Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Pure Marionation, Volume 2

March 30th, 2005

All’s well that ends well, in Pure Marionation, another too-cute-for-words Yuri from the folks at Dengeki/Mediaworks.

Back in December 2004 I wrote a review of the first volume, which was fairly lukewarm. This is certainly a Yuri story – with a happy ending and everything, and after reading it, I can now definitely suggest it to those who like the “cute and sweet” kind of Yuri.

If you remember, Pure Marionation is the story of Anon, a “marionette” or android cute girl. Ostensibly, she is enrolled in Waffle High (no, seriously, that’s the name) to test out her AI, codenamed ALIS. Immediately, Anon’s secret is discovered by classmate Miamo, who is sworn to secrecy and determines to protect Anon from…I’m not sure what.

Anon meets and befriends Aina, and the story, what there is of it, begins. The entire second volume is given over to their growing love for one another. The crises they face are small, and seem to involved an inordinate amount of undressing. But mostly, it’s all about Aina becoming more and more aware that she doesn’t just love Anon as a friend, but wants to do things with her which one doesn’t do with other girls.

I’m going to make two small comments before I get to the good part. One: the setup with Anon’s ALIS being tested sort of fall apart when it turns out that there are like a gazillion marionettes already at Waffle HS. So…what are we “testing” if the system already works so well that we’ve got half a dozen of these things walking around without being discovered? And the introduction of an even *cuter* next generation ALIS to be Anon’s little sister did not make me happy. It was Usagi and Chibi-Usa all over again. The new marionette falls for, of course Aina, and a war of affection ensues, which was at least resolved quickly.

My second comment…so often, when guys tell me that a story is a “cute” Yuri story I see a lolicon story…and I wonder why they don’t see that. It worries me, it really does. These characters are 15-16, but they are drawn to look way younger and it just really, honestly creeps me out. I think that 15-16 is way too freakin’ young as it is. Give me 25 and I’ll be a happy person.

Second and a half complaint, erm, comment – Dengeki also does quite a bit of “not quite real Yuri” with girls who are not human or not really girls. Yes, its still Yuri, because the character who falls in love with the protagonist is still in love with a girl…but for some bizarro reason, probably because I’m a lesbian, I’d really much rather see two girls (preferably women, thank you) who are both actual girls (or women) fall in love with each other. I appear to be in a minority in the manga world. Maybe real women just aren’t cute enough.

Okay, all that having been whined, Pure Marionation DOES have a really romantic and happy ending! :-)

Anon comes to realize that she is really in love with Aina. She decides to confess to Aina that she is a marionette and, that she is in love with her. At which point Aina pulls away from the object of her desire completely. The school festival is coming up – Aina is on the organizing committee, which affords her a gazillion excuses to avoid Anon. Anon’s little marionette heart breaks and she chalks it up to the heartbreak of first love, but she’s one unhappy little AI.

Meanwhile, every single other girl in the school is rooting for Anon and Aina to get together, which is kinda nice. They seem to be planning something, but have the good graces to not be obvious.

The school festival finally arrives – the highlight of the which is going to be a fashion show of wedding dresses (can you see where this is going?) and Anon and Aina are both supposed to be in the show.

Anon is all kitted out, but Aina is nowhere to be found. JUST as Anon is supposed to go out, Aina comes in late, is shoved into a tux(!) just in time to walk out on Anon’s arm.

From out of nowhere a girl dressed like a nun shows up and performs a marriage ceremony and tells the two to kiss…which they do. The entire school bursts into “Waaaah” and applause for them.

Okay, despite my earlier complaints, this was a *really* cute ending.

The epilogue tapers away in a small bout of painfully happy embarrassment and the promise of a future together.

So, yes this is Yuri – Aina is human and she definitely falls in love with a person she thinks is a girl – and she physically desires her, so there is no question about the nature of their love. And Anon is a female marionette, so it’s not like she was a guy or partly a guy or anything, even if she isn’t really human.

If either loli-ish, moe art or the not-entirely-human-girl thing bothers you, then this is probably not your cup of tea (and I would recommend avoiding Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl and most other current Dengeki Yuri, as well.)

I did enjoy Pure Marionation, but it doesn’t stop me from wishing that Dengeki went back to the old Battle Athletes model of high-school love, with girls who look older, rather than younger, than their ages.

Ratings:

Art – 7 well done, just not to my taste
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Service – 9
Yuri – 10

Overall – 8, but your mileage may vary.





Yuri Manga: Passion Fruit, Vol. 1: Sweat and Honey

March 28th, 2005

From the only publisher who has really attempted to market Josei manga, Tokyopop, comes the first volume of an intriguing collection, Passion Fruit: Sweat and Honey. I say “intriguing” because while it had some definite merit, and I’m glad I read it, I’m not entirely sure I *enjoyed* it.

Special thanks to faithful reader and beloved sycophant Sean Gaffney for pointing me in the direction of this volume. ^_^

Folks who read Cookie magazine will be familiar with the artist of this particular anthology, and you’ll see the familiar style of Okazaki Mari, who was also a contributor to Yuri Shimai magazine. Clearly a “friend of Yuri’s.”

(Wouldn’t that be a fun new code to use? Everyone knows the old “friend of Dorothy”. right? Yuri fans could say that we’re “friends of Yuriko”. LOL)

This collection had several stories that included some Yuri-ish interaction, but none of the stories end with the girl getting the girl…in fact, in most cases that was a relief. As with most short story anthologies, the characters were rather more dysfunctional than usual and the endings tended towards pat. But that’s a fault with short stories in general and shouldn’t put you off this particular collection.

The first story, “After Sex A Boy’s Sweat Smells Like Honey,” is an ambiguous tale of two female cousins. One of them is initially repulsed by the other’s fragility, but in comparison to the men she is seeing, comes to find her more and more appealing.

“About Kusako” was, to me, a very disturbing story. Moeko finds a girl growing out of the ground, like grass, as she walks her dog. (Hence the name, “Kusako,” which would mean “grass girl”.) Kusako is incapable of moving, so Moeko waters her and shields her from the hot sun and generally grows fond of Kusako. Moeko returns to the field after a prolonged period of time to find Kusako withered and dying, but small Kusakos everywhere. If this kind of stuff lived in my head, I’d be creeped out.

“Sister” was my favorite story. A young woman’s older neighbor passes out nearly every night on her doorstep. Out of duty and kindness, she drags the woman in and tucks her into bed. Eventually, she confronts the neighbor about her miserable life, only to learn that she knows *nothing* about her…except that she loves this “old hag”. I won’t give away the ending, because I really liked it. :-) No, it isn’t Yuri, but it was pretty great.

“The Land Where Rain Starts To fall” has a *very* similar feel to the “Shibuya” series Okazaki-sensei wrote for Cookie. It’s a vignette of an apparently dysfunctional couple – Kaya, who refuses to come to school and Kumi, who seems appallingly low self-esteemy-y. They engage in some sexual play, ostensibly to seduce or annoy Kaya’s older brother. The vibe off of Kaya is heavily incestuous, Kumi seems more like a plaything. But she’s actually completely aware of Kaya’s machinations, and goes along with them willingly. In the end, the girl does not get the girl, but this series has, perhaps, the happiest ending in the volume.

The last story was written by Hiratsuka Mari, and is a bittersweet nostalgic look at boys in school and their too-sexy-for-her-own-good teacher. It was cute and fluffy.

I’m still not sure I’m comfortable with her art or her storytelling. The art is too loose for me to find appealing, while the stories are too tense…but those are the very qualities that make her stories, even the short ones, work.

Ratings would be variable, so let’s call it an overall 7.

No, it isn’t the 100% yuri we all long for, nor is it happy, really, but I definitely think Passion Fruit Volume 1 is definitely worth getting. Support Josei manga, support Yuri themes in Tokyopop manga and cough up a few bucks for Sweat and Honey.





Yuri Manga: Utahime Fight

March 23rd, 2005

Obscure Yuri Manga
Part 3

One more really obscure Yuri manga you’ve never seen or heard of before. ^_^

Utahime Fight is a collection of short stories drawn and written by Kakunouchi Narumi, creator of Vampire Princess Miyu and Juline (and many, many others…). Her oeuvre is shoujo manga fantasy and martial arts, frequently at the same time.

Utahime Fight includes three stories, all of which are about magical, mysteriously attractive girls and they effect they have on the people around them. In the first story, a girl and her two friends (one male, one female) are really magical fighters for something – probably love and justice. The third story is about a magical creature that enchants a young man and brings love into his life.

But the story that concerns us is the second in the collection, entitled “Keep Trust.” It’s a fairly trite set-up, standoffish cool girl rebuffs cute passionate girl’s overtures of friendship at school. They find themselves locked in the library one night and poof! they find themselves in the plot of a movie, in which a prince strives to save his mother and his land. (The movie had been the topic of much discussion at school, and the heroine, whose name escapes me at the moment, is totally agog over the idol who stars as the prince.)

Our cute, blonde “warm” heroine becomes the Prince’s confidant and encourages him to persevere, while the “cool” brunette falls in love with her from a distance. To make matters worse, as they say, warm girl likes to touch cool girl, snuggle with her in bed and, worst of all, cry in her arms. Cool girl is quietly dying inside the entire time until something happens to threaten their lives, and she admits, finally, that she loves warm girl.

At which they wake up in the library in school. They have a final scene in which they admit that they love each other and story ends.

Not groundbreaking, but quietly sweet. Drawn in Kakunouchi’s usual sweeping, loose-lined art, it’s a little hard to follow any action, but that’s her signature style and it doesn’t bother me.

Ratings:

Art -8
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 7

Overall – 7

For yet another random find in a used manga store, this little collection was quite enjoyable.





Yuri Manga: Onegai Suzune-chan

March 22nd, 2005

Obscure Yuri Manga
Part 2

This time, blowing the dust off the cover was totally worth it. Onegai Suzune-chan is the kind of dire crap that I really enjoy.

Not to be confused with Onegai Teacher/Twins/Friends, and brought to you by Wani Comics, the same folks who also ran Ikkitousen, you can expect a ton of fanservice and sex, with a soupcon of plot thrown in for good measure.

Amagi Suzune is the 23rd Onmyouji of the Misora Shrine, the scion of a long line of court wizards, if you will. Her ardent, and often horny, girlfriend Karen and she make love just about every freaking place they can.

That’s the plot, so don’t expect much else.

Oh, there’s some demons and spirits and the like, and some of them have sex with Karen and/or Suzune too, but mostly this manga is a gigantic fanservice-y lesbo lovefest. I quite like it, if only because Suzune and Karen absolutely totally love each other to pieces. There’s no assumption that the lesbian sex is the appetizer for either of them – they are totally, 100% a couple.

There’s another lesbian in school, who is a bit over-the-top with her “I like to have sex with girls” attitude, but I’m probably just jealous that she’s so open and annoying at so young an age. She and her girlfriend, and (Karen and two straight female friends) are bewitched by a horny old shrine spirit into having a lesbian pileup, but Suzune beats the crap out of the spirit and everyone has a good laugh and moves on.

Even the inevitable hermaphrodite chapter is fun. A sakura tree/sex spirit that had been previously captured by Suzune makes a deal with Karen – she gets a male appendage for the evening, he gets to go home to his tree. It was a really sweet moment, even if it was utter filth. ^_^

As you can see, literature this ain’t. But for an utterly meritless trashy roll-in-the-hay manga, it’s brilliant. One more reason why trawling used manga stores is, indeed, worth the time and effort. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – Ha. Ha.
Characters – 8
Yuri – 10

Overall- 9

An excellent piece of crap. Yay!





Yuri Manga: Vaelber Saga

March 21st, 2005

When I say I have *a lot* of Yuri manga, I mean, I have so much, I’ve forgotten half of what I own. So this weekend I was crawling through some of the older, obscurer of my collection and thought I’d write a few reviews, because how else will you learn about these gems…and the not-so-gem-like, too.

Cleaning Out The Obscure Yuri Manga Closet
Part 1

Today, we’ll start with Vaelber Saga, a story that I believe richly derserves its obscurity. I have volumes 1 and 2 and have never been motivated to get 3. If anything good happens in 3, someone tell me and I’ll go get it. ^_^

The world of Vaelber Saga is an over-drawn monster-infested post-apocalyptic Earth. The action is full of movement and violence that one can barely make out past all the heavy black ink lines…I’m sure you know the sort.

Our heroine Jum has a talking cat/fox kind of animal, really long hair and a mission that has something to do with the “Vaelber,” the nature of which I never really figured out. She wears an outfit that I can only describe as “a really dumb choice for an post-apocalyptic world” and swings an overlong sword without cutting her overlong hair.

Can you tell I love this story?

Jum discovers and, after a really prolonged battle with one of those monster guys that never dies no matter how many body parts you remove, she saves our damsel-in-distress, Mina. Their eyes lock and their hearts pound, and…yeah, so that’s about it for them. Later, Jum watches Mina bathe, contemplating why her heart is beating so loudly and, after saving Mina from one of those monster guys that never dies no matter how many body parts you remove, they find themselves naked and well within touching distance. The look into each others’ eyes and move closer and then pull away, beet red and as horny as hell. But of course, nothing happens.

Thank GOD for the reigning Evil Queen-type character, Maria. At least she just goes ahead and sleeps with her chief henchchick, Freya. I quite like both of them – too bad they will be defeated. Why is that? Maria looks completely competent to rule this dismal little planet…and we’re supposed to be happy that Jum will eventually defeat her and replace her with a blushing, simpering child? Ugh. No thanks, count me in on the side of the baddies here, kids. For one thing – they have much nicer clothes.

There’s also a questionably uber-butch character, Giselle, who is a friend of Jum’s from waaaay back who will invariably betray her. If only it leads to her finding solace in Mina’s arms, it might be worth it. Wanna take bets?

So, yeah, this series has genuine Yuri, of two kinds – the “why do I feel this way around you?” kind and the “get over here wench” kind. And yet, it’s a boring, boring manga.

If you like post-apocalyptic demonfests with unrealistically drawn swords and a strong D&D feel, you might like Vaelber Saga more than I do. Or not. Whatever.