If ever you have wondered about what it really takes to be a manga artist, forget reading Bakuman. Read Nakamura Ching’s Avare Senki  (アヴァール戦記) instead. Running in Comic @Bunch, Avare Senki tells the story of a manga artist who is on a budget, and really, really doesn’t have the time or money to do anything detailed.

Her editor wanted her to do a really cool fantasy series but, Nakamura-sensei says, she’s got no money because her other series is so exhausting and expensive becuase it’s realistic. Well, the editor says, how about an autobiographical essay about yourself? What kind of a person are you? To which Nakamura-sensei replies, “stingy.” Okay, then, how about a story about how stingy you are? In French, stingy is “avare” and so, Avare Senki (Stingy War Diary) was born.

Drawn in a variety of schizoid styles, including sharp replicas of the other series running in the magazine, Avare Senki discusses things like – just how much does it cost a mangaka and her assistants to draw a detailed story (with costs per page and equipment costs set out in detail.) How long does it take a person to draw something? And why is Nakamura-sensei so stingy she gives them cup ramen for lunch every day?

This is the real life of a manga artist – 28 days working without a break, no bath, no decent, non-convenience-store food. Help, who come and go, and Assistants who stay (despite cup ramen every day for lunch.)

Nakamura-sensei is the first manga artist I know of who really highlights her assistants art in her manga. In Avare Senki we get to know them and see them working for her, even telling her that she’s very kind to them, as stingy as she is.

Ratings:

Art – 9, because it runs the gambit between SD and crazy detailed
Story – 9 because it is gritty and real and funny
Characters – 9 because they are real (and Nakamura-sensei draws in the tattoos she has on her arms, which is a huge thing for me)
Yuri – 0
Service – 0

Overall – 9

Avare Senki is the primer I will use when people ask me about what it’s like to be a mangaka from now on.

I didn’t want you all to think I’d forgotten you, but I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired this week, and worked all weekend, besides. I’m hoping to finish reading a few things in my down time and will be back asap with some reviews.

Now’s a good time to offer a guest review, hint, hint. ^_^

I trace the literary and historical roots of The Girl Prince in Yuri manga today on Hooded Utilitarian in this month’s Overthinking Things.

I’ve discussed three main Yuri tropes so far: The Yamato Nadesico/genki commoner couple, the private school location and the Girl Prince/Otokoyaku.

I was thinking of touching upon codes for “lesbian” in Yuri manga for a future column over at HU. What other common Yuri tropes would you like to see traced back to their roots? No promises that anything will go anywhere, but I’ll at least consider all reasonable ideas. (^_^)

(If you’ve reached this review looking for the Citrus manga Seven Seas licensed…this is not it. That Citrus is a Yuricest story and I have not reviewed it  – or, indeed, ever bought a volume of it.  This is a completely different series with the same name.)

In a very, very small town somewhere out in the boonies, Shiho goes to school with the few other teens of her age left in that town. Shiho has a dream. Because there are no music teachers in town, Shiho has taught herself to play the piano and is encouraged by the kind words she receives from everyone. Everyone, that is, until a new student transfers in from the big city. Nanami is beautiful, standoffish and no one quite knows what to make of her. Through a handwave or two Shiho ends up being assigned to show Nanami around the school. She plays the piano for Nanami and thinks that she’d like to be the new girl’s friend.

Nanami remains cool towards everyone, despite Shiho’s overtures of friendship, but the day the teacher asks what kind of music they like, everything changes. Nanami, it turns out, plays the piano – at concert level. Shiho listens to the tinkle of her dreams shatter with every polished note. She confronts Nanami about the sin of omission, but Nanami is unapologetic – she castigates Shiho for basking in the adulation of the little people of this little town, rather than learning anything at all about the big wide world.

Thus begins Citrus (シトラス), an afternoon-drama-like manga that follows the lives and likes of the teens in this small town. Shiho, her friends, the “good” boy in class, the “bad” boy in class, Nanami, each one of their inner lives is laid bare for us to read and identify with.

Oddly enough, I had experienced the exact same thing last night watching a documentary about legendary dance choreographer Pina Bausch teaching dance to German teens. Dancing Dreams had almost the same exact feel as Citrus, but in a different venue. School is no less intense for it being an everyday occurrence.

There really is no Yuri to speak of in Citrus. Perhaps Shiho’s feeling for Nanami might, one day, become something more, but by the time Volume 1 ends, Nanami is just another supporting member of the cast that fills Shiho’s stage.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 0
Service – 1

Overall – 7

While it isn’t Yuri, Citrus is a slightly fraught slice-of-life shoujo manga in which there is much drama although nothing much actually happens. It absolutely begs for a TV mini-series in which even less happens. ^_^

Today’s review was sponsored by Okazu Superhero George R! Thanks George, for the pleasure of wallowing in a little teen angst, so I can be happy I’m old. ^_^

Blecch.

If you watched Shin Koi Hime Musou~ Otome Tairan, and thought to yourself, “This anime is awesome, but there’s way too much plot. It’d be better if the whole thing was the girls in the bath and grabbing each other boobs and rubbing against each other…” then you will just LOVE Shin Koi Hime Musou~ Otome Tairan manga, Volume 1.

Ratings:

Art – 3
Characters – 0
Story – 0
Yuri – 1, but only in the lamest of lame-ass predatory lesbian way where the thrill was totally for any third party watching
Service – 10

Overall – Blecch.