Yamada to Kase-san, Volume 3 ( 山田と加瀬さん。)

September 1st, 2022

Kase-san and Yamada moved to Tokyo last spring. Now winter is ahead of them and they are settling in, mostly.

As Yamada to Kase-san, Volume 3 ( 山田と加瀬さん。) begins, Yamada has taken massive strides towards building a new life. It’s true that, as a first-year, she lacks some confidence, but her bouts of low self-esteem are much rarer than before. She’s learning a lot, working hard at her job and making friends. And this year, as the school festival approaches, she’s honored to take part in a special edition of one of her favorite gardening shows. The gardening club is working with their favorite teacher to do a live performance, with a special guest – a famous voice actor.

Kase-san’s school festival is on the same exact day. How they balance the schedule, Kase-san dealing with one last (and for once, rather amusing,) round of jealousy and what becomes of them when the voice actor turns out to be a good gardener, a decent person and an adult who provides good advice, is the bulk of this volume.

The other half of the story is the inevitability of a coming crisis with Kase-san’s roommate. Kase-san’s old rival from high school confides that she knows Kase-san has a lover. Fukami is trying very hard to not care, but…she cares. It is becoming harder to ignore that her feelings for Kase-san are not roommate-y. What will happen with them? We don’t know and it may be moot – because Yamada and Kase-san start talking about the next year and maybe living together.

I like that this manga is moving at a pace that is slow, but somehow feels real-ish.  That is to say, we’re not hitting multiple festivals per volume, which means that we have time to look at both Yamada and Kase-san and see how far they’ve come. Even the art invites us to see both of them as more adult. Yamada, especially. They have distinct personalities, and styles. It’s been half a year, Kase-san is finally dealing with the jealousy thing, Yamada’s low-self-esteem has really changed from her days in high school. Our little girls are growing up and it’s…nice. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – Not really, this volume.
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9

There’s no date yet for Volume 3 in English, but I bet it’ll be out in 2023!

Posted in Kase-san Series, Yuri Manga | No Comments »


Otherside Picnic Manga, Volume 2 Guest Review by Sandy F

August 31st, 2022

Welcome to another Guest Review Wednesday on Okazu! Today we welcome back Sandy F, for continuing coverage on the Otherside Picnic manga from Square Enix. Please give him your kind attention and take it away, Sandy!

After quite a wait we have Volume 2 of the manga version of Otherside Picnic, with the conclusion of ‘Surviving the Eight-Foot-Tall Lady’, a large chunk of ‘Station February’ and a bonus original story ‘Late-night Chicken and a Gorilla’. It is worth the wait. I wonder if it this volume should have been titled ‘Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire’ as we follow Sorawo and Toriko surviving by the skin of their teeth. They celebrate their survival but afterwards wander into more trouble where they confront different Otherside Entities and just as dangerous, stranded US marines.

In ‘Late-night Chicken and a Gorilla’ Kozakura muses on how the mirror cube offers a different perspective on how to perceive the world, and I find that the manga does something similar in how it tells the story of the Otherside when compared with the novels. For example, in the novels everything is told from Sorawo’s perspective and her responses to what is happening around her. However, in the manga although Sorawo is the narrator, through the artwork we don’t have to rely upon her perception of what is going on. So, we witness Toriko’s growing feelings for Sorawo that challenges Sorawo’s ‘why would Toriko want to be with me’ mode.

The artwork continues to be effective in conveying why I enjoy this series so much. The ability to shift from the goofiness that is Toriko, the sullenness that is Sorawo to the insanity inducing visions of the Otherside is amazing. The artist does a wonderful job of conveying the ‘bloody hell’ moment when Sorawo and Toriko realise that they have unexpectedly arrived in the Otherside at night-time.There are some neat moments when we see Sorawo and Toriko strengthen their bonds as accomplices both in enjoying a drinking party and the terrors of the Otherside.

With ‘Late-night Chicken and a Gorilla’ we hear Kozakura’s voice. From wondering why she ate so much KFC, to an analysis of her thoughts on the nature of the mirror cube and what can she do about those meddlesome kids Toriko and Sorawo who are intruding in her life. With this story we see glimpses of Kozakura as a more complicated person than, for the most part, we see in the main novels.
All in all, a great read and now the wait begins for the next volume.

Story – 9
Artwork 9
Character – 8
Service – 4
Yuri – 5

Overall – 9

Erica here: Thank you Sandy! From my perspective what makes the manga so worth my time is that the art is quite good at capturing the qualities that make the Otherside creepy or scary, while also showing us the still-inexplicable, (sometimes less terrifying, occasionally more,) things that Sorawo can see with her blue eye. This adds an extra layer of confusion and fear to every story without being gross or, as the anime played it, boo!-scary.

I especially like the conclusion to the Eight-Foot Tall Lady story. That has stuck with me since I read it the first time. It’s going to have repercussions for volumes to come. The art here really captures the sights and feel of the Otherside in a way the LN art really had no chance to do. Looking forward to Volume 3, which will be heading our way in December!

Posted in English Manga, Guest Review | 2 Comments »


Yuri Studio Early Access for Okazu Patrons – Top 10 Changes In Yuri From 20 Years of Okazu

August 29th, 2022

Happy 20th Anniversary Okazu! As requested Okazu Patrons, I’ve created a 20th anniversary video for Okazu, talking about the changes in Yuri that I have seen over the last 20 years.

For early access to all video and research, become an Okazu Patron today! ^_^ Your support goes directly into supporting Yuri creators.

 

Posted in Miscellaneous | No Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – August 27, 2022

August 27th, 2022

Okazu News

Only a few days left to participate in the Okazu 20th Anniversary Yuri Treasure Hunt! Get your answers in!

 

Yuri Manga

Otherside Picnic Manga, Volume 2 has hit English-language shelves (and hell yes, I read it right away, thank you…. ^_^)  I think the manga version is doing an outstanding job on the Otherside creatures, making them both creepy and inexplicable without being gross. Highly recommended.

The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, Volume 2 is up on the Yuricon Store and will be here in November (which is no longer that far away….!) I loved this manga in Japanese and am thrilled we’re getting it in English! I reviewed Volume 1 in July.

Hana Monogatari, Volume 1 (はなものがたり) is now on the Yuricon Store. This tale of a widow finding a new way to live with the help of makeup, scents and an attractive older woman to be friends with (or more), is so charming and sweet.

Canno’s new series, Koudou Ryou no Seizana Hibi (黄道寮の星座な日々,) Volume 1 is now out in Japanese!

Okazu needs your support –
Become an Okazu Patron today!

 

Via Comic Natalie, Watashitachi no Owari to (わたしたちの終わりと) is a post-apocalyptic collection with two stories. The first about two women who are the last people in the world and the second about two women in a world that has collapsed when news that a meteorite will hit is received. These were originally published as doujinshi and have been collected by Comic Beam.

Via Comic Natalie, we learn about Keiyaku Shimai (ケイヤクシマイ), a Yuri romance-comedy about an office worker who makes a “sister contract” with a high school girl. And also, there is a foodie component, because why not, it has everything else. Check it out on Comic Walker!

It’s all Comic Natalie today. ^_^ In Hogushite, Yui-san,  (ほぐして、癒衣さん。) an office worker helps her co-worker unwind during late nights with hugs and massage. Volume 1 is available or you can read a sample at Sega Nico Video!

 

Yuri Drama Recording

SukeraSparo has released Futari Photograph Club ~Mainichi Issho Ni Kore Kara Mo~ (ふたりフォトグラフ 〜毎日を一緒に、これからも〜) on DLSite. DLSite has a special gift for folks who review this! Now that Drama CDs have become rarer, it’s pretty fun for me to see a new original Yuri drama recording! If you’d like a taste, there’s a free trial download.

 

Yuri Doujinshi

Via YNN Correspondent Patricia B, we have news of Datura Magazine. “Edited by Sunmi, the magazine will contain four stories by Pa-Luis, Emma Jayne, Mar Julia, and Cathy G. Johnson. This is the initial issue with plans to publish more if they are successful.” According to the official site, Datura is a “queer josei-inspired anthology series featuring a range of speculative and realist stories for an adult audience that, like the poisonous datura flower, might have an edge to them. We look to expand on ideas of “Girl’s Love,” along the lines of how its counterpart BL can be a gender-expansive space for exploring alternative sexuality.” Sounds fun!

 

Support Okazu on Ko-fi! We’re building a community!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Other News

Don’t miss YuriMother’s incredible 2022 Yuri Pride Guide! It’s a deep-dive into “anime, manga, light novels, games, and webcomics that showcase love and passion for Yuri.” Speaking of YuriMother, check out the interview with her on Lilyka.

Via Comic Natalie, an interview with the creator of Yuri fantasy Oyasumi Sheherezade, Chiyoda Shuhei.

The JP Yuri accounts are a-twitter (pun intended) over new series IDOL x IDOL by New Game creator Tokunou Shoutarou. Probably it’ll just be cute girls being cute, but ya never know. Check out ANN for details reported by Rafael Antonio Pineda!

Manga Mogura reported on Twitter, “Roses of Versailles by Ryoko Ikeda is on the cover of the latest Geijutsu Shinchou (芸術新潮) issue 9/2022 for a special feature. Interview with Ikeda too.” Looks like the big news is that we’re getting a new anime! Can anything beat the Dezaki version? There was a trailer for a new anime some years ago at the Tokyo Anime Contents Fair when I attended…I wonder if that’s being resurrected. Not surprisingly, this issue is very sold out. I’ll see about getting a copy, but I’m betting I missed my chance. ^_^

 

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons who make the YNN weekly report possible! Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi 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 »


Yuri is My Job!, Volume 9

August 26th, 2022

Before we get to the meat that is Yuri is My Job!, Volume 9, let’s step back for a second and look back at a story that has traversed a whole lot of ground, while never moving. ^_^

The situation comedy that starred a young woman more concerned with how she appeared to others than anything else, became an emotionally fraught tale of two childhood friends whose idea of what they wanted from their friendship was irreparably different. Nonetheless, Yano and Hime are, at the moment, relatively functional as a pair of “schwestern.”  Now, we’re looking at the remain cast at this Yuri concept cafe and finding that again, things are wildly out of balance.

Kanako was and is, obsessively focused on Hime. To the point where she really hates even thinking about sharing her with Yano in any but the most superficial way during work hours. This is, of course, not healthy. Sumika, as Kanako’s older sister offers to help her navigate this, but she’s finding that all this Yuri around her…and her own history…has gotten into her head. She’s having decidedly unsisterly feelings about Kanako.

I like Sumika and this arc is killing me.  For oh so many reasons. Mostly because she’s a big assholey clueless straight girl in a very gay Yuri cafe and is an utter dumbass about everything possible. ^_^ Kanako’s obsession makes her almost impossible to like, but you have to sympathize with big ole dumbass Sumika, until….

As Sumika’s brain plays gay games with her, bad news arrives at Liebe and the next few volumes will be a 4-way train wreck between Sumika, Kanako, Sumika’s former little sister, Nene and the woman who broke it all, the woman who destroyed Sumika’s happy days at the cafe the first time and is looking like it’s her plan to to do that again, Gouto (cafe name Goeido) Yoko.

You know I love me my evil lesbians, but in this arc, my hat is thrown into the ring for Nene and her “fuck you, straight girl” faces, which I might need to make into a meme.

Miman has take us so far from the opening salvo and I’m still hooked on every chapter, wanting to know where and what and who and why. The art is orders better from early chapters as well. Facial expressions are outstanding this volume. Since the story is focusing on conversations over cafe scenes, faces and body language really have to carry the visual weight. They do that successfully.

This volume has a short extra story of unrequited love, “I am Your Destiny,” Miman-sensei’s author’s notes which are always interesting and another page of the Cafe’s “Operating Manual,” for fun.

Ratings:

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

Overall – 8.

As I said in my review of this volume in Japanese, “A fantastically unpredictable volume from a series that never stops surprising me.”

Top notch translation from Diana Taylor, solid lettering by Jennifer Skarupa and editing by Haruko Hashimoto makes this an easy reading, set-up for next volume’s gut punches.  Get yourself ready… Volume 10 will be here in November.

Posted in English Manga, Miman, Yuri Manga | 2 Comments »