Archive for the Artists Category


Yuri Manga: Akatsuki-iro no Senpuku Majyo, Volume 2

April 9th, 2009

Akatsuki-iro no Senpuku Majyo Volume 2 (暁色の潜伏魔女）is translated as “The concealment witch of color at daybreak II” which is a good argument for Japanese publishers not trying to do their own translation. ^_^

In Volume 1, we met Akira, a girl with the magic of electricity, who was burdened by a curse and is really looking for her sister at Tenshi Gakuen. She’s befriended by several of the other students, including Tokiko, and at the end of the volume she meets Yoru-sempai, her sister.

Volume 2 starts off with a glimpse at Tokiko’s true love, Shouya, who is in love with Yoru, who is in love with Akira, who is in love with a memory. Tokiko is desired by Tomo and Akira is the objet d’crush for Robert. It’s not so much raging hormones and love as raging crushiness and sincere “like.” Aside from the magic, it reminds me pretty thoroughly of high school, in fact.

This particular love polygon involves the characters in an extended-family of a sort, since they each want to support the person they like and are usually friends with each other. So when Akira is punished by a teacher for circumstances beyond her control from the first volume, they all pitch in to help.

Yoru creates a magic pill (magic medicine is her specialty) which she ends up taking, focusing her interest on Shouya who has a thing for her. but it turns out that she actually intended it for Akira, hoping to “become more friendly.” Akira rejects that, but is glad enough to be plenty friendly with Yoru as it is.

We follow Robert’s struggle with his magic power – the ability to make things move – that has severely lessened since he was young, and when Akira is struck with a cold, everyone moves heaven and earth to try and make her well.

Tokiko’s interest in Shouya brings Tomo up against a wall as she sees into Tokiko’s heart while trying to be kind to her. She’s not giving up, but she knows there’s really no chance for her.

And in a radical turn of events, a second girl trapped in an iron suit appears. Only this girl, Mimosa, brings with her an evil and unkind magic that possesses Akira and makes her do bad things. The book comes to an end as Akira faces the fact that it may have been a terrible mistake to let Mimosa out of her iron suit.

Yuri this volume is one-sided, a bit annoying, but constant. Tomo’s crush on Tokiko will remain unrequited, but it’s real. Yoru’s interest in Akira includes wanting to turn her into a love slave, so I think we can say it goes beyond sisterly feelings and there’s a random breast grope when Akira is possessed by Mimosa’s evil snake spirit.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Characters – 7
Story – 7
Yuri – 3
Service – 2

Overall – 7

As you know, I am not a Hakamada Mera fan, but as far as this particular artist goes, I think this way well be my favorite book and definitely my favorite series so far. It’s not great drama or hysterical comedy. It retreads extremely well-worn paths, but it’s quite nice actually, and comfortable, like a well-worn shoe…with magical shoelaces.





V-Hunter Manga

March 25th, 2009

I’m pleased as punch and mad as a porridge knife to offer you a Guest Review today by Okazu Hero Katherine! Katherine thank you so, so much for this review because it means I didn’t have to write anything for today! Yay! :-) I would like to take this opportunity to flog an old horse. This review is about a scanlation. You may have noticed that I do not do reviews of scanlations. I either buy the book in English or Japanese, or one of the Okazu heroes buys it for me. I know that some scanlation groups simply desire to share obscure and out-of-print things with fans. However, I strongly object to fans who read scanlations and watch fansubs but do not support the genre in any meaningful way. I know that my readers are huge purchasers of Yuri, and for that I am immensely proud and thankful, so I am not accusing you, dear reader. Just making a point for people who should stumble upon this review randomly, or who have never considered the issue before. Thank you for your patience, the dead horse flogging is done, the review will now commence.

When I found Shizuru Hayashiya’s debut work, a modest one-shot titled V-Hunter, my heart went aflutter and my eyes lit up with childlike glee at the thought of seeing the starting point for Hayashiya-sensei’s professional manga career, which would later include the excellent action-comedy Hayate x Blade and the delightfully goofy rom-com Strawberry Shake Sweet. After reading V-Hunter, all that I could think was, “Hayashiya’s come a long way since then….”

Don’t get me wrong. The story features Hayashiya’s trademark energy, screwball humor, and of course, Yuri. (Yay!) But like any incipient mangaka, her story is marked with the telltale signals of inexperience. First, the artwork. The character designs are very 90s shoujo. Hayashiya was clearly still defining her own unique style when she drew this. While full of dynamic facial expressions and expressive body gestures (a signature of her later manga), the art lacks the confident, solid line work and more appealing, refined character designs that she would hone in her later works. (Although her take on Rhett Butler is hilarious.)

The story itself is fairly unique. A high school-aged girl (come to think of it, she never gets a name…) rents an old VHS copy of Gone with the Wind (E here…OLD? That’s all we *had* in the 90s! Sheesh.) from a local video store. But since she’s playing the video for the 666th time (*insert evil laughter*), out pops a demonic version of Rhett Butler who, being a demon, needs the blood of a virgin after arriving to earth. That does mean what you think it means, but before Rhett can sully our virtuous heroine, a mysterious woman conveniently shows up (the V-hunter or “video stream manipulator,” who does get a name) and, upon the girl’s request, banishes Rhett back into the video (I’m laughing as I type this) using another video demon from a well-known horror flick. After the V-hunter’s task is complete, the girl asks her how she can repay her. But since she can’t pay the monetary fee (3,000,000 yen), she agrees to “pay” the V-Hunter using her body. (Which again, does mean what you think it means, but Hayashiya doesn’t show anything more than strictly necessary. Sorry. :) ) The V-Hunter then leaves, and the omniscient narrator sagely reveals that the V-Hunter only saves pretty girls. How noble. :)

So, despite the threat of non-con, this comes through as a fluffy, fun one-shot (more fun than it really should be @_@;;) that will satisfy those looking for some goofy humor and a weird story, if not the storytelling chops and broadly appealing characterization that appears in Hayashiya’s later works. (But hey, it’s a one-shot.) Anybody who’s a fan of Shizuru Hayashiya’s manga should check it out, if only for the fun of seeing how far she’s progressed and which elements have been present in her work since the beginning of her career.

Ratings:

Art: 6 (Fun, but kinda sketchy.)
Story: 7
Characters: 6 (Nobody I would want to meet, but still entertaining.)
Yuri: 7
FanBoy: 3
FanGirl: 4
Hayashiya Fan: 8

Overall: 7

Thanks again Katherine and Lililicious, for bringing us a look at another screwball Yuri comedy from the screwball mind of Hayashiya-sensei. I’ll be back tomorrow, but no clue if I’ll care about you all enough to post. See you soon!





Yuri News This Week – March 21, 2009

March 21st, 2009

Off we fly, into the wild Yuri yonder!

Yuri Anime

Sasamekikoto anime has been confirmed. I’m flabbergasted, gobsmacked and tickled. Hopefully, those of you who see Sumi and Ushio will be moved to buy the manga, which is absolutely delightful.

And speaking of delightful, there is a trailer up for Aoi Hana. No animation as of yet, but you can see the pretty watercolors from the manga and say “oooh.”

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Snatches of Yuri

Looks like a new web-based Mai HiME property is on the way: Mai HiME Rebundei Nekohime Blog. Based merely on a superficial glance at the web page, I already hate it. lol

George R points an enthusiastic finger at the novel Memories Off 2nd ~ Precious Hearts, which has unexpected and not entirely craptastic Yuri. He has provided a review which will surely be used at some time in the future. :-)

Otoshite Apri-gal is also something that, based just on first glance is nothing I want to read. But those of you who disagree with me on mostly everything will surely like it!

And last for today is yet another Mangatime Kirara (KR Comics) series called Manken which is in every single Yuri list, so I guess it has Yuri, huh? As it’s KR, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s probably a 4-koma, with a wacky girl, an average girl, a butchy-ish girl and the other girl. :-)

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That’ll give you something to chew on while I take a few days off and go do other, completely non-anime/manga things that involve people who don’t read any of this crap. See you when I get back!





Yuri News this Week – March 7, 2009

March 7th, 2009

Really short news report this week, because I’ve been miserable sick all week.

Yuri Manga

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is getting a 4th series, this time in manga. the previous Nanoha manga series were short, almost in between the spaces of the anime series. (I just finished reading the StrikerS manga last week, as it happens.) This new series will kick off in new magazine Nyantype from Kadokawa, the title of which does not fill me with hope. *However,* we are told that in this series Nanoha will be 25, which IMHO makes her fully cooked, at last. Phew.

Fans will be pleased that Vivio is getting her own series, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid, in Kadokawa’s Comp Ace magazine.

Yuri Monogatari 6, the newest 100% Yuri anthology from ALC Publishing has been sent off to the printers. There’s still time to pre-order! Get great new Yuri from Rica Takashima, Circle UKOZ, Eriko Tadeno and many more. It’s a terrific book, I’m very pleased. :-)

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Yuri Anime

In what has to be the weirdest choice ever, Shimura Takako’s Aoi Hana (Sweet Blue Flowers) will be getting an anime. Don’t get me wrong – I think it’s a wonderful, terrific choice. But an odd one, if you think about it for a second. :-) In any case, we’ll all be getting to see our babydyke hero Fumi power her way through other people’s issues, with her vulnerable, sweet, core of steel personality. A great role model for young Japanese girls who will never see this, because I’m sure it’ll be on at 2AM lol.

Speaking of school series in which nothing happens, the third season set of Maria Watches Over Us has begun shipping. I’ve already watched one disk. lol And my Yellow Rose swings from the corner of my now overloaded phone. It’s not *quite* the same as headbands and postcards and panda cloths, and more postcards and marble-patterned photo albums and all the other good crap we got from the Collector’s sets, but it’s a thing. I’m happy. :-)

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On Saturday, March 14 at 2PM, and Monday, March 16 at 7PM, please join me at the Morris County Free Library for lectures on their absolutely stellar Graphic Novels collections – which include a nice amount of both Yuri and Yaoi, so do please come down and show your support for the library and for GNs!

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Like I said, short report this week. But quality totally makes up for quantity, this time. :-)





Yuri Manga: Strawberry Shake Sweet, Volume 2

March 6th, 2009

Strawberry Shake Sweet (ストロベリーシェイクSWEET) Volume 2, continues the love comedy of hyperactive upcoming young idol, Tachibana Julia and ditzy upcoming young model, Asakawa Ran. It’s Baka x Boke, Idol x Model, Strawberries and Lilies all around!

Ran has made her debut as a model and her career takes off so fast that she and Julia don’t ever get a moment together. But their separation brings epiphany, as Ran is forced to confront her feelings for Julia, after her photographer points out the obvious.

Now the situation becomes even more complex than in Volume 1. Julia has managed to find a way to work around her feelings for Ran, but now Ran has to figure out how to work around her own feelings. It’s all nosebleeds and self-flagellation, until Julia brings it all to a head with an invitation to go on a trip together. Alone. Together.

Zlay provides some impetus for the the two of them with an urgent request for them to be the replacement opening act of the show. Ran and Julia put on a powerful, dramatic performance that climaxes in a kiss. (!) While the concert rages below them, they manage to blunder their way through miscommunication and idiocy to realize that they both like each other. *That* way.

And, in the way of all romances, just as soon as they two of them manage to figure it all out and be together – they are ripped apart.

Ran’s mother had sent her to school her in Japan, only to find that her ditzy daughter had gone and become a model. It’s a life she does not want for her child and she refuses to allow it to continue. She whisks Ran away, leaving Julia to spend her days trying to find her. With her 18th birthday coming, Julia refuses to give up the search for Ran.

Of course, they are reunited with much happiness and hugs. ^_^

There are two extra chapters for this volume – one, the New Year’s episode in which Kaoru visits Saeki’s apartment and Saeki gets to express fairly straight forwardly, just how homophobic she actually is, if you think about it.

The second extra is what you have all been waiting for. Ran asks Julia to move in together. And I absolutely refuse to spoil the rest of the chapter, except to say that you will probably be outraged and/or disappointed by the end. ^_^

But that doesn’t matter, because the scenes at the concert are so entirely worth the price, that I would recommend this book even if they didn’t get together. Which they do.

If you bought the last issue of Yuri Hime you also received the second “Blueberry Shake Bitter” Cover as an extra, which is very fun. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 8
Service – 2

Overall – 9

As funny as this manga is, I’m forced to conclude that this story is not *quite* as perfect for Hayashiya as Hayate x Blade. The action component just catapults that series to perfection.

But hey – this is a groundbreaking series. A Yuri series for Yuri magazine by a woman who has been drawing Yuri comedy for a long, long time. A must-have for any fan of “Yuri.”