada the gym teacher after the confrontation last chapter. Hanada sees that Nanao’s crying, and takes her out back for a talk. After a heart to heart, Nanao heads off the see Matsumoto, who was supposed to be going out to an omiai. Matsumoto blows her off by phone, telling her to go study, but Nanao doesn’t listen and find Matsumoto in the school infirmary. Matsumoto has been wearing a band-aid on her ring finger since she took off her engagement ring. Nanao peels it off, half expecting to find a ring hidden underneath, but no – the finger is empty. They argue again, Matsumoto insisting that she has no right to stand in the way of Nanao’s future, and Nanao even more forcefully arguing that she wants Matsumoto to be part of her future. Nanao asks Matsumoto to marry her and they both finally admit they love each other. Epilogue: with Nanao running into the infirmary for a kiss, but she’s brought up short by the fact that an underclassman is standing there. He asks if she’s got a lover, as the rumors say – she says yes, while looking right at Matsumoto. Matsumoto tells the kid to make himself useful by doing something over there…Nanao gets her kiss. The final page gives us both Matsumoto and Nanao in wedding dresses, with a wedding promise. This was a dark horse series for me. I kept forgetting it was a series, but enjoying it despite that. I’m looking forward to the collected volume that’s coming out in January so I can sit down and read it in one go. ^_^

I’m sorry folks. I can’t stand “Sweet Peach.” I’m sure it’s all very dramatic and all, but this short chapter appears to be a monologue by the pointy-eared warrior and some reason or other for her to kiss the lead. It’s all so…meh.

The Nekodoume mansion is a place where broken hearts are mended and happily ever afters are arranged. Whether we want them or not. Setsu has always loved Akira, despite the fact that Akira has always treated her like crap. When Setsu pushes the issue, Akira responds by sexually molesting Setsu. And yet, Setsu wants to be reunited with Akira. There’s just no helping stupid, is there? The end up together. Lovely. -_-;

Hey, I actually read a chapter of “Apple Day Dream”! Do you know Kaoru likes large breasts? Kaoru attends a get-together with some old school friends and we learn that she really hasn’t changed much…but there was at least one 4-koma that actually made me laugh for a sec and at the end of it all Kaoru finally calls Mayu and finally tells her she likes her. A total win for this one-trick pony.

I see that Hanatsu Yaya has taken over for Takahashi Mako in the “creepy children” portion of Yuri Hime. In “.trae H,” we meet a creepy kid who lives with her grandfather and has no friends. Yukishiro-san doesn’t get people, and people don’t get her. But popular Ayumu aggressively befriends her anyway, much to her classmates’ disgust. Ayumu doesn’t care – she likes Yukishiro. Yukishiro’s brain cannot compute and after pages of angsting, she lightens up enough to say “Thank you” as she realizes that she’s come to like-like Ayumu in a classic “Story A” fashion.

Shiny color ad pages point out the live-action movie Brulee and the kiss they show looks as un-romantic as I expected. ^_^

“Story A” rears its moe head once again in “Zero Cherubim no Sumire.” Tsukasa and Takashi have nothing in common, and clash about lots of things, but hey, Tsukasa likes her. “A true love has begun,” we are assured after some typical school drama.

And again, as Hiyori Otsu offers another “Story A.” …Kanako falls with Satome, who sits next to her. She takes some liberties when she learns that Satome likes her back.

Natsuneko ups the energy and takes us away from school as always with “Quilt Queen,” the almost Mist magazine-like story in which Daria and Sakura share a dream of becoming top model and designer together. But where Sakura is doing okay, Daria has leapt to the top of the model scene. Daria’s manager asks Sakura to step away and let Daria rise, alone, and tearfully she does. But Daria wears one of Sakura’s designs at a major show, and the two are reunited and live happily – and successfully – ever after. I love Natsuneko’s work – not just for the fact that it’s rarely a typical “Story A” but also because they all have really high energy, and the art isn’t typical at all. Another artist whose collection I look forward to.

Morishima Akiko provides us a side-story from her recent Hanjuku Joshi collection. Chitose’s older sister Chie is a reasonably popular BL doujinshi writer. But, she’s tired of BL. She wants to work on something new and decides, after about a seconds though to look into Yuri. At which point, Chitose offers her a ticket to her school festival. Bing-bing – we got a winnah! Chie is thrilled to be able to learn a bit about this garden of maidens. Almost immediately, she runs into a real-life tsundere, Yuria, with whom she tours the festival. It turns out that Yuria is a HUGE fan of Chie’s work, and recognizes her from a recent event. Chie stops looking at Yuria as a type and starts to see her as a person, and wonders if moe can become “love.”

Both of the last stories in this volume “Nekoroma” and “Nanami to Misuzu” have girls with animal ears.

Overall, a more than decent volume. We’ll get to do all of this all over again in January, when the *next* Yuri Hime magazine comes out!  ^_^

Comic Yuri Hime, Volume 14 starts right off with “Creo, the Crimson Crisis.” Color pages, adverts for things like the Yuri Hime calendar, Soulphage and YH collections are followed by a chapter in which Suoh remains a wet rag and her sister’s illness appears to be an advanced form of Vampirism. Important things are afoot, so Suoh is packed off to a friend’s house, where friend’s creepily friendly mother is much too nice to be trusted. Meanwhile, In Creo’s homeworld, another powerful pointy-eared warrior woman decides to become a plot complication.

New series “Girls’ Life” begins with some generic school bullying, but the victim has no intention of rolling over for the mean girls. She continues to apprach Otsu-sempai, even though the evil henchchicks disapprove. Otsu, one of the four protagonists, seems to barely notice anyone’s existance outside her own group, which includes her favorite lap pillow, Nao. When the victim du jour tells off the evil leader, Otsu, Nao and their friends are watching. Otsu offers encouragement, in a lopsidely funny way, the jealous, mean girl goes off in tears and the uncrushed victim heads off, stronger for it all. But the mean chick is determined to continue to love Otsu-sempai and runs off with ideas of shortening her skirt and not learning any lessons from her ordeal. I’m sure we’ll meet the rest of the “Girls’ Life” gang in the next chapters.

Tsukiko-chan is in love with You-chan. Another girl has noticed, but she’s in love with Tsukiko. They end up in bed together, but Tsukiko’s heart is with You-chan. The other girl offers to be a stand-in in this Hakamada Mera story, “Kono Onegai ga Kanau nara” (If this wish were fulfilled.)

And finally, we reach the end of the beloved “Strawberry Shake Sweet.” It begins a year after Ran has disappeared. Julia is almost 18, she’s cut her hair short and she continues to be a successful talent. But she has never once let go of the idea of finding Ran (to Saeki’s eternal irritation. lol) Julia tracks down Ran’s Mom, the Yuriko-lookalike whose phone call was the source of Ran’s dissapearance. Turns out she’s a famous model/actress and she did NOT want Ran in that crazy life, so she’s sent her daughter off to live with her father in the US. Julia pleads with Ran’s mother to “give Ran back!’ going so far as to say that she couldn’t care less if Ran never acted or modelled again – she wants her back in her life. Ran’s mother blows her off. But, one day she learns that Ran is back in Japan and runs off to see her. When she does, Julia threatens to kill her if she doesn’t touch her right NOW. The manga comes to an end with the two of them embracing, and a pithy little comment from Zlay’s ever-present lead singer. I’ve heard some people say that they were dissapointed by this chapter. I thought it was quite good, myself. And to be honest, I anticpate a goofy second epilogue from the collection. This is good love-comedy, with a happily-ever-after and lots of face faults. ^_^

Fujieda Miyabi’s “Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan” follows Haru and Hinoka, as they leave Sarasa and Seriho behind for their intimate chat. They talk about Sarasa’s feelings for Seriho, which prompts Hinoka to ask flat out what Haru thinks of her. Haru says she doesn’t have that kind of interest, but looks mightily put out when Hinoka says that Haru’s not her type – and then gets annoyed that she felt that way. lol

In “Yuri-Yugi” by Chi-Ran, rumor has it that the new transfer student Kotone (who came from a girls school) is weird. The protagonist watches as one of the beautiful guys in school hits on Kotone and is rebuffed. When he and the girls around him accuse her of being a “rezu” she replies by saying yes, she is a lesbian and how dare they be such utter jerks, presuming that they can just have their way with people because they think they can do anything. After telling them off, Kotone takes her leave and the protagonist follows, ultimately taking hold of Kotone’s wrist to stop her from walking away. Timdly she asks if it was all true. It was, Kotone says and yes, she has a lover, she responds when asked. The protagonist can’t figure out why her heart is pounding or why she followed Kotone, but the other girl tells her why – because she has those kinds of feelings too, doesn’t she? In any case, they can becomes friends. And thus the protagonist’s life is changed.

Which brings us to the climactic chapter of “Tokimeki Mononoke Gakuen,” in which Arare has to choose whether her desire for Kiri or her desire to remain human is more important. Arare says that she doesn’t care at all about being a human, or going home ever again, she wants Kiri, dammit. But when they touch each other and it starts to get heavy, Arare tearfully pushes Kiri away and runs off. Kiri says that she probably went too far, apologizing to the absent Arare as it begins to rain….

That takes us the second set of color pages, which give blurbs of anime popular with the Yuri crowd and to about the halfway mark! We’ll stop here, and finish it up tomorrow. ^_^