Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Himitsu no Kaidan, Volume 1

November 10th, 2006

Of the very many Yuri anime and manga series from which the Strawberry Panic anime series “borrowed,” Himitsu no Kaidan, (The Secret Staircase), is the one least likely to be familar to western Yuri fans. So, I thought I’d introduce you to the series. (And my thanks to Erin for originally pointing out the stolen meme!)

I know you will be absolutely *shocked* to learn that Himitsu no Kaidan takes place in a private girls’ school. Where the girls all live in dormitories. I know, I know, revolutionary, isn’t it? But, as with so many other things new fans don’t realize, this *particular* meme began, not with Strawberry Panic (Maria-sama ga Miteru doesn’t count here, btw, the girls there mostly live at home) nor did it begin with say, Revolutionary Girl Utena, which for most Yuri fans is stretching back into ancient history. The history of this meme goes even earlier than Shiroi Heya no Futari, the manga that is one of the earliest example of the Yuri. No, this meme goes back at least as far as Yoshiya Nobuko’s Yaneura no Nishojo, a novel that established so many of the tropes of not only later yuri works, but the entire shoujo genre that it’s quite remarkable. The novel takes place in a girl’s school dorm. I don’t know that it was the first one to ever do that, but for our Yuri genealogy, it’s fairly significant.

In any case, Himitsu no Kaidan are random tales of life, friendship, jealousy, joy and ghosts in a really old dorm. The title is not symbolic – there is an actual ghost stairway that occasionally pops up in the dorm hallway, tumbling students down itself. Ghost students then help the current students out, disappearing when they reach a certain part of the hallway.

The first volume introduces us to several denizens of the dormitories, all of whom appear to be fun-loving pleasant young ladies. The dorms all appears to be “no high drama” zones, because the stories contain little conflict.

One notable exception is Marie, a student who had transferred because her aunt wanted her to – and she hates it. She rudely rebuffs all attempts to include her in activities, meals, study, – you know, “school life” – and writes her aunt about how nasty and unfriendly the other girls are. Her isolation continues until one day she enters her classroom to find it *completely* empty. This goes on for days. She goes back to grump in her room only to find it occupied by a cheerful group of girls having a tea party. This wouldn’t be so odd, but she had just closed the door on the empty room a second ago. The ghosts invite her in for tea. A magic fairy helps Marie find happiness…but the fairy turns out to be a future dorm-mate dressed for a play. Eerie.

(Oh and by the way – they are not really ghosts, we learn, they are the memories of “dorm life” left behind by the residents. Yeah…but that doesn’t explain the stairway, does it? )

More eerie – possibly the freakiest moment of the book to me, was when Na-chan (if there’s a protagonist of the series as a whole, it is Na-chan) and some other students see themselves walking down a hallway. Clearly the hallway enjoyed the happy moment, and was replaying it for its own hallway enjoyment.

Despite all this otherworldliness, the story is really quite light-hearted, fun and tension-free. Well, the there *is* the moment Na-chan and her friends are grounded because Na-chan climbs out of the window to sneak in some fried chicken, falls out of the tree and gets caught…but that’s about how tense it gets.

In a story towards the end, we see some mild bullying, as well, but in general, it’s nothing like the physical, verbal and emotional abuse of say, Oniisama E.

So…Yuri. Not much, but enough that with good Yuri goggles you can see it. The president of the “Mystery” club, (of which Na-chan is a…maybe the only…member) Maki definitely has a soft spot for Na-chan. (I’ve seen some fan art of them by UKOZ which is one of the first things that ever interested me in the series, in fact.) Also our beautiful, yet initially morose Marie, reads Yuri in a way I can only define as “wishful thinking.” And a sempai named Hanano is a boyish girl who is, to her great annoyance, often the subject of underclassman adoration. (One of the best lines of the book, as students compete to give Hanano lunches and things is a student guiding a new transfer around the dorm. She points out the interaction, labeling that kind of thing the “Takarazuka-world” part of dorm life.)

The *only* and I mean *only* problem I have with this series is that I have a hard time telling all the characters apart, even after reading it twice through. However, I have just found a nice page with the character names and info, like which dorm they are in, what clubs, grade, etc. This ought to set me (and you) straight.

In every other way, Himitsu no Kaidan, with its eerie dorms, ghosts of happy memories and midnight tea parties is a very pleasant read.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 6
Characters – 7
Yuri – 3 (enough to ping, enough to base fan work on, but nothing really real)
Service – 1 (Girls! Dorms! Uniforms! They must all be lesbian…)

Overall – 7

As a Yuri fan, it is clearly your duty to become familiar with the source of every single stolen meme from Strawberry Panic. Add this to the list soon.





Yuri Manga: Last Chance to Pre-Order Yuri Monogatari 4

November 5th, 2006

Yuri Monogatari 4, ALC Publishing’s newest 100% Yuri anthology is coming!

Get over to the Yuricon Shop to get your copy for the discounted pre-order price. This won’t be released to bookstores for some months, so if you want great Yuri manga for the holidays – this is your chance!

For a sneak peek at some of the art and a description of the stories, take a look at my previous YM4 post.

This is, by far and away, the best anthology from ALC so far. Get yours today!





Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime 6, Part 2

November 1st, 2006

We left off from Part 1 after the essays about classic yuri series, this time, about two wonderful gender-bendy girl prince stories, Paros no Ken, Sword of Paros and Berusaiyu no Bara, Rose of Versailles.

This essay is followed by another new one-shot, “Pajama Yoru Hanashi”, about a bunch of girls at a pajama party. One confesses to liking someone. Under cover of the usual squeals and fuss, another girl pretty much figures its her.

Akiko Morishima is, in real life, a lovely, polite woman. In the day I spent in her company, she never once drooled, nose bleeded or otherwise acted in unflattering or pervy ways. :-) I say this because in her Yuri x Yuri report this issue, you’d never know that, from the way she draws herself as a slavering freak. ^_^; (She’s also much prettier than she draws herself, I have to say.) In this issue, she and Paiin-sama, her editor, visit a girl’s school festival. From the first time she’d addressed with “Gokigenyou”, Akiko’s a mess. It’s absolutely hysterical. I think she hits every possible stereotype and festish possible at school festivals…of which there seem to be many.

Takahashi Mako’s “Broken Rock Crystal Sugar” is a story about a lonely girl from a broken home finding light in the company of her best friend. It’s got the usual grim quality that keeps me from ever loving Mako’s work, but it’s less grim than most, which makes it good by that standard. :-)

The fractured, erm, Yurified fairy tale is Cinderella! A fine candidate for Yurification, as other than the prince, all the characters are women. Some nice servicey pictures of Cinderella helping dress her stepsisters – and her ES is suitably evil-eyebrowed and elegant. The Queen (no prince here) is pretty cute and even the witch gets the lipstck lesbo look. Of all of these fairy tales I think this one has got to be my favorite.

“Nanami and Misuzu” gets color pages! I wish it helped! Mushrooms, cell phones, getting lost in the woods and Rina-sempai’s offbeat behavior continue the Standard Operating Wackiness. (S.O.W.)

In “Hatsukoi Shimai” Haruna has just walked away from Chika in an espcially hurtful manner. Akiho vows to be there for Chika, and asks Chika to believe in her sister. Meanwhile, Teshigwara smiles and it creeps everyone right out the door…. Chika and Akiho’s class is working with Haruna’s class for the festival to do…erm, something. Haruna and Chika make beaded things, much as they did in the Hatsukoi Shimai Drama CD. They make little beaded rings and exchange them. As Haruna leaves, Touko-sensei berates her for being cruel. Akiho comes to her rescue, Touko retreats. That night Akiho finds Haruna in tears by her bed. We have a goofy interlude where Miyu (also from the Drama CD and the third volume of Yuri Shimai…and someone that no one but me remembers…) attempts to make grumpy Kirika (Miyu’s girlfriend and ditto all of the above) wear a frilly maid outfit. Touko-sensei runs into Akiho, who asks her to stay away from Haruna and Chika, Touko starts to seduce Akiho, who bursts into tears, pouring cold water on that. Chika is walking down the hall when Teshigawara grabs her and drags her away. Touko-sensei comes up and finds the ring Haruna gave to Chika on the ground. Oh Noes! More shades of that Drama CD, where Chika lost the barrette Haruna gave her. More to come – I know the drama is KILLING you.

Just about at this point, I was getting a little tired of schoolgirls again. This issue had sort of slipped back into all-schoolgirls-all-the-time territory. What with no “Strawberry Shake Sweet” and the fact that “Little Red Riding Hood” was off the adults and back to the kids, I was feeling a little down. Thankfully, this entry into “Mermaid Line” was a departure from the school.

Yukari and Mayuko are two Office Ladies (OLs). Mayuko’s off boyfriends, but she wants someone to date. Her bestest friend Yukari, who is seeing a guy right now, offers to play the role of “pretend lover”. Mayuko’s up for it, and they start going out for dinner, and movies and shopping – not really different from before, but they both get into the spirit of the pretend thing and hold hands and the like. The problem comes when Yukari starts thinking a little too hard about this whole thing. When Mayuko says that she’s started seeing someone, so they don’t need to do it anymore, Yukari is not as happy for her friend as she would expect. In fact, she’s downright depressed. Her boyfriend telling her that his mother is interested in her (as in, as a marriage prospect) makes her nothing short of miserable. To Be Continued.

Hakamada Mera is the artist who does Saigo no Seifuku and her entry, the final story, appears to be, if not set in the exact same school, then something exceptionally similar. Sadly, I don’t care for her art, or her stories – I feel like I’m reading about 10 year olds. In any case, Iwami-san is really popular, and Arisaka isn’t. But Iwami is love with Arisaka, who returns the sentiment. They kiss.

And that, along with the usual advice column, and manga, anime, game and doujinshi reviews, is that.

As always, you can get Yuri Hime 6 from Amazon Japan through the Yuricon Shop, or click the image above. I hope you will, of course, because it is still the only anthology other than Yuri Monogatari in existence and we want it to not die out like previous magazines!





Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime 6, Part 1

October 30th, 2006

It’s autumn once again. And with autumn comes many things – school festivals, leaf-watching and Yuri Hime. ^_^ Yes, Yuri Hime 6 is in, and once again it’s full of Yuri variety.

The cover depicts Akiho, right and her beloved older sister (“Sis-con?” asks Touko-sensei sarcastically…) Haruna from Hatuskoi Shimai in seasonally appropriate fashion. It’s nice to see them both happy.

Now put Touko-sensei and Akiho back on the cover, dammit.

This issue begins with a new story from Fujieda Miyabi, creator of Iono-sama Fanatics and Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to, both of which rank high on my personal Yuri-o-meter.

The new story, Ameiro Kouchakan Kandan, was introduced to us in the little extra comic that came with Yuri Hime 5. To get you up to speed on the who and what, I did a review last month on the Ameiro series to date. This new chapter finds Seriho and Sarasa in a quiet moment as the cafe opens after the near-miss closing in last issue’s omake. (Seriously, if you haven’t already, go read the “series to date” post, because the story picks up at the end of that.) Seriho makes Sarasa overheat by: 1) laying her head against her and 2) telling Sarasa that she is like a tea cozy to Seriho’s pot, keeping her warm and alive. When customers come, it’s Haru, Hinoko and the usual gang – Sarasa gets even with them by making them the most expensive tea on the menu. ^_^

Tokimeki Mononoke Gakuen continues to be incredibly silly. Teacher Rokurokubi (a long-necked female demon) has got a bad neck sprain today and is in no shape to teach. She leaves for the infirmary with an admonition to practice beautifying. Arera is stoked – she’s got makeup down pat. She spends the day slapping huge amounts of makeup on the various “girls” in her class, for hilarious (ahem) results. In the end, she has no lipstick left for hereself, so when the kids all hike off to terrify Teach, Kiri kisses Arera to give her some lip color too. A surprisingly sweet kiss, I might add.

The next story is a one-shot, Hoshizora Cycling. Mako meets Momoka on her first day after transfering to Mako’s school. She can’t cycle, because she’s weak. Mako offers to give her a lift. Momoka and Mako continue this shared commute, drawing closer and closer. One night they join the others in their school on the roof to watch a meteor shower. Afterwards, Momoka won’t tell what she wished, but Mako breaks down and admits that she wished for Momoka to like her. Momo-chan fwaps Mako solidly on the head because, duh, she’s liked her all along, dimwit.

Apple Day Dream is a series of 4-panel comics about dress shop “Apple Day Dream”. Yuma and Kaoru are two employees of this purveryor of fine women’s apparel. Yuma has large breasts and Kaoru likes large breasts. Clothing and breast related humor ensues.

Taishi Zaou and Eiki Eiki’s Little Red Riding Hood continues with Fuyuka’s encounter with Akiho. (We met Akiho way back in Yuri Shimai 2, in “Expressions of Love,” where we learned that her friend, Haruka, loves to grab girls’ breasts. They resolve everything by agreeing that Haruka will not grab *other* girls’ breasts, only Akiho’s.) Akiho recognizes Fuyuka as a person in the same situation as she. Fuyuka is thrilled to have someone to talk to about the whole thing and the two rapidly become friends. Fuyuka admits that she’s concerned that Natsuki *doesn’t* feel the same as she does, and Akiho, clearly, get a bright idea. One day when both Haruka and Natsuki confront their pets, Akiho says that she no longer likes Haruka, but has fallen for…gasp!…Fuyuka! The chapter cuts out as she moves in for a public kiss.

Initially, I found this whole series a string of tired cliches, but recently, I admit to really liking the way Taishi and Eiki are tying all their elements together. The whole is significantly better than the sum of its parts.

Color pages with reviews of the Simoun and Strawberry Panic games. Not being a gamer, they are just pretty pictures to me.

And Chi-Ran finds yet another way to tell a girl meets girl story in Yuri Kago (Yuri Basket.) Maori makes her stick-in-the-mud, curmudgeonly way through life, skeptical of all relationships – and especially of the fortuneteller’s “basket of yuri” in the form of a decorative ball in which, Maori is told, she will find her lover. When the ball splits open and out pops a hideously adorable little doll girl, Maori is not amused. But over time, because of the doll’s sheer wonderful, sweet cuteness, Maori’s hard-assness melts. She finally admits to loving the doll, who promptly collapses, lifeless. One day, Maori is sitting on a bench when she is approached by someone who looks suspiciously like the doll. Could it be? Of course it could. ^_^

Which takes us to about halfway and the essays on classic Yuri manga by Miura Shion, this time Rose of Versailles and Paros no Ken (both of which have been review on Okazu, but I’m too grumpy to find the links at the moment.) Both are spiffy classic gender-bendy series, great for the little girl prince in your life. ^_^

I’ll stop here and finish up later – make sure you come back, because there’s good Yuri stuff to come!





Seven Seas Responds to ALC Publishing on Yuri Manga

October 27th, 2006

In my heart, I had a vision of the ideal response from Seven Seas. It would be respectful and friendly. It’s my pleasure to share with you that Seven Seas actually *bettered* my ideal response. :-)

They were sincere, respectful and friendly – and just plain nice about it all.

In turn, I responded by inviting Seven Seas to attend Yuricon 2007 and was told that if they can, they will come.

So, as I predicted, there will be no turf wars here in the yuri manga world – just an even larger body of folks committed to bringing great yuri manga to fans everywhere. And that can only be a good thing in my opinion. :-)

Incidentally, the thing that made me happiest was the fact that SS commented, quite specifically, on how polite and gentle the emails noting the mistake were. This makes me feel so good. I am, and have always been, convinced that histrionics and paranoia have no place in the fan community and can, and should, be replaced with passion, enthusiasm and mature dialogue.

I want to thank all of you who sent emails to Seven Seas, for your support – and for being so polite and reasonable about it. That says something about the folks who support us at Yuricon and ALC…something I feel quite proud of.

As I told Seven Seas, I look forward to both companies working together to promote yuri and I hope you will too! :-)