is a Japanese

yuri Yuri may refer to: People and fictional characters Given name *Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc. *Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series written and illustrated by Kodama Naoko. The series follows Machi Morimoto, a woman who enters into a same-sex sham marriage with her '' kōhai'' (junior). ''I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up'' was serialized in the manga magazine ''

Comic Yuri Hime is a manga anthology magazine published in Japan by Ichijinsha. It began as a quarterly publication in July 2005, but was issued bimonthly on odd months from January 2011 to December 2016, when it became monthly. Kanako Umezawa has served as ''Co ...

'' in 2018 and collected into a bound volume by Ichijinsha that same year, and was licensed for an English-language release by Seven Seas Entertainment in 2019.

Synopsis

Machi Morimoto, an office lady in her early thirties, feels pressured by her parents to find a husband and settle down. Her friend and '' kōhai'' Hana Agaya, in need of a new apartment, suggests they move in together and enter a sham marriage by obtaining a partnership certificate. While Machi is hesitant about the arrangement Hana is a

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

who expressed romantic feelings for Machi in their youth, and unbeknownst to Machi, still harbors feelings for her she agrees. Their relationship grows into a pleasant cohabitation, and as they overcome various hardships (including the

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...

of Machi's parents and the return of Hana's ex-girlfriend Ayaka), Machi begins to develop feelings for Hana. The series concludes with the couple entering into a genuine romantic relationship.

Media

''I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up'' was originally serialized in ''

'' from June to August 2018, and collected into a bound volume by Ichijinsha. In September 2018, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that it would be publishing an English-language translation of the series, which was published in June 2019. The manga was creator Kodama Naoko's first serialized work following the conclusion of her earlier '' NTR: Netsuzou Trap''; Naoko called the series "the first work by 'Light Kodama' in a long time," in reference to the comedic tone of ''I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up'' relative to the darker tone of ''NTR''.

Reception

The series has received mixed to positive reviews. Reviewing the series for ''

Otaku USA ''Otaku USA'' is a bimonthly magazine published by Sovereign Media, which covers various elements of the "otaku" lifestyle (such as anime, manga, video games, cosplay and Japanese popular music) from an American perspective. The issues were acc ...

'', David Estrella praised the series' romantic comedy elements but noted that readers seeking a realistic story about lesbian relationships "may find it too fluffy". Erica Friedman of

Yuricon Yuricon was an anime convention geared toward fans of yuri anime and manga. The first Yuricon event was held in 2003 in Newark, New Jersey with about 200 attending, although Yuricon has existed as an online entity since 2000. The event was org ...

expressed a similar sentiment, stating that while the series "isn’t problematic," its

gag comic A gag is usually an item or device designed to prevent speech, often as a restraint device to stop the subject from calling for help and keep its wearer silent. This is usually done by blocking the mouth, partially or completely, or attempting ...

humor "doesn’t feel like a sincere attempt to address

GBT GBT may refer to: Transport * Gambat railway station, in Pakistan * Gorgan Airport, in Iran * Gotthard Base Tunnel, in Switzerland * Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority, in Connecticut Other uses * Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, in Surabaya, Indo ...

issues." Rebecca Silverman of ''

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...

'' remarked that while the series compares favorably to Naoko's earlier ''NTR: Netsuzou Trap'', she criticized its story for being underdeveloped.

References

External links

* {{Comic Yuri Hime 2018 manga Lesbian fiction LGBT in anime and manga Romance anime and manga Ichijinsha manga Seven Seas Entertainment titles Yuri (genre) anime and manga 2010s LGBT literature