There are two universal truths in today’s rapidly changing comics industry. The first is that Valentine’s Day is just past. The second is that more people are reading manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before. Therefore, we at Comics Beat are continuing our Beat’s Bizarre Romance. Every week, we’ll have three writers recommend some of their favorite comic romances from Japan, Korea and elsewhere. This week we have more CLAMP, more yuri and, of course, gaming.
The One I Love
Writer/Artist: CLAMP
Translator: Ray Yoshimoto
Lettering: Abelardo Bigting
Publisher: VIZ (formerly Tokyopop)
The One I Love is a collection of short manga one-shots that were originally published in the magazine Monthly Young Rose and then later collected into one book. Each one focuses on a different woman or girl dealing with an insecurity about themselves that relates to their relationships with guys. It’s a fun concept that allows the creators of CLAMP to explore different facets of womanhood, something they’d be intimately familiar with; the ups and downs of being in love, and the uncertainties that come with that.
It also highlights the happiness of being in love. Each story has a happy ending so all the couples get to live happily ever after. I wouldn’t consider this a spoiler because the intention of this series isn’t to showcase unhappiness. Uneasiness maybe, but there’s no reason to pile on top of that with despair.
It’s a really cute series and very romantic. Each woman, each couple, occupy a different space on the relationship timeline from simply dating – whether long distance or otherwise – meet cutes, and even marriage. There are a few stories here that could be divisive among fans in their age depictions and messaging. But the messages are still sound even if there could’ve been better representation for them.
Each story is also accompanied by a short essay which highlights their real-life sources of inspiration. They aren’t 1:1, none of them would be, but certain actual events inspired the feelings explored in each story. You get to learn a bit about the real women behind CLAMP. Other manga creators also make appearances in these essays as well which is quite cool.
If you’re a romantic just looking to experience some light drama that isn’t high stakes, but relatable, and you know isn’t going to end in disaster, then I highly recommend this. It’s a cute series that will make you feel all happy inside by the end! — Derrick Crow
What Are The Chances
Writer/Artist: Chantsky
Platform: WEBTOON
Boy do I love my yuri like the odd birb that I am, which is why for today I am recommending What Are The Chances, a Girl Love WEBTOON series published on Canvas and still ongoing as of 2020. Created by Chanstsky, the series centers on a pink-haired woman named Tricia, who falls in love at first sight with a woman named Elise. The catch is, Tricia looks almost like the woman from her recurring dreams. What could it mean?
I have been reading this series since 2020. The art style is so cute and reminiscent of shojo manga with how the characters are drawn. Yet each character from Tricia, her brother, friends, and even Elise have distinct hair, eye colors and outfits that fit their personality. The art has also become more refined over the years. The panels are larger and the character art more detailed , yet it is still recognizable as Chantsky’s style with the very expressive range each character has.
One thing that amazes me from the start is just how many characters there are at the start of the story. Usually the focus would be on the main characters and the supporting cast would be introduced gradually. But from the start we are introduced to many of Tricia’s friends in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. It makes Tricia’s life feel eventful even before she slowly builds a connection with Elise as their lives overlap.
I can ramble about the series forever. But if all this sounds interesting and a worthy addition to your beloved yuri collection, you can read all 118+ episodes for free on WEBTOON Canvas. I might even recommend supporting Chantsky on her Patreon too if you are feeling generous, as she is hard at work on Season 2 of the series. Happy Valentine’s season, spread the love! — Justin Guerrero
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at LV999
Writer/Artist: Mashiro
Translator: Nate Derr
Letterer: Kai Kyou & And World Design
Designer: Bones Leopard
Editor: Rebecca Taylor
Production Editor: Loren Noveck
Platform/Publisher: Mangamo (digital) and Inklore (physical)
I’m not much of a gamer and I don’t seek out series about gaming. But when I watched the anime adaptation of My Love Story with Yamada-kun at LV999, I was surprised by how much I liked it. The series follows a college student named Akane Kinoshita who gets dumped by her boyfriend for a girl he met online in an MMORPG called Forest of Savior. She ropes Yamada into being her fake boyfriend to make her ex jealous, but it backfires; although her plan fails, she ends up becoming acquainted with Yamada, a famous pro-gamer. Although Akane had played FOS before, this is the first time she starts having fun playing the game as she makes new friends and becomes closer to Yamada.
This is such a cute romcom. The dual settings between the real and gaming worlds add another level to the emotional connection between Akane and Yamada. Akane’s life revolved around her ex-boyfriend for so long that she didn’t have much of a separate personality after the breakup. Seeing her grow into herself was gratifying. I also really liked how Akane is in college, which isn’t that common in shoujo. The age gap between Akane and Yamada (a third year high schooler) brings a relatable set of challenges to the story such as trying to align schedules to meet up.
While the gaming aspects aren’t very prominent, FOS is meant to be a game for casual gamers hence why Yamada plays it when he wants to game but not seriously. This lends the story to focusing on the side characters like Tsubaki who has a crush on Yamada and Runa, Eita’s sister.
It also features a cliche but one of my favorite romance tropes: the bubbly, outspoken, and excitable character versus somebody who is introverted, quiet, and “brooding.” The two initially butt heads, especially with Yamada’s tendency to be blunt and his almost brutal rejection of girls who confess to him. But Akane’s effervescent personality and genuine sincerity breaks him out of his shell. — Hilary Leung
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