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It is honestly amazing to see Shuninta Amano, who created some of the most emotionally and intellectually complex yuri manga, just saying, "To hell with all this high-brow and sensual crap, I'm doing absurdist and lewd coming-of-age comedy now." That is exactly what this manga is.

It's funny, dirty, and, at some points, just ridiculous. Yet, with all that in mind, there is more to it. What makes it stand out among many other ecchi yuri comedies is the profound honesty. With all its absurdity, this manga is a ruthlessly accurate snapshot of what it feels like to be a 14-year-old girl among other 14-year-old girls, ... especially in the boonies.

I guess Shuninta Amano wouldn't be Shuninta Amano without hiding a second layer under the plot.

At times, this manga rejects realism with abandon, only to show something terribly realistic and awkward the next moment. Dirty jokes are interspersed with quite subtle and astute observations. And, towering above it all like the castle of a demon lord, is lewdness—something that has driven many a girl insane during those formative years. As I was reading it for the first time, scenes from my adolescence stood up before my mind's eye as a cruel reminder that your cringe will never leave you alone.

Ayame 14 essentially has no pronounced beginning or ending. It abruptly starts and abruptly ends, providing exactly what I mentioned above: a snapshot. Well, in the end, it takes Shuninta Amano to give conceptual depth even to a silly and dirty comedy.

Highly recommended, then. But honestly, be ready.

I honestly intended to write a long review, like I usually do, but then I thought, nah, it can be expressed much simpler.

Ever thought, "Ah, if only Yuru Camp were Yuri Camp?" Turns out, the yuri goddess was listening. This is the answer to your prayer.

The only warning I'd like to give you is that, pretty much like Yuru Camp, you should never approach this when you're hungry or, gods forbid, on a diet. That would be a very, very bad idea. The amounts of food porn in this manga are, if I were to put it very mildly, apocalyptic.

This manga starts off very strong with a funny and enticing premise, likable characters, and a great pacing of the plot. I honestly had high hopes for it since the first two volumes are nothing short of amazing. They look exactly like what a light-hearted yuri romcom should be.

Unfortunately, as the story approaches its middle point, the whole thing devolves into one of the biggest useless lesbianism festivals in yuri manga history. The obstacles that the heroine faces start looking more and more forced, and her childhood friend and love interest's unwillingness to face the facts begins to feel too unnatural (and, if I'm ... honest, quite irritating). Thanks to that, the final chapter feels even more rushed than it actually is.

So, there you have it. If you don't fear going through one of the most forced instances of "when she says she's gay and she loves me, she means it as a friend, right?"* in the second half, I recommend this one. The first half is absolutely worth it. But, and it pains me to say this, they cancel each other out in a way.


*this doesn't actually happen in the story, but it sure feels like that

Whoa, there is not a single review for this one. I am astonished. I guess it's my turn to be the first, once again.

So, here's the brief version for those of you who don't enjoy long reviews: it's a very nice yuri manga, but the ending is a bit crumpled. If you don't mind having the final chapter being a mildly inconclusive bunch of cuteness that resolves pretty much nothing and just want to enjoy the journey, I can recommend it to you. If you're in for a decent closure, approach this one with caution.

For those of you who like longer, more detailed reviews, here ... I go.

This one starts off pretty strong. A manga editor who has just been dumped by her girlfriend seeks a way to reinvent herself and decides that finding a new place to live is a great way to start this reinvention. Unbeknownst to her, this new place comes with a caveat, which is the fact that the landlady lives there, too. Said landlady is an extremely cute young girl who used to be an idol. And the leading author for the aforementioned editor is a hardcore fan of that idol. Yeah, they're all women. Lots of comedy and drama ensue.

In a nutshell, this is a very interesting story. There is a lot of character development, lots of yuri moments, and lots of moe. You even get a side story (which, I feel, is not properly developed though). When looked upon as a whole, this story is quite strong and entertaining, with random splashes of realism that give it depth. And this depth is quite inspiring.

The final chapter, however, spoils the fun a little. It's this "6 month later" sort of deal, where events that could and should have taken chapters are barely mentioned, and there is not much sense of resolution. It looks rushed and hastily put together, so the final impression this manga makes is a bit dampened. Otherwise, however, it's quite good.

Personally, I am disappointed to see this manga end this way. I won't say it's a deal breaker, though. It's still a great yuri story that has tons of intriguing moments, and if you value the process more than the result, I recommend it to you wholeheartedly. But if you are in for the result, it may be slightly confusing. It's far from being a disaster, but it could have been done much, much better.

The final kiss sent goosebumps down my spine, though, so it's all good.

I’ll be brief, pretty much like this manga.

It was promising and kind of cool, but someone probably forced it to end prematurely, so there is literally no resolution. I can’t imagine any writer deliberately murdering their own story in cold blood like it happened here, so it’s likely that it was scrapped. Maybe it’ll get some closure later, but I won’t get my hopes up just yet.

So, if you’ve got no other yuri to read, trying this one out would be fine. If you exclude the ending, or whatever they tried to pass as one, it’s a reasonably interesting story. But for the love of ... god, don’t get invested into it.

This is arguably one of the best yuri fluff works you could ever read. This fluffiness creates a tingling, bubbling sensation somewhere in your heart. And it's not boring or repetitive by any stretch.

I could call it a series of one-shots set in a shared universe, but basically, the entire first volume is a set of several stories segueing into the next one. They all are about happy yuri marriages, obviously set in an alternative Japan where same-sex marriages are legal. The second volume continues the storylines that started in the first one and adds a few new characters.

The timeline is a little messed up, ... though, but if you don't care about minor details, it shouldn't bother you. As I was reading this, a silly and happy smile almost never left my face. So, if you enjoy yuri fluff, don't miss out on this one. It's a true gem.

I'm really amazed that nobody has written a review for this one so far. I'll do the honors, then.

Many people avoid anthologies because they don't like getting invested in a 20-or-so-page-long story. I used to be one of them until I read this one nearly 10 years ago.

Here's a little disclosure. Unlike serialized manga, anthologies are basically editor-led projects. It is the editor's duty to come up with the overarching theme, select authors for this theme, supervise their works so that they would fit in, and generally make sure that the entire anthology gives off a certain feel. Which, again, is decided by the ... editor. In other words, an editor here is the producer. The head coach. Someone who calls the shots. An anthology is the only way for a manga editor to truly shine.

I say this because I'm an editor myself and I sort of know how this thing works.

And, as an editor, I have to say that this series of anthologies is absolutely brilliant. I don't know the name of the editor who supervised this, but that person is a genius. Bringing together several stellar authors, making sure that the entire feel of the anthology remains consistent, and, eventually, presenting a collection of amazing short stories depicting different genres, but still undeniably high-level yuri, is a feat worth praising throughout centuries.

If you're into yuri but never tried anthologies, this is a great place to start. If you're into yuri and tried anthologies, this is a brilliant collection, I assure you.

If you're not into yuri, well, maybe you went into the wrong corner of the internet. Sorry.

The hype preceding this anime was totally poised to oversell the whole thing, and, as it seems, it did. From what it seems, people tended to expect an explosion of postmodernist insanity. What they (well, we) got was something completely different. It's not bad. It's just something else.

In my eyes, there are several anime that are blindingly beautiful in their postmodernism, albeit for different reasons. Those would be Nichijou (which actually features a deer), Wasteful Days of High School Girls, Sabage-bu, and Asobi Asobase. And the hype surrounding this anime even before its release obviously led some people to believe that it would join their ... flock.

From the looks of it, it didn't. And get me right, it is not bad by any stretch. This anime is quite funny, nice, and kind-heartedly silly. The postmodernism and lots of easter eggs and anime references are all there. There is not a single reason to drop it.

But does it reach the stellar heights of exquisite, exuberant postmodernist absurdity like Asobi Asobase or Nichijou? I'm afraid not. So, actually enjoying Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan requires you to abandon those expectations and just go with the flow. This way, it's quite funny. The thing is that it's just not funny enough. Not even remotely on par with Nichijou, Wasteful Days, Sabage-bu, and Asobi Asobase.

It is a hauntingly beautiful and honest work. Unlike the prevailing majority of yuri stories, this one deals with women who are, let's say, in their golden years. The protagonist has just lost her husband and seeks some new things to fill her life with (simultaneously realizing how empty and bereft of self-care it had been before). But instead, she finds a new love in a cosmetics store.

Telling a story like that is no easy task since it involves more than just truthfully depicting a budding romance between two old ladies. It also has to explain their background and how they see the modern world, ... having been raised in a completely different environment, of which this manga is quite critical. But the author does an incredible job at that. Very respectful and honest, as I've already said.

I've read only the first volume so far, but I can't see how a story written with so much care and attention to detail could go wrong. Totally recommended.

This manga's protagonist is your friendly neighborhood yandere, stalking her crush, constantly cutting her own hand, and dreaming of the day when she'll finally be noticed. She desperately clings to the past that matters almost nothing to the object of her adoration. That's mostly because her crush is a very oblivious and somewhat ditzy girl who fails to notice not only the protag but also a whole web of craziness slowly surrounding her.

Saji-chan no Yami Nikki is written in a very quirky style. It combines comedic bits with an increasingly dark exploration of insanity, abandonment, and conscience. The comedic bits are usually drawn as ... a 4-koma, while more dramatic parts follow the regular manga format. This may seem confusing to some readers, but I personally think this continuous switching between comedy and seriousness indicates the growing mental instability of the manga's main character. I also think it's quite a witty way of representing the onset and development of madness.

Ah, and the ending is absolutely brilliant. So, if you enjoy dark, toxic, and slightly confusing stories with lots of a tad goofy grim humor, this manga is right after your heart.