Citrus

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Citrus was a trip to my heart, and in the end, I am delighted to have the opportunity to read it.

Citrus manga and anime are not for all the tastes. Sadly, most of the readers will divide themselves into yuri lovers and yuri detractors. However, Citrus is more profound, a mere comparison of being or not a yuri manga would not be fair with a love story that could transcend in the heart of any open reader. The moral of the story “Love does not have boundaries.” You cannot throw the manga away for being a lesbian story, but it is not for all the ... tastes, however.

The manga centers in two girls Yuzu and Mei. No matter if they are step-sisters, call it luck, destiny or cliché, they fall in love. Nevertheless, the attraction will take time to appear. Yuzu will need to understand what she is feeling. Her innocence and inexperience lead her to make decisions that affect all the characters around. And as for Mei, her responsibility will always cloud her emotions to the point that the reader will notice her coldness. I am sure that you could have some empathy with the characters and the story of this couple.

Regarding the story, it is more than a yuri manga. For me, the plot is more complicated. It is what we do when we are in love. We do not have a manual when we love someone, we try to follow our instincts, heart, and sometimes we fail and do some clumsy things like Yuzu or some unskillful actions as Mei’s. Honestly, I liked the story, you can perceive some realism on it, and you can enjoy it even if you are not a yuri lover.

Furthermore, Sabutouta took the right decision not to prolong the manga too much because the predictable events could destroy the plot. The choice was bright, and I am glad of how all was resolved. However, the conclusion feels rushed, and perhaps the reader will notice a time gap missing. The story could have more details on the outcome, but overall the manga developed a very delightful story, and I enjoyed most of it.

Deeply exploring the manga, the characters. They have an emotional progression. Yuzu and Mei are very different in personality, but you will observe the chemistry between them. As for the other characters such as Harumi, Matsuri they are the perfect complement to our main couple. In the beginning, these characters create some chaos, but it helped to have a beautiful view of the figures’ contrasts, and in the end, friendship will be the most important for them.

On the other hand, the manga is very well developed. Sabutouta did a magnificent job. The art is exquisite, detailed and shows the emotions of the characters. Great work, hon!! Also, the design of the panel helped the transition from panel to panel, and the dynamic of the story is not taken away from the shifts. It was enjoyable seeing this kind of art in every volume.

Lastly, I am feeling a bit sentimental because Citrus ended but it was the right decision. I am sure that you will enjoy reading the manga. The story will hook the reader and will take your breath.

The "Love" in "Girls Love":
Citrus' romance is about 5% love, 95% drama, and a wealthy dose of poison, since it is based on trauma and lust, while nurtured by addiction and obsession. The protagonists' appeal relies on how convenient and pitiful they find each other to be.

The "Girls" in "Girls Love":
Nowhere to be found. At any given moment, the fact that they are two girls is utterly inconsequential. The story works as fine with two boys or with a regular couple, since the issue that drives the plot is class and, secondarily, family; not gender.

Not-so-forbidden Love
No one in this manga cares. Every problem involving other ... characters is immediately solved by talking it out. This makes the protagonists also the only antagonists, which comes across as two brats just being miserable by themselves. Reading such play becomes painful in the head rather than the heart.

Personal, Overall Assesment
All in all, it's just normal. It feels heavier than necessary due to the over-the-top depiction of distress within a regular sibling romance storyline. It's like the story is trying too hard to make a sweet story darker than it can reasonably be, but that's drama for you all, and that's why even if the rendering feels somewhat forceful or awkward, it could still be blamed on the genre; salt to taste.

Citrus Haiku:
The present of love
pretty wrapping; heavy box
it's empty inside

Creator: Let's make a school romance series like all the rest, but make the main couple lesbian.

Me: Yes.

Creator: Let's make it take place in all girls school.

Me: No.

Creator: Yes. And all the girls there are lesbians. Also all the girls who don't go there are lesbians.

... Me: No.

Creator: Yes. And let's make all the men in it assholes, women beaters and one-dimensional losers.

Me: No.

Creator: Yes. And the main couple in it will be sisters.

Me: No.

Creator: Yes. And the other one will sexually assualt the another sister on a daily basis.

Me: No.

Creator: Yes. And let's blame men for her behavior. The assaulting sister is the real victim here.

Me: No.

Creator: Yes. And the main couple will be super inconsistent. Like in every other chapter they kiss and love and then the next one they be like "why don't you go bang some other lesbian and die."

No: Me. Me. No. What?

Creator: Yes. And it will have at least two love triangles around both main characters.

Me: No.

Creator: Oh, and did I mention all of these love triangles will consists of just girls? No guys will be present.

Me: .... I kinda guessed.



Citrus is the worst lesbian series I have yet read. It constantly rubs the lesbian into reader's face in a same manner as ecchi series shove boob jiggling down the throat. This would be great of course if the characters weren't so full of shit. The other girl pretty much looks like the hoe at your local high school who trades sex for cigarettes. The another is exponentially worse. If she was a he, this series would be tagged as a pro-rape propaganda and tumblr would have to expand its server capacity.

The inconsistent romance in this is not pretty to watch. Whenever the sexually assaulting sister is not in the mood for kissing and boob fondling, she is in angst, and every bit of her dialogue during these moments could be replaced with "yes, I do have a licence to drive a truck" and the conversation had would still make as much sense.

The pacing is terribad and the series so long only because the characters are idiots who ponder over the same questions for half the eternity, only to choose the most obvious outcome without changing much at all as characters during the run. Apparently, all of their bs can be excluded completely by making a vow. Who needs character development and believability when implied happily ever after is an option, too. The story is nothing but an excuse for our characters to act like the clowns they are.

The art is rather boring. Outside the mediocre characters, not much is often even drawn on the panels. Background art is either a myth or otherwise nonexistent 50% of the time. I rather suggest reading the cute and 2pure5thisworld lesbian romances, such as "Stretch" and "Tamen De Gushi". Or alternatively cute with passionate sex, such as "Prism" and skip this nonsense.