Yuri Manga: Comic Yuri Hime January 2017 (コミック百合姫2017年1月号)

December 20th, 2016

As of this issue, Comic Yuri Hime is now the very first monthly Yuri magazine! Congrats to the CYH team at Ichijinsha!

I was really interested to see how this issue was going to land. My philosophy about manga magazines is that the stories don’t all have to appeal to me, but there has to be at least a few stories I like for me to continue reading. And, as there had been a strong tendency towards sexual fetishization of Yuri in 2016 issues, I was understandably a little ambivalent.

Overall, I felt that Comic Yuri Hime, January 2017 (コミック百合姫2017年1月号) was pretty good. ^_^

The cover story they went with got my hopes up. Yes, the story is called  “Hatsukoi” and it’s clearly a first love tale, but the art, while typical school girl stuff is much less blobby-faced than it has been.  That’s always a good sign in my book.

Right off the bat, the first two stories weren’t the same old, same old. In Aoto Hibiki’s “Ashita, Kimi ni Aetara” (subtitled in English, Tomorrow, I will tell you, “I love you.”), what starts as an fairly stilted “Story A” becomes a tale of a time warp, when the lead falls asleep and wakes up 15 years in the future, with a family. Let’s be honest, we all know that’ll it all have been a dream, but at least it’s different.

This is followed by what may turn out to be a new favorite story, “Watashi no Yuri ha Oshigoto desu!” (subtitled in German, Schewestern in Liebe. And how funny would that be if the foreign language subtitles were a running gag, but, sadly, it’s not.) Shiraki Hime is an exceedingly cute girl and, through circumstances ends up at a Yuri cafe, in which every employee has taken on a typical Yuri stereotype. There’s the ojousama type, the bookish girl, the predatory lesbian and she, naturally is the cute little-sister type. The reality is far less rarified and beautiful. This story had me grinning from ear to ear.  I love when manga stories wallow in Yuri tropes without being defined by them.

Also new is a story by Tomonori about a young woman who lives with (and is falling in love with) her sister-in-law. I know, I know, but… Uta-chan came to live with her older brother and his wife when her parents died and while her brother is gone, she and Kaoru are living together. I’ve got hopes for this story, we’ll see.

“Now Loading” seems to be a workplace story about a woman who gets a job at a much admired game design company and finds her work just not meeting her manager’s standards. This one is setting up to be a pretty straightforward office romance with the tough boss, but count me in on that. ^_^

“Roku＋Ichikurashi” by Umehara Ume is a cute little tale of women’s dorm life reminiscent of Hidamari Sketch and I don’t think that’s accidental, given the artist’s name.

Comic Yuri Hime is looking for some new staff. Check out the ad in the magazine, if you’re interested. 

“Itsuka Minoreba” by Nishi Asuka has exceptionally moe art but the story appears to be about a hardcore gamer girl finding a protege/rival.

“2DK, GPen Mezamashitokei” finally takes a Yuri turn, as Nanami is forced by Aoi to finally own up to her feelings about Kaede. Now, here’s my hope…that it isn’t just “they get together, the end.” This couple is going to need some time to actually develop and if we can spend a whole volume on a side character, the main couple deserves a few volumes to themselves.

I kind of really have no idea what the story is in “Nanahara Shino ha Futsu ja nai” but the title is accurate. Shino wears a sword and is way too easy about drawing it, ostensibly to protect Tsuruko-sempai.

The Yuri Goddess appears in Minamoto Hisanari’s “Kanaete! Yuri Yosei” She basically appears to fuck with the Shiroyuri Yosei.

Ohi Pikachi’s “Demi Life!” follows the adventures of a human girl in a school for half-gods, half-human magical creatures and other “demis.”

And the volume wraps up with “Sleeping Princess” by Katakura Ako, which is much less cute that it sounds. I’m really starting to like Katakura-sensei’s anti-hero leads.

Of course, there are other series, “Yuri Yuri” inexplicably continues, as does “Citrus” and several unspeakably awful stories which remain unnnamed. But for a premiere issue of the new, monthly Comic Yuri Hime, I was fairly pleased with it!

Ratings:

Overall – 8

I can’t tell you how pleased I was at the general lineup. Not just one Story-A after another. The February issue is already out in Japan. 

Don’t forget, you can get Monthly Comic Yuri Hime digitally (in Japanese) on Bookwalker.JP!

Posted in Comic Yuri Hime, Magazines, Yuri Manga | 12 Comments »


Stretch Manga, Volume 4 (ストレッチ)

December 19th, 2016

For about two years, I’ve been following Akili’s wecomic-turned-manga, Stretch. For two years I’ve watched Keiko and Ran, two adults who are clearly close friends and roommates act like close friends and roommates. This of course doesn’t stop some fans from seeing more. ^_^

Volume 4 of Stretch (ストレッチ), the final volume, begins with Ran telling Keiko that she’s getting married and moving out. Half of this is true. Her time relying on her old school sempai is coming to a close. In between suggestions for “dynamic stretching,” Ran and Keiko spend their last days together as roommates.

Their relationship never changes. It remains friendly, intimate and snarky right to the end. Two close friends who had fun as roommates and have every intention of keeping in touch. It’s anticlimactic in it’s normality. 

And, really, that was what Stretch always was. It was never a romance, or a Yuri manga. It was always a manga about two adult women who were friends. Had it been written for a female audience  it might have had less service, but probably would not have been otherwise much different.  

Ratings:
Art – 9
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 1
Service – 6  Some perfunctory bath groping.

As a vehicle for getting readers to do some stretching, Stretch was pretty fun.

Posted in Miscellaneous | 2 Comments »


Western Comic: Hilda and the Stone Forest

December 18th, 2016

I spend a lot of time here on Okazu discussing role models. Not always in those terms, but realistically, I am speaking of women and girls who I consider to be (or not to be) suitable to rely on for lessons on how to handle life situations. From my fantasy faves of psychotic murderers who violently remove obstacles in their way to characters who triumph over conflict through wits and with the help of friends, Okazu is filled to the brim with praise for role models for women and girls. (In fact, most of the books I’ve liked least provide very poor lessons on women in relationships and show characters making bad decisions for bad reasons.)

But. For many reasons there is one especially important role model that is mostly-absent from my pages. In many cases, the first role model and the most important person in our early lives is our mothers. LGBTQ people often have difficult relationships with parents, but some of us are lucky enough to find acceptance. It’s even a cliche’ of LGBTQ literature and comics that mothers are more accepting than fathers.

So, while today’s book is not LGBTQ, I thought it was a good time of year to read a story of a mother who accepts that her daughter is unlike other children. And, lo and behold! the kind folks at Nobrow Press sent me a copy of Hilda and The Stone Forest. I’ve written about Hilda before. In Hilda and the Midnight Giant,  Hilda uses negotiation to manage her way through bureaucracy and prejudice and allow two races to co-exist peacefully. But Hilda doesn’t live alone. She has a mother and who taught Hilda to be the person she is, anyway? Mom, of course.

Hilda’s Mom is mostly cool, although she doesn’t like Hilda sneaking off. I mean, who would? But, in Hilda and The Stone Forest when Hilda and her mother are embroiled in an impossible adventure, this time it’s Mom who figures out how to get  home. Mom comes through where Hilda just could not. Mom’s the hero! And in doing so, Mom shows Hilda how, even in desperate times, there’s always something that you can do…even if it’s not going to magically fix things.

The book ends with a surprise twist that will lead into the next book.

Once again, I heartily recommend the Hildafolk stories for young readers – especially those who love fairytales and myths – and for whom you would like to provide strong role models who don’t just slay the dragon and leave.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 9
Character – 9

This would make a great gift choice for a child in your life!

Many thanks to Tucker at Nobrow Press for the review copy. You always know what will pick my spirits right up. ^_^ And you guys do the best kid’s books.

Posted in Western Comic/Comix | No Comments »


Yuri Network News – (百合ネットワークニュース) – December 17, 2016

December 17th, 2016

Yuri Manga

At last, the second volume of Collectors by Nishi UKO is up for pre-order!  Yahoo!

Also headed our way is Renai Log (恋愛ログ) by Takemiya Jin and Momono Moto’s Akaneiro no Kiss ha Okujou de (茜色のキスは屋上で).

Ichijinsha has several collections on the way – Sekihar’, Akumu no Rakuen (悪夢の楽園) and Numachi’s Kakinzumi Girlfriend (課金済ガールフレンド).

Online,  Cycomi presents a new Yuri manga by Nou Natsumi, Futari Monologue. You can read chapters for free online, in Japanese.

ANN has the news that this year’s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! listing for female readers included My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, by Nagata Kabi, which was licensed for release next year by Seven Seas, so you too can see if this manga is amazing!

From YNN Correspondent Ary,  comes the news that Complex Age has been licensed by Kodansha. Ary says it is “a nice, unexpectedly accurate look at nerd girls on the cosplay and lolita scene as they approach those dreaded mid-late twenties and thirties.” 

Not Yuri, but super fun, from YNN Correspondent Brendan B, the French edition of  Otouto no Otto (which has been licensed by Gay Manga as My Brother’s Husband), Le Mari de mon frère has been nominated for an award at Angouleme, the French comics awards event.

According to Komatsu-san over at Crunchyroll News, manga artist Matsumoto Hidekichi drew a serial announcement of the ending of the Sabagebu! manga  on Twitter.

 

Yuri Anime

I’m told there’s some service-y Yuri in the manga A Centaur’s Life, and now an anime for the series has been announced.

Viz is hosting a Sailor Moon R Movie Event on January 13th in Los Angeles, according to ANN. If anyone can make that, do let us know how it is!

 

Live Action News

ANN also has the news that the Live-action Saki movie has released a 60-second trailer for your viewing pleasure. 

 

Yuri Games

Today we’ll wrap up with news that was both surprising and pleasing. A while back I reported on a Japanese Yuri game that was being worked on called Hanaemi ni Kuchizuke (花笑みにくちづけを), set at an all girls’ school. The company releasing it made a big deal of recruiting character designs, then we didn’t hear anything again for some time. In fact, just a few months ago I took the link off my “to check” links, as it hadn’t been updated since 2015. Well, Yurinavi reports that the game has launched at last, as a cell phone game in Japan. Yurinavi has some screenshots for us, I’m reading it right now on my cel, so it looks like you’ll be able to play it (in Japanese) on western phones. Click here to play. I’m playing this as I write. It’s unintentionally hilarious (to me.)

And from YNN correspondent Elizabeth F, we have the game Fight or Flirt, a dating sim originally developed for the Yuri Game Jam, which is clearly Utena inspired. Check it out and let us know what you think of it!

 

Know some cool Yuri News you want people to know about? Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

Posted in Yuri Network News | 4 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Pulse, Volume 1 (English)

December 15th, 2016

One of the greatest pleasures I have as a Yuri manga fan is seeing the development and growth of an artist I like. In 2015, I had the chance to introduce you to Ratana Satis, a talented Thai artist, who had put together Lily Love, a story of two college students who fall in love. Earlier this year, I was able to review the English translation of the story. As with Godley Malabanan’s Tagalog Yuri comic World Canvas, my only criticism was in the typicality of it. Lily Love is a classic “Story A” without much to differentiate it from the many others of it’s sort.

Still, I loved Ratis’ art and her characters, I was thrilled to be able to pre-order her newest series, Pulse. Volume 1, which arrived as a gorgeous hardcover volume that is now sold out. I hope that it will be re-released as a softcover, but it can be read online for now.

The hardcover is large, like a bande dessinée, with a color cover wrap, and a one-color image on the book itself. The pages are full-color, each with two strips down the page lengthwise, as one reads online. The pre-order came with a color postcard of the leads, a pin and the book includes a color fold-out poster.  It pretty much pulls out all the stops. ^_^

Pulse is, in short, the story of a heart surgeon  who has no heart. Mel is a successful heart surgeon and a playgirl. She has her pick of the nurses and other lovers, but has no interest in a relationship. When she meets Lynn, a college student who needs a heart transplant but will not get one, Mel feels an unsual, for her, sense of attraction.

Lynn recognizes Mel’s interest but also can see that Mel herself is isolated from others – by choice, but still.., so she comes up with a ridiculous idea. If Lynn can make Mel fall in love with her, she’ll get the surgery, and only if Mel will do the surgery. Well, Mel refuses to commit to the last bit, but takes Lynn’s bet. As the volume comes to a close Lynn has moved in with Mel, in order to better push her case.

There’s a lot to like in this story. Mel is kind of cold, but not a jerk. That is to say, she’s not unkind, or rude, she’s simply uninterested in other people. The sex is nice and always consensual. In fact, that’s one of Mel’s two additions to Lynn’s contract. Sex, should it happen, will be consensual and Mel is not changing her life at all for Lynn’s benefit. Seemed perfectly reasonable to me.

The attraction between them is instant and by forcing them and us to give it time, we can enjoy the tension instead of rushing them to a conclusion. 

The fact that both Lynn and Mel are adults appeals to me, just as Donut and Pew were, but with the added layer of an adult not in school. This is something we really have to grasp, in a scene where Mel and Lynn are present when a car accident occurs and Mel jumps into caring for the victims. 

The last thing that really made the story stand out was that men exist in this world, as relatives and colleagues. It’s not one of the all-women-all-the-time worlds. This world is the world.

Once again, I have nothing but praise for Satis’ art. Mel is sexy and adult and competent and a little aloof, and Lynn is cute and we want her to win so she’ll get a new heart. 

I also want to shout out to the Three Musqueerteers translators, who continue to put out excellent work.

Ratings:

Art – 10
Story – 9
Character – 8
Yuri – 10
Service – 6

Overall – 9

Pulse is an excellent story, and a beautiful book, and I look forward to reading more.

Posted in Yuri Manga | 6 Comments »