Archive for the English Manga Category


Girly Comic, Volume 2 – Girly & Friends (English)

December 6th, 2011

I’m still making my way through Josh Lesnick’s collection of Girly and find myself closing the pages of Volume 2 of the new collection with some reluctance.

In Volume 2, Otra and Winter’s adventures become more epic, and involve way more people in town than they did previously. In good chapters, this has the effect of giving Cutetown a more 3-D feel. In less good chapters, it feels like a Benny Hill routine. Luckily there are more good than bad chapters.

Highlights of volume two are: the rather inexplicable appearance of Collette, Winter’s half-sister, the resolution of the Chupacabre story (which turns out to be kind of unpredictably sweet) and the beginning middle and end of HappyCo, the manufacturer of arch-enemies. As I write these down, I’m having a hard time finding things to say about each one…but they were all entertaining when I read them, honest! Well, except for Collette – I still don’t know why she’s in the story.

Some of the side characters are intriguing, especially the genius goth vet, while others, like Mickey and Sandra seemed to fascinate Josh a lot more than their supporting cast status might warrant. Thinking about it a little longer, however, I think they are the only two completely normal people in the story. ^_^

For Yuri fans, Otra and Winter have their first big fight. It seems a tad forced until you realize that pretty much all knockdown drag-me-out fights in a relationship start over incredibly stupid things. And I guess having to become a knight to save Winter isn’t really that small a deal…. Other than this interlude, Otra and Winter are still dysfunctionally adorable. And they are kind of dysfunctionally adorable during their argument too. Two people who have never even considered this kind of relationship in a world full of giant dildos and really niceguy sexual molesters, and marshmallow cats…and somehow they make it work.

In the end, the girl gets the girl, the guy gets the girl, the girl gets the guy and Cutetown is safe from HappyCo. And isn’t that what we all want?

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 9
Service – 5

Overall – 8

Not quite as compelling as Volume 1, but still full of fun moments and a surprising number of “awww”s.





Girly Comic, Volume 1 (English)

November 29th, 2011

girlyset-caseAfter revisiting Cute Wendy, I admit to questioning my faith in the entertainment value of Josh Lesnick’s Girly. ^_^ I mean, I liked it loads when it ran online and my original review of the first volume was positive enough to be included as a pull quote on the second volume. But times change and I change and things change…. I’m very glad to say that my opinion of Girly has not changed. I found myself putting other (probably more important) things aside to keep reading this first volume of the new collection, which encompasses both the original Book 1 and 2.

Otra and Winter are utterly un-normal, which makes them charming, and their adventures are utterly un-normal enough that one has to actually pay attention to what is going on in order to follow what is going on. In fact, reading Josh’s post-volume notes, we realize how much of the apparent randomness and haphazard happenstance is carefully plotted out in advance.

For Yuri fans, the real draw here is Otra and Winter. There’s no way to liken this to a normal romance, but the bits that need to be handled with relative normality…are. Otra tortures herself adorably over the unlikely attraction she’s feeling for Winter, while Winter, product of an alternative family as she is, is comfortable with her interest in the other woman.

The romance, such as it is, is lovely. This is particularly nice considering that it forms in the middle of an elephant infestation, cheap gags and other madness. I’m not the kind of person to laugh out loud at laugh-at-loud gags, but this book makes me laugh out loud.

The art is degrees better than Cute Wendy. You can actually follow what’s going on this time. ^_^;

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 9
Service – 5

Overall – 8

This was the only webcomic that ever kept my attention for the span of a long run. It has elements I enjoy, not least of which was a great Yuri couple. Hence my desire for the figurines. And this collection. Which I enjoyed very much.





Great (Retro) Anime/Manga Gift Guide 2011 (English)

November 25th, 2011

I’m staring at my pile of to-watch and to-read anime and manga and I can’t but help notice that there are a lot of familiar titles among the mix. And, as it’s that time of year again, at which Americans decide what matching pen and pencil set to get their relatives, and otaku Americans decide what anime or manga they should buy to indoctrinate their younger family members, I had a thought.

This year, I’m specifically suggesting anime and manga that were awesome and wonderful a decade or more ago and are just as wonderful, now that they are available again. These will all make perfect family watching/reading to brainwash educate your young family members in the ways of anime and manga fandom. And, possibly create a new Okazu reader or two. ^_^

Princess Knight – This is as close to a kernel as we have in America for the concept of “shoujo manga.” And, not at all coincidentally, Sapphire is the inspiration for many of our favorite cross-dressing, sword-wielding heroines, Lady Oscar, Tenou Haruka and Tenjou Utena among them.

This manga makes a great starting point for discussion of gender roles, societal expectations, Disney as a role-model for manga and anime, and the history of manga. It also makes a terrific end point, after you’ve handed your youth of choice some of the other items on this list and they are intrigued as to where this kid of thing all started. History lessons disguised as entertainment…what will nefarious adults think of next?

Magic Knight Rayearth manga. This fetching all-in-one edition of CLAMP’s sword-and-sorcery classic manga is…really nice. Color pictures make the volume an attractive collector’s item, especially for those people who missed this the first time around. The story is, perhaps, “basic,” but as a result it makes a fantastic entree’ into role-playing, strong female characters, chicks with swords, teamwork/friendship-focused stories and other touchpoints that mean a lot to readers of Okazu. Let me be blunt, this would have been my favorite series ever at 8 years old.  Give this to the girl prince in your family, or the gamer kid and see what they make of it. I bet they love it. Then, when you’ve got them good and interested, invite them over for a marathon watching of….

Magic Knight Rayearth remastered Anime. Media Blasters did a really, really nice job.

Yes, the anime itself seems kind of kiddy-anime. That’s because it was. It was still pretty classic sword-and-sorcery stuff. Evolving armor, magic, weapons, a little light politics and romance, magical creatures, even giant robots. This is your chance to have heart-to-heart with your young relative about love and hate and violence and friendship and how many different ways humans make bad decisions.

And the remastered animation really looks good.

When you watch  Season 2, you can advance the discussions of politics a bit.

Also, I recommend start using the word “delusion” in discussion about the way we as adults, especially, talk about our world. Let them know that it’s not their imagination. ^_^

Or you can do none of that, and just enjoy the colorful animation in fine CLAMP style (personally, I always like their swirly bits,) and the D&D-ish world with Japanese influence.

About this time, you should introduce them to Code Name: Sailor V.

Bearing in mind that this may be the very girliest of all the girly things on this list, it’s still adorable and important.

Minako is not an “average girl” in the way that most magical girls are presented. She’s very athletic, she’s not too sharp and her life is centered around the kinds of things an actual 13-year old might care about – boys, pop idols, having fun with friends, playing games, reading about stuff that she’s not yet buying, but would one day like to.

As bizarre as that might seem, at 13 most girls actually do want to be more grown up, more active in their own lives, and they kind of have to wait a few years before they are allowed to be. Minako provides us a glimpse into a really typical teen girl id – fun, friends, fashion, yummy food, and an overwhelming, if somewhat limited, sense of justice. Sailor V is solid fun, with some weirdly non-moral of the story wrap-ups. The second volume of Sailor V gets a little deep and very superficial at the same time. Some of those chapters are perfect openings for discussion of body image, among other things.

Of course once your young family member has read this, hit them with the big guns….

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is not a classic by accident. This series combined elements of classic “girls” stories with elements of the most popular “boys” stories to a create a whole that resonates with readers even now. It’s not accidental that Sailor Moon was made into an anime, where Sailor V was not. The themes of friendship, teamwork, strength in numbers is one of the binding ideas of this series, just as it is in One Piece.

The supporting characters are exactly what makes this series so powerful. With such a large ensemble, each targeted to a personality archetype, there was someone for everyone to like in Sailor Moon. As the older characters are added in, it’s likely to be read by more family members than just the kid you’re giving it to.

Now that your target kid is thoroughly hooked, hand them Volume 1of the Card Captor Sakura Omnibus. I originally gave these to my 14-year old niece, but she’s in a more Doctor Who phase right now. However, my 17-year old nephew ended up liking this series enough to keep reading.

I can’t say enough about this series. There’s so *much* here. Sakura is strong, in a complete girly, down-to-earth way. You can imagine having her over for lunch and really enjoying her company. (And Tomoyo’s, because of course she’d come, too.) There’s just enough sexual politics, elementary grade version, in this book to intrigue and bewilder anyone of any age. The art is some of CLAMP’s absolute best. I consider this series to be their peak work.  For those of you with kids in your life you think are even the slightest bit bent, this series is a must-read for them.

Volume 2  continues with even more great freaky magic, and more deeply intense relationships that you just don’t normally see, all within an adventure that’s perfectly child-friendly. I’m reminded over and over why this series was so damn popular when it came out. Because it’s *excellent* on every level.

Every new character that it introduces is delightful to know, even (and often especially) when they disturb you just ever so slightly. ^_^ This series also genuinely has the best magical creatures I’ve ever seen in any fantasy series.

(As an aside, my number one and two wishes for 2012 are that the Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura anime are relicensed and re-released by a company that cares about quality. Number three and four would to complete the body of literary precedents with the licensing of Rose of Versailles, anime and manga.)

Which brings us to the final suggestion I have for this year’s Gift Guide. In this case, it’s the manga that remains out of print, and the anime which has been re-issued.

Revolutionary Girl Utena could not have been without all the previous series. It took so many of the elements established in earlier series and combined them in unique, powerful ways.

Because of the non-linear story, the surreal art, and some of the themes, it makes a great benchmark to the inside of your family member’s brains.

This 10th anniversary edition looks good, has great extras, and has stood up well against the last decade of animation. The music is still a magical cookbook of awesome.

I must comment on  the tremendous overlap of voice actors in the anime for Utena, Sailor Moon, Card Captor Sakura. I consider these people masters of their craft for very very good reasons.

In any case, when you are considering your family members and you think you’ve got one that could become an Okazu reader in the future, stick these under their tree and see what happens. ^_^





Cute Wendy Comic (English)

November 17th, 2011

girlyset-caseThis summer I contributed to Josh Lesnick’s Kickstarter for the publication of his webcomic Girly in a spiffy hardcover, limited edition box set. I did this entirely because he had a premium of an Otra and Winter figurine set and I’m helpless before the offer of relatively obscure webcomic figurines. (I’d be the first one lining up to buy figurines of Yuriko and Midori, our Yuricon mascots, but as I can’t draw and have no toy industry contacts, it’s kind of a non-starter. PS – This isn’t a request for help or advice on how to do this. As I say, it’s a non-starter right now.)

In any case, I knew once I saw the figurines, I had to be part of the Kickstarter.

 

Who wouldn’t be helpless in the face of this? Okay, fine, lots of people who are not me.

 

Anyway, with my very awesome hardcover limited edition box set and the figurines, I received a copy of Cute Wendy, Josh’s side comic to Wendy. Where Wendy followed the adventures of Wendy and her sidekick, Cute Wendy was the product of many hours of anime watching, potato chip eating, video game playing, masturbation and exhaustion, not in that order.

Cute Wendy is, in short, a slickly printed pile of WTF. Cute Wendy and her sidekick have adventures, but little to no effort is made for those adventures to make any sense, have any resolution, or meaning at all. By the end of this volume, unresolved chaos became the status quo and it was almost disappointing when Wendy and her sidekick actually did resolve a thing.

Don’t get me wrong here – I’m not dissing Cute Wendy. I just don’t want you thinking it’s a story. It’s not. It’s a series of throw-away plot ideas and leftover fast food with some vaguely imagined lesbian sex thrown in for fun. In fact, “Lesbian Sex” is mentioned quite often, although rarely seen beyond a kiss and a smoke afterwards. “Lesbian Sex” becomes a refrain that repeats, just to let us know it’s a thing in the comic.

If you are of the opinion that Lesnick’s art is not up to snuff, then Cute Wendy is not going to convince you otherwise. And the fever-dream story telling isn’t likely to win anyone over, but that’s not why you’d be reading Cute Wendy anyway! You’d only be reading this if you already liked Wendy or Girly and wanted to see the fever-dream side story. Which I now have. I look forward to revisiting Otra hitting people on the head with giant dildos as a return to normality. Cute Wendy was just that WTF.

Ratings:

Art – Still better than anything I can do, so 6
Story – There kind of isn’t one – 2
Characters – 6
Yuri – 8 They have Lesbian Sex, I’m informed
Service – 7 It’s pretty much written by/for Fanboy, but not nearly as intolerably awful as, say, Shin Koihime Muso

Overall – 5 It’s not being enshrined, but I’m not throwing it out, either.

My very sincere thanks to Josh for being so pro-Yuri and for being a very decent Fanboy. Also, cool figurines!





Dolltopia Comic (English)

November 15th, 2011

Abby Denson’s Dolltopia is a light allegory about the plastic dolls we grew up with and what happens when they question their life of plastic conformity and consumerism.

I first encountered Dolltopia back in 2008, when Abby gave me a copy of the mini-comic (that’s western indie comicspeak for doujinshi) of the series. I was captivated by the idea of toy dolls rebelling against their intended fate, and their desire to be unique and independent.

Dolltopia is, as I said, an obvious outsider allegory, that is nonetheless charming for being obvious. Colored brightly in black, white and hot pink, the art speaks of punk roots, and a childhood of cutting and dyeing doll hair. (Which Abby admits to.)

For Yuri fans, there is one established girl-doll couple in the series – Candy O and Candy X. They are shown providing emotional support for one another, even in the most stressful times. Honestly, they are a very cute couple.

There’s also a little guilt-inducing chapter about the way we abuse our toys, both physically and emotionally. ^_^;;

Unfortunately for me, Amazon shipped me a damaged copy, so I was unable to read all of Abby’s afterword, but other than that minor setback, the entire story about identity and being your own person would make a great holiday gift for a budding young outsider in your life.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 1, but only on the principle that there is always someone out there fetishizing something.

Overall – 8

The book comes with dolls you can cut out, and non-conforming outfits for them to wear. I thought that was a cute touch.