Archive for the Series Category


My Zhime (My Otome) Anime, Volume 7 (English)

October 17th, 2008

As we begin Mai Otome, Volume 7, the world is poised for war; Meister vs Meister, Otome vs Otome, Garderobe and its allies lined up to do battle against Nagi and his forces of Chaos. What do we want most in a situation like this? We want *heroes*! We want the damn cavalry to come thundering down the damn hill and we want it to be shiny, and colorful and we want the horns of Rohan to blow wildly and we want it now.

Boy oh boy do we get that in Volume 7. ^_^

One scene after another, we think we (“we” being the good guys, of course,) have turned the tide in our favor and Nagi pulls yet *another* trick out of his ear, even going so far as to manipulate his own Meister by shooting Sergay and using Nina’s desire to save him to wreak havoc. (His manipulation-fu was a little weak and if Nina hadn’t been such a mopey sop, she might have noticed, but we needed her to just go with it to set up the final confrontation anyway.) Each time calling for yet another triumphant entry of the next wave of the good guys, accompanied by epic background music.

One after another, the Meisters arrive and add their strength to our forces, and time after time, our strength is neutralized until, in a gigantic display of Miyu ex machina all the contracts are cancelled, the Meisters set free and they can *all* take on Nagi’s last-ditch efforts to break toys and pull the wings off of flies.

Of course the world is saved by Arika. Were you worried?

And everyone lives happily ever after, even Tomoe who really should have died horribly. Several times.

Volume 7 also offers a mixed bag of Yuri for our various pleasures. While the volume attains utter fail for Shizuru’s and Natsuki’s completely unromantic and untouchy reunion, we can’t blame them too much, they were both a bit distracted by being in the middle of a war zone. We get a quick retrospective of Shizuru’s playtime with Tomoe (who assumably was a good girl) and for Ers x Nina fans, there’s Erstin’s moving letter to Nina upon which I am sure many a fanfic is based. ^_^ Of course there’s the climax of the whole series where an embrace by Arika brings Nina back from the brink of destruction, and although I am not an Arika x Nina ‘shipper, I know they are out there. Haruka and Yukino continue to be the best manzai government ever. Lastly, but not at all least, there’s Chie’s moving reunion with Aoi. (That’s everyone *I* can think of. I’m sure there are others, so feel free to add in whatever ones you’ve made up in your head to the list of those I’ve made up in mine.)

Mai Otome was never intended to be high art. It was, and remains, a very silly, action comedy-drama with loads of service frosting. A great time for the whole family…assuming your family is like mine. ^_^ (D’oh! I should have watched this with my Dad last time he was here – he would have loved it! Oh well, next time.)

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 8 (We love you Miss Maria, oh yes we do…)
Story – 8
Yuri – 3, but with nuts and candy filling
Service – 5

Overall – 8

And *speaking* of heroes, all my thanks today goes out to the hero of the day, Bruce M, for his sponsorship of this fabulous volume of a lots o’fun anime. (My Dad thanks you too, although he doesn’t know it yet.)





Yuri Manga: Sasamekikoto, Volume 3 (ささめきこと)

October 13th, 2008

Today we turn our attentions once again to the trials and tribulations of Murasame Sumika, aka Sumi, and her hopeless love for her best friend forever, Ushio.

Volume 3 of Sasamekikoto (ささめきこと) begins with the advent of the school sports festival. Someone appears to be targeting Sumika in an attempt to sabotage her class’s chance at victory. As Sumi lines up for the final race, a shoo-in for her, she runs off to save a “kidnapped” Ushio. Sumi and Ushio – now in penguin costume – are happily reunited.

The school erupts in wonder at the arrival of Lotte, a cute little German girl who transfers into the school in order to experience Japanese life. Resisting Ushio’s attempts at dressing her like a doll, Lotte idolizes Sumi’s strength. In order to train Lotte in karate, Sumi picks up her own training for the first time since she met Ushio. We learn that she quit it because Ushio likes cute girls. Now back in the dojo, Sumi remember just how much she loves karate.

In trying to become strong like Sumi, Lotte over exerts herself and collapses. Ushio blames Sumi for not allowing for Lotte’s size and condition. Sumi responds that Lotte *wanted* to train hard, and likes Sumi’s size and strength – that yes, she is NOT cute. Sumi goes running out into the rain and promptly falls ill. (Once again causing me to speculate on Japan’s bacteria-endowed rains….)

Ushio comes to Sumi’s house and nurses her back to health, but pays the price and gets the cold herself. We spend a little while in Ushio’s backstory, learning how she and Sumi became friends when she transfered in, as a result of the rest of the girls in the class ostracizing her when she admitted to liking girls.

Sumi comes to visit Ushio – seeing Ushio upon the veranda, Sumi’s expression says volumes about her feelings, but Ushio runs away. Sumi bangs on the door and demands to see Ushio who, after extracting a promise that they will always be friends (despite the fact that, at this point, neither of them want to be just friends anymore) falls sobbing into Sumi’s arms.

What will happen in the exciting volume 4 of this manga? I don’t know! But I’m very much looking forward to reading more of this really quite excellent tale of best friends in love.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 4
Service – 5

Overall – 8

My favorite moment was watching Sumi watching Yabase Takemi fighting. The tension in her body, that desire to be out there, to test her strength against another champion…awesome. Like Lotte, I enjoy watching Sumi being not cute at all.





Yuri Anime: Kaleido Star, Volume 5 (English)

October 12th, 2008

My relationship with Kaleido Star has always been one of love-hate. One moment I’m ready to put my fist through the screen, the next I’m sobbing because of the intense emotionality, and the inexpressible, if impossible, beauty of the performances.

Volume 5 (Volume 6 as a standalone, Volume 5 in the box set) of the series focuses almost exclusively on Sora and Layla. Having realized that her perfect and only true partner is Sora, Layla puts everything she is on the line to perfect the Legendary Manuever with her. Yuri’s continued attempts at being an asshole alienate everyone around him. In his final attempt at making fools of Layla and Sora, he provides them with an intensity they might not otherwise have been able to muster.

Of course, the Legendary Maneuver is perfect, magical and filled with all the unspoken things Layla and Sora can never say to one another.

No, this is not Yuri in the sense that they are in love or lovers or anything like that, but this is Yuri in the sense that the two of them have eyes only for one another. In fans’ minds and hearts, we can fill in the rest of the relationship as desired. :-)

As much as my relationship with this series is totally love-hate, I would not hesitate for a second to recommend it to another person. While there are many things in the series that I do not like, there are many moments that make this series absolutely magnificent.

Rating:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 1
Service – 2

Overall – 8

Once more I find myself thanking Ted the Awesome for sponsoring today’s review and being an Okazu superhero!





Yuri News This Week – October 11, 2008

October 11th, 2008

Not my best week ever, that’s for sure. Yesterday, on my first day not working, I decided to catch up on yard work that had gone undone for 4 months. (Getting a lawn service in around here is like pulling teeth. My backyard is teeny and unruly and not worth their time, apparently.) Just as I finished the first thing I had to do, I landed wrong on my leg and fell with a dislocated knee. Yep. So now, instead of spending this week cleaning up the yard and house and generally setting my life in order, I’m sitting here on the sofa with my leg in a brace. Sigh. But on to better things!

Yuri Anime

Eric P writes in to let you all know that Media Blasters is releasing a Kashimashi ~ Girl Meets Girl box set. I’m glad that they are. It makes sense for short-run anime. The folks at MB tell me that other box sets are not out of the question. No promises or hints, just that it’s not out of the question for other Yuri series.

The Pre-order for the 2nd season of Maria Watches Over Us (originally titled Maria-sama ga Miteru ~ Haru) is now up on the Yuricon Shop! The second season is coming out next month. (Wonder if they’ll give us a fun freebie this time, too?)

ashi reminds us that Lyrical Nanoha Season 1 boxes are slated to come out in November. Keep your eyes open for that – and for news of the new Nanoha movie, the character designs for which have already caused controversy among people with very little else to do. lol

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Other Yuri News

Interviews are flying thick and fast these days. Catch a completely different sort of interview with me at Comics Structuralist, where I was asked questions that focused more on the sociological ramifications of Yuri than on the usual “so, how did you get into Yuri?” type things I usually get.

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Yuri Events

Once more plugging MangaNEXT where Rica Takashima will be doing an Aozora Art Project that you – yes *you* – can participate in.

Feeling Much Better Through Manga Art

There are times when we are too busy or too shy to say “thank you” or “I’m sorry” to the people who deserve to hear how we really feel. Once the moment is lost, it is usually gone forever. In “Feeling Much　Better Through Manga Art,” members of the public get a chance to turn those lost moments and unexpressed sentiments into works of art. Participants write their apologies or appreciations on life-sized dialogue balloons, and then posed for portraits by Aozora Art staff. These pictures are incorporated by Rica Takashima into unique, one-page manga book stories, thus transforming the participant into the protagonist in his or her own visual storyline, and their message into a therapeutic fusion of personal expression and contemporary art. People of all ages can use this opportunity to express a whole range of thoughts and feelings, from the poignant to the profound. So please visit Rica in the Artist Alley and make your own manga story!

Join Rica, Yuri artist Jess B, myself and the usual cast of Yuricon characters in the Artist Alley at MangaNEXT from 10/31 – 11/2 in Somerset, NJ. It’s going to be a blast. :-)





Yuri Anime: Shoujo Sect, OAV 2

October 7th, 2008

So, Volume 2 of Shoujo Sect came out and I watched it dutifully. I’m pretty certain that porn is not meant to be this boring. ^_^;

Volume 2 of the anime picks up the “story” somewhere towards the end of Volume 1 of the manga and tracks it into Volume 2. We are treated to several sex scenes in this episode: Kirin and Matsuri, who yowled like a cat, and Nori and Aki, the unpleasant twins who shared a sempai snack. And Momoko’s short love affair with her teacher. The climax of the plot comes when Shinobu (suddenly and without preamble) confesses her feelings to Momoko.

Here’s where it actually offered a little entertainment. In the manga, Shinobu asks Momoko to jam with her – Momoko on bass, Shinobu on harmonica. She wants them to play Paul Anka’s “Diana,” a choice I still find highly amusing.

In the anime, we see Momoko play harmonica in music class, instead of recorders, I guess. It’s a flash-by scene, not meant to be anything. But as the episode ends, we hear the sounds of “When The Saints Go Marching In” played awkwardly on harmonicas. It was so random that it absolutely slayed me. Best bit of the anime so far.

Hopefully the last episode won’t be too clogged with other random couples and we’ll be able to focus on Kirin and Maya having a Shinobu appetizer before Momoko gets the main course.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 4
Characters – 6
Yuri – 9
Service – 8

I did a sanity check and re-read the manga after watching this episode. It wasn’t winning any Pulitzer Prizes, either. ^_^