Hatsukoi Kouzoushiki (初恋構造式), the collection of shorts by Syuninta Amano, is a bit like bag of shiny tumbled stones – the point isn’t whether any of them are precious, just that they are enjoyable and shiny. ^_^

Of the stories in this collection, my favorite was the very first, “Otona no Onna ha Muri o Shinasai” in which a young (well to me she’s still young) woman in her mid-twenties, starts to feel the inevitable creep of time on her youth. She wonders how she became so risk-averse, so *boring.* Drinking with a co-worker, the two women talk about young love and how wonderful it was back then. She decides that she absolutely has to break out of this rut no matter what so, the very next time she and her coworker go out, she orders the extra-super-hot ramen…and eats it. It tastes terrible, it’s too hot to enjoy, but she eats it, dammit! And with swollen lips and drippy eyes, confesses her feelings to her coworker, who kisses her confidently, making her lips hurt even more. It’s a great story about small triumphs and the importance of pushing our boundaries. I just loved this story, honestly. This is the lesson I try to communicate to young (25 is young!) people all the time. Don’t let the world become too much – just do a thing. If it frightens you, all the better. Try new things if you don’t want to become a “get off my lawn” person. ^_^ I’m calling this story the bloodstone of the bunch – dark jasper with flecks of bright red-orange.

“Yume Mieru Yoake” is a story about sexual harassment, sort of, that turns into sex. It’s sexy as long as you don’t think too hard about the moral of the story. O_o This one is snowflake obsidian – flashy, and a little dark, but overall pretty.

“Cell Frame no Mukougawa” takes the old chestnut of the woman who wears glasses who, with a few strokes of makeup can turn heads, and has a little fun with it. Blue lace agate, surely? Bright, cheerful, colorful and fun.

I don’t know what to make of “Backshot.” Let’s just call this one the polished plain agate of the pile. It’s got character, but I don’t know if it appeals to me.

“Sanmanen de wa Kaemasen” is a morality play, a sort of a Yuri version of the old “true love redeems a prostitute” story beloved of operas, without the death by disease part. This is classic melodrama. This story is a big chunk of smoky topaz, set in a fancy costume jewelry ring.

And finally, the title story, “Hatskoi Kouzoushiki” tells the story of an adult who, eventually, finds love with the daughter of the woman she used to love. It’s a story that could have been quite uncomfortable-making that wasn’t. The ending totally works for me. This story is a nice untumbled piece of rutilated quartz, left raw in matrix. Lots of potential, no particular shape.

Ratings:

Art – 9 – I admit it – this is pretty much exactly my favorite kind of art
Story – Variable, let’s say 8
Characters – Same as above
Yuri – 10
Service – 5

Overall – 9

The best part about a bag of stones is that you can take them out time after time and enjoy the colors, shapes and textures. That is exactly what I’ll be doing with Hatukoi Kouzoushiki. Taking it out from time to time and enjoying each story over again.

Tsubomi, Volume 17 (つぼみ) was slightly less fun than a barrel of monkeys for me, due to a number of random concerns. Several of the series I have been following kind of grind to a halt or just jump the shark, and for one, external factors have brought it to a (hopefully temporary) hiatus. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some stories of note or value, just that as a whole, the magazine left me unsatisfied. The cover art was a perfect symbol of the feelings of “meh” this volume induced in me.

Miyauchi Yuka’s “Familia Famila” is a slightly overwrought look at a young woman’s past and present feelings for a neighbor, and the future in being a “family” with her and her son.

In “Eden no Higashitostsuka” Kiku-chan realizes that she’s grown accustomed to Hiyoshi’s presence in her life – but as a result, she becomes jealous when she learns that Hiyoshi has a former “best friend” in her life.

“Candy” by Suzuki Yufuku starts to come to a close, and in this volume sort of treads water a bit, while we wait for the climax to show up. A thoroughly unnecessary plot complication arrives, pandering to…I don’t know whom, and is dismissed almost as soon as it shows up. I can’t imagine what the author was thinking there, unless they really just were page stuffing so there’d be enough content for a second volume.

 And “Hana to Hoshi” continues in the side plot it’s working on, with the Hanaii being forced into competition for Hoshino with the sempai from pingpong club. While Hanaii doesn’t think she wants Hoshino as a prize, she does regain something from the match – it rekindles her love of the game…and she starts to notice that maybe she does actually care about Hoshino, after all.

As always, there are many other stories and as you are not me, you might like them better than I did. ^_^.
I hope you’ll purchase this anthology and take a look for yourself!

 Ratings: Overall – 6

Shimano Yae’s Yume Yori Sutekina (ゆめよりすてきな) is very well named. Although, to some extent, each story is relatively typical, there’s something about the execution and the emotion behind it that is much greater than I could dream of.

“From the freelance writer and the OL to high school girls, there are lots of different kinds of wonderful love stories” is what the obi says and, y’know – that’s exactly what we get in this book.

The OL learns to be a “wife” to her hardworking partner and one high school girl tries to be like the girl she likes, while another learns to say what she thinks when an overseas student pushes the issue between her and an another student. Lastly, a friend makes her friend face up to the true feelings she has for an admired sempai.

I can’t say these are Story A, especially not the first story, in which the couple is already a couple, living together and trying to figure out some of the details of this whole “making a life together” thing.

I enjoyed every single story, even the one where the overseas student was a prat. ^_^

Ratings:

Stories  – 8
Characters – 8
Art – 8
Yuri – 9
Service – 1

Overall – 8

This book was an unexpected pleasure and I hope you’ll all get it, just because.