Assorted Entanglements, Volume 5

July 19th, 2024

Two young women wearing jerseys sit back to back. One with the side of her head braided, smokes a cigarette, the other with multiple ear piercings. They both look off to the right.by Matt Marcus, Staff Writer

Have you ever been on a bad first date? Like, a really bad one? Maybe you neglected to vet the content of the movie you bought tickets for (“I’ve heard good things about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo!”). Perhaps you chose a restaurant that doesn’t take reservations and you arrive to find a two hour wait for the next table (“Who knew this place was this popular?”). Or you somehow left your driver’s license at home so you cannot order any adult beverages (“Curse this babyface of mine!”). Maybe you let it slip that you did a hair too much “research” on your date’s social media profiles. Or what if…the two of you just don’t have any chemistry. Worse, what if that were true and—*gasp*—they were also your boss?

OK, so things don’t get that dire in Assorted Entanglements, Volume 5, but it isn’t far off.

Last time on Assorted Entanglements, we got some real, true character growth from the majority of our Sapphic menagerie. Iori and Minami are still as committed to each other as  ever, Shizuku and Saori are bonding, Heke-sensei and her editor Shinohara are very close to admitting their mutual interest, and Kujou’s obliviousness continues to helpfully shield her from making a serious mistake with her student Sugimoto, for now. Progress!

The large majority of the page-time in this volume, as it were, is dedicated to Best Not-Yet-Couple Heke-sensei and Shinohara-san. Editor-san, hearing Iori’s warning of missed opportunities ringing repeatedly in her ears, invites Heke-sensei to a meatspace date during one of their online meetups. Even though the event on paper was a slam dunk (a live gaming exhibition), the experience is horribly awkward. Heke-sensei was too nervous to speak to her gaming “idol”…but after the two get home and hop onto another gaming session, she admits that she was such a fan of Lala’s that she figured out Shinohara’s day job and intentionally submitted her manga at her company in order to meet her. Instead of a restraining order, Shinohara instead offers that they date—if Heke-sensei can get on her gaming level.

There are more extended chapters of the two awkwardly navigating this “not yet dating” situation, but now that their feelings are out in the open the gags have shifted from Shinohara deflecting her feelings (to Heke-sensei’s chagrin) to the mangaka being an awkward nerd with bizarre priorities that mildly exasperates her cantankerous would-be paramour. It’s an improvement from the “Oh thank god I hid my true feelings at the last second” tropes we’ve seen so far. There is also a nice moment where Iori invites Shinohara over for dinner, with Minami of course doing the cooking. It’s the longest stretch that the manga has gone without a sour note.

The bulk of the remainder are expanded backstories: one about Minami and Shizuku’s time in the childhood delinquent facility and one fleshing out Kujou’s college best friend/crush Akemi. Both are well told and add nuance to the stories we’ve heard the characters tell each other. I found Akemi’s ambiguous feelings toward Kujou to be a tasty morsel of melancholy that was more emotionally nourishing than I typically expect from this series. I half-expect her to reappear near the climax of the Kujou/Sugimoto arc, but I actually wish Mikanuji-sensei shows restraint and leaves her in the past.

The volume wraps with a summer vacation bonus story that reiterates that Iori and Minami are happy together, and that Saori and Shizuku are both miserable about it. Same as it ever was.

All and all, this volume breezes by and avoids nearly all of the pitfalls from the previous volumes. Somehow, online gaming has led to less toxicity; I guess that’s why this is fiction.

Art – 7 At least this time there are no new characters
Story – 8 There’s some actual, non-gratuitous pathos here
Characters – 8 The character-based humor between Shinohara and Heke-sensei earns an extra point
Service – 2 For a drunken college hookup
Yuri – 8 / LGBTQ – 8 Iori effectively comes out to Shinohara

Overall – 8 Feels like the story has moved up in the rankings

Volume 6 of this ensemble story of Sapphic misfits is coming our way in October.

Matt Marcus is a serial enthusiast whose range of appreciations include guitars, watches, and a particular genre of Japanese popular media named after a flower. Outside of writing for Okazu, he cohosts various projects on the Pitch Drop Podcast Network, where he frequently bloviates about video games, anime, and manga. He also hosts a blog Oh My God, They Were Bandmates analyzing How Do We Relationship in greater depth.

Posted in English Manga, Matt Marcus, Mikanuji, Staff Writer, Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »


Kiss the Scars of the Girls, Volume 2

July 18th, 2024

A cute, short-haired blonde girl and a taller long haired girl with black hair, in dark blue old-fashioned Japan school uniforms hold hands as they smile gently at one another.by Christian Le Blanc, Staff Writer

Feet are not something to lance,
And the soft palate’s no place for hands.
Though we’ve been through school combat,
We should leave it at comrade;
You and me could write a stab romance.

As a quick refresher: Kiss the Scars of the Girls is a futuristic vampire Yuri manga from Aya Haruhana and Yen Press where vampires hardly have any powers or protections, and Class S dominates how vampire girls are educated at their vampire boarding schools which are located next to medieval-looking cities full of prey (and vampire hunters). Emille Florence is our bright, cheerful blonde, while Eve, with her long black hair and unapproachable manner, is her older ‘sister’ designated to show her the ropes and watch out for her.   

When I reviewed Volume 1, I felt a bit let down by how dull everything felt, and lamented the absence of vampiral shenanigans, including violence. Reader, you can well imagine my surprise and delight when Kiss the Scars of the Girls, Volume 2 treated me to a flashback of a primary school knife fight where plucky and sunny-dispositioned Emille gets Stabbitha Christie’d by the awkward girl who likes her, Yucca Lotus. 

I will admit, where this story features Class S prim and proper vampire ladies, I was rather surprised at how nonchalantly the narrator of the flashback says this all went down “on an otherwise unremarkable day” where they “were doing mock close-quarters combat training.” 

What surprised me even more was how OMG WTF shocked her classmates are, and how their teacher is furious at Yucca for going all Stabbicus Finch on someone, but, really, when you arm schoolchildren with knives and tell them to fight each other, I don’t know how you can expect anything other than a Black Stabbath concert to break out. 

As it turns out, vampires heal quickly and easily and Emille just waves it off and asks everyone to forgive her assailant, who then sticks with Emille from that point on to avoid getting bullied…I’d say the other students’ fear of ending up as a letter to Dear Stabby is really what keeps them from picking on her, but it’s hard to say with these vampire kids. 

Yucca ends up having one of those friendships with Emille that you only read about in the occasional Yuri compilation of short stories, where that one short makes you feel all squicky because the creepy character loves seeing her girlfriend upset, so she keeps tormenting her in little ways. It’s off-putting, and Emille’s big sister Eve eventually has to step in and resolve things. Yucca leaves a letter saying she has to go now, her planet needs her, and a big part of me hopes that Eve herself wrote it to cover up any extracurricular “murdering Yucca” activities she felt she needed to do as Emille’s senpai. 

Moving on, we start getting into the reason why the vampires in this book seem so human and normal, with the introduction of Colette, a clumsy human girl who Emille befriends in town. Can Emille and Colette forge a friendship, in spite of the fact that all vampires hate humans and all humans hate vampires? Lucce, Emille’s friend who works at the school library, seems to think so. When we learn that Lucce’s parents are a vampire and a human, and combine that with Lucce’s darker skin tones, we are definitely meant to realize that the vampires in this book are a metaphor for discussing prejudice and race, in much the same way that Yurikuma Arashi used bears as a metaphor for discussing prejudice and homophobia (just without any wild Ikuhara symbolism in Scars, unfortunately). 

Ratings:

Characters – 5 (a slight bump up from last volume thanks to Lucce)
Story – 6 (no huge stakes, but I’m mildly curious to see what’s next)
Service – 1 (5 if you’re into seeing tonsils get fingered)
Yuri – 5

Overall – 6

When I read the first volume, I was puzzled over how similar humans and vampires seemed, and I now understand that this is being used to tackle racial prejudice (and for the shock humour value when we see things like combat training). This has made me enjoy this series a little more, and I’m curious as to whether Aya Haruhana will do anything more with the conceit, or if this is simply the current storyline before it gets abandoned for the inevitable return of Stabby McStabface. 

Erica here: Volume 3, The Stabbening, is out at the end the month from Yen Press.

Posted in Christian LeBlanc, English Manga, Staff Writer, Yuri Manga | 1 Comment »


The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All Cafe, Report by Miguel Adarlo

July 17th, 2024

An image of a window on a second floor of Tower Records in Ometesando in Tokyo featuring a cafe for Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakkata by Arai Sumiko.Hello, this is Miguel Adarlo, also known as an overachieving potato from the Okazu Discord. This time, I’m sharing my visit to the Tower Records Cafe Omotesando during their collaboration with The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All.

During my trip to Japan on July 7th, I had initially planned to visit Yuri Cafe Anchor. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations. However, I discovered an alternative that was just as exciting.

For those unfamiliar, The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All is a yuri manga series posted on Twitter and serialized in Pixiv Comic by Arai Sumiko. It’s known for its striking aesthetic, the leads’ choice of music, and its general vibes. (Volume 1 and volume 2 of Kininatteru Hito Ga Otoko Janakatta.have been reviewed here on Okazu.)

I had previously purchased some merchandise from the series during a visit to Kinokuniya Los Angeles in June. Imagine my surprise when I found out from the Okazu Discord that there was a concept cafe, named Moonlight Diner, for the series at the Tower Records Cafe Omotesando. I just had to go.

Tower Records is an interesting yet appropriate partner for this collaboration. As implied by its name, Tower Records deals in selling music records of all kinds. Although somewhat anachronistic in today’s music landscape dominated by digital downloads and streaming, it’s fitting for Aya and Mitsuki’s choice of music, which mostly comes from bands that were popular when discs were king. Plus, Mitsuki works at her uncle’s record store.

According to the website, I was supposed to make a reservation, but I wasn’t sure how to, especially since I only found out about the cafe the night before. I decided to take my chances and show up without a reservation. I went to the cafe at 2 pm on July 7, only to be turned away initially because they were full. Thankfully, the staff were kind enough to give me a ticket for a later time slot, 4 pm. The staff were very accommodating, despite my limited Japanese. Given the series’ popularity among international audiences, I think they expected visitors like me.

While waiting, I walked to Shibuya to visit a pop-up store for another anime and Mandarake, then I went back to Omotesando. I arrived back at the cafe at 3:40 pm, just in time for the line to form.

Placard for Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta Cafe in Omtsando. Picture by Miguel Adarlo.

Upon entering, the vibes were immaculate. The cafe was homely, with dad rock playing in the background. The cafe had a wooden floor, some chairs and tables, and an open kitchen where you could see the staff preparing the food. It felt like the record store Mitsuki and her uncle were minding during the series. The only thing missing was an old uncle minding the vinyl collection.

The cafe’s theme was tastefully applied. There was art on posters attached to the walls, drawn for the collaboration by Arai Sumiko, along with an apron signed by her. Two TVs were playing a mix of music videos, ranging from Nirvana to Bon Jovi. They also played a PV of the series, set to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” rotating with the music videos. Aya and Mitsuki were drawn wearing Tower Records threads and diner clothes too.

I ordered a burger, a fizzy drink, and a parfait. The food was fine, but I was really there for the vibes. I was thrilled when Bon Jovi started playing. Along with the food, I received postcards from the collaboration. These postcards came with the food, so I ended up getting three, two of which were of the Moonlight Diner, and one of which was Mitsuki working at the Moonlight Diner, serving Aya her meal.

Finally, I bought some merchandise, namely the Aya and Mitsuki Tower Records acrylics, and paid for my stay. It wasn’t as long as I would have liked, but I’m just glad I got the opportunity to visit a collab cafe for a yuri series I liked. I often miss these sorts of events, so I’m glad I caught this one during the push for the series. They had a Spotify playlist of music Aya and Mitsuki would listen to and a music CD that could have been my parents’ rock mixtape from the ’80s to early ’00s. They even sold a CD of Nirvana’s In Utero at the cafe! Oddly, they weren’t selling copies of the manga, but they had pins, acrylics, posters, tote bags, and even CDs related to the series.

Items from the Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta Cafe in Omtsando. Picture by Miguel Adarlo.

As a fan, seeing the immense support this series has gotten fills me with hope. Yen Press licensed the series for an English release, and this collab cafe isn’t even the first the series has had. Maybe, as Erica stated earlier in a separate Yuri Network News Update, there might be an adaptation in the works. With this series still updating and continuing its publication, all the more we can hope for support.

I’m not used to rating cafes, but here we go:

Art: 9 – Love Arai Sumiko’s work.
Story: 9 – The vibes were very good.
Characters: 8 – Could have added the uncle browsing Tower Records, but I understand focusing on Aya and Mitsuki.
Service: 9 – The staff at Tower Records Cafe were great and communicated well.
Yuri: 2 – Low on sapphic romance, but there was a postcard of them sharing a parfait.

Overall: 7.5 – A pretty good collab cafe. I would have liked more items related to the manga, but I trust the organizers knew what to sell with the limited space they were given.

The collaboration cafe runs from July 4 to July 29 at Tower Records Cafe Omotesando. You can find the website for the collab, along with the menu, here.

(no other pictures of the cafe. photography was not allowed inside.)

Posted in Events, Guest Review | 2 Comments »


My Idol Sits the Next Seat Over, Volume 7

July 15th, 2024

by Luce, Okazu Staff Writer

My Idol Sits the Next Seat Over, Volume 7 is the final volume, in which we get the fallout of Maaya coming clean about her pretending to Chihiro that she wasn’t already a fan when they met, and Sakiko feeling guilty about helping her hide it. Chihiro decides to remain an idol after a heart-to-heart with both Sakiko and Maaya, and is able to perform in Misaki’s graduation concert. The three of them have a sleepover at Chihiro’s house, attend Spring Shine’s summer concert, and ponder their futures.

This series doesn’t wallow in things – they fall out over something, but they manage to sort it out. This means that a lot happens each volume, as always, but despite that, it never feels too rushed to me. The characters do their best to sort things out, rather than endlessly mithering over whether they should or shouldn’t say something. Sakiko manages to get over – in class, in a foreign language at that – her guilt at not wanting Chihiro to quit. Chihiro, rightly so, points out that she herself has agency in her own friendships. It’s a two way thing, not something that should be decided for her. This is reiterated to Maaya as well, which clears the air between the three of them.

One thing I adore about this manga is the journey Maaya takes through it all. Becoming friends with Sakiko and Chihiro, and later Motoyama, has changed her for the better, but she’s still her. She is still a little obsessive, focused, and blunt… But it’s toned down, rather than a sharpened weapon at all times. She doesn’t make a complete 180 in personality, but she mellows, is able to be more honest with herself and others – a big moment here is her truly showing her ‘bare face’ (with no makeup, and I’ll commend the mangaka that there is a notable difference) to Chihiro. It’s a really nice scene, not because Maaya has anything to be ashamed of, but because she finally feels like she can do it.

Sakiko, too, has been on a journey. At the start, she was a shy fan who couldn’t stand up for herself, but through all this, she’s become confident enough to stand up to others as well, and to decide her own path. Often being a bridge between Maaya and Chihiro, with the end of this volume, she’s settled into a good place, with the three of them on more even footing. The last chapter is in the future, showing them all meeting up, and an ‘interview’ with Chihiro which delve a little more into Spring Sunshine after the series.

I did wonder how they were going to resolve the ‘triangle’, and the answer is, it doesn’t really get resolved, per se… But it’s clear that Maaya is in love with Chihiro, and that Sakiko knows that. I don’t mind that it doesn’t pair any of them off, to be honest (while I would have been happy for a poly ending, I’m glad it didn’t rush one) – it’s clear that they value each other immensely, and that’s just as valuable.

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed this manga, and I’ll be excited to see if the mangaka gets anything else licensed!

Ratings:

Story – 7, nothing particularly groundbreaking, but not totally predictable, and doesn’t drop into needless drama all the time
Art: 8 – really suits the vibe, and an extra point for actually having a difference between someone wearing makeup and no
Service – 0 (I don’t think there’s even a sleazy angle)
Yuri – 5

Overall – 8

For a cute idol Yuri manga, this is great!

Posted in English Manga, Luce, Staff Writer | No Comments »


Comic Yuri Hime, July 2024 (コミック百合姫2024年7月号)

July 14th, 2024

Two girls frolic in a forested creek, a girl with short blonde hair sits on a mossy rock, her feet in the creek, looking up at a girls with a brown ponytail who holds her skirts above the water she stands in.Comic Yuri Hime, July 2024 (コミック百合姫2024年7月号) is 800+ pages of Yuri. I am still boggling at the size of this thing. If they used paper the same thickness as they used to, this volumewould be absolutely massive. Even with the laser-thin paper used now, it’s a pretty hefty tome. And, for once, this volume is less about the upcoming and ongoing anime and more about just…the manga. There is so much manga in this volume.

The opening story is a new one by Tamasaki Tama “Muryoku Seijo to Munou Oujo ~ Maryoku Zero de Shoukansareta Seijo no Isekai Kyuukoku-ki ~” another new fantasy isekai. It is…not terrible at all, even though it starts kind of rough. Nana has not managed to make anything of her life and is feeling quite depressed when she is brought to another world along with another woman to save a kingdom as Saints…only she has no power here, either. Until she meets Princess Lilium who has power but cannot use it. Together they are able to manifest the Princess’ power in explosive combination. And hopefully, they’ll save the kingdom.

In “Sasayakuyou ni Koi wo Utua,” by Takeshima Eku, having resolved all the complicated relationships among SSGirls and Laureley, where can the story turn to next for cute reactions to love? How about Miki, Himari’s bestie? Turns out her band (instrumental, not light rock,) senpai is in love with her.

Clarice is turning out to be a smart and capable Marquess in “Gakeppuchi Reijou ha Kuro Kishi-sama o Horesasetai!” In this chapter she learns that her the whole staff left aT Black Knight Frost’s mansion are four maids. Everyone else has been driven off by the threat of monsters and the threat of their monster employer. Clarice, who is determined to save her family, explores ways to Frost-sama’s heart, but is not successful…when news arrives that monsters are attacking a merchant carriage that is headed their way. (I ask myself, though, why is a merchant coming to this monster-infested place with one carriage and no entourage of guards? What could he be selling that would make that journey worth it? …anyway…)

“Watashi no Oshi ha Akuyaku Reijou.” has added a short interlude, as Rae is accompanied by Lily on what the Cardinal thinks is a date and Rae understands as part of the investigation of noble corruption. I have no doubt that this side quest is so we can see Lily in “cute” clothes. ^_^

“Salvia no Bouquet” takes a moment to explore Ellen’s feelings about Riza, as she faces down the loss of her mentor.

Shigizawa and Gotou have it out at last in “Utsotsuki Hanayome to Dousei Kekkon-ron” and Shigizawa loses to herself.

I haven’t talked about “Koharu to Minato” much, but his love-love comic essay has moved from the end  page into the magazine proper and continues to be a sweet, idealized day in the life of a couple. I’ve just finished Volume 1 of this series and will be reviewing it shorty. It is very cute.

“Kiraware Majoureijou to Dansou Ouji no Kon’yaku” has added new characters and a mystery – which is more interesting than the unsurprising romance between Ciel and Eve. Who is Eve’s mother and how is Eve able to do dark magic?

Oh yay, an historical Yuri set in the Taisho period about clothing. I am 100% excited for this new title by Sheep D, “Kanaria ha Kiraboshi no Yume wo Miru.” A girl with a dream, and a mother determined to crush it, and a beautiful Occidental girl will shake up the fashion world in Taisho Japan.

I was going to wine about the length of the titles, but I have decided that I actually prefer these longer, more descriptive titles over, like, “Fashion” or something like that. Still a pain to transcribe, though ^_^;

As always, of course, there are other stories I read, but have not mentioned and others I did not – indeed, there are several series I have never read more than one chapter. The offerings are leaning heavily towards fantasy right now…but let’s be honest, isekai is hot. There’s still a bunch of great work about adult lives and competent women in our reality and another world in this issue.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

With 800 pages, there is definitely something for just about everyone! The August issue is out, and I started reading it this week. There’s great stuff in there and I can’t wit to tell you about it.

Posted in Comic Yuri Hime, Magazines, Yuri Manga | No Comments »