Monologue Woven For You Volume 2, Guest Review by Matt Marcus

June 22nd, 2022

Welcome to Guest Review Wednesday here on Okazu – we’re thrilled to have Matt Marcus back with terrific critique. Please give Matt your attention and offer him some kind words in the comments!

The role of Reviewer will be played tonight by Matt Marcus. He is a cohost of various projects on the Pitch Drop Podcast Network, such as the anime watchalong podcast Boku No Stop, which is currently covering the yuri anime Flip Flappers.

Ah, the theater: a sanctuary where we can escape our everyday life in order to live many others, filled with mirthful joys or aching tragedies. In Monologue Woven For You, Volume 1, two star-crossed lovers, Haruka and Nao, connected over their love for the stage. But, while they have had a very smooth Act 1 of their courtship, each carries a secret that they fear would break them apart should they let it out.

Monologue Woven For You, Volume 2 pushes towards rising action, albeit in fits and starts. The story only has a single source of conflict with both Haruka and Nao going through similar arcs in separate chapters: they brood about whether they should admit their secret, the other partner notices their down mood, and instead of talking about it they just brush it under the rug and snuggle for a bit. Sure, there are lower-stakes obstacles, such as Haruka’s insecurity about taking the initiative in physical affection, or Nao’s worry about Haruka’s unawareness of others’ attraction to her. But all of that is fluffy filler akin to cotton candy: sweet, but unsubstantial (however please still visit our concession stands during the intermission).

What is ultimately frustrating is that even at the end of this volume, we still have no further insight into the incident that drove Haruka to quit acting. When Haruka reaffirms her love of the theater in Volume 1 and changes her dream to supporting Nao’s acting career, it seems we are meant to feel the same relief that Haruka does. However, without knowing any more detail on what caused her to quit, we cannot say whether this turn is a wizened healing of an old emotional wound or simply casting aside a denial of self that was given undue import by the intensity of teenage emotions. When Haruka turns down an opportunity to return to acting, I believe we are supposed to trust her judgment, but I don’t feel it. When it comes to rising out of the ashes of a dashed dream, Aquatope on White Sand this is not.

The weakest part of this volume is the introduction of a new character, Rei–a sullen 2nd-year high school student who, in an incredulous twist, is intimately familiar with Haruka’s acting past despite the four year age gap between them (this city must really love their high school theater). She’s also the love interest of Nao’s friend Yuki, which is troubling to say the least.

Now, the first thing that made this series stand out is that it is in full color. It’s refreshing to see, however I would rather that more attention had been paid to the page layouts. There is a visual density to each page in both panel and word balloon count, yet often there is a poor sense of motion from one panel to the next. On the fashion side, the outfit designs are very plain, such as a hoodie and jeans or a dress over a t-shirt. Practical? Yep. Realistic for college students? Sure. Boring to look at? Absolutely. One of the benefits of a college setting over high school is having more opportunities to use fashion as a means of characterization or storytelling, and the designs here pale in comparison to other works in similar settings (see: How Do We Relationship). The real rub with the art is that if this manga were in black and white, there would be very little to visually latch on to.

So, should you line up to buy tickets to this show? As long as you don’t expect Shakespeare, there is some entertainment to be had. Maybe don’t spring for the box seats.

Ratings:

Art – 7 The full color is nice, but the panel compositions and sense of motion leave a bit to be desired
Story – 6 Domestic fluff aside, the only point of conflict in the story is starting to wear thin
Characters – 5 Cute, but one-note
Service – 2 Sex happens off panel, though there is a little canoodling
Yuri – 9 / LGBTQ – 1 The girls are clearly dating but that’s about it

Overall – 7 At best would be cast as an understudy

Erica here: Well said. Thanks so much for offering us your perspective of this series.

 
 
Posted in English Anime, Guest Review, Matt Marcus, Yuri Manga | 2 Comments »


Otona ni Nattemo, (おとなになっても) Volume 6

June 21st, 2022

In Otona ni Nattemo, Volume 6, Shimura Takako has done something I’ve not seen before in a manga and I think I like it. ^_^

The main plot revolves around three people, all of whom seem to be very average. They aren’t perfect, but they are basically decent, flawed human beings. At this point in the story, they are also mostly, but not completely, disentangled from one another. A family discussion about the whole situation at a family restaurant includes Eri, merely because she knows what’s going on. Ayano is living with her parents. Akari is living with her family, having decided to not contact Ayano any more and Wataru has begun to think about life as a bachelor. As with all their decisions in this series, these choices are only partially successful.

The ongoing drama of Ayano’s students continues to make Ayano question her own choices. Akari wakes up in the bed of a woman she met the night before, Yukako. Yukako mischievously encourages Akari to wait for Ayano outside school, forcing them to still think about what they feel about each other. And Wataru considers dating someone new…which throws him back into accepting how his life has changed.

Each scene in this volume comes with a specific visual style. Conversation with another person forces one of our main characters to think about who and what they are and what they want. This internal monologue becomes page after page of sparse white text on black panels as they become lost in their own thoughts. As visual indicator of internal monologue I found it appealing. It does not feel as if Shimura-sensei is wasting that space at all.

Narratively, Ayano and Akari continue to fail to not meet up and finally give up and have a real conversation. Ayano re-introduces herself with her unmarried name. Will they have a new beginning? My bet is on “maybe.”

This series fascinates me, because I actually do want everyone in it to be happy. No one is a terrible person, not even when they make choices that may seem morally, or socially, questionable. It also feels like a real story, with real people who might actually exist in the world in a way that no other manga I’ve read has been. Lastly, I found the visual language of internal monologue so minimalist that it just…worked.

I’m still of the belief that this is Shimura-sensei’s best work to date and I just hope she has a clear ending in mind – whether it’s the ending I want, or not. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 8
Service – 0
Yuri / Queer – 8

Overall – 8

Frankly, Yukako seems like a great girlfriend for Akari, but I’m fairly sure we’re not heading there.

Drop back in on Friday when I take a look at the English-language edition of Even Though We’re Adults, Volume 4!

Posted in Shimura Takako, Yuri Manga | No Comments »


Galette No. 21 (ガレット)

June 19th, 2022

You can tell that this has been an unusually busy season when I fall behind on a quarterly magazine. ^_^; But hey, I think releasing a new book on the history of Yuri counts as a really great reason for falling behind! If you haven’t picked up By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga, now is a great time to call your local bookstore! ^_^

Galette No. 21 (ガレット) is the 5th anniversary issue of this crowd-funded, creator-owned quarterly Yuri manga magazine. That is an incredible achievement, especially in light of the multiple upheavals it has been through. So congratulations to everyone at Galette Works! The cover is appropriately sparkly for a celebration.

The volume starts off with a number of color pages on the 5th anniversary, including a short interview about Galette.

The magazine is actually split. The first half includes the ongoing chapters of manga like Morinaga Milk’s  “Watashi no Kawaii Neko-chan,” which has been licensed by Seven Seas as My Cute Little Kitten, “Houkenshitsu no Ano Onna “by Morita Miyuki and stories by Hamasaki Ringo, Yatosaki Haru, Neko Hariko, Kuchiko, and Haruno. This is followed up by a “Collaboration,” a short text story paired with a manga.

The second half of the book continues Hakamada Mera’s manga “Aikata System.” I reviewed  both volumes of that manga in 2020 here on Okazu. It seems to go a bit darker, so I’m going to have to re-read this carefully. ^_^ This manga was released by Dougenzaka Shobo, which was putting out a few decent Yuri titles…then just stopped and refocused on BL only. Shame, I really liked their stuff.

The endnotes include a crossword puzzle! How fun is that? I’ve never tried to do one in Japanese before.

Ratings:

Overall – 10 for making it to 5 years!

Galette, No. 22 is actually already out, but I’ve been much too busy to read, so have fallen behind on ordering books, as well. Woops. I’m going to have to pull myself together asap and grab that pretty soon.  Time for a shopping spree. ^_^

Posted in Magazines, Yuri Manga | No Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – June 18, 2022

June 18th, 2022

Yuri Manga

Viz Media has announced that Mierie Hieranashi’s The Girl Who Can’t Get a Girlfriend will be released in Spring 2023. I’m super excited for that.

Global Bookwalker is running a Yuri Festival 2022, notes YNN Correspondent High on Lullabies. Up to 40% coin back plus bonus items! Think I’m gonna run over to Bookwalker and grab me some of these titles as soon as I’m done here. ^_^

New items up on the Yuricon Store!

My Next Life as a Villainess Side Story: Girls Patch, follows Catarina’s harem from this goofy love comedy.

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Volume 3 hits shelves in English this month!

Namekawa-san Won’t Take a Licking!, Volume 1 is a screwball comedy, all wackiness ensues and weird facial expressions.

I Can’t Believe I Slept With You!, Volume 2 hit shelves this week.

The JK to Tomodachi no Okan (JKとともだちのオカン) is about a young woman who likes older women, and has developed a crush on her schoolmate’s mother.

Comic Yuri Hime, August 2022 (コミック百合姫2022年8月号) hit Japanese shelves this weekend.

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Yuri Manga Online

Via Comic Natalie, Irona Onna no ko ro Kiss o Shiteritara, Yuri Kiss ni Mezameshiteshimaimashita (色んな女の子とキスをしていたら、百合キスに目覚めてしまいました…。) is the story of a girl who saves girls with a kiss, This series begins in the July issue of Mangatime Kirara Forward. (Link to the Bookwalker listing, where you can check out some of the comic in the sample pages.

Also via Comic Natalie, Dakaretai Onna (抱かれたい女) Volume 1 is available in Japanese about the relationship of a college student and an older woman. There is a editorial warning on Amazon Japan that male characters will appear in this volume.

Koi to Yobu ni wa Aosugiru (恋と呼ぶには青すぎる) follow a young woman working at an izakaya who falls for a career woman, who is a looking for love in the wrong places. Check out Yuri Navi for sample pages.

Web Action presents Jihanki (自販機), a sweet little short by Kohinata Iroha.

Via Yuri Navi we have the first chapter of Hikizan Totoroji,”Kajikamu Yubisaki” (かじかむ指先) in full, in Japanese.

 

Yuri Doujinshi

Oshima Tomo and Oshiwa Towa (creator of High School Girls from ancient times when Comics One and Dr. Master existed.) work together on doujinshi all the time. Lilyka has picked one one of their least odd ones, After School 1. I am fairly certain I picked this up at a doujinshi event in the past. ^_^

 

 

Tip Okazu Writers a Coffee on Ko-fi

 

Yuri Essays

We’ve added 2 news essays to the Yuricon Essays page, as well as organized the Yuri Studio listings!:

Revolutionary Girl Utena – by Helen McCarthy. Historical perspective of Revolutionary Girl Utena, looking at roots in post-World War 2 thought, Takarazuka and feminist themes of this gateway Yuri series.

The Origins of Shōjo Manga – A pictorial history of the origins of girls’ manga on Google Arts and Culture by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

 

Yuri Light Novel

Otherside Picnic, Volume 7 had been reviewed here -it was great and is Yurier than ever. It’s now up on the Yuricon Store.

Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou -Revolution-, Volume 2 (私の推しは悪役令嬢。-Revolution-) the second volume of inori’s isekai light novel series is out now in print in Japanese from Ichijinsha! According to the obi, 200,000 copies of this series are in print – a noteworthy achievement for inori-sensei and Hanagata-sensei.

 

Yuri Visual Novels

Noodletub Games is at it again, with an adorable Yuri Visual Novel on Kickstarter – Good Luck Baby! is “An adventure/mystery yuri visual novel about falling in love, saving the world, and finding your place within it.” It’s already passed the original goal, with almost a month to go, so take a look!

 

Other News

Thanks to YNN Correspondents Ivan and David who noted Katie Gill’s article on Tor.com, Sailor Moon at 30: Looking Back at the Iconic Series.

Latonya Pennington has a round up of How LGBTQ+ stories have evolved and flourished in manga: An in-depth look at the history of LGBTQ+ manga  for The Popverse.

On ANN, Nicholas Dupree & Monique Thomas want us to Celebrate Pride with Kase-san!

I continued my LGBTQ_ manga series for queer bookstore Giovanni’s Room. Part 1 was about Yaoi manga and this week, Part 2 is about Yuri Manga! Next week I cover Queer manga. ^_^ Please enjoy the custom header images we made for the articles. ^_^

Last, but not least, I was extremely pleased to chat with Heather Rose Jones over at the Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast about By Your Side and more! I’ve been listening to this podcast since the early spring to catch up to current episodes. It’s a cool podcast if you have an interest in queer women in history.

 

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons and Supporters who make the YNN weekly report possible! Support us on Patreon to help us give Guest Reviewers a raise and to help us support Yuri creators!

Become a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share and be part of the Yuri Network. ^_^

Posted in Yuri Network News | No Comments »


Kimi to Shiranai Natsu ni Naru, Volume 1 (君としらない夏になる)

June 15th, 2022

Kimi to Shiranai Natsu ni Naru, Volume 1 (君としらない夏になる), subtitled in English “Throw away the suit together,” is one of my favorite reads currently in Comic Yuri Hime magazineright now. So a chance to step back and see what drew me in was something I embraced eagerly.

Haru and Hinoto are two young women who are deeply in love with one another, looking for jobs in various companies in Tokyo. The interviews and rejections are grueling, and Haru just…snaps. She tosses all the paperwork out the window. Without hesitation, Hi-chan joins her and the two of them run away from the grind of job hunting to a small island where Hi-chan’s aunt had a house.

This opening had all the weak spots in the narrative. When they come out of an impromptu ocean swim, their scooter is missing, which sets them in a panic, as it had their wallets, phones, etc.

The walk around town, trying to find the bike, to no avail, so they head over to Hi-chan’ss aunt’s house. Having reached the house, they find the phone ringing. It is, predictably, her aunt. Hi-chan asks if she and a friend can stay. The aunt answers with “no.”

Shocked at the “no,” Hinoto takes time to notice that Haru was, actually hurt by being called a friend. They discuss it and Hi-chan calls her aunt back to clarify that actually, its her and her lover – at which Haru shouts “fiancee!” The aunt lets them stay. ^_^

And then the story takes off. Which is to say, it slows down to a relaxed, gentle pace as Haru and Hinoto create a new life for themselves away from the path they were expected to take. They get the scooter back…and make a new friend in the process. And they start planning their wedding. The opening scenes of job hunting were supposed to create a sense of stress, so we’d be relieved by them walking away, but the scooter being removed actually created additional stress. It’s only when they have gotten the scooter (and their phones and wallets…) back that the story can actually begin.

Keyyang’s art is good, and bad. The anatomy is a bit “hrm” (their chests kind of shift size with need, and there’s some odd hip – leg anatomy from time to time.) and a constant strain of service may affect your opinion. It was generally tolerable to me, until individual moments where it became a bit tiresome. But, as the characters are adults and it never crosses the line of being plain gross, (the way The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady did), I allow it. Your mileage may vary. This volume has an omake with more adult content between them, so while I would not call this explicit, per se, I caution readers that it is for and about adults.

The big draw for me is Haru and Hinoto’s very deep love for one another. They are just so gosh darn cute.

Ratings:

Art – 6 Runs the gamut, but the energy is good.
Story – 8 I think anyone who has gone job hunting is going to feel those first bits in their bones
Characters – 8 Utterly likable
Service – 5 Quite a bit of underwear, some odd anatomy, but tolerable.
Yuri – 10, with a foot in LGBTQ+ identity

Overall – Charming, just a tad exhausting and overall one of my faves in the magazine right now.

Let’s all throw away our suits and go live on an island somewhere. Now all I need is a rich aunt. ^_^

Posted in Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »