When Yuri Network Correspondent Sean G. drew my attention to this manga, he did it in the least appealing way, much as he might have introduced me to a creepy relative. “This is Aunt Claudia. We have to invite her.” ^_^ So, while it wasn’t high on my list of manga to read, it went onto the list and eventually, onto the pile of things to review.

Ichiroh, Volume 1, follows the life of Nanako, a girl who fails to get into college, her friend Akane who shares her fate and friend Shiino who makes it in. These three are surrounded by other one or two joke characters that fill out the cast of this completely typical wackiness-filled 4-koma manga.

As with most 4-panel strips, the comedy relies on goofy, abnormally extreme behaviors, puns, and exasperation on the part of the non-comic characters. If you’ve read any other 4-panel, you’ve read this one. In fact, other than the translation being in actual fluent English, it’s not that different from Lucky Star.

There was one thing that bothered me. Nanako is a serious, level-headed studious girl. Who, for no apparent reason, doesn’t make it into college. Everyone around her is driven by an Id-obsession. Greed, Lust, Power, Sloth all make frequent appearances. And yet, the other people seem to do fine. While Nanako, who only wants peace and quiet and a decent grade is forced to suffer for their sins. When she nearly fails a mock exam after studying diligently, I almost gave up on the manga. Shades of Azumanga Daioh‘s Yomi, who is one of the smartest in the class suddenly, for *no* reason fails to pass the exam, while hyperactive and not all that bright Tomo gets in. Thankfully, the near-failure turns out to be a computer grading glitch. In reality, she did very well. So, I continued reading.

The Yuri is confined to the meaningless bleating of Nanako’s friend Shiino who, as Sean says, “lusts pointlessly” after Nanako. She is joined in her repesentative of a popular fetish act by Nanako’s older brother who also bleats after his sister.

I didn’t dislike it nearly as much as I expected to. If anything, I found it surprisingly not terrible, only a little exhausting. If the world of 4-koma manga are the cast of Peanuts, Ichiroh would be Frieda.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 4
Service – 4

Overall – 7

Completely coincidentally, today’s sponsor is once again Okazu Superhero Dan P. It’s not on purpose, really. He sent me a lot (that’s how one gets to be Superhero, after all) and I happened to have been picking his off the pile quite randomly. No favoritism meant or implied, I assure you. (Check’s in the mail, right Dan?)

Ichiroh

It’s a full-on “stress about your gender” a-thon in Click, Volume 3.

Joonha, now trapped permanently in a woman’s body, is not one whit less gynophobic than she was a a guy. Men’s bodies, she says, “sure are strong and beautiful,” while women’s bodies are “impossible to move around in and annoying as hell.” Yep, you sure gotta like Joonha, especially if you’re into whining and self-loathing.

And then there’s Heewon Jun who, in frustration at her unresolved love for Joonha, has taken to being the meanest, most violent, crude girl she can be. She smokes, she uses physical violence and she curses up a storm. And she’s brought to a screeching halt when her friend from her former school points out the obvious and tells her that the guy she’s in love with…is a woman. Obviously. Duh. I mean, no guy would wear a skirt, right? It could be fun and Yuri-ish if she decides she doesn’t care. I foresee “funny” sexual harassment.

Then there’s Joonha’s actual real love of her life, her old and dearest friend Jinhoo, who is relieved and pleased to see his best friend – but not so much to find out that Joonha will not tell him why he left school.

And finally, there’s Taehyun, living a triple life of privileged wealth, Robin Hood businessman and tough-guy slacker all at once. He and Joonha actually make a good couple, but unless Jinhoo dies, it’s unlikely that they’ll ever be together. Actually, even if Jinhoo dies. *Especially* if Jinhoo dies. The author is bummed that none of the fans of the comic seem to like Taehyun and I’m with her. He’s the only character who accepts Joonha for what she is *right now.*

As a comedy, this is high melodrama. As an action story it’s silly. As a cross-gender morality play it’s dismal. As a cast of self-flagellating adolescent characters beating themselves senseless upon the altars of their own misery it’s just fine and dandy. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 6
Characters – 7
Yuri – 1
Service- 1

Overall – 7

Once again, the “pigeon of thanks” wings its way to Okazu Superhero Dan P! Thank you for sponsoring today’s review and letting us all whack ourselves over the head with Korean gender switch “comedy.”

After yesterday’s amazing interview this will immediately pale into the obscurity it deserves, but it has to be done. ^_^

We have, through much hardship and effort, made our way through to the final, climactic volume of Alice on Deadlines and still, the title remains the best part of the story.

The final showdown is less of a showdown than a melee and characters are being stabbed through the gut left and right (with scythes. Seriously? Who uses a scythe to *stab*?!? I mean, yes – you can do it, but what a miserable misuse of a lovely weapon. My long-handled, edged-weapons-loving self protests.)

But in no way is this really anything to do with the story. The story, such as it is, is really about Alice and Lapan, each stuck in a body that is not theirs and only one of them happy about it.

So the final showdown with Regina comes and, instead of it being Lapan vs Regina, it’s everyone vs everyone, with really hard to follow art, but we’re able to parse a few key concepts. The big takeaway – personal loyalty trumps silly plot complication.

As we always suspected – everyone in the Tsurukame family, the heads of the company for which Lapan works, is a cross-dresser. Unlike the sex-obsessed male members of the family, the President and eldest sister seems to actually have business in mind. The severely competent, cross-dressing female business leader stereotype strikes again. Thankfully, she puts an end to the nonsense of destroying lots of lives just to let Lapan and Regina destroy each other.

Somuria remains completely Yuri for Alice, even after she regains her body…in fact, I’m never really sure Somuria realized that it was Lapan in there for most of the series. Because she was competent and hunky, I will also insist that President Tsurukame is gay. ;-) That’s about it for Yuri.

Way, way, waaaaaayyyyy down in what teeny, weeny little soul this manga had, it was a love story. And although we have been told many times that Shinigami and humans cannot be together, Lapan somehow manages to live happily ever after with Alice. No explanations will be given, so just move along, thank you, nothing to see here.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 3
Characters – 4
Yuri – 3
Service – 7

Overall – 4

Many, many sincere thanks to today’s Sponsor, Okazu Hero Ed S! All this needed was popcorn and it would have made a perfect rainy Sunday afternoon snark-a-thon. ^_^