Archive for the English Manga Category


Battle Club Manga, Volume 4 and 5 (English)

August 20th, 2008

Battle Club is one of those manga that I read, then immediately think “Why am I reading this?” I’m not desperate for the sight of breasts or crotch shots, and I’m not enamored of bathroom humor. So after asking myself “why?” pretty much every single time I finish a volume of this, I can only come up with two possible answers: 1) I’ll read just about anything and, 2) I’m taking one for *you,* my loyal readers, so you don’t have to. ^_^; You’re welcome.

To be blunt, there’s nothing good about Battle Club. It scrapes the bottom of the gutter with every issue. In a bizarro way, it’s still sort of entertaining, if only to watch the author flail as he has to come up with new set-ups for the same three gags (“accidental” breast nudi

Volume 4 is pretty much Yuri-free, but has lots of the usual service as the members of the Swan HS wrestling club take on the nefarious – and rather irritating – members of the absurdly named N.O.B. organization. Tamako loses, which crushes her ego for a whole *chapter,* before eating a lot of curry and beating a bunch of guys up, which cheers her up right away. I can sort of sympathize with this. Beating people up makes me happy too. :-)ty, crotch shots, hard-on/pee jokes.) I love the pointless attempt to include something like a plot in the middle of these three things over and over. Very amusing.

Volume 5 continues the N.O.B. arc, and implies that there’s a real plot behind this all, but in reality the important scene is when the “lesbian” Vice Manager of the club, Higuchi, fake-kisses bathing-suit wearing loli Koumoku for mouth-to-mouth, then precedes to strip her and assumably do something naughty, or something. We are archly reminded that the VP is a lesbian, because we might have forgotten – or more likely thought that she was really a bottom-feeding guy. She is also seen later with a gaggle of female attendants giving her a tongue bath. Lesbians always do that, too. Mukoda almost fake-kisses Tamako, but doesn’t. The rest of the volume is cluttered up with wrestling and revenge and other uninteresting plot stuff.

Hey – did you know that girls wear underpants? But not bras, apparently.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 1
Characters – 3
Yuri – 2
Service – a million

Overall – 4

Thanks to today’s heroes, Dan P. and Everett L. for sponsoring yet another Okazu review. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. Now can you get me something *not* scuzzy to read? ^_^





Yuri Manga: Kannazuki no Miko, Volume 2 (English)

August 15th, 2008

In an epic display of overthinking things, it occurred to me that one could, if one was so inclined, consider Kannazuki no Miko Volume 1 as a story that stars Himeko, and concerns the bad choices she makes. In which case Volume 2 can equally be seen as an explication of Chikane’s story and her own series of bad choices.

I’m not saying that they *are* this, just that one *could,* if one was in the habit of sitting on a train and overthinking crappy manga, think that. ^_^

Tokyopop did a very superior job with this series. I want to say that right at the top of this review, because otherwise it might get lost in the middle of my damning with faint praise. ^_^

Volume 2 of Kannazuki starts with the morning after Chikane choses to protect Himeko by doing something unforgivable and making Himeko hate her, with Himeko forgiving her. Chikane pushes the envelope further and further, joining and destroying the Orochi, all to protect Himeko from having to chose an unhappy fate “for eternity.”

The best scene is when Sister Miyako uses her mirrors and illusions to seduce Chikane in the guise of Himeko. Faced with her heart’s (and other organ’s) desire, it takes everything Chikane has to refuse the illusion’s offer – and it’s the first honest glimpse of who she really is, behind the facade of cynical cruelty.

Once again Kaishaku show themselves as trendsetters, by bringing the series to a close with Chikane and Himeko reborn into a happy love affair as sisters.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 6
Characters – 6
Yuri – 8
Service – 8

Overall – 7

I can’t help but wonder – will this actually be the last Kannazuki no Miko post I ever make? Has this series’ time passed? A whole new generation of Yuri fans are being born even as we speak. What generic tropes and hideous fetishes will they be indoctrinated with…? Stay tuned to find out!





Yuri Manga: S.S. Astro, Volume 1

August 13th, 2008

Of the three 4-koma manga with Yuri put out by Yen Press, by far and away my favorite is the subject of today’s review, S.S. Astro, Volume 1. This should come as no surprise to anyone, since the characters are adults and there is at least one openly Yuri character. (For those of you who truly understand my tastes, you’ll also understand why she is not my favorite character.  ^_^)

So, for those of you who have not read it, S.S. Astro is a 4-panel comic strip series about 4 teachers in a generic high school. Izumi Maki is the usual slightly doofus-y lead character, this time a terrible homeroom and P.E. teacher who can’t remember her students’ names, and who is basically coasting through work. She is accompanied by Karasuma Kaname, who instantly falls hard for Maki and who spends the entire volume swooning and nose bleeding. Nagumo Yuko, the Japanese language teacher who looks ultra-refined, absurdly so, in fact, but at heart is a total BL fangirl. And my favorite character, Arai Setsuna, the school doctor who is evil incarnate and spends her days hoping someone will come into the infirmary really messed up and bloody. I like her.  ^_^

The comics are typical of the breed – situation setup with pun/punch to the head/nosebleed/hands over mouth -type endings. But unlike many “gag” 4-koma I actually laughed at more than a few of these! Crazy, huh? ^_^

As much as I approve of Karasuma’s suit, glasses, hypercompetence and crushiness for Maki, I find the fact that every time Arai pretends to hit on Maki, Maki forgets to protest, far more appealing. In general, Maki is the clearly Yuri fodder – not only does Karasuma lust after her, and Arai (who went out and broke up with Maki’s brother, so you can be sure that fanfic writers are all *over* that relationship) can’t stop herself from making inappropriate comments, Maki’s an all-around pere who happily plays bishoujo games and sets herself up in very Yuri-service situations.

The best bits are the character profiles, which are not only hysterical, but label Karasuma’s “gender” as “Yuri.”

With a *teeny* little rewrite, this manga would be perfect. If only Maki, Arai and Karasuma were all lesbians and Yuko the straight fangirl. Perfect, right? Only, it’s not, so we’ll just have to accept this not-quite-so-perfect-but-still-very-good actuality.

Ratings:

Art – 5 – sort of generic and hard to follow until you get used to everyone
Story – 7
Characters – 8 they grow on you as the volume goes along
Yuri – 4, with extra helpings of pointless service for laughs
Service – 2

Overall – 8

Kudos to Yen Press for the exceptionally not-jerky translation notes on both Yaoi and Yuri-related items. You win.

And let me thank Jo W. for sponsoring today’s review! A fun manga and a lovely gesture. Thanks Jo!





Sunshine Sketch Manga, Volume 1 (English)

August 5th, 2008

I want to start today’s review off by thanking Yen Press for the copy of Hidamari Sketch that they sent me. Before I had a chance to write a review, our guest reviewer for today, Jen, wrote one that is in every way but one in complete alignment with anything I might have said. So, with Jen’s permission, I am posting her review. I’ll drop back in at the end with a few more notes. Take it away Jen!

I picked up this 4-koma book mainly because it was the last one on the shelf, while every other New Arrival title was bountiful in supply. Seemed to have that going for it. Plus I was in a High School Girls kinda impulse mood (the series, not the genre). Didn’t regret the purchase, despite nothing really happening in it. But then, it was Book #1, and nothing really happened at the beginning of Azumanga, either. I’ll give it time. Plus I thoroughly enjoy the character Miyako.

Set in an Arts school dorm, Miyako (Miya-san) is the neighbour of the title’s lead character Yuno, who is thoroughly bland and uninteresting. Not as cute as Chiyo-san but not as thoroughly annoying as Ichigo Mashimaro‘s Matsuri-chan, Yuno is utterly boring. Teeny frail little freshman who’s heart goes pitter-patter at the slightest twinge of nervousness of life, she’s a walking cliche of moe. Dump her in the bin and move on to her best buddy Miyako.

Miyako is the cliche gaijin American character (despite not actually being American). She’s tall with long blonde hair, boisterous and buxom; Miya-san is the larger-than-life character. Always coming into unsolicited physical contact with the always-flustered dainty nihonjin girlies, Miyako is often seen barging into the room asking for/taking any food in sight… which she consumes voraciously. Leaping,bounding, always sporting an open-mouth grin coupled with eyes big n’bright or otherwise closed in that zen bliss state, Miyako is rough n’rowdy. She’s a stunner, and should therefore be gay. Sound logic to me. Her art style is more ‘Picasso/WTF?’, which doesn’t get nearly enough of a mention (ie. more than once), which is an utter shame.

Still, it’s a character-driven manga, but I still yearn for more. Naturally, not a hint of naughty stuff (unlike HSG‘s smoking, carnal craving or copious amounts of bleeding), Sunshine Sketch is all puren’sweet and otherwise predictable (ie. dull). Still, Miyako steals every scene she’s in. Miya (how the character’s gone this long without being abreviated to “Mya” with accompanying visual gags, I don’t know) kept me reading. Paired with Yuno by default, there’s no other yuri leaning other than her offhand “You’re pretty, too” sly remark to a rain-drenched Yuno who was herself commenting on the wet greenery… eliciting the requisite blush/steam cloud. Also has an eye for Yuno’s panties. You know, I still contend that I’ve never heard another woman use theword “panties”… not even as a schoolgirl; only men. Maybe it’s just an Australian thing.

The only other main characters featured is the other cliche: The Ambiguously Gay Duo. Think a younger Chie & Aoi from the MaiUniverse, only here it’s Sae & Hiro. Sae (Mai’s Chie) plays the role of starving artist, that is a tormented novelist who’s only in the Arts academy because she wants to do her own illustrations.

Forever breaking deadline, she’s cared for by Hiro, who cooks and cleans and provides the warm lap for a broken Sae to sleep on. We don’t really see much of Hiro’s own art career, which is again a shame. It seems playing wife is her role thus far. Oh well, only book #1. Throw in a juvenile yet buxom Arts teacher and you’ve got the ingrediants for an all-round girls school anime, which Google tells me does actually exist. I just hope they keep the ‘Get Yuno drunk’ scene. It’s one of the few scenes that give her (any) character. x__x

Erica here again: So the one thing I diagree with is that Miyako is the best character. Yes, I like Miu from IM, but in *every* other 4-koma style comic, I find that character kind of annoying. They are all the same – in Rakka Ryuusui, this book, Tori Koro – always blonde, always misinterpreting the same things to mean dumb things, etc. etc. I prefer Sae, myself, but entirely because she reminds me of another character in a set of doujinshi stories by Sakuraike.

Let me also add that, as with the few Yen Press books I’ve seen, the quality of reproduction is high. Translating 4-koma puns and gags is always difficult, so if there’s one or two moments where things fall flat, it’s probably not the translator’s fault.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 1.5
Service – 1

Overall – 7

I do agree that Yuno getting drunk was the funniest bit. ;-)





Yuri Light Novel: Strawberry Panic, Volume 2

July 25th, 2008

Strawberry Panic Light Novel, Volume 2 is the touching story of girls in love at three girls private schools on Astraea Hill.

At Miator, the star, the Etoile of all three schools, Hanazono Shizuma has found herself completely out of control in her attraction to new student Aoi Nagisa. Nagisa is thrown into the competition for this year’s Etoile with Shizuma and, as a result, bears up under a alot of scrutiny and some bullying. Her attraction to Shizuma is so strong that neither bullying, nor knowledge of Shizuma’s past playgirl ways is enough to deter her – but upon learning that Shizuma truly loved her former Etoile partner, she finds her confidence wavering and her resolve starting to crack.

At Spica, the reticent and lone-wolf Ohtori Amane had found herself equally as head over heels about a transfer student, this time the angelic Kotohana Hikari. That Spica’s representative in the Etoile battle is a mere transfer student is so outrageous an idea, former student and famous violinist Kusanagi Makoto comes running back to Spica to sabotage her school’s best chance at winning. In the meantime, Hikari and Amane realize that their love is way deeper than anything they were prepared to deal with – especially Amane, who never cared for expressions of love between women.

And, at LuLim, the graceful Madonna of the school, Chikaru, pulls strings behind the scenes, and spoils her own harem rotten as she prepares them for a life of cosplay and intrigue.

…Dammit. I was trying to maintain a tone of affected sincerity, but blew it.

Oh well. lol

The book is filled with kisses- who can forget those touching moments when Shizuma gives Nagisa a hickey, or Yaya has her way with Hikari in the pool, or Chikaru gently kisses Kizuna’s butt. Not you – because I will keep reminding you of those things. You will never be allowed to forget them. Every time you tell me that this is a serious love story I will look at you and say – absolutely, especially when Chikaru dressed Kizuna up as a playboy bunny and kissed her butt. LOL

OTOH, Hikari and Amane’s love isn’t maddening. Yes, Hikari cries in every scene (see my review of this volume in Japanese for my suggestion about that) and yes, Amane doth protest too much, but they win hands down for best – well, least irritating – couple.

And I’m *still* annoyed that Makoto didn’t shut up long enough to kiss Chikaru. Makoto is so much more annoying in English, because now I have no excuse to not understand her tortured sentences.

Speaking of which, boo to Seven Seas for not crediting both translators on this book. (In fact, boo to them for not crediting every single person who works on every single book. There are a few books I from them have which only credit translator, adaptor and editor, as if it didn’t take tons of retouching and lettering, layout and production editing to make a book. Bad, bad. People who work on a book – *especially* people like the retouch and lettering people, who have hellish jobs – deserve to be credited.) There was a changeover in translators midway – which was very apparent in at least one thing. At the beginning of the book, Chikaru looks out the window as a white pigeon flew by. Okay, true, doves and pigeons are 1) the same family and 2) the same word in Japanese, but usually to be more symbolic and all, they are referred to in such moments as “doves,” because pigeons are basically considered to be rats with wings by those of us who have ever actually looked at one. LOL

Anyway, the translation smooths out and later on, they are indeed referred to as doves…which makes me wonder why the proofreader didn’t catch that and fix it. It takes a village to make a book, let me tell you. :-)

And in the end, all the lead contenders for Etoile are disqualified and/or pull out, leaving Makoto and Kagome which is still a breathtakingly bad combination.

I remembered this volume as being less servicey, more sincere and slightly more romantic than the first book of the series, and the English edition managed to capture that perfectly. It’s also still wild over-the-top melodrama that makes me think it would make the most awesome live action story ever. Even better than “Passions.” Actually – kind of like a Yuri version of “Passions.”

Ratings:

Art – 6 (one point off for so often illustrating things we don’t want to see and not illustrating the ones we do)
Characters – 7
Story – 7
Yuri – 8
Service – 5

Reproduction – 7
Translation – starts out a little roughly at 6, but moves up to 8

Overall – 7

Little Princess Sara‘s English title is A Little Princess, fyi.