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Yuri fans, this one’s for you.

I came across this sweet 4 koma manga during a time of procrastination and frustration, and thus the gods blessed me with adorable lesbians! Surely lifted my spirits enough to feel happy during the incoming doom of a 6 min presentation on flu vaccines.

Story:
Simple yet intriguing scenario where we find our main heroine Arisa having amnesia and waking not remembering the last three years of her life. What she discovers is that she’s gay and got a girlfriend during that blank period. Said girlfriend Mari, feared Arisa would no longer love her because of her lost memories. No fear because ... the power of love is invincible and Arisa falls in love at first sight with Mari, and the two go on to reconnect their relationship. The setup is granted not groundbreakingly original but gives something new to the yuri genre, a pre-established yuri relationship finding ground once again through mental recovery. Arisa getting to know Mari parallels with us getting to know both girls, what their past relationship was like, and where it could go from here. The story has no thematic message nor tries to make a statement, it starts out simple and stays simple. The writing has no technical flaws either, creating engaging and adorable scenarios of our two girls looking out for one another. Also does a great job with background development on our characters, spreading it out to when its important instead of throwing it all at you or not at all. Now this manga is under the genre of comedy, however its sense of humor might not be your style. To be honest I did not laugh a single time while reading, most of the punchlines are of Arisa being hyper and wanting to have sex, not much diversity granted. However the roots of enjoyment lie not in laughs but in awws and adorbs.

Art:
Very well drawn and serves the purpose of creating a fluffy and enjoyable atmosphere. The highlight of the art is clearly the character designs which I admit must judge through a bias lens. I thought the characters were whole heartedly adorable, and the drawing brought out the best of the character’s quirks. My heart was warmed every time I saw Arisa being the happy idiot she was (especially when swaying back in forth with excitement). I loved Mari’s design as well; because design wise she looks more masculine of the two (she was mistaken for a man in chapter 3) she became a sort of vehicle for guys to escape and relate. All at the same time looking feminine enough to be cute in her own right with her slender figure and her adorable faces when she’s embarrassed.

Character:
These characters are simple and relatable and that’s all they need to be. Arisa and Mari create the life that is Bright and Cheery Amnesia. Arisa is a bundle of joy and happiness who is obsessed with all things Mari, and Mari is cool and calm yet passive. Arisa’s amnesia is the vehicle which drives the story and its characters. Behind our two lead’s delightful personalities lies concerns and doubts which they must deal with. Arisa though happy with her fortunate life and relationship, is saddened she lacks the memories of how their relationship came to be. Then Mari’s insecurities about Arisa’s memories and whether she loves Mari the same way, and despite being really patient about the whole amnesia thing she shows cracks of sadness such as over worrying when Arisa got a cold, or missing Arisa’s familiar touch. These worries give our characters an extra human side that fill the story with countless relatable opportunities.

Side Characters:
Clearly not the focus of the story but nevertheless important still. As side characters go they fill their purpose but lack the human element Arisa and Mari hold. Rena gives sassy and entertaining dialogue in contrast to Arisa, however envelopes a “straitman” persona. Maeda definitely was entertaining and relatable to how his love to Mari will never be reciprocated, but that is the only gist of his character when he appears. I do hope to see further development on these characters in the future.

Enjoyment:
I myself am a huge fan of yuri, so I came here knowing what I was looking for and got what I came for: an adorable story of two lesbians with cute designs living their lives doing whatever they can for each other and get some feels. Nothing more nothing less. I did not come for a good laugh or for an intriguing story with loads of drama.

Conclusion:
For fans of yuri and cute girl stories, this will not fail. Bright and Cheery Amnesia gives a stress free story with light drama and smiles. Those looking for a laugh or more serious romances, still worth a read and see what happens. I’m your friendly neighbor dark lord of the arts and entertainment, and I’ll see y’all in the next 216 year eclipse.