Yuri Manga: GIRL FRIENDS, The Complete Collection Volume 2 (English)

March 10th, 2013

Morinaga Milk’s GIRL FRIENDS, The Complete Collection, Volume 2, begins with an ending which segues into a new beginning for both Mari and Akiko.

As I noted in my review of the original volumes, after we’ve fully tasted the situation from Mari’s side – which is to say, plumbed the confusion, mortification, attraction and tension from the perspective of an introvert – we turn to Akiko the extrovert, who is no less confused, ecstatic, hurt, and out of her mind.

After plot complications that are realistic and some that are not so, the two find a moment to air out their mutual issues and, for a moment, are as one.

In re-reading this book I am once again reminded that, for all the manga tropes and plot complications, this is a fairly realistic story. Happily-ever-after does not begin with the moment of mutual confession. Life can never be that simple – and indeed it is not, even at the end of the series. But we can know, with every fiber of our being that Akiko and Mari have an excellent shot at building a life together because, as Mari says, “Regardless of what may lie ahead, I will never give up on you.”

Seven Seas’ volume was once again very decent. (There was one repeated typographical error -the music notes in reverse color – that should be fixed for any second printings, as it is actively distracting.) I notice that Macmillian is distributing the books, so I guess they managed to shift their contract from Tor into the larger group – for which I’m glad, that was never a great fit, and it allows them the distribution that direct sales and Amazon cannot provide. It also explains why GIRL FRIENDS is able to make the NY Times best-seller list. I’m pleased for Seven Seas and Morinaga-sensei all around.

Ratings:

Art – 9 (The art definitely improved over the course of this series)
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 10
Service – 6

Overall – 9

For those readers who worried that the first volume ended in a bad place – have patience and read the whole story. ^_^

CONTEST RESULTS:

I would like to thank everyone who entered in the Complete Collection Give-a-Way. We have a winner!

Kathryn (who writes the Contemporary Japanese Literature blog, which is absolutely worth your time) your message inspired me and, I hope, many others! You are the winner of this contest. Please email me at yuricon at gmail dot com with your address and a complete set of Morinaga Milk’s GIRL FRIENDS will be on its way to you!

I want to thank all of you who entered with your messages of love and acceptance. And I especially want to thank Ana Moreno, translator of GIRL FRIENDS, the Complete Collection, for her generous provision of books for this contest!  Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

AND I want to thank Okazu Superhero Amanda M. for her sponsorship of today’s review! I could not do it without you!

We’ve got a pile of new contests coming up here, so keep your antenna tuned to Okazu in days ahead. (So many things to give away…) ^_^

Posted in English Manga, GIRL FRIENDS, Morinaga Milk, Yuri Manga | 10 Comments »


Yuri Network News – March 9, 2013

March 9th, 2013

YNN_MariKYuri Manga

Yay! Fu~Fu (ふ～ふ), Volume 2 is slated to hit shelves in Japan in April. Woot! Boo, Fu~Fu, Volume 2 is the final volume. But the ending is spectacular, I promise you. ^_^

YNN Correspondent Tomo K. wants you all to know “Dowman Sayman’s Nickelodeon Green (ニッケルオデオン 緑) came out last month. This is a collection of 13 short stories which were published in Shogakukan’s IKKI magazine. Each story is 8 pages long. Two of the stories have a Yuri twist.

In “Inshu Bancho”, a girl’s saliva suddenly turns to sake, so her female friends start kissing her to “have a drink”. In “Hikkii and Gakkii”, the class rep keeps bringing school handouts to her hikikomori classmate whose home is filled with trash. The two girls finally confess their feelings for each other when the ward office decides to come take away all the trash.

The series is still ongoing in IKKI.”

Thanks Tomo, we appreciate the heads up!

Via @tougehiro on Twitter, Miniskirt Space Pirates (Bodacious Space Pirates) is now a manga from Asahi Comics. Reviews are comparing it to the TV series and finding it lacking. The manga covers Volume 2 of the novels – the Golden Ghost Ship arc.

Comic Natalie reports a Rose of Versailles magnet included in Cocohana magazine, Volume 4.

Rakuen Le Paradise (楽園 Le Paradis), Volume 11 is available, have you bought it yet? ^_^  

Real Bian manga by Japanese gravure idol Ichinomiya  Ayaka about her coming out as a real lesbian in the Japanese entertainment world is now available in full for free with download of the Zero One Viewer,(the green link in the middle). DL the viewer and choose the complete Real Bian from their menu – the title is in English, so it should be relatively simple. The book is in Japanese.

While I wasn’t looking  Sabagebu (さばげぶっ) has gotten a Volume 3 and Volume 4. Volume 4 is supposed to be turning up the Yuri-o-meter to high. I wouldn’t be surprised, given the earlier volumes.  (Here’s a refresher on the series, if you’ve forgotten the Survival Game Club.)

ROD REHABILITATION, Volume 1, with the new, completely different, Yomiko, goes on sale at the end of April.

***

Yuri Anime (and related stuff)

RightStuf’s Spring catalog is a total Yuri fest, with Rose of Versailles on the front and Sweet Blue Flowers on the back. ^_^ Can’t wait for the mail? Download it and enjoy their continued commitment to Yuri anime. ^_^

One More Lesbian’s Lesbian Film Guide: Friends, Lovers and Other Complications covers Desiree Lim’s Sugar Sweet which I saw in San Francisco in 2002 and was released on DVD in 2011. If you missed it the first time around, check out this tale of true love and lesbian porn. ^_^

Hidamari Sketch‘s not-Yuri couple Hiro and Sae will be graduating in a very special episode this month. A promotional video for the episode is up on YouTube. If you like Hiro x Sae, you’re gonna want to watch it. ^_^

***

Other News

Rica Takashima’s got a new FB page for her art, the Peeakboo Art Project. Join her for a unique look at life and interactive art projects all around the globe!

On Magazine no Mori this week, I look at GFantasy, a shounen manga magazine for women.

***

That’s a wrap for this week! 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 | 2 Comments »


GIRL FRIENDS Contest Reminder

March 8th, 2013

In February, I reviewed Morinaga Milk’s GIRL FRIENDS, The Complete Collection, Volume 1 and I announced a contest –

To enter to win a complete set of this delightful Yuri romance by Morinaga Milk, in the comments write a message of encouragement and hope to a young LGBT person who isn’t sure about their self or feelings right now – or even a message to your younger self. Please include your name,  – if you plan on being Anon, please give yourself a nickname so I can let the winner know they’ve won.

I’ll be reviewing Volume 2 very shortly, so get your messages in (to enter, please use the comments on the review of Volume 1) and be entered to win both volumes of the Complete Set.  Good luck! ^_^

 

Posted in Contests, English Manga, GIRL FRIENDS, Yuri Manga | 3 Comments »


Light Novel: Book Girl and the Undine Who Bore a Moonflower (English)

March 7th, 2013

BookGirlv6In 2011, I reviewed a Light Novel, Book Girl and the Famished Spirit. In that review, I noted that there was a character who had all the signs of being a classic anime/manga lesbian. Attractive, smart, accomplished and far more mature than the characters around her, Maki was a perfect candidate for the “Yuri” character. Her apparent obsession with Tohko, the Book Girl of the title, clinched the deal for me.

In the first volumes of the series, Maki is a peripheral character, half deus ex machina, half Mephistopheles. And while she appears from time to time just enough to torment Tohko, her existence has not been a major presence. Until now.

Book Girl and the Undine Who Bore a Moonflower revolves around Maki, her family history and a curse and a duty that she bears and would very much like to be rid of.

As in the other Book Girl books, we are introduced to the “book” around which the entire narrative is built, given the true history behind the relationship of that book to the story and a new, alternate ending to the historical narrative and the current matter at hand. If that sounds a little complicated, it’s only because it is – and that is exactly why it’s worth reading the series.  The lead character is a bit of a carp, but he and everyone around him are fleshed out to a considerable extent in these first 6 volumes.

Which is both good and bad. One hopes that the characters do what we want them to do, rather than what they do do. For us, that would mean Tohko letting her apparent tsundere facade drop and allowing Maki to paint her nude, a meeting of hearts and minds, followed by… Yeah, but that’s not happening here. ^_^;

Once again, I agree with the age rating on the back. There’s some adult concepts, themes and scenes that I could have handled at 11,  but your mileage – or the mileage of a YA you’re giving the book to –  may vary.

Ratings:

Art – 6 I wish the pictures were of scenes I wanted illustrated
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 1
Fanservice – 4, for the ultra-coy way the end was presented

Overall – 8

If you don’t mind that Maki is not really a lesbian, but she may be bisexual, that Tohko reads a lot, but doesn’t learn much about human nature, and that Inoue is more naive than anyone ought to be at his age, this series is well worth your time for the sheer love of books and storytelling in which it revels.

Posted in Light Novel | 3 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Pure Yuri Anthology, Hirari (ピュア百合アンソロジーひらり) Volume 9

March 5th, 2013

hirari9Pure Yuri Anthology, Hirari  Volume 9 (ピュア百合アンソロジーひらり) pulls out the big guns right from the start. Opening with a Morinaga Milk story about a bad choice that goes good,  using the setup of popular, athletic girl gets together with nice girl, it segues beautifully into Takashima Hiromi’s continuing series about Kase and Yamada, another athletic, popular girl and nice girl couple.

Kita Konno has an interesting little tale of gender, sexuality and acceptance of self, followed by Hakamada Mera’s fantasy of having a good excuse to not have to accept one’s self.

The standout story this issue, however, is set in that typical mythical private girl’s school, with gorgeous, accomplished onee-sama and average underclassmen pining away with admiration. Once again, Morishima Akiko-sensei is the recipient of *my* admiration with this chapter of “Seijun Shoujo Paradigm.”

Lily is still pining after Reika-sama, but Aoi cheers her up with heart-pounding collection of “Yuri” stories. They are all excited when they learn that schoolmate Midori is the author. They express how much they like the story, and Aoi says that she wishes she could see the characters after high school, together. Midori is confused by the request. This isn’t that kind of love – it’s just teen love, a love between young people in school. After school they’ll graduate, separate, get boyfriends, etc. Thinking about how unfair this is, Aoi starts to cry. They two girls are so in love, she sobs, they give it their all, and then they won’t even get to be together?  Lily comforts her by reminding her it’s just a story, but Aoi passionately swears that she’ll stay with Lily and help her find a real love, someone with whom she’s destined to be together forever!

What Lily and Aoi don’t know, is that Midori’s insistence on harsh reality has hurt another, as well. Secretly, class rep Toudou and Midori are a couple, but Midori’s been hurt by Toudou’s lack of verbal affection. They work through their issues and I hope to see Midori accept her new reality with a less unfair story for Aoi and Lily. ^_^

The most important thing about this chapter was, of course, Aoi’s passionate defense of stories that go beyond high school. As we know, lesbians don’t die or go straight just because they graduate. When one has one’s own place to live, income and schedule, it actually becomes easier to have a “real” relationship, not less easy.  Aoi, and Morishima-sensei through her, speaks for many of us (certainly for me!) when she says she wants to read more post school-life Yuri.

Ironically, since the editor of Hirari said that they probably wouldn’t be shifting away from school-life stories. And yet…

…I’m noticing more stories about adults seeping through the cracks, like Ohsawa Amane’s “Omiashi o Koko e,” a tale of shoe fetistry and emotional connection and Fujio’s continuing series,  “Under One Roof, which takes a surprising turn.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

So, almost despite itself, Hirari is becoming serious competitor to Comic Yuri Hime, with a wider range of stories, the occasional chapter with serious impact…and more stories about adults. ^_^

Posted in Hirari, Yuri Manga | No Comments »