Picked up a copy of Yuri Monogatari Vol.3 and Rica ‘tte Kanji!? in Apr 2005 when I dropped in on the Yuricon gang during the Yuri Revolution. Great bunch of people, with Evil Genius Erica Friedman at the fore, all of whom I deeply respect for taking action to plug gaps in the market rather than just waiting for the established companies to do so (and complaining plenty in the meantime). Thus I was pleased that my pre-ordered YM4 (sneak peeks) arrived so quickly and in perfect condition.
At 176 pages, this anthology contains a diverse variety of art styles and stories. Akiko Morishima’s “Ichigo Hime” and Agatha “Kriss” Laguniak’s “Bittersweet Melody” set their stories in the past. The first drips with cuteness in a pre-modern Japanese setting while playing on two familiar themes of incognito royalty and the heroine saving the damsel in distress. The second successfully evokes dark stormy nights and forests though the Victorian setting made me feel that the dialogue might have been enhanced by a dose of Charlotte Brontë styling.