Archive for the Gag Comics/4-koma Category


Cheerful Amnesia, Volume 1

December 11th, 2023

It’s a stock romance trope – one partner loses their memory of the other and ends up falling in love all over again. It’s a great trope, because when done well, a character in a stable, loving relationship gets to feel the thrill of a new love and the other partner gets to woo their lover all over again. Cheerful Amnesia, Volume 1 by Tamamushi Oku (creator of Yuri harem romp I Don’t Know Which Is Love, reviewed on Okazu by Luce), somehow manages to create a story that sacrifices all the wonderful bits of the memory loss trope for not-terribly-funny gags about underwear and having sex.

Our late friend Bruce’s last review here on Okazu was of the Japanese edition of this manga. I’m sorry to say, I agree with his summary, “Arisa and Mari have been living together for some years. But as the story begins Arisa is lying comatose in the hospital, suffering from a severe case of plot device. When she awakens, she has no memory of Mari or their life together. Mouth wide open she wonders who this lovely, unfamiliar, unsmiling woman is sitting by the bed. When Mari informs her she’s her lover, Arisa’s little brain short-circuits. She blushes, shrieks, squirms, squees, wriggles, and generally provides evidence as to why Mari never once smiles through the rest of the Manga.”

In a nutshell, this is the main problem with this manga. At no point do Arisa and Mari have a single important conversation about…anything. Was Arisa’s amnesia from accident or disease? No idea. How does Mari like her coffee? No idea. What did they do for fun? No idea. What was Arisa like before her coma? No idea, except that she initiated sex. Instead of asking Mari any one of a thousand questions about their lives together, Arisa obsesses about the idea that their bras are in the same drawer. Instead of learning how to foster a new intimacy, Arisa freaks out over and over at the idea that she has had sex with her lover.

It feels very much like Arisa has returned to her life as a 14 year old. And maybe, if that had been said, it would have worked. Instead she’s an adult person completely- repeatedly –  befuddled by the idea that she had a life with a woman with whom she lived.  As Bruce said,  “From this point on Arisa has to get reacquainted with the intimacies that go with living as a couple. She doesn’t manage it well. She actually doesn’t manage it at all. She’s just so embarrassed and excited and squirmy to know that her lover is this lovely, unfamiliar, unsmiling woman (wait, wasn’t that page 1? Yes, and many, many pages beyond). It’s heavy going for Mari as they work their way from holding hands to soapy bath-times to the frilly underwear. It’s heavy going for us all.”  Oh Bruce, how I miss you. ^_^;

I can totally see how this series could read like a very fun, goofy 4-koma, if one read a page or two at a time. As a volume, I felt so desperately sad for Mari who has the body of her lover back, with the soul of a gaping child inhabiting it. I also know a LOT of people really love this series and were looking forward to it being out in English. I am very happy for them! I’d recommend reading this series first, then taking a look at I Don’t Know Which Is Love, to see how the creator’s work has and (has not) changed.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – It could have been amazing
Characters – My sympathy to Mari in these trying times
Service – Mari injures her hands so Arisa has to gasp! wash her
Yuri – 9

Overall – 6

The team at Yen Press did a great job with this volume.  I honestly wish it were worth it. If you are interested in Tamamushi Oku’s work, I highly recommend the interview on Yuri Times. Part 1 and Part 2 have been translated into English, thank you Ayumi-san!





Amongst Us, by Shilin

November 18th, 2020

Shilin is an artist I have been following for many years. I began reading her epic fantasy Carciphona a decade ago. I was delighted to have picked up a couple of her art books at TCAF; I have reviewed Toccata II here on Okazu.

Last year, Shilin ran a Kickstarter for a collected volume of the alt-universe versions of her Carciphona protagonist Veloce, and antagonist, Blackbird.. I jumped right on that, because the story is fun, but what keeps me coming back is Shilin’s gorgeous artwork.

In Carciphona, Veloce is a deeply emotionally wounded sorceress, a woman who has been used and abandoned by her society and family. Pulling the strings to get Veloce to join her is Blackbird, who is a spirit who does not much care for humankind and thinks Veloce ought not to either…and she has a legitimate case. But Veloce has been befriended by some humans who believe in her and she’s fighting with them to protect humanity, even if the humans don’t appear to appreciate that music at all. The magic in this world revolves around music, which makes for some really lovely “battles.”

Amongst Us is a fun fanfic of an intense series and makes a physically beautiful “real-world” counterpart to the dramatic Carciphona. It’s also a lot of fun to see a creator playing around with her characters in a completely different oeuvre. You don’t need to have read Carciphona to appreciate this alt-version, which is an added bonus. In this alternate reality Veloce is a cellist with a tendency towards the melancholy (appropriate for cellists, I always think) and Blackbird is her flightier conductor girlfriend. It’s presented as a goofy slice-of life comic with very little real conflict, however Veloce and Blackbird are at each others’ throats constantly, which is perfectly natural for them. ^_^ 

You can enjoy the Amongst Us on Webtoons. The comic has been adapted for reading in book format, which is always more work, but gives the pages an appealing look.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – A goofy 8
Characters – 8 Divorced from their origins, they still seem pretty intense. ^_^
Service – 0 That postcard of Veloce in an evening dress was smokin’. But no, not really.
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9

Another simply gorgeous work by Shilin. This is now available on Shilin’s shop, thanks Sylvie for the link!





Yuri Manga: Swap⇔Swap, Volume 2 (すわっぷ⇔すわっぷ)

June 16th, 2017

Today we open up the “really? This is still being published?” File for a look at Swap⇔Swap, Volume 2 (すわっぷ⇔すわっぷ). In Volume 1, we met Ichinose Haruko and Nikaido Natsuko who have vaguely similarish names and are in the same class. Haruko keeps to herself and is a good student. Natsuko is fashionable and garrulous. And, quite suddenly and inexplicably, when they bump into one another lip first, they…switch bodies. While thin on plot, Volume 1 managed to be decent right up until the final pages.

Here in Volume 2, Haruko and Natsuko have not only become good friends, their other good friends all know about them swapping bodies and their circle now includes two other couples who swap bodies, including a couple who is actually a couple.

This is all estblished in the intro pages and we are sent out to experience an utterly average 4-panel comic from Mangatime KR that looks like all the other 4-panel comics from Mangatime KR, with the schtick of switching bodies. The reasons for switching are never awkward or irritating – no taking each other’s exams – but they do switch for the flexibility test in PE which literally made no sense at all. ^_^;; (No, see, flexibility is not innate, it’s the actual muscles and tendons of the body that…just no, really, I can’t even.) And so they can all win at a certain game, allergic people can play with a cat, and other super brilliant reasons.

The end of Volume 2 did not descend into service, as Volume 1 did, in fact, it kind of ascended into Yuri. It has been established in a few early gags in the volume that Haruko was really starting to find other girls attractive generally and Natsuko, specifically, but towards the end, we learn that Natsuko is equally starting to be interested in Haruko. They do kiss quite a lot in this book. To switch bodies, of course. But still. And now Natsuko has a rival for Haruko’s affection which seems to have pushed her to consider Haruko’s affection.

Ratings:

Art – 6 Haruko’s weird eyes (that help you know who is in which body) seem to be a family trait.
Story – 5 They switch bodies. The rest is typical school-life gags
Characters – 8 Actually kind of decent, which is surprising
Service – 3
Yuri – 5

Overall – 7

I cannot tell you that this is good, but I also don’t think it’s bad. I am puzzled as to why it exists at all and make no promises about reading Volume 3, should there be one.





Yuri Manga: Swap⇔Swap, Volume 1 (すわっぷ⇔すわっぷ)

June 6th, 2016

swap^2You may recall that I recently reviewed Only ☆You~Anata to Watashi no Futari Bocchi Keikaku in which a reasonable premise went south almost instantly.

Today, we’re going to talk about Swap⇔Swap, (すわっぷ⇔すわっぷ), Volume 1, by Tomekichi in which a horrible premise manages to almost not go bad until the last few pages.

Ichinose Haruko is the dark-haired girl on the cover with the weird eyes. Nikaido Natsuko is the blonde. They have vaguely similarish names and are in the same class. Haruko keeps to herself and is a good student. Natsuko is fashionable and garrulous. And, quite suddenly and inexplicably, when they bump into one another lip first, they…switch bodies.

I know, I know. It’s a totally cringe-worthy plot device. And worse, when we learn that Haruko is also quietly obsessed with girls with large breasts, and they switch back and forth by kissing, one immediately starts to imagine where this is going. Only, it doesn’t. Not really. Not yet.

Neither Natsuko nor Haruko are particularly put out by their relationship. And they seem to have a solid grasp of where the “no-go” zone is. When Natsuko wants to switch in order to have Haruko take a test for her, Haruko puts the brakes on switching and instead studies with Natsuko to get her grades up. In return, Natsuko introduces Haruko to her friends and they all go out shopping and to the pool and other average fun. Most importantly, Haruko and Natsuko tell their friends about their weird relationship, and their friends…accept it. It’s  a normal slice-of-life comedy, in which they kiss to switch bodies and switch back. It peaks when Haruko switches bodies to give allergic Natsuko the chance to play with a kitten and everything is just kind of sweet and cute.

All is well, with mild humor and goofiness until we meet a second couple who can switch bodies. And suddenly, the editor demanded more service. What was a readable, mildly silly gag comedy becomes a breast-fetish gag comic without humor, for the last 10 pages. And then it abruptly stops. Presumably, there will be a second volume.  But I’m not sure if the thin veneer of Yuri in Haruko’s sort-of burgeoning interest in Natsuko will be developed more than the breast fetish, so I’m on the fence about continuing.

Ratings:

Art – 6 Not quite dreadful, but Haruko’s weird eyes help you know who is in which body.
Story – 5 There is no story, only a premise
Characters – 8 Actually kind of decent, which is surprising
Service – 2, rising to 5 by the end.

Overall – 7

I’m not going to say this was spectacular, but it wasn’t terrible, either. And if the Yuri is developed, it has some potential to be good. If the breast fetish is developed instead, it has potential to be dire.





Yuri Manga: Kimi no Tame Nara Shineru, Volume 5 (姫のためなら死ねる)

October 21st, 2015

KnTnS5In Volume 5 of Kimi no Tame Nara Shineru (姫のためなら死ねる) Sei Shonagon of The Pillow Book fame has hit a slump. Not just a slump, but a debilitating, crushing and potentially career-damaging slump. And near-constant harassment from the onmyouji “Abe no Hito” isn’t helping.

Not only is Shonagon suffering because of this slump, but Teishi-sama is starting to think that Shonagon doesn’t care for her any more, as her requests to read new entries in the diary are met with vague promises, and excuses. Shonagon, it turns out, is fearful of showing her mistress the uncensored delight she has in the Princess. Too embarrassed and too scared to let anyone know what she’s feeling, she is unable to write anything at all.

Koshikibu and Benkan are alternately worried about and annoyed by Shonagon, but it’s Murasaki who shakes her out of her slump and encourages her to pen openly adoring verses about Teishi-sama. Teishi-sama is likewise embarrassed at the near-worship of Shonagon’s Diary, but they reconcile at last.

As the book comes to a close, Murasaki Shikibu is confronted the disorder known as “reading fanfic about your characters.” And, as it usually is in the real world, it’s not a good thing.

The gags are, if anything, becoming denser. There’s a lot of research that goes into this book and it shows. It’s also getting harder to follow for this reader, as my knowledge of the Heian-kyo is superficial to say the least. ^_^; But what is funny is funny and even when there are hints of somber things to come, it’s all jokes all the way down.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 2
Service – 4

Overall – 7

Luckily for me, in between the otaku humor, there’s more “Shonagon is gaga over Teishi-sama again.”