Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Amongst Us, by Shilin

November 18th, 2020

Shilin is an artist I have been following for many years. I began reading her epic fantasy Carciphona a decade ago. I was delighted to have picked up a couple of her art books at TCAF; I have reviewed Toccata II here on Okazu.

Last year, Shilin ran a Kickstarter for a collected volume of the alt-universe versions of her Carciphona protagonist Veloce, and antagonist, Blackbird.. I jumped right on that, because the story is fun, but what keeps me coming back is Shilin’s gorgeous artwork.

In Carciphona, Veloce is a deeply emotionally wounded sorceress, a woman who has been used and abandoned by her society and family. Pulling the strings to get Veloce to join her is Blackbird, who is a spirit who does not much care for humankind and thinks Veloce ought not to either…and she has a legitimate case. But Veloce has been befriended by some humans who believe in her and she’s fighting with them to protect humanity, even if the humans don’t appear to appreciate that music at all. The magic in this world revolves around music, which makes for some really lovely “battles.”

Amongst Us is a fun fanfic of an intense series and makes a physically beautiful “real-world” counterpart to the dramatic Carciphona. It’s also a lot of fun to see a creator playing around with her characters in a completely different oeuvre. You don’t need to have read Carciphona to appreciate this alt-version, which is an added bonus. In this alternate reality Veloce is a cellist with a tendency towards the melancholy (appropriate for cellists, I always think) and Blackbird is her flightier conductor girlfriend. It’s presented as a goofy slice-of life comic with very little real conflict, however Veloce and Blackbird are at each others’ throats constantly, which is perfectly natural for them. ^_^ 

You can enjoy the Amongst Us on Webtoons. The comic has been adapted for reading in book format, which is always more work, but gives the pages an appealing look.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – A goofy 8
Characters – 8 Divorced from their origins, they still seem pretty intense. ^_^
Service – 0 That postcard of Veloce in an evening dress was smokin’. But no, not really.
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9

Another simply gorgeous work by Shilin. This is now available on Shilin’s shop, thanks Sylvie for the link!





MURCIΓ‰LAGO, Volume 17 (ムルシエラゴ)

November 17th, 2020

As a series, Yoshimuraka’s MURCIΓ‰LAGO has had, shall we say, a plethora of service for fans who like their pleasures low. Obscenely well-endowed women occasionally engaged in unrealistic lesbian sex and extreme violence with an eye to the grotesque and horrible. This is not a series I ever “recommend.” I simply acknowledge that I find it entertaining, and everything else is left up to individual tastes.

We’ve sat through any number of totally not-at-all-okay versions of violence, most of which has been directed at totally not-okay victims with some mostly unnamed collateral damage. Children and adults in this world are all likely to be broken and mangled emotionally. And there is a lot of sexual implication, and sometimes actual sex, all of it between consenting partners…which is pretty much the only thing that is not creeptastic here.

Now here we are, at MURCIΓ‰LAGO, Volume 17 (ムルシエラゴ) and we’ve been given a new way to be made wholly uncomfortable. Because now we have a killer who is visibly sexually excited when he commits acts of violence with a fencing saber. Whee. Just what I definitely really never needed. ^_^ To counter this new craven service, we have a new hero…a member of Chiyo’s family organization, Senpachi, who decides that its his goal to keep Chiyoko safe by getting rid of this dude.

While we’re focusing on Chiyo-chan, our bonus chapter this volume is some less-terrible lesbian sex, in which Chiyo gets to see heaven in between Kuroko’s legs. So there’s a thing I can leave you to think about. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – Because it’s gotten better, it’s actually messier than usual. More detail, means more gore.
Story – Yeah…no
Characters – Senpachi’s cool, emotionless old Yakyuza guys are boring.
Service – We are literally staring at this guy’s crotch constantly and it’s not serving me, I’ll tell you that.  (-_ -)
Yuri – Not-ugly lesbian sex, so that’s a win.

Overall – ?

I don’t even know how I could possibly score this. It is a thing I am reading. ^_^





Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 3 (γ•γ•γ‚„γγ‚ˆγ†γ«ζ‹γ‚’ε”„γ†)

November 16th, 2020

It’s not like Takeshima Eku’s high school love story is groundbreaking. It’s not that it’s game-changing. It’s just that this story is so pleasant and full of such pleasant characters, that it’s a joy to read.

Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 3 (γ•γ•γ‚„γγ‚ˆγ†γ«ζ‹γ‚’ε”„γ†) finds us (pleasantly) back at the beginning of the story where we started. Yori is helping out the SSGirls band for a performance once again and, this time, she’s even gone so far as to write a song – a love song, no less.

Himari, who was moved deeply by seeing Yori-sempai on stage that day, is ready now to give her an answer.

When the music starts, any lingering doubts are dispelled by the notes of the guitar and the beat of the drums. Himari wants to call what she feels “love.” So she answers Yori, at last -yes, she “likes” her and yes, she would really like to go out with her. The situation may be similar as the opening of the story, but neither Yori nor Himari are the same person they were when they met. Now they really have a chance to be happy together, because they are happy with their selves.

In the final pages, a rival band pops up, so we may actually have a bit of a story after the story and wouldn’t that be even more pleasant!

I really like Takeshima Eku’s art, and the writing and, honestly, all the characters. Even when we’re playing dress-up with Yori and Himari, there’s a noticable absence of creeper gaze. We never have to look around whatever has been shoved into our face to see the story, the emotions or the characters.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8 There isn’t really a “story.” It’s pleasant.
Characters – 9
Service – 10000 where the β€œservice” is two girls who are having a great time as they learn to love one another
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8

I’m delighted that you all can read this series and enjoy it with me. Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 1 is out now from Kodansha!





MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 14

November 13th, 2020

In Volume 14 of MURCIΓ‰LAGO, we find ourselves revisiting a cast of characters that, perhaps, we had assumed we’d left far behind. Sensibly so, since the last time we saw Rose Marie was hanging from a basement ceiling with a meat hook through her chest. But when Narumi turns up and so do corpses with bites taken out of their necks, we get to see what became of the leader of the Virginal Rose and she’s not looking any better. Grafted literally onto her demonic sibling Rose Marie, they are reduced to haunting the sewers and finding victims to feed their lust for blood.

Of course Kuroko and Urara handle the problem with not much more than the usual difficulty. Narumi recognizes another Virginal Rose alumna, Carina, who is pivotal in the final battle. Narumi, formerly Teresa, is able to thank Gold Marie for having saved her, before she dies.

While this is happening, Hinako and Chiyo-chan are visiting the pool, beating up random folks and For our purposes, Chiyo spends a moment fantasizing about marrying  Kuroko, as unrealistic as that seems. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8 On repeat: In so far as it is conveying horrific violence, I think it’s getting better.
Story – 8 Creepier than usual, which is saying a lot
Characters – 8
Service – 5 less than usual, skimpy bathing costumes
Yuri – 4 Chiyo is the Yuri carrier drug here, and I’m okay with it

Overall – 8

There’s not much one can say about a series that is basically thin plots wrapped around creative ways to kill people.

 





Haru to Midori, Volume 3 (ζ˜₯γ¨γΏγ©γ‚Š)

November 11th, 2020

Haru is a lonely woman. She’s never really moved on with her life, even as she has lived it. There was once a girl who had meant something to her, but Tsumugi left, and had a child and now, Tsumugi is dead. Tsumugi’s daughter, Midori is living with Haru, and they are both struggling a little find out who they are out of Tsumugi’s shadow. But to do that, they need to enter that shadow.

Haru to Midori, Volume 3 (ζ˜₯γ¨γΏγ©γ‚Š), by Fukami Kon, was lovely.

Midori discovers one of the teachers in school knew her mother, but an interview with her leaves the girl unsure of who Tsumugi really was. What does become clear is how much of a effect her mother had upon her guardian’s life. And, maybe, it’s a little more understandable that having a lookalike of the only person Haru ever really cared about in her care, would be awkward. When her aunt sends a letter saying that she has a room free now, Midori decides to go live with her. Not to repudiate anything Haru has done for her, but to avoid complications with legal matters and to give both her and Haru space.

Haru isn’t sure what she wants or needs. She finally admits to herself that she was, genuinely, in love with Tsumugi and that her loss has stopped her from moving on. She decides to be able to see Midori off when she heads off to to live with her relatives and, that she’ll wait for her to come back.

And Midori does come back, when she’s graduated. She’s taller. And she needs a place to stay for university. Haru assures her that she has the space and she’s always welcome. Where Midori had been a reminder of what Haru had never had, now she’s a reminder of what she’s gained.

There were a lot of admirable qualities in this manga. The art was gentle, the storytelling sympathetic. Both Haru and Midori are given plenty of room to make their own decisions about themselves and each other. In the end, best of all, they choose to grow as individuals and as a family. A very satisfying end to this series. It was an enjoyable read – I’m glad I read it. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 4 Haru finally confronting her emotions about Tsugumi was cathartic
Service – 0

Overall – 9

For a look at the series, you can read two sample chapters on Pixiv Comics, in Japanese.