Archive for the Hana no Asuka-gumi Category


Yuri Network News – September 19, 2009

September 19th, 2009

Yuri Games

One of the biggest news items this week is the Sasamekikoto kissing game application for iPhone and iPod touch. It’s available with English subtitles and apparently Ushio and you get to practice kissing until her mask dissappears. As you might remember, a Sasamekikoto anime is due out soon, so this is an interesting way to promote it. The game is free to download. Ted the Awesome shared his experience with the app on the Yuricon Mailing List: “Just put two fingers together, put it where you think the lips are behind the mask and gently move the fingers away from each other and than move the away from the screen. The moment your fingers no longer touch the screen is when the ‘kiss’ is counted for. I scored 100 at least four times and got some bonuses.

The more you kiss her, the more her mask becomes transparent. If you’re a good kisser throughout, she’ll even take the mask off. The more points you score, the more character profiles shots you unlock.

It also comes with a Manga preview. Not too bad for a free little app.”

Also rocking the Japanese games world right now is Love Plus, a DS Game in which you court and date any one of three girls. I first read about this game in a blog written by a Japanese lesbian who confirmed what seemed obvious to me – by its nature, if you’re a woman playing this, it’s an insto Yuri game. :-)

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Yuri Anime

Crunchyroll has announced that they are streaming Koi Hime Musou. The description was so cute, pretending it had anything really to do with Romance of Three Kingdoms. :-)

On the Japan side, a series called Working!, which has been on a number of Yuri lists there, is getting an anime. Take a look at the (so far, sparse) website for yourself.

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Yuri Live Action

Here was my crazy news find for the week! I was doing something I have not done in about a year – surfing the internet. (I know, wild, huh?) and I came across this – a NEW Hana no Asuka-gumi Live Action Movie! It’s real and it looks totally legit. What Hana no Asuka-gumi NEO! does not look, is good. :-) It also looks like it couldn’t be less like the Asuka I know, but hey, the first Asuka live action movie….that was no masterwork, let me tell you. (And I always hear the Rolling Stone’s “Satisfaction” when I think of it. lol) Miko seems to be a major character in this new version and Hime makes an appearance, but no Yohko. OTOH, the bad guy looks psycho enough for fun.

I’ll see about getting a copy and reviewing it for you.

And, amazingly, while we’re on the topic of series that will not die, there’s new news about the Live Action Bubblegum Crisis movie. Apparently the project is alive and using the weirdest way possible to recruit staff. :-)

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Snatches of Yuri

Tamatamato follows the romance of a diminutive miko and a school girl and zOMG they kiss!

Beni! Aina Jogakuen is a Japanese “Plot What Plot” taking place at a school, at which sex occurs. The school name is…sexually suggestive. There is bondage and highly unrealistic body proportions.

In Yuki no Saku ni ha – Suddenly Chihiro’s life is disrupted by the appearance of a Yuki-Onna (a snow spirit) who moves in with her and starts to act like her wife. Clearly this is all that is needed for love to bloom between Yuki and Chihiro.

And to end on a pleasant note, there’s Nagisa no HaiQ-bu a 4-panel series about a girl, Nagisa, who joins the Beach Volleyball club and who falls for fellow team member, Akira.

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That’s a wrap for this week.

Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. (Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed.)

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!





Yuri Manga: New Hana no Asuka-gumi, Volume 5

June 4th, 2007

Today’s review is a total wank. I’m reviewing Hana no Asuka-gumi, Volume 5, not for its awesome relevance to our mutual interest, but as a way of gloating about something so stupid that you’ll all roll your eyes when I finally get there. Just be warned. ^_^

In the past I have mentioned Hana no Asuka-gumi as one of the three great gang girl manga series, along with Sukeban Deka and YajiKita Gakuen Douchuuki. The story was ridiculously complex, with a vast, multitiered organization that ran all the girl gangs of Tokyo, and included things like underground labyrinths and all-city gang wars. And the focus of it all was high school student Kuraku Asuka, with one of the most dysfunctional Yuri love stories to ever span the pages of a manga.

In 2003 the series, which had been out of print for 18 years, came back with a whole new manga. Asuka, having returned to Tokyo after a visit to the US, is immediately embroiled in more shenanigans with Hibari-sama’s lackeys. This time, mysterious marks signifying *something* to *someone* appeared on people and places and in the end they’re all out to kick Asuka’s ass…again. ^_^

This time, at least part of the war is clothed in the veneer of “whoever defeats Asuka gets to be the new ‘Minister of the Left'” – the cherished position of strategic advisor at the side of the apparently charismatic and obviously cracked Hibari-sama. The contenders for the title are Mari, one of Hibari’s own shadow warriors/lookalikes and Nene, the 11-year old Area Master for Chiyoda-ku and the keeper of the seal that commands the The Oni – the enforcers of the Hibari SS organization.

…I know…that cleared everything up, right? ^_^

The point I’m making is that once again, everyone who is not Asuka’s ally is Asuka’s enemy, and we spend a lot of the manga running around fighting…and talking about what’s going on. For a fighting manga series, there’s a LOT of talking.

And this is no easy read, mind you. Aside from the constant military and slang terms, there’s just a sense of “huh? what the heck are they talking about?” that I can’t quite ever put my finger on. I constantly feel like there’s an explanation for Hibari’s commands just out of my reach of comprehension.

The new series has been less Yuri in regards to Asuka, primarily because Asuka’s main love interest, Yohko, died in the original series. But hold on to this concept, because we’ll be back to it in a sec.

Although she is a lone wolf, Asuka *always* has at least one damsel in distress tagging along. In this new series, she has two: Serena, the more typical damsel who is being bullied by her peers and; Kiho, the completely atypical tough girl who is being groomed (e.g., she ends up fighting alot) to take over as an Area Master. Kiho is actually pretty cool, so when she ends up being given the Chiyoda-ku area and Nene and Sessho (Nene’s acting regent) step down, it’s kind of a shock, but in a good way.

In the meantime, I have developed an unshakeable belief that two of the tertiary charcters, Kiryuu and Fusako, are a couple. Kiryuu used to be an Area Master, but she retired long ago to be the head of an “outside group” – a group not within the Zenchuu Ura. Fusako, on the other hand, is also known by the name Bara no Miya, and she has been Hibari’s “Minister of the Right” – one of Hibari’s close advisors – and has headed up the Hibari SS (“SS” stands for something like advisory council, nothing to do with stormtroopers.) In other words, she’s as much Hibari’s girl as one can be in the organization. Fusako is also one of the few members of the Zenchuu Ura that could always kick Asuka’s ass. I can’t tell you why exactly, but I’m convinced that Fusako and Kiryuu are a couple. Well, I could, but it would be lots of teeny things that won’t mean anything to you unless you read the series. You’ll just have to trust me. ^_^

But none of this is why I am reviewing this manga today. I am reviewing it because of this: In Volume 5, something I wrote in a Hana no Asuka-gumi Fanfic actually happens. Now, that’s really no big deal. I make it a point to try and stay in character when I write fanfic…or at least write the characters in a way that’s plausible, unless it’s total crackfic. But in this case, I did something sort of odd, even though I thought it completely plausible. I had the dead Yohko talk to Asuka in her head. Imagine my complete surprise, nay, shock when I started reading the chapter in Feel Young magazine and dead Yohko started talking in Asuka’s head! I think my reaction was something like this:

“Oh. My. God.”

/still pause/

“Oh. My. &^$!ing good god.”

/Me holds the book up and suddenly breaks out into a spastic dance of hysterical fangirly joy./

P.S., I wrote the story years before the new series ever began.

To make it all better, Miko’s reaction to Asuka’s confession that dead Yohko is talking to her practically came out exactly the same as in my story too. So, hey, maybe Takeguchi-sensei plagiarized my story. (I’m not being serious – and, even if she did, FINE.)

Anyway. How’s that for a total wanker reason to review a manga, huh? ^_^

So here we are, Asuka’s still gaga over Yohko, dead as she is, and dragging around a bunch of girls who need rescuing from time to time. Fusako and Kiryuu are together a lot more than mere friendship can account for and Hibari…well, Hibari’s obsession with Asuka is legendary and Yuri-riffic. (Asuka last repudiates Hibari on Hibari’s bed, from underneath Hibari. You do the math.)

Ratings:
Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 3
Service for MiddleAgedFanWomen – 27

Overall – 8

God, I *love* this series! Cannot wait to see how the new Ranjuku Detention Center arc pans out….





Drama CD: Hana no Asuka-gumi Gaiden (花のあすか組外伝)

April 21st, 2006

This CD that you see here in the picture to the left is one of my prize possessions. One of my very favorite series is Hana no Asuka-gumi (花のあすか組), which was exceptionally popular in the mid-to-late 80’s. I have never really reviewed the original manga series (which is available still in reprint from Amazon Japan. This is the link to the most recent reprint of Hana no Asuka-gumi Volume 1.

I discussed the original manga briefly when I first reviewed the new Hana no Asuka manga series. You can find my reviews here: March 25, 2003 and January 14, 2004.

And I reviewed the two anime OVAs on April 3, 2005 and May 31, 2005.

Lastly, I have also reviewed the Hana no Asuka-gumi live-action movie and the first volume of the New Hana no Asuka-gumi manga. And, in 2011, the new live-action movie, Hana no Asuka-gumi NEO. Once you’ve read all of those, you will still have absolutely no clue what I’m talking about – but you’ll understand how much I like this series. ^_^

The story of Kuraku Asuka takes place over a series of 27 manga volumes, with 6 “supplementary” volumes, 2 extras and a novel, and 8-volume “new” manga series, as well as several Drama CDs and a TV show that was only marginally related to the manga. The live action movie was even less related than the TV show, which at least kept the main characters in modern Tokyo. The second live action movie was much more satisfying.

Briefly, for those of you who do not want to do so much work, Asuka is a 14-year old who had a rough time at school with bullies and tried to kill herself. She is not saved by her love interest Yohko. Instead, Yokho uses and abuses her emotionally and Asuka has to pretty much save herself over and over from the many bad guys who want to defeat her, and from both the women who are in love with her – Yohko and the head of all the gangs in Tokyo, the bizarre and melodramatic Hibari-sama. As you can imagine with this set-up, there is a lot of fighting in this series.

Asuka manages to save a damsel in distress every story arc as she becomes the best fighter and the most prominent target among the girl gangs in town. Hibari-sama’s organization is complex and fasicinating and no matter how many times I write about it, you really won’t be able to follow it all unless you read every last volume of the original manga. Sorry. (I have written two fanfics for this series in which I explain a little about the world of the Zenchuu Ura. You can find those on my “Worldshaking” Fanfic, if you care to look. They still won’t explain it all.)

All of the above, and the *incredible* sexual tension between Yohko and Asuka and Hibari and Asuka are why I love this series in general. The reason I love this particular Drama CD however is that the main character of Kuraku Asuka is voiced by none other than my absolute favorite voice actress, Ogata Megumi. And oh my god, is she perfect as Asuka. Not just “I love her voice” perfect, she actually is perfect for the role.

This series and this Drama CD dates from back when female roles were drawn and voiced to appear older than their years, as opposed to today’s trend towards moeification.. I much prefer the old school on this. Hibari’s voice actress voices her as the perfect scheming queen, Kasuga is voiced like a domme, and Bara no Miya’s voice cuts right through me. But Yohko and Asuka…gawd. May you one day have the pleasure of hearing Yohko and Asuka talk to each other on this CD. This, my friends, is hot like “the CD player has started smoking” hot.

Did I mention that Yohko was played by Koyama Mami, the woman who voiced “Miya-sama”, Ichinomiya Fukiko in Oniisama E /Dear Brother? And that Soumi Yoko, who played BC in Vandread more brilliantly that the show deserved, here plays Hibari-sama…with a voice that could peel shrimp of their shells, as she asks Asuka to come closer so she can see her face better…

Sorry, I’m drooling again.

Let’s not overlook Orikasa Ai, who has been playing pretty blonde boys for*ever* and who here voices Kasuga like she’s going to swing out of Hibari’s sight and go slap a few cute girls around to relieve tension. ^_^ Ikura Kazue (who is currently working as Chopper in One Piece, but established her girl gang street cred as Asamiya Saki, the lead in Sukeban Deka plays a mean (and I meant that literally and figuratively) Bara no Miya.

Ratings:

Story – 9
Music – excruciating, yet earwormy – 6
Characters – 9
Yuri – 7
HnAG Fan Service – 100

Overall – 9

THIS is what Hana no Asuka-gumi should be.





New Hana no Asuka-gumi Manga, Volume 1

February 1st, 2006

Kuraku Asuka is back. And the Zenchuu Ura isn’t happy about it.

Welcome to Shin Hana no Asuka-gumi.

Asuka has returned from America, eighteen years in real time, and about 3 months later manga time. And immediately weird stuff begins to happen. Strange markings are being drawn upon people, things and buildings around Tokyo. The Area Masters, the leaders of the gangs in each section of Tokyo, are hearing strange whisperings about Hibari’s new favorite, and about a possible takeover of power among themselves. And in the middle of all this, Asuka strolls in, with her studied nonchalance, and hyper-mad gang fightin’ skillz, and basically turns everyone on their heads.

There’s lots of girls fighting, and gang leaders waxing philisophic and world-weary, and a lots and lots of…cell phones.

Yes, in the three months and two decades Asuka has been gone, cell phones have taken over the lives of the girls of Tokyo – including the girl gangs. In fact, my clearest memory of Volume 1 is Miko screaming at Asuka because she never remembers to take her cell phone with her. :-)

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know I adore the girl gang manga series of the 80’s. And I, along with a multitude of middle-aged women, adore the fact that Asuka is back on the streets of Shinjuku, moving the Area Masters and their gangs around like pieces on a chessboard.

That’s all the good. The bad is that this manga had a rocky start, and took a while to find a magazine to call home (it ended up in Feel Young, the same magazine that carries Yamaji Ebine’s work,) so the first volume is a bit inconsistent, and a little unfocused. The art is actually not quite as tight as the original manga – I’m sure it’s because Takaguchi has all new assistants these days, and after all, she hasn’t drawn Asuka for nearly twenty years. And lastly…and this is the real killer for me…Hibari has gone off uniforms and is into Goth-Loli now. Isn’t that dreadful??? I mean – Kasuga in a uniform was one of the highlights of the original manga!

Anyway – this is one of those manga in which the *main* cast numbers in the dozens, so I won’t even really bother trying to explain who is who and what is what. I will say that the standard tropes of Asuka remain consistant – damsel in distress that Asuka saves only to draw her into a tangled web of internecine gang warfare and politics within the Zenchuu Ura headquarters, and possible threats from the HQ enforcers, and Miko yelling at Asuka, and Hime being *way* too cool and together for a 13-year old. Okay, maybe 14 now.

There is one more thing that is not so good about this volume, but there’s absolutely nothing that can be done about it. Yohko is still dead. In fact, Yohko isn’t even mentioned, which bums me right out the door. But in the current chapters, the plot is a-thickening and I hold out hopes that something yuri-ish this way comes. For now – its a bust.

Ratings:
Art – 6
Story – 6
Characters – 8
Yuri – 1 (but only because of Asuka’s natural animal magnetism)
Loser MiddleAgedFanWomen – 8

Overall – 6, unless you’re one of the LMAFW above then 8, dammit.

Girl gangs fighting in the streets of Tokyo – now that’s the Japan I wanna see!





Live Action: Hana no Asuka-gumi Movie

December 12th, 2005

Hana no Asuka-gumi is a very bad live-action movie based on manga I like.

When faced with an extremely complex story, with many characters and a multi-tiered socio-political set-up, some directors simplify and some rewrite. And some throw the whole story out and create something completely different from the original so that what’s left is something so awful that the original creator would probably not want to be associated it. The original Casino Royale springs immediately to mind…and so does the live-action Hana no Asuka-gumi. This movie is *so* bad, it’s good.

The manga of Hana no Asuka-gumi takes place in modern Tokyo, among the many and varied members of the Zenchuu Ura, the umbrella organization that runs all the female gangs of Tokyo (among other things) and the people who are involved with the principles of this organization. Kuraku Asuka was once a high-ranking member, but is no longer.

I’ve mentioned the original manga on and off across Okazu, reviewed the first OVA and second OVA, and done an overview of the new manga series. All of these are, in one way or another, excellent.

Not so this movie. ^_^

In the live-action version of this wonderful girl-gang story, we are transported to a dystopian future, in which all gangs look like stereotpyes of gangs, from big Happy Days 1950’s gang hair to double-breasted yakuza gang suits, to Mad Max ripoff faux-punk gang leather armor. All of the Omoteban look like Michael Jackson music video runaways, and they tend to yell alot and fight not nearly so much. Asuka’s (in the red jacket on the cover above – click the picture to get a bigger version) and Miko’s relationship is pretty much exactly the same as it is in the manga, and so is both of their relationships to Yohko (chick on the left side of the cover with big hair, which is a bloody shame). Other than that, nearly everything is different.

The worst change is what they did to Hibari-sama. Instead of being a proto-GothLoli freak with a doll and uniform fetish, she’s made into a middle-aged woman who cannot speak and needs misting periodically. This causes the movie to crawl to a stop every time she comes on screen – it sucks any energy the movie has away, just like the horrible mono-tonal Sister Jill did for the Cutey Honey Live-action movie.

But none of these is really enough to kill this movie completely – nor is the fact that the soundtrack consists entirely of the Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction repeated over and over endlessly until you want to rip your ears off.

Despite all this, there are *still* scenes worth watching.

Chief among these is the scene where Asuka manages to grab Yohko, ties her to a bed and yell at her for a while, with a little light kicking to the ribs. Asuka has what is a genuinely unresolved-sexual-tension filled scene with the woman she loves. This relationship isn’t going to go anywhere…and neither does this movie. It ends in an anticlimactic free-for-all that resolves exactly nothing.

Ratings:
Cinematography – 2
Characters – 6
Story – 4
Yuri – 1
Service – 0

Overall – 2

Like the live action movie based on Blue, one should only bother watching this if one is a total hardcore Hana no Asuka-gumi fan. I am a hardcore fan, and have *two* copies of it. ^_^