If you, like I, enjoy the occasional manga in which nothing at all happens, and everyone’s drama is very small and very personal, and most of it is just plain nice, then you too will enjoy Himawari-san, Volume 6. In previous volumes, we met high schooler Matsuri who has become a little besotted with the introverted bookseller across the street from the school. Under the name “Himawari-san” taken from the bookshop’s name, that bookseller who kept to herself almost to the point of being  a shut-in, has changed with Matsuri’s influence. In Volume 6 we see that Himawari-san isn’t the only one who has changed over time.

The book begins with a look back at Himwari-san’s older brother, now a successful author. He tells us of how his life was positively affected with he was encouraged by the former Himaari-san.

We then segue into Matsuri’s final high school festival. Her friend Rikka is a talented fashion designer and she gets a chapter, in which it appears that Fuuko, Matsuri’s younger sister is also starting to find herself. But it is Matsuri who interests me most, as she’s almost relegated to a supporting role in this volume. Not because she’s not important…but because she is. We see how Matsuri has influenced the people around her, Fuuko, Rikka, her friend Ami and most of all Himawari-san herself.

Himawari-san, who began this series extremely introverted, has grown. She looks at Matsuri differently now, and the girl looks back at her differently. They don’t necessarily share the same feelings,  but their affection for one another is obvious. For the first time, one imagines that maybe they might, one day, be a good couple, and that they already make a good partnership.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 3
Service – 1

Overall  – 8

Matsuri’s graduation is just around the corner and I have to admit, I wonder what will happen.

Volume 3 of Akili’s manga, Stretch (ストレッチ) is masterful work, which is to say that he makes a very readable  and credible story out of his creepy fetish, which allows him to draw his characters in a variety of servicey poses, positions and clothing.

Christmas is approaching, which has absolutely nothing at all to do with anything but putting Ran in a sexy part-time Christmas costume. We skip quickly past New Year’s gags in order to have a semi-serious moment at Valentine’s Day, in which Ran admits that her chocolate is “serious.” And we plow through some flashbacks in order to establish that, while Keiko and Ran are not a couple, the could be, they might be. One day.

In the meantime, as with Volume 1 and Volume 2, we continue to be treated to a variety of stretches, all of which I try out, because I read this manga before bed, when I am stretching. Most of them are pretty basic. This isn’t developmental stretching, and pretty much anyone could do these, which I would presume is the point, except that we have to look at the women’s crotches, chests and butts an awful lot. This sort of service always makes me a little sad, as I can’t stop imagining some guy being all excited and happy for a panty shot in this manga. It’s so depressing, isn’t it?

Ratings:
Art – 9
Story – When it’s not just gags and service, it can be an 8
Characters – 7 You have to like them, or why read this manga?
Yuri – Really shoehorning it in this time, let’s say 4, but YMMV
Service – 7

Overall – 7

More importantly, my flexibility is increasing, although not specifically because of Stretch. ^_^

Every day on Okazu is fun, admittedly, but this is one of the funnest times of year – it’s Lucky Box time!

“Lucky Bags” are a feature of  New Year’s Day in Japan, where stores sell blind grab bags with you-do-not-know-what in them. ^_^ You have to trust that the store is putting a $200 handbag in a $100 lucky bag.

In the nature of lucky bags, I am doing my annual Lucky Boxes here on Okazu!

For those of you unclear on the idea of a Lucky Box or Grab bag – these are blind bags. You don’t know what you’re getting. There are no refunds, so if you’re not comfortable buying a box of you-have-no-idea-what, then I suggest not participating. I really can’t tell you what is in each box anyway, because I just crammed stuff in as tightly as possible, without regard for what specifically is in each box. ^_^ (Really please don’t buy one if you don’t like getting utterly random things randomly.)

As in previous years, these are medium USPS flat rate boxes crammed full of things like magazines, comics, books, postcards, and manga, media, papercraft, toys, goods, candy and random wtfness I have gotten over the year! This time I will have four boxes, all with *varying degrees* of appropriateness and all with some Yuri and other weird stuff.

Grab boxes are limited to the contiguous 48 states of the USA, because of the shipping, and people who are 21+ only, on principle, so I don’t have to worry about parental approval. Paypal only. Boxes will be first-comes, first served, as they are all jam packed with wtf this year. ^_^

Here is how to claim a Lucky Box. Please read this carefully.

Step 1:

Email me at anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com with the Subject Line: Lucky Box. Please email me from an email you check frequently.

The body of the email should include your name, shipping address and age. Remember you must be 21+.

Step 2:

I will email you back with my Paypal info. When I receive your payment, I will let you know and we’ll mark the box “Claimed”. If I don’t receive a response or payment in a day or two, I move on to the next person on the waiting list.

Grab Box A – $50 Claimed!

Grab Box B  – $50 Claimed

Grab Box C – $50 Claimed!

Grab Box D – $50 Claimed!

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And there we go, all of the boxes have been claimed. You folks are crazy. ^_^ They’ll be shipped in the next coupla days. Enjoy!