Archive for the English Manga Category


Kageki Shojo!!, Volume 2

March 13th, 2022

If you are a fan of all-female musical theater review troupes, then you really don’t want to miss this series by Kumiko Saiko. I reviewed Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises, which was the prologue to the story, following the fortunes of a number of young women as they seek to enter the Kouka Musical School.

I read, but did not review volume 1, as it was covered fully in the anime, which I did review and is for the moment, still streaming on Funimation.

In Kageki Shojo!!, Volume 2, we learn why, specifically Sarasa is here and the forces that have shaped her abilities. This volume motivated me to talk about the character of the Girl Prince in Yuri Studio S03 E01: The Girl Prince. In part because, as I say, Sarasa is a Girl Prince and there is never any doubt that she will be able to play one on the Kouka stage, but also because this story also struck at the heart of the fundamental inequity of the Girl Prince archetype.

In Volume 2 we learn that Sarasa should have been able to perform on the kabuki stage. That she would have been a natural – that everything her childhood friend Akiya has to work to master, came naturally to her. We also learn that she very likely may be the illegitimate daughter of a kabuki master. We don’t need to ask why she is never given that opportunity, do we? The answer is, of course the same sexism faced by all girl princes since the archetype first entered literature. And you know what? I am sick of it. I am sick to death of men (and they women who prop them up) telling women that they cannot do or be something.

Sarasa is an amazing character. Instead of letting the way the kabuki world treated her get her down, she’ll take the exact same path laid down by Oscar to create her own reality as Oscar. It’s maddening that she is not allowed to do what she would be best at, but it will be triumphant when she is equally the best at what she has now set her sights upon.

Not all of us face the kind of barriers Sarasa faced, but all of us face some barriers, whether they be societal expectations or familiar barriers. And, like Sarasa we can take steps to create our own path. If we can’t all be Oscar, we can all be Erminia, letting the world that held us down burn, while we run off to make a new life for ourselves, the way we want it to be.

Like Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu, Kageki Shojo!! is not great at cheerleading the industries it’s portraying, but it’s doing a great job in helping me envision a future where this controlling bullshit is history.  ^_^; Now if only the people in those industries could imagine that, as well.

Saiki’s art is gripping, she does amazing body language, as one might expect, since this is a 2-d manga about a 3-d form of performance. Her characters are blank canvases upon which each scene has to be created. Except for Sarasa, who is as fully formed as Athena when she stepped out of Zeus’ head.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Character – 9
Story – 8
Yuri – 0
Service – 1 on principle

Overall – 8

As this series touches deeply into the worlds of musical revue and kabuki, I think it’s a worthy read for fans of the female kagekidan and kabuki traditions.

Kageki Shojo!!, Volume 2 is available from Seven Seas on Amazon, Global Bookwalker, RightStuf or your favorite manga store.





Kase-san and Yamada, Volume 2

March 11th, 2022

Kase-san and Yamada have been dating for a few years now, and while they are both working on building lives for themselves that include each other, their schedules make it very difficult. And maybe that would be okay, but it means that they haven’t really had the time they need to discuss themselves with each other.

A surprise summer vacation for both Kase-san and Yamada makes them very aware of those gaps where their lives don’t mesh. In Kase-san and Yamada, Volume 2, that gap seems impossibly wide to Yamada. Unsure, made to feel unconfident, she still sees Kase-san as someone too cool and popular for her, someone she’s not worthy of. This causes a number of problems for them –  and for us, as readers. We’d become used to seeing Kase-san be unreasonably jealous, and thought we had left that behind. Now it’s Yamada’s turn to be unreasonable and we’re likely to be less tolerant as a result. But…is Yamada being unreasonable?

I think it’s worth remembering that Kase-san’s sempai teased her rather mercilessly only a year so so ago, and now she’s dealing with Kase-san’s roommate Fukami being a grade-A jerk. (It’s super obvious that she has a crush on Kase-san and all I can hope is that rather than dealing with that noise, Fukami will realize how shitty she’s being and feel badly about it.) As an adult reading this book, I kind of want to have a stern talk with Fukami-san. The more I think about this story, the more I think that Yamada’s done amazingly well, given how much crap she’s had to take from other people. So, I’m cutting her some slack her as she wallows a bit here. It is very easy to find other people’s relationship drama annoying, but since we’re reading How Do We Relationship…maybe we can cut Yamada a little break? ^_^

When it comes down to dealing with the problems, Kase-san shows she *has* matured. She accepts Yamada’s concerns, is supportive and understanding AND addresses the underlying issue – what does their future look like? Neither they nor we know what shape their future will take, but Kase-san is trying to create a future that will include Yamada and that’s good enough right now.  It would be nice if the two of them get to just be together and talk without everyone wanting to get in their way, but oh well, it’s a rom-com. ^_^;

The fantastic translation by Jocelyne Allen means I’m hearing different characters sounding like different people and outstanding lettering by CK Russell. It feels so much like it’s part of the original, I hardly notice it. Thanks again to the entire Seven Seas team for their great work.

If you’re looking for a comedy college life Yuri series that feels awfully like real life, with bumps in the roads and fully-fleshed out characters, Kase-san and Yamada fits the bill.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 5 a bit of skin
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9

In the middle of all the running around, Hana being a rube and tanning jokes, let’s give a round of applause to Mikawacchi for finally figuring out a path forward for herself!





Yuri Is My Job, Volume 8

March 7th, 2022

Hime is leaving Liebe. She has resolved that, to stop hurting Mitsuki, (and, as Mai is once again hale and hearty,) she will leave. Yuri Is My Job, Volume 8 begins with the tensest birthday celebration of all time.

No one wants Hime to leave, Hime does not want to leave, but she simply cannot think of a way to resolve this issue. The entire staff conspires to get Hime and Mitsuki to talk one last time….but will it be enough? Well…maybe. It’s enough for now, at least.

With their relationships patched up, but extremely fragile, the entire staff heads out for an overnight and photo shoot which causes cracks all over again. New cracks, though. Hime is, for the very first time, very aware of Mitsuki’s body, and has no idea how to handle what is going on in her head.

I sympathized so strongly with Mitsuki through this volume. She’s so vulnerable and honest about not being able to understand Hime’s intentions. About halfway through this volume I was ready to make an ultimatum…no more beating on Mitsuki. But, then the worm turns and it’s Hime struggling with who they are as schwestern. I’m fine with that, I just don’t want Mitsuki to be hurt any more.

By the end of this volume this arc is, finally, put to rest, thank Gott. Mitsuki and Hime carve out a tenable working relationship. Now we’re free to movie on for a bit.

I did genuinely love the photoshoot idea. I constantly think that Mai would be a very good manager of a cafe. The end notes are narrated by Mai, as she walks us through the school uniform policies. And again, in the author’s notes, we get insight into Miman-sensei’s process. At 8 volumes, and no sign of the story slowing down, it feels good to know that there is a plan.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 4
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8

Next volume we’ll turn our focus to Sumika and her left-over baggage and the new stuff she’s picked up since Kanako arrived. Trust me, she’s got a lot of stuff to deal with. ^_^

Nice work by the team at Kodansha, for an overall gripping volume!





A White Rose in Bloom, Volume 2

March 4th, 2022

In Volume 1, we met Ruby, a student at a prestigious girls’ school who, because of family problems, stays at school over the holidays with only one other student – the alluring and standoffish Steph. As the volume closed, Ruby’s parents tell her that they are divorcing and her mother explains that she’ll need to leave the school, but Ruby believes she has found a way to stay.

She’ll take the scholarship exam. Only…her Latin is grades are really bad. Once again, she turns to Steph. Steph agrees to tutor Ruby. Which causes friction with another student, Liz. Liz is obsessively close to Steph, in fact Ruby saw them kissing.

A White Rose in Bloom, Volume 2,begins as the tension between Liz and Ruby has exploded in public. Each of them bearing the red mark of the other’s anger on their cheeks, they are called in to the Headmistress’s office..and they come precariously close to losing everything.

The fight with Liz uncovers another complication – Liz and Steph are half-sisters and both children of the Headmistress. Ruby’s no dummy, she keeps her mouth closed.  As the exam draws closer, it looks like she might make it after all. Until her father shows up at the school and throws a wrench into the whole works.

Nakamura Asumiko-sensei’s ability to create a narrative that exceeds it’s initial setup. What tension there is between Steph and Ruby is shown, but mentioned only briefly. We can all see it, so can Ruby and Steph…and Liz. Steph is old enough to realize what damage her behavior may cause and smart enough to regret it. Ultimately, it is the fact that Steph and Ruby are both sharp-witted that carries this story through to an end of an arc that was vastly better than I imagined it would be, as I read the chapters in Rakuen Le Paradis magazine.

Whether you enjoy Nakamura-sensei’s art is purely personal, but I have grown fond of her unique style. She’s among a handful of artists whose art I can recognize in any context. I genuinely love the variety of faces showing discombobulation and shock that fill her work.

A White Rose in Bloom has the most conventional set-up, but the unconventional ending and the change that it brings to the heaviness of the opening, makes this series totally worth reading.

Great work by Jocelyne Allen on translation, Kat Adler on adaptation and special high marks to Alia Nagamine on lettering and retouch. It’s always so much more time intensive, but it just looks so good. Fantastic work from the team at Seven Seas.

Ratings:

Art – As I say, YMMV, but 8 for me
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – 4 Mildly provocative staging from time to time
Yuri – 7

Overall – 9

I’m honestly so glad you all have a chance to read this quirky schoolgirl Yuri series!





How Do We Relationship, Volume 5, Guest Review by Matt Marcus

March 2nd, 2022

It’s another Guest Review Wednesday and we have another great review! Matt Marcus is a cohost of various projects on the Pitch Drop Podcast Network, such as the JRPG games club podcast Lightning Strikes Thrice. Please welcome Matt back to Okazu!

How Do We Relationship is a story about two college students Miwa and Saeko who learn together how used to date. In How Do We Relationship, Volume 4, the couple broke up over a myriad of problems around communication and personal hang-ups, but despite lingering feelings they try to go back to being friends.

Just by looking at the cover of How Do We Relationship, Volume 5, you know you’re in for some shit. Gone are the big smiles, playful antics, and instruments of the past; they have been replaced by a disheveled Miwa, her hair grown out haphazardly, looking forlornly into the middle distance.

This volume has a theme: self-centeredness, selfishness, and greed. Almost every principle character displays these traits in varying degrees of severity and the effects of their actions ripple out until they become ship-wrecking waves.

Saeko, in what feels like a passive-aggressive move, casually pushes Miwa to reach out to her high school crush, Shiho, and confess her feelings. When the two former classmates reconnect, they make plans for Miwa to spend two months visiting Shiho in Okinawa. 

There is a lot I can say about Shiho because she is fascinating. When she first appears in How Do We Relationship, Volume 3, you wouldn’t be blamed for expecting her to merely be the love rival that forces Miwa to make a firm, definitive decision on to whom she will give her heart. As it turns out, she is a much more complex character. Yes, she managed to escape from the traumatic environment that was her family home, however she continues to bear scars from her upbringing. Tamifull does a wonderful job portraying her inner struggle and how it leaks out into the rest of her life: she lives in a barren apartment and wonders why it freaks out her friends; her previous romantic relationship ended due to her lack of interest; she doesn’t feel a need to fall in love, yet she is still working out her feelings towards Miwa while sending very mixed signals. What is crushingly sad is that she not only doesn’t know what she wants for herself, she doesn’t even know how to want. You will think that her ultimate decision about Miwa is cowardly–and it is–but she needs more time to heal and grow. I am hoping we get to see it. Regardless, the trip sends Miwa into a tailspin.

This puts her on a collision course with Saeko when school resumes. I mentioned in my previous review that Saeko’s behavior could be a barrier for some readers, and I think this volume offers the ultimate test of that. There is a moment towards the end of the volume that truly stunned me. I won’t spoil it, but it will send shivers down your spine. It may even disgust you. It’s a high risk move and we do not see it payoff before the volume ends, but I simply have to credit Tamifull for constructing a scene that packs such a wallop.

I haven’t mentioned her yet, but Saeko’s coworker Yuria takes on a larger supporting role and she’s still a delight. Not a lot of depth to her, but she’s a breath of fresh air given everything else that’s going on.

Out of the previous volumes so far, this one is the most consistent in tone. The focus has tightened and it benefits the storytelling because it gives more space to explore the internality of the characters. I will say though that I am still confused about what Tamifull is trying to say with Rika, beyond the fact that she is self-aware about her selfishness.

One major demerit I would give the story is how Miwa expresses a desire for self-harm through neglect that is not taken very seriously by Saeko–it’s melodramatic at best and disrespectful to the severity of the topic at worst. If the story’s direction continued down such a path I could see myself dropping the series, but I have it on good authority that this is the “lowest” point and that things get better from here. It really is about time that Miwa starts showing some serious development because the poor girl deserves it.

On the positive side, I want to give a shout-out to the localization team because I am continuously impressed with the fresh and naturalistic phrasing choices that provide a distinct voice to the characters while sounding realistically like college students.

If you have ventured this far into the series, be prepared for the choppiest waters yet. Despite finding myself emotionally wrung out by the twists and turns on my first read-through, I have found engaging with the characters in repeated readings endlessly rewarding. I’ll be waiting (im)patiently for the next volume which comes out in English this July.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Some great paneling and nonverbal expression.
Story – 7 Heavy, less funny, but still engaging. Docking it one point for overplaying its hand with Miwa’s meltdown.
Characters – 9 I love what they did with Shiho and Saeko continues to be compelling.
Service – 1 Sex is still present but it is not played for service.
Yuri – 9 / LGBTQ – 7 One door opens while another seemingly closes, so on balance it’s a wash.

Overall – 8 This continues to be a unique and engrossing yuri series.

Erica here: Thank you Matt for covering this volume so thoroughly. I can guarantee that everything will be different (for the better) now. and I’m so glad I can talk about this series again!