In K-ON! Volume 3 we are treated to sweet service filling layered in between crisp slices of life, for a delectable millefeuille that is gentle to the palette and relaxing to the mind. Serve with a cup of tea for a refreshing afternoon treat.
Ratings:
Art – 6
Story – Same 8 as before
Characters – 10
Yuri – 0
Service – 4
Overall – 8
Believe it or not, this review took me an hour to write.
Where does one even begin with the mess that is Zettai Shoujo Seiiki Amnesium (絶対少女聖域アムネシアン) Manga, Volume 2?
In my review of Volume 1, I pointed out all the major issues – the constant battering of sexualized violence that hides a really thin plot of nothing much; there is a hidden power that the “Kuyou” are seeking, and to get it, they must cause chaos and death and rip the clothes off girls, etc, etc…
The second volume includes peeping, fake ‘practice’ sexual intercourse (a scene so ill-conceived that I’m comfortable saying that either Kaishuku collectively has never had sexual relations with a woman, or that they expect their readers not to have had them, so they won’t know any better.)
A subplot includes the total destruction of Akihabara by fans possessed by an idol, something surely meant to be ironic, but instead was just the manga version of “full of loud explosions.” The end of the book had more irony, as we are left with the most obvious cliffhanger in the known universe. (Ironic in the sense of it being presented as a mystery at all, when we all knew from, like, the second page, that this was what was up.)
But, rest assured that skirts and shirts were ripped and breasts and underwear were shown and critical plot points were skipped so we could focus on these. On the other hand, since there is a case for this story being a continuation of the Himeko/Chikane story from the Kannizuki no Miko manga, and for proving me right about them not having a happy ending, I suppose I’m glad in a “not that I care” kind of way. ^_^
Ratings:
Service – ∞
Overall – 1
I counted while I was reading. Sighs won, followed by “UGH.” In third place was “Good god.” Also common was, “for pity’s sake” and “what a piece of /expletive deleted/.” To be very honest, this book and everything it represents makes me tired. Tired of swimming uphill against a river of effluvia like this. This is not Yuri. It’s sewage. Okazu Superhero Dan P is to “thank” for sponsoring today’s review. Let me know what you think when the books arrive, Dan!
In Volume 2 of the K-ON! manga, the light music club drinks tea, they eat food, they go to a guitar store, they go on a summer “band camp.” They swim. They chat and joke around. They slack and sometimes, on special days, they work really hard.
They get a new member! Asuza is glomped and made to wear cat ears, but only because she’s cute as a button. Now that they have a new member, sometimes they even remember to practice.
You know what the Yuriest thing about 5 girls hanging out and doing stuff is?
Nothing.
Ratings:
Art – 6
Story – There is none, but I’m still giving it an 8
Characters – 10, this is a completely character driven series
Yuri – 0
Service – 4
Overall – 8
Read this article on the end of K-ON! anime at Japanator. That’s pretty much my definition of the word “otaku.”
Most folks, after spending years honing their craft, improve at whatever they set out to do. Some with marginal skills may never be great, but can at least reach “competent.” For instance, I was never going to be a concert clarinetist, but when I was practicing 4 hours a day, I got better.
Some people, though, become less good, for any number of reasons. There may be less of a drive to excel; time crunches, over-extension, professional commitments, life all take their toll on some people. And a few just run out of something to say. You can see this in bands, particularly. They start out life all young and angry and edgy, but by the third album extolling the virtues of fatherhood and married life you’re ready to vomit at the blandness of their work. ^_^
And some people…well, some people just get worse.
All of which is to say that the “creative” team known as Kaishaku has absolutely surpassed themselves in crappily executed crap with the creation of Zettai Shoujo Seiiki Amnesium (絶対少女聖域アムネシアン).
I won’t bother summarizing the plot because, frankly, there is no point. The plot serves as the thinnest possible frame around a series of service-y violence, much of it sexual, against the ever-popular punching bags of Himeko and Chikane.
Amnesium is a blivet of a manga, filled to the brim with fetishes, rape, mostly-nude, but you know, not *totally* nude nudity, sexual harassment, more rape, more fetishes and more sexual harassment.
Kaishaku’s writing has regressed to the point that I either have to imagine them chained to desks, staring helplessly at an editor holding a whip, mumbling, “rape Himeko, okay, rape Chikane, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay” or sitting around in the asylum slavering. Because, frankly, this iteration is just…sad. Himeko had a sister Chikane, but she died and now a person who looks and sounds *just* like Chikane-oneesama, with the name Chikane, has arrived, but isn’t Chikane-oneesama, has unsisterly intentions, but may have been the one to kill her sister. /mumble/okay, okay, okay, okay/mumble/
The art is no better than it ever has been, so any action scene is hard to parse, but since they are all the same – attempted rape, Himeko’s and/or Chikane’s clothes are shredded (crotches are miraculously never visible, of course) fighting occurs, Chikane wins when Himeko commands her to – it doesn’t really matter anyway. Whee.
Ratings:
Service: 10
Overall: 2, but only so there’s somewhere down to go for Volume 2
Today’s book was sponsored by LFB-in-training and Okazu superhero Dan P.! You are so getting these Dan. You need them. You *want* them. ^_^
Today’s post is an early bit of linkblogging, a pre-Saturday mini YNN report, if you will.
Yesterday we had some breaking news from Right/Stuf Nozomi. From their press release:
RightStuf/Nozomi Entertainment Streams Maria Watches Over Us Season 1 at http://www.YouTube.com/NozomiEnt
They also present Q&A with creator Oyuki Konno at http://www.mariasama.rightstuf.com
Also, from the world of Maria-sama ga Miteru, here’s a whip with which to flagellate ourselves: Those folks who are seeing the Maria-sama ga Miteru Movie in Japan will receive a pile of commemorative items, including a clearfile and a “Secret Episode” book! I’ve already checked the flight costs and man, if it weren’t highway robbery, I’d so be there to see the movie. Thanks to Komatsu-san for the tip on this.
Appropo to nothing, here is a incendiary post by David Welsh, in which he calls out those folks culpable in the lack of critical respect given to Moto Hagio and other female writers (including the crime committed by A Drunken Dream and Other Stories‘ own publisher of saying “this isn’t like other shoujo manga – it’s not crappy.”) I contributed a confrontational comment and am waiting to be called sexist for it.
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