Archive for the Artists Category


CANAAN Anime, Disk 1 Blu-Ray (English)

December 3rd, 2010

Type-Moon’s CANAAN does what every good action story does – it starts off with a premise, stabs the premise in the back, drags the premise to a dumpster, pretends nothing ever happened and acts surprised when it comes back to bite it in the ass.

We are introduced to the situation first through the eyes of Osawa Maria, a fledgling photojournalist and her competent, irritable mentor, Minorikawa Minoru. Arrived in Shanghai on the night of a festival, they expect to be covering a conference of world leaders on combating terrorism. They don’t expect to be running through streets of Shanghai being chased by people with guns. They also don’t expect the terrorists to be the hosts of the conference.

Maria is saved by an assassin-for-hire by the name of Canaan who, we learn, is a friend of hers. Canaan has synesthesia which manifests in her perception of people and their emotions as distinct, traceable colors. Maria and Canaan are chased and chase others along the surface and through the tunnels of Shanghai as the conference looms. But when the conference opens and the terrorists take over by poisoning the world leaders with the deadly UA virus, everything shifts.

Leader of the terrorists, Alphard, has a specific grudge against Canaan and, it turns out, that they have a shared origin and a shared mentor. A mentor that Alphard killed. The story revolves around the three foci of Canaan, Alphard and Maria and the people that move around them.

The first disk takes us from Shanghai to the high desert where the UA virus was visited upon a small, unimportant village by an uncaring CIA as an experiment. The lives of everyone in the series is tied to that horrible experiment and many of them are still living with the effects.

Government conspiracy, assassins, knife fights, gun fights, chases through streets, helicopters and in cars, CANAAN provides action fans with just about one of everything – and does it well.

For Yuri fans, there is just about no way in this volume to avoid the obvious attraction between Canaan and Maria. I would say it’s mostly on Canaan’s side. Even Canaan’s handler, Natsume comments that she seems to have finally hit puberty. Which is about right. Canaan may not yet – or ever – feel desire for Maria, but she clearly loves her deeply.

This is my first-ever Blu-Ray purchase. Because I knew that the backgrounds would hold up to it, and I thought the visuals associated with Canaan’s synesthesia would look cool. I started watching this on a projector onto a large projection screen, so it was about 45″ of viewable screen – the visuals did, indeed hold up. They look fantastic. What didn’t hold up were the subtitles. I hadn’t considered that…obviously, neither had Sentai Filmworks. At 45″, the subtitles looked broken and pixelated. It got better by episode 5, but the first two episodes, it was downright distracting.

I shifted to a 15″ screen where the subtitles once again looked tight, but the visuals were constrained by the small screen. I’d split the difference on my TV, but it’s a old TV and I can’t connect my computer to it and I’m not running out to get a BD player or a new TV just for you. ^_^

This led to a question by someone on Twitter about which company had the best subtitles. I took examples from every current company I could find in the house and played them one after another on the 45″ screen. Here are final scores:

Media Blasters – 6 out of 10
Funimation – 8
RightStuf – 7
Sentai  – 6
Bandai – 6

I liked Funi’s subtitles best because at that size, they stayed crisp, and because they were not yellow. I know it’s so personal, but I cannot stand yellow.

Back to CANAAN,  Disk 1, Episodes 1-9 are a shockingly huge shift, from what appears to be a silly, slightly predictable action story to a vast government conspiracy, tragic personal revelations, angst and love, in many and various forms – even the kinds that are toxic.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 2
Series – 4

Overall – 8

Overall, I consider this a totally worthy purchase. I like the action, the characters and the plot keeps shifting and swerving, like Canaan in the middle of battle.  Alphard vs Canaan makes for a great anime. Now I’m motivated to get back to that second light novel in the series and give it a go.





Yuri Manga: Sore ga Kimi ni Naru (それが君になる)

November 18th, 2010

Sore ga Kimi ni Naru (それが君になる), by Hakamada Mera, works.

The story opens with two school girls. Amane, reading under a tree and the other, Yuki, taking her glasses off and kissing her. We learn in a short flashback and that Amane and Yuki were lovers during school, until….

Years have passed and we see Amane standing on a train platform, now an adult. When the train empties, a bunch of schoolgirls get off. The wind pulls Amane’s ticket from her hand and it settles to the ground in front of a girl that looks *exactly* like Yuki. Amane, struck dumb, begins to cry. The girl reaches out to touch Amane’s face asking her, “All you all right?”

Thus begins the story of Amane and Yoh (spelling taken from the cover of the book,) and the ghost of a past lost love in an awkward, sweet threesome. Yoh is a pretty sharp girl and not at all weird about her attraction to Amane – or this total stranger’s reaction to her. She’s confiding in her friends at school, even to the point of them discussing why Amane is pushing her away.

And Amane is pushing Yoh away. Overcome by their reaction to one another and so maybe not sensibly, Amane and Yoh are hanging out, until a sudden rainstorm means that Yoh is staying over Amane’s place for the night. Amane tells Yoh about Yuki, and about how Yuki ran off with a tutor by whom she had become pregnant, breaking Amane’s heart, Yoh offers herself in place of the lost Yuki. Before she can stop herself, Amane finds herself kissing the girl, but then realizes what she’s doing and tells Yoh to stay the night, then never come near her again.

The next few chapters are the stereotypical “each moping about the other” and they miss each other by seconds. When they are finally tearfully reunited, they both admit at last what was obvious to us from the beginning.

In a slightly annoying epilogue, Amane and Yoh run into Yuki and set that ghost to rest. A second omake tells a completely separate story about Satomi-sempai being seduced by another girl’s big, (beautiful,) dark eyes.

I think the thing that really worked for me about this story was Yoh’s lack of coyness. I found it refreshing and a relief to know that she was talking about her relationship with Amane with her school friends and they were giving it serious consideration, not just teasing her. When her friends mention to her that when Amane looks at her, it must hurt, the revelation makes Yoh think about the relationship more seriously. If she’s going to pursue this woman, then she’d better mean it, because otherwise, she’s screwing around with Amane and hurting her for no good reason.

It’s hard not to sympathize with Amane. She’s got this great big needy old hole in her heart and when Yoh sort of plops herself in it, it’s difficult to condemn her.

I wasn’t thrilled that Yuki kind of appears at the end, because I always feel that that sort of convenient story-telling weakens the characters dealing with the issues on their own, but that’s more an editorial quibble than anything else.

Ultimately, the title of the book becomes the effective punchline to the story.  On the whole, I liked this book. I liked Yoh, I liked Amane, and I like them together.

Ratings:

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

Overall – 8

And there you have it. Mera wins by TKO. Enough rounds fighting it just wore me out. This “simple love story of Yoh & Amane” took all the fight out of me. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Sasamekikoto, Volume 7 (ささめきこと)

October 26th, 2010

Years ago, when Ranma 1/2 dominated the world of anime/manga – related fanfic, authors quickly discovered something critical about writing comedy. Writing farce was impossibly difficult, as it relied heavily on visual gags. And, if authors took the other road and went all serious with the characters, they instantly encountered roadblocks like sustainable characterization and the drama of emotions.

Everyone knows that tragedy is easy, comedy is hard. It is especially hard when the comedy morphs into a drama, and things that were funny when it was a comedy now have to be integrated into a serious plotline. Someone switching genders as a comedy might be a hoot and a half…as a serious character point…do you go all maudlin and self-retrospective with them? Or do you deal with everyone else’s reactions? Or do you delve into the emotional life of not knowing who or what you are?

All of which brings us to Sasamekikoto, Volume 7, (ささめきこと). As I mentioned in my review of Strawberry Panic!, there comes a time when, as a writer, you have to just write, dammit. Comedy, potboiler episodic standardized whatever all have to be tossed out so you can make a strong story which characters that are real…or the readers will simply stop caring. (In reality, some will stop caring when you try to make your characters real, too, because they *liked* the two-dimensionality of the characters, but if you’re a writer, those people are an acceptable loss when weighed against your sanity and pride.)

Unexpectedly, Volume 7 begins with a look at Ushio’s brother and his lack of a life – and the choices he made that put him in that position. This story sets the tone for the rest of the volume, as the underlying theme is surely “choices made have consequences.”

We also meet a new “couple” – Koi and her friend Mayu, whose story somewhat echoes Sumi and Ushio’s, with a slightly different outcome. Their story segues into the story of the big Karate match, and Ushio joining the team as manager. Victory is not ours, but that’s all right, as not winning is a far more real experience for most than winning. Another indication to me that this series has shifted focus away from fantasy-comedy.

And finally, we are allowed some time alone with Sumi and Ushio…and we can see that having finally acknowledged their feelings for one another are the same, they are not jumping into bed, but are dating. Another sign that this series is taking itself rather more seriously than it was.

And then, reality…seriousness…*drama* strikes.

Sumi has decided to run for the student council. As class representative, a good student and excellent athlete, she’s a natural – her striking figure and height only help to sway the boys to feel that she is almost one of them. Until one of her opponents takes the low road and outs her as a lesbian. She and Ushio had not been hiding their relationship…it had never occurred to them to do so. Now Ushio, who remembers what it was like to be ostracized in middle school, says she’ll back off Sumi and the rumors will stop. After all, Ushio says, Sumika is the one “normal” member of the Joshibu. Sumika doesn’t know how to respond to this, and allows the moment to pass without comment.

In a misguided attempt to promote Sumi’s heterosexuality, Akemiya-kun is chosen as a beard for Sumi. He accepts happily because, as we remember from earlier chapters, he likes Sumika.

In the wake of the deaths of LGBTQ and other youth in part due to bullying, I can’t help but feel that this will not go well…not the author’s fault, per se, but I guess anything written about anyone being bullied or mocked for a sexual or gender identity right now will push that button.

For the first time, I find myself considering the next volume with trepidation. I realize that Sasamekikoto is still largely a comedy. But the possibility for comedy (in the classic sense of living happily ever after) is significantly lower than the possibility of tragedy (in both senses.)

Would I like Sumika to stand up in front of the student body and admit to liking Ushio and tell them to vote and be damned? Yes, of course I would, but I’m not delusional and I don’t *expect* it to happen. I want to trust the author to take that rein and tell the “right” story, the story about being whoever you are is okay…I really want to trust him.

What will happen?

I don’t know.

That’s why I keep reading.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Characters – 8
Story – 9
Yuri – 7
Service – 1

Overall – 8

Thanks be to Okazu Superhero Mari K. for her generous sponsorship of today’s review!





Yuri Network News – October 16, 2010

October 16th, 2010

Yuri Manga

From YNN Correspondent Komatsu-san, French Yuri imprint Taifu Comics plans to release Morinaga Milk’s GIRL FRIENDS in 2011 (in French, obviously). France continues to be a very girl-friendly space for manga. The final volume of GIRL FRIENDS hits Japanese store shelves in November…just after I leave the country….

Fans of questions never answered and running around and angsting alot are sure to want to pick up the first volume of Zettai Shoujo Astoria by the artist that did First Love Sisters, Shinonome Mizuo.

FINALLY, the first volume of Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi will be out in early November – unlike everything else I want, which comes out after I leave Japan. I really think you ought to buy this one and read it. Really. Just do it.

***

Maria-sama ga Miteru News

YNN Correspondent Soul Assassin was kind enough to point us towards this Cobalt Shueisha special with photos from the filming of the Maria-sama ga Miteru movie. It made me all kvell-y and happy. ^_^

***

Other News

A new Hayate x Blade Drama CD – the first since the shift to Ultra Jump – is listed on Amazon. It’s cleverly titled, Hayate x Blade Ultra Drama CD! Ichiban Hoshi! Zekkyoutsumeawase!.

Not Yuri, but classic sistercest, here’s a a Graphic Novel of Christina Rosetti’s juicy poem Goblin Market.

Also not quite Yuri, but very Yuri-friendly, I took a long, lingering look at women’s manga magazine Feel Young at Mangacast.

***

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!





Yuri Manga: Renai Joshika, Volume 1 (レンアイ女子課)

October 13th, 2010

In her Afterword, Morishima Akiko-sensei tells us how Renai Joshika was born. “I want to read a Yuri story about Office Ladies!” she told her editor. Her editor replied, “That’s okay, but, don’t you mean you want to draw that story?” To which Morishima-sensei says, “I want to read it, but it doesn’t exist so I will have to draw it.”

I akogare her with all the crushy admiration I can muster. (*_*)

So, here we have Volume 1 of Renai Joshika, a series of Yuri pairings at a bridal planning company. It’s a perfect setup, because the women can all be utterly girly and we can obsess about things like hair and makeup and dresses all while being very, very lesbian. ^_^

Himeno Arisu starts off the story by being aggressive in the love-seeking department. She finds it, rather unexpectedly, when new employee Shireha Saki arrives. Saki’s already got a girlfriend, but Arisu is awakened to the idea of finding love with another woman.

Love is the best makeup for a woman, we learn, in a short about falling in love at first touch.

Our old friends Kaori and Mutsuki return, only to find that a..ahem, drunken kiss… rekindles old feelings between them.

Arisu and Saki are thrown together through silly circumstances, but when Saki finds herself ready to admit that her relationship with her former lover is dead, Arisu is ready and willing to pick up the pieces.

Everyone lives happily ever after in this Yuri soap opera of cute.

Ahhhh. It’s like a bubble bath for the harried Yuri soul. Relaxing, fun, girly, a little sexy.

Bartender, I’d like three more of these and a refill on the pretzels, thanks.

Ratings:

Art – Cute! 8
Stories- Fun and Cute! 9
Characters – Adult and Cute! 9
Yuri – Sexy and Cute! 8
Service – Cute Fanboys only! 2

Overall – So goddamn cute my cheeks hurt from smiling. 9

As you may have learned from the comments for yesterday’s post, Morishima-sensei got her start as Aoki-sensei’s assistant. I thought this would make a great match to yesterday’s review.