The Éclair series is not something entirely new to us. In fact, Éclair Orange is actually the fifth installment of the Éclair series. It’s well known among the LGBT community, as well as yuri enthusiasts. The Éclair series always features a series of romantic yuri short stories from various authors. Given that each chapter is made by a different author, the entire anthology offers a diverse, yet similar feeling all throughout.

Discussion Time

Just like the other four Éclair books, ASCII Media Works’ Éclair Orange is yet another anthology. Even though it is part of the Éclair series, Éclair Orange is distinct from the other four. It opens strongly with two similar yet very different stories from Nio Nakatani and Kumiko Takeba distinguishes itself from the rest. That said, it offers a bittersweet beauty that is unique to itself.

1. A Whole Bunch of Yuri

As we’ve already stated, Éclair Orange is an anthology. There are a total of 16 stories; all offer a different feeling and storyline. Of course, all of them are all about the relationship between two girls. The lineup pretty much covers every type of couple. There are working girls, students, a mix, newly dating, borderline cheating, heck, even a middle school and elementary school student pairing. Nonetheless, everybody of every age should be able to relate to at least one pair.

2. Chocolate Box of Feelings

There are stories like 52 Hertz Whale and Double Bed that gives a warm fuzzy feeling. However, there are also stories like Song of a Heat Haze that makes us shed a tear or two. Of course, those are only a few examples. There are fifteen stories in total, and each one offers a different emotion for a reader. Since all of these are packed in one book, you might want to prepare yourself for one heck of a ride. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

3. Complete Package

The issue with most one-shots is that they mostly leave us hanging and craving for more. For all the stories in Éclair Orange, however, everything has been concluded nicely. Each story has a good start, problem, climax, resolution, and conclusion. That is to say, there is no story that’s been put in limbo. Every story has a satisfying ending that won’t leave us wondering what the heck happened next, though we would of course love to see each of these stories turn into full-length series.

Final Thoughts

This is the fifth installation already, huh. We’re really glad a project like Éclair Orange is doing well. Well, well enough to continue going on. In this day and age, our brothers and sisters in the LGBT are fighting hard to find representation in all forms of media. There are multiple victories, but there are also setbacks. It’s refreshing to find a series featuring yuri couples that doesn’t sexualize the relationship. Each couple in this series are in the position they are in because they are humans who can feel.

Writer

Author: Christian Markle

I am a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. I love watching anime, reading manga, and writing my own stories. Watch out in the future as you may see one of my works one day. Manga and anime were big parts of my childhood. I grew up watching Yu Yu Hakusho, Slam Dunk, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z. Those were probably one of the happiest and most carefree days of my life. In fact, most of my values are probably molded by manga. No, that's not an exaggeration.

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