Fabulous Manga Alert!

Okay, here’s the dish…an incredible manga series is being resurrected and I want you all to run out and look for it!

Hana no Asuka-gumi is an 18-year old manga series, about girl gangs and unresolved sexual tension and the yakuza and other ridiculous things that are true and it’s simply spectacular. I recommend it highly for many reasons: the clothes (Asuka…sigh), the story (Yohko…sigh), the uniforms (Kazuga…sigh), the characters (Hime…sigh), the conspiracy, the bizarro Hibari-sama organization….

But the cool news is – there’s a new version out! Yes, Hana no Asuka-gumi 2003 is here! It’s running in the seasonal specials of Asuka magazine. Check out the mangaka’s site for some of the character designs. The intro shows, in this order: Miko; Hime; Asuka and; Kaze.

Click Asuka 2003 with the numbers in our numbers, for an info page.That page has two cameras at the bottom – if you click those, you get sketches from the manga. The banner on the top leads you to a Flash Animation with more previews! (And note the domain of the Flash, I thought it was funny…)

This manga has something for everyone who is a shoujoai/yuri fan – Asuka is the center of more frustrated physical attraction than Bittany Spears. LOL

For some really creepy fun (that doesn’t work entirely on my browser, but may on yours) click the fourth link on the Asuka page (The page is actually called the Zenchuu Ura, after Hibari-sama’s organization,) the Hibari SS. This gives you another flash opening that stars “Shuu” one of the Hibari SS. (“SS” stands for something like “Planning Council” nothing to do with Nazi troops, so don’t get freaked.) Shuu is always creepy, even in the comic…this link appears to lead you to some kind of quiz, but I can’t get the characters to work for me. I’ll let you know if I can figure out what it says!

You can still sometimes find the original Asuka at used manga stores – and at least one lucky dog will be receiving the first few issues as a Yuricon 2003 Contest Prize! (Speaking of which – only 5 days left for submissions to 3 of the Contests…get your submissions in now!)

Last Asuka note for today – I have one fanfic up for this series. In Mourningtells the tale of Asuka’s experience with the Hibari-sama organization, from an outsider’s point of view. I think it works – you’ll have to tell me what *you* think.

Anyway, enjoy the previews and I hope I’ll be joined by all of you in one big happy Asuka fandom shortly. LOL

Next time, the Tokyo Journal continued….promise!