Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Comic Lily Plus, Volume 2

December 7th, 2010

Comic Lily Plus, Volume 2 (COMICリリィプラス) is the fifth of the Comic Lily anthologies. As a result, some of the stories that have been a little hard to follow are now beginning to gel into series that have some plot and character development. As with most quarterly anthologies, however, one struggles a bit to remember what the heck happened last time.

In “Esu to Emu to Etosetora” (S and M and Etcetera) Mashu is trying to get her own feelings for Satake-san organized, but it’s not easy when she’s being “helped” by a number of friends with their own agendas and I find I can’t remember any of them…

A new series, “Motto Motto” is a bit easier to follow, as it starts from the very beginning, with Chisato asking Mari out, and the two of them figuring out what, exactly, that means to them. I have no idea if this will continue, but it was a sweet first steps sort of thing.

“Summer Vacation” continues the dorm love drama that has been running in all of the Lily volumes. In both art and content, it reminds me a lot of a Bonnie Bonny doujinshi I have that deals with post-Marimite life for the couples of the Yamayurikai. This chapter ends with 2 couples good and one sort of ambiguously having issues. More to come, one presumes.

Tsune’s continuing drama, “Enka to Mai no Himitsu no Koubo” has turned quite dramatic, as the old lady, Enka’s aunt, gives up her own painful lost love story…and it’s not just random confessions, either. It’s directly related to Enka and Mai’s recent tiff. Of all the random bits that hadn’t really come together as a story, this one stood out as suddenly doing just that.

Most of these stories, and the others I didn’t touch upon, are still firmly in “Story A” territory, but most have settled down a bit, giving them a feeling of stability and a chance to actually play out over a number of chapters, instead of being one-shots that get sequels.

Ratings:

Overall – 7

In no way do I consider Comic Lily Plus a must-read,  but I’m willing to stick with it and see if it matures a bit. There’s hints here and there that it might just.





Yuri Manga: Hoshikawa Ginza 4-chome (星川銀座四丁目)

December 6th, 2010

In Hoshikawa Ginza 4-chome, (星川銀座四丁目) Hoshikawa Minato cares about her students. So, when she learns that problems between her mother and father were keeping Matsuda Otome out of school, she went over to have it out with the parents. The result of her taking the piss out of Otome’s parents? Hoshikawa-sensei takes Otome out of the house altogether, becoming her guardian.

Otome still won’t go to school, so Sensei homeschools her. Time passes. 6 years in fact. And Otome has gotten into the habit of cooking and cleaning around the house to pass the time (often when she should be studying.) A number of people comment that Otome is like a wife to Sensei….

A crisis rears its head when *Sensei* starts to skip school. In an emotional moment, Hoshikawa-sensei says that she’s lonely since Otome isn’t going to school, and finally, after so many years of not attending, Otome returns to school. Where she shows herself to be a responsible and reliable student.Other teachers comment that Sensei’s company has been good for Otome.

But another crisis, one that threatens their relationship in a far more concrete way, is looming. Both Hoshikawa-sensei and Otome are starting to have decidedly not-teacher/student feelings for one another. Sensei is also keenly aware of the age difference between them and the multiple problems that can cause for both of them.

This situation threatens to become drama when an old college friend of Sensei’s arrives and puts two and two together. She’s not cool at all with it, but she does tell Otome more about how Sensei used to be – and why, exactly, she’s not cool with it. Neither Otome nor Minato seek to reassure her, but basically say, look, this is they way it is between us. It’s our issue and in every other way, we’re totally functional in our lives. The friend’s presence makes them both think about their feelings more, talk about them, and explore the boundaries of what they are and aren’t willing to address.

While they acknowledge their feelings, by the end of the book they have not done more than kiss  – and that only in totally not-adult, nothing-you-couldn’t-do-with-a-relative way. And so, while the situation remains problematic in nature, it’s handled sweetly and honestly and with an agreement that they will wait until Otome is older, the end.

Ratings:

Art – It’s Kurogane Kenn, so for me 4, but for many others 8
Story – 8
Characters- 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 10

Overall – 8

The one thought I had over and over while reading this was that, although this book may not itself come directly under the rubrick of the Non-Existent Youth Bill, that if that thing should pass (for the sake of the children!) Kurogane Kenn will be without a job, permanently. And for those of you who think that just because a book you own does not, in fact show a non-existent youth, or a non-existent adult drawn youthfully in a sexual situation, let me assure you that the Mayor of Tokyo and designer of the Bill has also recently stated that he believes that homosexuals being seen on TV being gay openly is a symptom of the collapse of Japan’s society. And the bill includes books that incite children to violence or anti-social behavior, which he has made clear includes homosexuality in any form.

In other words – don’t think this doesn’t mean *you* and the books in *your* collection.





Rakuen Le Paradis Manga, Volume 4

November 29th, 2010

In Volume 4 of Rakuen Le Paradis (楽園Le Paradis) we, the readers, are treated like the adults we are and…man, it feels good.

This chapter of “Collectors, “by Nishi UKO was absolutely breathtaking. Not because it was dramatic, or because it dealt with serious issues. It took my breath away because it was about women who are a couple, and their friends, and their lives. It was about nothing *at all.* It was just about the most perfect lesbian comic I’ve ever seen. Imagine – a story about women who are lesbian and then the story happens. Sigh….. And I’m a huge fangirl for Nishi UKO-sensei’s art, so as far as I’m concerned, this was a 10 out 10.

Takemiya Jin’s story that began in Volume 3, “Omoi no Kakera” continues here as Harada’s little sister is forced to deal with her brother’s relationship with Takaoka, her own feelings of disgust at his being gay and her shock when she learns that Takaoka is as well. It doesn’t help so much that Takaoka correctly identifies her feelings as the jealousy they are. This chapter went a long way to moving the sister as antagonist out of the way, so I wonder if we’ll get a third chapter. Gosh, I hope so. I really like the level-headed reality of this story.

Nishi UKO has a second short, “PV” that looks back at Takako’s first experience with another woman. It’s a sweet, little quicky.

“Ending,” by Shigisawa Kaya takes a very emotional look at the ending of a relationship, and provides a nod back to the old days of Yuri, when one person always ended up married or dead and the other bereft. It was so interesting to see that again I had to read the story twice to make sure it actually went there.  ^_^;

Once again, Rakuen Le Paradis weighs in as one of my favorite magazines. I just never know what it’s going to do with my brain or my heart. Whether the stories are straight, gay, lesbian, other, they are by creators that I personally consider some of the best in the business. While I’ved only touched upon the stories that have lesbian themes this issue, I don’t want you to assume that the rest of the magazine isn’t worth your time and money, because it absolutely is. In fact if you told me that I’d have to give up every magazine but one, the one I’d keep is not, as you might expect, Yuri Hime. No question, the one magazine I’d keep when all others were taken away from me is Rakuen Le Paradis.

Ratings:

Overall – 8





Yuri Manga: Lesbian II Mitsu no Heya, Guest Review by Bruce P

November 28th, 2010

I cannot tell you how happy I am today. We have a guest review! Not *just* a guest review, though – a guest review by one of my chief lackeys, Bruce! I won’t waste your time with too much of an intro, but I will say this – a review by Bruce is a rare and wonderful thing.

Lesbian II: Mitsu no Heya is hentai Yuri, make no mistake. But that being understood, this volume definitely has some good things going for it.

Senno Knife has been drawing manga for a long time. He has a very distinctive and peculiar artistic style – his characters are look-alike mannequins inhabiting a world of ornate architecture. The biggest influence on his style is clearly the Belgian surrealist painter Paul Delvaux. Delvaux was obsessed with mannequin-like nudes, nude ‘sapphic couples’ (as the art books put it), architecture, trains, skeletons, and hat pins, in scenes with accentuated perspective. All of these are found in Senno Knife stories (except, possibly, for the hat pins). Lesbian II leaves out the trains and skeletons as well. But Delvaux peers out from every page.

Lesbian I Shoujo Ai (2007) was Senno Knife’s first volume of nominally Yuri stories – though sadly it included a lot of unpleasant men performing ugly, abusive acts. Lesbian II Mitsu no Heya is without question a superior collection. The stories are about desire and love and contain no physical abuse, what a concept.

Michelle is a well-to-do art student who has artist’s block – she just cannot put anything on canvas while the lovely Kiki is modeling nude for the class. That night Michelle is tormented by desire for the woman, but the next day there is a new model. Michelle, complete with art pad, discovers Kiki in a church, living in straitened circumstances. With Kiki’s help, under the unblushing gaze of a statue of Maria-sama, Michelle loses her artist’s block. Kiki happily moves into the family mansion as Michelle’s maid and model-in-residence.

Sheri is attending maid school (well, they have to come from somewhere). Her fantasies involve sempai Misa, stockings, and little maid caps. To her embarrassment she is assigned to practice her servant skills on none other than her charming sempai. Washing Misa in the tub does nothing to calm Sheri’s jackhammer heart. That night she hears Misa and their instructor Mary making love, and can’t refrain from standing at the door watching. She is discovered – and cordially invited to join. Top student that she is, she realizes that maid practice will never be the same.

Maiko and Miho are at the pool, but phooey, it’s raining. On the theory you get wet anyway, and it’s fun to have the pool to themselves, they go ahead and dive in. Staring from below at the rain-speckled surface they discover a sensuous, ethereal world. The water is magical, and they have to take their bathing suits off to appreciate it fully. They come up for air and a lifetime of aqueous love, as continued in Part 2.

Part 2 – Maiko and Miho spend their summer vacation together, alone at a relative’s seaside house where they can make love in a variety of watery ways: in the surf, the bath, and outside in the middle of a typhoon. They also utilize a school piano; possibly there wasn’t a hose within reach (the story, from 1996, strikingly mirrors such series as Strawberry Panic!, and Cream Lemon Escalation, complete with a mansion on a bluff in a storm, so a school piano is almost expected). The storm goes away – so much for the drama – and the girls look forward to their future together as they make love in the back seat of auntie’s car.

Megumi longs desperately for sempai Emi, but Emi can think of nothing but the loss of her poor Pochi. All she has left to treasure is Pochi’s leash and collar. Can Megumi break through the sorrow and gain Emi’s affection? Yes! Though it involves occasionally being taken out for walkies, and we’ll leave this one right there.

The woman operating the elevator longs for the girl that rides up to the penthouse level every day to enjoy the pleasure of the rooftop garden. One evening the girl sees the woman observing her moment of enjoyment, and soon they make a habit of enjoying the garden together. The impersonal nature (they never ask each other’s name) makes this story seem a bit more hentai than the others.

Livonne is smitten with a lovely girl she sees being driven to school, and wistfully sketches her in a notebook. The lovely girl is given the desk beside her, which you just couldn’t see coming. Seeing the sketch, Marian asks Livonne to draw her nude. Quite untroubled by artist’s block, Livonne happily agrees. They find themselves drawn together in a passionate and joyful love that contrasts with the grotesque situation in Livonne’s family, where her mother takes in a succession of oafish ‘boarders.’ In the deep woods Marian introduces Livonne to the charms of witchcraft, and they bind themselves together in marriage. When their love is discovered by their parents, who get pretty exercised about it, they say screw this and bicycle off for the magic world together.

Ratings:

Art – 8 distinctive, sometimes awkward, often pleasant, occasionally quite lovely, and kudos for the Delvaux influence.

Story – 6 generally not so much stories as situations with simple and happy resolutions. ‘A Dog’s Life’ was pulling down mighty hard on this number.

Characters – 7 almost all good-hearted and just plain nice, though with a distressing tendency to be poleaxed by love at first sight.

Yuri – 24/7 and happy Yuri at that.

Service – 9 a point was taken away for those who might actually miss all those ugly abusive acts.

Overall – 7 without old Pochi in the mix it could have been higher.

I have to tell you, I real all the reviews I put on Okazu out loud to my wife, to check for obvious issues of coherence and typos (which I know only works in part, but it’s better than nothing.) The two of us were hysterical as I read this last night. Thanks Bruce, this was a fantastic review! Also, thanks to Bruce for obtaining a copy of this book for me, as well. You are, as always, my Hero.





Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime S (コミック百合姫) Volume 14

November 22nd, 2010

Yuri Hime S, Volume 14 is the final volume of Yuri Hime S (百合姫 S). Around for almost 4 full years, it has now been merged into Comic Yuri Hime. A listing of the stories that will be carried over from both magazines can be found on the Comic Yuri Hime website, along with the new works debuting.

This final volume doesn’t particularly feel final, though. Most of the stories continue on just as they always have. It starts off with “Shinagami Alice,” a story that has always felt to me as if it’s limping along waiting to develop a plot or be killed. Having survived a first collected volume, it appears to be trying to develop a plot. The introduction of a new character, Masaki’s relative, brings a teeny little thread of normality into what has been a free-floating “where? when? what?” kind of story. Then the Goth-Loli bad Shinigami comes back and that’s all completely blown.

Color news pages cover mobile visual novels and games that are pure Fanboy material, a “Girls Festival” hosted by Animate and Tamayura which I have been watching and still don’t see anything even remotely, slightly, sort of  Girls’ Love-ish about. It’s sweet. I like it. But Girls’ Love? Not so far.

Naoe Marimo’s “Hime to Mahou-tsukai” is a cute little confection about a Princess and a Witch, obviously.

“My Steady” by Yamura Marika follows a young woman and the older woman she loves.

Then comes “Fu~Fu” by Minamoto Hisanari. I was thinking about the spelling of “Fu-Fu” the other day. Although the first chapter discusses the etymology of the  kanji for the phrase “fu~fu,” (which is to say, the character for “wife” twice) the title itself is spelled using Hiragana. ふ~ふ. And I wondered about that, because the blowing of wind is rendered that way. You may recall my review of the first Strawberry Panic Light Novel in Japanese, in which I commented on the excessive winds at Miator. (fuu~ fuu~) So, it occurred to me that, perhaps, we were meant to be reminded of the sound of wind blowing with the name rendered in Hiragana as it is. It certainly has become a breath of fresh air blowing through Yuri Hime S for many of us.

This chapter follows Kina and Su-chan on a trip (designed by Kana, Kina’s older sister) that is their de facto honeymoon. Meanwhile, we see a new couple moving in next door and learn that they too are a “Yuri couple!” I predict “noises heard through the walls” jokes in future chapters.

Skipping “Mugen no Minamo” as I always do, which leads to “Marriage Black” which continues to be fraught, violent and full of unresolved tension of about twenty kinds. Lu-Chie becomes Lilicia’s guardian angel by swearing that she, and none other, shall be the one to take Lilicia’s life.

In “Flower Flower” Shuu *finally* makes it plain that when she says she likes Nina, she means in a “want to kiss you” way.

I skip a second chapter of “Mugen no Minamo” and move on to the next chapter of “Cassiopeia Dolce” in which Ana goes through crisis number 870 in between getting dressed and undressed. I did very much like the handful of eyeballs, though.

“Zettai Shoujo Astoria” comes to an end with one of the very lamest endings I’ve ever read. It really made all the screaming and running around seem pretty silly and pointless. But that’s over, so we can move on to…

“Okkake Girls” has developed a sort of plot, as Marin has decided to devote herself to becoming an Otokoyaku.

And finally, *100* pages of Namori’s “Yuru Yuri,” which I have felt is utterly without interest since the very beginning. It’s obvious that the editors at Ichijinsha love this series, since the page count has been steadily growing every volume, but 100 pages????? That’s a whole 25% of the book! Can you say the word “excessive?” And worse, it’s going to be in the new magazine. I can’t wait until the day all the other stories are just jettisoned for 400 pages of this totally nothing story with barely any Yuri. BLEAH. Two thumbs down for this waste of ink.

And so, Yuri Hime S comes to a close with a really big yawn. Which it totally did not have to do.

Ratings:

Overall – 7, with two points off for 100 pages of zzzz, I mean “Yuru Yuri.”