This week has been very interesting in the manga blogging corner of the world.

It started with Brigid Alverson on Mangablog writing about how to set up a manga blog that’s User-Friendly. Her advice is all good, solid, basic web-building advice.

This was followed by David Welsh on his newly renamed Manga Curmudgeon, pointedly teaching fledgling journalists how to report on Manga properly.

Last night on Twitter, Deb Aoki from manga.about.com wrote some writing tips for manga bloggers, so they can write better blogs. (Compiled by animemiz)

Late breaking Entry! Mangacritic Kate Dacey just added her incredibly important 2 cents to the issue, with this morning’s post Why Editing Matters.

And few nights ago, I had a discussion on Twitter with a bunch of the manga bloggers on why – and why not – to start a manga blog. This article is the compilation of those basics, so we can have all four pieces of writing in permalink spots. :-)

Why You Shouldn’t Start a Blog

1) To get free stuff.

No one owes you and no one cares about you – until you prove you’re worth caring about. Once you have an audience and a reputation for fair and creative reviews, you’ll have a base to stand upon to ask for review copies. But still, remember – no one owes you anything.

2) To pick a bone with a company.

Boy you hate Company XYZ. Everyone you know knows it. Now you want to share your issues with the world. You hate their font, their voice actors, their translator, their cover artist and you’re going to rag endlessly about it, and while you’re there talk about some stuff you like too.

3) To share illegally shared material.

You stay right on top of the sub and scan scene and you know just where to get every sub and scan and how cool is that? It’s not. You dealing in stolen IP and that makes you an accessory. Fines and jail time are so uncool.

Why you should start a blog

1) To get writing experience

Blogging is a great way to build your writing and editing skills, to learn to keep a deadline and to experiment in a safe way with your writing. Non-fiction is, by and large, easier to write than fiction, but writing on a steady schedule is still work.

2) You have a unique viewpoint or interest.

Obviously, the reason I started this blog was that no one else was writing on Yuri, and I was starting up a Yuricon and needed somewhere to write about it. 8 years later there are other Yuri blogs, but I hope I’m still bringing something unique and critical to the table. Many of the bloggers I respect have a unique focus, interest, genre or perspective.

3) Other people keep telling you it’s time.

On the whole, I’m not moved by what “other people say” but for many successful bloggers, it all began when someone else asked them to write for them. It might have been a guest post or as a staff writer on a larger site. In some cases, the blogger had been discussing manga or anime critically for ages and it just finally seemed like the right thing to do. Permalinks are so much more useful than conversations that float away on a breeze. :-)

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So – there you have it. The world’s first compilation on Manga Blogging 101, brought to you by Brigid Alverson, David Welsh, Kate Dacey, Deb Aoki and me. :-)

Last month, the criminally intelligent and funny Kate Dacey added a few new items to her Manga Hall of Shame. Among them was 4-koma series Lucky Star. Among her many – and all completely valid – criticisms was the plaintive request, “Dear Manga Publishers: Please stop licensing 4-koma titles. Most of the translated material in this format is at best dull — wait, was that a joke? — and at worst incomprehensible…”

I wish I could disagree with her but, despite the ridiculously large numbers of 4-koma series I follow, I can’t. Before you get all bent out of shape about it, consider this:

4-koma are the equivalent of “comic strips” here in the west.

My gut tells me that few people would rush to read “Blondie” or “Sally Forth” if they were translated into Japanese for much the same reason 4-koma fail to be hysterical here – sitcom-itis. Each character has one, maybe two qualities, each of which is rendered down into a joke or visual gag. The sum of the plot is three or four situations into which this 2-dimensional (both figuratively and literally) ensemble is thrown, with resulting yucks and heehaws. The only way to change the dynamic is to add characters or props.

This is not to say that *all* American comic strips are bad, nor is it to say that all Japanese 4-koma are impenetrable or unfun. Realistically though, even a lot of the ones I like are not that great. :-)

Which brings me to the subject of today’s review, Rakka Ryuusui (落花流水), Volume 4.

It’s not bad…but it ain’t great. Here are my reviews for Volume 1 and Volume 2. I never did get Volume 3, in which I apparently missed nothing because the main topic of conversation in Volume 4 is…allergies. Yes, still.

It’s both funny and really, really boring all at once. Animal allergies, pollen allergies…I sympathize but seriously, how many comic strips about high school girls’ post-nasal drip can one read before the glamor wears off?

What passes as Yuri in this series is taken up by Akatsuki who idolizes and follows around Yu, who suffers allergies. And Akiho still has a crush on her sempai.

The only real downside to this particular series of comic strips is that while I tuned in to read about the allergy-suffering of the Kyuudo club while wearing cool hakama and carrying cool weapons, I’m subjected to them suffering allergies while wearing bathing suits and… horror! cheerleading outfits. It was unforgivable. They can be as sniffly as they like – while doing archery. Once they stop that, I’m outta here.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 6
Characters – 6
Yuri – 2
Service – 4

Overall – 6

You may remember from Volume 1, that Suzu is a high school student with a huge mecha obsession and mad skillz in electronics, who lives and runs a small shop in Akihabara Electric Town. Or not but, in any case, that’s what Transistor Tea Set (トランジスタティーセット ~電気街路図~ ) is about.

In Volume 1, Suzu is joined by Sairi, a younger girl who has a crush on Suzu and her old childhood friend Midori, who has a crush on Suzu. Which may still be true for Volume 2, but is mostly lost in the crush of “Akihabara- and otaku-fantasy things we need to shove into this volume.”

So Volume 2 begins with Suzu teaching a class of typically bratty kids about the joys of electronics. The kids misbehave until boss Sairi shows up and puts them in their place, but the emotional damage has been done.

Most of the volume is spent introducing and abusing two new characters, Kiriko and Emita, members of the Girl’s Electronics Club at Suzu’s school. First, they arrive to recruit Suzu, but eventually find themselves working for Midori as maids in the cafe. Kiriko is well suited to play a tsundere Goth Loli and Emita on account of her short hair and height, makes a nice onabe (FtM crossdresser) in the style of a host bar or Takarazuka.

Nothing much happens in Volume 2, just lots of character interaction. Both Midori’s and Sairi’s crushes on Suzu take a back seat to cosplay, maids and Midori’s anime creation (something that would sell well if it was actually animated.)

We don’t get to see the headless robot maid again, which made me sad. I’ll hold out hope for her return in Volume 3. :-)

Ratings:

Art – 6
Characters – 7
Story – 6
Yuri – 2
Service – 6

Overall – 6

This volume marks the first of many that I will be reviewing courtesy of Okazu Hero George R, and his kind attentions to my Japanese Yuri Wish List. Thank you so much George for your sponsorship – you’re a real Okazu Hero!

In Volume 1 of Hanayashiki no Junin-tachi (花やしきの住人たち,) we met Aki, a boy who excels at “women’s” tasks like cooking, sewing and being functional. As punishment he is sent to live at a girl’s dorm, which just goes to show that his father and grandfather are idiots.

In the Hanayashiki dorm, Aki meets energetic, cute and hungry Renge who falls for him, and creepy loner Ayame, who has an extra creepy twin brother who is really damaged. Aki falls for Ayame and, of course Ayame is interested in Renge, in standard fashion.

In Volume 2, we learned that Ayame is a lesbian because she’s only met broken and disturbed men and that her mother was distant and cold, just like Freud said.

Now we are at Volume 3, and any chance that Ayame and Renge will get together is receeding quickly. Renge comes to grips that Aki isn’t going to be hers anytime soon, and somehow Aki finds himself protecting Ayame more and more from Kakitsubata, her brother. When Kakitsubata starts to sexually assault Ayame, Aki’s had enough and takes Ayame to his room to give her somewhere safe to stay. And it is safe, as we had previously established that Aki is a good guyTM. He’s not going to do anything to Ayame and he may keep her from hurting herself.

Aki’s Dad shows up to free him, so of course everything comes to a crisis. Ayame, having met the first non-violently insane man of her entire life is cured of her lesbian desire, Kakitsubata does not kill himself, which is a shame and in the end everyone lives happily every after. Oh, yes, they do.

I never really expected this series to go my way, so I can’t say I was disappointed on that score, but the pat ending really makes all the DRAMA sort of meaningless. Much like the ending of Mai HiME, I feel as if we were cheated on an actual ending that dealt with the consequences of everything that happened in the story. Also, the lessons we learn, that cross-dressers are violently insane and lesbians are also damaged until they are fixed by a heterosexual attraction, are massively uncool.

On the other hand, if you like DRAMA, then this series does have some decent qualities. Aki being a very decent human being and Renge also not being a freak go a long way to helping the book not suck.

Also, I should probably point out that they do all live happily ever after – as friends. For which I was very grateful. Because frankly, there is no way any of the possible pairings would feel right.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 5
Characters – 5
Yuri – 1
Service – 2

Overall – 6

As a whole, the series is like watching a Tornado. Aki shows up, and through no fault of his own, pulls the house down. But in the end, the skies are blue and there’s always tomorrow to rebuild.