Archive for the English Manga Category


Battle Club Manga, Volume 3 (English)

June 11th, 2008

 I want to review something today about which there is little to say. There is very little to say about Battle Club, Volume 4. There is this to say, at least – thanks to Dan again for sponsoring this review!

In this volume Tamako continues to battle enemies both external and internal, with progressively less and less clothing, until she faces her greatest enemy, herself. The coach continues his exceedingly long piss, so we get a chance to do a bunch of flashbacks to Tamako’s mother and learn the secrets, such as they are, of the guilt Tamako carries. But no one cares, which is good, because it’s not really very interesting. Like the men in the series, most of the readership is looking at Tama’s tits and crotch. All very fascinating.

Shiba arrives just in time to get a nosebleed at the sight of Tama’s breasts, which is about all the Yuri you get. Higuchi also shows up, to heal her wounds and fear of fighting, but she continues to be lesbian in name only.

And that’s basically it. The translation still plays fast and loose with the original text – so much so that even though I have not actually read the original text in Japanese , I can guess that they didn’t say the things that are on the page. It’s okay, like the “plot,” the “dialogue” is really not interesting and definitely not why one reads this book.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 1
Characters – 4
Yuri – 2
Service – 10

Overall – 5

Mokichi gets stronger too.

Thanks to Dan P. for providing this piece of “entertainment” and distraction!





Burst Angel Infinity OAV Anime (English)

June 10th, 2008

Much thanks to Daniel today for providing another Sunday afternoon’s worth of great entertainment and incidentally sponsoring today’s review!

As I wrote, in my initial review of Burst Angel Infinity OAV, screencaps make up for a LOT of nothing. ^_^

The story follows Jo and Meg post them meeting, and pre them hooking up with Amy and Sei-who-is-not-named-Beth. (And really, the ONLY reason I’m reviewing this OAV again, is to be able to type that once more. ^_^ And now that Tokyopop is cutting back, who knows if they’ll ever get the BA manga out, so this may be my last chance.)

The adventure itself is much of a muchness. Jo and Meg come back to visit one of the street urchins that Meg ran with previously – as we know from the episode where we learn how they met. It’s Shirley’s birthday, Meg wants to get her a present, so they need money. Of course the whole thing spirals out of control immediately and Jo is forced to do something she just hates – beat the crap out of people and shoot them.

The final credits run alongside a recap of Jo and Meg’s meeting and initial adventure and at the veeerry end, there’s a supershort clip of Meg full of awesomeness she absorbed from Jo’s scarf. (which was her scarf originally, but obviously it picked up awesome from proximity to Jo, so when she got it back at the end of the series, it confirmed awesome upon her. I’m sorry that they didn’t make a whole story with awesome Meg – the short looks way better than anything with Shirley. But that’s just me.

Of course we’re also watching the miniscule moments of tenderness between Meg and Jo, which completely confirms the obviousness of their relationship. lol Don’t get me wrong, I think they are a couple. I just also think that this anime makes us work harder at it than necessary. ^_^

Extras were kind of dull for me, not being a mecha fiend, but if you like them, there’s a retrospective of all the exciting robot designs in the series.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 3
Service- 4

Overall – 7

As I said the first time, if you like the series, this OVA is at least as good as some of the better episodes.





Gakuen Alice Manga, Volume 2 (English)

June 4th, 2008

Today’s review of Gakuen Alice, Volume 2, is entirely due to the kindness of Grace E! Thanks Grace, for entering the ranks of sponsors here at Okazu!

In Volume 1 of Gakuen Alice, we met irrepressibly positive and energetic Mikan, and followed her as she moved heaven and earth to be reunited with her BFF, Hotaru.

In Volume 2, Mikan is now officially a member of the Alice School but, because because all energetic and cheerful protagonists need to overcome horrible and unnecessarily cruel obstacles, she is forced into the bottom of the entire class by being given no stars, i.e., no privileges. And to continue the abuse, the students have decided to scapegoat her, (which is hideous and annoying, but pretty sensible on their part because of the overwhelming fatalist beliefs at the core of most societies.) They can be abusive because she has no power – and having no power is proof that she deserves to be abused.

To add to this cheerful scenario, Mikan learns that her letters to her Grandfather are not only not being sent, they are being destroyed.

To balance out these whopping helpings of misery and despair, Mikan is introduced to the “Special Alice” class of freaks who, like all good freaks, embrace their freakiness with joie de vivre not seen in other classes. They welcome her with open arms and she *finally* gains some allies in this horror-house of a school. Her new sempai even offers a piece of sage advice, which she put into play right away. In order to turn the energy of her bored classmates away from bullying her, she challenges them to a game of dodgeball. It keeps them busy, wears them out and in the end, a few more of the kids in the class accept her as maybe being not so bad.

Of course, this won’t end the bullying – it will increase in desperation for a little while, as the remaining antagonists escalate the issue – but for Volume 2, its 2 steps back and 2 steps forward for Mikan.

At the same time, we’re treated to strong evidence that Natsume is violent, antisocial and cruel because he’s beaten, tortured and treated like an animal. It’s a valid excuse, but it always sticks in my craw, just like the neglect and abuse that set up Harry Potter, James and the Giant Peach and every other kid’s book that uses that sort of plot driver. I’m always blown away by the idea of writing a story for little kids in which the plot is driven by cruelty against the protagonist…. What kind of crazy is that? (Yes, I know that most kids feel that way at some point or another, but there’s running away because your parents spanked you and then there’s chronic emotional torture. It’s not just a matter of degree.)

The trick of course, is that getting through the bad stuff means that you appreciate the crumbs of good that much more. If Mikan was instantly the happiest, best and most popular girl at school we’d all find her boring – and I know I probably wouldn’t trust her. lol This way we KNOW she’s worked for every little teeny ounce of respect and privilege she gains. Still…

As we all expected, Yuri in this volume is pared away to almost nothing. Hotaru presents her usual cold front, but when the chips are down, she warms up enough to help Mikan. Best Friend Forever, definitely. On the love side of things, I think Ruka-pyon has got an obvious crush, I mean – he dresses up as Mikan so she can escape. Duh. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 6
Characters – 7
Yuri – 1
Service – 3

Overall – 7

As with Tetragrammaton Labyrinth, I’ll probably keep reading Gakuen Alice, but I’ll take it off the Yuri Wishlist, since it’s pretty much no longer a Yuri series. If anything happens in later volumes of note, I’ll be sure to mention it!





Yuri Manga: Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl, Volume 5 (English)

May 25th, 2008

This is likely to be the last time I write about this series. Anime is over, been licensed, been reviewed. Manga has been reviewed – twice. Once in English, once in Japanese. This is the final volume. To my surprise, I’m a little saddened by that.

When I first began to read this series, I witheld my affection, sure that it would be a common harem drama with no resolution and that Hazumu would surely revert to being a boy. The “end,” I predicted, would be the beginning all over again for an unresolvable triangle.

How nice that I was so wrong about that, huh? :-)

So, we arrive at last at Kashimashi~ Girl Meets Girl, Volume 5, and find ourselves watching Hazumu struggle with the same exact conundrum she’s struggled with for the last two volumes. And getting nowhere with it. Thankfully, Fate got as tired of her lack of resolve as we did, and a *crisis* occurs which forces her hand. And there we are, reading the final chapters thinking, “Did I just read a Japanese manga with an actual *resolution?* Is it a sign of the end times? What’s going on here?” lol

Inexplicably, Kashimashi, this bland harem drama with a gender twist, actually has a resolution. Go figure. Not a bad one, either. Of course whether you liked Tomari or Yasuna more will depend on whether you actually *like* the ending, but I found it to be perfectly satisfactory.

As always, Seven Seas’ reproduction is top-notch. Adrienne Beck’s translation and Janet Houck’s adaptation deserve your attention. (As several translators have told me, no one ever notices the translation unless there’s a mistake. So take a moment to notice this translation and adaptation – there are no mistakes. Nod in appreciation for the seamless job done here.) Physically, the book looks and feels good, and of every series I have ever read, *still* is the closest thing I have seen in English to reading the Japanese original.

I truly appreciate that this book was adapted for us – the manga-reading American otaku audience, who does have a clue and doesn’t need to be condescended to. I was particularly pleased that the final line of the main story was left as intact as possible, in a way that (obnoxious arrogance ahoy) I would have translated it myself. LOL

In my review of the Japanese edition of this volume, I finished with “I think the end justified the memes.” It’s a bad pun, but a good summation of the story. This time I’ll just add that I also think that the English edition of Kashimashi is proof that a good translation/adaptation can make a middling story better. lol

Ratings:

Art – 8
Character – 8
Story – 7
Yuri – 10
Service – 5

Overall – 8

My sincerest thanks to Daniel P. for sponsoring today’s review!





Yuri Manga: Strawberry Panic, Volume 2 (English)

May 13th, 2008

Have you visited translator Anastasia Moreno’s fabulously wonderful blog, Manga Gunkan yet? Go. It’s not often you’re going to get such a unique mix of fun tidbits about translating, manga, military adventures and cute dachsund pictures – all written up in both Japanese and English, for your reading pleasure. Check it every day.

And speaking of Ana’s mad translation skills, today we’re talking about Strawberry Panic, Volume 2, translated skillfully by mad Ana. (For a summation of both my frustration with the SP fandom and the plot, please check my review of the Japanese edition from December 2006.)

Today, I’m just talking about the reproduction into English. I’ll never get tired of telling you that Seven Seas does a very, very good job. Ana’s translation captures the soap opera-like, over the top-ness, and the adaptation, by Lorelei Laird, allows the dialogue to speak for itself. Considering how absurdly melodramatic everything is, I think it would make a pretty great J-drama. In fact, I’m already giggling at the idea. (And, OMG, since Marimite spawned a parody porn movie, why hasn’t anyone made a SP parody porn? It’s just *begging* for one. ^_^ And with that thought, there goes the last shred of soul I had….)

The technical reproduction seems very clean, with some moire in the backgrounds that, to be honest, I had to go looking for, because it never seems like a problem to me. Some sound effects have been translated and replaced, others have had a English equivalent placed nearby and in at least one case, it was left untranslated. As I always say, it’s not an issue for me. But, surely you can figure out that the crowd is saying “Waaahhh” at the apearrance of the newly crowned Hikari and Amane.

I only have one complaint. It’s not totally Sevens Seas’ fault, but I object strongly. On the back, someone at the now-defunct Newtype, apparently decided that he was clever by describing this series as “Girl-Crushes Gone Wild!” which is not only insulting, but inaccurate. The characters – repteadedly – express feelings of love and devotion towards one another. These are not crushes. (Duh) The implication that this is a manga equivalent to straight girls with no pride who do lesbian-looking things for straight guys to get off on is actually pretty correct, but I found it annoying anyway.

On the last page of the story, as Nagisa and Shizuma kiss, there is a puzzling allusion to a third volume of the manga. Let me assure that there is no third volume to the manga in Japanese. The puzzling allusion to the third volume is there in the Japanese edition too. It never happened for a number of reasons.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 6
Characters – 6, +1 for Kaname
Yuri – 9
Service – 6

Overall – 7

You may notice that my scores are different this time than when I read it originally. That happens. ^_^

And, my deepest, sincerest (and somewhat belated) thanks to Daniel P. for being the sponsor of today’s review!