Isn't the school setting for yuri a cultural thing? I remember I read somewhere that shoujo ai is normally accepted as part of the girl's adolescence, experimenting with their love, feelings, and deep friendship bonds. But it's expected that a girl eventually grows up and comes to terms with her sexuality. So a relationship between two girls at higher age becomes inappropriate and deviant, hence the taboo. So if the author wants the series to be animated, i.e. go toward the mainstream direction, it must involve adolescent girls. And this is where the school setting comes into play most of the time's. It's very unfortunate that character's age affects the target audience for the story, but that is how it works in the end. So unless there's a major cultural shift in Japan about homosexuality, I'm afraid we are stuck with the school setting.

What I however do find annoying is that so many stories are so relationship-driven, putting too much focus on it. I really would like to read more manga where a bond is formed between the main characters but is not directly relevant to the plot. Take the latest monogatari, which is focused on Kanbaru, for example. Her sexuality is certainly part of the story, but the story itself is focused on different matters. Or take Utena, where yuri is cannon, but again not really the point of the drama.

As for relationship-oriented stories, Stretch certainly is a breathe of fresh air. The setting is not school, and the yuri is though heavily implied not really a cannon, yet. What I like the most about it is that the characters are on the verge of accepting themselves of who they really are. It's extremely realistic in portraying how two girls are discovering a deep bond between them. It is a story where a hug means more than a kiss. To me, once they confess to each other, once they reach the sexual relationship stage, the beauty of the story dies, because there's no more accepting yourself as gay drama in it. Yes, they might break up, go het, make up again etc, but to me that would be another story. Although I have to admit it would probably be still a better story than many others simply because the author is so good. I'm impressed with every chapter, how many details he puts on every page, leaving hints small details here and there - so much subtext for a careful reader. And of course the realism is simply unbeatable. All these factors together really make me empathise with the story and its characters.
And the stretches of course, stretches are awesome, hehe

School setting is a universal thing not just for yuris, i'm not against the setting but when the setting is used just for an excuse to re-hash overused tropes and plot devices that's when i get mad, which made me really hate some popular authors around here that i shall not name because this new Ziltoid album is awesome and put me in the mood for some coffee

"I'm with someone who's very important to me."
"And I'd love to greet New Year here with that person."
She's totally talking about Keiko!!! I know I took the bait before but in the case of "Someone who's very important to me", I would love to take another bait!

Isn't the school setting for yuri a cultural thing? I remember I read somewhere that shoujo ai is normally accepted as part of the girl's adolescence, experimenting with their love, feelings, and deep friendship bonds. But it's expected that a girl eventually grows up and comes to terms with her sexuality. So a relationship between two girls at higher age becomes inappropriate and deviant, hence the taboo. So if the author wants the series to be animated, i.e. go toward the mainstream direction, it must involve adolescent girls

And this right here is why i am very dissapointed with my birthplace at times

monogatari, which is focused on Kanbaru, for example. Her sexuality is certainly part of the story, but the story itself is focused on different matters.

Wait monogatari? that uber sexualized series that is infamous for having that toothbrushing scene, that has a lesbian in it and the show treats her with respect? whaaaaa-

go het

NO. for a majority of reasons NO.

What I however do find annoying is that so many stories are so relationship-driven, putting too much focus on it. I really would like to read more manga where a bond is formed between the main characters but is not directly relevant to the plot.

takachi, your view is from the perspective of a straight person (male or female), correct? [fyi, I ask this because I believe it plays a role in you POV/perspective, but by no means is it meant to imply anything negative on either your part or mine]

so if you're looking for a bond where friendship or even something more akin to family is the emphasis, then you're not really interested in the Yuri factor? at best, what you are suggesting is borderline cannon/subtext, and if you stretch the subtleness a bit more, it could even be considered fan service. if that is the case, then why not read more SoL themed stories? because, and I mean no disrespect towards you nor am I trying to diminish your point, but what you are hoping for is not Yuri by the nature that you are wanting something that either ignores or does not emphasis that very point. it's sort of like saying... OK, so character A is left-handed. it's just a small detail in the story, but you see, the story is really about how characters A and B learned to work together as a team and formed are special bond despite character A's left-handedness.

now I might be missing the point you're trying to make, but what you are implying really isn't Yuri at that point, and yes I realize that I am associating Yuri with romantic relationships because that for the most part is how Yuri has always been portrayed. but this is just my humble opinion. by all means if I am wrong, please correct me and help me understand your point.

As for relationship-oriented stories, Stretch certainly is a breathe of fresh air. The setting is not school, and the yuri is though heavily implied not really a cannon, yet. What I like the most about it is that the characters are on the verge of accepting themselves of who they really are. It's extremely realistic in portraying how two girls are discovering a deep bond between them. It is a story where a hug means more than a kiss.

adult-themed SoL. always a nice idea. wouldn't mind reading more stories like that especially Yuri/lesbian focused. :-)

To me, once they confess to each other, once they reach the sexual relationship stage, the beauty of the story dies, because there's no more accepting yourself as gay drama in it. Yes, they might break up, go het, make up again etc, but to me that would be another story.

you remind me of someone who likes a puzzle for the sake of the challenge, and once you solve the puzzle, you lose all interest in it. lemme phrase it this way, it sounds like you like theoretical romance (my words here), which includes everything up to, but not including the actual romance. and that's cool. just seems like a waste since a lot of people want the romance which includes the mental and the physical.

And the stretches of course, stretches are awesome, hehe

only reason why I read this in the first place. j/k. ;-)

last edited at Oct 19, 2014 9:00PM

adult-themed SoL. always a nice idea. wouldn't mind reading more stories like that especially Yuri/lesbian focused. :-)

Amd lo, there was YKK. And there was much rejoicing.

yay.

Hello ciega,
First of all, please don't worry, you didn't hurt me in anyway, but rather I'm happy to answer your questions and I hope I won't accidentally hurt you or anyone else in the process too :)

takachi, your view is from the perspective of a straight person (male or female), correct?

My viewpoint is that of a left-handed girl, if it helps, lol. Or rather, my viewpoint is dramatically tired of cliche tropes which yuri has put onto its readers as a genre. I understand there's a huge lack of gay relationships in stories outside yuri, so the existence of the genre has by far been inevitable. What I would however prefer to see instead is that yuri wouldn't limit itself into a special genre, but rather become yet another kind of relationship in your everyday genres.

Ah, it's really difficult to express my point, I'm afraid. You see, I have nothing against characters A and B forming a special bond despite character A's left-handedness. I mean go for it! But before you do, why not go further than that? The story could be way deeper. Let's take any strong shoujo. I don't know, say, Bokura ga Ita or Skip Beat. Wouldn't it be awesome to read a story like that with two girls? I understand that one goes through a particular set of yuri-related hardships such as accepting your sexuality, coming out, unrequited love, etc. But there's so much more to add to this list from a real world. There are many hardships that gay people have to fight not because they're gay, but because they're people. And I find it annoying that practically each and every story deals with gay hardships but ignores the rest as if they don't exist. I think they do, and I think they should be part of the story, because they also play important roles in character development.
I really don't like it when half (if not all) characters turn out to be gay just because this is a yuri manga. Or how male characters are completely non-existent. Just how realistic it that? I don't understand the rage when a chapter gets a Het tag either. It's life! People go and try out things because they are people. Or because of the circumstances they are in, or because of the personalities they have. And that's one of the reasons why I enjoy Stretch so much. It has so much more than plain yuri - fear of earthquakes, death of close relatives, issues with parents, etc. This is what makes it shine, while yuri is just a cherry on top.

now I might be missing the point you're trying to make, but what you are implying really isn't Yuri at that point, and yes I realize that I am associating Yuri with romantic relationships because that for the most part is how Yuri has always been portrayed. but this is just my humble opinion. by all means if I am wrong, please correct me and help me understand your point.

I think that you're correct, and this is why I'm patiently waiting for a good story writer to finally deconstruct yuri and give the genre a birth in a new light. :)

adult-themed SoL. always a nice idea. wouldn't mind reading more stories like that especially Yuri/lesbian focused. :-)

couldn't agree more :)

you remind me of someone who likes a puzzle for the sake of the challenge, and once you solve the puzzle, you lose all interest in it.

yes, because that's what the puzzles are for ;) don't mean I don't like the process of solving the puzzle, but once it's solved, there's nothing new you can learn out of it, and repeating the process soon becomes a boring routine. Unless one goes creative and makes something new out of it. Don't mind either thing actually :)

lemme phrase it this way, it sounds like you like theoretical romance (my words here), which includes everything up to, but not including the actual romance. and that's cool. just seems like a waste since a lot of people want the romance which includes the mental and the physical.

no-no, don't get me wrong! I wouldn't generalise here. I prefer to keep Stretch the way it is now till the end simply because this is what characterizes this particular story. The world of Stretch is that in which the two girls are very close and intimate but it still remains subtext. At least that's how I've perceived it up till now. And the author really tries hard to develop the relationship without breaking the set of rules he himself set, without destroying this world.

Of course, I really want to see them hug, and kiss, and have sex, but I'd rather read this at the end of the series, or even as a special. And as I said earlier I don't mind it going further than that as long as it stays as realistic as it is right now, although I'd then prefer it to be called Stretch 2, because to me, story-wise, that would be a new universe, with a new set of rules, where yuri is no longer averted with subtext. This is really for the sake of consistency and good story-telling, nothing else.

Wait monogatari? that uber sexualized series that is infamous for having that toothbrushing scene, that has a lesbian in it and the show treats her with respect? whaaaaa-

Yea, that toothbrush scene was really something... o_o

Kanbaru is one of the few characters that doesn't get much of that treatment... (At least during season 1 cuz thats the only I've seen)

Of course, I really want to see them hug, and kiss, and have sex, but I'd rather read this at the end of the series, or even as a special. And as I said earlier I don't mind it going further than that as long as it stays as realistic as it is right now, although I'd then prefer it to be called Stretch 2, because to me, story-wise, that would be a new universe, with a new set of rules, where yuri is no longer averted with subtext. This is really for the sake of consistency and good story-telling, nothing else.

Good writing can make this possible to deliver, I rarely ever see it happen tho... It usually flows out like what is going on with Riko & Haru & Irukawa Hot Springs where the yuri suddenly kicks in roughly paced making it feel like a completely different manga.

I kinda get what you mean - not many stories where romance is developing slowly among other things actually happening, especially yuri.

On one side, we have stuff like Kanamemo or Miss Sunflower - pretty nice slow relationship pace with a lot of non-related things around, which is nice. But then again, would be good to see more stuff like that but without schoolgirls. And it's unclear if they'll ever actually get together.
On other side, Octave comes to mind too, which has quite a lot of stuff going on - though it still is relationship-heavy, a lot of problems they face come from being two different people, not from being same gender. But then, not enough non-relationship stuff.
Then, YKK is awesome, but we don't actually see much romantic interaction between Alpha and Kokone.

So, basically, we need to mix Octave with Kanamemo and YKK...and probably add a spoon of Working or Bonnouji to the mix. And maybe top it with Biscuit Hammer in case you like having plot.

Kanbaru is one of the few characters that doesn't get much of that treatment... (At least during season 1 cuz thats the only I've seen)

she does get full attention in hanamonogatari - basically the whole story evolves around her.

Good writing can make this possible to deliver, I rarely ever see it happen tho...

I want to believe :) I mean it really could work out if the story goes about the reactions of their families, other relatives, friends, co-workers. All the hardships. All the drama. Yes this certainly could work. But yes, it would require a talent to make it work maintaining the realism and having enough stretch exercises to draw, lol Let's hope Akili does have such a talent!

I kinda get what you mean - not many stories where romance is developing slowly among other things actually happening, especially yuri.

I think that a lot of yuri manga is still too doujinshi-like and doesn't even try to be a longer series. Unlike (prays) Stretch. I'm so in for another 50 chapters of teasing... and then, say, another 50-100 chapters of deeper relationship.

So, basically, we need to mix Octave with Kanamemo and YKK...and probably add a spoon of Working or Bonnouji to the mix. And maybe top it with Biscuit Hammer in case you like having plot.

sounds like a plan, haha! But really, this kind of balance would be so great...

heh, school had to come first. but...

I hope I won't accidentally hurt you or anyone else in the process too :)

lol, nope. I've got seriously thick skin, and as I've gotten older, I've just learned not to give a f*ck. ;-)

My viewpoint is that of a left-handed girl, if it helps, lol. Or rather, my viewpoint is dramatically tired of cliche tropes which yuri has put onto its readers as a genre. I understand there's a huge lack of gay relationships in stories outside yuri, so the existence of the genre has by far been inevitable. What I would however prefer to see instead is that yuri wouldn't limit itself into a special genre, but rather become yet another kind of relationship in your everyday genres.

from one lefty chick to another, I too wish Yuri were not a niche genre, but let's admit it, it is what it is. that said, we have to measure where it has come from and realize that as much as we'd like this to be treated like any other genre, it has not. the only way that will happen is when mangaka start writing their stories as such and when editors start including more of them into their publications. once it reaches parity, then and only then will it not matter. gay, straight, whatever. ya know what I mean?

Ah, it's really difficult to express my point, I'm afraid. You see, I have nothing against characters A and B forming a special bond despite character A's left-handedness. I mean go for it! But before you do, why not go further than that? The story could be way deeper. Let's take any strong shoujo. I don't know, say, Bokura ga Ita or Skip Beat. Wouldn't it be awesome to read a story like that with two girls? I understand that one goes through a particular set of yuri-related hardships such as accepting your sexuality, coming out, unrequited love, etc. But there's so much more to add to this list from a real world. There are many hardships that gay people have to fight not because they're gay, but because they're people. And I find it annoying that practically each and every story deals with gay hardships but ignores the rest as if they don't exist. I think they do, and I think they should be part of the story, because they also play important roles in character development.

all good points, but I reiterate, let's remember where we have come from. for example, older stories (e.g. late 70's, early 80's) dealt with depressing subject matters or stereotyped gay and lesbian characters with horrible character defects. now truthfully, in some cases, gay and lesbian characters are still stereotyped as comical, villainous, or deeply disturbed, but little by little it has changed. the best way to change this is by mangaka to write more stories as you have describe, and I think that will happen because gays and lesbians are more visible and are slowly (and it really is slow) being accepted into mainstream media and everyday society for that matter. as that happens, more Green Lanterns who happen to be gay, more sy-fly or fantasy like Orphan Black, more.

I really don't like it when half (if not all) characters turn out to be gay just because this is a yuri manga. Or how male characters are completely non-existent. Just how realistic it that?

ummm..... I don't know about this one. I have my "girl" friends with the one token straight guy and he's dropped off the face of the Earth, and then I have my "boy" friends where I am the token lesbian. sometimes it kinda is a "girl's-only" event...

I think that you're correct, and this is why I'm patiently waiting for a good story writer to finally deconstruct yuri and give the genre a birth in a new light. :)

now I could not agree more :-)

Unless one goes creative and makes something new out of it.

I'm puzzle geek. I always look at things from different angles to find solutions. kinda like I treat life.

FWIW, I agree with many of your points; however, I wouldn't want to see Yuri as a genre being tossed for the sake of universal acceptance. there has to be a place for it until it gains universal acceptance and has it's "come to Jesus" moment to borrow the saying. also, I think we as readers and consumers of manga especially Yuri should be demanding more from the mangaka. otherwise, a renaissance in yuri will not occur.

Thank you takachi for a very enlightening discussion.

To all: I do apologies. totally did not mean to turn this into an informal chit-chat and I'll end my discussion here.

last edited at Oct 21, 2014 2:11AM

You guys do take the discussion to a whole new level but I don't mind at all as long as you keep on topic ... even if indirectly, I just can't keep up bcoz I normally speak spanish.

I think, due to the fact that gay neighborhoods are still very much ghettoized and still very much infrequent, you do find a huge gap in socialization. It really isnt all that odd for queer people to associate/be friends with other queer people almost exclusively. I don't find stories lacking in male characters unrealistic at all. As a matter of fact, I find it refreshing. Men are the focal point of story telling in nearly every genre world wide. I am pretty thankful, as a queer woman, for yuri and gl. And stretch! I think part of what makes stretch so good is how intimate it feels, and I think part of that intimacy comes from focusing on their everyday relationship (sans rando men). <3

last edited at Oct 21, 2014 9:51AM

Don't apologise, ciega! It's a very interesting and I think relevant topic, so thanks a lot for bringing it up! (If anybody wants to stop clogging up this thread, can we transfer to another instead of halting the discussion?)

Isn't the school setting for yuri a cultural thing? I remember I read somewhere that shoujo ai is normally accepted as part of the girl's adolescence, experimenting with their love, feelings, and deep friendship bonds. But it's expected that a girl eventually grows up and comes to terms with her sexuality.

Many have commented on this already, but there's too much of depicting yuri as Class S, "testing the waters" in a relationship that "doesn't count" because it's not with a man, and this issue is even worse when it comes to girls' schools, because then there is often the sense that one side is supposed to be a male substitute. One particular exception I can remember off the top of my head is "Hanjuku Joshi", where the senpai actually accuses the protagonists' relationship being of that nature because they're not in a co-ed school, so that was more refreshing. And as spacepowers mentioned, Takemiya Jin is able to sidestep this problem by depicting characters who are definitely gay rather than experimenting or seeking a male replacement, which is much appreciated.

Workplace can be another improvement...

Heartily agreed! I cheer every time I see a yuri work with the OL tag... Which is not all that common.

...if the author wants the series to be animated, i.e. go toward the mainstream direction, it must involve adolescent girls. [...] So unless there's a major cultural shift in Japan about homosexuality, I'm afraid we are stuck with the school setting.

And therein lies my argument against the ending of yuri-exclusive publications such as Yuri-hime. If it runs in a magazine aimed at a more mainstream audience, then such 'deviancy' - already not entirely condoned by the audience for yuri - will be seen as even more distasteful and is unlikely to gain realistic and respectful representation. And regards Kanbaru, I heard that although she's apparently a lesbian, she still gets attention from Araragi and shows attraction to him, and that her "lesbianism" is really just intended as a male turn-on? I don't read or watch the Monogatari series so I don't know, but I was under the impression that Kanbaru was decidedly not a properly-treated queer character.

What I would however prefer to see instead is that yuri wouldn't limit itself into a special genre, but rather become yet another kind of relationship in your everyday genres. [...] ...why not go further than that? The story could be way deeper. [...] There are many hardships that gay people have to fight not because they're gay, but because they're people. And I find it annoying that practically each and every story deals with gay hardships but ignores the rest as if they don't exist.

While I certainly understand where you're coming from - it's boring to see the same old cliches of gayngst and unrequited love etc. being recycled over and over again without anything new added to the mix - I'd also like to point out a few things.
1. You might have noticed that there aren't that many yuri works which have become a long series; an overwhelming amount are one-shots or end within two volumes. There isn't much space to work with; showing a character's growing understanding and acceptance of their sexuality (which, I must admit, is rarely dealt with in a proper fashion - it's usually a case of "well I like this person and she's a girl") can easily take up all the narrative, let alone adding other problems. And LGBT-specific tropes can become tiresome, to be sure, but to exclude them in favour of focusing on other issues is usually unrealistic as well, especially if you're taking it from the growing-up angle. It wouldn't be so much of an issue if both sides were already assured of their sexuality, in which case they could just get on with their business, but that's not often the case.
2. Variety is important, but to do so at the expense of depicting stories that focus on characters' sexuality and relationships has the potential danger of relegating the LGBT elements to a side-show. When I was exploring my own sexuality a few years ago - I'm a lesbian as well - the fact that there was a whole genre focused on the romantic/relationship aspect of arguably queer females really helped a lot - here was a ton of stories where I could relate to the characters and their problems. I wouldn't want to restrict others from having the same help I did.
3. You actually mentioned this yourself, but Japan's stance of homosexuality isn't changing any time soon, and as ciega said, this is all about parity. At this point, I'd prioritise series focused on (adult) LGBT characters and their relationships over other genres featuring incidental LGBT elements. Only when the yuri industry has expanded properly would I turn my sights on other genres. That's not to say I wouldn't welcome them at all - obviously it's possible to have more SoL with a little yuri while having the same influx of good old romantic yuri - it's just that it's not one of my main focus right now. Not that I can do anything about it except buy manga to support the artists, really. :P

1. Good, deep series are difficult to find in all genres, and yuri is no exception. We've already got a couple of gems - Utena and Noir (debatable according to some) - and I'm grateful for that.

I'm patiently waiting for a good story writer to finally deconstruct yuri and give the genre a birth in a new light. :)

I'm hoping that Yuri Kuma Arashi will be able to do something of the sort! LGBT issues in manga/anime tend to revolve around an internal struggle about characters accepting their own - often one-target, frustratingly enough - sexuality but not so often about external struggles, which is saddening because homophobia is still a very real and relevant issue in conservative Japan. I'm excited to see if it'll be able to tackle those issues and so draw more attention to the importance of not only gay people accepting themselves, but also of society accepting gay people.

Finally, back on topic: I'm not hoping Stretch will turn into a full blown yuri romantic drama, but rather that Ran will come out as a bona-fide lesbian after all the hints dropped about her sexuality, and that she and Keiko will eventually move into a romantic relationship - but not one terribly different from the current one - perhaps excepting occasional instances of intimacy that go beyond friendship. But honestly, right now, I'm less excited about the yuri than about Ran potentially being a lesbian. It's thrilling to see a character whose sexuality is not disclosed at first be depicted in such a way to bring it into question, and to see that being treated in a positive and respectful manner (though of course we have no solid proof).

...Sorry for such a long post.

Many have commented on this already, but there's too much of depicting yuri as Class S, "testing the waters" in a relationship that "doesn't count" because it's not with a man, and this issue is even worse when it comes to girls' schools, because then there is often the sense that one side is supposed to be a male substitute. One particular exception I can remember off the top of my head is "Hanjuku Joshi", where the senpai actually accuses the protagonists' relationship being of that nature because they're not in a co-ed school, so that was more refreshing. And as spacepowers mentioned, Takemiya Jin is able to sidestep this problem by depicting characters who are definitely gay rather than experimenting or seeking a male replacement, which is much appreciated.

One reason I have such high respect for Takemiya Jin (aside from the appealing art, writing and plotting) is because of this scene:

http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/fragments_of_love_ch03#13

You have no idea how sick I am of the "gender doesn't matter as long as you're in love" approach, and how amazing it is to see an author boldly stand there and say "Hell YES, it matters!"

I'm always looking for characters in yuri who actually seem to be appreciating their partner as a woman, and not just for some apparently "genderless" qualities and going ahead despite being of the same sex. Hanjuku Joshi, which you mention, definitely does that in spades with the "this is not the body I want" scene, and one thing I like about a lot of ShizNat doujins is how Shizuru is played as a very straighforward lesbian character. For me at least it's much more satisfying.

Workplace can be another improvement...

Heartily agreed! I cheer every time I see a yuri work with the OL tag... Which is not all that common.

Same. Although it's a pity that Japan is so regressive towards women in the workplace and relegates most of them to the OL role.

And therein lies my argument against the ending of yuri-exclusive publications such as Yuri-hime. If it runs in a magazine aimed at a more mainstream audience, then such 'deviancy' - already not entirely condoned by the audience for yuri - will be seen as even more distasteful and is unlikely to gain realistic and respectful representation. And regards Kanbaru, I heard that although she's apparently a lesbian, she still gets attention from Araragi and shows attraction to him, and that her "lesbianism" is really just intended as a male turn-on? I don't read or watch the Monogatari series so I don't know, but I was under the impression that Kanbaru was decidedly not a properly-treated queer character.

No, Kanbaru is totally gay what they do with Araragi is clearly just a play, Kanbaru try to embarrass Araragi and nothing else.
Araragi has a strong relationship with all the female characters of the monogatari series, only one is romantic, some goes really near the romance but Kanbaru is clearly the close friend with whom he can go very far in his ecchi discussion.
I think you can see that very well in hanamonogatari (in which we see her attracted to another girl than Sejougahara)

I don't know what people have against this serie... Appart maybe from the way Araragi treat his sisters (and the toothbrush scene) I don't see what they find soooo..... inappropriate. On the contrary, I find it really well introduced for the very suggestive content, it make it seems almost soft x)

Edit :
Furthermore, all the women are really strong willed and treated with respect, it's not a harem manga in which all the girls fall who know why for the useless dumbass perv hero. I have already a hard time to accept the harem tag that some put in this series...

last edited at Oct 21, 2014 2:24PM

i mysefl really realy love the realism ideas,i think if we like to have more "realism" stuff we can put our requirement on "suggest for improvement" to know more authors like Shou and suggest them to write more

Furthermore, all the women are really strong willed and treated with respect, it's not a harem manga in which all the girls fall who know why for the useless dumbass perv hero. I have already a hard time to accept the harem tag that some put in this series...

It is a harem though. Just because the series deviates from super dense MC-kun doesn't mean that it's not a harem. Rarararagi is surrounded by girls and at least 3 are romantically interested in him.

You have no idea how sick I am of the "gender doesn't matter as long as you're in love" approach, and how amazing it is to see an author boldly stand there and say "Hell YES, it matters!"

I'm always looking for characters in yuri who actually seem to be appreciating their partner as a woman, and not just for some apparently "genderless" qualities and going ahead despite being of the same sex.

Yeah! It's really frustrating to see that sort of thing because it ignores certain forms of sexuality. Gay people are attracted to others of the same sex because they're of the same sex, and conversely for straight people. And while I suppose some bi people might have the same view - that they are attracted only to the soul, and thus the body is irrelevant - there are many others who are just attracted to both men and women because they find them physically attractive as well. I think there's another good, if comedic, example in Strawberry Shake Sweet where the manager asks the hairdresser about her sexuality, and she starts talking all lofty about how it's the inside that matters, but winds up saying that she's attracted to girls because they're girls. I can't remember which chapter, unfortunately.

Workplace can be another improvement...

Heartily agreed! I cheer every time I see a yuri work with the OL tag... Which is not all that common.

Same. Although it's a pity that Japan is so regressive towards women in the workplace and relegates most of them to the OL role.

And sorry, yeah, "adult life" or "office" tags are good, yes. I don't support the way most Japanese females are stuck as OLs - I suppose Ebisu-san and Hotei-san is pretty good in how one of the main characters is shown to be an extremely capable and competent worker far above the level of menial tasks.

all the women are really strong willed and treated with respect

I'm sorry, I didn't know much about it, but I am glad to hear that.

Ahh, I can't wait for the next chapter to come out!

Someone has noticed ?, chapter 27 was renamed 27A, ie, the following will be the 27B, not 28, then will that Shou will be preparing something important? and I thought it was only going to be a single party, but the fact that divide this chapter as it did in chapter 22, it is because there is something important behind him.

Another thing I've noticed is that stretch over the last few weeks has kept the title of the best voted series Yawaspi, ie, the series is still very popular not only in this thread of discussion, but also in the page where it is published.

A picture says more than thousand words:

This same behavior I've seen since I started my observation and the differences in scores between the first and second have been even higher than now. Hopefully Stretch can still maintain that leadership in this way for a while.

Is that a lion in a suit?

Another thing I've noticed is that stretch over the last few weeks has kept the title of the best voted series Yawaspi, ie, the series is still very popular not only in this thread of discussion, but also in the page where it is published.

Quite glad to know that Stretch is getting well deserved attention.

Is that a lion in a suit?

It Really Really Really Is a Lion! Great manga.

Someone has noticed ?, chapter 27 was renamed 27A, ie, the following will be the 27B, not 28, then will that Shou will be preparing something important? and I thought it was only going to be a single party, but the fact that divide this chapter as it did in chapter 22, it is because there is something important behind him.

Oh, nice catch! Here's hoping it doesn't share a particular something else in common with chapter 22.

Is that a lion in a suit?

It Really Really Really Is a Lion! Great manga.

I... I can't... I don't...

I... love it...

http://yawaspi.com/stretch/comic/029_001.html

new stretch chapter