We left Yuri Hime S, Volume 6 midway yesterday. We pick it up at at a recap of the winning entries in Ichijinsha’s most recent manga contest. Each magazine has a few winners, and we get to see all of the recent crop.

Speaking of new artists, the next story is a violent and vaguely disturbing piece by newcomer Marimo Naoe called “The Nightmare After School,” (which is not related to The Afterschool Nightmare, a different manga series that has some Yuri characters.) Akira is having some seriously violent nightmares. Like – beheading someone and having their decapitated body come after her. She relies on her sister for emotional support and for protection at school. When she sees Suzuki-sempai macking on her sister, it doesn’t make her at all happy. But Suzuki gets all the girls, as we see her receive yet another love letter. Akira’s jealousy doesn’t make her nightmares any less horrible – if anything they are getting worse. Akira and her sister are caught up in a waking nightmare when their friend Rika is possessed, but it’s Suzuki-sempai who rescues them – and talls Akira that she’ll be Suzuki’s apprentice for now, since her powers are obeious, but need to be trained. I’m interested to see where this story goes, defintely.

“Yuru Yuri” follows, with three chapters that I feel no compunction about skipping.

The summer event for dollmakers has arrived and the staff of “Cassiopeia Dolce” are gearing up for the half-networking, half-cosplay event. Most of the story is taken up with cosplay bishoujo-style non-situations (gotta love Takagi, he’s very consistent) and random kissing. Olga names Anna her apprentice in public (shock and jealousy follows) and Anna finally gets a really good kiss with Olga in at the afterparty. In the way of all things, Olga was so drunk the entire night is a blank and Anna (ah ha ha ha) has to start from scratch next chapter. hah.

Kuromasa Shisei turns our eye to yet another Shinigami and human pairing in “Kanojou to Shinigami.”

In “Honey Crush” Madoka rethinks her position on liking girls, and Kyouko and the ghost are all fired up all over again. Kyouko intervenes for the ghost and let’s Madoka know she cares so much she stalked her and died for her efforts. Ghostgirl confesses. Madoka admits to finding the idea of loving someone she really can’t see problematic. (My wife says, “Wimp.” ^_^)

“Nanami to Misuzu” is followed by “Kanojou ha Imouto” in which two girls who had decided that they would go out, are now catapulted through marriage into being sisters. The younger sister has no trouble with it…the older does. Despite this being a lot of things I don’t care much for, it wasn’t heinous.

The end.

The advertisement for the upcoming issue of Yuri Hime looks interesting. Since “Strawberry Shake Sweet” will be ending, I’m betting we’ll see some contenders for strong story leaders this month. Looks like it’s gonna be good!

So, okay. Sisters, and the peeing fetish do not appeal to me. I like the attempt at a non-kiddie story and don’t mind the horror stuff, as long as it’s not just fake-Yuri. So two fetishes I don’t like, two I do and I can tolerate the moe if it’s not tedious.

Overall – 7

As a kid brother, Yuri Hime S is kind of cute and kind of annoying, with one friend I kinda like. ^_^

Like its big sister publication, Yuri Hime, Yuri Hime S has gradually been growing in size and taking on a personality of its own. As I review it, think of me as a friend of S‘s big sister, and gradually finding the little brother to be more annoying than cute these days. ^_^

Once again characters from “Honey Crush” grace the cover and once again, I really wish they didn’t.

This is followed by color pages selling Yuri service in a variety of games and publications after which we are launched into a violent little tale of murder, moe and love, “Shinigami Alice.” Masaki comes across Hinageshi as she knifes someone to death. As she is drawn to Hina, Masaki finds that she wants to rescue the girl from her life as a assassin. By the end of this one-shot tale, they’ve kissed and walked off hand in hand into the sunset and are last seen having a nice cup of tea together.

It’s really, really hot out, but Shouko and Maho are walking in the sun at the beginning of “Yudachi Kibun.” Shouko’s pretty pissed because they *had been* in a nice, air-conditioned room kissing and now they are walking out in the sweltering sun to get to a filthy old abandoned house. It begins to rain, and Shouko loses it, jumping Maho, unable to summon up another second’s patience. Maho starts to cry. They walk home, and Maho admits to just cracking under pressure from Shouko to go further. They’ll go slower, they agree, as a bright rainbow forms above them.

“Flower Flower” takes a turn for the idiotic, as Shu tortures herself over having been seen naked by Nina, only to have Nina act as if she doesn’t recognize Shu at all. Shu gets up the gumption to ask Nina to marry her, but Nina laughs it off.

Hakamada Mera’s “Kaichou to Fukukaichou” finally moves into zOMG territory. Orienteering day has arrived and Pres and her VP are paired up. VP finds herself first, fantasizing about jumping the President and then, when the opportunity presents itself, distressingly close to actually doing it. On the one hand because this is a comic I want her to just do it already but, on the other hand, I remember clearly how insanely difficult it was to bridge that gap the first time.

Happy day! A story NOT about children! Thank you Yuri manga gods. Thank you Uso Kurata. “Kusari ha Mou Iranai” follows a suit- and glasses-wearing company sempai, Yoshino, and her kouhai, Aoi. They obviously have a relationship, but it’s not perfect. They’ve been trying to get together for a date to go shopping, but time is slipping away from them and the cracks are starting to appear in their relationship. When Aoi can’t find time for days and days on end to see Yoshino, Yoshino knows what’s coming. The coin drops when Aoi asks her to go to the roof for a private word. To avoid the pain of an ugly breakup, Yoshino offers a cheerful parting as an option, but Aoi’s reaction is to crumple into hysterics. She doesn’t want to break up – she wanted to give Yoshino a present. They cry in each other’s arms, kiss and make up and at the end of the story find themselves both free to love each other fully.

(This story was like me finding out that the annoying little brother had a friend who was my age who was pretty cool that I could become friends with…if you will allow me to drag out the metaphor a bit.)

“Love Cubic” contines to be a story I will not read. I know it’s the once-again poular new fetish, but not for me.

Kurogane Kenn’s “Konohana Link” begins to link up a bit, as the characters we met in the first chapter are finally encountering each other now. Chieri is officially introduced to her class, so we immediately switch off from her to two entirely new characters for whom we have no context. I expect eventually that this story will develop a story. ^_^

Matsudaira, having lost her faithful maid Miharu, is planning on getting married, she tells the Iinchou, in “Minus Literacy.” She’s got to do something about the money situation after all. But Iinchou convinces her that Miharu wouldn’t want that. Matsudaira runs off to see Miharu smile once more.

That’s about halfway, so I think we’ll pick this up again tomorrow, shall we? ^_^