Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Moonlight Flowers

June 7th, 2006

Today’s review would never have happened without James Welker, who introduced me to this manga. He was surprised I didn’t know it – after I read it, so was I. How has this manga slipped under the radar of so many Yuri fans for so long? It deserves fame and recognition, at least. So thanks James, for turning me on to Moonlight Flowers, by Tsugumo Mutsumi.

So, let me just say that this is a *very* good Yuri manga. You should click the link above and buy it right away. Don’t wait.

The first half of the volume follows Sahoko, a bride-to-be as she meets Kaoru, a old high school friend. Kaoru has become a floral designer and she offers to design Sahoko’s wedding bouquet.

Sahoko spends more and more time with Kaoru, which starts Sahoko doubting her feelings for her fiancé. We learn that in high school, Kaoru and Sahoko starred in the school play – and Kaoru fell in love with Sahoko. But, when Kaoru kissed her, Sahoko ran away. Kaoru, after drinking too much, admits that she truly loved Sahoko – and because of her history of difficult family life and regret for driving Sahoko away, she is pretty much reconciled to living alone forever.

Sahoko marries (what a GREAT scene that was, honestly) and immediately regrets it. She hates sex with her husband – they trot out the “she was raped in college” complication, which was horribly overused in MIST magazine – and he almost immediately takes a lover. But Sahoko is spending more and more time with Kaoru until finally, one night after discovering her husband out with his lover, followed by a heinous confrontation, Kaoru and Sahoko become lovers.

Sahoko’s husband retaliates by telling her parents, but Sahoko has found strength in her new love and she tells them – and her husband – that she won’t be coming back. He tries to confine her in their apartment when she comes home to get her things, raping her to show her the error of her ways, but after she begs him for forgiveness and explains quite rationally that she will never be his wife again, ever, no matter what he does, he realizes that its a lost cause. Kaoru comes to save her and together they leave him behind.

What James liked best about this manga was that they do not go to America at this point, they stay in Japan and defy public opinion and pressure to make a life together. What I liked best was that Japanese style quotes 「」 are used in every single scene where quotes are warranted except when Kaoru is explaining how hard life is going to be. She says this isn’t California, and then she says in *Western* “” quotes that saying “I am a Lesbian” is a hard road.

The next story is a flashback to Kaoru’s youth, when she was in college and in denial. The adult Kaoru had confided to Sahoko that all the people she’d ever fallen for from childhood were women. But at this time in her life, she had yet to see that. (It’s easier than it sounds to not realize things like that. I only JUST realized I had a crush on my babysitter when I was ten. I mean, like, this week. ^_^;)

Kaoru arrives at a beach house with her boyfriend and another couple. The guy’s parents own the house, and he’s so excited to be there at the romantic seaside with the girl he desires. Only, Kaoru keeps putting him off and she really doesn’t know why. She finds the relationship between the parents disturbing – the wife seems pale and unsatisfied, while the husband treats her like furniture, or a maid. A friend of the wife’s, Kyouko, arrives and the uncle is glad to have his wife, Kayoko, out of his hair as he does his art.

That night, Kaoru goes outside for a midnight walk to settle her nerves when she comes across Aunt Kayoko on the beach, her face alight with anticipation and her arms open. Into those arms runs Kyouko and the two fall to the sand kissing. Kaoru is shocked to her core. This was an *amazingly* sexy and romantic scene – the winning scene of the book, IMHO.

Back in town, Kaoru breaks up with her boyfriend and sets out to find Kyouko, who turns out to be a successful businesswoman. Kaoru admits that she too loves women. Kyouko takes pity on her and invites her back home to talk. When Kaoru arrives at Kyouko’s apartment, she finds Aunt Kayoko there waiting to kiss Kyouko hello.

The boyfriend finds out about Kaoru, then vindictively learns about Kyouko and his mother. Enraged, he calls his father, who comes rushing into town threatening to kill Kyouko. As he attacks Kyouko with a knife, Kayoko steps in between them and takes the blow meant for her lover. Although the wound was not fatal, in the ambulance, Kayoko, who had a previously established weak heart, suffers heart failure and dies.

Years later Kaoru is looking at an art exhibit by the father and in front of a painting of Kayoko runs into her old boyfriend. Kaoru is a different person now – they are able to be civil, even friendly. Kaoru walks away thinking about her own love of her life, now lost, but never forgotten. (And, ultimately regained, but she doesn’t know that yet!)

The last story in the volume is a horror thing about a possessed woman I have never really read. ^_^

So the bad things are the outdated ideas about men and women: all men are evil, violent, possessive and rapists and are the natural enemies of lesbians. And all lesbians are stylish and successful. Hah. That’s all I’m gonna say to that.

Good things are everything else, really. The melodrama was very melodramatic, the romance very romantic, the sex reasonably sexy. Lots and lots of lily-filled backgrounds. Positively reeking of lilies, it was! The art is very classic, in everything from the character designs to the backgrounds. This is “Josei manga” at its most typical. But the art is very clean and doesn’t feel trite, even though it really is. And no school uniforms to be seen. Thank heavens.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 7
Story – 6
Yuri – 10
Service – 6 (a fair amount of rape here and there)

Overall – 8

Okay, it’s still a story about how a lesbian turns a “straight” woman, which is “meh”, but on the other hand, its a story about a successful businesswoman and so NOT about schoolgirls.

Oh, I forgot to mention – Sahoko is blonde and petite and Kaoru is tall and brunette. This looks so familiar somehow…. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Blue, (English)

June 1st, 2006

I have previously reviewed the manga Blue, by Kiriko Nananan and the live action movie based on it. But now the Blue manga is available in English translation and so, deserves a second look… (Note: As of 2015, this is available only from third-party sellers.)

…actually, no it doesn’t. (-_-) Upon re-reading my earlier review, I find that nothing has changed from my original reading of the manga itself. Which does bring me to this point – this translation, and the edition as a whole is remarkably good. Especially as the translation into English seems to have been done by a French company.  All I can say is that from the quality of the paper and the reproduction of the art, to the translation itself, this may well be the *best* translated version of a manga I’ve ever seen.

Ratings:

Art – 6 Very, very stark
Characters – 6
Story – 6
Yuri – 8
Service – 0

Overall – 6

As a Yuri manga, this is a typical bittersweet first love-type story; as a English language edition of a Japanese manga, it’s simply excellent. As I said originally – if you’re trying to put together a decent collection of Yuri manga, you’ll want to have Blue too.





Yuri Manga: Eve’s Apple/Eve no Ringo, Volume 5

May 17th, 2006

While I’m in the mood for trashy manga, let’s finish up this most delightful piece of dreck, Eve no Ringo, Eve’s Apple.

In case you’re new, or have forgotten the…erm, we’ll call it a plot for argument’s sake, here are a list of my reviews of earlier volumes:

Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 and Volume 4.

Let me also remind you that you can purchase any of these 5 volumes through Amazon Japan, simply by clicking the pictures of the cover on each review. It’ll transport you directly to the correct page (as *almost* all of the pictures for these reviews do.)

The first chapter begins with a cheerful Kirika, enjoying a dinner with the evil editor and her friend Matsuda. As Kirika and editor natter on, Matsuda finds the distance between them and him growing exponentially. To assuage his ego, Matsuda visits senior manga artist Miyamae dressed as the editor. Miyamae and Matsuda have a little playtime, but ultimately it only makes Miyamae want the real thing. We get a glimpse of her true feelings.

As usual, the Mio chapter is annoying. While she screws one of the editors, she is *still* planning on defeating Kirika…whatever that means. It’s really exhausting, especially as her goody-two-shoes image is well beyond tarnished.

Evil editor makes a short visit to Kirika’s school festival. She returns the favor by arriving at his office late, just in time to see Miyamae collapse in his arms – and for him to call her by her given name, Mizuho. Kirika leaves unseen, with her heart completely broken. She has to face the fact that Miyamae and Mitsugu have had, and may still have, a relationship.

Matsuda angsts about Kirika, and Kirika angsts about her editor (it kind of makes sense that she’d fall in love with an apparently abusive, yet actually caring, guy, if you think about it.) Matsuda spends some time trying to cheer Kirika up, but she pretty much leaves him behind. When he goes to Miyamae’s, she turns him away with an apology, explaining that she really doesn’t want a fake Mitsugu anymore.

Two of the girls in school are having a torrid affair in the doctor’s office. When Kirika interrupts she finds the doctor and Yurika (now *there’s* a fanfic waiting to happen…) under the bed “studying” the couple. The two girls bail, Yurika and the doctor protest Kirika’s interruption. Yurika mentions casually that she knows a guy who does Adult Videos, would Kirika like to see? Sure!

So they go to the AV studio and the guy finds himself short of a dom. So, Kirika volunteers. Hey, how cool, she’s going to be an AV star! Yurika offers to be sub, and away they go. Since both of them know what they are doing, the director is mightily pleased – and so is Grant Oldman, erm, no, no, not really. It’s the S&M guy from an earlier volume. He likes Kirika’s style. So she’s great as a ojou-sama, but she falls asleep the next day at school and fails her test…

Kirika meets with the S&M guy, who tells her she has good dominatrix style. She’s pleased with herself as she visits the offices of her editor…who assigns her a good project. But, as she watches Mitsugu and Miyamae interact, their free way with each other, she gets more and more depressed. Kirika stands up and announces that she’s leaving manga. Miyamae follows her, but Kirika only becomes angrier and says that she’s leaving to become a professional S&M queen.

Matsuda is still drawing his happy, cutesy manga when Kirika comes to visit. She asks him to join her at her S&M studio. How could he refuse? He’s her best friend! So once again, Matsuda takes a beating for love. Her mentor coaches her on the most beautiful way to do this and in a sudden revelation, Kirika understands…she is now able to administer beautiful torture. Afterwards Matsuda asks if this is really what she wants and she says she’s pretty sure it is.

Yurika and Matsuda run into Kirika in a fetish shop and Yurika slaps Kirika for leaving them. Kirika goes home and draws a bit, remembering how much fun it was to be a mangaka. But then she remembers her editor, and she cools off.

It’s graduation time. Matsuda and Kirika are free! Yurika stops by to visit and they all go to a reception at the magazine’s office. Kirika has decided to return to manga after all – the evil editor bows and welcomes her formally (and politely as Kawai-sensei,) to their magazine, which moves her. Miyamae shows off the diamond on her left hand. Kirika jokes that she’s landed Mitusgu at last. They have a big toast to all the “new” manga artists, at which Kirika’s collar and chain around her neck become visible. Okay, so maybe not *quite* leaving the side job as S&M Queen behind. :-)

Back in high school, Mai, Kirika’s kouhai in the chado (tea) club is thoroughly befuddled as to what to do with all that…tea stuff. As her new underclassmen demand leadership (she tells Kirika) she decides to teach them what *she’s* learned. Kirika, naturally, tells her “How nice – go for it.” ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 6
Characters – 8
Yuri – 4
Service – Yes

It’s utterly without merit. But it really wasn’t *bad*! Like with every volume previously, it was kind of fun and (other than Matsuda’s issues) the sex is guilt and tedium-free. And actually good for a few laughs.





Yuri Manga: Shoujo Sect 2

May 15th, 2006

I wasn’t planning on reviewing Shoujo Sect 2 yet, but when I came home today there it was on the table, and I thought, “Eh, why not.” ^_^;

In the first volume of Shoujo Sect, which I reviewed on February 27, 2006, we are introduced to the residents of one particular dorm at one particular girls’ high school. Most of the residents are having sexual relations with at least one other resident of the dorm – in some cases, several others.

At the end of volume one, Honda Shinobu confesses that, despite the fact that she is surrounded by a harem of girls with whom she is having sex, she actually likes Naitou Momoko. (Once again, btw, I refuse to use the official spellings. I’m not sure they were done strangely on purpose, but they are decidedly strange to the eye that is used to “correct” Japanese transliteration. I’m sticking with the furigana.)

Naitou has to navigate the labyrinth of Honda’s affairs – and the fact that she (Naitou) is currently seeing her teacher – before she can begin to decide how she feels about Honda.

In the meantime, Naitou continues her habit of being catalyst, or at least present, as one of her bandmates is tag-teamed by two of her kouhai, who happen to be twins. (Gosh, that’s original, isn’t it? )

Honda comforts Enjyoji Maya with some private time, even as she and Naitou step up their contentious courtship – Shinobu gives Momoko chocolate…Momoko responds with a ring.

Kirin, who usually functions as Honda’s maid, decides to let Honda know that, regardless of her feelings for Naitou, she feels that Honda belongs to her. She won’t stand in Shinobu and Momoko’s way, but…

…evil sempai Sayuri overhears Kirin and Honda. After Kirin leaves, she has her way with Honda, despite Honda’s protests. Since this is the first time we’ve seen Shinobu protest, it’s especially creepy. Naitou is walking by the room, and overhears voices. Honda prays that she will move on, but Naitou decides to call Honda’s phone. When it rings, she comes into the room and sees Sayuri and Honda in dishabille. Honda begs Naitou to understand, and Sayuri stalks off, full of herself. Momoko follows Sayuri and, in a completely out of the blue, “whoah!” moment, knocks Sayuri cold with a fire extinguisher.

Naitou transfers out of school and isn’t heard from again for months. Honda moves out of the dorm and Maya moves out with her. One day, Maya and Honda are out walking when Honda’s phone rings with a message from Naitou. Honda goes running to find Naitou. Maya excuses herself, and leaves the two of them alone. They go back to Naitou’s nearly-empty, electricity-less apartment and finally(!) make love.

The next chapter takes place the “Day After Shoujo Sect” at Naitou’s new school. A classmate rushes to hide a note from someone that was pasted to her shoe locker. Sonoko confronts her friend Kaori on the roof later that day, telling her to not leave things like her email in the locker. Kaori and she end up fighting and confessing their love for one another…and as this is Shoujo Sect, they make love on the roof. The next day there is a note in Sonoko’s shoe locker and she cheerfully tells Naitou that it’s from her lover.

The Extra Chapter actually makes the whole thing worth getting, in my opinion. Up to this point, it’s been a series of PWP sex encounters – some good, some bad, depending on what you like. If you’re just interested in the sex, then it’s not a bad series just for that. But the epilogue actually kind of ties everything up in a amusing package that nonetheless remains completely consistent to the rest of the story.

Time has passed, Honda Shinobu and Naitou Momoko are living together. Honda is rushing off to work, and Naitou is lazing around as a college student. Honda runs off to be teased and sexually harrassed in a not at all mean-spirited way by her seniors at the office. They obviously find her cute – her sexual charisma hasn’t tarnished at all since high school. Naitou and Enjyoji Maya, now in medical school, and still living with Honda, have some pleasant morning sex to pass the time. Honda ends up calling home to get something to the office. Instead of sending it, Naitou and Maya both comes to visit. So Honda’s little secret is quite out. Now all her office sempai know about her and Naitou and Maya…and erm, just about everyone else.

The sempai decided that they want a little of the Honda charm and rewrite the office rules to require not only a morning greeting, but a morning kiss – and a coffee break kiss and a lunchtime kiss… insert “bwa bwa bwaaaa” silly noise here.

It’s a goofy, but also kind of sweet ending for what is otherwise pretty much pure Yuri porn.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 6
Character – 7
Yuri – 10
Service – 10

Overall – 8

Sexy? Yes. Good? Not really – but not bad either.





Yuri Manga: Sakura no Kiwa, Volume 1

May 8th, 2006

From Takemoto Izumi, the same artist who created Transistor ni Venus, comes an entirely different, yet no less quirky, series – Sakura no Kiwa/Sakura’s Boundaries – as in personal boundaries. Because this is a story about how one girl, Sakura, has her personal boundaries gently pushed and kneaded and shaped until she finds herself living with and taking care of two other girls and fourteen cats.

Sakura’s parents spring the sudden news that they are transferring to Brazil for work, so Sakura will be going to live with an aunt. The aunt, a lazy, kind of lovable dope, lives with fourteen cats. Sakura moves in and quickly finds herself cleaning and cooking not only for her aunts, but for the cats.

In school she meets tall, attractive Uesakura Futako, a neighbor of her aunt Tamako’s. Sakura mistakenly assumes Futako’s sister to be younger, but in fact, Ichiko is the older. They have several unnamed younger brothers, as well. Ichiko tells Sakura to call her Ii-chan, and Nii-chan for Futako (another number joke like the one in Nanami to Misuzu in Yuri Hime 4.)

When Tamako quite suddenly announces that she’ll be gone for a few months, Futako and Ichiko offer to stay with Sakura and help her take care of the cats and the house – and keep her company. It’s a good deal all around – they get out of their crowded house and Sakura has some human company.

The rest of the manga is gags about the cats, and the continual, quiet, and kind of dopey, sweet descruction of Sakura’s personal boundaries by Futako. First she shares a room with Sakura, then a bed, then manages to get hugs, and finally, kisses. Sakura keeps giving in, until she and Futako look and act awfully like a couple – only it has happened so gradually that Sakura doesn’t realize it, even when other people comment that “friends” do not give each other good morning and good night kisses. When Aunt Tamako comes back she’s a bit surprised, naturally, but as Sakura seems to find it all normal and strangely justifiable, she doesn’t take any action. For instance, Tamako asks if Sakura and Futako always take a bath togther. Yes…does it seem strange? Sakura wonders, then remembers that she thought it was kind of strange at first. Then Futako asks for a goodnight kiss in front of Tamako. Sakura blushes, but gives her the kiss.

The final chapter is a mix of Sakura being concerned that there is a cat missing and her slowly growing concern that Futako is awfully popular at school…in the end it turns out that two of the cats have the same coloring and she’s the one going to bed with Futako so, all’s well that ends Volume 1.

The whole multiple cats things makes me gag a bit, but this manga is otherwise so adorable that it’s not only Sakura’s boundaries that got pushed, but this reader’s, as well. One just has to hope that Futako isn’t as feckless as she appears and that this has been a clever, subtle war on Sakura’s resistance. Probably not. lol

This isn’t Transistor ni Venus. There’s no action, no shapely spies, no spaceships, no aliens. But for fun, sweet and slightly dopey yuri, and for way too many cats, Sakura no Kiwa fills the bill.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 7
Service – 0

Overall – 7

A fun read, a silly, original story and lots of cute kisses. And cats.