Strawberry Fields Once Again, Vol. 1

Strawberry Fields Once Again #1

by Kazura Kinosaki

"I'll never have a 3D romance!" High schooler Akira loves otome games and refuses to have a 3D romance, so she's caught off-guard when the new transfer student suddenly declares that she is Akira's future lover! It's the start of the bittersweet story of two girls who are more than friends but less than lovers!

Genres: Manga, Yuri, LGBT, Romance, Queer, Comics, Lesbian

162 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2017

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the surface this is a yuri comedy about a girl who has vowed never to have a 3D romance and another one who comes from a future where they're engaged to fulfill her wish about going to high school together. Beneath the surface? I suspect that the future is nowhere near as rosy as Pure (yes, that's her name) paints it and that she's come back to the past to either avert a tragedy or to get a little more time with Akira. It's not perfectly balanced, but I'm definitely intrigued.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akira’s not a lonely girl, she’s just living in a 2D world. Her otome obsession hits a snag when the new transfer student, Pure, tells her that she’s Akira’s lover from the future. Persistence pays off and the two become close, but there’s clearly a lot more to this story...

If you present me with an intriguing mystery and wrap it in a yuri romance, I am certainly not going to say no. In fact, I’ll even overlook how wobbly the story is at the start, with its unnecessary panty shot and Pure’s strange behaviour.

But then it gets good. The story of these two coming to like each other is not the best written thing ever, by any stretch, but it works. And at certain points it’s even quite poignant. Further, it’s buoyed up by two important things.

The first is that mystery. Pure and Akira are lovers in the future. Or are they? There’s a lot not being said here, or said and then not expounded on. Is Akira dead in the future? Did she reject Pure? What does [redacted] have to do with how this all comes about? What is Pure truly after?

These questions form the primary hook to what would otherwise be a standard, if enjoyable, yuri romance and I am here for it. There’s more to this than we know and it appears to be a much sadder story than expected and I am dying to know more.

The second factor is that this book’s genuinely funny. There are some real zingers throughout the book (I love the way Pure manages to weaponize yuri at one point) and some great sight gags. Good lord that pile of meat...

And there’s the bonus manga. Oh, that bonus manga. This is a side story told from the perspective of Yumimi, a girl who I think is unseen during the main story, and her slightly masculine friend.

This digression is so good that I would buy the next volume to read more even if I wasn’t invested in the main story. Yumimi is a yuri fangirl and her obsession with it, while ignoring how much her female friend is into her, is just genius. The comic timing in this one is good with tendencies towards brilliant - the joke about the sweater pin is beyond reproach and the line Yumimi has about not doing self-insert might be the best joke in the book.

Four stars from a three star story, but presentation and delivery count. Also it gets a huge lift from the bonus pages. Still, it deftly mixes the ridiculous and the heartfelt with a heavy overlay of melancholy in the background and no parts feel like they come at the expense of the others.

As I say, it’s intriguing and still full of potential, and I don’t want much more from the things I’m reading.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is precious with a touch of intrigue.

For my detailed thoughts, check out this video: https://youtu.be/hBu7ZIpFEDY

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 2 out of 5]

2021 Read #7

Long story short: there are better yuri manga out there. Go read Bloom Into You or Whisper Me a Love Song or How Do We Relationship? instead. Even the “mystery” aspect just does not seem enough to make this one worth coming back for me.

[Link · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want this romance in my life.

[BumfuzzledNerd · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's cute, but I thought I would enjoy it way more.

[Kitkat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this romance story! I thought it was cute, and I liked how in the bonus chapter there's a cute romance story. I'm excited to see what happens next!

[Curious Madra · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, you’d think it’s going to be a wholesome shoujo ai GL story with Pure-chan as the “supposed to be future lover” to Akira. The art was really nice and the girls realtionship is adorable since they are both polar opposite’s to keep you reading more of the story. However when Akiras brother Ruri pops out of nowhere as a hikkimori and tries to break up the couple (this is new to me since im use to the classmates, childhood friends or colleagues who do this action in nearly every romance manga I read), it went confusion hill for me. The reason for this is because it goes back and forth from the girls past and future too much. I mean yeah Ruri is trying to erase the fact the girls got to know each other before but I was getting a massive headache like for god sake, which timeline do you want to show mate?! It just felt so flippity flop the whole time like my brain can only take in so much even when reading!!! As well they added in random characters on side chapters like why didn’t they add them into the main story too? Even I wouldn’t mind a second Yuri couple to cheer on!

Again this is a adorable highschool girl romance story guys besides those hiccups, read it!

[Camden Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was actually really cute. I always feel stressed out when it comes to choosing what manga to read so I decided to listen to a friend’s suggestion and picked this one up. I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. I was worried that this manga would be lewd or sexualizing towards the two main characters but it wasn’t that bad.

I have read up until the latest chapter which was only posted 3 days ago. I am so intrigued by the mystery and I cannot wait to read the next chapter when it releases. The time travel aspect was also a pleasant surprise as I was left wondering if Pure actually time traveled or if she was just a creepy stalker. I think it is definitely worth checking out especially if you want a quick read. Each chapter was about 20 pages and I was able to breeze through it in one sitting.

[Birdy Hodges · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hopeful for this series after hearing such good things about it on TikTok. Unfortunately, it suffers from first-volume-syndrome and nothing really happens, more unfortunate that nothing grabbed my interest to continue into volume 2. For a romance featuring time travel, it’s boring AND basic.

[Tardisgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's cute!
3,5 stars, but rounding up.

[Nemo T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was very cute. Pretty simple Yuir love story so far but, I don't think every manga especially Queer ones need to be complex and revolutionary all the time.

[Oz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stopped reading halfway through and didn't pick it up again until a week later, it just borders on the line of uncomfortable with how the time travel aspect is handled. If it weren't for that aspect I think I would have genuinely enjoyed it though as the characters are interesting.

[Temecka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[hannah chestnut · Rating 5 out of 5]

so cute!!!

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl who has no interest in 3D love meets up with a girl from the future, Pure, who claims they are a couple in the future.

I am still in the mood for some good yuri/shoujo-ai, so I decided to give this one a chance, and while it was a bit weird (with the time travelling), it was also quite cute. Especially seeing Akira try out some things that she normally wouldn't be doing, but also her feelings are changing and she is becoming more open with people, and I am happy to see it happen, though I do wonder how that is supposed to go. What will happen if Akira falls in love with future Pure? Will she still be able to get her chance with Pure from her timeline? And I could probably have a few other questions/things to ponder about.

I did think it was pretty cute that Pure went back to the past because of Future Akira's wish of having Pure around during her high school period. I do wonder how Pure managed to do time travel. Though, given some things, I am even doubting she is really from the future (even though she does have a very mature Akira picture on her phone). Why do I doubt it? Because we find out that Akira's mom died, Akira's dad has left, yet Pure doesn't know anything about that. It seems weird that these two are getting married in the future, yet that they haven't shared that info together. Plus there are some other things that seem off to me.

At times Pure was a bit too annoying with how hard she pushed Akira. In the end things went fine, but I do wish Pure would be a bit sympathetic to how Akira feels.

I liked Akira, she may be a bit quiet and silent, but I love that she just plays otome games while walking to school/from school.

The art is pretty OK, I liked how the girls were drawn. Plus that time they went to the amusement park was really pretty.

All in all, I quite liked this one, but there are just so many questions I have that take away the full enjoyment. I may just wait until this one is fully done to just check how it ends.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Bentgaidin · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Strawberry Fields Once Again' is a cute manga about Akira Kouno, a high school girl who acquires a beautiful and clingy girlfriend out of nowhere, throwing a serious loop into her expected lonely life. Also, the girlfriend is a time-traveler from the future, which means I spent all the cute antics in a state of 'WTF is happening?', even more so than the protagonist appears to be. I maybe can't speak for the rest of you, but I know that high-school me would not have been together enough to deal with any of my adult relationships, let alone would twenty-four-year-old me want to date the seven-year-previous version of any of my S.O.'s - so what happened here?! Is the world ending, and making Akira less of a loner going to stop Skynet from rising up? Is the girlfriend escaping some tragic anime disease, since we find out in the bath scene that this is actually her younger body? Does the story even care, or is it just going to keep throwing out strange little bits of stuff? Who knows!? We're apparently going to stay firmly in Akira's viewpoint, where it's cute in a wish-fulfillment magically-devoted-girlfriend way, so I'll let you know once I see the next volume.

[Mercedez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately, Strawberry Fields Once Again Volume 1 is not necessarily groundbreaking, but honestly, I don’t think all manga need to “revolutionize” a genre. In fact, as a Yuri fan myself, I found Strawberry Fields Once Again Volume 1 to be a pretty cute, often charming entry to a romance with a nice little twist. Plus, sometimes, it’s nice to enjoy tropes of the genre without worry. I think that’s actually the appeal of this manga.

If you’re new to the genre, I think this is a solid entry point. In fact, I’d probably suggest this to readers looking for an easy way into modern Yuri titles. Additionally, fans Whisper Me a Love Song and even slow burn A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow will all find appeal in this new addition to the growing plethora of Yuri titles available in English.

Granted, this is a high school romance, so if you’re a bit tired of teenage romances, this might not have too much appeal. That being said, I think there’s something for every kind of Yuri fan in Strawberry Fields Once Again Volume 1. Give it a try, and see what you think!

Read My Full Review: butwhythopodcast.com/2021/03/15/revie...

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s cute overall. The artwork is nice but Pure seems like she’s gonna fall forward at any time, maybe that’s why she’s so clumsy? Pure trips so often I think it might be a side effect of time travel. A adult travels back in time to groom her teenage lover. This is kinda of creeping me out. It’s kind of odd if pure and Akira were engaged that pure didn’t know Akira’s family situation. The brother is fetishizing lesbians and his sister. In the glossary it explains what onishota is and I’m creeped out, it’s the first I’ve heard of it. I’ve heard of shota which is also creepy. There’s more lgbt manga coming out but there are creepy tropes making their way into them. The side Comix was funny but still had a character fetishizing the people in her life.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was super sweet :')

[Destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content Warning: Mentions of Parent Death, Hospitalization, Adultery, and Stalking.

Strawberry Fields Once Again is a cute manga about a girl named Akira who meets someone who claims to be their fiancée from the future. Her future fiancée attempts to pull her out of her shell and hopes to make them fall in love all over again, even if Akira just thinks she might be a stalker.

Completely adorable and I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a light, yuri manga.

[chrimby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Y'aaaaallll... this is basically a story about child grooming. A 24-year-old *WOMAN* travels back in time in a *SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD'S BODY* to essentially stalk a sophomore in high school who she falls in love with 7 years in the future... uhhh WHAT? This GROWN ADULT (yes in a 17-year-old body but like still???) is trying to force her love on a 15/16 year old. Not cute, gonna be a fat no from me!

[India♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute yuri read about a girl, Sakurasaka, who goes back into the past to go to high school with her fiancé, Akira. Although I have my suspicions on if Sakurasaka is actually telling the whole truth as to why she’s come to the past, I still enjoyed their interactions with eachother and I hope this doesn’t end in tragedy because it’s so wholesome and good!!😭

[Zian B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

More so 3.5 stars;
At first I didn’t like how strong Pure was coming onto Akira but then she started to calm down a bit which relieved me. I’m very curious about Akita’s brother and overall am eager to read the next volume.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would’ve been two stars but the short story comics in the back of the book had me laughing out loud. For that alone, +1 star. 😂

[Ekene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooooooooo cute. So stinking cute. This has potential to be a new favorite for me

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute, but so far strikes me as unremarkable. Will probably finish the series if only because it's so short, and I blew through this one in fifteen minutes.

[Moriah Venable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come....this was interesting and I look forward to the next volume.

[Cassandra Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say I truly loved it

[Star · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute