It was painfully apparent from Volume 1 that I am not the ideal audience for Tamamushi Oku’s Cheerful Amnesia series. As the story progressed, so many handwaves had to be added to the original premise to keep the joke going and each additional handwave felt more and more threadbare. In Cheerful Amnesia, Volume 4, the story comes to  climax, but…

Arisa’s amnesia has been traced to an overload of positivity, which makes her collapse. But she and Mari are going to get married anyway. Before they do so, Arisa wants to meet Mari’s mother, who has been presented as a conservative obstacle to their happiness. In between Mari stressing that she and Arisa are not having sex and Arisa stressing that they are not having sex, but being far too embarrassed and/or collapsing in an excess of emotion, the entire conversation rolls around the same territory of “boobs,” underwear and “sexy times,” which is great if we are 12 years old. As I am many decades past that, I found it all excruciating. But, wait! There’s more!

Added to the idea that Arisa lost her memory because she was “too happy,” and that neither she nor Mari can manage a single adult conversation about their lives and relationship, even as they plan on having a wedding ceremony, we must confront the fact that Arisa blurts out the most inappropriate and useless information and has absolutely no ability to speak coherently. That gaping mouth does, actually, indicate a person who shouts strange things to complete strangers. But the deal-breaker for me was Mari neglecting to mention her father or siblings, even as she brings Arisa home to meet her family. “Oh, I have a younger brother,” she said and later – as an aside- , “I have a sister, too.” and I just…snapped. What the actual fuck. (-_-)?!?!? Mari has confronted her mother’s disapproval, at least, and I guess yay for that?

Arisa and Mari do get married and, the kiss, when they finally manage it, seems to unlock Arisa’s memories and she does not collapse, so perhaps they will spend the remainder of their lives happily-ever-after.

Of course one cannot take this story seriously. Even knowing that, I found it absolutely exhausting. Nothing in it was even near the realm of “comedy” for me. Since the entire plot was predicated on two adult women who had a long-term relationship simply ignoring their history and not having a conversation, it was both annoying and frustrating. So why am I reviewing it? Mostly to tell our late friend Bruce that he was absolutely right in his final review here on Okazu.

Ratings:

Art – 7 Still noticeably better
Story – … 4
Characters – 5 They are adults who need to grow up already
Service – 6 “Sexy” things. “Boobs.” Come on already
Yuri – 9

Overall – 4

Thank you very much to Yen Press for the review copy. I hope to give it to a loving home.

Oh, and my prediction was totally wrong about the ending, phew. ^_^

Content Warning for off-screen violence and implication of intended sexual assault.

We have thus fa, been paying attention primarily to Ruby Canossa, that breath of fresh air that has come into her staid school that has many secrets, and “Steel” Steph the enigmatic and secretive older girl with a disability. In this volume we belatedly pay attention to Liz, Steph’s sister who is very possessive of and resentful about the older girl. In A White Rose in Bloom, Volume 3 we learn why and…phew, it is a lot.

Liz is, exactly as she seems – attention-starved and spoiled, but trying so hard to find love that she very nearly finds herself assaulted by a tutor. This explains her forcing herself on Steph in turn when she sees the older girl as a savior. It’s clear Steph cares for her sister, but has a lot of baggage with her own life to deal with and little energy for Liz. They both gain our sympathy once again, and now we’re hoping even more that Ruby can form a healthy bond with Liz.

Then we turn back to life at the dorm. A thief, a ghost, dire fortunes and a real-life mystery fill up the pages of the second half of the volume. What is the story of the missing items? Luckily, Volume 4 of Mejirobana Saku,  (メジロバナの咲く) came out last month in Japan (what timing!) but we’ll be waiting until next year to see it in English.

In the meantime, let us again revel in the first full-length serial Yuri from Asumiko Nakamura (creator of Classmates) and how she manages to keep us on a string with a sense of furtive feelings and cryptic histories, even as we delight in the change Ruby brings to the school, and how she forces the people around her to open up. Jocelyne Allan’s translation really manages to capture the dark shadows behind light words that match Nakamura-sensei’s art perfectly. Alia Nagamine’s letting is top-notch retouch for that authentic reading experience. Great work all the way down for the Seven Seas team.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Service – 5 Predatory behavior and gaslighting is gross
Yuri – 7

Overall – 9

This series is probably flying under the radar – but it shouldn’t. It deserves a few soapbox rants, because it is an excellent edition of a fantastic story by a master story-teller.

In Volume 1, we meet Hinako, a girl who has lost almost everything and, as a result, doesn’t mind entertaining the thought of death. She is befriended by Shiori, a mysterious creature of the deep ocean, a mermaid, who assures Hinako that she wants the girl to live happily, so that she can eat her later.

Hinako’s only other friend, Miko, does not like Shiori and, in This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Volume 2, by Sae Naekawa, we find out why.

But first Shiori asks Hinako the question on all our minds, why is she is such a rush to die? Hinako looks back at the loss of her family and, again, prompted by Shiori, at her history with Miko. Shiori is really a monster, but she seems to think Miko is one, too?

In this eye-opening volume, in which much of what we were told turns out to be half-truths or full lies, Hinako will continue to reevaluate all her choices. When I read this in Japanese in 2021, I commented that it was a “freakin’ brillant volume of a manga” and I stand by that with this English edition. There is an underlying tension to this series that just fills one with foreboding, even when nothing in particular is happening. When the truth is uncovered, it is both a huge relief and a new chill on one’s spine.

This series is just the best summer horror tale with chills, thrills, a little blood and darkness, thus far rooted wholly in Japanese youkai – what lurks in the shadows in Japanese folklore. Caleb Cook once again brings a fantastic, nuanced translation. You can tell who is talking by how they talk. I can “hear” every character clearly. Bianca Pistillo’s lettering is good. I wish she was able to be amazing, but Yen’s house style of subtitling the sound effects is their style and I will just always whine slightly about it. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 Ominous and compelling
Characters – 8 The more we know, the less we know
Service – Blood. Violence. Monsters From the Deep. Secrets. More Monsters.
Yuri – Miko is possessive, Shiori is infatuating

Overall – 8

This volume is headed your way in mid-September. Don’t miss out on this fantastic low-key horror book. It takes all the mortifications of school life and gives it extra claws and fangs. ^_^

I have Volume 8 of Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし) siting here on my to-review pile and I’m once again hyped to re-read and review it.

Thanks very much to Yen Press for the review copy! This is such a fantastic series, I always can’t wait to read it. ^_^

Last spring Frank Hecker left us with these timeless words in his review of Volume 2, regarding any relationship between our principles Miyako and Asako “Okay, it’s happening!” but where it will go is as yet unclear.”

In Volume 3 of Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord by Yodogawa, out now from Yen Press, it is at last clear where it will go. But first! We have to navigate the rockiest of territories – a birthday to deal with for a person with a fraught and painful history with birthdays. Asako has always been a kind and giving person and has not, historically, had that feeling returned. This is the first time since the opening pages that we’ve seen how rarely her lovers seemed to care about her. When Miyako learns the depth of that wound, it completely throws her for a loop – used to being spoiled, she can’t imagine not caring deeply about the happiness of the person she cares about…

…and then the boot drops for both of them. This is the person they care about. It’s still going to take a little time to work out just what that means for them, but by the end of this volume, they are definitely both on the same page about it.

In the meantime, over in Hato’s office, another relationship is brewing with a idol finding a great deal of amusement in teasing her number 1 fan.

This manga is full of emotion, but presented in a quiet, adult way (aside from Hato’s over-the-top reactions.) Tough situations are thought through, decisions are made, conclusions are come to and risks taken, all without high drama. And joy is found. Miyako and Asako decide to risk this relationship. Navigating this terrain will be an ongoing story – the life of an ex-idol is still pretty complicated – but they have each other and their friends.

Despite the fact that I also have a fraught and painful birthday history which made the opening chapters hard going for me, the result here couldn’t be better. Finding a way to enjoy what you have now is something that too few people ever manage. It was a lovely sight to see these two characters find it, together. This series ticks a lot of boxes for me – I love Yodogawa’s art, the fully formed characters, the side stories, the adults having adult conversations(!), low-key personal drama, and the way that drama is handled.  As I said in my review of this volume in Japanese, inject this directly into my veins. More slow-life romance with adults, please.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Yodogawa’s faces are terrific
Story – 8
Character – 9
Service – 0
Yuri – 5  Yuri has arrived!

Overall – 8

Monthly In The Garden With My Landlord is the city pop vibe of Josei Yuri manga – a bit indescribable and incredibly fun. Volume 4 does not yet have a release date, but I will whet your appetite with a reminder that I consider Volume 4 “just about the most perfect volume of manga I have ever read,” when I reviewed it in Japanese!

Thanks immeasurably to Yen Press for the review copy!
 

Memory loss is no fun, I can attest to that. When I was younger, I had a mind like a steel trap, now I frequently struggle to remember things that happened moments ago. As I read Cheerful Amnesia, Volume 3, I also struggled with the relationship between Mari and Arisa.

Despite neither of them (or their doctors or the author) creating any plan for Arisa to regain her memories, Arisa and Mari are bullishly moving forward, just sort of pretending that being together is enough. They both think about sex with the other, but neither has the emotional wherewithal to have a real conversation, so they end up missing each other’s meaning. Over and over. It is hard to take them seriously as a couple.

 Arisa and Mari genuinely are interested in one another. Arisa even goes so far to ask Mari to marry her. But Arisa’s memories are not only coming back, she’s losing her memory of nights they spend together now. And no matter how many womp-womp noises you make as you draw that, it’s going to read as a concerning thing, not all that funny.

There is a problem with this sort of “awkward comedy.” It gets really tired after we’ve all heard the joke. And something has to give here, and the thing that gives is the cause of Arisa’s amnesia in the first place. Turns out that it’s because “too many good things happened…!”

I know it’s meant as comedy. I know. I just… . I laughed at loud at She Can’t Say No To The Lonely Girl! I swear I’m not an anti-comedy curmudgeon – I am a profoundly pro-comedy curmudgeon. But this just feels like a thin joke dragged out too long and I have a creeping feeling I know the punchline of this series is going to be Mari losing her memory and we do this all over again….

If you’re used to Oku Tamamushi’s art, Arisa’s gaping mouth won’t come as a surprise  – to me it reads like she’s always inappropriately loud. Mari’s pained reactions in some cases are understandable. This story isn’t complicated, so translator Jenny McKeon has some work to do to make us care about Mari and Arisa. As usual, she is successful. The panels are, likewise very empty, so I’m a bit sad that letter Chiho Chritie was not given time or money to do full retouch.

Next volume  it looks like these two are going to go through a whirlwind journey of getting Arisa to stop collapsing, coming out to their parents and getting married. Can the final volume  take up the slack in the rest of the series? We’ll find out next month, when Volume 4 hits shelves in September, from Yen Press.

Ratings:

Art – 7 Noticeably better again
Story – 7 It’s try, but do what, I’m not sure
Characters – 7 They are adults who need to grow up already
Service – “Sexy” things. Sigh.
Yuri – 9

Overall – 7

Many thanks to Yen Press for the review copy. I’m really hoping Volume 4 makes this story a triumph.