If You Could See Love, Volume 1, Guest Review by Day

January 26th, 2022

Hello and welcome to another Guest Review Wednesday on Okazu. I’m extremely pleased to welcome back one of our long-time reviewers, Day! Please give Day your kind attention and don;’t forget to show some love in the comments. Day will be looking at If You Could See Love, Volume 1, by Yeren Mikami, which is out now in Digital format from Yen Press. Day, the floor is yours!

Ever since she can remember, teenager Mei Haruno has been afflicted with a weird ability – she can tell who is in love with whom because that affection appears as a pink arrow to her. The distracting nature of this aside, it’s gotten her into trouble in the past because it’s led to her meddling in other people’s would-be relationships, leading to her own social isolation. Hoping to get away from having to see all these arrows and get a fresh start, she enrolls in a girls’ high school… only to realize that not only are there loads of girls into girls, but that two of them are into her. And they’re both her roommates. Shenanigans and bathtimes ensue.

When I originally planned to write this review, I sat down, opened a word processor… and stared blankly at the screen, as I realized that, despite having read this within the past month, beyond the broadest outlines, I’d completely forgotten what happened in this manga. I did remember that it was a bit bland and not very good, and that there was something to do with love arrows, but that was about it. So, I cracked it open again, and this time I took notes. All of which is a lengthy way to say – this is a really forgettable opening volume. And, wow, my brain sure blurred my recollection of just how wildly stupid the premise and its execution is.
 
Mei is a fairly standard issue manga heroine, her personality lining up with what one could guess from her hair color (energetic, cheerful, not very bright). But did I say cheerful? Oh, how could I forget her dark past (pissing people off by telling their crushes they have crushes on them) that’s made her swear off romance?! Her admirers, friend Sayo and Rinna, are likewise not particularly distinct. Sayo is the childhood friend Mei hasn’t seen in years, and, yes, of course the girl has spent the intervening time pining for Mei… as well as growing very large breasts. Rinna meanwhile is tsundere-ish, and has met Mei previously, although Mei doesn’t remember this; the manga doesn’t quite come right out and say it, but there’s an implication that she’s also been yearning away for our lead for some unknown amount of time before coming across her again.
 
Despite Mei’s repeated insistence that she’ll never pursue romance because of her very sad past, its crystal clear by volume’s end that this is going to resolve itself in a three-way relationship… which is one of the few things I’d give the manga points for. I don’t care much about these girls, but this actually seems the natural direction for the relationship to move in. The other item I’ll grant credit for is that the manga uses the color pink in its otherwise black and white visual scheme to make things like those love arrows, hearts, and cherry blossoms really pop off the page.
 
I’d be hard-pressed to recommend this one, even to the most diehard fans of schoolgirl yuri (goodness knows there’s plenty better series featuring that available in English). It’s aggressively bland, with a bone-deep stupidity to the premise that is never elevated by the writing, nor are the characters engaging enough to make it worth enduring. 
 
Oh, it may go without saying, but there really is NO sense of queer identity whatsoever in this one. Also, I loathe the cover.
 
Ratings:
Art – 6 (its polished while also completely not to my tastes; I smirked over fact that adult characters are indistinguishable design-wise from the teenagers)
Story – 5
Characters – 5  
Service – 4 (surprisingly not pervasive but there is a very extended bathing scene early on)
Yuri – 7 (well, it’s definitely yuri, even if it’s very silly yuri)
 

Overall – 5

Erica here: Thank you so much, for this review, as much for taking one for the team as for giving me a critically needed evening off. ^_^  I’ll be honest, I do not favor Teren Mikami’s work, so wasn’t feeling enthusiastic about this. Blob heads. So thank you for the honest review!

 
Posted in Day, English Manga, Guest Review, Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »


Inside the World of Anime Panel Tomorrow on Zoom

January 24th, 2022

Bonham’s auction house has just begun the very first auction of anime cel art, The World of Anime.

Tomorrow morning at 8AM Eastern US time, on Zoom, I will be moderating a panel featuring Helen McCarthy, Darren Ashmore, Susan Napier and Bonham’s Helen Hall.

Please join us Inside the World of Anime for a discussion of anime cels as art and artifact!

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Yuri Studio Season 3 Premier!

January 23rd, 2022

Yuri Studio Season 3 premieres today at 2PM Eastern US time.

We’ll be talking about one of Yuri’s most timeless tropes: The Girl Prince – Who is she, where did she come from and what is her role in Shoujo and Yuri?

Please be kind and give it a like and a follow if you haven’t already subscribed. It helps a lot!

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Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – January 22, 2022

January 22nd, 2022

Yuri Manga

We have a bunch of new stuff up on the Yuricon Store today!

Teren Mikami’s If You Could See Love, Volume 1 is out now as a digital manga from Yen Press. Mei can actually see who loves who in school, but now, there are arrows of love pointing at herself!

Yen Press also has Catch These Hands!, Volume 1 by murata coming up. This is a fun not-quite-romance between two former rival high school gang leaders. I reviewed this series in Japanese, Watashi no Kobushi wo Uketomete!.

Seven Seas has the Bloom Into You Anthology, Volume 2, the final piece of this series, with stories by popular artists and a new work by series creator Nakatani Nio. I also reviewed this in Japanese.

Up for pre-order now is Monologue Woven for You, Volume 1, a pleasant story about two college students with a shared dream. Again, I’ve reviewed this full-color volume in Japanese.

Coming in March from Seven Seas is GUNBRED SISTERS, Volume 1, a fantasy about a vampire and a nun vampire hunter and guns, so you know exactly what you’re in for. This time it was one of our senior guest reviewers, Mariko Shinobu, with the Japanese volume review.

Our Teachers Are Dating,  Volume 4 – the final volume of Pikachi Ohi’s lovely story is heading our way in April!

Superwomen in Love! Honey Trap and Rapid Rabbit, Volume 3 is out now from Seven Seas!

 

Get early access to videos, research and more!
Become an Okazu Patron today

 

Comic Yuri Hime, March 2022 (コミック百合姫2022年3月号) is on Japanese shelves now!

The 20th issue of Galette (ガレット) magazine is also out in Japan now. This marks the completion of 5 full years for this magazine!

Via Manga Mogura on Twitter we have news of a one-shot, Good Morning Ladies, about 3 middle-aged women in a post-apocalyptic world. Can’t get to a Japanese book store? No need, you can get the February issue of Ultra Jump on Bookwalker Global!

 

Support Yuri writers and creators!
Support us on Pixiv Fanbox!

Yuri Doujinshi

Way back in 2020, I did a Yuri Studio video titled Are There Queer Creators Creating Yuri? In that video, I mention an artist who identifies as lesbian, Hanakage Alt. She does a lot of boyish, masculine women comics. One of her school-life comics has just been picked up by Lilyka. I plan on asking them to pick up some of the tougher women stuff when I buy Senpai no Kouhai by Alt Hanakage on Lilyka…as soon as I’m done here. ^_^

 

Yuri VNs & Games

Via Studio Élan, Yuri VN First Snow has gotten a partial voice over update, with more to come. This college love story is playable now – available on Steam and itch.io.

Queerty is offering a grant to help developers work on their queer games! Check out the details of the Queerty Gamers Grant and apply soon, application close Jan 31!

 

Yuri Research

I’ve added En el Jardín de Lirios. El Amor Entre Mujeres en la Cultura Pop Asiática, Alexandra Arana’s Spanish-language look at Yuri in Asian pop fulture to the Yuricon Store. This is a free download from the publisher. If you are a Spanish fluent reader here and would like to review this for us, please contact me!

 

Other News

Please join Susan Napier, Helen McCarthy, Darren Ashmore, Helen Hall and myself as moderator for a panel on anime cels as art and artifact for Bonham’s auction house. This panel Inside The World of Anime is ahead of their art auction of anime cels, The World of Anime. Registration for the panel is free on Zoom. January 25, 8:00 AM Eastern US time. I can tell you right now, that this is going to be a fantastic panel.

Check back tomorrow, when we are premiering our first Yuri Studio Season 3 video! In the mean time, I’ve created some play list on Yuri Studio, so you can find Season 1 and Season 2, the Recommendations videos and our Lectures & Panels more easily, as the main timeline get fuller. ^_^

 

Thanks to our Okazu Patrons 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 »


Hana ni Arashi, Volume 8 (はなにあらし)

January 21st, 2022

In Hana ni Arashi, Volume 8 (はなにあらし), Nanoha is starting to feel the weight of the real world and isn’t sure that she and Chidori inhabit the same part of it.

But first we learn that Chidori is really frightened of dodgeball.

They are asked to fill out forms telling the school what they want to do in the future. Nanoha is surprised when Chidori is right on that, saying she’s going to apply to Waseda University in Tokyo. Nanoha suggests they go on a date to Tokyo together…a date that is crashed by a friend who also wants to see the campus. My favorite scene is when they all meet a second-year college student who shows them around and they are blown backwards by her sparkling adultness. ^_^ Nanoha notices that Chidori is also sparkling and starts to feel as if she may be out of step. But in Harajuku, as she watches Chidori talking about living in Tokyo, she feels like she’s being left behind. In a second, however, Chidori notices her absence and grabs her hand. Chidori promises she’ll always find her and Nanoha calms her doubts.

Those of you who have been to Tokyo (or any big city) will sympathize with the girls as they collapse in exhaustion on the train from the long day, high levels of stress, a LOT of walking and too much external stimulus. ^_^

They then plan a Christmas date…that is crashed by the rest of their friends.

As the book ends, Chidori makes it plain to Nanoha that whatever she plans to do with her life, it includes the other girl.

This has been one of the slowest-paced romance series I have ever read that still feels like it really is a romance. Chidori and Nanoha are different, but not opposites, they have society (although few adults appear on these pages, and that stylish adult 20-year old tour guide is really pushing it. ^_^)
Most importantly, both Nanoha and Chidori are adorable and we’re really rooting for their happiness!

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 7
Service – 1 A few of the camera angles are uh….

Overall – 7

I keep saying that I’m surprised that this series isn’t licensed yet, but I think I can guess why. Nonetheless, this is a cute series that is just so low-drama that it is…very nice to read.

Posted in Yuri Manga | No Comments »