Archive for the Artists Category


Yuri Manga: 2DK, G Pen, Mezamshitokei, Volume 6 (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。6)

January 2nd, 2018

In Ohsawa Yayoi’s 2DK, G Pen, Mezamshitokei, Volume 6 (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。6), we get something we haven’t seen before – Kaede’s perspective.

Nanami, having come to a conclusion for herself, confessed her feelings to Kaede at the end of Volume 5. At the beginning of Volume 6, we see, in a single panel, Kaede’s true feelings. Overwhelmed, unsure and a little horrified at the idea that both the important women in her life have confessed to liking her, we see Kaede with an expression we’ve never seen before. It’s a great expression.

And then, Kaede gets back to work. Koyuki comes over to help and takes the opportunity to berate Nanami for being clueless about her feelings for Kaede, only to find out that Nanami’s also confessed. They have a tremendously satisfying scene where they argue about each other’s relative importance to Kaede and self-deprecatingly agree to keep taking care of Kaede.

When Koyuki isn’t available to help Kaede, Nanami finds herself intruding on the other woman’s bailiwick. Unsure of herself, Nanami asks Kaede about her history with Aoi. And, finally, we get a story from Kaede’s point of view.  (I still don’t like Aoi, but it’s nice to spend a moment inside Kaede’s head for a second, even if it’s just to find out that she really is a golden retriever puppy of a human.)

The volume wraps up with a look at Nanami from her coworkers’ perspectives and an invitation in the mail. The extra chapter is a silly “what if Nanami was a hard drinking pachinko playing layabout and Kaede was the responsible one”?  

This volume is everything I like about this series. It’s not rushing to pair the principals up. It’s taking it’s time with the main conflict of most Yuri manga – what the heck to do with all these feels.

The main “conflict” of Yuri manga is not the relationship itself, but where to put the feelings the characters feel. Most of us grow up surrounded by hetersexual expectations, role models, media, and discussions. From birth we’re handed a box labeled “Love” that’s filled to the brim with gender-associated behaviors and reactions and includes, at the bottom, an assumption of an opposite-sex partner. 

Those of us who, actively or passively, reject that box, are required to build a new box, often with scraps of media and fantasies. For those people who never wanted to or cared about rejecting that box, building the new one is even weirder. For Nanami, who came into this story with a fiancé and a presumption that the initial box was sufficient, this entire series has been about her recognizing that she may need to make a new box ,after all. And now, here at the end of Volume 6, she may just start to be able to think about doing that.

As I say this story is not rushing. And with this major step ahead in the main plot, it’s time for a digression. It’s the 5th digression so far, and at this point, I’m all curled up on the sofa with a glass of wine, ready to digress. Ohsawa-sensei, take me away!

Ratings: 

Art – 9 That one panel of Kaede was sublime.
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 4
Service – 3

Overall – 9

The first volume of this series started with the message that life was messy, and it hasn’t changed a bit. I love it. Last review of 2017 and first of 2018! Bring it on!





Yuri Manga: 2DK, GPen, Mezamashitokei, Volume 5 (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。)

December 25th, 2017

In 2DK, GPen, Mezamashitokei, Volume 5 (2DK、Gペン、目覚まし時計。) Nanami comes to a decision regarding her feelings for Kaede, then the world conspires to make her rethink that position.

First of all, Nanami’s kouhai from school tracks her down in Tokyo. Mahiru has always been in love with Nanami and when it’s apparent that Nanami has feelings about Kaede that she’s not admitting to herself yet, Mahiru sees an opportunity to get her foot wedged in the door, so to speak. She lays down a foundation of doubt and jealousy that come to fruition when, luckily for Mahiru, Nanami is required to stay in the office for a few nights for a major launch.

Meanwhile, Koyuki can’t stand it any more and tells Kaede that she likes her. Kaede, predictably misses the point, but does let Koyuki know she’s important to her. The tension between them settles a bit, as Koyuki figures out that she has an important place in Kaede’s life.

Nanami manages to come home, only to see that (to her brainwashed and exhausted self) that Kaede and Koyuki are having the time of their lives without her around. Nanami runs back to Mahiru who tries to take advantage of her and, in doing so, Mahiru tells us and Nanami something we didn’t realize. Nanami tries to put Mahiru off by saying she’s uninterested in women – but Mahiru says that she has met (and slept with) Nanami’s girlfriend in college. Oh-ho! Nanami can no longer deny that she has been (and is) interested in other women.

The veil lifts and Nanami can see clearly once her own denial of years getting back and her denial of her feelings now. She leaves Mahiru and goes home. When Koyuki leaves, Nanami, finally, confesses her feeling to Kaede(!).

This was a tough volume to read, while Mahiru was attempting to manipulate Nanami – something that would not have worked for half a second, if Nanami wasn’t so invested in her own denial. On the other hand, it’s still pretty funny to see how much of a girl magnet Nanami is.

I absolutely adore this series for little things. Coffee at work being a life saver, all-night marketing campaign launches, and other realities of adult life. The drama is personal, the story is not-quite-realistic and I love that Nanami just has not really noticed how every adult women she knows is in love with her. ^_^ There’s a lot to love. She’s competent and cool and human. The humanity in this series is, to me, relatable and enjoyable, even when the love polygon gets a little silly. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 4
Service – 3 Mahiru hitting on Nanami (with all the subtlety of a bag of bricks.)

Overall – 8

This was a perfect choice for my last review of 2017. Adult characters, emotions, situations. Lesbians don’t die after they graduate high school in Yuri manga any more! We’ve come a long way baby (this year.)





Torikaebaya Manga, Volume 12 (とりかえ・ばや)

December 24th, 2017

It’s all coming to a climax in Torikaebaya, Volume 12  (とりかえ・ばや).

The penny dropped in Volume 11, as the emperor got an inkling of an idea that the person he knows as his consort Suiren is quite likely the young lord he cultivated as Sarasoujuu.

In Volume 12, Umetsubo Naishogami boldly asks the Emperor to remember that the young Sarasoujuu was injured by an arrow and to look at Suiren for that scar, which he finds. He now knows for sure that his Suiren is really Sarasojuu (and thus that Sarasojuu is really Suiren.) But, now he has it the right way ’round. It’s obvious that his lover is a woman and as she was clearly Sarasoujuu, Sarasoujuu was a woman all along.

Evil priest Ginkaku attempts to assasinate the Emperor with a snake hidden in a plant, but Sarasoujuu as Suiren is quick to suck out the poison and save him. So he’s got to be convinced that whatever the story, she is not his enemy.

But Ginkaku is not done interfering. In a last attempt to destroy the Emperor, he brainwashes poor little new heir Yuzuru-shinou. Undoubtedly to do nefarious deeds to the Emperor.

Next volume is the end of this series and I can see a couple of options here, both with and without Sara and Suiren dead. If Sara gets to be with the Emperor and Suiren with Ichinomiya-hime they’d all be happy, but they won’t be themselves. So mostly happily-ever-after. I guess.

Ratings:

Art – 10
Story – 9
Characters – 9 No matter what her gender presentation, Sarasoujuu is a hero
Service – 2

Overall – 10

One day when I grow up and my Japanese is much better than it currently is, I’m going to read this whole thing over again. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Bloom Into You, Volume 3 (English)

December 15th, 2017

As I read Nakatani Nio’s Bloom Into You, Volume 3, I get to experience a vast range of emotion, much of which I find hard to put into words. I can’t help seeing the narrative through my own lens, even when the characters tell me that my interpretation is wrong. ^_^;

In Volume 3, Yuu is at great pains to explain her feelings about Touko. She acknowledges confusion about what she and Touko want and also that their needs are only partially compatible. But what is not acknowledged is that Touko’s needs and desire from Yuu are mutually exclusive in and of themselves. On the one had, she needs Yuu to never fall in love with her, but she also wants Yuu to want her. Yuu, as always, has a different story in her head. She kind of reminds me of a person I knew who was waiting for some kind of spiritual awakening. She did all kinds of different spiritual practices, but never felt that “aha!” she was looking for. I keep wondering if Yuu is just missing what she’s actually feeling, while looking for something else.

In the meantime, I give all my attention to Sayaka and the cafe owner, their teacher’s lover. The cafe owner has good gaydar, (and again, I crow about the important place of adult role models in teen narrative.)

But, back to me and my feelings. I am exasperated with Touko, and her pushing Yuu for whom I feel sympathy but no empathy. Before I began writing this review I asked myself if I would have less frustration if I knew that Nakatani-sensei were either queer herself or was, in actual fact, attempting to portray a complexed, nuanced queer narrative. To be honest, the answer was yes. As it is, I’m taking the narrative as it’s presented, which means I’m as at a loss as Yuu. I can’t help but compare this to Shimanami Tasogare. While equally fraught, the situations in Kamatani-sensei’s story are more realistic and I believe we can trust the creator to tell us a strong LGBTQ story, neither of which is true for Bloom Into You.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Generally good, with a few lazy panels
Story – N/A I have no idea. Is it good? Is it going exactly the way the creator wants it, or not? I can’t tell!
Character – Erm, um, 3? I can’t get a bead on who/what Touko is, and as she’s the main plot driver….. +3 for adult lesbian couple
Service – 5 Yes, see below
Yuri – 8 Yes, despite narrative (and/or overthinking reader) confusion, there’s plenty of Yuri.

Overall – 7, with me waffling back and forth throughout from good and nuanced to argh.

Volume 4 will be hitting shelves in February 2018. It’s not going to resolve any of my conflicted feelings. 





Yuri Manga: Ani no Yome to Kurashiteimasu. Volume 3 (兄の嫁と暮らしています。)

December 1st, 2017

In Volume 3 of Kuzushiro’s Ani no Yome to Kurashiteimasu. (兄の嫁と暮らしています。), Shino and Nozomi are starting to “see” each other as fully realized individuals, beyond their previous relationship as sisters-in-law.

This volume focuses on Nozomi, particularly. And this is critical, because Shino does not yet think of Nozomi as a whole individual, as most people don’t with relatives. We think of them in relationship to ourselves, rather than as their own selves. But in this volume, we learn about Nozomi’s relationship with her late husband and her perception of Shino. While Shino learns about Nozomi’s family life…and has the unpleasant experience of having to deal with Nozomi’s mother’s scolding, as she stands at her brother’s graveside. It’s a grating experience, but Shino’s completely able to manage it with only slight frustration. We’re reminded that Shino is a very decent person, when she doesn’t tell Nozomi’s mom to shut up.

But later, as she waits for a very late Nozomi at home, Shino has a quiet little melt-down. Nozomi makes it home at nearly midnight to find Shino curled up in front of the door, desperately trying to not fall asleep.

Up until now, I’ve felt very much that Shino didn’t see Nozomi clearly as a person, but as the object of a crush she decided she has. At this point, the playing board has been cleared for them, I think and if they do develop a romantic relationship of their own, it won’t feel forced.

Ratings:

Art – 7 This is Kuzushiro-sensei at her mainstream-est in terms of art.
Story – 7 Overwrought and tense, but not unreadably so
Characters – 7 Completely likable on their own
Yuri – 3 Mild, mostly service as of yet. But I expect it will get there
Service – 5 Bathing and sleeping together, neck rubs and hugs. Mild for a Square Enix/YG Comic.

Overall – 7

I find myself much less uncomfortable with this story as compared to a similarish relationship in tMnR’s Tatoeto Dokonu Itoda Toshitemo (たとえとどかぬ糸だとしても ), primarily because the brother is dead in this one and alive in that one. It’s amazing how a single detail changes everything.