Archive for the English Manga Category


Days of Love at Seagull Villa, Volume 3

November 15th, 2021

Days of Love at Seagull Villa, Volume 3, teeters a the edge of crisis from almost the very first page for what might have been a really dark story but, ultimately, wasn’t. I’m still not sure if it was better for it, or not. ^_^

First, we learn that the real source of Mayumi’s self-doubt, is her “best friend,” who has spent a lifetime poisoning and manipulating Mayumi. Touko, who is clearly quite possessive of Mayumi, and also clearly willing to manipulate her and everyone around her, is already beginning the process of cutting Mayumi off from Rin at the beginning of this volume. When we understand that Touko has been doing this all her life, we’re pulling even harder for Mayumi to get away.

But that isn’t the only crisis. Rin’s being pressured to get married; after all, raising Hinata alone is hard. A storm is coming and it might bring darkness…

…Only, no, it doesn’t. ^_^

In the end, Mayumi stands up for herself, she and Rin tell each other their feelings and everyone lives happily ever after. And I find, as I read it, that it feels like a book that could have become another deeply disturbing series, but was cut off (early? perhaps, I can’t tell) and given a happy ending. For which I am very thankful.. The world is full of enough horrible, manipulative people who get away with terrible things, I’m not enthusiastic about that in my Yuri as well.

But also, does it make any sense that everyone in the story lives happily ever after – the terrible people, the clueless people, the good and kind people, and the protagonists? I still can’t tell.

I mean, sure I’m happy for the kids, I’m glad Rin and Mayumi make it work and are accepted and happy. We ended up with no worse than a sprained ankle, but I have the strangest feeling that we were supposed to have had – something – go worser. I’ll call us all lucky and move on. Touko’s manipulation is a mere shadow of the kind of emotional abuse Kodama-sensei portrays in some of her other work and maybe she just couldn’t bring herself to torture Mayumi. I’m okay with that.

Technically, the book is very well done, with clean translation done by Amber Tamosaitis and Mo Harrison’s nicely integrated lettering and retouch.  Once again a great job by Seven Seas. It’s a fast read and a surprisingly sweet ending from a master of Yuri dread. ^_^

Ratings

Art – 8
Story – 6
Characters – 8
Service – Not so much this volume
Yuri – 9

Overall – 8

Thanks so much to Seven Seas for the review copy. A lucky someone will get to enjoy this in an upcoming Lucky Box!





Bloom Into You Anthology, Volume One

November 12th, 2021

The Bloom Into You Anthology, Volume One is something we didn’t used to see much in the west – an “official” collection of shorts about the characters by artists other than the creator. It’s a testament to the popularity of Bloom Into You, that this series had two volumes of this official anthology. Today we’re looking at Volume 1.

To begin with, I find I never reviewed this volume in Japanese. Having re-read it now, I know why. It’s a fun read and very enjoyable if you are a fan of the series or, more specifically, of Yuu and Touko. Most of the stories focus on them and their dynamic, often with a kind of goofiness that I imagine is very appealing if you like them. Here you’ll discover works about Bloom Into You by other Yuri artists such as Canno,  Yuriko Hara and tMnR.

Tthis volume had a few stories I enjoyed.  Particularly, “Onigiri, Croquettes, Rolled Eggs,” by Okara Miyama, which looks into a bad day in the life of Yuu’s friend, aspiring writer Koyomi. It’s a lovely look at friendship.

Also appealing to me was Kazuno Yuikawa’s “In the Box,” for – again – taking a deep dive into Sayaka’s feelings about and relationship with Touko.

It’s a no-brainer that I like “Bitter Coffee Time” by Hiroichi, for focusing on Riko and Miyako.

This volume was beautifully lettered by CK Russell, and nicely translated by Jenny McKeon. The small error of Sayaka’s birthdate has already been acknowledged and will be changed in future editions. I wouldn’t mention it at all, except people do like to jump on that kind of thing, so I wanted to assure you, it’s been noted already.

Which brings me to a point I want to make yet again – should you see an error or have a sustainable argument against a translation choice, there is an effective means to communicate this to companies. Go to their website, click their contact forms, write a politely worded message detailing the error. Remember human beings work at these companies, so do be sympathetic. The wrong thing to do is become rude or vicious in a public forum, so avoid that if possible. I assure you, being polite works. I’ve addressed many problematic language issues in the years I have been writing here. All you need to do is be polite.

If you loved Bloom Into You and want more time with Yuu and Touko and their friends…this is the book for you!

Ratings are variable on account of it being an anthology.

Overall – 8

Bloom Into You Anthology Volume Two (linked here by an amazon affiliate link. I’ll get it up on the Yuricon Store when all the options are avaialable) will be out in January, so you have another chance to indulge your passion for this series, just around the corner.





How Do We Relationship, Volume 4, Guest Review by Matt Marcus

November 10th, 2021

Welcome to another Guest Review Wednesday on Okazu. I am so delighted to introduce a new Guest Reviewer here today for so many reasons: Matt Marcus is a cohost of various projects on the Pitch Drop Podcast Network, such as the JRPG games club podcast Lightning Strikes Thrice. Finally, after me waiting patiently to have someone to talk to about this…here we are at last. There will be spoilers in this review and let me tell you, I am so relieved! Please give your attention and a warm welcome to Matt!

How Do We Relationship is a story about college first years Miwa and Saeko who, once they learn that they are both attracted to women, decide to date. Last we saw them in Volume 3, the lack of open communication had continued to strain their relationship, leaving Saeko troubled over her standing with her partner while Miwa is tempted by the reappearance of her old high school crush Shiho.

There is no sense being coy about it: How Do We Relationship, Volume 4 is where the girls break up. Saeko had been using sex as the panacea for her insecurities, but troubles in the bedroom, coupled with confronting the reality that Miwa harbors deep romantic feelings for another woman ends up straining her to the breaking point. Miwa wrestles with guilt over her conflicting attractions and tries to cling to the relationship but to no avail. The two agree to stay friends, however it is clear that Miwa believes that she carries the sole blame for the end of their courtship.

The fulcrum on which this series balances is how tolerable you find Saeko, and in this volume we see her at her worst so far. She starts to seriously lose control of the defense mechanism that she developed after her traumatic experience in middle school–the facade of a carefree and kind partner. It is not until late in this volume that Saeko finally has a moment of emotional honesty, voicing some of the ugly thoughts and fears that she had been repressing–but not with Miwa. If you have seen or experienced this emotional playbook, this can be a tough read. I want to root for Saeko to grow and truly heal from her past, but on the flip side she hurt Miwa quite badly and has yet to even acknowledge it. The sole consolation I have is knowing that with seven volumes currently out in Japan, there is quite a bit of runway for her to turn it around.

I have focused on the heavy stuff, but like the rest of the series the emotional drama happens around character-driven shenanigans with mixed results. A particular low note are the couple of chapters that focus on group singer Mikkun and Saeko working around the former’s jealous new girlfriend, which does little to drive the plot forward and rehashes the “straight cis man has a crush on a lesbian” beat from Volume 3. In a story with quite a large supporting cast, I would have liked to see a little more character development in their subplots.

As for Yuri/queer content, this volume pushes things ever-so-slightly forward, with the final chapter opening the door for a couple more queer relationships to develop. Another noteworthy element is the reappearance of Kan, the “villain” of Volume 2. It is hard to say for sure from what little we see of him, but he may have started letting go of his internalized queerphobia. At the very least he comes off as less of an unrepentant asshole (heavy emphasis on “less of”).

I have always appreciated Tamifull’s art, particularly the outfit designs and instruments. On occasion it can be disorienting (for example, second year Mozu–who already looked like a dead-ringer for Miwa but with light-colored hair–reappears with black hair just to make things more confusing for two pages), but I found the tumultuous energy accurately reflects the free-wheeling nature of one’s first year of college. When it counts, Tamifull knows how to visually punctuate an emotional moment or punchline (shoutouts to the Pound Cake Face).

All in all, I found these chapters challenging but rewarding. If you have found the messiness of the story and the characters compelling thus far, this volume really delivers on moments that will have you screaming internally the whole way with some heartrending lines to boot. Other than a small tease of a flashforward near the end, I have no idea where the next movement will take this series, but I know that I will be tuning in for it.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Has a few standout moments in the series so far.
Story – 8 A little uneven at times but lands the big moments.
Characters – 7 Compellingly infuriating.
Service – 3 There still is sex, however it is less of a focus compared to previous volumes
Yuri – 9 / LGBTQ – 7 Someone actually says “lesbian” out loud; unfortunately, it’s Rika.

Overall – 8 A challenging but rewarding read.

Lastly, I have to give big props to Tamifull’s very cheeky reveal in the author’s notes. You will clearly see what they meant if you flip back to Chapter 1.

Erica here: Thanks very much Matt!

OKAY. Now that you have all caught up I need to say this. Saeko and Miwa always were a terrible couple. I’m glad they broke up. You all were cooing over them in Volume 1 and I was up to Volume 3 chanting, “Break up, break up, break up.” ^_^ In fact, if they hadn’t, I was going to stop reading, because Saeko’s jealousy was intolerable to me; traumatic experience or not. I can assure you this, I am about to dive into Volume 7 in Japanese and 1) I am still reading and 2) this is a completely different, (dare I say, much better) story now.

Volume 5 is slated for a February release in English and everything (including the cover style) is about to change.





I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 1…again!

October 29th, 2021

It’s not unheard of that we sometimes review the same book more than once here on Okazu. Books that were published by one company, then again by another are the most common culprits – like Azumanga Daioh by ADV Manga and again by Yen Press or Aria by ADV, then again by Tokyopop. We’ve definitely had more than one reviewer taking a look at the same material such as various perspectives on the Citrus anime. Today marks  – as far as I can remember – the very first time I am reviewing the same book that I have previously reviewed. And let me tell you, I’m really happy to be doing it!

In March, I took a look at the first volume of the manga for I’m in Love With The Villainess, which I had previously read in Japanese, but not reviewed because of delayed shipping.  This was followed by a review of Volume 2 in Japanese.

In the end, there were some problems with the first volume in English that I felt were impossible to ignore. I wrote a polite, detailed email to Seven Seas. I, like you, love this series, and wanted – needed – it to be perfect.  Imagine my surprise and delight to hear back from them recently, with an offer of a new edition!

So, today, for the first time ever on Okazu, I am reviewing the exact same book for the second time. Today I am looking at I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 1, written by inori, art by Aonishimo, character design by hanagata.

The story follows a Japanese office worker, Oohashi Rei, as she finds herself transported to the world of her favorite otome game, Revolution. Freed(?) from her previous life as a wage slave and given the chance to be the game’s protagonist, Rae Taylor as she is now known, pursues her favorite character – the game’s villain, Claire François.

The beginning of the story is goofy, as Rae plays the fool to Claire’s stereotypical high school rich girl villainess. But, as the story goes along, Rae’s behavior seems to have a different meaning and Claire begins to wonder what makes this odd and annoying commoner tick. We are also introduced to the rest of the players from the first novel of the series.

My sincere concerns about the word choices have been wholly alleviated. Claire remains high-handed and imperious, but now lacks any signs of vulgarity or uncouthness. She is the high-born noble daughter that Rae, and we, fell for. ^_^  I thank everyone on the Seven Seas team for going back over this translation and smoothing the rough patches out of the book. My especial thanks to translator Joshua Hardy, and editors Dawn Davis and Peter Adrian Behravesh, Also, some recognition to Courtney Williams who was given time to letter and retouch, which gives the story a smoother feel than just jotting in translated sound effects. (I know how hard that is and why it’s not possible for the artiest of s/fx, but I always appreciate the effort.) And once again, Nicky Lim’s cover design is lovely, with the embossed title.

As an added bonus, I genuinely think the illustrations by Aonoshimo-sensei actually enhance the story. This volume is of course, early days on this collaboration, but I know from later chapters, the art is good and will become fantastic.

This is the edition we wanted. Now I can recommend the manga as highly as I do the light novels. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 9
Story – 8 It will improve over time. ^_^
Service – 5 Nudity and bathing
Yuri – 9

Overall – 8

Volume 2 is heading our way in English in winter 2022 and I look forward to it with as much enthusiasm as I do Volume 3 in Japanese. Thank you Seven Seas for this review copy, and for taking our concerns and desires so seriously. It is very much appreciated.





How Do We Relationship?, Volume 3

October 22nd, 2021

How Do We Relationship?, Volume 3 by Tamifull takes a sharp turn away from our expectations. It makes for a harder read, but an infinitely more satisfying one.

Miwa and Saeko are not “out” to the general public but, in this volume, Miwa admits to someone else that she is only interested in women. Miwa’s taken a couple of huge steps forward into understanding and accepting herself…and we spend some time understanding where she came from in that regard and what that journey has been to her.

Saeko, though. She’s got a lot of stuff yet to deal with. Stuff she’s not telling Miwa…and stuff she’s not telling herself.

In my review of Volume 3 in Japanese, I commented “This is much less a Yuri romance at this point than a referendum on relationship communication issues, featuring a same-sex couple.” What I did not tell you at the time was I fought myself about four times about just giving up. Also I said, “Oh fuck you, Saeko,” more than once.

At this point, you may wonder if this manga is worth your time. I assure you, this manga is totally worth your time. But it is going to make you work a bit. And for that, I completely credit creator Tamifull, whose work is excellent. We, like the characters, are going on a long journey. It will take us through their and our pasts and present and future. We and they will not be the people we know right now, but I am convinced we’ll all be better for it, in the end.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 Getting harder, not easier to read, but also becoming queerer and more real
Characters – 7 I’m rooting for everyone, but not liking everyone at this point
Yuri – 8 / LGBTQ – 6 still room for more
Service – 4

Overall – 8

This is not a “girl meets girl, they like each other, then end” story. And thank goodness for that.

How Do We Relationship, Volume 3 and Volume 4 are available now from Viz Media in print and digital.

Before I wrap up, I want to shout out translator Abby Lehrke, with whom I have had super fun conversations on Twitter where we basically screamed at each other incoherently about this series, and whose work is excellent. And mad props to Joanna Estep whose work in retouching will likely never be noticed by you, but the fact that she’s done the work of replacing Japanese S/fx with English, rather than setting them side by side or merely lettering the meaning, stands out to me. Well done and much appreciated Joanna! Fine work from Viz Media on this completely, not at all in any way simple series.