Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Transparent Light Blue (English)

May 10th, 2019

Transparent Light Blue, by Kyoko Iwami, was a collection of two multi-chapter short stories that ran in Comic Yuri Hime (and, I believe a earlier as a doujinshi. My Japanese volume is buried in the files, so I cannot check.)

The first story follows three friends, Ritsu, Ichika and Shun, as their friendship faces a severe crisis in the form of a love triangle. Both Shun and Ritsu are in love with Ichika. The tension between them threatens to pull the three of them apart until Ichika makes a decision. When she chooses Ritsu, the crisis passes and Shun accepts that his friends are now an item. The overall narrative is a bit pat, and there is a lot of service in the form of ear-cleaning, which stands in for sexual intimacy and is therefore rather more breathy and double entendre-laced than we might expect.

The second story is a messy little tale about gender, cross-dressing and sublimating sexual desire, with a shockingly happy ending. Upon re-reading I was surprised how almost-absurdly satisfying I found both endings, especially as I recall debating with myself when I read this in Japanese about even reviewing it, as we had better manga already to talk about.

But now that it’s in English, I think it’s worth taking a look at, if only to springboard from it into the vastly superior current work by Iwami-sensei being serialized now in Comic Yuri Hime, Luminous Blue (ルミナス＝ブルー). The only reason I have not yet reviewed this manga is that I cannot get a copy! It sold out almost instantly when it came out and hasn’t yet been restocked on Amazon JP.  Everything Iwami-sensei does in Transparent Light Blue, she does better in her second series.  And so, if you like to see the evolution of a  Yuri creator, I do actually suggest you read this volume, so when Luminous Blue is licensed, you will see where she came from and how far she’s come.

Ratings:

Art – 7 Drippy
Story – 7 Messy, but satisfactory
Characters – 6 Questionable choices / unreasonably positive results
Service – 6 Sexy ear-cleaning, making the cute girl cross-dress
Yuri – 7

Overall – 7

In 2010, Transparent Light Blue would have felt like a triumph. In 2019, it feels a little regressive, but still delivers a dose of dopamine if you like soap opera.

 





Yuri Manga: Yagate Kimi ni Naru, Volume 7 (やがて君になる)

May 8th, 2019

Since the first volume, I have been cautious.

“All this having been said, I need to bring up two important issues I have with this manga. The first is that it is presented as a romance. The story is apparently that we’ll side with Touko as her sincere feelings for Yuu are eventually returned. ”

I have repeatedly pointed out a glaringly obvious problem with this series.

“I’m still not sure if Yuu is supposed to be confused because she just hasn’t had an “a-ha!” moment or because she’s genuinely asexual. I don’t think the mangaka knows, either and I’m positive Yuu herself has no idea.”

“Which leads me to the, I think, obvious conclusion abut Yuu. What if she’s asexual? If so, she’s never going to have those feelings for Touko or anyone. She might come to love Touko and continue to admire and like her, but never have sexual interest in her. So, then I can’t help but see Touko’s coming on (to be crude) to Yuu as another burden, rather than a blessing.”

“Both these things nag at me while I read this manga. And I worry that Yuu’s agency will be stripped from her as the narrative continues.”

“Where they will end we cannot say (well, okay, obviously we can. It was abundantly clear from the first page of this series it was meant to be a romance. As I noted in my review of the first volume back in 2016…. So, yeah, obviously it has been heading in this direction from the very beginning. Which I’m still kind of sad about. I would really have preferred to have Yuu as a rare aromantic manga protagonist. Oh well.”

And so on…. every volume has been problematic.

Yagate Kimi ni Naru, Volume 7 (やがて君になる) is not helping. ^_^;

That said, there is a lot to like in this volume. We get another moment when Sayaka sits down with Miyako and really talks about the thing that they have in common; a thing Miyako has largely dealt with, but that Sayaka has not, yet. We also get a chapter backstory for Miyako and Riko, in which we see how they met and came to be a couple. Those are both wonderful moments. And, continuing on, we see Sayaka take an important step forward in her own growth. For all of this, this volume is very, very good.

But the big glaring problem does not get smaller here. Yuu is going to have deal with how she feels about Touko – – which is not the glaring problem. The big glaring problem is how her being set up as an aromantic is going to be dealt with. I do not want to spoil a thing, but… I did was neither surprised, nor impressed by the way it was handled. The way it was handled is the big glaring problem. When the series is complete in English, we’ll talk about it. Until then, I look forward to spoiler-free comments from you!

Ratings:

Art – 9 It is palpably better in this volume than it has ever been
Story – If the point of art is to create a reaction in its viewer, then this is a 10, for both good and ill
Characters  – 10
Service – Nothing salacious, buy Miyako and Riko getting ready for bed was a kind of service. ^_^
Yuri – 10+

Overall – 9

It was very “aauuggghhhhh!” and very “yay!” and I need you all to read it asap so I can *talk* about it! You will have the chance to read it in December, while Volume 8, which will hit shelves in autumn in Japan, will be the final volume. When this all over about a year from now, we shall sit down and have a good long talk about this series. ^_^;





Yuri Manga: Tsurezure Biyori, Volume 2 (徒然日和 )

May 6th, 2019

In Volume 1, we met Koharu and Mafuyu, childhood friends who have once again met now that they are in high school. And, having met again, they are spending time together and realize that they quite like each other. It’s a quiet, pleasant progression, without tension. Friendship neatly sliding into “like.”

In Tsurezure Biyori, Volume 2 (徒然日和 ), we turn our eyes to Koharu and Mafuyu’s friends, roommates Nanaya and Minori. Everything about them reads “married couple” and it is obvious that they both care for one another very much. They are not a couple, however. They are an excellent example of a Boston Marriage, two women who are a family  without being lovers or relatives. The majority of Volume 2 is focused on them, their current relationship, and their past and how much and why they care about one another. It is, once again, pleasant, and even when it’s a bit heart-wringy drama, its never over the top melodrama.

This story is not – has not ever been  – a romance. It is about day to day nothing that makes up a life. We complain about the heat in summer, we have friends over for food, we go to the beach and play in the water. We love and care for our friends…the day-to-dayness of a life being enjoyed. If I had to translate this title, I’d say something like “languid days.” As we head into summer here in my part of the world, I’m kind of looking forward to living this. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7 Simple and pleasant
Story- 7 Same as above
Characters – 8
Yuri – 5 Koharu sleeping over Mafuyu’s house is adorbs
Service – 0

Overall – 8 A pleasant read about nothing in particular.

This series along, with Goodbye Dystopia are two of my favorite Yuri series in which nothing happens, not even much Yuri.





Yuri Manga: White Lilies in Love BRIDE’s 新婚百合アンソロジー

May 2nd, 2019

Where I live, it’s spring and the flowers are blooming, and the trees are that particular shade of new-growth yellow-green that make you believe all is and will be well with the world. What better way to celebrate the energy and joy of this season than with an adorable anthology about lesbian weddings? Sadly we don’t have that, but we do have this lovely Yuri anthology – and it does actually include a lesbian couple. So, that works. 

White Lilies in Love BRIDE’s 新婚百合アンソロジー is one of the many current Yuri anthologies being heaved up by Kadokawa ASCII Mediaworks. Along with the multitudes from Ichijinsha and Futabasha, we are currently up to our neck in Yuri anthologies named after sweet and fragrant things. I am not complaining. ^_^

The first story takes a look at how important communication is in a new marriage, as newlyweds are not dealing with the gaps that have formed between them, and how they need to talk to work things out.

My favorite story, by the currently omnipresent relative newcomer, Miura Kozumi, (whose work I really enjoy) follows a couple who keep being completely blown away by seeing each other as their new bride.  I loved this story for so many reasons. The two actually came out to their families, they had a lovely wedding, parents bought them cheeseball wedding gifts… and they blush to their roots at thinking about how they are newlyweds. This one was cute as a boutonniere.

Tsuzura Ryo’s story was a close second. A young woman whose lover has died sees a fox’s wedding and is able to marry the spirit of her deceased lover. Of course, she’s left living with with both a fox and the spirit of her wife, but that’s okay.

In close third was Kiriyama Haruka’s story of a couple that fights over everything but are wholly suited for one another. I liked the art best from this story as everyone looked their (adult) age.

Ratings:

Art – Variable, none of it bad 8
Story – Same 8
Characters – Everyone is very earnest, except the art teacher 8
Service – 3 A bit
Yuri – 9

Overall, a strong 8

As a nice collection of Yuri wedding bedtime stories, this was top notch.





Yuri Manga: Sayonara Rose Garden, Volume 1 (さよならローズガーデン)

April 30th, 2019

It is the Victorian era, and Hanako has traveled to England all the way from Japan in order to meet her favorite author, Victor Franks. While tracking the elusive Franks down, she’s taken a job as a maid to Alice, the daughter of a Duke.

Alice is very beautiful and kind to Hanako and, even though it annoys the other maids, Hanako is nice enough, so work is not arduous. Hanako likes Alice, but can see that her mistress is sad. One day, when once again speaking about Victor Franks, Alice asks Hanako for a promise – she will introduce the young Japanese woman to the author, but in return Hanako will help Alice kill herself. Hanako is appalled, but agrees, when she understands why.

Alice is engaged to a young noble Edward. Edward seems a good fit for Alice, but it is immediately apparent that she does not love him. In conversation with Edward’s companions, we learn that Alice is rumored to have previously fallen in love with her governess. And, it seems obvious to us…and Edward…that Alice is quite taken with her maid.

Volume 1 of Sayonara Rose Garden (さよならローズガーデン) is not as scandalous as it might have been even 40 years ago, this story must therefore not be a horror story, or a scandal sheet, but a story of redemption.  Dr. Pepperco’s art is detailed without being obsessive, and the characters are appealing, almost despite themselves. With the fraught tone and the Victorian setting one keeps waiting for high melodrama which never quite comes – something I actually appreciate. Instead, everyone is a little extra sincere and earnest. I can’t even dislike Edward, because how sucky would it be to be in his position?

I expected the volume to be a penny dreadful, with Victorian creepiness, but it’s actually a sad little story that I expect to see turned around in a pleasantly predictable ending. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Service – 3 Victorian underwear, because of course there is, but not too salacious
Yuri –  6

Overall – 7

As Alice and Hanako run off together, we can see the inevitable climax, and all its little denouements, but whatever, it’s all in good fun.