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Good day to everybody who have or want a good day. This is my written rant, “I am Indonesian but I love Yuri.”
So let’s start this by explaining what Yuri is. Yuri is a japanese word means Lily. Yuri that I talk about refers to love between girls or most-known as lesbian. Yup, I love it. For certain I just love it in fiction, like novel, manga, anime. I’m a weaboo, after all. And I had lost my sexual interest at heart. Put that aside and let’s continue!
Yuri or Girls Love is classified into two in Western: Yuri and Shoujo Ai. Some peoples think that Yuri is hard-core (sex included) and Shoujo Ai is soft-core. But their actual meaning are actually same, unless Yuri come together with NSFW (nudity). I like to call shoujo ai as Subtext, though it seems the actual meaning of it is rather different. If you want to know more about Yuri, please ask the experts (search engines included). I’m not the expert, sorry. For me both yuri and shoujo ai are same, so if I say yuri, it refers both of them.
Around 2 months ago, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexsual, and Transgender) became a popular discussion in Indonesia. Most peoples denied the existence of LGBT in society. They thought LGBT broke the Indonesian young-generation’s moral and character. Well, I’m neutral. I don’t think this is good, but I don’t think this is bad either. So I decide to be neutral. Surely Indonesia wouldn’t accept LGBT for now. You know most muslims live here. Homosexual or ‘liwath’ isn’t accepted in Islam. About moral and character, mine was already broken. Let’s leave this LGBT matter and get back to the Yuri!
Why did I love Yuri? Umm, the reason was not interesting and actually boring. I call the love between boy and girl as ‘normal’. Being an abnormal or weirdo is unique and special, you know. In that day (WHAT DAY AND WHEN!? I don’t remember). I was a middle schooler and (a little) active member of KAORI Nusantara. I found a Yuri club, I took a look one of the threads in the forum, and read the introduction of Yuri. I got myself interested to yuri, yup I joined the club. I saw Hardakito written in the club members list and a small Yuri banner placed on my profile. Wow~ I was active for a month or two, then became a silent member. That was me in every internet community. I’m more like observer now, write an opinion if I want to. Although I was a middle schooler, I had read a few NSFW (+ sex too) Yuri mangas. Unfortunately I don’t remember the titles so that I can’t add them into my manga list in MyAnimeList. What ever, it’s fine. Oh yeah.. If you don’t mind, visit my MAL profile. To be honest, I got my self addicted to Yuri just a week or two before that LGBT thing. I had lost my interest to the normal (IRL) and had no intention to roll back to a normal. Yup, I lose my desire to human. Forget it, it isn’t important!
Why was Yuri interesting for me? Umm, I had addicted to girls since I was child, really. I loved observing them and wanted to be born as girl also that time. A few peoples around me made a joke of me as a girl born as a boy, because my rather girlish attitude. Ah, I don’t care about it. I also had interest of both girl and boy when I was middle schooler. Well, I was a bisexual, huh? LOL. Don’t need to worry about that, I had cured it by myself and of course by the help of the God too. Alhamdulillah. My addiction of girls was moved from humans onto fictional characters after I became a weaboo. I love watching all girls anime, but I’m no fan of idols. See them in good relation is a happiness. And the most happiness is coming from their love into each others. Oww, the power of empathy is so strong! Yuri is really entertaining. It’s unique and the most important is less (or no) ‘normal’. Having no couple because of this isn’t matter, I’m fine perfectly (I hope).
What kind of Yuri do I love the most? Umm, exactly I haven’t particular one. I usually read Yuri mangas with slice of life, school, comedy, or romance genres. I like them, peaceful life is good. But I like the opposite too, for example Shoujou Shikoku where a lot of paired girls killing each other pairs (I gave it a perfect score). You can conclude that Yuri mangas scored 10 are the most I love, but that isn’t a proper answer to this question. So let me review some aspects would determine that.
First, its art. I’m selective in art of mangas I want to read. The score would drop if the art isn’t good enough. Second, the story. I place story in second priority after art usually. The most important parts of this are the girls relation and its development. I take Hana to Hoshi for example. NO SPOILER, I hope. A story about the protagonist’s one-sided love and her effort to change this unmutual love. There are a few conflicts and the comedy gives extra excitement. unfortunately the story doesn’t focused to the sport, table tennis (if you look for it). In general, Hana to Hoshi is enjoyable for anybody who look for school life, light comedy, or Yuri. Third, the characters. I like girls with girl looking, I mean they don’t resemble boy a lot. I like untied hair, if tied I prefer twintail. Short haired or long? Both are good. Animal tail or ears? I prefer cat, but I like rabbit too. I love pettan, flat-chested is the best and big breast is acceptable specially in Yuri. Young and little girls are great. I’m a (pervert) lolicon but no pedophile, so I don’t like sex including little girl though it’s a yuri. In short, I love cute girls. For psychic, I love innocent, honest, and reliable girl. The example of such figure is Haru in Gouhou Yuri Fuufu Hon. Anyway, psychic has relation to dere types, does it? I like them except Yandere. It’s scary but sometime make the story be entertaining more.
The summary. The Yuri mangas I love the most must have good art, cute girl characters in physic and psychic, also nice story development. A good example for these is Yuri Yuri. Ah! About Yuri anime I can’t speak, because I’m new to non-subtext Yuri anime. For novel, I just read Sonohabira. Never play Yuri visual novel or eroge.