Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Akuyaku Reijou ga Sei Heroine o Kudokiotosu Hanashi. (悪役令嬢が正ヒロインを口説き落とす話。)

March 23rd, 2023

Akuyaku Reijou ga Sei Heroine o Kudokiotosu Hanashi. (悪役令嬢が正ヒロインを口説き落とす話。) is a mostly goofy series of manga gags, until it turns quite serious. Then it’s still quite goofy, except it’s also kind of icky.  Then it ends and it’s still quite goofy.  This is a series populated by a series of puns, running around being their name. ^_^

Akuya Kurei-jou (a pun on Akuyaku Reijou, i.e., “Villainess,”) is the sister of the Prince who begins the story by stealing her ex-fiance’s fiancee, Sei Hi Roine, (Sei Heroine, Saintly Heroine). For a villainess, Akuya is loving, and quite committed to doing right by the woman she loves. The “jokes” are primarily her acting evilish, then giving her besotted heroine love the love she deserves.

The prince’s name is also a pun, Sanpunkan, which I’m fairly convinced is “Mr. 3 Minutes.” and Akuya’s ever despairing Maid’s name is Yabba Kisuna Kasa, which I can’t get a handle on but is undoubtedly something bitchy about Akuya caught kissing again.

I was hoping that this would be a little more fully formed than a series of short gags, but it definitely made for another perspective on the lesbian villainess trend.

Ratings:

Art – 7 Sketchy, and unrefined
Story – There wasn’t one, until there was and then I wish there wasn’t again.
Characters – 7 Akuya and Sei were cute
Service – Oh yes. Of many kinds.
Yuri – 9

It didn’t hold together, but as a series of doujinshi-like shorts, it definitely had it’s moments.

The cat’s name was Nora. I don’t know if that was a pun or not.

I read this volume on Bookwalker, but it is also available in print!

 





ULTIMATE-MAMA, Volume 1

March 10th, 2023

A woman with scars across her face in a tactical bodysuit carries a high school girl in a torn school uniform, ULTIMATE MAMA in Japanese and English in pink letters across the front cover. Black letters read Story and Art by Hayashiya ShizuruOne of the minor high spots last year that wasn’t everything to do with launching a book on the history of the Yuri genre (!), was news that one of my favorite manga artists, Hayashiya Shizuru, was serializing a new manga online. ULTIMATE MAMA, Volume 1 is the print collection of that series. Please allow me to simply quote myself for the synopsis:

A bunch of content warnings on the manga for today’s review, for blood, and violence, and “comedic” BDSM and nudity and some other stuff.

Fujimori Manatasu is a very cute high school student. At 18, she already has a modeling career and is well-liked by her friends. Walking home from school one day she sees what looks like a giant black crescent moon in the sky. She is rescued from some slavering creature by a woman with abs of steel, Ultimate Fang, and her apparently small child, Meteora. The next day at school, Manatsu finds the child to be 18, and a transfer student into her class…and both Juou Ruriru, the child and Juouo Hagane, the buff mother, are now her next-door neighbors. Hagane is there because Manatsu has blood that will also give her super powers as well, if only Hagane can awaken them. Preferably by having sex, but whatever. When another equally buff woman arrives, Savage, (real name Jade Anderson) Manatsu’s mom falls, hard. Now it’s up to Hagane to awaken Manatsu’s powers and gain a partner.

In addition to the gags about Hafgane and Manatsu having sex to activate Manatsu’s powers, two high school girls are having intimate relations in the school library, and seem to be opening up the crescent gates for the creatures to come through. Who are they and…why?

This story plays out with not-explicit, but very obvious, sex, along with nudity, gags, blood, and excruciating puns. Hagane and Manatsu save the day from the big bad who was a bit of a surprise in the sense of the “half-brother who had gone to South America” kind of surprise – you know, we just weren’t told the important thing up front.  Everyone ends happily every after, and the bad jokes keep going, one presumes, long after the story ends.

The art here is very on point for me, as well as for Manatsu and her mom. Both Hagane and Savage have exceptional exterior obliques and wear a suit with class. Both the action and sex are full of gags…in fact, when she published the “climactic” (hah) chapter, Hayashiya-sensei commented something like, “I just can’t do good sex scenes.” She can, she just can’t do *serious* sex scenes. But she can’t do serious anything, so that’s fine. ^_^ Her art, though has probably never been better. I was flipping through some earlier work and wow, this art is so confident and mature.

As an added bonus, this volume contains “Friday Is The Day,” the one-shot from the second of Shueisha’s Yuritora Jump Yuri anthologies. This story pretty much convinced me that Sensei and I are separated at birth TM, as it is a short about two mixed martial artists beating their confessions into one another at a boxing gym, while an audience of an elderly man and woman cheer them on.

This volume is a delightful mix of humor, violence and Yuri, by Hayashiya-sensei, just the way I like it. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 8 Ridiculous, but fun
Character – 10 Ridiculous and fun
Service – 5 Ridiculously fun
Yuri – 10 Fun and ridiculous

Overall – 9

In addition to this, I also got Yankoi Shokudo C-teishoku (ヤン恋食堂　C定食), the third issue of Hayashiya-sensei’s yanki girls fighting, eating and falling for one another doujinshi, so I am replete with Yuri, food and fighting manga for a moment. ^_^ 





Pulse, Volume 1 and Volume 2, Guest Review by Eleanor W

March 8th, 2023

Two women lay, clasping hand, sprawled in a bed of white flowers. "Pulse" is written in large cursive letters across the cover in a cursive letters that end in a heartbeat from a cardiac monitor.Welcome to Guest Review Wednesday, where you and I both get the benefit of someone else’s voice here on Okazu! This week we welcome back Eleanor W with a look at the Seven Seas edition of Rata Satis’ Pulse. I reviewed Satis’ own release of this book in 2016! Wow, time flies. I’m looking forward to hearing what Seven Seas has done with this series, so take it away, Eleanor!

Hello again, as always, it’s nice to be back. You can find me on various parts of the Internet as @st_owly, including the Okazu Discord. This is a series that has been on my radar for a while, but I’d never quite gotten around to it until I saw the first volume in the shops. I’m grateful as always to Erica for offering me the opportunity to review it. 

2022 was the year print editions of webcomics exploded, with several publishers now offering full colour printed graphic novel editions of popular comics from online platforms such as Webtoon, Tapas and Lehzin. Most of these releases are of Korean comics, but today’s review covers a notable exception. Pulse was originally released on the Lehzin comics platform, and is by Thai artist Ratana Satis. Due to the mature content, this series is not available on the Lehzin iPhone app, you can only read it on their website.

The synopsis from Seven Seas on the back of Pulse, volume 1 is as follows:
Mel, a renowned heart surgeon, is well-known for being a stoic loner. She views her erotic flings with other women as a tool for pleasure rather than a show of affection. Then she meets Lynn, a beautiful and spirited cardiac patient who needs a new heart, but refuses a transplant. The two women meet with minimal expectations but soon become enthralled in a relationship that changes everything for them both.

This Girls’ Love comic–and first place winner of the 2nd Lezhin Comics World Comic Contest–is one of the most popular series by fan-favorite Thai creator Ratana Satis, also known for Soul Drifters and Lily Love.

Seven Seas covers are usually excellent, and these two volumes are no exception. The title is embossed on the volume covers and spines, and the heart monitor line in the logo is a nice allude to the theme of the series. The volumes themselves are printed on nice glossy paper, and the lines and ink are crisp, especially important for a full colour release. Moving on to the actual contents of the books, it’s nice to read a yuri story where one of the main characters is openly described as a lesbian. The first 2 chapters are all about Mel. Lynn, the other protagonist, isn’t actually introduced by name until chapter 3, when after a chance meeting in the hospital corridor, circumstances mean that she and Mel meet formally as doctor and patient. Lynn strong arms Mel into buying her lunch the next day, and as the book progresses they gradually start getting to know each other. Read together, volume 1 feels like an introduction, setting the stage for the actual story to start in volume 2, but I don’t see this as a bad thing.

Volume 2 begins with Lynn showing up at Mel’s apartment and announcing she’s moving in with her. U-haul lesbians are a meme for a reason, but this is fast even by lesbian standards. There’s even an obligatory yuri aquarium date later on in the volume, where it’s lovely to see them both just genuinely enjoying each other’s company and, as the book goes on, Mel realising she cares for Lynn in more than just a professional way. Hints at Mel’s romantic past are sprinkled throughout the 2 volumes, no doubt all will be revealed later on, and I’m definitely sticking around to find out. The two of them are too charming not to, and I’m rooting for them to get their happy ending. 

 

Ratings:

Art: 8. Whilst it’s not particularly unique, it’s attractive and well done and some of the facial expressions are a delight.

Story: 7. Don’t think about it too much, just enjoy it for what it is and you’ll forget how implausible the scenario actually is (does this hospital not have an ethics board?) 

Characters: 9. These two really do make the series. Lynn reminds me of a little puppy with her energy and eagerness to please, Mel is the cold hearted one who “doesn’t like dogs” and their growth, both as individuals and as a couple, over the two volumes is very endearing. Service (level of salaciousness): 10. This one is rated Mature and shrink wrapped for a reason. The erotic scenes are plentiful (2 in the first chapter alone) and there is very little left to the imagination. 

Yuri: 9. Two women who need each other more than they both realise. It’s lovely to see Mel opening her heart (no pun intended) to Lynn. 

Overall: 8. If you’re looking for something with adult characters and a decent bit of spice which isn’t just porn, you could do a lot worse than Pulse. 

Erica here: Thank you so much! Now that this is available digitally, I might pick up the next volume and see where the story leads ^_^





Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou., Volume 5 (私の推しは悪役令嬢。)

March 6th, 2023

Before we start today’s review, I want to let you know that until May my reviews are going to be less regular. I have a relentless schedule for March and April, but at the end of it, I hope I have a lot of fun stuff to share with you all.

Today, to get this new schedule off with a bang, we’re looking at Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou., Volume 5 (私の推しは悪役令嬢。) In the aftermath of the Commoner Movement and the resulting loss, Claire is depressed and Rae is desperately trying to cheer her up. But when Claire does cheer up, it is because Rae’s only real rival is arriving – Manaria, the crown princess of the neighboring country Susse. Manaria is good-looking, popular, accomplished and worst of all, she’s the only quadcaster in the world. She’s top-level at all four elements, to boot. Even worse than worst, Claire has a childhood crush on her “oneesama.” Manaria is an understandably popular character, but in the real world, she’d be insufferable. ^_^

Now it’s Rae’s turn to feel loss…and have her worldview challenged. Manaria pushes Rae to be honest about her feelings for Claire, then destroys her in a duel. But when Rae gets back up and challenges Manaria to an epic battle of vows of love, it will change everyone in the story. This is one of the most popular arcs of the original series, according to inori.-sensei. For good reason. There’s a lot of nail-bitingly good stuff here.

Art-wise, this book is phenomenal. From the tension on the spectators’ faces during Rae and Manaria’s duel to the incredible climax of the Scales of Love contest, there are whole volumes in Claire’s eyebrows. ^_^

This arc is a breather before the story takes a darker turn – a breather that is still quite intense. It’s also the first time Rae is able to meet someone in this world who admits to being queer…a remarkable thing that heralds many other remarkable occurrences in the series, as well as laying some foundations down for future arcs.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 7
Service – Manaria is a kind of service. ^_^

Overall – 9

This volume does not yet have a English-language release date, but when it does, don’t hesitate – it is wonderful. ^_^





If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die, Volume 1

February 22nd, 2023

A 7-member pop idol group, each singer in a specific color, on a white background. In the foreground, a girl with brown hair in pigtails, in salmon pink holds her hands out to us.Eri is a fan. Not just a regular fan, but a full-on fanatic. Her favorite idol is a singer with Cham Jam, a small, not-well-known idol group from Okayama, in western Japan. Eri has given her life over to support her idol, who is very cute, pathologically shy and almost always in the back row. While her fellow fans shout their support for the main three, Eri enthusiastically lets Maina know she’s got at least one fan.

The problem is, that neither Eri nor Maina can seem to communicate. Eri tries to give Maina her support, but is awkward and incompetent…and the author will complicate this in maddening ways. Maina is apparently unable to understand Eri or communicate with her in any way that makes sense, setting these two up for a frustrating relationship in which two people who appreciate each other are completely unable to express that to each other. 

This is on top of what I have to believe is a critical look about the mutually manipulative relations between idols and fans, because if it I believed it were really only cheap jokes, I would collapse in tears.

If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die, Volume 1 has come out in English and I still don’t know what to think about it. It’s well executed. If you read my reviews of the 8 volumes I’ve read so far, you’ll see me go through a whole journey and back. ^_^; 

This is what I said about this first volume in Japanese, back in 2016. “So used am I to feeling frustration born of absolute disinterest in hideously boring characters in previous Hirao Auri manga series, that reading Hirao Auri’s new manga, Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu, Volume 1（推しが武道館いってくれたら死ぬ）instilled in me a wholly new feeling – frustration because I actually care about the characters! It’s a completely different feeling, I assure you. ^_^”

I have been wearing this series like an albatross around my neck for 7 years. So, like the Ancient Mariner (wow, two classic literature references in a week, I’m on a roll!) let me warn you: This series is not light comedy. It pretends to be light comedy and we are supposed to be laughing.  I have laughed out loud once that I can think of in 8 volumes – which is *still* a better record than I had with Hirao-sensei’s previous long-running series Manga no Tsukurikata. It does get better. It’s a slow crawl, but it does get better and, funnier.

I really like the otaku group. They aren’t all one thing, but we really get to see a side of the idol/fan relationship we don’t tend to see if we’re not part of it. And the Cham Jam girls are nice, as well. You don’t feel yucky liking them

If you are interested in a mockumentary about provincial idol groups, with a highly improbable main Yuri relationship (and a few actual side ones, and a business Yuri relationship or two, for flavor) this is a solid series. As light comedy, it’s agonizing.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – Frustrating, but there is hope for a decent payoff; some moments of joy, no matter how brief
Character – 8
Service – Not really, except for it being a pop idol group, but even the costumes aren’t creepy.
Yuri – 4 Hovering at “I think I feel something for you, but can’t put a finger on it,” to “I can’t look you in the eyes, but don’t know why” with potential

Overall – 8

Thanks very much to Tokyopop for the review copy. It reminded me of all the feelings I have about the idol – and fan – industry. And Hirao-sensei. ^_^