Éclair Bleue: Ananta ni Hibiku Yuri Anthology (エクレア bleue あなたに響く百合アンソロジー) is the third of the Éclair anthology series.  The first two, Éclair  and Éclair blanche were firmly set in the world of schoolgirl romance. In this volume, the stories wander away towards hints of there being life beyond high school. 

To be sure, the protagonists are often themselves still in school with a variety of crushes on older women in their lives, but one or twice it slips and forgets that lesbian eventually graduate and yet, remain interested in romantic relationships with other women. Shocking, I know. 

The volume starts off with a color illustration by Hibiki Reine, which felt rather nostalgic, since we haven’t seen much of hers in Yuri anthologies for some time. You’ll recognize many of the names in this collection. Between Galette and Comic Yuri Hime, you’ll likely recognize many of them on sight. My favorite short this volume was “Sato to Namida to Onna to Onna” by Kita Taki which follows an office worker who can see that her coworker is struggling and helps, maybe, her find something to hang on to. I’ve always like Kitao-sensei’s grasp of adult concerns in her stories. Sato’s stability is refreshing, as Fujiwara says. 

The thing I actually like best about the Éclair series, is that it reminds me of the Yuri anthologies I used to obsessively consume before we had an established genre, with magazines and publishers putting out high-quality Yuri. These anthologies have always been important for Yuri creators, giving them a place to get their work to a larger audience (and, in many cases, use that to springboard to a professional level) and also provide the freedom of putting out the stories they wanted to see told. This series is nice for that, because it gives artists who are neck deep in their own series for one publisher a chance to play a bit in a looser-format anthology.

Ratings:

Overall – 8

I may not always like every story, but I will always love these kinds of Yuri anthologies. They are important piece of Yuri history for me. And, for the very first time, you too will be able to enjoy one of these Yuri anthologies in English when Yen Press publishes Éclair: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart this summer!

In April 2017, I reviewed a new Yuri anthology,  Eclair  – Anata ni Hibiku Yuri Anthology. It was, apparently, successful enough that a sequel was almost immediately planned, and so, today, I’m taking a look at Eclair blanche – Anata ni Hibiku Yuri Anthology (エクレア blanche あなたに響く百合アンソロジー).

There are many names in this anthology that will be familiar to Okazu readers, Amano Shuninta, Nakatani Nio, Kitao Taki, Canno and Hirao Auri among them.

Like all anthologies, your mileage may vary, as the authors play to their interests  and strengths, with still fairly heavy reliance on schoolgirl stories. This isn’t just a fetish, you understand, it’s a comfortable place to play, as no commitment, no social commentary and above all, no political position need be taken to present a heartfelt, sincere Yuri story. 

Of this anthology, the standout piece for me was Canno-sensei’s story which follows a fairly jaded lesbian, who finds a real connection with the girl next door. I also liked Kitao Taki-sensei’s story that takes the tired trope of a childhood promise and examines it in an adult light.

All in all, a collection of strong voices and variable art styles makes for a great place to pick and choose from a buffet of Yuri. You’re likely to find a piece or three that suit your tastes. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 7

While this collection is not available on the US Kindle, you can get it digitally on Bookwalker Global, which has the advantage of being both region and device agnostic. Both Eclair and Eclair blanche are available.

I still remember the old days of Okazu when the primary way to find Yuri was through anthologies. Not just any anthologies, but mostly through series parody anthologies that collected doujnshi art from the comic markets and packed them together in a tidy “what if?” collection. I’m still fond of the Souer Sengen series.

Today, Yuri anthologies are much more likely to be original, in the sense that they are not parodies of established series. Whether one can truly be considered “original” when  one is creating the 17, 764th version of “two girls like each other,” is something that we can certainly have a conversation about! ^_^ My position is that yes, you should tell your story, but without the delusion of thinking you’re the only one to have ever told it. Go ahead, write that Yuri manga all about coming out. Don’t imagine for a second that there isn’t one out there already but, your voice is still unique.

And, in this way, we can say all the stories in  Yuri anthology Eclair – Anata ni Hibiku Yuri Anthology (エクレア) are original. What I most liked about Eclair, was the way it dealt with the small things – the set of a back, the way hair moves, that draws one attention to someone. There’s few histrionics here, no major crises, just quiet moments in which things change.

Of all the stories in the collection, my absolute favorite was “Kamiyui” by Isaki Uta, in which a young woman, clearly destined for beauty school, bonds with the cool Nadesico beauty while playing with her hair. It felt…nice.

The selling point of this collection was the breadth of well-known artists who have contributed, including Yagate Kimi ni Naru’s Nakatani Nio, Amano Suninta, Canno, Mekimeki, Kitao Taki and Hirao Auri among others.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

It was a nice anthology, rather than an amazing one, with most of the stories set in school or with school age girls. Not, probably my go-to read, but for a glimpse of people doing their own work in the confines of a major publisher’s rules, an “original” work.