Okazu

Now this is Only My Opinion, Part 3

Thank you to everyone who sent in questions for this round of "Now This Is Only My Opinon." These were, for the most part, good questions. But I have to apologize, because they were also mostly serious, I wasn't as funny as I'd hoped to be...

In any case, here we go:


1. Do you think there might be another Yuricon event in Japan?

You never know. I once said, "I'll never do that again" about running an event, and now, four events later, we're working on Yuricon 2007, so...


2.If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one yuri manga series, what would it be?

I thought about this long and hard and decided on Hana no Asuka-gumi, because it's the longest. :-) The original series went 33 issues, an omake volume and a novel, and the new series is up to volume 4.

If you had opened it up to novels, the answer would have, of course, been Maria-sama ga Miteru.


3.In your opinion, what was the main cause of the decline of Mediterranean civilizations at the end of the bronze age?

I don't believe there was a "decline". There was only the evolution of culture that continually happens as technology and worldview changes. As "anonymous" pointed out, iron changed the dynamics of culture, but cultural shift is a constant, regardless of technology.


4.What color are your socks?

90% of the time, black. Otherwise, white.


5.What hentai fetish makes you cringe?

Excessive bodily fluids. I simply do not get the appeal of a woman drooling, splurting, shooting who know *what* out of her breasts and nose, all at once. And I cannot, for the life of me, understand how that got to be seen as sexy.


6.Have you evern been to a gay bar?

Evern - like ever/even? :)

Two lesbian bars. We ran the very first Yuricon events ever at Meow Mix in New York City. And I visited the Mars Bar in Tokyo with friends, the first time I was there. Oh, wait...now that I think about it, the last time I was there, I was taken to a lesbian party too, so three.


6.Would you turn away from yuri if the fans became as obsessed as say, some yaoi fans? (i.e. Your inbox would be litterally mobbed if you insulted Kanamiko and such.)

You don't read the comments here much do you? LOL I have been accused of all *sorts* of crimes against fandumb, for pointing out that Kannazuki no Miko is a crappy story with a semi-happy yuri ending so people who have poor critical skills think its "good." Repeatedly. But I like the series anyway, so I don't care that it's bad. And I don't care that people get angry at me and constantly rail on me for hating it, which I don't. I know a good story when I see one - and Kaishaku does not, ever, write what *I* consider good stories. :-) In fact, as an editor, writer and publisher, I fancy I have pretty solid "Know a good story when I see one" cred.

I work pretty hard at all Yuricon-related venues, whether the Mailing List, or here or at events, to ensure that the level of emotional and sexual immaturity one finds with other fandumbs is not replicated. I encourage mature behavior, regardless of age.

But I'll be honest, I don't involve myself with series-specific fandumbs, because fans are dumb - and I include myself in that statement. :-) They (We, I,) get caught up in things that really aren't terribly important. I just can't waste my time and energy explaining why Haruka and Michiru are lovers to someone who is opposed and simply won't see it. Period. What would be the point?

So, to answer your question - no. I watch and read Yuri *because I enjoy it.* And I don't much give a fig what other people think. If I did, I would never have started Yuricon back in 2000 when people saw the word "Yuri" and said, out loud, "Ewww, porn."


8.How did you get such an awesome job? Related question: Will ALC ever hire trans or editors? Stupidly related question: Do I really have to live in NYC or LA to work in publishing? Somehow even stupider question: Should I bother getting a Blogger account?

Job? You mean I should be paid for this? I "got" this job, by, oh, creating it. I've been writing this blog since 2002 - the oldest Yuri-related blog in the world. I "got" this job, by creating the world's first Yuri event/community/publishing/news organization and then by spending hours and hours of my time and more money than you can imagine promoting it. Have you ever bought one of our books? Until you do, it's not a job.

ALC Publishing has had instructions for editors and translators up on the website for two years. Try reading the ALC Page on the Yuricon site.

If you want to work for a mainstream publishing company, then being in a major city, and being willing to work for peanuts, will definitely help. The latter more than the former.

I like Blogger, but unless you have anything to say, don't get an account. There's already too many "Read this, but yeah, I have nothing to say, but want to post anwyay" blogs out there already.


9.What do you think of "The L-Word"?

I've never seen it. I'm not really a fan of soap operas.

I do think that the actresses don't much look like any of the lesbians I know. :-)


10. What is the correct way to use commas and semicolons in English?

From Purdue's Online Writing Lab (which is a pun, because the acronym spelld "OWL" which is the Purdue "team name"):

Use a comma after the first independent clause when you link two independent clauses with one of the following coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. For example:

• I am going home, and I intend to stay there.



• It rained heavily during the afternoon, but we managed to have our picnic anyway.



• They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark, so they decided to camp for the night.

Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words. For example:

• I am going home; I intend to stay there.



• It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway.



• They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; they decided to camp for the night.

You can also use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together with one of the following conjunctive adverbs (adverbs that join independent clauses): however, moreover, therefore, consequently, otherwise, nevertheless, thus, etc.

11. What kind of music do you listen to, anyways? Any specific bands, albums or songs you'd feel like recommending? Any all-time favourites? Weird curiosities? Anything else you'd like to say about your taste in music, or music in general?

I like, in no particular order: Classical, Swing, Pop Music in any language but English. I can listen to nearly anything except Country.

I don't really have favorites, but I am exceptionally fond of Holst's The Planets, and Battaglia by Bieber. I like anything with a good clarinet riff, and because of Yuriko, I now really enjoy cello concertos, as well. :-)

At work, I listen to a lot of anime OPs and EPs on my Ipod, stuff from One Piece, Sailor Moon, Utena, Simoun, Kannazuki, Strawberry Panic and a host of other yuri and non-yuri series.


And, last but not at all least:

12. What would you do with ALC if you won the lottery?

That is such a difficult question. I know what I *want* to do, but I can't do that, for several reasons. So I'll say that I'd put alot more money and manpower into advertising and promotion - and get me some wage slaves to do the production work that I hate the most. :-)

***

Again, my thanks to everyone for their questions - we'll do it again next year!

posted by Erica Friedman @ 4:46 PM 2 comments links to this post   

Yuri Light Novel: Shoujoai ni Bouken at a Bookstore Near You!

I have been informed that this week Shoujoai ni Bouken: The Adventures of Yuriko, Volume 1 ships to bookstores around the nation. Yay! Whee!

If you don't see SnB in your local Borders or Barnes and Noble or other bookstore, go to the front desk and order your very own copy of the first English-language 100% Yuri "Light Novel." The ISBN is 0975916025 and there *are* copies available, no matter what Amazon says.

Follow pop idol and out lesbian Yuriko as she returns to high school as a high school senior for a television reality series! Watch her as she navigates the intricacies of balancing work, life and math homework. :-) If you have a friend who is not a manga fan, but you want him or her to enjoy a manga-style story, - or you're looking for a heroine who is an out lesbian without any tedious "issues," this book is just what you're looking for. :-)

If you order SnB direct from the Yuricon Shop, I'll even make sure the author signs it for you. ;-)

Also still available at the YC Shop and on Amazon, Yuri Monogatari 3, WORKS, and our best-seller, Rica 'tte Kanji!?". Just in time to give a few copies to your non-manga reading lesbian friends or non-yuri reading anime friends for the gift-giving holiday of your choice!

And thanks to everyone who has ever bought a book from ALC - we really appreciate your support!

Tags: Manga, Yuri Manga, Yuri Light Novel,Yuri Monogatari, Shoujoai ni Bouken, lesbian pop idol,The Adventures of Yuriko, ALC Publishing

posted by Erica Friedman @ 2:44 PM 0 comments links to this post   

Yuri Manga: Himitsu no Kaidan, Volume 1

Of the very many yuri anime and manga series from which the Strawberry Panic anime series "borrowed," Himitsu no Kaidan, (The Secret Staircase), is the one least likely to be familar to western yuri fans. So, I thought I'd introduce you to the series. (And my thanks to Erin for orignally pointing out the stolen meme!)

I know you will be absolutely *shocked* to learn that Himitsu no Kaidan takes place in a private girls' school. Where the girls all live in dormitories. I know, I know, revolutionary, isn't it? But, as with so many other things new fans don't realize, this *particular* meme began, not with Strawberry Panic (Maria-sama ga Miteru doesn't count here, btw, the girls there mostly live at home) not did it begin with say, Revolutionary Girl Utena, which for most yuri fans is stretching back into ancient history. The history of this meme goes even earlier than Shiroi Heya no Futari, the manga yuri-dom looks back on as the earliest example of the genre. No, this meme goes back at least as far as Yoshiya Nobuko's Yaneura no Nishojo, a novel that established so many of the tropes of not only later yuri works, but the entire shoujo genre that it's quite remarkable. The novel takes place in a girl's school dorm. I don't know that it was the first one to ever do that, but for our yuri genealogy, it's fairly significant.

In any case, Himitsu no Kaidan are random tales of life, friendship, jealousy, joy and ghosts in a really old dorm. The title is not symbolic - there is an actual ghost stairway that occasionally pops up in the dorm hallway, tumbling students down itself. Ghost students then help the current students out, disappearing when they reach a certain part of the hallway.

The first volume introduces us to several denizens of the dormitories, all of whom appear to be fun-loving pleasant young ladies. The dorms all appears to be "no high drama" zones, because the stories contain little conflict.

One notable exception is Marie, a student who had transferred because her aunt wanted her to - and she hates it. She rudely rebuffs all attempts to include her in activities, meals, study, - you know, "school life" - and writes her aunt about how nasty and unfriendly the other girls are. Her isolation continues until one day she enters her classroom to find it *completely* empty. This goes on for days. She goes back to grump in her room only to find it occupied by a cheerful group of girls having a tea party. This wouldn't be so odd, but she had just closed the door on the empty room a second ago. The ghosts invite her in for tea. A magic fairy helps Marie find happiness...but the fairy turns out to be a future dorm-mate dressed for a play. Eerie.

(Oh and by the way - they are not really ghosts, we learn, they are the memories of "dorm life" left behind by the residents. Yeah...but that doesn't explain the stairway, does it? )

More eerie - possibly the freakiest moment of the book to me, was when Na-chan (if there's a protagonist of the series as a whole, it is Na-chan) and some other students see themselves walking down a hallway. Clearly the hallway enjoyed the happy moment, and was replaying it for its own hallway enjoyment.

Despite all this otherworldliness, the story is really quite light-hearted, fun and tension-free. Well, the there *is* the moment Na-chan and her friends are grounded because Na-chan climbs out of the window to sneak in some fried chicken, falls out of the tree and gets caught...but that's about how tense it gets.

In a story towards the end, we see some mild bullying, as well, but in general, it's nothing like the physical, verbal and emotional abuse of say, Oniisama E.

So...yuri. Not much, but enough that with good yuri goggles you can see it. The president of the "Mystery" club, (of which Na-chan is a...maybe the only...member) Maki definitely has a soft spot for Na-chan. (I've seen some fan art of them by UKOZ which is one of the first things that ever interested me in the series, in fact.) Also our beautiful, yet initially morose Marie, reads yuri in a way I can only define as "wishful thinking." And a sempai named Hanano is a boyish girl who is, to her great annoyance, often the subject of underclassman adoration. (One of the best lines of the book, as students compete to give Hanano lunches and things is a student guiding a new transfer around the dorm. She points out the interaction, labeling that kind of thing the "Takarazuka-world" part of dorm life.)

The *only* and I mean *only* problem I have with this series is that I have a hard time telling all the characters apart, even after reading it twice through. However, I have just found a nice page with the character names and info, like which dorm they are in, what clubs, grade, etc. This ought to set me (and you) straight.

In every other way, Himitsu no Kaidan, with its eerie dorms, ghosts of happy memories and midnight tea parties is a very pleasant read.

Ratings:

Art - 7
Story - 6
Characters - 7
Yuri - 3 (enough to ping, enough to base fan work on, but nothing really real)
Loser FanBoy - 1 (Girls! Dorms! Uniforms! They must all be lesbian...)

Overall - 7

As a yuri fan, it is clearly your duty to become familiar with the source of every single stolen meme from Strawberry Panic. Add this to the list soon.

Tags: Yuri, Yuri Manga, Himitsu no Kaidan, Secret Staircase

posted by Erica Friedman @ 7:22 PM 2 comments links to this post   

Okazu News: New Banner and "Opinion, Part 3"

This week has been a bit busy, what with preparations beginning for Yuricon 2007 Yurisai, our festival of yuri. Look for some signs of life on the Yuricon website soon, as we start developing programming, video, guests and contests for this exciting one-day event! Registration is slated to begin in January.

In the meantime, as we've made it to yet another November here at Okazu, I thought I'd offer up the opportunity once more to ask me anything, anything at all, as long as it's not absurdly personal ("What's your bank account number?") I promise to, as I have in the past, answer everything with my usual brutal, yet somehow adorable, honesty. Questions about yuri are always welcome, questions about ALC and Yuricon are VERY welcome, questions about Maria-sama ga Miteru are always fun, but don't be afraid to make me think. I'll warn you though - I'm not good at logic questions, I tend to think in bursts of intuitive thought, so if you're proposing a difficult logic question, I'll pass. I never liked those. lol

Ask your questions here in the comments section, or feel free to email them to me with the subject "Your Opinion" and I'll do my best to answer them all. I won't promise to be nice, but I'll do my best to be funny. ;-) The last two ventures into this were a hoot, so I'm looking forward to your questions! (And I have a personal bet with myself about them...let's see how I do. LOL) No limit to the number of questions you can ask, but no promises about the number I answer.

***

While you're thinking up a good questions, please feel free to use one of the wonderful new link to Okazu banners, complete with "Yuri Okazu" logo as created by my beloved wife! We have two sizes - the small banner is about 2.8" long and the super-sized version is about 4.8" long. Please spread the word and spread the love and link to Okazu! (I was going to include a tagline "Okazu - when you're hungry for yuri" but decided to skip it on the banner. Feel free to use it or not. :-) And see if you can ID everything we put in our little "Yuri Bento" box there. LOL You can find the banners on the right-hand sidebar. Enjoy!

Tags: Anime Blog, Blog,Yuri Blog, Okazu

posted by Erica Friedman @ 12:56 PM 11 comments links to this post   

Silent Mobius Anime Volume 1

I was asked a while back to review the Silent Mobius series and, as I needed to re-watch and read it anyway for that winning story for the "Worldshaking" Fanfic contest, this was as good a time as any other. :-) I was lucky to get the box set of the anime for a really good price, which will allow me to clear out some precious shelf space. I recommend the box set - it's a good deal - about a buck an episode. Of course I've linked to it above. lol

To begin with, Silent Mobius is set in a future dystopia in which two worlds, that of humans and a parallel universe full of demony things called "Lucifer Hawks" have collided. Lucifer Hawks feed on, slaughter and breed with humans like the inhuman creatures of the night that they are.

The AMP, "Attacked Mystification Police" force is an all-female squad assigned to the single job of dealing with Lucifer Hawks. Who the members are, and why they, particularly, are chosen, are the subject of many of the first half of the series' episodes. I will say this - I remember much of these character stories - they were very, very good.

Also good are the relationships between the women, and between them and characters outside the group. Everyone seems very human, very real - far more real than many current series ever get close to - with far fewer inexplicable hand-waves and plot holes. This story is quite seriously, well written and conceived.

Like You're Under Arrest, Silent Mobius is an extremely straight story, but because of the nature of fandom, people just aren't willing to settle for that, dammit, and go through all sorts of hoops to make couples of the women of AMP.

Frankly, I'd forgotton how much I like Kiddy and Ralph together. LOL And Roy and Katsumi are kind of sweet, too, even though I know that they are doomed. ;-)

Yuki, if the story were redone now, would be drawn as a 12-year old goth-loli and Nami's the female equivalent of a eunuch. Lebia Maverick gets my vote as "character most likely to prefer sex with herself". LOL

Which leaves us with the only two characters who ping *my* yuri-dar....Mana and Rally.

But I get ahead of myself. In this volume we have no more to ID them than exceedingly severe shoulder pads and a ball-buster attitude. (One day, many years ago, I went to work in a suit jacket, tie and long skirt. At least three guys told me that I looked "severe" or like a "ball buster"...I never really thought about it until I re-watched this DVD. I see what they mean!)

There is of course, Rosa, who with her S&M dom look and sister complex gets some people's blood going. Not mine. And she hasn't shown up yet, anyway. :-)

Volume 1 is pretty much just a intro to the story. There are a few differences from the manga, the most notable of which is that Mana is already with AMP, and that it is told chronologically from Katsumi's arrival in Japan. I think I prefer the manga, but that's probably just me. There's nothing wrong with the anime.

"Kindan no Pensee" is a really good opening theme, too - it was the first MP3 I ever downloaded to play on my computer. Ah, nostalgia...

Yuri? Not in Volume 1, but this story is more about good action, and solid characters than it is about yuri. I'm surprised how well it holds up - even if the clothes look awfully 80's "vision of the future." :-)

Ratings:

Art - 7 (The Lucifer Hawk had to be severely simplified for animation, which makes it easier to see them and what they do)
Story- 7
Characters - 8
Yuri - 0
Loser FanBoy - 1, but I really don't know why, except that someone, somewhere will get off on *something* here. LOL

Overall - 7

A strong action/magic/scifi/ball-busting severe woman/future dystopian/romance of a story.

With big shoulder pads.

Tags: Anime, Yuri Anime, Silent Mobius

posted by Erica Friedman @ 6:52 PM 2 comments links to this post   

Yuri Manga: Last Chance to Pre-Order Yuri Monogatari 4

Yuri Monogatari 4, ALC Publishing's newest 100% Yuri anthology is coming!

Get over to the Yuricon Shop to get your copy for the discounted pre-order price. This won't be released to bookstores for some months, so if you want great yuri manga for the holidays - this is your chance!

For a sneek peak at some of the art and a description of the stories, take a look at my previous YM4 post.

This is, by far and away, the best anthology from ALC so far. Get yours today!

Tags: Manga, Yuri Manga, Yuri Monogatari, ALC Publishing

posted by Erica Friedman @ 11:35 AM 0 comments links to this post   

Yuri Drama CD; Strawberry Panic, Lyric 1 "Miator Volume"

I know that you too, daily wrestle with concerns like "whose purple underwear is this!?!" Therefore, I also know that you too, will find the story in Strawberry Panic Drama CD: Lyric 1, "Miator Ben" absolutely riveting. :-)

The Drama CDs for Strawberry Panic each focus on the characters from one of the three schools. The first DCD, "Lyric 1" deals with the girls of Miator, the second will focus on Spica and the third, Lu Lim. While the story for this CD is original, i.e., not from either manga or anime, it has no actual plot. An official fanfic, if you will. If you were going to build a timeline, this would be taking place somewhere during the first half of the anime.

The story opens with Nagisa and Shizuma in the greenhouse. Shizuma embraces Nagisa from behind, and, as rain begins to pour down, attempts to kiss Nagisa. When Miyuki interrupts, Nagisa breaks free and runs into the rain.

In the meantime, back in their room, Tamao is fretting while Chiyo-chan functions like a real maid - sort of there, spoken to, but not heard. When Nagisa comes back soaked to the skin Tamao forcibly undresses her and shoves her into the shower to warm up. Tamao, during this scene, is made to sound so extremely perverted that it's either really scary, or really impressive. I'm still not entirely sure which.

This sets up the one major crisis of the story - the case of the strange underwear. Tamao offers to do Nagisa's washing, which Nagisa refuses. They both go off to the laundry room. Somehow or other, Nagisa ends up bringing back someone else's underwear. These are scandalously colorful (as oppsed to the white with little-girl patterns kind Nagisa wears...) apparently, which overwhelms Tamao with the need to find their owner. They watch for a bit, but after some exciting possibilities, they are shooed away by Miyuki. When we return to the room, we get a careful catalog of Nagisa's real underwear. No gratutious service here, no way.

During all this time, Chiyo-chan is having paroxysms of ecstasy and doubt over the return of Nagisa's handkerchief. It has become her important treasure. I'll skip to the end of this excitement - Nagisa gives it to her.

The third plot driver is the titilating rumor that Shizuma, the Etoile of the school, skinny dips in the pool every night. Nagisa repeatedly fantasizes about seeing her, even joining her.

One day, quite randomly, Shizuma rides up on a horse (cue cameo by Amane) and takes Nagisa off to the ocean. Chikaru, who clearly has no schoolwork at all, decides to follow since, after all, they will BOTH probably swim naked. Woo-hoo! Everyone, except Amane decides to tag along.

Nagisa and Shizuma share a romantic moment, until a hullabaloo from behind the rocks alerts them to the presence of the others (i.e., Tamao, Chiyo, Yaya, Hikari, although what *she's* doing there, I have no idea, Chikaru and her whole harem.) Shizuma admits that she swims naked. Not. And Yaya decides to take a swim in her underwear. She pulls off her clothes and SHOCK! She's the one with the scandalously not infantile underwear! Yaya points out that white underwear is prohibited at Spica and starts to undress Hikari to prove it.

With the sound of all the others frolicking in the surf - assumably in their underwear - Nagisa and Shizuma have more asexually romantic time.

The next to last track is cast comments, all of which are short. Some are downright hysterical. Tamao's voice actress, Shimizu Ai (Hatsuki in Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito, Mikoto in Mai Hime/Otome) comments, quite acerbically, that she had to talk alot about underwear, didn't she? Amane's seiyuu, Kaida Yuko,(Minako from Marimite, Ryomou from Ikkiitousen) hopes that she'll have more lines in the "Spica Volume" and Kagome's seiyuu, Fukui Yukari, comments, fianlly, that Percival (Kagome's teddybear) is interested in underwear. This last made me laugh out loud.

The final track is a preview of the "St. Spica Ben" the second volume of this Drama CD series. It includes such drama-filled excitement as "Yaya sexually harrasses Hikari in the shower" and "Kaname and Momomi bathe together."

While I don't think this DCD will win awards for plot, character or...well, anything...it wasn't anything as awful as the Mai Otome Drama CD - and it wasn't openly ripping off memes from other, better series, except in the most general way.

Ratings:

Story - 3
Characters - 3 (If you didn't already know them, you'd have no idea who was who or why.)
Yuri - 7
Loser FanBoy - 9

Overall - 5

If this were an episode of the anime, people would trash it, but forget they hated it by the end. :-) Be that as it may, this, and many other Yuri Drama CDs are available from Amazon Japan through the Yuricon Shop!

Tags: Drama CD, Yuri Drama CD, Strawberry Panic

posted by Erica Friedman @ 3:09 PM 2 comments links to this post   

Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime 6, Part 2

We left off from Part 1 after the essays about classic yuri series, this time, about two wonderful gender-bendy girl prince stories, Paros no Ken, Sword of Paros and Berusaiyu no Bara, Rose of Versailles.

This essay is followed by another new one-shot, "Pajama Yoru Hanashi", about a bunch of girls at a pajama party. One confesses to liking someone. Under cover of the usual squeals and fuss, another girl pretty much figures its her.

Akiko Morishima is, in real life, a lovely, polite woman. In the day I spent in her company, she never once drooled, nose bleeded or otherwise acted in unflattering or pervy ways. :-) I say this because in her Yuri x Yuri report this issue, you'd never know that, from the way she draws herself as a slavering freak. LOL (She's also much prettier than she draws herself, I have to say.) In this issue, she and Paiin-sama, her editor, visit a girl's school festival. From the first time she'd addressed with "Gokigenyou", Akiko's a mess. LOL It's absolutely hysterical. I think she hits every possible stereotype and festish possible at school festivals...of which there seem to be many.

Takahashi Mako's "Broken Rock Crystal Sugar" is a story about a lonely girl from a broken home finding light in the company of her best friend. It's got the usual grim quality that keeps me from ever loving Mako's work, but it's less grim than most, which makes it good by that standard. :-)

The fractured, erm, yurified fairy tale is Cinderella! A fine candidate for Yurification, as other than the prince, all the characters are women. Some nice servicey pictures of Cinderella helping dress her stepsisters - and her ES is suitably evil-eyebrowed and elegant. The Queen (no prince here) is pretty cute and even the witch gets the lipstck lesbo look. Of all of these fairy tales I think this one has got to be my favorite.

"Nanami and Misuzu" gets color pages! I wish it helped! LOL Mushrooms, cell phones, getting lost in the woods and Rina-sempai's offbeat behavior continue the Standard Operating Wackiness. (S.O.W.)

In "Hatsukoi Shimai" Haruna has just walked away from Chika in an espcially hurtful manner. Akiho vows to be there for Chika, and asks Chika to believe in her sister. Meanwhile, Teshigwara smiles and it creeps everyone right out the door.... Chika and Akiho's class is working with Haruna's class for the festival to do...erm, something. Haruna and Chika make beaded things, much as they did in the Hatsukoi Drama CD. They make little beaded rings and exchange them. As Haruna leaves, Touko-sensei berates her for being cruel. Akiho comes to her rescue, Touko retreats. That night Akiho finds Haruna in tears by her bed. We have a goofy interlude where Miyu (also from the Drama CD and the third volume of Yuri Shimai...and someone that no one but me remembers...) attempts to make grumpy Kirika (Miyu's girlfriend and ditto all of the above) wear a frilly maid outfit. Touko-sensei runs into Akiho, who asks her to stay away from Haruna and Chika, Touko starts to seduce Akiho, who bursts into tears, pouring cold water on that. Chika is walking down the hall when Teshigawara grabs her and drags her away. Touko-sensei comes up and finds the ring Haruna gave to Chika on the ground. Oh Noes! More shades of that Drama CD, where Chika lost the barrette Haruna gave her. More to come - I know the drama is KILLING you.

Just about at this point, I was getting a little tired of schoolgirls again. This issue had sort of slipped back into all-schoolgirls-all-the-time territory. What with no "Strawberry Shake Sweet" and the fact that "Little Red Riding Hood" was off the adults and back to the kids, I was feeling a little down. Thankfully, this entry into "Mermaid Line" was a departure from the school.

Yukari and Mayuko are two Office Ladies (OLs). Mayuko's off boyfriends, but she wants someone to date. Her bestest friend Yukari, who is seeing a guy right now, offers to play the role of "pretend lover". Mayuko's up for it, and they start going out for dinner, and movies and shopping - not really different from before, but they both get into the spirit of the pretend thing and hold hands and the like. The problem comes when Yukari starts thinking a little too hard about this whole thing. When Mayuko says that she's started seeing someone, so they don't need to do it anymore, Yukari is not as happy for her friend as she would expect. In fact, she's downright depressed. Her boyfriend telling her that his mother is interested in her (as in, as a marriage prospect) makes her nothing short of miserable. To Be Continued.

Hakamada Mera is the artist who does Saigo no Seifuku and her entry, the final story, appears to be, if not set in the exact same school, then something exceptionally similar. Sadly, I don't care for her art, or her stories - I feel like I'm reading about 10 year olds. In any case, Iwami-san is really popular, and Arisaka isn't. But Iwami is love with Arisaka, who returns the sentiment. They kiss.

And that, along with the usual advice column, and manga, anime, game and doujinshi reviews, is that.

As always, you can get Yuri Hime 6 from Amazon Japan through the Yuricon Shop, or click the image above. I hope you will, of course, because it is still the only anthology other than Yuri Monogatari in existence and we want it to not die out like previous magazines!

Tags: Yuri, Yuri Manga, Yuri Hime

posted by Erica Friedman @ 6:08 PM 0 comments links to this post