Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


semelparous, Volume 2, Guest Review by G-Man

May 24th, 2022

Welcome to another Guest Review Wednesday, Today we’re welcoming back G-Man, who has a lot to say about semelparous, Volume 2. ^_^  Take it away, G-Man!

Time for a much overdue look at the continuation of everyone’s “favorite” yuri action manga! More action, more gay, more twists and turns, and more controversial art! But is this new installment in the semelparous saga an improvement on the first? Let’s take a look…

Spoiler Warning! To discuss major plot points in this volume, I gotta talk about the big twist I mentioned in my Volume 1 review.

When we last left our protagonist Yorino, she’d discovered that the kaiju attacking the walls between their world and ours were in fact spiritually connected to a person in the human world. In other words, every time Yorino or another bouhekishi soldier kills a kaiju, someone dies. Despite knowing this, Yorino powers ahead in her goal of putting a stop to the attacks once and for all. She’s willing to “descend into hell together” with her partner, Captain Youko.

Right out of the gate, Volume 2’s plot is much better than the first. Whereas Volume 1 felt like a kaiju-sized pile of setup, with exposition being dumped left and right and characters not being given much of a chance to shine, the opposite (for the most part) is true here. A lot happens in this volume. Like, a LOT. New characters are introduced, relationships are deepened, new plot elements are revealed, etc. We also finally get a glimpse at some human villains working behind the scenes. One could potentially argue that too much happens in this volume, resulting in breakneck pacing that doesn’t give readers much time to digest everything. However, I’d argue that it makes sure the story is never boring. I finished the entire thing in one sitting, always eager to see what would happen on the next page.

Volume 2 also does a good job of raising the stakes. Ever since the Kaiju-Human connection was introduced, I knew it would result in more heartbreak for Yorino. Lo and behold, a routine kaiju takedown results in one of Yorino’s school friends dying. While it does relegate said friends to more plot devices than actual characters, they do their job rather well. Not only does their death, combined with Haruka’s death from Volume 1, reveal that Yorino is being directly targeted by the villains, but it also gives the sense that no one is safe in this world. Seeing Yorino grow closer with Youko has me now fearing for Youko’s safety as well. And it was at this point that I realized something… I was actually starting to care.

Yes, this manga is still a guilty pleasure as many elements of it are problematic and completely ludicrous. As such, I can’t say that everyone will grow invested as I have. But I can say that what started as a mindless yuri action romp with distracting male gaze has become something that feels like it has genuine effort and passion put into it.

Speaking of caring, the characters (at least the main duo) are given some decent development. Yorino continues to have more trauma piled onto her with the death of another person she was close to, instead of just more random citizens. The scene where she goes to school the day after the fight only to find her classmate in tears is a genuine gut-punch. As for Youko, the volume starts with an entire chapter dedicated to her backstory and how she killed her own sister through a kaiju. She’s definitely the more interesting of the two leads as it’s not always clear how she’s feeling. It almost seems as if she’s accepted her past demons and become completely numb to them, and now she simply goes with the flow and doesn’t allow herself to feel anything beyond surface-level joy, anger, or other such emotions. Okay, maybe I’m reading a bit too much into it, but it could explain why she’s so desperate to protect Yorino. A scene where she has to persuade Yorino to mourn her friend’s death, saying “Crying is what keeps you from losing your heart,” reads to me as her trying to prevent Yorino from becoming like her.

There are a few other characters of note this time around, but not nearly as much to say about them. Yorino and Youko get two new bouhekishi partners in the form of Rina Kitamura and Ryouka Manabe. Rina crushes hard on Yorino like a typical tsundere, which some may find endearing, but she can also be rather creepy and borderline stalker-ish, as she enjoys reviewing Yorino’s combat footage and getting off to it (did I mention this manga was made by a hentai artist?). Ryouka has very little going for her, aside from occasionally teasing Rina about her crush on Yorino.

The artstyle pretty much carries over from Volume 1 in every way. The girls all still suffer from absurd proportions, impractical combat outfits, and in-your-face camera angles. Of course, as mentioned above, we’re stepping into hard NSFW territory now with Rina pleasuring herself to Yorino. This is not helped at all by character bios inserted between chapters that remind you these girls are in their teens. Bleh. However, what continues to impress me about the art unironically are the action scenes. I think I can safely say that semelparous has hands-down the best action I’ve seen in any yuri manga (which isn’t saying much given the lack of action yuri, but still). Ogino Jun truly understands the power of “wind-up and follow-through”; every punch thrown and sword swung is preceded by a panel of the kaiju or bouheksihi rearing back for the strike, which makes the force of the resulting impact that much more felt. That, in tandem with the destruction that follows the combatants’ strikes, makes the fights truly feel like clashes between colossal monsters and superpowered humans.

Finally, we have the yuri content, and I’m pleased to report that it’s yet another step forward. The leads’ relationship in Volume 1 was cute, but it was mostly just Youko teasing and Yorino getting either annoyed or flustered. Here, the two support each other not only in combat but emotionally. Youko wants Yorino to live a normal life and not be consumed by her mission to defeat the kaiju, and thus encourages her to spend time with friends. She’s also the first person Yorino shows a vulnerable side to, such as in the aforementioned scene where she tells her it’s okay to cry. It all culminates in their first kiss and declaration of love, and it’s honestly very heartfelt and adorable. After that, they share plenty more cute and flirty moments, including another shower scene (still a hentai artist). Yorino questioning whether Youko truly loves her, only for the Bouhekishi Captain to proudly declare she’s totally her type and would love to have sex with her admittedly put a stupid grin on my face.

 

Ratings

Art – 7 (again, when discounting the ridiculous proportions. 5 when counting them)
Story – 6 (a lot more going on and thus never boring, but still very nonsensical and can feel rushed in places)
Characters – 6 (the leads get more development, but the new additions are fairly flat so far)
Service – 10 (still for all the wrong reasons, only now we’re entering NSFW territory)
Yuri – 9 (seriously, what the heck is this sweet and healthy dynamic doing in my dumb ecchi action series???)

Overall – 6 (If this were my personal opinion I’d give it a 7, but I have to be fair. While several aspects are improved from Volume 1, there are still things that readers may find uncomfortable and impossible to look past)


One last note– as of writing this, semelparous is still on hiatus due to Ogino Jun undergoing medical treatment. Opinions on the manga aside, please wish Jun-sensei good health and a swift recovery.

Erica here: Thank you so much for this review. semelparous Volume 2 by Ogino Jun is out now from out from Seven Seas, available on Amazon, Bookwalker, RightStuf or wherever you get your manga. Volume 3 will be on sale this summer (Amazon, RightStuf).





Sempai, Oishii desuka? Volume 1 (先輩、美味しいですか?)

May 19th, 2022

Miho loves food. She happily eats large bowls of rice with a big smile. But, back in high school, a schoolmate told her it wasn’t really feminine to eat so much or with so much gusto. That hasn’t stopped Miho, but she does prefer to eat alone these days.

A college friend wants to meet Miho’s boyfriend before a group date and Miho is in a bind. She usually brings her brother to these things to stave off both answering questions about not having a boyfriend from the girls and advances from the guys. But her brother can’t make it, so he’s sending a substitute…who turns out to be beautiful woman, Mori-sempai. Moris one of those people who is completely comfortable with herself and jumps right in as Miho’s “lover.” But Miho is much less comfortable with the kind of skinship Mori-sempai seems to favor. When Mori-sempai shares that she’s seen Miho eating and everything seems so delicious, Miho invites Mori to make some food together.

When I heard about Sempai, Oishii desuka? Volume 1 (先輩、美味しいですか?) which combines three things I really like –  Yuri, food and Mikanuji’s art and characters –  I was really excited to read this volume. Now that I have read it, I can definitely recommend it with some significant reservations.

Miho is a well-conceived character. She’s awkward in a very relatable way; hyper-focused on things she finds relaxing and fun, and unsure and often uncomfortable outside those situations. I think I and nearly everyone I know fits that pattern. She really can’t read Mori and Mori isn’t really being entirely upfront…a fact that she admits to Miho. Miho’s really cute. Her reason for not going out with a girl who confessed her feelings was totally in character…and Mori agrees. ^_^

Mori’s the deep waters here. On the surface she’s perfect. However, she regularly violates Miho’s boundaries, not with malice, but she still does it. This is the reservation in my recommendation. If you are made uncomfortable by a story in which boundaries are ignored, this may very well distress you, because it did begin to distress me. I found it a little much. Perhaps read as a monthly serial it would be more tolerable than in one sitting.  As the volume progresses, we see – and Mori mentions –  that she has some secrets.

One wonders if this story about food and Yuri doesn’t have a third layer about…something…beneath the surface. I could conjecture, but I don’t want to make the book about something it’s not about. I just have a gut feeling.

Lastly – the food parts aren’t quite recipes, but they’ll certainly stimulate the appetite and imagination, especially if you enjoy Japanese food. And of course Mikanuji-sensei’s art is quite cute.

Ratings: 

Art – 8
Characters – 8 
Story – 7
Service – Mori getting too close too often is problematic rather than salacious
Yuri – Beyond the premise, let’s give it a 4

Overall – 7  

I can see this story doing some good things and equally, I can see it cutting corners. I hope as it develops it goes the former route. I’m really hoping Miho and Mori grow a bit more in synch and work through their baggage together.





Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji, Volume 4 (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ)

May 12th, 2022

In Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji, Volume 4 (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ) Ikeda Takashi brings his specific brand of wacky slice-of-life to a fantastic conclusion.

In the first three volumes of this series (Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3) we met Inazuka Wako, an aspiring voice actress and her lover Sakuma Eri, a script writer. The two of them have a happy relationship and a life filled with friends, and colleagues and neighbors. Both Eri and Wako are a bit silly, the way people often are and the situations they find themselves in are likewise, the kinds of stories we tell friends over and over.

In Volume 4, some old issues are resolved, new-old issues pop up, new-new issues arise and in the end, Wako and Eri continue to live happily ever after. There’s a lot that happens, but I’m not going to tell you about any of it, except for one thing. My favorite bit of the book is the segment when Eri buys new glasses. Some of the panels of Eri trying on glasses are breathtakingly drawn. Eri looks like an actual human.  But she’s drawn in a way that is simply stunning. I could fall in love with that woman on the page. honestly.

The good news is that you will soon be able to read this series in English! The Two Of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, Volume 1 is headed our way in June, from Seven Seas, which makes this a fabulous Pride Month selection! This series has the same kind of wacky humor we loved in Ikeda’s Whispered Words, without the melodrama or misunderstandings. This is a great story about two queer women I’d have over for lunch any time, with the occasional heartbreakingly good portraiture.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 9
Story – 8
Service – Less than the other volumes
LGBTQ+ – 10

Overall – 10

A perfect ending to a fabulous series.

 





Soulmate, Volume 1, Guest Review by Laurent Lignon

May 11th, 2022

Welcome to another Guest Review Wednesday and welcome back to Journaliste/Chroniqueur Laurent Lignon! Laurent is going to introduce us to the French-language edition of a Chinese webtoon and I, for one, am thrilled to have some manhua on Okazu! So settle in, give Laurent your attention and your usual warm welcome. Laurent, the floor is yours!

Hello there, this is Laurent, your Frenchman guest reviewer. I wish to once again express all my thanks to Erica for running such a great website and allowing a French guy like me to talk about some Yuri that may not have been translated in English yet. Enough talk, on to the review ! Soulmate, Volume 1 has been released as a webtoon in Mandarin Chinese by Kuaikan Manhua and the printed version in French by Nazca Editions.

Qi and Yuanzi are 27 years old each, and have been living a happy couple life for the past 5 years. They started to date when they were students but knew each other since high school, albeit from a distance. When one morning Qi wakes up 10 years in the past, her adult mind stuck in her teenage body, she sees this as a chance to start to date Yuanzi 5 years before their official meeting. However, what she don’t know is that her teenage self has woken up in her adult body, with strictly no clue of what has happened during the past decade and is struggling to adapt to this new environment… Including the fact that she has fallen in love and live with a woman who has a few years left to live.

From then, we follow alternatively Qi in the two different timelines. Adult Qi has no problem to adapt to her past life, having already lived it. She actively starts to befriend the lonely Yuanzi, much to the astonishment of her classmates. This change the way Yuanzi lived her school years, as she was already aware of her own attraction to girls and voluntary avoided any friendship for fear of being forced out of the closet. We see that, even back then, she had already noticed Qi and was probably feeling attracted to her, despite being ignored.

On the other hand, Teenage Qi has difficulties adapting to her adult life, both professional and private. Most notably, she lashes out violently at the idea that not only she’s attracted to women, but also is currently living a satisfying couple life with one. Her angry reaction to this has the side-effect of revealing, both to Teenage Qi and the reader, that Yuanzi is dying and may have only a few years to live, if not months, due to an illness that went undiagnosed during her high school years (a fact that Adult Qi is well aware of, and which his fueling her need to date Yuanzi earlier than expected in order to have her diagnosed and saved). Yuanzi takes Teenage Qi’s angry rants for a way to cope with her incoming death while Teenage Qi learn to adapt her mind to the difficulties of her professional life, as well as trying to understand how her relationships with Yuanzi came to be and what it mean about her own possible internalized homophobia.

Both timelines features dangers for the couple. In the past, there is Chen Shuo : the most popular boy in school and Qi’s best friend, who is secretly in love with her and feels suddenly rejected when she prefers to spend time with the lonely Yuanzi instead of him. In the present, there is Xinjue : Qi’s 20 years old and rather intrusive assistant, who seems to have a toxic infatuation with Qi.

Wenzhilizi (writing) and Keranbing (drawing) deliver here an interesting and beautiful story about what it is to be a lesbian couple in contemporary China. The main characters are well fleshed out, both in their adult and teenage years. The story eschews lesbian clichés, but simply shows two women in love living a simple life together to the fullest until what they know will be the inevitable end. Qi’s fight in the past is all motivated by her love for Yuanzi : she does not want to just be with her for 5 more years, she want Yuanzi’s disease to be diagnosed early enough so it can be treated and they will live a longer life together. She understand that Yuanzi is her soulmate and that no other woman could ever replace her. In the present, seeing the toll the disease takes on Yuanzi allows Qi to become more mature and to understand that a couple life is not the romanticized version she fancied in books and movies, but an everyday struggle to enjoy those moments of happiness. As the volume ends, danger lurks on the horizon for Qi in both timelines, with Teenage Qi about to face a betrayal that could put her professional life and her couple in danger.

Ratings:

ART : 7 – Keranbing’s art is very similar in style to Japanese manga. Considering the story was designed to be read on e-readers and cellphones, you may find the computer-generated colors quite awkward on the first reading. I find those perfectly fitted to the story myself, with warm and sweet colorization being the norm. As with all manhua, the volume is fully colorized and must be read left-to-right.

STORY : 8 – Well written, full of characters one can relate to and some cultural differences are pointed out (most notably the fact that military service is a mandatory part of the school curriculum). It’s pure slice of life, except there’s that fantasy body switching twist thrown in it.

CHARACTER : 8 – Qi and Yuanzi are endearing characters : I’m eagerly waiting to see how they will face their incoming challenges and hope that all will end well for them. The secondary characters aren’t as fleshed out yet, with the exception of Xinjue which will be important for the second volume.

SERVICE : 1 – The story open on a two pages love scene. However, due to the Chinese censorship concerning sexual acts, it is all done with some beautiful non-ero way to show what is happening and strictly no nudity.

YURI : 10 – It is a story of a lesbian couple in today’s China, but it is also a story about two women that are more than just lovers. The title doesn’t lie, and it is expressed in every way when Adult Qi is looking at Teenage Yuanzi and Adult Yuanzi do her best to reassure Teenage Qi.

OVERALL : A good story, that manages to alternates fuzzy moments with more dramatic ones while never succumbing to either full sugar-coated love story or dark, devastating pathos. The comic moments are well dosed (using super deformed for Adult Qi’s teenage life). The cliffhanger is perfect, and announces a more intense second volume.

A SMALL NOTE ON LGBTQ+ RIGHTS IN CHINA : Homosexuality was accepted in China from ancient times until the Westernization of the country in the late 19th Century. It was then banned for the most part of the 20th century until being fully recognized and legalized in 1997. However, same sex marriages or civil unions aren’t recognized (but a legal guardianship agreement exists in order to protect the rights of the couples), same-sex couples cannot adopt children and trans people can’t legally have their gender recognized on their legal documents unless they have undergone a complete gender reassignment operation (which is extremely expensive in China). Due to family pressures, most gay people in China are closeted but the number of coming-outs is rising by the year with microblogging sites existing to help people come out to their family. Homophobia exists and is generally fueled by Western ideas found on social networks.

Erica here: Thank you so much, Laurent. I’m very excited that you’re brought this to my and everyone else’s attention!  I’m very interested to see how the story develops.

Thanks to Luce for the heads up – you can read Soulmate in English on webtoon platform Tapas!

 
 
 




Our Teachers Are Dating!, Volume 4

May 10th, 2022

Hayama Asuka and Terano Saki have been together for a while now. Their students think they are adorable, fellow teachers are on their side. In Our Teachers Are Dating!, Volume 4 they are shepherding the class trip to Okinawa…and a legendary island of Yuri bliss.

The ferry ride is rough and a bought of bad seasickness among students and tourists brings them to the acquaintance of an older woman, who has returned to this island to meet up with the love of her life. Asuka and Saki end up thinking about their lives, as well. In a climactic scene they make a major decision – they’re getting married!

The remainder of the book touches a little on the stress of explaining one’s self to one’s parents. Although Asuka was not rejected for being gay, there’s still baggage she’s got to deal with, while Saki’s family is absolutely darling.

Although it has only been a year since this manga series ended in Japan, it feels like a lifetime has passed already. What this series represents to me is two things: 1) an obtainable fantasy, in which we are surrounded by people who want to see us succeed, and 2) an adult fantasy, where love and sex are combined in a way that shows they are both important and can come from the same relationship without either being lesser.

In her author’s note, Ohi-sensei shows herself evolving from her animal avatar to human form to explain that she now has a girlfriend of her own! That story is continuing in Comic Yuri Hime in her essay, “Pillow Talk ha Fuku wo Kite.” I’m happy for her that Yuri manga brought her a real-life happy relationship. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 10
Story – 9
Yuri – 10
Service – 6

Overall – 10

I feel a little sad that we have made no progress in same-sex marriages in Japan and are regressing in a violently awful way here in the US. This series is perfect for a palette cleanser and some hope and joy in your Yuri. ^_^