My First Love’s Kiss, Volume 1

September 25th, 2024

On a rocky shore, two girls in Japanese school uniforms with dark skirts and white sailor-style uniform tops stand. One, with long dark hair, is a distance away. Closer to us is a blonde who looks over right shoulder at us.

by Eleanor Walker, Staff Writer

Content warning: Underage sex work is a prominent theme of this book, although nothing is explicitly described. There is also violence.

My First Love’s Kiss is the newest English release from Hitoma Iruma, who authored the Saeki Sayaka novel spinoff of Bloom into You, and Adachi and Shimamura. Illustrations are by fly, whose work has also appeared in Chasing After Aoi Koshiba, and various yuri anthologies.

My first introduction to Iruma-sensei’s work was reading the Saeki Sayaka spinoff novels of Bloom Into You, and having subsequently read most of Adachi and Shimamura, and now the first volume of this series, I have come to the conclusion that his works are much more enjoyable when he’s writing about someone else’s characters instead of his own.

The author’s own afterword says that this is planned to be a 3 volume series, and this volume almost reads like a prequel, setting up the characters and story but without much actually happening. Some research while writing this review indicates that this series is set in the same universe as Adachi and Shimamura and stars Shimamura’s former senpai. Hino and Nagafuji also appear as supporting characters. However, I had no idea about this going into the book, and the cover just says “From the author of Adachi and Shimamura” with no indication that the two series are linked. Perhaps it’s because the Adachi and Shimamura novel series is released in English by Seven Seas, whereas this is a Yen On release, but I feel that’s some important context which is missing.

As for the story itself, I’m not really sure what’s going on here. The first chapter is told from Takasora’s point of view. She and her mother live in a small apartment, and the novel opens up with “surprise, here’s my friend and her daughter, they’re going to be living with us for a while” Understandably, Takasora is not too impressed with having to share her already small bedroom with this new interloper and losing her only private space. At first they agree to ignore each other, but Takasora wonders where her new roommate is going late at night.

The second chapter is told from Takasora’s new roommate, Umi’s, point of view. Umi and her mother have clearly not had an easy life, couchsurfing is all she knows, and she finds herself involved with an older woman, Chiki, who is willing to pay her for companionship. Much of this chapter is a flashback telling the story of Chiki and Umi so far.

The third and final chapter alternates points of view, and Takasora confronts Umi about what she’s doing at night. Encouraged by Umi’s mother, for some unknown reason, Takasora follows Umi to see what she’s getting up to and overhears her confessing her love to Chiki and her wish to start dating without money involved, which they do. Maybe I’m just missing something, but I don’t understand how Takasora has gone from barely tolerating Umi at the beginning to now having an unrequited crush on her by the end of the book.

Ratings:

Art – 6. I enjoy Fly’s art style but the illustrations in this book are very samey. Even the cover illustration is repeated twice in the colour page section at the beginning of the book.
Story – 5. All setup, no substance. Hopefully it’ll improve in the next volume.
Characters – 5. Especially without knowing the link to Adachi and Shimamura, I found the characters rather flat.
Service – I don’t feel comfortable rating underage sex work as service.
Yuri – 4 . There are women/girls in relationships.

Overall – 5 . I’ll probably finish the series if it’s only 3 volumes, but I’m glad it was on offer when I bought it on a whim in the shop.

Posted in Eleanor W, Light Novel | No Comments »


Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 8 ( 私を喰べたい、ひとでなし)

September 23rd, 2024

There is no way to review this volume without a few spoilers, so if you would like to skip them, please jump down to after the asterisks.

Kitsune, the legendary shapeshifting yokai have a rival among creatures in Japanese folklore. The other well-known, shapes-shifting yokai, known as the tanuki, and the fox-like Kitsune have a long rivalry.

In Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 8 ( 私を喰べたい、ひとでなし), Hinako gets caught in the middle of this age-long hatred.

Hinako knows who her best friend Miko is. She understands that Miko is dedicated to protecting her and she trusts Miko. When a new girl shows up with a clear desire to destroy Miko and Hinako’s relationship, even Shiori is unable to do anything.

Before we get a climax, we get a poignant look at Miko’s life long ago, when she was in fact known as a murderer, a human-eating monster. But her life is different now  – her affection for Hinako is undeniable. Nonetheless, Miko clearly harbors guilt about her past. Miko tries to warn this menacing newcomer away from her friend, but the girl, Tsubaki is focused on pushing Hinako away from Miko with fearful hints about her true nature.

Unfortunately for our interloper, Hinako knows the truth. When Tsubaki’s ploy isn’t enough, this mischievous tanuki clearly is not above violence , but she’s forgotten that Hinako is not just protected by an ancient kitsune – she is also protected by a sea monster. But Tsubaki is as wily, as one might expect from a tanuki, and she knows one more secret. Will Miko be able to remain human in the face of this animosity?

***

I know I say I love this manga every volume, but, wow, do I absolutely love this manga. It is steeped in darkness that is wholly Japanese  – these are the things that make weird noises in the night in Japanese folklore. To have a tabula rasa as plain as Hinako as the center of the story, it requires the story to stay very tightly wound around her. Naekawa Sai’s writing is on point and the moe cuteness of the art really sets one teeth on edge as we more deeper and deeper into terrifyingly inhuman Yokai lore.

Where can this story go? I have no idea at all. Hinako might bring Tsubaki into her protective circle of deadly bodyguards, or maybe drive her away…we’ll have to wait until Volume 9, which is coming out at the end of October (Halloween Yokai!) to find out. I can’t wait!

Ratings:

Art – 9 really, really good
Story – The menace is palpable
Characters – 8
Service – 0
Yuri – Both Shiori and Miko have intense feelings about (and maybe for?) Hinako

Overall – 8

In the meantime, don’t miss the English edition, This Mosnter Wants To Eat Me, Volume 1 (reviewed last May) and Volume 2 (reviewed last month) out now from Yen Press!

Posted in Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »


The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t A Guy At All, Volume 1

September 22nd, 2024

Because Sumiko Arai’s school life rom-com is absolutely one of this year’s most-anticipated Yuri series in English, I’m going to give it straight to you right up front. You know I have never pulled punches when I review Yuri before and I will not now.

I have read this edition through twice now and Yen Press did a REALLY GOOD job.

I can say with absolute conviction that you should run right out and pre-order The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t A Guy At All, Volume 1, which will be headed your way one month from today. ^_^

Aya is a popular and fashionable young woman, who has a secret. She finds comfort in listening to western rock music of the 1990’s and 2000’s. When she’s by herself, lost in her music, she finds her own rhythm. She can’t share her musical tastes, they are too obscure and she kind of likes it that way. One day Aya walks into a grungy CD store and is blown away by the cool guy behind the counter. As days pass they share music and Aya realizes she’s got a full-on crush. But she’s not the only one with a secret. Sitting next to Aya at school is nerdy background-type Mitsuki….who is the “guy” in the CD store. It’ll take some intervention, but Mitsuki and Aya will start to open up to one another in the first volume of this popular online Yuri manga.

What most first-time readers will notice right away is the unique color scheme. As I noted in my review of this volume in Japanese, “With its uniquely visible color scheme of black, white and a vivid green, new pages of this comic were always super noticeable whenever they came across my feed. The art in this manga reflects the online sensibility too, I think. With unique perspectives on panel structure, body language and expression, this comic feels somehow grounded in street art and manga art at the same time.” You can see how the angles (what we in my house refer to as “Batman angles” after the kitschy 1960s television show) and the breaking of the panel walls, create a dynamic feel to a story in which, realistically, people are mostly not “doing” anything. It’s a great look that I’ve already seen adopted elsewhere.

The plot is not new, but the handling of it is gentle and kind-hearted. Nosy classmate Narita is rooting for these two just as we are – he pushes them into each other’s way in a fun way. Both the angst and the comedy notes hit just right. As the volume comes to a close, a classic plot complication is revealed, which is resolved in a not-classic way, thankfully.

Volume 1 is a fun read that leaves you wanting more. As I said, Yen did a terrific job reproducing the story. The color is vivid and so is the language. Ajani Oloye did a fantastic job on the translation, really nailing the core concepts in English. It felt natural and fun all the way through. I have no criticisms except Yen’s house style for lettering. Brandon Bovia does amazing work and should have been give the chance to retouch more. That’s an ongoing whinge though, nothing to do with this book, particularly.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9 Even the side characters are fun
Service – Admiring the cool onii-san that turns out to be a chick is always great service.  Oh, and page 49. ^_^
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8

As highly-anticipated series go, this may well be Yen’s best effort to date. Fun, colorful, charming, you’ll definitely want this book.

Posted in English Manga, Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – September 21, 2024

September 21st, 2024

In black block letters, YNN Yuri Network News. On the left, in black silhouette, a woman with a broad brim hat and dress stands, a woman in a tight outfit sits against the Y. Art by Mari Kurisato for Okazu

This week’s Yuri Network News has been written by Okazu Staff Writer Luce. Thanks Luce for stepping in!

Welcome to Yuri News Network! I’m Luce, contributor to Okazu, and taking over for Erica this week on the news as she’s away in France. Apologies for anything missing – I’m not able to access or read many of the Japanese sites and accounts that Erica may follow, but I’ve done my best to bring you yuri-related news from around the web. Enjoy!

Yuri Manga

Via lexie on X, Sukeban to Tenkousei will end with its third volume. In a machine translated statement, the mangaka, Fujichika-sensei says that they were informed that low sales are the reason they’re not able to continue. Shame – it looks interesting!

Also from lexie on X , inee, the mangaka of yuri manga LOVE BULLET has stated that unless sales increase, the series may be cancelled at two volumes, despite her having a long story planned. Currently not licenced, they give us a buying guide for both the ebook and physical copies, albeit in Japanese. It appears to be a modern take on cupids – instead of bow and arrow, they’ve upgraded to firearms, but the mission remains the same – to get the right people to fall in love. Fingers crossed it can continue, and hopefully get licenced!

From Yuri Times, the complete collection of ‘Handsome Girl and Sheltered Girl’ by Mocchi-au-lait will be releasing in English this week. A college girl mistakes a female classmate for a handsome man, and asks her to a mixer! Unable to say no, and somewhat charmed, Mizuki agrees on the proviso that they go on a date – something she didn’t expect Satomi to agree to. How will she clear up this misunderstanding, and can they continue dating once the truth is out? Signs point to yes.

From the OASG, pre-orders for ‘I Married my Female Friend Volume 4 by Shio Usui are up in various places – the final volume! I need to catch up, but I have been enjoying this tale of two friends who married and moved in together, from the same mangaka as Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon.

 

 

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Yuri Anime

Via Anime News Network, the newest film in the Puella Magi Madoka Magica universe, PMMM The Movie: Walpurgisnacht: Rising has had a teaser trailer released, and is currently slated for release in winter 2025, delayed from winter this year. Additionally, a new smartphone game, Puella Magi Madoka Magika: Magia Exedra is due for release this year. Time to catch up with the time-and-space-bending yuri couple!

Via Sugoi LITE and Manga Mogura, the horror drama ‘This Monster Wants to Eat Me’ by Sae Naekawa may have an anime releasing next year. No sources are stated, but Manga Mogura notes a domain taken of ‘wata tabe dot com’. I’ve yet to read the manga, but I’ve heard very good things from Erica and others about this manga, which came out recently, and the Japanese volumes (Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi Volume 1) have also been reviewed on Okazu. A depressed high-school girl is attacked by a monster one day, and is saved by another monster, who promises to protect her… to eat her when she’s more grown up. English review of the first volume is here.

Anime News Network has news that ‘Murder Mystery of the Dead’, a party game, will be receiving a TV anime starting in November this year. Teren Mikami, author of yuri light novel series ‘There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless…’ is writing the scripts. Not sure it will have intentional yuri, but there sure are a lot of girls involved. I can’t find any English description of the plot, but it’s safe to bet there will be murder. And screaming.

Possibly yuri adjacent, but via Yuri Anime News (amongst others), a film entitled ‘Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: The Lonely Dragon’ will be released in Japan in 2025. The poster depicts Kanna, so who knows. We await further information.

And via Yuri_SRL on X/Twitter, a yuri mermaid indie anime will be screening during FRENZ 2024! By Ishikawa Naoya, the linked tweet has a short clip, it looks very interesting, involving a mermaid who had been in hiding and a human girl who has now found out! The clip has English subtitles, I hope there will be a way to watch the whole thing. Great to see independent publishers getting recognised.

Yuri Games

From Christine Love on Bluesky, the game Get in the Car, Loser! is now out on Nintendo Switch eShop. From the description there: “Everyone knows the story of how the great hero of legend Agi of Roses fought the Machine Devil and used the Sword of Fate to seal him away for a thousand years. Now, hateful Machine Devil cultist edgelords are spreading terror in order to summon him again, and the Divine Order that rules over our world claims that fighting them before it’s too late would be “just as bad as them.”
Obviously that won’t stand, and that’s why three young attendees of the local Academy of Order and one renegade angel from the Divine Order are heading off on a road trip to take the fight to the Machine Devil and his cultists. Will Sam Anon succeed in her mission to seal away evil for another thousand years, hit every diner along the road on the way, AND make it through a single conversation without blushing over her beautiful companions? The toughest challenges she’s ever faced in her life lie ahead!
A lesbian road trip RPG by the co-creator of Ladykiller in a Bind about fighting for love and justice in the face of indifference, and “discovering yourself,” whatever that means.”

From Eniko on Bluesky, their ‘lesbian fox girl’ platformer Kitsune Tails is currently 15% off on Steam and Itch. The game is compared to Super Mario Bros 3, and the Steam write up reads: ‘Run, jump, and dash across a land inspired by Japanese mythology and untangle the love triangle between three young women on a journey of self discovery. Explore the complicated relationships between kitsune and humans through classic platforming action.’. Sounds cute! Shame I’m terrible at platformers. If anyone would like to play it and pitch a review, the guidelines can be found on the sidebar of the Okazu website.

 

 

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Events

From rero on X/Twitter, real name Kasumi Nakamura, they will be participating in two events.
Firstly, on October 12th-13th, is the ‘Waseda Workshop on Sexuality: Japanese and International Perspectives’, where they will be talking about “how the maids in maid cafes manage the intimacy between maids and customers”. From the program, later on the 12th after their talk is one entitled ‘Dating Preferences and Sexual Orientation’ from Raja Halwani and another entitled ‘Intimate Relationships between Adult Women in Japanese Yuri Comics’ from Reika Shinoda. The program is running from 10:00-17:20 in Japanese Standard Time, but the official language will be English. I hope I’ll be able to catch some of this, although the timing may not be very easy with time zones.

Secondly, on November 1st, Nakamura-san will be a commentator on a lecture by Thomas Baudinette, ‘Exploring Queer Fantasy Work in Idol Fandom Culture Across East and Southeast Asia’. This is a Zoom webinar running from 14:00-15:00 JST, but again will be in English. This looks to cover the positives aspects of idol fan culture in Japan, but also in Korea, the Phillipines and Thailand.

James Welker will be speaking at an event in Tokyo about his new book, ‘Transfiguring Women in Late Twentieth-century Japan’. The event will take place at 18:00-19:30 JST on Friday October 25th at Sophia University. In person only, but pre-registration is not required, so show up and support if you’re able!

Finally, Shortbox Comics Fair is coming back! For the entirety of October, there will be over 100 short comics by various artists for sale on the site. This normally includes many queer focused comics, although topics and ratings vary widely. Support some artists! Everything is digital, so no posting fees either, just good comics, delivered straight to your inbox.

 

If you’d like to support Yuri journalism and research, Patreon and Ko-Fi are where we currently accept subscriptions and tips.  Our goal now, into 2024, is to raise our guest writers’ wages to above industry standard, which are too low!

Your support goes straight to paying for Guest Reviews, folks helping with videos, site maintenance, managing the Yuricon Store and directly supporting other Yuri creators. Just $5/month makes a huge impact! Become part of the Okazu family!

Become a part of the Yuri Network, by being a YNN Correspondent: Contact Us with any Yuri-related news you want to share with us.

 

Posted in Yuri Network News | 1 Comment »


Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Volume 5

September 20th, 2024

The end is nigh in Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Volume 5.

There were never many humans in Ashinano Hitoshi’s story, and now most of them have left. The grass has filled in even more of the space around Cafe Alpha, fewer and fewer people visit. Long days pass in which Alpha reads and thinks about the humans who used to occupy this space. Why are there lights that look like streetlights along the unused paths? She spend time with Maruko, who is working with Kokone now and Kokone whose love for Alpha is visible to even Makki-chan.

Takahiro is gone, Makki follows after him, they have a child. Alpha remains. And when she goes home, Kokone is there to welcome her.

In this final volume we learn nothing new at all. We’ll never know why humanity is dwindling. All we know is that there is a world out there and it’s our choice to see what there is of it. Perhaps we should stop at a local cafe, greet the woman behind the counter and think of Cafe Alpha, a place we can never visit, but which will life with us for the rest of our lives.

May the night of humankind be one of utmost peace.

Ratings:

Overall – 10

From the bottom of my heart, I thank the team at Seven Seas for this omnibus edition. I never imagined I’d be able to share my love of this series with you all.

Posted in English Manga, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Yuri Manga | No Comments »