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The least interesting yuri manga I've read. The plot is about two manga artist girls who have a relationship with each other. But the plot isn't focused on either the yuri or the aspect of what it means to be a manga artist, so really nothing happens to advance the story. There are no unique relationship insights and few if any date moments. It seems the mangaka included the yuri aspect as a gimmick.

I want to correct something a previous reviewer said. This story is *tragic,* not melodramatic. Tragedy is a portrayal of deep sorrow or despair which could have been avoided, melodrama is soap opera he-said-she-said. The mangaka clearly portrayed Simone, the out lesbian, as a mature character above drama. This is why, in one scene, Simone has to pull the tea cup away from her straight? girlfriend.

I blame American television for the problem some people have telling the difference between tragedy and melodrama.

Yes, it is indeed the first published yuri manga. I'm glad that it was, because the mangaka paved the way for yuri to become a meaningful genre, often more original and more artistic than straight romantic-comedy. read more

Episode 4 is a nice take on a yuri relationship between two high school girls. Unique in its thinking about what lesbian girls like most in a partner.

The strong point of Hen is the surprise that the main character has when she falls in love with another girl. You get a sense for how her mind works and the stops and starts it goes through as her instincts act on their own, which is something that not every mangaka can capture successfully. It tells you that the mangaka knows a thing or two about the human brain and it makes you wonder how much personal exposure he might have to gay culture.

I like that many of the panels are dedicated to simple changes in facial expression, or reactions to a strange comment from someone else. It's a nice touch and it makes this series feel more like an anime than a manga.

There are some low points: there's a lot of sex in this manga, too much for a 16 year old character like the protagonist, and the ending is rushed. Eventually, the side story between two males kind of takes over the romance between the two lead female characters. read more

A short story between high school students that ends on a sweet note.

Miwa is encouraged by her girlfriend Moriya, who compliments her by telling her that she has a very sexy gaze, before giving her a romantic kiss. The story is interesting because the characters are not clearly opposites, and they still remain distinguishable; it also conveys the feeling of warmth that it was going for without using any thematic elements.

The art is light and there is very little tone used, which gives the manga a dream-like atmosphere.

A sweet story about a cool student who has her heart closed off to love. The freedom to be alone is a theme in this one shot, and it's approached artistically, in the shy heroine who doesn't really enjoy doing the things her friends do, but goes along with them anyway so she can be a part of things. This sets up a contrast between her friends and her cool, aloof love interest, who doesn't ask anything of her.

I don't think I can give it a higher score than 8 because the ending is a little cheesy, as if it was written for self-satisfaction; under the circumstances, the atmosphere seems too positive. Still, it's not a bad ending to the story. read more

Each chapter is a self-contained yuri story. The first is about two girls who have known each other since elementary school, one of whom wants the other to understand that her feelings go deeper than friendship. They prepare to play their instruments at a school festival.

The second story is about a pro archer who's embarrassed about her masculine body, and her classmate unexpectedly finds out about her embarrassment...

A perverted spice teacher takes the stage in the third story. She likes her students, but not the male ones, who are too unrefined for her.

The fourth story is about a female painter and her subject. She quit painting in front of other people for a while, to protect herself.

Both stories are ecchi, and the one chapter format doesn't give the author much of a chance to show the characters interacting. The second and fourth stories are more artistic than the others, because they focus on more realistic problems. The art is simple and a little rough, but this gives each story a feeling of spontaneity and genuineness. The series seems to be titled Concerto after the first story, seeing as the rest of them don't have anything to do with music. read more