Ranked #2603

Indigo Blue (Manga)

Yamaji Ebine is known in the yuri manga community as being a mangaka who draws yuri for adults. That's not to say that she draws hentai, I'm not saying that. Her stories are about adults women, their lives, and about the world they live in. Most of these women are young bisexuals or lesbians.

Indigo Blue is about a young bisexual woman named Retsu; a novelist who seems to have writer's block. She has a boyfriend, and he is her editor. The conflict comes when another woman, a lesbian fan of her work, comes into her life and Retsu starts having feelings for her. We've seen stories like that before, and usually they go down the route where one or more of the characters say they were confused or they regret it. But Indigo Blue is different; it shows us the story of a woman who does not feel guilt for realising that she is in love with another woman.

The art is done it Yamaji Ebine's unique style: clean, clear lines, realistic but simple character art, and a stark lack of shading and detail. It's an interesting style, and I quite like it. It makes the manga seem more 'adult', if you can understand what I mean. There aren't any characters with giant eyes or shiny hair that sticks up in the air. The environments are city and indoor scenes. Also, the art never detracts from the story and characters, which is what the mangaka's work primarily focuses on.

Here is where the manga really shines: the characters. You're not going to love anyone in this manga, I'll get that out of the way immediately. And why won't you love them, you ask? It's because these characters are real. They aren't good guys or bad guys, you can't side with any one of them because they are all flawed and they all do things that are very human and not very heroic, extraordinary or special. Retsu, our protagonist, is an excellent character, but she is not particularly likeable. She is a self-conflicted young woman, who makes bad decisions and hurts those around her unintentionally. Watching Retsu's life is almost like looking into the life of any random person on earth. So, I will say that characterisation was excellent even if the characters' personalities don't exactly make them lovable.

I did enjoy this manga. It's gritty and it's real. It's certainly a more accurate portrayal of a young woman's life than I have seen in any other manga.

I recommend it to a more mature yuri fan. There are sexual scenes in this manga, so do be warned if nudity, lesbian and (to a lesser extent) heterosexual sex bother you. It's definitely one of those manga you'd just want to sit with a cup of coffee and enjoy. read more