Archive for 2011


Hayate x Blade Manga, Volume 13

January 30th, 2011

For six years, I have been telling you that Hayate x Blade (はやて×ブレード) is a most amazing manga. For six years I have been crowing about the fantastic characterization, the awesome action, the hilarious comedy of the women of Tenchi Gakuen.  And in all that time, I never once have said that “this volume wasn’t as good as the last one.” You have to figure that at some point, statistics will catch up with this series and there will be a volume that is not as good as the last one.

Volume 13 of Hayate x Blade is not that volume.

Volume 13 is absolutely one of the funniest things I have ever read, and has the beginning of an arc SO full of awesome that I find I am unable to talk about it without using far too many superlatives to be taken seriously.

The volume starts as graduation comes to Tenchi Gakuen, and spring break comes soon after. Graduation at Tenchi is a moving ceremony, as you can imagine – or would be if Hayate knew how to behave in public. Spring break is a chance to see all our regulars kick back a little and have some fun.

It also gives us a chance to see some of the characters involved in a Buffalo hunt in Arizona. (Bet you never expected that, huh!)

And it gives us a chance to meet a few new characters who will be attending Tenchi when the next term starts. Sae’s little sister Saki, who dislikes Akira, but hits it off well with Hayate, is one. And will Nagi become shinyuu with the tall, strong and not-too-bright newbie that is blundering around the campus? These and more new faces will enter Tenchi…soon.

But not until the fight of the century is over.

Since the first chapter there has been a fight that has been discussed, but never fought. A fight that will decide the very future of the school. A fight that will make the word awesome mean something again. A fight that has me freaking right the fuck out as it plays out in current chapters in Ultra Jump. As this volume comes to a close, we are witness to a fight that has everyone in the school on the edge of their seats.

Amachi Hitsugi and Miyamoto Shizuku vs Mikado Akira and Inori Sae.

This fight is everything you could hope it to be.

So, while statistically speaking, there will probably have to be a volume of Hayate x Blade that isn’t *quite* as good as the one before it – that hasn’t happened yet and I don’t expect it to happen at least for another volume.

Hayashiya Shizuru continues to be one of the best story-tellers in manga, IMHO and this series is an absolute must-read for anyone who cares about the craft of manga. Smart-dumb, funny, action-filled and emotional all at once. As surprisingly good at Volume 13 as it ever has been.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 10
Yuri – 3
Service – 1

Overall – 9 and creeping ever higher….

This volume came bundled with a mini-Drama CD that will receive a review of it’s very own. Even if you can’t understand a word, you should listen to it for the chance to hear Asano Mayumi (Tatewaki Hikaru) rule the world of voice acting. Also for Sid and Nancy.





Yuri Network News – January 29, 2011

January 29th, 2011

Yuri Anime

Here is a trailer for the Morita-san ha Muguchi (森田さんは無口) OVA that is being bundled with the third manga volume. The OVA looks Yuri-er than the manga, but seems just as fun overall. For an overview of the story, check out my reviews of Volume 1 and Volume 2.

This was unexpected and happy-making – Digimon Tamers has been made available by Toei on Hulu.com. At last, I get to refresh my Ruki/Renamon fixation! Still want it on DVD, though… But for the first time ever, I may well try out Hulu. I’m actually pretty excited about this news. I loved Digimon Tamers. It was an amazingly good series, even aside from Ruki being a big ole babydyke. Oh screw it – squee!

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Yuri Manga

The tops stories here were already broken this week, but to recap:

Vertical has announced that they are publishing Princess Knight, Ribon no Kishi （リボンの騎士）apparently under some pressure from the Tezuka folks. Good for them.

And this week saw the release date for the second (middle) Volume of GUNJO. In reply to my congratulations on Twitter, Nakamura-sensei replied that all that was left was the final volume, phew! She promises to keep working hard.

You may remember Gakkou no Sensei, a story about three young teachers and their wacky adventures being pretty bad at their job. Volume 3 is out and the Japanese Yuri lists have upped the Yuri rating. That means fairly little, speaking from my subjective view, but it was a slightly fun manga with some Yuri-ish bits.

And in all honesty, this has to be the seriously weirdest news so far this year – with the popularity of Gantz, and the big global movie release last week, Oku’s first big series is making a comeback. Yes, folks HEN is back in bunko versions, being published by Shueisha. This series is of interest to Yuri fans, BL fans and people who can stand the way Oku draws ears. I reviewed this series ages ago, way back when it was one of the few Yuri series we actually had. Here’s my review  of the Hen anime and manga (from almost *7* years ago! That’s positively stone-age.)

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Yuri Drama CD


Man, you can always tell it’s mid-winter, when the Drama CD news comes pouring in….

You may remember that there is a new Hayate x Blade Drama CD –  Hayate x Blade Ultra Drama CD! Ichiban Hoshi! Zekkyoutsumeawase! that was released last month. Well, it was two of three being released in three months. The second of the set,  Hayate x Blade Ultra Drama CD Niban Hoshi! Tokkun Tsumeawase! was released this week. A third CD will be slamming your pocket next month, too. I haven’t gotten to listen to the first one, because the mini-CD that came with the last volume has been *so* insane and funny that I’ve had to listen to it three times so far. Review will happen eventually, when I stop laughing.

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That’s a wrap for this week.

Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!





Second Volume of Gunjo on Sale

January 28th, 2011

Since we’re on the topic of squee-making manga news, today the second Volume of GUNJO is on sale.

Let’s show Nakamura-sensei as much support as we can!





Vertical Announces Princess Knight

January 27th, 2011

Princess Knight, by Tezuka Osamu, is being published by Vertical.

To say that this is a “long-awaited” announcement is sort of an understatement. Start saving your money now, seriously, because I expect everyone who calls themselves a Yuri fan to run out and get this. No exceptions, no excuses. If you can afford a pizza, you can afford this book. (If you really can’t afford this book, ask your library, nicely.)

Princess Knight, aka Ribon no Kishi （リボンの騎士）is one of the seminal works of Yuri fandom. Tezuka’s visible influences include Disney’s Snow White and Takarazuka, and this series set the bar for notable later girl-princes such as Lady Oscar in Rose of Versailles and Tenjou Utena in Revolutionary Girl Utena.

If you have been paying the least bit of attention to the manga and Japanese lit worlds, Vertical’s other two announcements will be pretty big news, as well. So this was a great off-season announcement for all of us.





UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie OVA Collection, Season 3 (English)

January 26th, 2011

UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie: Seasons 3 & 4 (The OVA Collection)I‘ve been pretty spotty reviewing here this week. I bet you thought that when I came back it would be for something full of awesome and love, didn’t you? But, no, instead I return to you with a review of full of Kaishaku. Sorry.

I bought myself the UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie OVA Collection for reasons that I’m sure made sense at the time, but which I can no longer recall. Having purchased it, I supposed I’d better watch it. Well, I watched Season 3.

I’ve stopped caring that Kaishaku’s work is really bad, honestly. I’m resigned to the fetish du jour construction of their stories.  There were even moments where I liked an angle, a scene, a character.

But look, let me say this plainly and get it out of the way, because I find the thought burdensome and want to shed it. When Kazuto kisses Val-chan and she turns into Valkyrie, every time I think – this is what pedophiles see in their heads. That this innocent child is somehow an actual willing, equal partner in this relationship. And this thought really makes it hard for me to ever like this series – even though Kazuto’s relationship with Val-chan is, in and of itself, innocent. Kazuto is clearly in love with Valkyrie, and treats Val-chan as a daughter and that is that. Kazuto’s worst behavior with Val-chan is that he spoils her a little.

But less and less is the story about Kazuto and Valkyrie at all. In Season 3, it’s almost an aside to the main plot of whatever episode. Whether it’s a cat maid superhero or one of Valhalla’s 4 million princesses showing up for a visit (and crashing into a building to do so. When Rika commented on the fact, I was amazed they bothered to address the issue at all) Valkyrie and Kazuto’s impending, oft-delayed wedding seems tagged on as an afterthought.

Among the many Princesses who show up for an extended visit is Pharm, who crashes into the local school and inexplicably becomes a teacher. Pharm is representative and enthusiast of the girl-wearing-glasses fetish. This episode is laden with Yuri service that doesn’t quite go anywhere, but it was kind of weird and silly. We learn at the end of the episode that Pharm has a crush on Valkyrie. That too is kind of weird and silly. Most of this series is kind of weird and silly. And every once in a while, it almost becomes likable.

Ratings:

Art – Nothing like Kaishaku’s – 7
Story – There is very little story – 5
Characters – Variable, averaging out at 6
Yuri – 4 for Pharm
Service – there are not enough numerals, nor spaces to hold them

Overall – 5

So if you like Kaishaku generally, or think you might if they stopped beating up their women all the time, Season 3 of Valkyrie is not intolerable.