Sheep Princess in Wolf’s Clothing, Volume 5

March 21st, 2025

The cover of 'Sheep Princess in Wolf's Clothing' volume 5. Aki is holding Momo, they are both in wedding dresses. by Luce, Staff Writer

I’m Luce, lover of cute things and books with happy endings! Currently tackling my tsundoku problem, I’m trying to balance the book dragon and book worm parts of my soul. I love reading… I just love buying books too, and that takes far less time!

In the four previous volumes, we got to know Aki, a Wolfa butler, and Momo, a Sheepa princess. Through various trials, they’ve gotten together, but Momo had just realised that Aki never actually said that she loves her!

Sheep Princess in Wolf’s Clothing, Volume 5 puts us straight back into that revelation – should Momo ask her? But what if she says that she doesn’t love her? Meanwhile, Aki talks to Princess Kunya on this topic. After resolving their issues, the queen spots them kissing! How will she react – can they even continue their relationship, when Momo is still getting marriage proposals?

I really liked Princess Kunya pointing out that different species have different ways of expressing love and affection to each other, and what is incredibly intimate to one group may not mean as much to others. It’s quite clear to us that Aki is obsessed, but without saying the words, it leaves Momo concerned that Aki is just following orders. It’s a good message! You might think you’re saying something loud and clear, but is that message getting through?

I laughed quite a lot when it’s shown that gay runs in the family – I shouldn’t be surprised in this manga, which has one singular male character with lines, who only vaguely appears in the last two volumes. It was nice to see the comparison between the reality for most people in their situation, and the fantasy of Aki and Momo. Royals don’t always get what they want with relationships, and if they do, they tend to have to give up a lot to get it. We see that in real life – although on the other hand, particularly in history, they often do get what they want, even if the other party isn’t interested. In fiction, arranged marriage is either a) horror and to be avoided or b) the start to a romance. It was nice to see the third, probably most realistic option for most people in arranged marriages – rather than love, you hope to get on with them. It was a remarkably pragmatic take, considering the utter fantastical nature of the series in general.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Yuri fantasy romance without a wedding! I will admit it felt like a fitting end to this nice little series, wrapping it up neatly and leaving us to imagine the rest of their future together, along with a brief glance at the other pairs established (and establishing) along the way. The mangaka states that they might post extra bits on Twitter (obligatory reminder to move over to Bluesky!), though I haven’t gone searching, and I wouldn’t be able to read them regardless.

Oh, and as I guessed, the service quotient went up.

Ratings:

Story: 6
Art: 8 (fluffy as always! The clothing is done really nicely, too)
Service: 7
Yuri: 9, it’s almost a yuritopia

Overall: 7

I’m a little sad this is ending, but it’s not a deep enough story to have gone on for much longer. Recommended for those looking for a fluffy Yuri that doesn’t ignore the fact that sex exists, but also doesn’t ignore reality completely. Tolerating animal ears is a must.



Wicked Spot, Volume 1 / γ‚¦γ‚£γ‚­γƒƒγƒ‰γ‚Ήγƒγƒƒγƒˆ

March 20th, 2025

On a vivid yellow background, a woman with wild pink hair in hot pink and black, sits cross-legged, manicured long nails visible on her hand, smiling broadly with fangs showing and an intense look in her green eyes as looks a us.Sal Jiang’s newest manga, Wicked Spot, Volume 1 (γ‚¦γ‚£γ‚­γƒƒγƒ‰γ‚Ήγƒγƒƒγƒˆ) is a classic case of a story beginning in one place and ending way far away from there in many different ways. I love it. ^_^

This begins with a bunch of witch hunters up in the mountains, in a dark, terrifying cave, streaming about their hunt for the unknown. When the unknown pops up to say hi, they pass out from fear, leaving witch Sadako, who has grown up up hidden away from humanity, alone with a cell phone. Fascinated by humans as Sada is, she finally leaves her people and walks into town, using her powers to grab clothes, food, drink, and followers online. Now, she is an influencer.

Hana, a woman with unusual strength and trauma about being called a “witch” as a form of rejection, is 100% a fan of Sadako’s, until she announcas to the world that she is, in actual fact, a witch. Hana goes from super fan to anti in seconds. Sadako tracks her down to see what the deal is.

And then they are both kidnapped by the “Sabbat,” a council of witches and dumped in the one place on this planet witches aren’t uncommon. They have no idea where they are, but, my friends, I was married only a little bit away from that very statue. In fact, our dinner afterwards, was in the same plaza.  So when they awake in Salem, Massachusetts, right in front of the Bewitched statue featuring Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens, I smiled. It also makes me smile that this is not the first time the series Bewitched has appeared here on Okazu as a reference!

Ratings:

Art – 8 sometimes beautiful, other times messy
Characters – 8 Yes, this kind of off the wall, please
Story – 9 Awesome so far
Service – Cute clothes are about it
Yuri – Could go any way right now, but I trust

Overall – 8

What will become of Sadako and Hanako? I don’t know and can’t guess and I’m excited about that! Go! Go! Sal Jiang! Write a story that completely does stuff I can’t predict. I love it.



Sailor Moon The Super Live, in London, Guest Post by Rue Ball

March 19th, 2025

As I have been shouting from the rooftops, the live-action extravaganza Sailor Moon The Super Live is on tour. I have seen any number of live stage performances of Sailor Moon, including my very first trip to Japan! I saw Sailor Moon The Super Live in NYC in 2022 and enjoyed it immensely and have plans for seeing it next month when it comes NJPAC – why not join me and say hi! ^_^ The tour is adding a few dates now – they just added a *4th* date in Seattle, wow, so definitely see if you can be part of this. It’s really quite wonderful.

And, now, Okazu friends in London have experienced the show for the very first time! Rue Bell was kind enough to write up this report for us. Thank you Rue, I’ll turn it over to you….

I attended Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Super Live (henceforth Super Live) in London with some friends and members of the Okazu Discord Server. Like may geeky events in London, the experience started on the London Underground before we even got to the theatre, with more and more passengers wearing Sailor Moon themed clothes, bags and hair buns as we drew closer to the Camden venue. Seated tickets were available for a premium, but most of us opted for the basic standing ticket. There was a merchandise stall that included photos of the cast and Sailor Moon branded light sticks.

Super Live is a musical adaptation of the first season of the anime, which is the part of Sailor Moon that I have the most familiarity with and nostalgia for, having watched selected episodes on VHS as a child. The plot introduces Sailor Moon and the four Inner Senshi, then they battle against Queen Beryl and her six monster for possession of the Silver Crystal. Tuxedo Mask is in every fight as a love interest and ambiguous friend-or-foe figure.

Sailor Moon Super Live, London 2025, photo by Ashley Payne. Five girls in Japanese sailor-suit school uniform inspired hero costumes, on a stage. Huge colorful ribbons of light fill the background.

Super Live is performed entirely in Japanese, with translations projected onto a large screen. The musical numbers were translated with animated typography, and standard subtitles were used for the spoken dialogue in-between. I thought this worked well, however in this
particular venue overhanging balcony seats meant the dialogue subtitles were not visible from about half of the standing area, which is likely to have created a poor experience for audience members in those areas.

I enjoyed the shimmer, sparkle and spectacle of Sailor Moon when I was a child, and I think Super Live’s impressive production lived up to it. The dancing was, to my eyes, impeccably synchronised and choreographed, and it was backed up by a huge screen at the back of the
stage, and an LED-covered set and props that all pulsated and changed colour in time with the music and dancers.

Sailor Moon Super Live, London 2025, photo by Rue Ball. Five girls in Japanese sailor-suit school uniform inspired hero costumes, on a stage, each posing in the traditional "appearance" pose of their character. Behind and above them is a person in a tuxedo and cape, while a large moon is projected behind them, superimposed with the words, Time and Again we find each other.

 

As an adult, the interactions between the Sailor Senshi are my favourite part of the Sailor Moon anime. These unsurprisingly weren’t the focus in this musical with a highly compressed plot. However, one person I went with did notice that the Senshi actors still conveyed these dynamics using small interactions, so the observant fans will enjoy those. There were also two musical numbers focussed on the diverse personalities and skills of the Senshi. The message that there are all sorts of ways to be a girl or a woman is quite important to me, so I appreciated these performances being there, and got quite emotional about them in the finale.

I think the Tuxedo Mask performance deserves a particular shout-out. He was played by the female actor Sufa, and she nailed his cool, confident presence in every scene. The performance reminded me of an otokoyaku – a woman playing a man’s role – in the Takarazuka Revue. I don’t think that this is intended to be seen as queer, but I expect that yuri fans will nonetheless enjoy watching an actor playing with gender roles.

Sailor Moon Super Live, London 2025, photo by Rue Ball. Five girls in Japanese sailor-suit school uniform inspired hero costumes, on a stage, each posing in the traditional "appearance" pose of their character. Behind and above them are a woman in purple with scarlet hair and half a dozen people in purple posing around her.

 

I would definitely recommend Super Live to any Sailor Moon fan, it adapts many of the things that drew me to the original series. The run in London ended on March 19th 2025, but at the time of publication a North American tour is planned for March and April 2025.



Honey Latte Girl

March 17th, 2025

A woman with light brown hair, pulled into a ponytail wearing a grey blouse smiles gently off camera. The English words "Honey Latte Girl" in large yellow neon-light font .Sometimes you just need an adorable coffee shop story and, in Honey Latte Girl, an English translation of Inui Ayu and Inu Ha Sakana’s doujinshi from YURI HUB on Bookwalker JP, that’s exactly what you get.  

Our protagonist is a barista who watches over her customers with care. One customer, in particular – a woman who seems stressed and very tight in her routine. This customer orders the exact same thing every day. One day, the customer comes in, looking very out of sorts, so the barista suggest something new and soothing.

Of course, this story goes exactly where one might expect – they begin talking, the customer starts to open up and try new things, they fall in love, the end. ^_^ It’s short and perfect, no bitterness left on the palate. And some days, that’s all you really want – something slight too sweet. ^_^

YURI HUB imprint is run by a bunch of folks associated with the ANCHOR rainbow port tokyo cafe and Yuri Times. The translation is fine and it’s nice to see them bringing Yuri doujinshi to the English-speaking audience!

Ratings:

Art – 7 Inui Ayu’s style is cute, a bit soppy and YMMV
Story – 8 Perfect for jangly days as a sweet treat
Characters – We barely meet them, but nice
Yuri – 9
Service – 0

Overall – 8

Everything was perfect, except…while the *words* honey latte sound very nice, the idea of the drink sounds not so good. ^_^



Comic Yuri Hime April 2025 (γ‚³γƒŸγƒƒγ‚―η™Ύεˆε§«2025εΉ΄4月号)

March 16th, 2025

Cover of Comic Yuri Hime, April 2025. Two young women walk, in thr frot of the image, in grey Japanese sailor style uniforms, smiling, blurred, as we focus past them on a lone girl with long, dark hair, in the same uniform, watching them from behind.As both a commentary on Hechima’s cover art for Comic Yuri Hime April 2025  (γ‚³γƒŸγƒƒγ‚―η™Ύεˆε§«2025εΉ΄4月号) and a life reminder, neither brooding, nor stalking are positive life skills. We can perhaps frgive, as we are informed in this illustration, 13 years old. After that age, those two behaviors are not at all cute or desirable.

The volume begins with “Chou Fuka Uchuu yori Ai o Komete” about a loner who is approached by a large alien. This story has very Rose Quartz from Steven Universe vibes, not only because the alien is giant and pink, but also sweet and very affirming.

Haru and Yu are finding their way closer and together, through Haru’s self-loathing in β€œKimi ga Hoerutame no Uta wo” by Kashikaze.

Lily’s secret is fully revealed in β€œWatashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou,” written by inori. illustarted by Aonoshimo, as Mt. Salas erupts and the castle ceiling comes collapsing down. Next month this series will be off, as Volume 10 is releasing soon.

It’s cute smiles, huge faces and sweets this month in β€œSasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau,” as Miki ponders how to reply to her senior’s confession of love.

In “Odoriba Skirt ga Naru” Kiki and Michiru are finding their own rhythm as the next Quadrille test approaches. They take time to notice the seniors in the club and learn from them about dance, and life. Among themselves the senors admit that they never really believed Kiki and Michiru would work…but, there they are, killing it.

β€œGakeppuchi Reijou wa Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” written by sometime and illustrated by suoh, continues to be excellent. It is very, very obvious to us that Frost cultivates a fearsome disposition as a way of protecting herself. We learn a bit about her hurtful hustory and can see Clarice genuinely feels for her, but Frost simply will not believe she has an ally. At last Clarice pulls out her final card and kisses Frost, while forcefully insisting that she actually likes the Black Knight. Will Frost be able to accept that? Probably not, but Clarice tried.

Fumino is introduced to her fiance in an arranged marriage, but cannot stop thinking of Tsubaki. She is convinced she can save the girl from a live as a prostitute. Surprisingly, her fiance seems to understand and support her, in SheepD’s “Kanaria wa Kiraboshi no Yume o Miru.”

And time has leapt forward three years in “Stellvia no Bouquet.” Liza is returning, a hero and a master of magic and Ellen has some important things she wants to say to her mentor.

As always there were other stories I read, and others I did not. This was one of my favorite kinds of issues, where everything is just moving forward, and we can just sit back and read good Yuri. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8
The May issue is out in Japan this week and I am caught up once again! Yay!