Yuri Espoir, Volume 4

Yuri Espoir Manga #4

by Mai Naoi

After finding out she is to be forced into an marriage of convenience as soon as she graduates high school, Kokoro sees her life ending before her eyes at her father's wishes. And so in her final year of high school, she decides to indulge in her love of other women, and create an incredible sketchbook of lesbian romance to leave behind as her legacy. As she observes the young women of her town, she learns more about their desires, their struggles, and the unpredictable whims of love.

Genres: Manga, LGBT, Graphic Novels Manga, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult, Yuri

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2022

Reviews

[lauraღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living up to her name, she was like a flower that bloomed in the desert of my heart.

Ugh, my heart. Kokoro is my daughter, and I want nothing more than to protect her. :( I'm glad that the manga isn't going to remain lighthearted all the time, because her situation is truly an awful and stressful one. And it would feel disingenuous for the manga to remain comedic and light all the time. Though I mean, there were lots of little sweet moments, and I loved that. But the hard-hitting stuff hit hard. The bit where she breaks down in the bathroom and Amami finds her was so good. :( Really wrenched at my heart. Also the sidestory that dealt with suicide went so hard? In a way I liked, but also didn't like? It's not that I don't want the manga to tackle tough issues, because I do, but I'm just not sure about this portrayal of mental illness, and the way it ended. And the fact that Miko, whose own mother tried to get her to assist in her suicide, was the one to find her? That felt awful.

We finally saw Souya's face, which probably was supposed to be significant, but I didn't care. I don't remember if we've heard the Enishida name before. Good guy or not, I'm still finding it hard to care about him. I loved meeting Mitsuru's little polycule of a family. That was so cute.

I thought the manga ended here, but apparently not! I'm glad that there'll be more coming, even though it looks like things are going to get stressful for my girls. :( I'll be waiting patiently. 

Content warnings: emetophobia, depression, suicide

[Opal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this is the volume I actually *like* Mitsuru. A lot of what I initially didn't like about her personality is explained when we get to see her family. She really is the MVP of this volume with respect to Kokoro's situation.

Also, if Volume 3 didn't already tip you off, this series is getting dark. Kokoro is starting to crumble under the reality of her situation, and we get to see more about Mr. Asahina and his various unresolved traumas. Volume 4 continues this but pulls back a bit more (no on-screen vomiting, if that's a trigger for you). However, the "true version" of one of Kokoro's yuri daydreams is the darkest story yet, like surprisingly dark. To be fair, this is exactly the kind of dark, twisted story that I absolutely ADORE in horror, so I was shocked and delighted to read it, although the fact that such a story can now be found in Yuri Espoir means that the author is not afraid to have a dark ending for poor Kokoro.

Can't wait to read the next volume!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: suicide, homophobia, disordered eating

Kokoro's panic attack in the cafe bathroom is raw and relatable - she's reached the point where she just can't anymore, and the mask she's been wearing for her father's sake is slowly but surely breaking. The sight of her trying desperately to throw up because it's the only thing that seems like it might help is hard to take. That's what makes it so important that she meets her friend's family, which consists of her two moms and her two dads; she sees that there's nothing wrong with being queer, and that some people have found ways to work around social expectations. I desperately want this to have a happy ending, but it may very well get even darker before we get there.

[dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one has me feeling a lot

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I’m an idiot. I thought this volume was going to be the last one but this series is still ongoing. And I’m so glad that it is because it is really damn good. The darkness really ramps up in this one with a very dark and fucked up chapter that left me shocked in a good way. I love that this mangaka is taking huge risks with this series and while I can’t imagine where things are going I just know that I’m in for the ride. I love it.

[mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was wild.... The one chapter with the trigger warnings..... Hello?

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but rough.

[( ◕‿‿◕ ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

waiting for vol 5 :3

[L. Luck · Rating 4 out of 5]

*warnings for suicide, death, murder, cheating, bulimia

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of characters introduced and only used once, so it felt a bit overwhelming. I liked the main romance as well as a few of the side romances.