Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Espoir, Volume 3

December 14th, 2022

Back in the mists of Internet history, fanfic was one of the key drivers to fandom.  Not just my fandom, but many folks would read a fanfic and find themselves enamored of the ideas, the situations and the characters in that fanfic…sometimes more than the fiction that the fan-created derivative fiction was based upon. I’m not immune to this. I have very clear and specific ideas about how the glamour that protects the Senshi in Sailor Moon works, for instance, even though it is never explicated in the series, which one must constantly remind one’s self was created for 11 year olds. ^_^

So a story about creating stories seems, on the face of it, right up my alley. If the Yuri stories created within the story continued to be the point, I’d be on board. Unfortunately Yuri Espoir, Volume 3 falls into a trap  which often ended up weighing down otherwise decent fanfic – it is taking itself very seriously. It is truly unfortunate, because stripped of what has become a rather dire actual plot, I really enjoy the idea that Kokoro and Amami walk around fictionalizing complete strangers into comfy Yuri tropes. It hurts no one, and is only marginally weird. ^_^ (Real people shipping can be very weird, but let’s face it, it’s not uncommon. Much of the BTS Army exists for that purpose.)

Now, in V3, we get the real depth of despair Kokoro feels, the real backstory about the art teacher and the fact that both of their lives revolves around a faceless guy with the personality of a bucket of warm water. It’s…not fun. In fact, this volume gets quite dark in places. I have to ask myself “why?” To what end is this darkness? Will it go anywhere? I can’t tell.

In the spaces between Amami and Yuki’s unrequited love for people who have been portrayed as idiots, there are some cute ideas. But like every fanfic in which a potentially queer character was drowning in the darkness their author had nowhere else to express, there’s a distinct lack of espoir in this volume.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Stories – 8 for the fanfic, 5 for the main plot
Characters – 8
Service – 4 – there’s some, expressed in ways that are “this is a bad thing” but they are there.
Yuri – 9

Overall – 7

Had I been the editor, I think I would wrap this up next volume, unless it can shed this habit of trying to be a Very.Important.Story. 

Thanks to Tokyopop for the review copy and thanks to their team for their hard work!





Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 5 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし)

December 13th, 2022

You know, it sounds kinda cool to have a bunch of youkai fighting over you for your delicious blood but, as Hinako has found out, it’s not, really. Worse, it turns out that Hinako’s blood may not actually be as delicious as she thought. So…why are the youkai fighting to get to her?

Hinako thought she had gotten used to the idea of being eaten by Shiori – one day. But, in Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 5 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし) when Ayame, revealed to be a futakuchi onna, returns after having been defeated by Shiori….she tells Hinako a different story. And, when Hinako asks her best friend, the kitsune Miko, if her blood will help her heal, gets the confusing confirmation that it’s not her blood that any youkai wants. Hinako’s blood is kinda gross, actually.

Shiori is avoiding Hinako, who wants to understand the truth…about her family’s death, about her own survival, about Shiori. Can she handle the truth? Shiori, the mermaid, tells her. It’s her own blood that everyone is after and Hinako was given some of it, after the accident that killed her family. Now Hinako has to decide all over again how and why she will continue to live.

I know I keep saying this, but I really love this story. It’s creepy and gross in a shivery ghost-story kind of way. The blood is for ambience, it’s not the point of any scene. I don’t much care about Hinako, per se, or Miko, or Shiori, but I do want to know where this story is going and why all these youkai seem to be drawing lines around Hinako. Which youkai will attack next and what will happen? Each chapter feels very portentous,  although it isn’t if you examine it too closely. Gimme more Yuri creepy youkai please. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 We’re setting up for something here, it’ll all ominous whole notes
Characters – 8
Service – Did I mention creepy youkai?
Yuri – ? If Shiori doesn’t want to eat Hinako…why is she here?

Overall – 8

This series remains one of my top “license this title, please” titles. Fingers crossed for 2023.





Otona ni Nattemo, Volume 7 (おとなになっても)

December 8th, 2022

In Shimura Takako’s Otona ni Nattemo, Volume 7 (おとなになっても) a lot happens.

We left Akari and Ayano having been carefully not seeing one another for some time, as Ayano’s divorce proceeds. When they meet again, they mutually decide to begin over, but the rumor that Ayano is having an affair begins to spread.  In school, Ichika’s life has become more complicated as she’s refusing to return to class. I’m honestly way more invested in the well-being of the children than I want to be. ^_^;
Eri and Wataru are reeling as their relationships fail. Neither the adults nor the children are particularly alright.

But Akari and Ayano are doing a pilgrimage to Akari’s hometown, visiting her childhood haunts. They are taking time to talk through their lives – something they have never had a chance to do. It’s good for them. There is a particularly charming moment, when they fantasize about having gone to school together…who would they have been and how would they have related to one another? The art is especially cute as they (as adults) imagine each other as children.

When they return, they find that the rumors are picking up steam. But they have made a decision. They tell Akari’s family that she is moving out…and moving in with Ayano.

Shimura-sensei’s art is not refined in these chapters, but there’s a sense of motion, and emotion, that is subtle and intense.  When she’s good, she’s really good. This story is one of the adultest mange I have ever read. I cannot imagine being a teenager and giving a hoot about anyone in this manga for any reason. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8 I don’t think I dislike anyone…. there’s no bad guys here
Service – 0
LGBTQ+ – 6, maybe? Lives are changing while we watch

Overall – 8

Little girls and and friendship and school, adults and marriage and divorce and choices with consequences. This series would make a pretty solid live-action drama.
 





Catch These Hands, Volume 3

December 5th, 2022

It was in March 2020 when I reviewed Watashi no Kobushi wo Uketomete, Volume 3 ( 私の拳をうけとめて). Re-reading that review, honestly, I can add little to it for this review, so I will quote myself liberally. ^_^ My apologies in advance. 

In Volume 2, Takebe has hit the end of her rope in trying to be a new person. She’s not feeling the support from Soramori she thought she’d get. For her part, Kirara is half jealous and half frustrated by Takebe’s search to become someone else. They stop speaking, both confused as how to move forward.

As I said in my review of the Japanese Volume 3: The problem is not that they aren’t enjoying each other’s company…Takebe starts to really understand what Soramori means to her when they aren’t hanging out. And it’s not that they are rivals, Soramori, realizes as days go by when they aren’t speaking. But something is off and they both know it. In Catch These Hands, Volume 3, Takebe reaches back into her past to try and create a new future…in the wrongest way possible, by assuming that she can’t move forward until she’s settled the past with KiraraAfter taking to Maria (and training for the confrontation that’s coming,) Takebe calls Soramori to the park to have it out the old-fashioned way. The way they know, the way they met each other. She challenges her former gang-member rival girlfriend to a fight. And fight they do.

And, at last, Soramori understands. THIS is the woman she fell in love with. This is the self she wants to be. And when she beats Takebe into the ground with one final punch, she finds that the two of them really enjoyed beating the heck out of each other.  

As the volume comes to a close, they have – as far as they are able – to communicate that they want to continue dating. And now, maybe they can stop worrying about being something they are not.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Service – 0
Yuri – 5

The team at Yen Press did a great job. Amanda Hadley’s translation of the gang patois works for Takebe. This story is a lot of fun, again. ^_^

Volume 4 is headed our way next spring!





 Comic Yuri Hime December 2022 (コミック百合姫2022年12月号)

December 4th, 2022

And so we come to the end of another year. Comic Yuri Hime, December 2022 is, like so many of the Decembers before it, not a finale at all, but a transition to the the new year. Our cover trip around Japan comes to an end, however. We’ll be getting a completely different look and feel for 2023.

For me, this volume was all about the climax of the Scales of Love arc in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou Desu.” It was exactly as epic as I could have hoped. Now the story is going to become a bit more serious, then deadly serious. I can’t wait!

In “Odoriba Skirt ni Naru,” Michiru and Kiki are trying to find the balance they need to be a good dancing pair. Neither really understands what being “like lovers” means, and they both end up unpacking a bit of Michiru’s feelings about being called “kawaii,” until Kiki realizes that she just thinks Michiru is really kawaii and Michiru learns to accept it. They find the place they can be together and head back from dance camp ready to be a pair.

“Lonely Girl ni Sakarenai” comes to end on the right note. Ayaka is finally able to pass the exam, and she and Sora embaak upon a life together. A particularly fantastic note is when they talk to their friends and decide, that even though they may not be together every day, they can still at least stay in touch. We all know that our friendships change with circumstances, but at least they don’t opt for “we’ll never see each other again!” refrain.

Shiho is given an entire chapter to reconcile herself to the (obvious to us) idea that she likes Aki, in “Sasayakoyouni Koi wo Utau,” and now I can safely say, I am done with Shiho. Her love of drama has worn out my interest in her. I’m hoping this month’s issue is back to the battle of the bands.

“Kimi to Shiranai Natsu ni Naru” took a surprisingly realistic turn and I’m a bit on eggshells as to what might happen. Has Hi-chan given up in deciding to go back to school?

A number of series are winding down, “Natsu to Lemon to Overlay” has hit an impasse. If Yunimaru-san won’t ask what is going on, well, then, we’ll never know. In “Futari Escape,” we go to a fossil museum, which was fun.

In “Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita” Rio has now decided that Kurumi and Ruriko are a more fun family than her parents.

“Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata” is running out of somewhere to go, as well, but finally has pushed Shizuku out of her self-imposed paralysis, even if it took a shock to do it.

As always there a lot of other stories, some of which I read and others I did not. This was a sold year. I’ll be sad to see some some series go and curious to see if some of the new ones fill their space.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

January 2023 is already out and the new year already has a different tone. We’ll have to see whether it will hit the right notes for me.  ^_^