Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


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!





I Can’t Believe I Slept With You, Volume 2

July 22nd, 2022

In Volume 1, we met Koduka, unemployed and kind of a hopeless mess. Without a job or money, Koduka strikes a bargain with her landlady – her rent for “favors.” Due to alcohol and desperation, her first “favor” is sex. The landlady is upset with herself for going there, and resets their favors to holding hands or going shopping together. Unbeknownst to Koduka, the landlady is, actually, in love with her.

In I Can’t Believe I Slept With You, Volume 2, a new tenant moves in to the building and in on Koduka. Once Setouchi sees how the landlady reacts to this, she wisely backs off. But now Koduka has a new friend…one she may be able to confide in? Setouchi admits that she missed out on love with a woman due to her own doubts. We learn that one of the major problems here is that Koduka may be interested, but she’s definitely clueless. That said, everyone – Setouchi and Koduka’s best friend, are doing their level best to clue Koduka in. It works! But there’s another hurdle. As a gay woman, the landlady is unwilling to confess to someone she thinks is straight and digging herself further in on not believing Koduka can possibly like her that way.

Koduka’s favors are getting sweeter and more personalized, which has the landlady struggling. She is sure Koduka isn’t interested in her, but Koduka is not sure at all about that. A discussion with her friend Aoi makes her more convinced that she does have feelings for the landlady…but her attempts at honesty are now shrugged off as “favors.”

This series is very much at a turning point here in Volume 2. Either it resolves next volume…or it becomes the worst kind of romantic comedy, where two people who like each other and would be fine together…aren’t, because reasons. The good news is that in this volume Koduka makes a step away from hapless. Now we need the landlady to move away from hopeless. If Volume 3 sets them up for success, I’ll be very pleased. We’ll find out in November when volume 3 hits shelves in English!

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7, but there is a shift here, at least on Koduka’s side
Characters – 7, same.
Service – 5 a breast or two
Yuri – 8 Not just the main couple, either.

Overall  – Still holding at 7

For what is, if we are being honest, a weak set-up, there’s enough humanity in the characters that I want to see that they will be happy.





Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita, Volume 2 (女ともだちと結婚してみた。)

July 21st, 2022

People are complex systems. Relationships are complex systems made up of complex systems. Even with clear boundaries, even when sex is not an issue, relationships get messy when humans are involved.

Ruriko has always like Kurumi. But she’s very aware that their “marriage” is not rooted in romance. They have agreed on clear boundaries, on rules that draw clear lines about being together, or not. If you think about that for even a moment, you’ll understand how silly it is to think that any kind of partnership can just be dissolved with no consequences.

In Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita, Volume 2 (女ともだちと結婚してみた。) Kurumi breaks one of the rules and almost destroys their marriage. Here’s the thing – the rule she broke wasn’t about falling for someone else, or not holding up her end of a chore. It was a decision that failed to acknowledge idea of the partnership being just that – an actual partnership.

To combat the cracks, Kurumi and Ruriko rewrite and reaffirm their rules, including a new one – a day for them to just bond and communicate. They share brief embraces, about which they feel many things, but do not discuss that. However, when they see an older married couple, they wonder if that will be them one day.

An extra chapter delves into their school days. We can see that they haven’t changed that much at all.

Usui Shio-sensei is best known here for Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, which is an unconventional story about a couple finding affection. This series is similar in the sense that this is not a typical romance, but is about familial bonds and affection. The dynamics of the couple are wholly different, but this too is a series that gives us a chance to see a relationship that is not the typical framework of – dating-romance-partnership. And, in doing so, give us a chance to see partnership as something more than just an outcropping of love and sex. For that alone, I love this story, honestly, But I also really enjoy the small dynamics of Ruriko and Kurumi finding themselves relaying on each other…and on the idea of each other being there. This series makes me long for a legal platonic partnership option for the world. Why shouldn’t we be able to form families any damn way we want? Why should hormonal flareups be given more legal validity than desire for financial stability? Or friendship? Maddening, honestly.

That aside, what this volume gives us is the thing I crave most in stories about relationships…good communication.  ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – 0
Yuri – 5 Ruriko is besotted, Kurumi is…?

Overall – 9

I’m always rooting for Kurumi and Ruriko. I don’t know that they will ever be lovers, but they make good spouses. ^_^





The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, Volume 1

July 18th, 2022

Ellie is a scriptwriter and Wako (whom Ellie refers to as “Wanko” for her puppy-like qualities,) is trying to break into voice acting. They are living together…they are, in fact, lovers. And like most people, they are a little goofy and a little doofy in their private time together. Their private time together is what we will be seeing in The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, Volume 1.

The last book we had from creator Takashi Ikeda was Whispered Words and one can instantly see some remnants of that series’ physical comedy here in wacky expressions. However, this series is far more adult and chill and the art reflects that, as well. Where every other character looks like a manga character, Ikeda’s studies of Ellie’s face are stunningly beautiful. Individual panels of her expressions took my breath away through the whole series.

There is no high drama here. Drama comes from real-life stresses. Did Wako pass the audition? Wako’s mother comes to visit – there is no homophobia, just a silly sit-com misunderstanding. Oh, but having Mom visiting is plenty stress enough. Ellie and Wako root for one another and take care of one another. Their relationship is an anchor, not a strain. The two of them have adult lives that are, just pretty much like adult lives are.

I love this series. Unconditionally. There is nothing about it I didn’t like in Japanese. Every volume was better than the last, and Takashi-sensei, as I pointed out in my review of the Japanese edition, still knows how to end a volume. Art, story, character, this is one of the best slice-of-adult-life stories I’ve ever read and I’m ecstatic that you can read it too! It might not sound exciting, but this is the after-happily-ever-after story I’ve wanted to see for ages.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 5 a bit, it’s a story for adult readers
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9 so there is room to go up. It will need it.

I find that I always default to ‘r’ over ‘l’ in my mental translation, so Sakuma will always be Eri to me. ^_^ But that in no way diminishes the terrific translation job done by Anh Kiet Ngo, which gives every character a unique voice. I love when Rina Mappa is given space for the lettering to shine in retouching, there are a couple of choices here that are fantastic. Thanks to the proofreader, copy editor and editor – and thank to Seven Seas for having all three of those (!). Another fabulous job by Seven Seas. Highly recommended and a shoo-in for one of my Top Yuri of 2022. ^_^ (Honestly, though, this year is gonna be tough – so much amazing stuff is coming out in Japanese and English….)





Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – July 16, 2022

July 16th, 2022

Yuri Events

Okazu’s 20th anniversary is coming up and I’ve asked our Okazu Patrons for some feedback as to what might be good way to celebrate. They came through with some fantastic ideas! I’m putting together a special event for fans of Okazu, and hope we’ll all be able to enjoy some fun and Yuri!  Of course, the number one way to celebrate would be to get a copy of By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga and get the whole story!

August will continue to be full of Yuri at Flamecon, August 20-21 in New York City. I’ll be talking about the first 100 years of Yuri there. Schedule TBA.

There is a fairly good chance I’ll be at AnimeNYC in November, as well. Fingers crossed that I’ll have a table there for selling books!

 

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Yuri Manga

MangaPlaza is a new-to-me-service that is offering legit English translations for a monthly subscription. Among their offerings is something new in English – AYAKA is in LOVE with HIROKO!, one of Sal Jiang’s shakaijin Yuri series about two women who have crushes on one another, but each think the other is uninterested. I haven’t had a chance to take a look at this translation yet, but plan to. MangaPlaza is run by the company that owns Comic CMOA (“see more”) in Japan, a popular chapter-based online subscription manga service.

Speaking of Sal Jiang(!), her violent office hate/lust not-a-romance,  白と黒~Black & White~, Volume 2 is out and I am gleefully waiting for my copy to arrive. I love this series. I just grin like a feral something reading it. It’s not for everyone, but it is definitely for me. ^_^

sometime’s sentai Yuri series, Superwomen in Love! Honey Trap and Rapid Rabbit Volume 4 hit shelves this month from Seven Seas.

Sabishisugiru Onna Shachou ga Rezu Fuuzokujou ni Byou de Ochiru Hanashi, is the story of, as the title explains, a lonely company president who falls for the lesbian sex worker she meets through a service.

 

 

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Yuri(?) Anime

Deep breath. Yuri no Aida ni Hasamareru. Aru Asa Dummy Head ni Natteita Ore-kun no Jinsei is an upcoming anime about….sigh…an ASMR club in Japan…with a microphone that is a reincarnated guy…heavy sigh. Anyway, Liam Dempsey has the details over at Crunchyroll News. Sigh.

 

Other News

Via Comic Natalie, the show “Another Stories” on NHK takes a look at the influence of The Rose of Versailles for the series’ 50th anniversary. The show includes an interview with Riyoko Ikeda and discussion of the first Takarazuka show.

Kara Dennison over at Crunchyroll News has the scoop on a new Cardcaptor Sakura artbook with tons of animation details.

There will be no YNN report next week as I will be offline for a few days.

 

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