multishipper but always bmblb

matching beiguang icons!!

*yawns* Good morning, Jean...

Who would play chess with you if not me?

In truth, none of them except for Sora and A-chan should ever be exposed to children-

An Unexpected and Enjoyable Turn of the Lesbian Best Friend Trope

As some of my supporters over on Patreon will know, I recently put out a deep dive into the character Yaya from Strawberry Panic. In it, I discussed her role in the series as fulfilling the lesbian best friend trope. This archetype, a character who surfers for loving the protagonist, comes in various forms and is a staple of current Yuri and Yuri adjacent media. However, I thought it might be worth examining a work that entirely revolves around the lesbian best friend, Ana C. Sánchez’s Alter Ego. This Spanish manga was recently released by Tokyopop earlier this year under their Love X Love and international women of manga line. I was eager to see what Sánchez did with the classic Yuri concepts in this energetic one-shot.

I mentioned that the best friend is usually a supporting character interacting with the protagonist, but in the case of Alter Ego, she is the main character. University student Noel is in love with her best friend and classmate Elena. However, she has never been able to voice that love before. She has always contented herself with being close to Elena. However, now that Elena has a new boyfriend, Noel’s chances to be intimate with her friend are dwindling. When Elena’s other best friend, a writer named June, moves to town and begins living next to Noel, it is too much for the girl to bear.

Save her. (Original video)