Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Cocoon Entwined, Volume 4

March 14th, 2022

We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the role of “Prince” around here. But what we have rarely considered is the role as a burden that is too much to bear.

In Volume 4 of Cocoon Entwined, Yuriko Hara has us watch as Hana is bowed under the weight of this role that she was given by an absent Hoshimiya. But so much more interestingly, is he evolution of Youko into the prince that might just be able to save her after all.

But first, we see where Youko has come from. Specifically we meet and instantly dislike her onee-sama, Reina. ^_^; We are treated to, as I said in my review of the Japanese volume, “the obligatory, “holy shit, this school and it’s clothes and all the people who attend, are SUPER CREEPY” story….”

And then, the war is on. Youko  on the one had, being strong enough to save Hana and refusing to let her fall and Kujou, who is clearly hoping to break Hana to her will. It will come as no surprise that I am still rooting for Youko.

The art in this book is fabulous. I’ll never be comfortable with all that hair, but in this volume, it becomes sublime. It is symbol, and character, and bonds and freedom.

Ratings:

Art – Honestly 9
Characters – 8
Story – 8
Service – 5 This volume amps up the creepy, the sex, and the dark
Yuri – 8 See above.

Overall – 9

Cocoon Entwined, Volume 4 is available now from Yen Press!





Kase-san and Yamada, Volume 2

March 11th, 2022

Kase-san and Yamada have been dating for a few years now, and while they are both working on building lives for themselves that include each other, their schedules make it very difficult. And maybe that would be okay, but it means that they haven’t really had the time they need to discuss themselves with each other.

A surprise summer vacation for both Kase-san and Yamada makes them very aware of those gaps where their lives don’t mesh. In Kase-san and Yamada, Volume 2, that gap seems impossibly wide to Yamada. Unsure, made to feel unconfident, she still sees Kase-san as someone too cool and popular for her, someone she’s not worthy of. This causes a number of problems for them –  and for us, as readers. We’d become used to seeing Kase-san be unreasonably jealous, and thought we had left that behind. Now it’s Yamada’s turn to be unreasonable and we’re likely to be less tolerant as a result. But…is Yamada being unreasonable?

I think it’s worth remembering that Kase-san’s sempai teased her rather mercilessly only a year so so ago, and now she’s dealing with Kase-san’s roommate Fukami being a grade-A jerk. (It’s super obvious that she has a crush on Kase-san and all I can hope is that rather than dealing with that noise, Fukami will realize how shitty she’s being and feel badly about it.) As an adult reading this book, I kind of want to have a stern talk with Fukami-san. The more I think about this story, the more I think that Yamada’s done amazingly well, given how much crap she’s had to take from other people. So, I’m cutting her some slack her as she wallows a bit here. It is very easy to find other people’s relationship drama annoying, but since we’re reading How Do We Relationship…maybe we can cut Yamada a little break? ^_^

When it comes down to dealing with the problems, Kase-san shows she *has* matured. She accepts Yamada’s concerns, is supportive and understanding AND addresses the underlying issue – what does their future look like? Neither they nor we know what shape their future will take, but Kase-san is trying to create a future that will include Yamada and that’s good enough right now.  It would be nice if the two of them get to just be together and talk without everyone wanting to get in their way, but oh well, it’s a rom-com. ^_^;

The fantastic translation by Jocelyne Allen means I’m hearing different characters sounding like different people and outstanding lettering by CK Russell. It feels so much like it’s part of the original, I hardly notice it. Thanks again to the entire Seven Seas team for their great work.

If you’re looking for a comedy college life Yuri series that feels awfully like real life, with bumps in the roads and fully-fleshed out characters, Kase-san and Yamada fits the bill.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 5 a bit of skin
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9

In the middle of all the running around, Hana being a rube and tanning jokes, let’s give a round of applause to Mikawacchi for finally figuring out a path forward for herself!





Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita, Volume 1 (女ともだちと結婚してみた。)

March 10th, 2022

If you are a regular reader here, you probably know how much I like Usui Shio’s recent work in Comic Yuri Hime. I’ve been really happy with Kaketa Tsuki to Donuts / Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon. That series is not the only one Usui-sensei is working on for the magazine. Running concurrently has been another story, one that is quite different.

Onna Tomodachi to Kekkonshitemita, Volume 1 (女ともだちと結婚してみた。) is comedy drama about two best friends, Kurumi and Ruriko. Ruriko is a day person. She wakes up early, cooks breakfast and heads out to her day job. Kurumi, a journalist, is a night person. She heads to bed after Ruriko leaves, waking up later to work into the night. Kurumi is working on an assignment right now, and she and Ruriko are the test subjects – Kurumi is writing a series about being married to a woman.

Friends for years, Ruriko and Kurumi agree that they *will* go back to being friends when this experiment is over, but we know that unbeknownst to Kurumi, Ruriko is in love with her.  So…will they, really? I don’t know…and I don’t think they do either.

After the initial setup of their “marriage,” something begins to happen. Kurumi is depending on Ruriko a lot. And she’s starting to think about her all the time, which is new for her. On a solo overnight, she keeps thing about Ruriko, or even talking to her, without thinking about it.  Ruriko is already in that headspace. In a terrific scene, Ruriko takes a picture of a lone daikon laying in the street and thinks, “Kurumi will love this.” Kurumi loves it.

Ruriko starts to not feel well, but she doesn’t want to bother Kurumi. When Kurumi comes home and find Ruriko not there…and gets a message that she’s in the hospital, Kurumi runs over, asking for her wife at the front desk. Once assure Ruriko is okay, Kurumifinally gets a bit angry. They are married after all, Ruriko should have said something!

Will they make a real marriage out of this sham? I think they will…but I’m glad to give them as much time as they need. ^_^

This series is drawn with Usui-sensei’s gentle art style. Both Kurumi and Ruriko are likable, separately and together. While Kurumi occasionally comes off as thoughtless, that is because we’re likely to be on Ruriko’s side, gently hoping that she gets to express her true feelings. (Something that they are edging closer to in future volumes.)  This series is more goofy and light-hearted than Doughnuts, but at its heart has a similar core value – love takes many forms, but can not be returned if it’s not expressed clearly.

I’m hoping that if…when…Ruriko and Kurumi express their feelings clearly, it’ll be a good thing for them both.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 then shifting to 9 by the end
Characters – same
Service – 0
Yuri – 6

Overall – 8, with loads of potential

My fingers crossed that we see this licensed soon, for the “She’s my wife!” moment at the very least. ^_^

 





5 Seconds Before A Witch Falls in Love, Guest Review by Luce

March 9th, 2022

Welcome to another Guest Review Wednesday on Okazu. We welcome back Luce who is taking a look at a collected volume of stories by Zeniko Sumiya that ran in Comic Yuri Hime. Take it away, Luce!

5 Seconds Before a Witch Falls in Love actually has three stories in it, although you wouldn’t know from the outset. The first and third are linked  in that they follow the same characters in stories set about a month apart: The ‘Untouchable Sorceress’ Meg, and the witch hunter Lilith. They fight frequently, although Meg has always managed to one-up Lilith, so never getting caught. When Meg turns Lilith into a cat and someone makes off with her, things change. A bit. In the second story, from Lilith’s point of view, a month afterwards, she is convinced that Meg has cursed her with a love spell. Why else would she be feeling so het up!

The third story is sandwiched between them, and isn’t at all related. In this, Kamiari Kanna is an otherwise normal school girl, who can see supernatural beings, and offers to help them. After finding the demon Belphegor wounded and the angel Samael apparently collapsed and offering to help them, they both fell madly in love with her and follow her around near constantly. A transfer student seems a bit suspicious though, and a supernatural entity is on the loose…

This book is a one shot and totally contained, which I do like. I’m not so fond of tsunderes, which Meg and Lilith emulate somewhat, but they were different enough that I could kind of get behind them. Being so short helped – you don’t actually have to endure the swathes of denial prior to the depicted story. I’m pretty happy about that. Meg was pretty fun, everyone calls her an old hag which pisses her off, and while she’s implied to be extremely talented with magic, she generally uses her magic to play ridiculous pranks on the townspeople. That said, when she does get serious, she goes all in. I personally would have liked Lilith to have a bit more… pizzazz(?) about her? She is cute, though. What I liked most was the ‘warlock pharmacist/drugstore owner’ Hachi. Well equipped with an armoury of snappy comebacks, he was great, and seemed to know more than he actually stated.

I’ll single out something that pleasantly surprised me – Meg apologises for kissing Lilith without her consent (to turn her back from being a cat). Seeing as consent is rarely even mentioned or asked for in manga, I greatly appreciate this. Meg also gives Lilith the opportunity to leave, by which she means to allow her to leave the situation altogether. I like this, and these small details made it far more enjoyable.

I think I enjoyed the second story a bit more though, which is funny because the only advertisement it gets on the cover is the three main characters on the back. The blurb doesn’t even mention a third story at all! The idea of a kind-hearted girl helping all sorts of supernatural spirits isn’t new, but Samael and Belphegor being obsessed by her was made infinitely better by a.) Kanna saying things how she meant and b.) them not getting too handsy about it. They fight over her, but it’s never serious. It’s clear that she is very dear to them, but they never force their affections on her – Bel is upset because the transfer student hugs Kanna… Because she wanted to. Kanna hugs her. It’s actually really cute.

Story: Meg and Lilith 5, Kanna’s story 7
Art: 7
Yuri: 8
Service: 3?
Overall: 7

Erica here: Thank you Luce! I’ll be sure to pay attention to that third story when I have a chance to read this collection. ^_^





Yuri Is My Job, Volume 8

March 7th, 2022

Hime is leaving Liebe. She has resolved that, to stop hurting Mitsuki, (and, as Mai is once again hale and hearty,) she will leave. Yuri Is My Job, Volume 8 begins with the tensest birthday celebration of all time.

No one wants Hime to leave, Hime does not want to leave, but she simply cannot think of a way to resolve this issue. The entire staff conspires to get Hime and Mitsuki to talk one last time….but will it be enough? Well…maybe. It’s enough for now, at least.

With their relationships patched up, but extremely fragile, the entire staff heads out for an overnight and photo shoot which causes cracks all over again. New cracks, though. Hime is, for the very first time, very aware of Mitsuki’s body, and has no idea how to handle what is going on in her head.

I sympathized so strongly with Mitsuki through this volume. She’s so vulnerable and honest about not being able to understand Hime’s intentions. About halfway through this volume I was ready to make an ultimatum…no more beating on Mitsuki. But, then the worm turns and it’s Hime struggling with who they are as schwestern. I’m fine with that, I just don’t want Mitsuki to be hurt any more.

By the end of this volume this arc is, finally, put to rest, thank Gott. Mitsuki and Hime carve out a tenable working relationship. Now we’re free to movie on for a bit.

I did genuinely love the photoshoot idea. I constantly think that Mai would be a very good manager of a cafe. The end notes are narrated by Mai, as she walks us through the school uniform policies. And again, in the author’s notes, we get insight into Miman-sensei’s process. At 8 volumes, and no sign of the story slowing down, it feels good to know that there is a plan.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 4
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8

Next volume we’ll turn our focus to Sumika and her left-over baggage and the new stuff she’s picked up since Kanako arrived. Trust me, she’s got a lot of stuff to deal with. ^_^

Nice work by the team at Kodansha, for an overall gripping volume!