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Erica Sakurazawa #1
Between the Sheets
Minako likes her best friend Saki because she is free, wild and uninhibited. Over time, her feelings for Saki slowly evolve way beyond friendship. Between The Sheets depicts Minako's bittersweet experiences as she falls deeper and deeper in love with her best friend, Saki.
208 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 20, 2014
Stuff I Read - Between the Sheets by Erica Sakurazawa Review
I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting when I picked up this manga. I mean, there was definitely a part of me that was looking for some diversity in my manga and saw lesbian josei and that's about all I needed. But then, most of the time my tastes don't run quite this far toward regular, no spec fiction. And the story is definitely not speculative. It's a story about relationships, and mostly about the relationship between Mina and Saki. It's not the easiest volume of manga to read, and what's here is dense and rather artful. I didn't quite know what to make of it, though, in the end.
The relationship is definitely complicated, and interesting. Mina is in love with Saki, but can't really express it, especially because Saki doesn't return that love. Mina finds herself rather obsessed, and because she can't have Saki she goes after the men that Saki is seeing, hoping this will both break Saki up with the guy and also wanting to have that vicarious closeness, that she's having sex with as close to Saki as she can. It's rather weird and messed up, but makes a certain amount of sense. Mina repressed a lot, and because of that she does things kind of like this. Meanwhile, Saki is drawn to rather destructive relationships. She's cheated on but when she's with a guy who treats her better, she cheats on him. Then Mina gets involved and, well, yeah, kind of messed up all around.
The art of the volume lends itself well, being a lot more sketchy than a lot of other manga. It doesn't really use color that much, but when it does it does so meaningfully. The character are well detailed and their depictions jive with how they act. It's rather interesting to see how different the female characters are but how similar the male characters are, because Saki has something of a type, but also the difference of dark and light hair. There is something going on there, methinks.
In the end, though, I'm not quite sure what to make of the manga. It's not exactly fun but it is interesting and a good read. I just wasn't very sure what to make of some of the stuff, and the ending in particular, where Mina confesses everything and then ends up with one of Saki's ex-boyfriends. It's a little odd, and I'm not quite sure what it's saying. Of course, it might be harder to parse for non-Japanese readers, because I'm not sure exactly how sexuality is handled there. It's worth a read, but it's not exactly my cup of tea. What's there is good, though, and for that I'm giving it a 6.5/10.
I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting when I picked up this manga. I mean, there was definitely a part of me that was looking for some diversity in my manga and saw lesbian josei and that's about all I needed. But then, most of the time my tastes don't run quite this far toward regular, no spec fiction. And the story is definitely not speculative. It's a story about relationships, and mostly about the relationship between Mina and Saki. It's not the easiest volume of manga to read, and what's here is dense and rather artful. I didn't quite know what to make of it, though, in the end.
The relationship is definitely complicated, and interesting. Mina is in love with Saki, but can't really express it, especially because Saki doesn't return that love. Mina finds herself rather obsessed, and because she can't have Saki she goes after the men that Saki is seeing, hoping this will both break Saki up with the guy and also wanting to have that vicarious closeness, that she's having sex with as close to Saki as she can. It's rather weird and messed up, but makes a certain amount of sense. Mina repressed a lot, and because of that she does things kind of like this. Meanwhile, Saki is drawn to rather destructive relationships. She's cheated on but when she's with a guy who treats her better, she cheats on him. Then Mina gets involved and, well, yeah, kind of messed up all around.
The art of the volume lends itself well, being a lot more sketchy than a lot of other manga. It doesn't really use color that much, but when it does it does so meaningfully. The character are well detailed and their depictions jive with how they act. It's rather interesting to see how different the female characters are but how similar the male characters are, because Saki has something of a type, but also the difference of dark and light hair. There is something going on there, methinks.
In the end, though, I'm not quite sure what to make of the manga. It's not exactly fun but it is interesting and a good read. I just wasn't very sure what to make of some of the stuff, and the ending in particular, where Mina confesses everything and then ends up with one of Saki's ex-boyfriends. It's a little odd, and I'm not quite sure what it's saying. Of course, it might be harder to parse for non-Japanese readers, because I'm not sure exactly how sexuality is handled there. It's worth a read, but it's not exactly my cup of tea. What's there is good, though, and for that I'm giving it a 6.5/10.
April 22, 2024
Not really for me but I was interested enough to keep reading.
May 19, 2014
Odie leer esto. Lo odie con toda mi alma.
Todos los personajes son mala gente. Incluso cuando Ken y Saki estaban juntos, dijeron que ambos eran malos.
La obsecion de Minako por Saki... por dios, la verdad, es muy estupida. Crei que Lena de Delirium era idiota, pero al lado de Minako, es Newton.
En primer lugar, Minako es una sin-vida desagradable que se obseciono con su mejor amiga, quien es "un espiritu libre", o como yo diria, una sifilosa que solo piensa en tener metido un chorizo.
Ken es el tipico chico idiota, que sale com 20mil tipas por semana.
El chico de la tienda de zapatos, Yuras... o como se llame, es el unico que mas o menos me cayo bien. Un blandengue total..
Y Saki, Saki... no hay persona mas vil, perversa, egoista, estupida y zorra que Saki. Me indigna, si la tuviera frente a mi, la descuartizaria con un machete. Su dicho de "Tu engañas a alguien, y lo escondes, y incluso si lo descubre, lo niegas a muerte. Y eso es verdadero amor. Lo haces mas sencillo para tu pareja" *inserte aqui a una yo explotando de rabia*
ME ESTAS JODIENDO? EN SERIO? SER INFIEL Y ESCONDERSELO A LA OTRA PERSONA ES VERDADERO AMOR? EN SERIO? EN SERIO? PEGATE UN TIRO, RUBITA OXIGENADA COME-CHORIZOS, NO TENES NEURONAS.
Me saca, me saca. La tentacion existe, pero si amas a alguien, te quedas con esa persona hasta el final, porque al final del día solo tienes ojos para esa persona y ningun chorizo puede cambiar la felicidad que sientes por tan solo tocarle la mano a esa persona. ESO es amor. Amor verdadero y puro y sincero.
Saki solo se hace la victima, la odie. Si yo hubiese sido Minako, me habria vengado. O la habria descuartizado a lo Eli Short. Yo que sé.
Simplemente dos estrellas, la historia meh, prefiero arrancarme los ojos antes que leerlo otra vez. Los dibujos son mas realistas pero como que... en algunos momentos no son precisos, y son deformes. Pero acorde al estilo que vi que tiene el manga, era un deforme aceptable. El tipo de deforme que ves en arte.
Creo que no tengo nada mas que decir. ¿Se nota mi indignacion? ¿Si? ¿Si?
Todos los personajes son mala gente. Incluso cuando Ken y Saki estaban juntos, dijeron que ambos eran malos.
La obsecion de Minako por Saki... por dios, la verdad, es muy estupida. Crei que Lena de Delirium era idiota, pero al lado de Minako, es Newton.
En primer lugar, Minako es una sin-vida desagradable que se obseciono con su mejor amiga, quien es "un espiritu libre", o como yo diria, una sifilosa que solo piensa en tener metido un chorizo.
Ken es el tipico chico idiota, que sale com 20mil tipas por semana.
El chico de la tienda de zapatos, Yuras... o como se llame, es el unico que mas o menos me cayo bien. Un blandengue total..
Y Saki, Saki... no hay persona mas vil, perversa, egoista, estupida y zorra que Saki. Me indigna, si la tuviera frente a mi, la descuartizaria con un machete. Su dicho de "Tu engañas a alguien, y lo escondes, y incluso si lo descubre, lo niegas a muerte. Y eso es verdadero amor. Lo haces mas sencillo para tu pareja" *inserte aqui a una yo explotando de rabia*
ME ESTAS JODIENDO? EN SERIO? SER INFIEL Y ESCONDERSELO A LA OTRA PERSONA ES VERDADERO AMOR? EN SERIO? EN SERIO? PEGATE UN TIRO, RUBITA OXIGENADA COME-CHORIZOS, NO TENES NEURONAS.
Me saca, me saca. La tentacion existe, pero si amas a alguien, te quedas con esa persona hasta el final, porque al final del día solo tienes ojos para esa persona y ningun chorizo puede cambiar la felicidad que sientes por tan solo tocarle la mano a esa persona. ESO es amor. Amor verdadero y puro y sincero.
Saki solo se hace la victima, la odie. Si yo hubiese sido Minako, me habria vengado. O la habria descuartizado a lo Eli Short. Yo que sé.
Simplemente dos estrellas, la historia meh, prefiero arrancarme los ojos antes que leerlo otra vez. Los dibujos son mas realistas pero como que... en algunos momentos no son precisos, y son deformes. Pero acorde al estilo que vi que tiene el manga, era un deforme aceptable. El tipo de deforme que ves en arte.
Creo que no tengo nada mas que decir. ¿Se nota mi indignacion? ¿Si? ¿Si?
June 13, 2019
1.5 stars
The art is absolutely not my cup of tea, although I liked the cover.
The story couldn't hold my interest for more than a few pages.
No recommendation from my side.
The art is absolutely not my cup of tea, although I liked the cover.
The story couldn't hold my interest for more than a few pages.
No recommendation from my side.
October 8, 2025
Damn girl you are down so bad
September 13, 2022
I mean looking at it objectively it really wasn't bad but god did i hate the concept. Really redeemed itself in the end. But it didnt grip me like I hope books do when I read them.
January 31, 2019
No me gustó para nada. Altos forros todos.
Y no pueden ser más idiotas, por dios!!
Y no pueden ser más idiotas, por dios!!
January 26, 2019
This is a well orchestrated story about obsession. None of these characters are going to be likeable. They are all people who make horrible decisions for stupid reasons. But, I have to give major props for the beautiful artwork, and for how believable the mangaka made this story. Its a rough one, but it is amazing at the same time.
February 7, 2024
I have been steadily blowing through my library system's inventory of queer comics, and I borrowed this one, though I regret it. This comic is about a young woman (Minako) who becomes romantically/sexually fixated on her best friend (Saki) after they kiss at a club to dissuade a persistently-flirting guy. That sounds like a charming setup to me, and the back of the book promised, I believe, "a new type of relationship between women." At first, I was like "New type of relationship?? What, lesbians?"
However, it turns out that "new type of relationship" means EVIL STALKER LESBIAN and her PREY, à la Single White Female. Minako begins sabotaging Saki's relationships and sleeping with her boyfriends in a warped attempt at having some sort of proxy sex with her. They have a frank conversation about things, wherein Saki tells her she does not share her feelings and is not attracted to women, but Minako cannot let this go and just hooks up with all of her boyfriends and becomes a straight-up relationship terrorist. I'm fine with stories of insane & creepy protagonists, but idk... this is bad representation, I don't really think we need more boilerplate tales in the Gay Psycho genre (it's been done!), and the story was just generally distasteful to me. Idk, this one wasn't it for me.
However, it turns out that "new type of relationship" means EVIL STALKER LESBIAN and her PREY, à la Single White Female. Minako begins sabotaging Saki's relationships and sleeping with her boyfriends in a warped attempt at having some sort of proxy sex with her. They have a frank conversation about things, wherein Saki tells her she does not share her feelings and is not attracted to women, but Minako cannot let this go and just hooks up with all of her boyfriends and becomes a straight-up relationship terrorist. I'm fine with stories of insane & creepy protagonists, but idk... this is bad representation, I don't really think we need more boilerplate tales in the Gay Psycho genre (it's been done!), and the story was just generally distasteful to me. Idk, this one wasn't it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2023
If Monty Python wrote a sketch about polilezes, it would be something like this. The whole thing can be summed up in:
Bisexual best friend: omg I love Saki so much she is so hot.
Saki's boyfriend: hey now that Saki is not here, do you want to hook up? I love you so much.
Bisexual best friend: OMG YES LET'S.
Boyfriend of Saki: soz I didn't mean it, it was a one time thing lolz.
Bisexual best friend: OMG WHY ARE MEN LIKE THIS!! AWFUL CREATURES!! I ONLY WANT SAKI!!
Everyone was cheating all the time. The best friend was so stupid, she slept with all of Saki's boyfriends behind her back and it still did not land on her that she is a terrible person. At least the story was short. If you took it humorously like I did, it was a pretty fun story because everyone's stupidity made for an amazing comedy.
If you're a lesbian, there's no lesbians in this comic (I know, disappointing). If you're a bisexual, the bi woman is awful and her interest in another woman is treated as a something not real, creepy and born out of a desire to "be" her. It's weird as hell. I think the author is straight and just can't understand having the hots for another woman, let alone not liking men.
Bisexual best friend: omg I love Saki so much she is so hot.
Saki's boyfriend: hey now that Saki is not here, do you want to hook up? I love you so much.
Bisexual best friend: OMG YES LET'S.
Boyfriend of Saki: soz I didn't mean it, it was a one time thing lolz.
Bisexual best friend: OMG WHY ARE MEN LIKE THIS!! AWFUL CREATURES!! I ONLY WANT SAKI!!
Everyone was cheating all the time. The best friend was so stupid, she slept with all of Saki's boyfriends behind her back and it still did not land on her that she is a terrible person. At least the story was short. If you took it humorously like I did, it was a pretty fun story because everyone's stupidity made for an amazing comedy.
If you're a lesbian, there's no lesbians in this comic (I know, disappointing). If you're a bisexual, the bi woman is awful and her interest in another woman is treated as a something not real, creepy and born out of a desire to "be" her. It's weird as hell. I think the author is straight and just can't understand having the hots for another woman, let alone not liking men.
March 30, 2021
1.5 stars. Hoo boy. I went into this expecting a yuri with Sakurazawa's usual dramatics and instead got a soapy, wishy-washy manga about a lot of people who should not be dating or be friends with each other. Usually the characters in her stories are unlikeable but have some interesting character traits, but that's not true for this manga. There really isn't a single interesting character in this manga, and you don't root for Minako, the woman in love with her best friend Saki, because she isn't fleshed out enough. I was honestly worried this manga was going to go down the obsessive stalker lesbian trope that's so harmful, but it doesn't go quite that far. Instead it's a lot of aimless sex and nothing exciting composition or art-wise. It felt pretty phoned in and is a disappointing entry in Sakurazawa's works.
March 7, 2020
This was a great read. Erica Sakurazawa has a way of writing good smutty adult drama. In this story, we follow two young adult women who are best friends. One of them is passionately in love with the other, but her love is unrequited.
Their relationship was MESSY. it was a very good read, despite wanting more. I wish these manga were longer because I would like to read more from these characters.
Their relationship was MESSY. it was a very good read, despite wanting more. I wish these manga were longer because I would like to read more from these characters.
December 16, 2021
I was expecting more. I thought this was going to be a sweet story about friends falling in love. Instead it was a quick pace story where not much happened and the characters were flat without any development. The girl(narrator) comes off as creepy and obsessive instead of someone in love with their best friend. The idea behind the story is a good one but it wasn't executed correctly.
January 12, 2023
I had really high hopes for this from the synopsis, but I was majorly let down. I went into this thinking it was about a woman who was in love with her best friend, and I don't know what the hell happened but there was no love to be found in this story. Minako was definitely obsessed with her friend Saki, so much so that she did some questionable and stupid things, but I was never sure if the love Minako had for Saki was romantic or platonic. If you were expecting this to be a yuri like I was, prepare to be disappointed.
As usual with Erica's works, there was a lot of cheating and despicable characters who don't deserve to be in relationships. There was some aesthetic artwork here and there that I appreciated, but that was all that I actually liked about this.
As usual with Erica's works, there was a lot of cheating and despicable characters who don't deserve to be in relationships. There was some aesthetic artwork here and there that I appreciated, but that was all that I actually liked about this.
November 27, 2023
Bittersweet. 💔
I really liked the first chapter, and how messy the relationship between the two girls gets; but I also think the story could have been a bit shorter, I just didn't enjoy it all the way through.
(I like that the back cover proudly states that "Erica Sakurazawa introduces a new type of relationship for girls"... like confused lesbians/bi women didn't already exist lololol.)
I really liked the first chapter, and how messy the relationship between the two girls gets; but I also think the story could have been a bit shorter, I just didn't enjoy it all the way through.
(I like that the back cover proudly states that "Erica Sakurazawa introduces a new type of relationship for girls"... like confused lesbians/bi women didn't already exist lololol.)
August 25, 2019
Boring, cliche 'girl who likes other girl, but in a terrifying way' plot without any nuance or depth. Like either take it to the extremes of horror, or let's stop doing making this homo-cidal character a thing.
January 16, 2019
The premise sounded interesting but it just seemed bland in execution. Artwork was nice, quick read.
March 23, 2021
A fine concept but this manga has no concept of pacing or transitions.
January 17, 2024
This book is very much toxic yuri, one-sided unrequited love between a girl and her best friend who has a shitty bf.... Overall a very bitter read.
February 24, 2024
La historia de una tóxica desquiciada.
Me hizo acordar a alguien que saqué de mi vida hace un tiempo... experiencias que no les recomiendo tener.
Me hizo acordar a alguien que saqué de mi vida hace un tiempo... experiencias que no les recomiendo tener.
March 3, 2024
Bro is obsessed asf
April 17, 2024
Omg everyone in this story was just TRASH!! I wanted to read some drama but this was too much for me.
October 22, 2024
very much of its time and of its genre. it's supposed to be that sort of squirming, drawn out tragedy (kind of like a nana) but it just doesn't hit that hard
June 5, 2025
⭐️ 3.6 - obsessive sapphic love. Messy, but entertaining.
August 17, 2025
it's not unrequited if you squint
August 14, 2021
Stumbled across this one in the library catalog, because of similarities to perhaps How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 2; at least, similarities as defined by attempts to define fiction subject matter. Not like it in many particulars, and generally very disappointing. Very 90's feel, and definitely written by someone who doesn't really understand or apparently normally write about LGBTQ+ issues. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic or engaging and the concept is messed up without being really interesting.
October 30, 2014
to be perfectly honest this volume had me thinking a lot about god
yeah i know, that is probably not where you thought where this review was headed
in my religion you're meant to strive to love each other for the sake of god
and that was a concept i struggled with as a child but i think i understand a little bit better now
and this volume had me thinking about it because i felt like all the terrible things minako claims to do for love this volume come from the fact that her love is so deeply personal
it's about saki only inasmuch as she wants saki to 'belong' to her, to be the image of saki that makes her happy
and so she does awful things and believes that love can serve as an excuse
so does saki! they parallel each other because saki wants different aspects of yukimura and ken and so she cheats to try to get those things from each of them
and i guess i just think that loving properly is really hard; that it means to do good things for another as you would for yourself
it would hurt you to be cheated on, don't do that to someone else
but i think humans are inherently self-centred; that they need some kind of outer anchor to be able to love properly. and to locate that in your lover is chancy because then your love is dependant on how their actions make you feel. minako hurts when she sees saki with someone else so she thinks it's okay to betray her trust. to love well you need a solid reason, something eternal
and now dear goodreads friends you have a outline of how reading this manga had me spent a bus ride thinking about the wisdom and grace of god in teaching us how to love
you also know why i'm probably never going to be a professional book reviewer. u_u talk about the story? theme? art? nah mates, let me tell you about my feelings about god
3 stars
yeah i know, that is probably not where you thought where this review was headed
in my religion you're meant to strive to love each other for the sake of god
and that was a concept i struggled with as a child but i think i understand a little bit better now
and this volume had me thinking about it because i felt like all the terrible things minako claims to do for love this volume come from the fact that her love is so deeply personal
it's about saki only inasmuch as she wants saki to 'belong' to her, to be the image of saki that makes her happy
and so she does awful things and believes that love can serve as an excuse
so does saki! they parallel each other because saki wants different aspects of yukimura and ken and so she cheats to try to get those things from each of them
and i guess i just think that loving properly is really hard; that it means to do good things for another as you would for yourself
it would hurt you to be cheated on, don't do that to someone else
but i think humans are inherently self-centred; that they need some kind of outer anchor to be able to love properly. and to locate that in your lover is chancy because then your love is dependant on how their actions make you feel. minako hurts when she sees saki with someone else so she thinks it's okay to betray her trust. to love well you need a solid reason, something eternal
and now dear goodreads friends you have a outline of how reading this manga had me spent a bus ride thinking about the wisdom and grace of god in teaching us how to love
you also know why i'm probably never going to be a professional book reviewer. u_u talk about the story? theme? art? nah mates, let me tell you about my feelings about god
3 stars
April 22, 2014
Although Sakurazawa is well represented in English translation, Between the Sheets is really her only Yuri work. An interesting though tough read, this josei focuses on Minako's experiences as she tries to live up to her stylish, much wilder best friend. I particularly liked the portrayal of men in this novel, one of which even recognizes that Mina is in love with/wants to be Saki. The art is good, but maybe not as incredible as Sakurazawa's usual watercolors. An excellent read.
February 17, 2016
Saki and Mina are best friends. Unfortunately Mina's feelings for Saki change, from friendship to obsessive love. She does terrible things to Saki in the name of of that love. Saki is a good friend, she forgives Mina over and over which drove me nuts because the pattern kept repeating and Saki couldn't see it. Mina was awful, she looks cute and innocent with a devious, manipulative nature.
June 25, 2015
Meh, it wasn't the worst I've ever read... but it wasn't the greatest. The story isn't very remember able. When I picked it up I didn't know there was a lesbian in it and I didn't care. But it's just okay? I wouldn't really recommend the book.
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