Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Sasamekikoto, Volume 5 (ささめきこと)

October 6th, 2009

In Volume 4, we left Ushio and Sumika not actually saying anything important to one another. Now, in Volume 5 of Sasamekikoto (ささめきこと), the walls between them are not getting any easier to get past.

In fact, it’s safe to say that this entire volume follows two young women who have something *incredibly* important to say to one another, who both find a myriad of ways to not say anything at all.

They smile at one another, and pretend that there’s nothing wrong, but they both hate it. They hate what it’s doing to them. Even more – they hate what it is doing to the other. They can *see* that the other one is suffering, but they are completely paralyzed and unable to say anything that needs to be said. They each hate the fake smiles and brave face the other wears. Most importantly, they each blame themselves for the other’s unhappiness.

Most fans will find this volume frustrating, but it serves two distinct purposes. The first, and most reality-based, is that it indicates that the series is in for a longer haul. No longer is this the goofy love-comedy of two girls in love but who can’t figure it out. Now it is a longer series, full of do-ra-ma, about two girls who are in love but can’t figure it out. Since we’ve made it to 5 volumes, I’d expect at least a few more tear-soaked volumes before it all gets settled.

The second purpose is that the story has, in effect, to be rewritten. The first three volumes were silly. They set up a bunch of untenable Yuri tropes that, one at a time, have been set aside for the more realistic, more dramatic “real” story line. In this volume “Akemi”s modeling career comes to an end, and all the characters but a few – including the actual lesbian couple, who can see the problem easily enough – seem to shift back slightly to allow room for the full-on misery of Ushio and Sumi simply not talking about what’s on their mind.

In the middle of throngs of people, even standing right next to one another, Ushio and Sumi are lonely. Right now they are struggling to find who they themselves are and if they can do that, then they might be able to find one another. Or, well, that’s what I’d do if I were writing this manga.

This series is becoming better on the one side, because it’s dealing with the real gap between knowing what you want and being able to accept that that is what you want, in a world that does not approve of such things. On the other, it’s really annoying because I hate mopey characters. ^_^;

However, I’m more than willing to give Ushio and Sumi some time to get over themselves. I eagerly look forward to the next volume in which I think a *terrible crisis* will rear it’s ugly head. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7
Characters – 8
Story – 8
Yuri – 7
Service – 1

Overall – 8

More volumes means more teenaged moping.





Fleurs Bleues, Volume 1 (French)

September 23rd, 2009

Why yes, it is Wednesday.

It is my very great pleasure to introduce our newest Okazu Guest Reviewer, Marc. Marc emailed to say that he had just gotten a copy of the French language edition of Aoi Hana, sensibly titled Fleurs Bleues. Of course I was thrilled to have both a new guest reviewer and a look at a French-language Yuri title. So, please welcome Marc and enjoy his review!

The first thing I thought when I picked up my copy of Fleurs Bleues was, “Man, it’s tiny!”, but more on that later.

Editions Asuka has put out the first volume of Aoi Hana (Sweet Blue Flowers) in French as Fleurs Bleues. It compromises the first seven chapters of the story and the author’s comments.

For those of you who aren’t aware of this manga (where have you been?), it’s the story of Fumi Manjome who returns to her hometown after ten years away. Fumi was a bit of a crybaby in her youth and still hasn’t really grown out of it. Due to the kind of coincidences that seem to happen a lot in manga, she meets up with her childhood friend Akira Okudaira, who also hasn’t changed much over the ten years. She’s still as feisty as ever, and is entering high school at the prestigious all-girl Lycée Fujigaya. Fumi is attending the less prestigious all-girl Lycée Matsuoka. In their respective schools the girls each make friends and involve themselves in school activities. Akira becomes fast friends with Kyoko Ikumi, and they join the drama club. Fumi has just ended a relationship with her female cousin, and being in a somewhat vulnerable state, meets and forms a relationship with upperclassman Yasuko Sugimoto. The manga deals with the ups and downs of these relationships as well as with Fumi coming out to Akira.

I love these types of manga. No big explosions, no giant robots or girls, or giant robot girls (if you’re into that sort of thing). This is a story about relationships and their development. Fumi’s insecurities, Akira’s wanting to protect and support her friend despite not having seen her in ten years, Kyoko’s unrequited love, and Yasuko’s teasing make them feel real.

The art is simple but beautifully drawn, which is exactly what you need when you want to focus on the story. The characters are engaging and not too stereotypical for this type of manga. (Though I must say, Akira’s brother’s sister complex creeps me out.)

The translation is well done. It is in very proper French, which lends itself well to the characters and story. It gives it a sort of poetic feel, which I feel enhances the drama. Like Erica, one of my pet peeves is when sound effects or background dialogue is not translated. Thankfully, Asuka did translate all these little bits.

But that isn’t to say there aren’t any problems.

When it comes to the suffixes (-san, -chan, -kun), my philosophy is either don’t use them at all, or use them all the time. For reasons I can’t explain, the translators removed all the suffixes except for two. Yasuko is still called Sugimoto-sempai, and Akira’s original Japanese nickname of Ah-chan was changed to Aki-chan. Go figure. I think I’d have preferred if they’d dropped them all. (Not that I’m suggesting you shouldn’t buy the book because of that. How big a Fanboy do you think I am?)

Then there’s the size. As I said at the beginning, it’s smaller than the manga I tend to see published in book form. At 6.5 x 4.5 inches, it is much smaller than the average 7.5 x 5 inch English ones. It literally is a pocket book (it fit in my jeans pocket just fine). It is considerably smaller than the Japanese version (8 x 6 inches), and it sort of reminded me of a Harlequin romance paperback. I don’t think that was unintentional. However, the small size was a little off-putting for me but didn’t impact my reading enjoyment.

The Japanese cover was lovingly recreated in beautiful pastels and the left to right reading was kept in place. The reproduction of the content was crisp and clear, and the font choice made reading (even for a bifocal-wearing old man like me) easy. Nothing mimeographed here.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 9
Service – 1 (mostly the creepy brother)

Overall – 9

Reproduction – 9

All in all, this is a great read for yuri fans. I found myself smiling a lot while reading it. If you can read French I suggest you pick this up for your collection. I can’t wait for the next one.

Thank you so much Marc for a terrific look at another edition of this fabulous manga. I hope one day to be able to include an English-language review on the list. And please take note European Yuri fans – if you have an edition of any Yuri series in a language other than English or Japanese, please do email me – we’d love to have a review!





Yuri Manga: Hakodate Youjin Buraijou Himegami, Volume 5

September 11th, 2009

Demons, women, women demons and women who fight demons. It’s a much of a muchness in Hakodate Youjin Buraijou Himegami, Volume 5 (箱館妖人無頼帖ヒメガミ).

Having defeated the evil, demony, well-endowed, cross-dressing French proprietor of the Black Widow brothel, Himeka has been indulging in some well-deserved snuggling with Hyou, despite Hyou’s reluctance. Once the marks of her curse recede, Hyou uses that as an excuse to escape from Himeka’s clutches. (What a maroon, as Bugs would say. Himeka’s also well-endowed with full lips and soft skin. DUH, Hyou.) Himeka is making no bones about her interest in Hyou. We’ll just have to imagine that she wears the girl down eventually.

In a long, drawn out bathing scene (where we see Hyou, Himeka and her Himegami sisters Ranka and Aika – but not Kirika – naked, without seeing anything at all, which is kind of an art in itself, I think) we learn that Hyou’s “miburo,” the marks on her back that indicate the presence of the Youjin, the power that forges the Himegami’s transformations and the power that the evil Frenchwoman held are all related, in a sense.

Having invoked her, it’s no surprise at all that, when a new enemy appears, it’s just the same enemy all over again – apparently they didn’t kill her enough.

More importantly, this time she uses the Himegami’s power against them, forcing Hyou to save Himeka this time. Yay

Oh – and Hyou’s beloved dead teacher turns out to be the Himegami’s not-quite-as-dead-as-Hyou-thought teacher. In the final scene, Hyou joins the ranks of Himegami at Himeka’s side. Just to put a period on it, Himeka tells Hyou she loves her, to which Hyou replies in time-honored Han Solo fashion, “I know.” We’ll have to imagine the celebration on our own, because the story really, truly comes to an end there. ^_^

This was brain-crinkling nonsense, but I just adored it. I wouldn’t actually recommend it to anyone who isn’t me and there’s no hope that it would ever be licensed because it’s dire. But if I hit the lottery on Monday, this series would be second on my list of things to throw money at. Because it’s dire, but fun!

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 4
Service – 8

Overall – 8

Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4





Yuri Manga: Linkage

September 9th, 2009

“Do you remember, the moment your love first began?”

Thus begins Linkage, the collection of Yuri Hime stories by Kurata Uso.

These stories are linked only by their exploration of that one moment, when two people realize that they share the same feelings as one another.

Two office workers who misunderstand their importance to one another, a young flutist and the woman who loves her, a rebellious schoolgirl who falls for a blind girl, two sisters who have always been close, and an AI researcher and her creation. None of these really has any ‘link’ to one another. The links are forged between the women in the relationships, and between them and us as we watch their love blossom into something real.

There’s little here that stands above and beyond the Typical “Story A,” really, except that that characters are well drawn and well conceived. Despite the fact that only one of them even acknowledges the difficulty of the admission of loving another woman, these stories are pretty darn good.

The best, if over-sentimental, story follows rebel-chick Keiko and her gradual fall into love with blind, brave and honest Haruka. It was sappy – good heavens it was sappy. It not only involved brave, plucky handicapable Haruka undergoing dangerous surgery, but ends with Keiko’s softer, gentler side being praised by the rest of the class. Who could stay dry-eyed in front of a thing like that?

Yes, this is a collection of girl meets and girl likes and other girl likes her back the end, stories. Don’t look for more beyond that or you will be disappointed. Nonetheless, there is at least a little variety in age and circumstance and, the whole office affair and Yoshino in a suit to start the book off works for me.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Stories – Average 8
Characters – 7
Yuri – 7
Service – 1

Overall – 8

I would very much like to see a longer story by Kurata. I think there’s some solid story-telling potential in there, and hope to see something beyond just a one-shot.





Yuri Manga: Tetragrammaton Labyrinth, Volume 6 (English)

September 6th, 2009

In Volume 6 of Tetragrammaton Labyrinth, what was always implicit becomes finally explicit.

As Angela, Meg and their allies face the evil, insane and powerful Gilles de Rais, and find that their own power comes up short against his, he raises the issue that has been the leitmotif of this entire series. Killing the living, raising the dead and stealing souls, he attests, is not for personal power. No, he commits heinous acts of brutality for *love.*

It will come as no suprise that this fails to convince Angela to sympathize, but it brings up the obvious. De Rais asks Angela if she has anyone to love – truly love – give up her life for love. Well duh, dude.

The final acts play out exactly as one expects. The good guys peel off one at a time to fight the bad guys, so we can be sad at our losses and the final confrontation has reversals and lots of screaming and blood and severed limbs. And, the ultimate sacrifice, as Angela gives up everything to keep Meg at her side.

In the final pages, Angela and Meg get to acknowledge in death (or undeath) what they could not in life and their love, which was always the unstated obvious is now, at last, just obvious.

And no one lives happily ever after.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 7
Service – 8

Overall – 7

For a manga that was built around loli and guro among other things that aren’t my schtick, it had a pretty decent ending.

Once more it is my great pleasure to thank Okazu Superhero Eric P. for sponsoring today’s review! This volume was the best of the series, I think. ^_^