The Pocky Game – Ayano and Miyoshi by far get the most presence this volume, mostly playing silly service games or talking about weird factoids and trivia. To this point the series has been coy about their relationship, not being entirely clear on whether they are just friends or whether one or both of them is interested in something more. Kishi-sensei is also the master of slow-burn relationship progression, doling out each bit of physical advancement for the pairs with cunning patience – a holding of hands here, a kiss on the cheek there… Ayano and Miyoshi get a bigger moment this time, and it’s funny and sweet, but what does it mean if anything? We’ll see.

Ayano is eating some Pocky in class, and Miyoshi wants some and suggests they play “the game where you eat from both ends.” Miyoshi misunderstands the game, thinking the point was to break the stick and get the longer piece. Ayano explains that you are supposed to eat slowly and the first one who gets nervous about kissing and breaks away loses. They try again, getting closer and closer… then Miyoshi gets impatient and finishes the stick by glomping onto Ayano’s face. They discuss whether or not that counted as their first kiss. Miyoshi is, as usual, oblivious, but Ayano is much more affected by their “kiss” and a little ticked that Miyoshi doesn’t care more about it.

Honoka & Alicia’s Christmas, pt. 2 – Honoka and Alicia both pop up a bit in the other stories, but their only major chapter together is the conclusion of the Christmas story started last volume. I think it’s notable for one main reason – the presence of Ed and Ian, the gay couple that are Alicia’s host family. As I was reading this again, I thought back to the earlier review here of Otouto no Otto. One of the important ways that we make progress in increasing understanding and tolerance of LGBT people is by increasing representation and exposure for people who otherwise might have little or no contact with out gay people. Otome no Teikoku ran/runs in Business Jump and then Grand Jump. I have little understanding of the nuances between the various comic anthologies, but it would appear these are targeted at average adult male consumers. And while these average adult males may enjoy a bit of schoolgirl lesbianism, they probably don’t consume a lot of media featuring gay male couples.

While Ed and Ian will probably never be forefront characters, they are the first male characters to be given any kind of “screen time.” And while their main purpose now is to bond Honoka and Alicia, they are given space to express their interests (they really like Honoka’s manga, for different reasons) and feelings for each other and avoid any easy caricature of gay men. The meat of the chapter is series standard – Alicia showing off her Santa underwear, a funny gift exchange – but I like Ed and Ian.

The Extras – In fact, weirdly enough, when you really think about it this series depicts way more gay male physicality (in the form of our ongoing glimpses at Honoka’s manga) than female. Chapters 65 on in this volume each conclude with a single page of a Honoka and Alicia original work featuring Hideyoshi and Rikyuu, uh, “meeting” the Earl of Sandwich. They’re pretty spectacular. ><;

Kaoru & Shizuka – Things really start to heat up in this plotline. Shizuka catches Kaoru reeling in another kohai and chastises her a bit for it. We find out they used to go out and broke up because of Kaoru’s playgirl ways. Kaoru deflects now, but we see that this breakup was her previously referenced emo trauma from age 16. Kaoru is definitely working in some misguided ways to try to get Shizuka back, but Shizuka reaffirms to herself that she won’t go back to Kaoru because she loves Mio now. Later, Kaoru flirts with Shizuka at swim class. She’s frail though and passes out from the heat. During class she’s holding on to Shizuka in the water for support. She takes the opportunity to aggressively go after Shizuka. She believes Shizuka’s strong emotions for her ultimately amount to love, and that Mio is only a substitute for her. What does Shizuka really feel for Kaoru and Mio?

The Reunion – Role reversal can often be an enjoyable tack for a story. We get a glimpse at less-obvious sides of characters, a chance to see them working outside of their comfort zone. That’s the case with the short but sweet Yuu and Mari chapter this time. Mari has an upcoming reunion she tells Yuu about. Sensing Yuu’s jealousy, it’s Mari’s turn to power play and coyly force Yuu into admitting she doesn’t want Mari to go and wants to be with her instead. Even though Yuu is being immature, it’s a nice reminder that she really does care for Mari. You sense Mari doesn’t care whether she goes to a middle school reunion or not. It means more to her to fluster Yuu into admitting how much she wants to be with her.

What Else is Going On?

The debate club has a chapter that I found a little uncomfortable. The three kohai discover that Nononon is ticklish and gang up on her. Now, there’s no sense that they are being malicious or that Nononon is upset about it or angry with them for doing it. But it’s very servicey, drawn with an unusually excessive amount of panty shots, bra glimpses, and skin. And the angles chosen really emphasize the “non-consent light” nature of the scenario as the girls hold her down and tickle her. Certainly adults can have those kinds of fantasies, but this wasn’t about what Nononon wanted, it was for the reader-voyeurs. Maybe I just felt this way because I am ticklish too and would hate that to happen to me?

Other than that we get our usual assortment of Mahi-Mahi weirdness, Michiru and Airi taking funny photos, Nao indulging herself, and Onoda being lonely and uptight. Finally, a new character is introduced. Midori is the most junior member of the manga research club. A tiny, nerdy firecracker, she also draws BL but (as we see) is not nearly as talented as Honoka.

Ratings:

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

Overall – 7

Yahoo! It’s Guest Review Wednesday and we have another fabulous guest review from Mariko S on Kishi Torajirou’s Otome no Teikoku series. (Read the earlier reviews to catch up: Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3.) Please welcome back Mariko and give her your undivided attention!

Is all service created equal? That’s my question for the day. Around here, “fanservice” has a decidedly negative connotation, right down to the impact it has in the ratings system. There’s the feeling that in every case, the work would/could be improved by having less service. But to begin answering my question, we’ll have to decide what “is” is, so to speak.

My personal definition of “fanservice” is content that is sexual or uses a provocative POV outside of sensible narrative requirements. That is, just because a character has sex or is naked doesn’t mean that it’s service, and just because there’s no nudity or sex doesn’t mean the scene *isn’t* service. As subjective as this definition clearly is, I think in most contexts it’s reasonably obvious when you’re seeing it.

So can service ever be good? Going back to what I said in the volume one review, sex is a part of who we are, most people like sex and sexy things, and at least Americans have far too many negative hangups about sexual content. It *shouldn’t* be wrong to enjoy a sexy picture or scene. Therefore, in my opinion, there are three questions to ask yourself to determine the merits (or lack thereof) of the service:

1. Does what you’re seeing make sense for the work in question? If it’s an ecchi comedy, you would likely be disappointed if there *wasn’t* service. But it’s definitely weird to see all the service in something like, say, Saki.

2. Does it distract/detract from the woman’s (let’s be honest, this almost exclusively concerns female characters) broader characterization (or, rarely, enhance it in some way)?

3. Finally, the sniff test. Was it enjoyable, with a sense of fun, or did it leave you hoping you will feel better after a shower?

I bring all this up, as you might guess, because volume 4 of Otome no Teikoku (オトメの帝国 4) could carry the subtitle, “Return of the Service.” After last volume’s nearly service-free outing, maybe the editors or fanbase said something about it, or maybe Kishi-sensei just felt he hadn’t drawn enough boobs lately. But unlike the often-trashy first volume, where the perspective was often upskirt and downblouse during ordinary conversations, here the service has more context. There are no awkwardly leering angles or eye-rolling gropings. It’s really confined to three chapters where it makes sense from what we know of the characters, and is at least fun, even if it strains believability that real girls would be likely to do these things. As nuanced as this series can be, its heart is still “sexy schoolgirls having fun,” so there will always be a service aspect. I try to judge it based on whether it’s true to and respectful of the characters, and is used as an occasional seasoning rather than an overpowering marinade. ^_^;

First, Michiru returns to snapping sexy pictures of Airi in an empty classroom after school. Airi absentmindedly removes her bra, leading to a little testing the waters on each side about taking topless shots. This is definitely the most ridiculous setup, but if we accept what we’ve seen of these two to this point, it’s at least tolerable. And by way of a silver lining, there are a couple of things about the way this chapter is handled that I found noteworthy in a positive way. First is that (consistent with all the art to this point) Airi has a very realistic body. Likewise, the poses she tries are not bombastic pornstar gymnastics – she’s very much a slightly embarrassed girl who nevertheless wants to be sexy for her girlfriend. Which is my second point, that the scene does a decent job of showing some sexual tension between Michiru and Airi (even if it the dialogue isn’t great). Maybe I am being a little too forgiving because I still remember what it was like to be a teenager desperately hoping things would go a little farther than they were likely to, but also nonetheless terrified of that possibility. Kishi-sensei captures some of that here, I feel.

One of the other two service chapters is a Nao chapter, which shouldn’t be surprising. She wants to indulge her fetish for public nudity in swim class, but after finding and taking her chance, gets a little more than she bargained for. The comedy ending was pretty great, I thought. I actually did laugh out loud the first time I read it, it was so silly. The last service chapter featured the debate club playing a variant of RPS where the loser gets her skirt flipped up. It’s just typical funny business for that group, with Nononon as usual trying to play like the others with only moderate success.

What Else is Going On?

So, what if my argument isn’t convincing and you’re thinking, “This volume better deliver the goods elsewhere to offset that nonsense.” Don’t worry, it’s got you covered!

Ai and Chie continue to get better and better. In one chapter, Miyoshi is goofing around drawing things on the chalkboard, and eventually draws a love umbrella that she makes Ai and Chie stand underneath for a picture. Despite Ai’s resistance at the time, later she makes it her phone background and muses to herself how in America, two women can get married. ^_^  Next, Chie is upset that Ai has a new handmade charm on her bag from someone else. It makes her question whether they have as deep a relationship as she thought. She goes to Miyoshi and Ayano to talk about it, and the ever-direct Miyoshi just asks Ai right out about it. Despite Ai’s explanation that her club advisor made everyone a charm, something’s still off with Chie. Ai eventually forces her to admit that even though it’s silly, she’s still jealous. Ai kisses, holds, and comforts her. What’s nice is that, if this were a standard manga setup, Chie would just act out on unfounded, unreasonable suspicion and jealousy, and “hilarity” would ensue. Here, Kishi-sensei adds another layer – Chie *knows* she’s being ridiculous, and really tries to be mature and act like nothing’s wrong. Ai is just too perceptive, and reassures her not by removing the doll, but by acknowledging Chie’s feelings and reminding her that things are good between them.

Honoka and Alicia continue their odd couple antics, and Alicia is slowly winning past the years of scarring from bullies and rejection. While collaborating on a BL comic, Alicia makes some progress by sharing candy with Honoka, but runs into a fresh (hilarious) batch of Honoka’s weird fears and insecurities. And in the last chapter, we begin a multi-chapter arc for the pair when Alicia invites Honoka to Christmas at her house. Honoka tries various ways to get out of it, and doesn’t know what to wear or what to bring, but still Alicia gets her there, where Honoka finds out that Alicia’s host family is an actual gay couple!

We also get the first hints of drama in the series with a new, multivolume arc that begins here concerning Shizuka, Mio, and Kaoru. To begin, we get a closer look at Kaoru’s popularity and the way she effortlessly brings the underclassmen into her orbit. There’s also some oblique hinting at her background, concerning a rejection at age 16. Then, Shizuka asks Mio on a date to a summer festival. They meet and flirt and have fun, and as it turns out, Kaoru has brought her new friend Mayu to the same festival. Suddenly, with a thousand yard stare, Kaoru spots… Shizuka. Kaoru approaches, and while the two kohai are just happily in awe of the older girls’ beauty, she plays a coy cat-and-mouse game with Shizuka’s feelings and surreptitiously caresses her. Mayu at least picks up that something is going on. To be continued!

One of the best chapters, though, is an Ayano and Miyoshi chapter where we get to see an uncharacteristically vulnerable Ayano, as well as the fierce loyalty and empathy that are the flip side to Miyoshi’s often ditzy antics. Ayano puts on a brave front when she is groped on the train, nonchalantly telling the other girls and playing it off like it was no big deal. Miyoshi sees through this act, though, to the hurt she’s actually feeling. Miyoshi genuinely embraces her friend, helping her open up about the experience, then gets pissed off for her and vows to protect Ayano from now on. I like that there was no attempt to pass the molestation off as “secretly pleasurable,” linger on it, or eroticize it in some way. The focus was entirely on the way Miyoshi helped her friend when she needed her most.

MahiMahi have some chapters, where they get up to typically bizarre, childish antics. They can be cute, but boy are they weird!  Nao also has another chapter, along her usual lines, as she tries to find a way to imitate in her classroom something she read about online. Yuu and Mari only make a brief cameo, also up to their usual light S&M games. And finally, a foil/friend for Onoda appears! Onoda is distraught over working so hard but not placing as high academically as she expects. She finds out that Nanasawa, a kind, pretty, popular girl, is first, and all her old insecurites and jealousies start plaguing her again. On the way home, she sees a girl who dropped her things, but haughtily judges her and makes all kinds of excuses not to help. When Nanasawa stops to help the girl and the she gratefully accepts the aid, Onoda has to begin confronting that she not only might be wrong about people, but also is often generally not a very nice person. Hopefully this is the beginning of a chance for real growth for her character, who can be quite sympathetic but is so often her own worst enemy.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 7
Service – 6

Overall – 7

The buildup to this chapter is just as delectable as the thing itself. All of Ai and Chie’s chapters are fantastic in this volume. First, we have a cute chapter of the two flirting adorably over Chie’s hairstyle – overheard by Ayano and Miyoshi, they declare with certainty how obvious it is that Ai and Chie are in love (using “恋” which specifically refers to romantic love).

The second years then all get together at Miyoshi’s to celebrate Christmas in the Japanese style. At this point, the big group chapters have become real highlights, because they feel so lived-in. The camaraderie and fun really feel like something girls might actually do, not moe stereotypes of girls’ activities. For the gift exchange, Ai ends up with a toy model of a battleship, which Chie promises to help her build.

We next see Ai dwelling fondly on the memory of their promise to build it together, daydreaming about how it might go when they do, stressing over how to invite Chie over, and finally Chie’s adorable enthusiasm to get started when Ai finally musters up the courage to ask. Which leads up to… the home date! A full chapter of love-love goodness ensues. Eventually, laying quietly in Ai’s lap while she builds the model, Chie remarks that if they were in a movie, this would totally be the point when they kiss…

Yuu and Mari get a lot of chapters this volume, and one of the things that gets set up is Yuu’s (understandable) annoyance with Mahi-Mahi. She tries to maintain her refined and controlled demeanor with them, but the spastic force of the twins is utterly alien to her. Mari, much more easygoing, has a much easier time handling them. At New Years, we get to see a vulnerable side to Yuu – she does not do well with crowds, and clings to Mari. They run into Mahi-Mahi, who get separated by the crowd and are helpless without each other. Mari comes to the rescue, but has to leave Yuu alone to do it. Yuu is peeved by this, and Mari expects a “punishment” for it…

… Which finally comes when Yuu suggests they go to eat at a family restaurant after school. They get a booth in a back corner, and the games begin. Yuu slowly and confidently pushes Mari’s boundaries, playing her like a beloved instrument. Mari protests, because it’s her role to protest, and feel the naughy embarrassment of complying with her girlfriend’s demands. Eventually she gets so worked up, she does something without being told, which breaks the spell of the moment and ends the scene, but allows us to see the sweet side of their interactions as Mari is terribly amused at Yuu’s puffed-up “outrage.”

Honoka and Alicia continue their odd couple antics, getting into a drawing contest which leads an agreement to collaborate on a comic, despite Honoka’s naked attempts to get Alicia to go away. We meet a new character, Shizuka’s graceful, beautiful, refined, and admired friend and classmate, Kaoru. Mahi-Mahi do silly cute stuff involving bunny pajamas. Nao does Nao stuff, indulging her perverted tendencies various ways. Onoda does Onoda stuff, fretting over how to act and whether people will like her, and misreading social situations.

Finally Shizuka and Mio get a couple more chapters, where Mio works up to and eventually gets out her full and honest confession, which, to her surprise, Shizuka is receptive to. There’s a little unrealistic service, but you can really feel Mio’s aching desire, awe, and fear as her dream comes true.