It’s a bit of an understatement to say that we live in interesting times, but there we are. And in times of stress we need to acknowledge our bodies and minds need to be taken care of. PornHub is making their Premium service free worldwide for the next month…in case you were feeling of residual guilt, they are donating 85% of their video sales to performers who have had to stop working due to the pandemic. There’s something reassuring to me that the porn industry leader is showing generosity in these difficult times.

If live-action porn isn’t your shtick, there’s always manga. Last week, we looked at Lesbian Fuuzoku Anthology (レズ風俗アンソロジー), an anthology about lesbian health delivery from Ichijinsha. It was successful enough that a few months later they released a sequel, Rezu Fuuzoku Anthology Repeater (レズ風俗アンソロジー リピーター).

While fewer of the stories stuck out for me, the overall sense was stories about women wanting to fix something in themselves with the help of  professional. Once again the best in collection from me goes to Iwami Kyouko, whose “My Sugar Cat” hit that note between whimsy and life that makes a throwaway porn piece fun to read.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

These two Rezu Fuuzoku collections were not terrible. They lack the dazzling charm of the old Mist ladies comics, but they start from a place of slightly less delusion, presenting this as the job it is, so I’ll call it a draw. ^_^

Kadokawa’s “White Lilies” series of anthologies have been good and goofy and fun and sad. White Lilies in Love Watashi ga Yoishireru no ha, Natsu no Hizashi to Anata Dake. Shakaijin Yuri Anthology (White Lilies in Love 私が酔いしれるのは、夏の陽射しと貴方だけ。 社会人百合アンソロジー) is more of the same and happens to also include some of the top adult life Yuri creators in the biz right now, which makes for a really pleasant read. This member of the series of vaguely seasonalish collections is subtitled in English “Drunk Only To The Summer Sunshine And You.” Prepositions and particles are complicated and we understand the sentiment, so that’s fine.

Inui Ayu starts the collection off with a sweet (pun intended) story about women who bond over shaved ice. It was, frankly, adorable. Women meet on vacation and at work, they meet after long separations, and fall for each other after being together day and after day. The collection includes work by Suzuki-sempai, Seta Seta, Hazuki Ruri and Kurukuruhime, all names we’ve become familiar with here on Okazu.

Without a doubt the final story was my favorite. Called “Blue Well he Youkoso” by Yuki Yukiko, it is a by-the-shore love story that has a surprising ending. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

A strong collection in terms of story and art. This would make a great collection for Yen to put out if they wanted more adult-life stories. It’s one of those anthologies that makes you really enjoy anthologies. ^_^

Well, so, Kanade  Aoharu Band Yuri Anthology (青春バンド百合アンソロジー) is definitely a Yuri anthology in which characters are near musical instruments and occasionally even play them. Which is not at all the same as being about people in bands. A couple of the included stories even go so far as to show members of a band. One especially derivative story is about two girls who play euphonium in a school whose uniforms look super familiar, but are not entirely the same, so it could not possibly be a rip-off. The Takeshima Eku story and a couple of others seems a little too like unused plot concepts from already existing Comic Yuri Hime story.

As you may be able to tell, I was a little disappointed with this collection. I had hoped it would be full of passionate relationships between girls in bands, but instead it read like rehashing of other series that we’re already watching or reading.

If you want to read stories that feel like other stories, so backpack on emotions you have from other stories, this a pretty gentle, safe way to do it. Nothing here is offensive. It’s just not what I had hoped from this collection. I have a lot of good and bad memories from my time in band and I could easily see so many of those situations leading to love. But sure, let’s just use the two or three scenarios we’re already familiar with. That’s okay, too.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

The art is good, the storytelling is fine, I can’t remember a single story seconds after I finish it.

I will share this with you. Via YNN Correspondent Verso S., here is a completely-worth-your-time video analysis of some of the music from Liza and the Blue Bird, which was vastly superior to every story in this collection. It got to me to sit still for 20+ minutes and listen and that’s saying something. Enjoy An Overlooked Track from Liz and the Blue Bird.

Did you know that a Flugelhorn is really a soprano tuba with its highly conical bore shape and a Euphonium is 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor instrument which is not related to tuba, but is closer to other conical-bore instruments like flugelhorn, trumpet or cornet. I just thought you might want to know.

White Lilies in Love Kaoru Toki, Anata ha. Shakijin Yuri Anthology (White Lilies in Love 花香るとき、貴方は。 社会人百合アンソロジー) is the next of the White Lilies in Love Anthology series from Kadokawa. The first one of this series that I reviewed, White Lilies in Love BRIDE’s 新婚百合アンソロジー, was centered around the theme of marriage. This volume is centered around springtime and sakura petals. And, as you might guess by that theme, I’m a little bit behind in reviewing this volume. ^_^

I did read this much earlier in the year, then forgot all about it. I read it again this summer, but was too busy to get to it and when it once again popped to the top of my to-review pile, I had, erm, forgotten the stories again. Not an auspicious beginning, but third time’s a charm and I can report that this was actually, a sweet anthology, my poor memory notwithstanding.

A managaka is tasked with drawing a love story centered around cherry blossoms. A young office worker finds relaxation and calm in the presence of an aquarium in the office lobby…and in the presence of the woman who designed it. An American who loves Japan, and who loves the sakura tree outside her Japanese friend’s room, is horrified to hear that her friend hates this time of year, because it means they’ll be parted. A woman who works at a match-making service makes a match for herself. And the initial color one-page story gets an adorable resolution at the end of the book.

Although the theme is spring, and the blossoming of the cherry trees, this is a very loose theme and those beautiful petals are often merely the background to a pleasant (or, in at least one case, unpleasant,) Yuri story.

Nothing here is ground-breaking, but it’s entertaining bedtime reading.

Ratings:

Art – Variable, some of it very good 8
Story – Same 8
Characters –  8
Service – 3 A bit
Yuri – 9

Overall – 8

This is exactly the kind of thing I enjoy reading before bed, when I want something light and fluffy. ^_^