Archive for the English Manga Category


Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Volume 3

July 5th, 2022

Hinako is an adult woman who has spent her life trying to fit into boxes for the convenience of other people. Asahi is an adult woman who has spent her life living for her sister Subaru. In Volume 3 of Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, their relationship has caused them both to question those lives.

I’m not going to synopsize a single thing that happens here. You really must read this book on your own, without my prompts as to what is important. I will say that every page is important. Because this is a quiet, ever-so-gentle and tentative, slice-of-life story about emotional bonds and love, it’s easy to be fooled into thinking that nothing of consequence happens. But you’d be wrong. ^_^ What I see here is some of the most profound manga about re-evaluating one’s entire life that I have ever read. Now that I think about, that’s probably why I like Kimi to Shiranai Natsu ni Naru (君としらない夏になる), as well. The old ways of doing things are not working….well, they never worked, but previous generations didn’t have the wherewithal to get off the treadmill. Now that we’ve seen with our own eyes that nothing we were told was true about pretty much all of society is true, I hope everyone younger than I creates a completely different idea for themselves.

The art here is great, there’s a real sense that Usui-sensei is still developing as an artist. Body language and expression are on point for the characters. But it’s the dialogue where this volume shines. These are real conversations. The internal monologues are slow, repetitive, realistic. Terrific translation by Jenny McKeon and adaptation by C.A. Hawksmoor give each character their own voice. Fantastic work from everyone at Seven Seas.

The outcome is growth for two people who had never previously granted themselves the right to grow.

An outstanding volume of one of my favorite Yuri manga series of the past few years. If you want slight spoilers, take a look at my review of Volume 3 in Japanese…and rest assured that the end held up. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 6
Service – 0

Overall – 9

Volume 4 will be released in Japan this month, there is no releasd date as yet for the English volume. I will spoil this – it’s absolutely worth the wait. ^_^





Mizuno and Chayama

July 4th, 2022

CW: Abuse, bullying, violence.

In 2020, when I reviewed Mizuno to Chayama (水野と茶山), I called it “a modern Romeo and Juliet,” without the usual ending. I also said, “The art was pretty good – it fit the tone of the story, but I didn’t honestly enjoy reading it all that much. I wanted Chayama out of there, but really out of there, far away, safe, taken care of and never going back to that shitty town.”

So when Yen Press announced that they had licensed this manga, I felt ambivalent about it. The art and story aren’t bad, the ending isn’t terrible, but there was just something that did not sit right with me about this whole thing. Once again, looking backwards, I had noted “This series was a little heavy on lowest denominator service and was not at all respectful of the characters’ bodies,” and that the plot revolves around bullying and abuse. Those do bother me a great deal as plot drivers…and maybe this month is not the best time to read a book about girls being treated shittily.

I did my best to put my memories of the book aside and read this as if I had never read it before. It was still not a fun read, I wouldn’t call it entertaining, but it holds up as a modern Romeo and Juliet, with a better ending, for the right reason.

Mizuno and Chayama, by Yuhta Nishio, creator of After Hours, is a one-volume omnibus of the two volume manga that had been released simultaneously in Japan. It tells the story of two girls caught up in a pointless feud between their families. Chayama’s family makes tea and employs mostly everyone in town…and she is despised because of this. Bullied or ignored, her one goal is to get through high school. She is not entirely alone, however. Her only friend and secret lover is Mizuno, the daughter of the town’s mayor.

Separately, it initially seems that Mizuno is the stronger of the two, but in reality, she merely wields more social power. Chayama is clearly stronger, putting up with abuse from adults and peers. When Mizuno realizes that, it allows her to save her princess in a definitive way. In the end, we and they are rewarded for their perseverance.

Re-reading this book, I was able to put my finger on the specifics of what irritated me about this story the first time. I’m sorry to say that it was the reality of it. Every fictional narrative that shows adults treating children poorly enrages me. Fictional narratives that treat girls bodies like peep shows enrage me. I know these are things that the men who draw and publish and read manga think are okay and that enrages me, too. And, as I said, this is not the right season for this to be presented to me as entertainment. There is no right season, now. We are past that event horizon. 

And then, there’s the bully. She is extremely realistic, that is to say, she’s got a lot of problems and is choosing to take it out on someone else who can’t and won’t fight back.  Maybe 30 years later, she’ll have a kid and write an apologetic letter to Chayama asking for forgiveness. It won’t fix what she did…but I don’t think Chayama needs that. Because we see that she and Mizuno are happy. Romeo and Juliet are doing okay this time. Maybe that’s enough?

It is enough, because it is the protagonists who shape their destiny for themselves with each other’s help. The rest of the town may be shitty, but these two are strong enough to support one another.

Ratings:

Art – 6 (Good, but…)
Story – 5
Characters – 7 Well-realized and mostly awful
Service – 8
Yuri – 8

Overall – 6

Everything is well executed,  and while I did not enjoy reading it, I think I was not bothered by it as much this time.

With a story as emotionally charged and full of violence as this one, opinions about this manga are very much going to hinge on whether this feels real…or all too real…to you.





Even Though We’re Adults, Volume 4

June 24th, 2022

Probably the most remarkable plot of Shimura Takako’s Even Though We’re Adults, Volume 4 is the poignant story about the three elementary school girls. It’s so stark and awful when set at the end of a bunch of adults flailing. It reminded me why it was by 9 years old that I was deeply cynical about adults having a grip on anything.  I have yet to be proved wrong.

And here, in Volume 4, we see that the adults really don’t have much of a grip. Who, then, is Ayano to give advice to children, when she herself has no idea what she wants?… we may be tempted to say. But I’m not sure that she doesn’t know what she wants. Reading back and forth on this series is opening my eyes a bit. I think Ayano knows perfectly well what she wants. I think she also knows that she can’t just have it without work, because society punishes all women who are not compliant. That includes, Akari and Eri as well.

And you know what? I’m sick of it. As I expect you all are.

So here’s Ayano flailing because she can finally see something she actually wants and knows she’s not “supposed” to have – or even want.  Akari is flailing because she also knows what she wants and can’t have, maybe, kind of. Eri is flailing because she does not fit into the narrow boxes available to her. Wataru is flailing because, having lived life on the easy setting, his reward has some ideas of her own – a little unfair to him, but not really. He just assumed a lot and no one told him different.

And so here we have several very decent, likable people, all flailing. I, at least, want better for them on both individual and societal levels. Jocelyne Allen’s translation is outstanding, in providing the nuance and “adultness” this series needs, lettering and retouch by Rina Mapa lets’ me feel in the story in exactly the same way as I do when I’m reading the Japanese. Thanks to the entire localization team at Seven Seas and congratulations on having their union recognized!

I have to keep reading, for sure. This is Shimura-sensei’s best work so far and I need to know what will happen. ^_^;

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 8
Service – 0
Yuri / Queer – As I said in my review of V4 in Japanese, it’s impossible to tell at this point. Ayano may be bi, Akari is lesbian, Eri might be ace, but we can’t be sure about any one of them but Akari.

Overall – 9

Even as this series makes me more uncomfortable, my hope that everyone ends happily, is renewed. We’ll have to wait to November  for Volume 5. ^_^

 





The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Volume 1

June 10th, 2022

Last autumn I took a look at Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei (転生王女と天才令嬢の魔法革命) manga. I found it to be fine, but much too shouty for my taste. Then I followed that up with the Light Novel, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Volume 1 in April of this year. That was altogether better as the screaming took up much less space on the page, forewent the utterly pointless service and gave Euphyllia some personality. That said, what it added to the story, it took away from the art.

Now I am revisiting the manga in English. Out from Yen Press as The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Volume 1, I find I appreciate the art even more and both the service and the shouting even less. 

Princess Anisphia has memories of a life before her current one – memories of scientific wonders. But in this world, where magic is the defining power, Anisphia has none. Nonetheless, her obsession with using magic has lead her to be seen as an eccentric inventor. Euphyllia’s world has come crashing down upon her, when she is unjustly accused of bullying another girl, causing the Prince to end his engagement with her. Bereft of a purpose, now that she cannot be Queen, Euphyllia acquiesces when Anisphia asks for her to become her assistant.  She insists it’s professional, but Anis is pretty open about being into women, and thinking Euphie is cute, so the groundwork is laid out for a decent Yuri story.

Knowing the remainder of the story in the first LN, I am much more motivated to read the next volume of the manga. I honestly *want* to like Anisphia and Euphyllia and for them to be happy together. But boy is there a lot of shouting in this manga. And, Alcard’s break-up was so…vulgar, I can’t imagine that it’s not really addressed at all, except in asides. BUT, the art. Harutsugu Nadaka’s art is up to the task the story gives – this time I have no complaints about the sword Anisphia gives to Euphyllia…in fact, I’m looking forward to seeing her use it.

So, while, the story in the light novel made the LN worth reading, it’s the art here that makes this a perfectly fine read, if people shouting a lot doesn’t bother you and gobsmackingly gross service. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7 The art is better than the LN by a lot, the sword was an 8
Story – 6 A rocky start
Characters – 8 Annisphia carries the lot of them in this volume
Service – 7 Absolutely grotesque. What the fuck is wrong with people?
Yuri – 1 Clearly we are going to head there

Overall – It was hard to like initially, with all the screaming, but the end pulled it up to a 6.

Knowing what I know, I’m probably in for the long haul on this series, but the manga has a super creepy service problem. We’ll see if it or the good stuff wins.

Thanks to Yen Press for the review copy and to the entire Yen Press team for their fine work on this volume.

 





semelparous, Volume 2, Guest Review by G-Man

May 24th, 2022

Welcome to another Guest Review Wednesday, Today we’re welcoming back G-Man, who has a lot to say about semelparous, Volume 2. ^_^  Take it away, G-Man!

Time for a much overdue look at the continuation of everyone’s “favorite” yuri action manga! More action, more gay, more twists and turns, and more controversial art! But is this new installment in the semelparous saga an improvement on the first? Let’s take a look…

Spoiler Warning! To discuss major plot points in this volume, I gotta talk about the big twist I mentioned in my Volume 1 review.

When we last left our protagonist Yorino, she’d discovered that the kaiju attacking the walls between their world and ours were in fact spiritually connected to a person in the human world. In other words, every time Yorino or another bouhekishi soldier kills a kaiju, someone dies. Despite knowing this, Yorino powers ahead in her goal of putting a stop to the attacks once and for all. She’s willing to “descend into hell together” with her partner, Captain Youko.

Right out of the gate, Volume 2’s plot is much better than the first. Whereas Volume 1 felt like a kaiju-sized pile of setup, with exposition being dumped left and right and characters not being given much of a chance to shine, the opposite (for the most part) is true here. A lot happens in this volume. Like, a LOT. New characters are introduced, relationships are deepened, new plot elements are revealed, etc. We also finally get a glimpse at some human villains working behind the scenes. One could potentially argue that too much happens in this volume, resulting in breakneck pacing that doesn’t give readers much time to digest everything. However, I’d argue that it makes sure the story is never boring. I finished the entire thing in one sitting, always eager to see what would happen on the next page.

Volume 2 also does a good job of raising the stakes. Ever since the Kaiju-Human connection was introduced, I knew it would result in more heartbreak for Yorino. Lo and behold, a routine kaiju takedown results in one of Yorino’s school friends dying. While it does relegate said friends to more plot devices than actual characters, they do their job rather well. Not only does their death, combined with Haruka’s death from Volume 1, reveal that Yorino is being directly targeted by the villains, but it also gives the sense that no one is safe in this world. Seeing Yorino grow closer with Youko has me now fearing for Youko’s safety as well. And it was at this point that I realized something… I was actually starting to care.

Yes, this manga is still a guilty pleasure as many elements of it are problematic and completely ludicrous. As such, I can’t say that everyone will grow invested as I have. But I can say that what started as a mindless yuri action romp with distracting male gaze has become something that feels like it has genuine effort and passion put into it.

Speaking of caring, the characters (at least the main duo) are given some decent development. Yorino continues to have more trauma piled onto her with the death of another person she was close to, instead of just more random citizens. The scene where she goes to school the day after the fight only to find her classmate in tears is a genuine gut-punch. As for Youko, the volume starts with an entire chapter dedicated to her backstory and how she killed her own sister through a kaiju. She’s definitely the more interesting of the two leads as it’s not always clear how she’s feeling. It almost seems as if she’s accepted her past demons and become completely numb to them, and now she simply goes with the flow and doesn’t allow herself to feel anything beyond surface-level joy, anger, or other such emotions. Okay, maybe I’m reading a bit too much into it, but it could explain why she’s so desperate to protect Yorino. A scene where she has to persuade Yorino to mourn her friend’s death, saying “Crying is what keeps you from losing your heart,” reads to me as her trying to prevent Yorino from becoming like her.

There are a few other characters of note this time around, but not nearly as much to say about them. Yorino and Youko get two new bouhekishi partners in the form of Rina Kitamura and Ryouka Manabe. Rina crushes hard on Yorino like a typical tsundere, which some may find endearing, but she can also be rather creepy and borderline stalker-ish, as she enjoys reviewing Yorino’s combat footage and getting off to it (did I mention this manga was made by a hentai artist?). Ryouka has very little going for her, aside from occasionally teasing Rina about her crush on Yorino.

The artstyle pretty much carries over from Volume 1 in every way. The girls all still suffer from absurd proportions, impractical combat outfits, and in-your-face camera angles. Of course, as mentioned above, we’re stepping into hard NSFW territory now with Rina pleasuring herself to Yorino. This is not helped at all by character bios inserted between chapters that remind you these girls are in their teens. Bleh. However, what continues to impress me about the art unironically are the action scenes. I think I can safely say that semelparous has hands-down the best action I’ve seen in any yuri manga (which isn’t saying much given the lack of action yuri, but still). Ogino Jun truly understands the power of “wind-up and follow-through”; every punch thrown and sword swung is preceded by a panel of the kaiju or bouheksihi rearing back for the strike, which makes the force of the resulting impact that much more felt. That, in tandem with the destruction that follows the combatants’ strikes, makes the fights truly feel like clashes between colossal monsters and superpowered humans.

Finally, we have the yuri content, and I’m pleased to report that it’s yet another step forward. The leads’ relationship in Volume 1 was cute, but it was mostly just Youko teasing and Yorino getting either annoyed or flustered. Here, the two support each other not only in combat but emotionally. Youko wants Yorino to live a normal life and not be consumed by her mission to defeat the kaiju, and thus encourages her to spend time with friends. She’s also the first person Yorino shows a vulnerable side to, such as in the aforementioned scene where she tells her it’s okay to cry. It all culminates in their first kiss and declaration of love, and it’s honestly very heartfelt and adorable. After that, they share plenty more cute and flirty moments, including another shower scene (still a hentai artist). Yorino questioning whether Youko truly loves her, only for the Bouhekishi Captain to proudly declare she’s totally her type and would love to have sex with her admittedly put a stupid grin on my face.

 

Ratings

Art – 7 (again, when discounting the ridiculous proportions. 5 when counting them)
Story – 6 (a lot more going on and thus never boring, but still very nonsensical and can feel rushed in places)
Characters – 6 (the leads get more development, but the new additions are fairly flat so far)
Service – 10 (still for all the wrong reasons, only now we’re entering NSFW territory)
Yuri – 9 (seriously, what the heck is this sweet and healthy dynamic doing in my dumb ecchi action series???)

Overall – 6 (If this were my personal opinion I’d give it a 7, but I have to be fair. While several aspects are improved from Volume 1, there are still things that readers may find uncomfortable and impossible to look past)


One last note– as of writing this, semelparous is still on hiatus due to Ogino Jun undergoing medical treatment. Opinions on the manga aside, please wish Jun-sensei good health and a swift recovery.

Erica here: Thank you so much for this review. semelparous Volume 2 by Ogino Jun is out now from out from Seven Seas, available on Amazon, Bookwalker, RightStuf or wherever you get your manga. Volume 3 will be on sale this summer (Amazon, RightStuf).