A yuri couple in yuri manga is, of course, no extraordinary.
We're given some different circumstances or problems of those yuri couple as they maintain their relationship together.
Some are sweet, some are in between (bittersweet).
Ruriiro no Yume [瑠璃色の夢] by Akiko Morishima in 2009 is an example of yuri manga which put in age-gap yuri couple/characters basically as their background information.
In this case, their methods to overcome the problems of the relationship unlike those yuri couple in the common yuri manga which heroines are in the same or not-too-far-different age.
Volume 1, Chapter 7 [COMPLETED]
Year: 2009
Serialization: Comic Yuri Hime
Genre(s): Drama, Romance, Yuri, Shoujo-ai, Slice-of-Life
Read it on MangaHome
1. Ruriiro no Yume (Azure Dream)
2. Princess of the Stars
3. Honey & Mustard
4. Nostalgia
5. Virgin Season
6. Mangetsu no Yoru ni wa (On a Night When the Moon is Full)
7. Soft-Boiled Fujoshi (Hanjuku Joshi side story)
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1. Ruriiro no Yume (Azure Dream)'s plot is about "the dreams" of protagonist who's being a barrier of her feeling to her co-worker. Rokujou Ruri, a 28-year-old woman is falling in love with a fair lady, that is her co-worker named Mikuni Sayaka. Both of them have their own dreams. The 1 chapter also has side story from another protagonist view on Chapter 1.1. Many blank space background and plain character design can be found. Alas, there is nothing extraordinary from the story itself, I found the 1st chapter boring. The idea of the story isn't much appealing which is the unfortunate rotten core. Despite the effort it shows in the middle 'till the end of the 1st chapter, the emotion of characters fail to get through me. ============================================================================== 2. Princess of the Stars is about a couple who once earned nicknames "The Princess of Sacred Star Girls' Academy" & "The Prince of Sacred Star", or shorten as the Princess and the Prince. Now in Women Maple Dorm in Momoyama College, they face a problem for their relationship because of "jealousy". The concept of having a no-longer-Princess-and-Prince couple to bear their problem is cute. It's simple and not demanding too much for us viewers to comprehend with its Princess-&-Prince like characters. The art is not differ too far from the 1st chapter, or should I say it's simpler since the story about it itself only takes place in a one place and a short one. ============================================================================== 3. To be honest, Honey & Mustard chapter is the best for me! The reason is because of its story and development. In Neo Stall Village, only one chapter (as the sequel of Renai Joshika Chapter 3: Honey & Mustard 2), Karashima Kaori who's a worker in an event management company, and Amai Mitsuki in the same company who's known as Don Juan, develop their relationship into something so appetizing. The seme-like Mitsuki-san & fashionable Kaori once a lover and they broke up. Working in an event management company, their project leads them to hunt the one that they love. She is a petite food-stall seller in their area. Their competition is funny and their reaction to emotional ups and downs is even funnier. Honey & Mustard is the most unique out of other 7 chapters. I can't decide a word to describe this, but maybe it is "patience". Its plot is sweet and delicate, perhaps because of their fairness, confession, and attempt. The outcome of fierce hunting session, about Kaori & Mitsuki's feelings to each other, also other minor characters, is lit! More background details as well as different places to show. Quoted from Honey & Mustard's chapter"But no matter how old you get, being unlucky in love can be a bitter pill to swallow." Sequel: Renai Joshika Chapter 3: Honey & Mustard 2 ( http://www.batoto.net/comic/_/comics/renai-joshika-r5609 ) ============================================================================== 4. Nostalgia is a story of a widow and a woman who is always loving her since young. Konomi-chan's husband already passed away for 10 years and she has no intention to remarry another person. She dears the memories of him and memories with Kyou-chan 'till now. However, a grown-up Kyou-chan, that considered as a daughter or lil sister for Konomi, wants more intimate relationship as she loves her from her youth. I began to like the manga after the 3rd chapter because the characters start to be so diverse. It's a nice experience to read characters in a status of widow and such different age in love. The drawing feels like bringing nostalgia of Konomi-chan's "memories" beautifully. ============================================================================== 5. The 5th chapter, Virgin Season, also brings story of the diversity (age and somehow status *whoops*). A couple of 30-year-old prep school teacher and its student which already knowing each other for long. Keiko-sensei and Aoyama Emi is a happy couple. Keiko asks Emi to celebrate her acceptance in Usano College of Art by an overnight trip. Because of their tight schedule, as an illustrator (sensei) and a diligent freshman, they get some lil problems in their relationship and also a big problem in the end. In this chapter, I like the expression. The expression is drawn so cute like the sulking expression of major characters and its close-up face. Emi is being characterized as a childish twenties and Keiko-sensei for being a "grown-up" woman. The minor characters help a bit with their relationship lol The next story in the 20-Musumex30-Otome series. Emi and Keiko have trouble finding time to spend together. (http://www.batoto.net/comic/_/comics/rakuen-no-jouken-r7275) ============================================================================== 6. Mangetsu no Yoru ni wa (On a Night When the Moon is Full). The 6th chapter is the chapter which tells about an overnight trip between Keiko-sensei and Emi-chan. Before, the story of them still haven't reached the overnight trip moment yet. Now they're being narrated in the overnight trip they planned already. They try the treatments (treatments like spa) for their body. They concern it much as they prepare to make the night good. Well, it's fun to see the separated treatment they choose to enhance their beauty for each other instead of jump to the climax moment only. I chose "destiny" as the suitable word for explaining this chapter because they concern to each other's life and want their fate to be in the same path together. The 6th chapter has nice drawing for the characters. ============================================================================== 7. Soft-Boiled Fujoshi is the side story from Hanjuku Joshi (which I reviewed beforehand). The minor character in Hanjuku Joshi becomes the major character here. Hayami Chie, 22 years old, is a college senior. She is an open fujoshi. Her pen name is Kai Muryuu when she makes her doujinshi. She falls for Yuria-chan, a 17-year-old school-girl maid in her lil sister's school. This chapter describes what is hard fujoshi really like (but not a NEET). Her thought and behaviour in society is quite wild. I really like how Chie is being characterized as a perv yuri and blushing all the time for the Yuria-chan's kawaiiness while Yuria is the real object and fit to call kawaii & moe. The development is chic and we get Yuria's move to Chie too. The panel box is flawless to perfectly place the characters in it with the speech balloon. I'm really glad that the 7th chapter has 7.1 for more. Of course, the 7.1 chapter is continuation for Chie and Yuria's part. The 7th chapter is the second from my most fav chapters here. I got my chance to see more kawaii & moeness of Yuria. Shockingly, Chie can be awesome too! The aura is drawn well af here. ============================================================================== The adding part, 7.2 chapter, is to add additional story to resume all of the chapters in one. Each couple is being described enjoying their time together. There are funny and sweet moments. In the end of this manga, I found that it seems Akiko Morishima prefers to do a age-gap yuri manga. She is like putting herself in the characterization of Chie that I fond of lol Keep doing it Morishima-san! Overall, I bet it's worth 7+. |
【増原 紀花】