Kadokawa’s Yuri Drill anthology is an interesting exercise in exploration of common Yuri tropes, as depicted by 39 Yuri manga artists. And also an exercise in the persistence of these same tropes, as expressed in the subtitle “including the supreme scenes of girls.” When it feels a little mind-boggling that publishers so often turn to really banal tropes of Yuri like “School life Yuri” “Childhood friend Yuri” “Sempai x Kouhai Yuri,” this book will remind you that it’s gonna take a heckuva literary crowbar to pop off this stone and release some different, weird and gods helps us, original Yuri, from the cave.

In the meantime, we have these commonplace scenarios explored, analyzed, even parodied at times, by 39 different Yuri artists, many names of which will be familiar to readers of Okazu.

If you’ve ever wondered Amano Shuninta would make of a workplace sempai x kouhai  trope or Mikanshi’s look at “Fantasy Yuri” or Kodama Naoko’s image of a workplace romance, you can flip through this book and do just that. 

Ratings:

Overall – 7

This is not a must-have for Yuri fans, but it’s an interesting game idea. “Improv Yuri drawings – keyword phrase is “not already done to death! Go!”

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about Yuri anthologies. They serve a unique purpose for a niche genre, as a gathering place for up-and-coming artists to have their original (or parody, in the case of series-focused anthologies) work highlighted. Yuri anthologies often end up being full of creators who are not yet famous enough to warrant their own series, but who have built a following at comic shows. Read a few contemporaneous anthologies in any niche and you’ll start to see the same names over time. 

Today we’re looking at Yuri + Kanojo (百合＋カノジョ), a fun Yuri anthology that lives on the intersection of Yuri manga, and Yuri Visual Novels.

The format of the book makes it clear that Yuri VNs are the inspiration for the story. It begins with “Now Loading….” and then moves on to a chapter labeled “Episode of high school students.” Each vignette is short, and we, the player character are not seen in full any of the vignettes, we are merely spoken to (although we do see peces of ourselves, like our hands or feet.) Credits for the stories are presented like game controls and after each short vignette ends, (they run about 6 pages each,) the final page shows us character design and bio for the “other” character, our love interest. 

This book is already kind of fun and unique, but it adds one more nice feature – only the first chapter happens in high school. “We” then move into college and the workplace and life. We go on dates, take jobs, go out with friends, have lovers, and continue, one chapter and one individual at a time, to live life vicariously through the PC point of view. 

Because the vignettes are short, there’s very little story-telling. “Two women on a date” is not a plot so much as a fleeting thought. But, as a series of scenes written around the prompts, this was a very enjoyable exercise and a very unique volume.

Ratings:

As an anthology, it’s all variable, but for the adult art and thinking about life, I give it a solid 8

This book sold out incredibly quickly on Amazon JP, so I was absolutely thrilled to find a copy on display at the Shosen Yuribu in Akihabara. Yay Yuribu!

One of the most obvious trends in Yuri in Japan right now is the shift to office romance. This cannot come as a a huge surprise after decades of nearly nothing other than school children in love. Of course people who grew up with those stories of girls who found love in club and library, having graduated and moved into the workforce, would crave stories of adults who find each other among the cubicles. ^_^

Anoko to Me ga Autabi Watashi ha Shakaiin Yuri Anthology (あの娘と目が合うたび私は 社会人百合アンソロジー) is one of several titles out recently that fills this need. This anthology has contributions by some artists we’re familiar with here at Okazu – Tsukiko provides an illustration, Mikanshi and Esuesu, Satsumaage and irua have all done work in other anthologies and magazines we’ve reviewed. 

The volume starts off really strongly with a lovely cover image and opening story by Harukawa You. In the opening story, a graphic designer is hired to do a CD cover design for an indie singer whose schtick is wearing a horse head. What is hidden underneath the mask is a really lovely young lady who admires her work.

I really enjoyed irua’s “Minna Sonshiteruyo” in which a unloved boss turns out to have a secret supporter among the employees.

Seta Seta’s “Meter Stop” was a ridiculous story I liked about a female cab driver finding herself driving someone she knew a long time ago in another job. 

And Yuki Yukiko’s ”Chosou Love Letter,” about a woman who works at a shipping company and her charming and beautiful customer, was a terrific end story for the book. 

This collection has all the strengths and weaknesses of an anthology. Stories one likes are too short, and stories one doesn’t go on too long and you never quite get the development a character deserves, but it’s a good read and a pleasant change from high school.

Ratings:

Art – Variable but generally good
Story –  Surprising variety, considering
Characters- Realistically, I’m no more interested in falling in love with a coworker than a classmate, but at least they are all adults. ^_^
Service – Not really
Yuri – Yes

Overall – A solid read, let’s give it an 8

If office romance and romance between adult women is appealing to you and you don’t mind the short-story format of an anthology, another office romance doujinshi anthology has recently been published. Yuri Master Kawamoto-san would like you to know about Shakaiin Yuri Anthology Rouge, (社会人百合アンソロジールージュ), which includes more authors we know and love, like Ajichi, Canno, Kitao Taki, Takemiya Jin and others!