While searching for more YURI (by reading user reviews on Amazon.co.jp), I ran into this one.
OH MY GOD WHAT THE HECK ARE THESE CUTE CREATURES!!!!
Okay, okay, I need to calm down.
The title is literally, "Mysterous Story of Konohana Mansion." And mysterious it is, but not because the story is mysterious. It's the setting that's mysterious, and even then, most of that is due to the story just starting without much explanation.
It's a strange combination of classic Japanese style and modern fad, urr, ideas. I know maids are all the rage these days, but what about inns? Konohana Mansion is sort of an Inn, and an exclusive one at that. It serves select group of... creatures. Let's say, VIPs. Supposely, there are humans in this world, too. I'm not quite sure how it all works. Whatever. I'm not complaining about INCREDIBLY CUTE fox girl arts, ever. Oh, the place does remind me of the inn from Spirited Away... sort of.
There are five girls working there, Kiri (head attendant), Satsuki, Natsume, Ren, and Sakura. Yuzu (main character?) is the newcomer to the party. There appears to be certain level of established relationships among these girls, like Natsume <-> Ren. Yuzu quickly pairs up with Satsuki.
So, is it YURI? I suppose it is, sort of. As with a lot of things in Japanese subculture, YURI isn't that easy to define. Sure there are girls, and might I add incredibly cute ones, too, but their relationships are pure. In fact, it's purer than that of Akko and Mari in GIRL FRIENDS. At least so far, anyway, and I don't really see this series veering off into that... other side.
What's really neat is that this book contains more nudity than GIRL FRIENDS, yet it doesn't feel erotic at all! And the author is careful not to cross the different sets of lines, set for the girls in varying age groups. For example, I doubt we'll see full frontal nude art of Sakura (youngest, I think), except maybe in SD (Super Deformed), whereas we do see that for Satsuki (oldest or thereabouts).
You know what I need? I need an artbook for this series!
