Chiri Yuino’s Scarlet is a dark fantasy yuri manga that was originally serialised in Comic Yuri Hime starting with its November 2018 issue. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga for an English release.
Scarlet gives us a mix of horror and fairy tales, as the story focuses on a werewolf and a vampire, and the intimate relationship the two ladies share with each other. This first volume contains chapters one through to five.
Front cover of the first volume of Scarlet, featuring Iris Redhood and Finé Hera
A yuri fairy tale… or a yuri horror story?
Finé would do anything for her friend, Iris Redhood, even take the illegal magical drug Elixir and become a bloodthirsty monster. Iris would do anything for Finé, including letting Finé drink her blood, the only thing that can calm Finé down when the cravings get too much. But Iris’s devotion comes at a price: she’s actually a werewolf, and has plans to devour Finé whole!
The central thread of the story in Scarlet is the drug known as Elixir. Finé works for an organisation known as the L.E.A, who tackle crimes related to the distribution and use of Elixir.
Finé knows firsthand the devastating effect that Elixir can have. After all, it was her decision to take it that entwined her fate with that of the werewolf Iris Redhood.
Iris makes it plainly clear that her ultimate desire is to consume Finé, and that is something that Finé accepts. However, that is only after Finé goes back to being a normal human; before that, Iris freely offers her blood to ensure that Finé doesn’t go off the deep end. The two share an intimate bond.
Things get really quite bloody in this manga, and not just because of Iris allowing Finé to drink her blood. Sometimes, it is necessary to fight those who have used Elixir, and it turns humans into literal monsters.
Things also happen to be on the ecchi side. Of course, Finé drinking Iris’s blood is played up in an erotic way, but then you also have the appearance of an all female harem, with women in various states of undress.
It should be pretty obvious that Scarlet won’t be to be everyone’s tastes, particularly those who prefer their manga to be a little more on the conservative side. This manga is definitely on the sexy side when it comes down to it.
It does have a dark tone, but there are some more light-hearted moments scattered here and there. There’s one particular scene involving gambling that shows Iris has a fun side (though Finé does have to stop her from taking the gambling too far).
One of the supervisors at the L.E.A. also has a crush on Finé, but I suspect that won’t go anywhere – especially with Iris involved.
Scarlet is an intriguing read, and it certainly plays up its dark and yuri elements very well. For those seeking a dark lesbian love story with some bite, I strongly recommend taking a look at Scarlet.
Rory Muses 