Kuchibiru Tameiki Sakurairo
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese yuri manga
anthology
collection of seven one-shots by the manga author
Milk Morinaga
. The first five chapters were originally serialized in the now-defunct yuri manga magazine Yuri Shimai
between June 28, 2003 and November 17, 2004, published by Sun Magazine. When Yuri Shimai was discontinued, the last two chapters were serialized in the magazine's successor Comic Yuri Hime between July 18, 2005 and October 18, 2005, published by Ichijinsha
. The chapters were later collected into a single bound volume
which went on sale on January 18, 2006. The chapters are unrelated except for taking place at two affiliated all-girl schools, though characters reappear in several of the stories.
Chapters
's Import of the Month in October 2007 where it was praised for being "heart-meltingly cute—and not in the brainless moe-moe way, but because the feelings expressed are so honest." However it was noted that "it may be an emotionally moving work, but that doesn't stop it from often plunging into cheesy melodrama territory."
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese yuri manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
collection of seven one-shots by the manga author
Mangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
Milk Morinaga
Milk Morinaga
is a female Japanese yuri and pornographic manga artist born in Tokyo, Japan. Her works have been published in Yuri Shimai, Comic Yuri Hime, Comic Hot Milk, and other yuri and adult manga magazines. She made her professional debut as an illustrator for Cobalt Bunko, a shōjo novel imprint from...
. The first five chapters were originally serialized in the now-defunct yuri manga magazine Yuri Shimai
Yuri Shimai
was a manga anthology magazine published quarterly by Japanese publisher Sun Magazine. It was part of what still is a small niche market, with only a few manga magazines in Japan that specializes in the yuri genre. The magazine also contained one-shots and light novels. The anthology was...
between June 28, 2003 and November 17, 2004, published by Sun Magazine. When Yuri Shimai was discontinued, the last two chapters were serialized in the magazine's successor Comic Yuri Hime between July 18, 2005 and October 18, 2005, published by Ichijinsha
Ichijinsha
is a Japanese publishing company focused on manga-related publication, including magazines and books. The company was first established in August 1992 as a limited company under the name Studio DNA which main purpose was to edit shōnen manga. In January 1998, Studio DNA became a public company and...
. The chapters were later collected into a single bound volume
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
which went on sale on January 18, 2006. The chapters are unrelated except for taking place at two affiliated all-girl schools, though characters reappear in several of the stories.
Plot
The story revolves around the lives of various girls attending Sakurakai Girls High School and the ups and downs of their love lives. While each chapter is a stand alone story, characters from other chapters do appear throughout.Chapters
Characters
- Nana Kobayashi is a cheerful high school student who has known Hitomi Fujimori since grade school and have been friends for just as long. When it came time to graduate from junior high school, Hitomi coaxes Nana to take the entrance exam for Sakuraki high school due to the sailor-style uniformJapanese school uniformJapan introduced school uniforms in the late 19th century. Today, school uniforms are common in many of the Japanese public and private school systems. The Japanese word for this type of uniform is .-Usage:...
, but Hitomi did not make it into the same school. After their separation Nana was left thinking about her relationship with Hitomi. She is a main reoccurring character and is the focus of three chapters.
- Hitomi is Nana's best friend and the one who convinced her to take the entrance exam for Sakuraki high school, however Hitomi did not make it into the same school and attended Touhou high school instead. She is a main recurring character and is the focus of three chapters.
- Natsuka Katō is a ghost who still resides in the high school she attended before she transferred to another school and later died. She enjoys spending time in the school's infirmary because in life she had fallen in love with a girl named Komatsu who later became the school nurse of the high school she attended.
- Narumi Abe is a member of the drama club who plays the lead role of the princess in the school play, her upperclassman Tachiba plays opposite her as the prince in the tale.
- Chisato Suzuki has known Mizuki for years now, though does not know her well. In her first year of high school, Chisato tried to help Mizuki out, who had a hickey on her neck, by offering to cover it up with a bandage, though Mizuki did not want her help. Two years later in their third year, Chisato has been dreaming of Mizuki at night.
- Chiharu became friends with Eri in high school after being put into the same class and loves to eat the sweets she makes. Chiharu has been in love with Eri for years, but has never told her because she did not want to push her feelings on to her good friend.
- Eri is a flute player and was with the school band, but after she injured her left arm she could not play anymore, she started making sweets once she entered high school.
- Nosaka is a member of the literature club, and she writes short romance stories for the school's literary magazine.
- Michiru Endō started reading Nosaka's stories and over time ended up falling for her. She joined in the literature club, and one day confesses her love to Nosaka and asked her to go out with her.
Reception
Kuchibiru Tameiki Sakurairo was featured as Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
's Import of the Month in October 2007 where it was praised for being "heart-meltingly cute—and not in the brainless moe-moe way, but because the feelings expressed are so honest." However it was noted that "it may be an emotionally moving work, but that doesn't stop it from often plunging into cheesy melodrama territory."