Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


How Do We Relationship, Volume 6, Guest Review by Matt Marcus

August 3rd, 2022

Matt Marcus is a cohost of various projects on the Pitch Drop Podcast Network, such as the anime watchalong podcast Boku No Stop, which is currently covering the yuri anime Flip Flappers.

Well, here we are: How Do We Relationship, Volume 6. Miwa had her heart crushed, Saeko is trying to move on past their previous relationship, but the two are entangled yet again in a physical relationship but in an even more messy guise.

In the role reversal of the century, Saeko immediately apologizes to Miwa for treating her like a piece of meat–but much to her chagrin, Miwa is happy to be used because it means that she is still wanted. This time, it is Miwa who is using sex to escape how terrible she feels about herself, and the two end up in an ambiguous relationship. Over time though, Saeko helps bring Miwa back out of her depressive slump and back to school life. Eventually, Saeko shuts down their arrangement because for her, the love is gone.

Meanwhile, Saeko continues to slowly show more of her vulnerability to Yuria. In fact, she’s come to the realization that she is way more transparent about her feelings than she realized. When the inevitable happens and the two start dating, Saeko treats her with true kindness and consideration. It’s an incredible turnaround from the end of the previous volume, yet it feels completely earned. It seems bizarre to say, but, perhaps for the first time in the series, there are moments that are truly heartwarming.

Miwa is now forced to move on, and this is where things get a little…odd. With Shiho’s words still lingering in her head, she wonders if it would be easier to just date men instead. Weirdly, Saeko encourages this, which leads to a plot thread involving a handsome manager of a cafe where Miwa works. Now, sexuality is a fluid thing, but to my mind it would be very strange for the story, and for Miwa as a character in particular, if she fully explored this direction, even if only to reject it later. (Remember her turning down Tsurata in Volume 3?) Miwa admits to herself that she has some kind of abstract attraction to the “kind of guy” the manager is, but she isn’t convinced that she is really attracted to him.

This thought experiment doesn’t leave the hypothesis phase when she meets a new first year named Tamaki who bears a striking resemblance to Shiho. I would say this is another strange twist. In a way, it feels like falling back on old habits, especially when Miwa–before detecting any interest from the painfully blunt first year–states to Saeko that she might end up getting a girlfriend again after all. The volume ends hinting that the two may become closer very shortly.

Really, Saeko steals the show here. She shows an amazing amount of growth as a character. That said, I would have liked to see her at least take some responsibility for shutting out Miwa when her past came up. In fact, even after Miwa finally gave her the whole story on her Okinawa trip, Saeko did not fully reciprocate with Miwa by telling her about her middle school. I am hoping that her relationship with Yuria will give her the comfort she needs to address those issues head-on because they still feel unresolved. Nevertheless, this is the best version of her we see so far and it feels fantastic to see it on the page.

Miwa, on the other hand, acts really terribly in the early chapters by pushing on Saeko’s boundaries in a way that is quite uncomfortable to read in a couple of instances. Even after her recovery, she feels a bit unmoored in the second half of the volume. I trust that Tamifull will pull off her arc, but the path towards it is not entirely clear. Oh, and Shiho doesn’t make an appearance in this volume at all, which was disappointing to me.

I mentioned back in my review of Volume 4 that this manga captures the tumultuousness of college. Part of what contributes to that feeling is how the story tends to slip forward in large chunks of time. That becomes the most jarring in this volume, because Miwa’s rapport with Saeko changes seemingly on a dime. One chapter, she’s crying her eyes out realizing that any chance of dating Saeko again is truly gone, and the very next scene opens with her beaming to hear about Saeko’s first date with Yuria. It is nice to see that they are still friends and can openly discuss such things without hurt feelings simmering underneath like in the past, but it just feels too soon for the reader.

All in all, this volume felt a little more uneven than past volumes but improved greatly on later rereads. Its biggest flaw is lacking some narrative connective tissue that would have made certain plot turns feel more natural. Perhaps Tamifull felt that we had wallowed enough in the Bad Feels Zone and that it was time to kickstart the next phase. At any rate, with a new school term starting, there are still plenty of credits to earn.

Art – 8 Continues to carry the story well
Story – 7 More of a mixed bag than previous volumes, but with really high highs
Characters – 8 Finally, some serious growth for Saeko and some forward momentum for Miwa
Service – 2 The sex is the least “appealing” that it’s been so far
Yuri – 8 / LGBTQ – 7 docking it one yuri point for Mr. Cafe Man

Overall – 8

Tamifull loves a good callback, and this time he “swung” for the fences. See if you can spot it.

Erica here: Thank you so much Matt! I’ve got Volume 8 on my plate in Japanese and I have to say, I’m actually really interested in where this is going. ^_^





Hello, Melancholic!, Volume 2

July 29th, 2022

Hello, Melancholic!, Volume 2 is, quite possibly, my favorite single volume of a school life Yuri story ever. ^_^

Minato faces her greatest challenge – performing with the band in public. We understood that she was traumatized by her former bandmates. But here, she is in the unenviable position of facing them down once again. Not only does she rise to the occasion, she excels! Minato, bolstered by Hibiki, Chika, Sachiko and Emma, faces down the fears of her previous self and moves past them.

For that alone, I loved this book. It’s not enough to know what’s held us back – we also have to keep moving forward. Minato takes a whopping huge step forward when she takes control of the audience. It won’t fix all her self-esteem issues, but it puts her in a much better place from which to address the rest.

From there on, this becomes a much more conventional Yuri romance story, but now, here, we’re open to it. The Minato that was terrified of standing out could never have been a partner to anyone, but the Minato that can confidently stand on the stage, can. And so we turn our attention to Chika and Sachiko and find out that there’s a whole lot we don’t know about them.

There’s still a lot for Minato and Hibiki to work through. As I said of this volume in Japanese, “I cannot tell you why, exactly, I want Minato to be happy – although there are a lot of superficially obvious reasons that I might feel that way – but I really want Minato to be happy. If Hibiki can make her happy, I’m all in for them. But I also know that there’s a lot standing between them before they get there…among them Minato herself. She’s a walking bundle of insecurity and hesitation. Ohsawa Yayoi’s come so far in the last few years – Minato’s expressions are really something. ^_^” 

That said, as we get ready for Volume 3 to come out in November, we are right there with them, ready to lend our good wishes. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9 More conflict in this volume is a good thing, as Minato becomes less passive
Characters – 9
Service – 1
Yuri – 9

Overall – 9

Another fantastic effort from Margaret Ngo, Marykate Jasper, Mo Harrison, H. Qi, Leighhanna DeRouen, B.Lillian Martin, Jenn Grunigen, and everyone on the Seven Seas team! This manga makes me cheer, every time. ^_^





Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts, Volume 4 (欠けた月とドーナッツ)

July 28th, 2022

Let’s start with the most important thing in Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts, Volume 4 (欠けた月とドーナッツ) – this was the perfect, most exactly correct ending to this series that we could have hoped for. ^_^  I don’t want to spoil this in the least, but I have to say that some of the aro/ace representation that other series teased (and disappointed all of us in the process) is solidly presented here. It’s all handled with a lovely human warmth that suited the characters and the tone of the story.

How we get to the this perfect ending gives us the first few bits of real conflict we’ve had in the series. These, too, are wholly within the main theme of “being human is difficult, and communication is scary, but it’s better for everyone than not communicating.” Fuuka laid out her feelings for Asahi in Volume 3 now, she tells, Hinako, it’s your turn. Easily said, but both Hinako and Asahi have some hurdles they need to get past before they are free to address their feelings. 

Hinako’s mother comes to visit, and Hinako finally tells her something of importance. They have what may have been the only real conversation they’d had to that point. It lifts the burden Hinako has been carrying all these years of being the kind of person her mother wants her to be. This scene held a lot of resonance for me. As I typed this, it dawned on me that I was about the same age as Hinako, too, when I finally shed the last of my parents’ expectations.

Asahi’s burden is a different one, as she’s assumed it for Subaru…who has been clear that she’s ready to carry her own life now. Subaru and Fuuka team up to give Asahi the space to work through her own issues on her own without them to lean on. I’ll leave the catalyst for her revelation a mystery for now, because it was utterly cute and…us. ^_^

And then we get the exactly right ending for this series. ^_^

Watching the art and storytelling develop during this series has been a pleasure. Watching Shio-sensei stick the landing…priceless.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 10
Character – 10
Service – 0
Yuri – 10

Overall – 10

I can’t wait for you all to read this! We’ll be getting Doughnuts Under A Crescent Moon, Volume 4 in February of 2023.

This makes 4 volumes in one week of women building found families and I am just over the moon. With or without doughnuts. ^_^





Comic Yuri Hime August 2022 (コミック百合姫2022年8月号)

July 27th, 2022

Comic Yuri Hime August 2022 (コミック百合姫2022年8月号) begins with a seasonally appropriate colorful travel image that put me in mind of nothing so much as a beach ball. ^_^

In Takeshima Eku’s “Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau” Yori and Himari face a crisis of spending an evening alone together without parental supervision. Of COURSE our good girls are adorably sweet and cute about it. Kisses and embraces are shared and we all smile gently at them.

The air conditioning is broken and Ruriko proposes that she and Kurumi camp out in the living room in “Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita” by Usui Shio. Sleeping together in a way that they do not normally do, has Kurumi thinking about their lives together and finding it…nice.

Three for three on sleep-cutes this month, because Haru and Hinoto wake up extra early on their day off and decide to walk around their new home town while it’s empty and dark. They watch it wake up. After breakfast, they head back home for a sleep until noon. I adore this series by Keyyang. I’m all in for people just being happy together. Please…tell me more about your little town and how cute those pajamas are and how yummy breakfast is!

Ru’s “Natsu to Lemon to Overlay” is leaning hard into the “what is her motivation for dying?”  Konno-san is a mystery, but I hope we’re not being oversold on this as a plot.

We continue to wallow with Nene in “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto Desu!” Her relationships with Sumika and Youko are starting to spiral together. Youko has clearly set them all up for revenge on Sumika, but I hope Nene and Kanako can maybe reverse the trajectory, if only they’d have a conversation.

Aaaahh! “The Scales of Love” arc has begun and Manaria-sama has arrived in “Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.”! I love Aonoshimo-sensei’s casually boyish Manaria, taking down Rod with a “snap.” I’m ecstatic that this manga has gotten to Volume 2 of thr novels. At the very least, I hope we get through the Revolution arc. I say that, but tomorrow the 5th volume of the Light Novel lands on your digital devices and I cannot *wait* for you to read it! So I really mean- I hope that we get every last piece of this story. Every side thought, every reversed perspective. Everything.

Utatane Yuu’s “Odoriba ni Skirt ga Naru” moves past trauma into training! Michiru and Kiki have a long way to go. This issue, they discover how long that road will be.

Sacred Dance by Miko Yuri wasn’t on my bingo card, but…now it is, with “Tsugai Miko no Nijimusubi” by Nanaji Yuuki.

Inui Ayu visits Kon-san’s family in this issue of “Kyou mo Hitotsu Yane no Shita.” In-law visits are fraught, but we are reminded that so is visiting one’s own family. ^_^;

Ohi Pikachi gets a little personal in this issue of “Pillow Talk ha Fuku wo Kite.” ^_^

As always, this is only part of what I read. I’m so excited for the Scales of Love arc, honestly the rest of the magazine could be crap and I’d be happy, but along with cute girls and cute women doing nothing and sex-focused stuff, there’s a lot of strong stories in here and enough to satisfy mostly all Yuri fans. Needs a little more action. And sports. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

The September 2022 issue is on sale now and waiting for me at the store! Speaking of which. The Kinokuniya in Edgewater, NJ has By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga in stock! If you buy it through them, you’ll get a signed bookplate. If it’s not in your local Kinkokuniya, ask them to order it and have them contact me, I’m glad to send them bookplates, as well.

 





Maitsuki Niwatsuki Ooyatsuki – Monthly With Ooya (毎月庭つき大家つき)

July 25th, 2022

Suga Asako finds herself alone quite suddenly when her partner decides their relationship is just not working. But her friend Hato isn’t listening because she’s more upset that Miyako, the lead singer of her favorite group, has walked off stage and disappeared.

Asako doesn’t give herself too much time to mope. She finds a new place to live. It’s a cute little detached house, with a garden and a room she can use for her work as a manga editor. The landlady seems super nice, so Asako takes it and gets settled in. Then one day, she notices a ladder to an upstairs room, where she finds her landlady chilling. The landlady calmly points out that,yes, she did not mention she was living in the attic room, but on the other hand, Asako did sign the contract which read, “maitsuki niwatsuki ooyatsuki.” Monthly, with garden, with landlady.

It’s not like the landlady is a creeper. Asako ends up cooking for both of them, as the landlady is fairly useless at that. But that’s not really a problem. Asako is sure, however she’s seen the landlady somewhere. Yep, you guessed it. Her landlady is he former lead singer of Elm, Miyako. This volume wraps up with a whole chapter of a minor conflict that is wrapped up instantly. 

What follows in Maitsuki Niwatsuki Ooyatsuki – Monthly With Ooya (毎月庭つき大家つき) is a nice comic about two people who have had their lives uprooted, trying to set down some new roots for themselves. This makes three books in a row for me with this same theme. ^_^ I swear it’s not on purpose, but I have to say that most of my favorite stories right now are about adult women forming connections with other adult women, not just romantic or sexual attraction, although those sometimes are in the mix. What is appealing to me, specifically, is the idea of intimacy that does not rely on sex. That said, I didn’t pick up this book knowing that this was the story! I picked this book up on the strength of the artist’s name. We seen Yodokawa-sensei in any number of Yuri anthologies. They’ve had at least one collection of short stories, but this is the first serialized book I’ve seen from them and I was totally willing to take a chance on this. So far this is not Yuri, per se. There’s implication and possibility, and Yodokawa is the creator., so we have a high chance of Yuri.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Service – 0
Yuri – 0
Found family  – 8

Overall – 8

Whether it becomes a romance or stays a found family narrative doesn’t matter to me in the slightest. As it is, my to-read pile is 80% found family, intimacy between adult women – with and without romance and I’m just delighted, frankly. ^_^ More of this please!