In the third volume of miman’s Yuri Is My Job! manga, the Blume selection process begins. Whilst Hime does have a role to play in this volume, it is her friend Kanoko who stands in the spotlight this time around.
This volume of Yuri Is My Job! contains Shifts twelve through to sixteen, as well as Shift sixteen point five. In this case, a Shift is one chapter.
Front cover of the third volume of Yuri Is My Job!, featuring Kanoko Mamiya & Hime Shiraki
REALITY CHECK
Liebe Girls Academy is gearing up for their annual Blume competition, where one girl will be elected as the model student who exemplifies the school’s ideals. However, while the café buzzes with excitement, Kanoko slowly recedes into herself, unable to reconcile her deep longing for Hime with the pain of feeling left behind by her. Knowing how difficult mixing work and romance can be, a rambunctious upperclassman named Sumika reaches out to the troubled girl. The reaction Sumika gets, though, poses more problems than solutions.
Kanoko is very much the star of this volume of Yuri Is My Job!, though perhaps not for the the most positive of reasons. It has been made clear that Kanoko has very strong feelings for Hime, and that is something that Sumika ends up discovering.
Kanoko’s first meeting with Hime is also shown in Shift 16.5, covering the events that led up to Kanoko developing feelings for Hime.
This volume also gives a little insight into Sumika’s past, as she believes that Kanoko’s attraction to Hime threatens the tranquility that the café has built up. It seems that she has had a negative experience involving romance in the café, but that’s about all we are shown for the time being.
There seems to be something developing between Sumika and Kanoko in this volume as well. Nothing major at the moment, but there is certainly the beginnings of something there.
It’s also been a little while, but we get to see gyaru again in this volume; how she actually is outside of the café. That comes as something of a shock to Kanoko, who had only ever seen Sumika in the café.
Kanoko and Sumika may be the main focus in this volume, but Hime and Mitsuki have their roles to play as well. The Blume selection process gets started, and each member of staff has to decide who to pledge their vote for. This brings out some rather interesting alliances amongst the staff of café, particularly after the reveal of the midterm results.
The third volume of Yuri Is My Job! is a good one. Hime and Mitsuki take a backseat for the time being, as the Blume selection process provides an opportunity to put a greater focus on Kanoko and Sumika.
That means that Kanoko’s romantic feelings for Hime can be explored, whilst Sumika sees something that has happened in the past and works to put a halt to history repeating. Of course, things may not be so simple.
Three volumes in, and I can happily say that Yuri Is My Job! is an enjoyable manga, and well worth a look if you enjoy the yuri genre.
Rory Muses 