Archive for the Artists Category


Yuri Manga: Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to

August 9th, 2006

From the creator of Iono-sama Fanatics, comes an equally adorable, equally yuri-riffic series, Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to, by Fujieda Miyabi. (Transliteration supplied on the book itself.)

MikoMajyo, as Fujieda refers to it in his afterword, ran in Yuri Shimai, then Yuri Hime magazines, and has now been collected into a single volume. There are two versions – the manga only and the deluxe version which comes with a Drama CD. If you know anything about me, you’ll be able to guess that I bought the deluxe version. A review of the Drama CD will be forthcoming. ^_^

As with the other Yuri Hime Comics volumes, I’m going to review this story as if we have never read it before. Some of you may have not…although you absolutely should.

The story begins with European witch Letty, complete with broom and big pointy hat, arriving at a small shrine in Japan that is hidden away by a magic barrier. Letty penetrates the barrier without difficulty and finds that a lone priestess, Tsumugi, tends the shrine. Something about Tsumugi’s plight moves Letty and she takes it upon herself to free the miko from the magical ties that bind her to the shrine. Tsumugi finds herself immediately attracted to Letty and tells her so unhesitatingly. Letty is loathe to free the miko and leave her without normal life skills, so she agrees to take Tsumugi with her. To save Tsumugi from getting lost, Letty conjures up a magical string to connect them. Tsumugi says her favorite color is red, so they are bound by a red thread of fate…and how embarrassed is Letty to find out what that means in Japan! But Tsumugi isn’t fazed – she feels an instant connection with Letty, Letty’s pronouncement that the kiss they shared was just so the magic could work notwithstanding.

The first order of the day is to get refreshments. They just happen to stop at a cafe which you will hear alot more about in the upcoming days – the Ameiro Koucha Pavilion. (The characters from this story were originated for [es]Eternal Sisters 2 and will be the main focus of the new series from Fujieda-sensei for upcoming Yuri Hime issues.) Tsumugi embarrasses the bejeebus out of Letty by happily, loudly and publicly saying that she likes the witch. Letty rationalizes it as a comment from a child, since Tsumugi is essentially a babe in the woods when it comes to personal interaction.

Miko and witch head over to what I can only guess must be a cross-over with another Fujieda series. At a stab, I bet it’s the crowd from Twinkle Saber Nova, Fujieda’s other ongoing manga series. I haven’t read it, yet. (9/5/06 note: Wrong. The designers are all from Alice Quartet, yet *another* original series Fujieda does. It dawned on me when I was going through my Drama CDs and found the first Alice Quartet volume. I had forgotten about this series entirely… it’s about five – yes, I know – clothing designers. Hence Letty and Tsumugi coming to their shop to get clothes.) In any case, Letty and Tsumugi trade in witch and miko costumes for regular street clothes and proceed to go out for a walk. Despite Letty’s reticence, Tsumugi continues to press her case for liking Letty, until Letty is forced to admit that maybe her feelings are not like a child’s. Tsumugi confides she has very little memory of her past. We see that they are being followed by a mysterious someone, even as they are growing closer.

While they are out in a boat on a lake a mysterious wave soaks them. The mysterious someone mysteriously communicates that she’s found Tsumugi and will watch her until she can get her back to the shrine. Mysteriously.

The two women find themselves in a hotel, where Tsumugi once again makes a strong case for her feelings. Letty thaws enough to allow them to share a bed platonically, even giving Tsumugi a good night kiss. (From my perspective, at this point, Letty’s just playing hard to get – I’ve never in my entire life rolled over on someone like that to give them an innocent, chaste goodnight kiss. But…more on that later in the Drama CD review. ^_^)

The next morning Tsumugi seems to have developed a nagging cough. Throughout the day, her condition worsens, until the mysterious someone arrives and blames it on Letty! Turns out that the mysterious someone is a servant of the shrine, Suzushiro Isuzu. Isuzu tells Letty that Tsumugi’s well-being requires her being at the shrine, and Letty having released her is what is killing her. Tsumugi regains consciousness and tells Letty her unhappy story – in order to save her life, her mother gave her to the god of the shrine as a servant. While she eventually got used to it, as a child the abandonment weighed heavily on her.

Letty is determined to save Tsumugi from this fate, and decides to have it out with the shrine’s god. In a magical handwave, she is once again the witch and hops on her broom to save the woman she loves. Tsumugi comments that she never expected her knight on a horse to be a witch on a broom. Isuzu is shocked, but a little impressed with Letty’s skills.

I won’t give away the ending, which you already know if you’ve read my reviews of Yuri Hime anyway, but trust me – the girl gets the girl. ^_^ And she does it with some style, too!

Ratings:
Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 1 on principle

Overall – 8

Once again, Fujieda Miyabi-sensei comes through with an original work that doesn’t at all read like every other yuri manga ever. It is unrelentingly cute without ever getting cloying. The ending is solid – and cute – with a great lead-in to the Drama CD!

A definite must-have for Yuri manga fans.





Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime 5, Part 2

July 30th, 2006

We pick up the thread of Yuri Hime 5 with a short post-“Hatsukoi Shimai” story set-up for the two cover girls, Mihiru (left) and Nachiru (right). They are the very bestest of friends and treaure each other but for some reason Mihiru did not join the same club as Nachiru at Tsunojo High…! The reason why is still a mystery – assumably we get their story in a future issu or maybe future covers will have other Tsunojo students until, like Lillian, and Astoria and whatever the school is in the Morinaga Milk stories, we can add Tsunojo to the unwritten list of “lesbian high schools.” ^_^

Sigh…”Nanami to Misuzu” still presents me with unpenetrable, not terribly amusing shorts. This issue they center around summer activities and much cutesy pouting.

Our fractured fairy tale is, oddly, a repeat from Yuri Hime 1. “Snow White” stays with her cute loli dwarves, and the Prince/ss is a failure.

This brings me to the biggest disappointment of this volume. The third chapter of “Simoun” is…the last. Without the least sign of the cool plot they could have built, or any hint of the actual war, the manga ends very lukewarmly. Not surprisingly, Neviriru and Aeru vow to fly together. Don’t get me wrong – the story didn’t end badly or anything, I was just hoping for *more* of it.

“Kawaii Anata” is yet another “school festival play at a girls’ school” story, where the boyish girl is glad to play the prince to the beautiful girl, but is really, really hating being pinholed by the rest of the girls. The “twist” at the end was pretty obvious, but cute nonetheless.

The last piece is an interview with three of the voice actresses for the Kotonoha Miko to Kotodama no Majou to Drama CD, which came with the manga of the same series. (A review of which will be forthcoming.) The three seiyuu are, not surprisingly, high on the “six degrees of yuri scale.” Nota Mamiko, Nabatame Hitomi and Watenabe Akeno, discuss their characters and the story of the Drama CD. My favorite moment was when Watanabe (who uses “boku” to refer to herself) was discussing her character’s (Isuzu) love for Nota’s (who is called “Notachi” by both of the others) character (Tsumugi, the Miko). Watanabe starts to talk in first person – “I love” rather than “she loves”. It was probably a calculated moment, but like the story above, sometimes you’re willing to accept it at face value anyway. lol

And that’s it for this volume….which brings me to the best thing about it. Yuri Hime 5 comes with a delightful little omake volume of a new comic by Fujieda Miyabi (of “Kotonoha no Miko to…” and Iono-sama Fanatics fame.) The new series is slated to begin next issue. This little story is called “Ameiro Kouchakan Kandan” which they translate as “Heartful-Talking in Ameiro-koucha Pavilion.” I’d probably translate is “A Pleasant Chat at the Ameiro Cafe.” In this story, we meet Seriho, the owner of Ameriro Cafe, her employee Sarasa (who has it really, really bad for Seriho) and two friends and customers, Haru and Hinoka. These characters, and the Ameiro Cafe were originally introduced in the anthology [es]Eternal Sisters 2 which I reviewed back in September 2005. (I knew I recognized the characters right away, it took me mere moments to locate the right anthology.) The story is, as with all Fujieda Miyabi stories, the kind of sweet, pleasant yuri that makes one smile and sometimes laugh out loud. This chapter revolved around a Tanabata special that Seriho would like to do at the cafe. I look forward to future chapters. :-)

So there you have it – some good, some okay and some little disappointment, but overall as usual, Yuri Hime 5 – a strong showing for good Yuri. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime 5, Part 1

July 26th, 2006

Yuri Hime Volume 5 has much that is good, some that is okay and one or two things that were disappointing.

Starting with the cover, as I always do, the characters are not Touko-sensei and Akiho, as I had hoped, but two entirely new characters who are nonetheless are from Tsunojo High School, the setting for Hatsukoi Shimai. There is a short bio for each of the characters and a discussion of their relationship.

Starting with the less good, to get it out of the way:I have heard that this particular issue was plagued with some difficulties, including illness (Morinaga Milk is reported to have fallen ill…we wish a speedy recovery if its true), so there’s a sort of tentative feel to the whole issue. There’s nothing by Morinaga Milk, Fujieda Miyabi or Morishima Akiko in this volume. BUT, don’t despair! We expect to have all three back next issue. Indeed, this issue includes a short bound volume as an extra containing an intro to Fujieda Miyabi’s newest story. More on that later…and a little surpise relating to that, too, even later. ^_^

On to the stories!

The volume begins with everyone’s favorite yuri love comedy, “Strawberry Shake Sweet.” At last, Ran and Julia are reunited – with some surprising outcomes. Sena confront the photographer that broke her heart, with some surprising outcomnes. And Saeki gets more exercise than she’s used to.

“Mermaid Line” is a new series about a pair of mismatched friends – one who is beautiful, graceful, etc, etc and one who isn’t, or so she feels. The beautiful girl, Megumi, jokes that she is really a mermaid, but seems to swim awfully badly for one. :-) When, after Karasuma buys Megumi a copy of a picture book of the mermaid fairy tale, she begins to fantasize, just a little, that she is the Prince. To Be Continued…

The essay on yuri history covers “Applause” – a title familar to those who like “classic shoujo” yuri manga.

Chi-Ran’s story this issue, “Shoujo Bigaku” is a little departure from the norm. Beautiful Natsuki (BTW, clearly “Natsuki” has replaced “Yuri/ko” and “Kaoru” as the new “default yuri character name…) is completely in love with cute Kanae. In order to be able to go out with her, Natsuki has cut her hair and is masquerading as a boy. Their relationship progresses to the physical, but as much as she’d like to, Natsuki can’t bring herself to confess the deception. One day Kanae ends up outside the school and is verbally assaulted by some of the students for being unworthy of Natsuki-onee-sama. Kanae is, quite sincerely, confused, but the light dawns when Natsuki arrives to disperse the crowd. Her secret is out. Kanae runs away. Natsuki skips school for three days, until Kanae arrives to apologize – and to admit that she was naturally surprised, but decided that she loves Natsuki, period. Happy end.

Taishi Zaou and Eiki Eiki present what appears to be “Little Red Riding Hood,” a sequel to the earlier “Female Wolf.” This story was pretty much a radical departure from their usual overwrought tone – and as a result, it was GREAT!. Fuyuka, having been given encouragement by the school doctore to pursue her feelings, decides that she’s going after Natsuki (ahem) the school’s female “wolf”. She devises the usual “Come over to my house, no one else will be there” stratagem and awaits Natsuki’s arrival with nervous anticipation. Natsuki arrives and the two proceed to eat dinner, dessert, play a video game and watch a movie. Natsuki thanks Fuyuka for a fun evening and takes her leave…. Leaving poor over-stimulated Fuyuka a complete mess. Was she wrong about Natsuki’s feelings? She ponders the question at school, as Natsuki has a run-in with the school’s “jaguar” to her “wolf”, Haruka. Fuyuka bails only to slam into Haruka’s pet girl, Akiho…who looks awfully like Fuyuka herself. It’s a tag-team Yuri something! Continued next issue – but who knows what will happen….

Oh my, how pervy “Tokimeki Mononoke Jogakuen” has turned out to be. I don’t know why I was surprised, really. The original color splash for it was pretty suggestive and, as I pointed out, female demons are almost *always* portrayed as possessing unusual (for women, as assumed by men) sexual appetites. Arera is confronted with the fact that she will NOT be communitng to school, and then is forced to realize that despite her claim to be a rain fairy, there’s incontravertable proof to the contrary – she’s got a navel. Pero and Neko agree to hide the fact and encourage her to participate in normal student life. Arera agrees, until she’s told that normal student life appears to include a lot of okazu…if you get my meaning. If not, check out the very first post here ever.

Color pages of “midsummer love” follows, with random couples shown sexing it up. A few lines fill in details about each, as if anyone cares. ^_^

And I’ll finish this part off with the latest chapter of “Hatsukoi Shimai.” Touko-sensei’s arrival has the whole school in a tizzy – but none more so than Chika, Akiho and Haruna. Chika’s greatful for Touko’s ride home, but would rather have been with Haruna. In order to keep Touko away from Chika, Akiho is throwing herself at the teacher as a roadblock. She’s not even sure why. In the meantime, Haruna is starting to have dreams about the stressful time when she confessed to her former sempai and was (it’s implied) rejected – the thing that made her originally so cold to Chika. We learn that the dream had gone away since Chika came to the school…. As she feels Chika growing closer with the new teacher, Haruna withdraws, ultimately snapping at Chika in a very hurtful manner. Again, some of the stuff that’s going on is new from the original Drama CD, so I approve – especially the Haruna backstory, and Akiho’s overreaction to Touko-sensei. ^_^

I’ll call it quits here and try to get Part 2 up soon!





Yuri Anime: Madlax, Volume 7

July 3rd, 2006

Because I’m home for the holiday, I thought I’d try something new today – reviewing something as I watch it. So, I am watching Madlax, Volume 7 as I write.

The first thing that struck me was the cover of this DVD. If you haven’t yet gotten the connection between Madlax and Margaret, then you’re clearly running behind. This picture ought to make the point quite clearly.

It’s very hard to talk about this volume without massive spoilers, but I’m going to try to be vague and speculative about some key things. My apologies if I blow anything huge for you.

Right from the opening seconds there’s a great tension in this volume that doesn’t really dissipate until the end, where it’s supposed to. How amazing is that?

Episode 24

In the first episode, we finally see Madlax as she truly is – a phantasm. There’s a brilliant moment when a machine gun is shot at her and we can see the bullets ricochet against the rock behind her. Clearly, the shots passed right through her forehead. But there’s no reaction from her and no sign of the bullets. The shadow Madlax taking all the hits while the absurd dress-wearing Madlax shoots the enemy, was quite brilliant.

Then Rimelda arrives. She’s changed, one can see that immediately. There’s something like acceptance, and a little relief in her expression. She and Madlax have a moment that changes everything between them.

Meanwhile, we get to see just how much Eleanor truly loves Margaret, and what Margaret really is to her.

Episode 24 makes a really good case for there being many different ways that love can manifest. In day-to-day things, (what my wife and I refer to as “playing house”) and in remembering a person after they are gone.

We lose yet another friend and again, it’s a GREAT scene. In a war story, losing someone isn’t bizarre and can be used well. In anime, a main character remaining dead is almost unheard of. It makes the death more meaningful (in the sense of driving the story) when you know that they won’t pop back in a giant reset that renders everything pointless. The losses we suffer here are handled well and are definitely not pointless.

Episode 25

Where Episode 24 is about an apparent reality, 25 is about the magic that has driven the series from the beginning – some of which has only been hinted at. It’s a magic with no roots in our world, so we have to take everything we’re given at face value, which I like quite a bit.

Things we thought were resolved pop back up, still present. People we thought gone come back, but not for the reasons we might think. And Margaret is not saved, as it appeared last episode.

We get to see Friday Monday’s point of view on the events of twelve years ago, which adds the few last pieces to the puzzle – except why Friday Monday is such a crazy nerdbanger. That remains unexplained. Also I question the concept of the “Essence”, since it seems to always make people turn murderously violent against the person they love the most. It seems an obviously flaw to the FM’s insistence that that is the REAL truth, when it’s the same exact reaction in everyone who encounters the words. It’s like saying that datura is *really* an antacid, and the fact that people who take it die is sort of a side effect of the true disease within them. Except, as we see that FM is completely crazy, we can also see how, to him, this obviously evil magic spell is “The Truth (TM)”. Nonetheless, we do see the truth, finally, of what happened to Margaret, and who Madlax is.

When the calvary thunders down the hill – to kick ass music, mind you – it was so wonderful, if just to SHUT Friday Monday UP. Geez, his laugh is enough to make *me* shoot him.

Episode 26 – Final.

What can I really say about this episode that won’t be one great big spoiler? Let’s just say this – the story actually ends. And, to the best of the writers’ abilities, it makes sense. There are still tons of questions, but they are more about the hows than the whys or whats.

Watching Margaret making her decision this time, it all made more sense. Of course, if I tell you why, I’ll ruin the whole thing, so you’ll just have to watch it and get back to me.

And I guess there’s something to the bad guy who doesn’t die, because this way you can just keep killing the freak again and again…

Oh, and how happy was I when Margaret tells Friday Monday exactly what I pointed out in my review of Volume 6 – that there was no need to bring out the violence and hatred in people’s hearts, because we’re quite well aware that it exists, thanks awfully.

I still maintain that Madlax is the best writing that Bee Train has done. It has the mystery of the .hack series, without the endless meaningless chatter that goes nowhere, the Yuri and violence of Noir, the despair and love of Avenger and a story that resolves, unlike all of them. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Character – 9
Music – 8
Yuri – 3
Service – 3 (random breasts, pretty much)

Overall – 8

And what a great epilogue. I love that epilogue. Luv, luv. This series ends with an unexpected bang. Perfect for fanfic. (Which yes, I have written. It’s up on “Worldshaking” Fanfic. Enjoy!)





Yuri Manga: Saigo no Seifuku

June 21st, 2006

Sometimes, I wish I wasn’t so much of a hard ass. Not often, but sometimes. In this particular case, I’m torn. Some part of me would like to like Saigo no Seifukfu, and the rest of me just can’t get past thinking, “bleah.”

Saigo no Seifuku, The Last School Uniform, is about a bunch of young women at a…gasp!…girl’s school. The story focuses on several of the girls who share a dorm and, in the case of the one of the stories, a room. It’s all small crushes and small dramas and small jealousies. If the girls were older, I’d probably care more. There’s nothing here squicky or icky, and the crushes *are* crushes, not just friendship or admiration.

But for me the killer problem is the art. I simply can’t find anything appealing about it. Hanakada Mera certainly draws better than I ever will, but the huge heads and lack of depth in character design just puts me off.

Ratings:

Art – 2
Characters – 5
Story – 5
Yuri – 5

Overall – 5

I just don’t really think the art in Saigo no Seifuku is cute at all. The setup really isn’t that different from Aoi Hana, but the art just puts me off.