Archive for the Series Category


Yuri Manga: MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 8 (English)

November 20th, 2018

While Kuroko, Hinako, Rinko and Shizuka take on the the Tozakura Group’s 70-year old grudge in the sewers, crazy eyed sniper Reiko is contracted to neutralize their above-ground operations.

Hinako’s new golden beetle obsession remains obscure, and we get a new, exciting psychopath killer, Aiko, for our roster of crazy women. 

The fights in MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 8 are ridiculous, bloody and physics-and sense-defying, which is pretty much everything we’ve come to expect and love from a volume of MURCIÉLAGO. 

And, as an added bonus, Reiko gets sex and a new girlfriend. 

 

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Service – 10
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8

No complaints here. ^_^

 





Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Manga Eternal Edition, Volume 1 (English)

November 14th, 2018

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal Edition, Volume 1 is, in a word, gorgeous. It’s also enormous.

It’s almost fitting that the English-language version of the 20th anniversary edition is huge, as America is kind of known for super-sizing things.

On glossy paper, with a brand new translation and a shiny version of the new-for-the-20th-anniversary covers, this edition is pretty much the definitive edition of Sailor Moon.

From Tsukino Usagi’s discoveyr that she is Sailor Moon, through the gathering of three of her four teammates, the story told in this volume is now well-established among the canon of legendary series. So what is left to say? The Nibleys are re-re-re-translating a series that is already practically mandatory for anime and manga fans, so you wouldn’t imagine that there’d be a lot of room to wiggle, but their translator notes are still interesting. (And their notes about disks and VHS tapes fascinating. This series is now officially so old that the cutting-edge technology of the time has all but disappeared from daily use. Hah!)

For those of you who remember Sailor Moon from the old Tokyopop recycled paper pages, the new all-glossy, very white pages might seem weird, but really, it’s just your lost youth you’re pining for. ^_^

Ratings: (Same as the Japanese volume)

Art – 8 Visibly better. So much has improved in 20 years.
Story – 7 Still silly. It’s never going to be not silly. So what?
Characters – 9
Yuri – 0
Service – This is so hard to parse. Mamoru in a tux is ostensibly service for the original readership of girls, but the costumes have ridiculously short skirts. Let’s call it a 5

Overall – Oddly, 9. Did I ever like it this much or am I getting soft in my old age?

I can now answer that question from 2014 – I am officially getting soft in my old age. 

Thanks very much to Kodansha Comics for the review copy. I look forward to having to find a huge space on my shelves for the remainder of the series. ^_^

I will be out of the office for the next few days at AnimeNYC, come look for me at Booth 334 on Friday and I’ll see you at the Kase-san and Morning Glories screening on Saturday!





Yuri Manga: Anoko ni Kiss to Shirayuri wo, Volume 9 (あの娘にキスと白百合を 9)

October 26th, 2018

Volume 9 of Anoko ni Kiss to Shirayuri wo, (あの娘にキスと白百合を ), begins with a few wrenches to the heart.

Mikaze loves to cosplay. Specifically, she loves to cosplay magical girl Seira, so imagine her delight when she finds another cosplayer in Seira’s angel form! Mikaze is even more surprised to find that the “other Seira” is a student in her school. Mutual love of cosplay brings Mikaze and Asuka together, and their feelings for one another blossom into love. But Asuka’s graduation is looming and to save Mikaze from having to be left behind by her, Asuka pre-emptively breaks up with her. Mikaze is devastated, but the older girl walks away with a final “Sayonara.”

We turn away from this melancholy chapter towards Ayaka. Once again exams are coming but, this time,, she doesn’t seem all that worked up about it. And for once, she comes out on top. Ayaka has finally beat Yurine, who is left to wonder if she’s a “normal girl” now.

In triumph, Ayaka calls her mother to give her the good news and learns what we have all seen coming for 9 volumes. Rejecting her mother’s demands for perfection, Ayaka finally tuns to Yurine as an equal in her own eyes, and reaches out to kiss her. It is a very nice kiss. So nice that it throws Ayaka into a tizzy for the rest of the book, which was actually kinda cute.

The book turns back towards Mikaze who decides that she hates the way her chapters ended and changes the ending. 

And additional chapter about Valentine’s Day gives us all the passive-aggressiveness we’ve lost in Ayaka.

Ratings: 

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8 
Yuri – 7
Service – 2 I’m not gonna lie, that kiss was pretty hot

Overall – 8

As far as I’m concerned, the story can begin now. I cannot wait to see where Ayaka and Yurine go. Because now, at last, they will be doing it together. 





Yuri Manga: MURCIÉLAGO BYPRODUCT – Araña (ムルシエラゴ- BYPRODUCT -アラーニァ-)

October 25th, 2018

While there are clearly oodles of series for which a side story is merely a way to extend a franchise (i.e., squeeze more money out of series fandom) there are some stories the world needs. 

The sex and violence-filled side story MURCIÉLAGO BYPRODUCT – Araña (ムルシエラゴ- BYPRODUCT -アラーニァ-) that follows crazy-eyed sniper, Kuchiba Reiko, is absolutely a story the universe needs. By universe, I mean me, obviously. ^_^

Reiko and her business partner, user of questionable martial arts Momo, are contracted by a Chinese syndicate run by Long and Fu (Dragon and Tiger) to fight other Chinese syndicates and their disposable henchmen. And they do, while bodies and heads explode outward in showers of blood and guts from Reiko’s gun, whose bullet caliber seems to magically transform as circumstances require. Since the point of this side story seems to be the violence and sex, it’s not like you’d be expected to tune in for the complex writing. 

In between these fights, Reiko turns out to be very accommodating to women who need sex. Reiko and her lovers have sex which is not at all as bizarre and grotesque as that portrayed in MURCIÉLAGO proper, but she does seem to be quite the stone butch.

It is nice to see that Reiko has a lover with whom she lives; the young lady whose life she saved. And they certainly seem happy enough. 

Ratings:

Art – 7 It may never be “good,” but it certainly is creative.
Story – 7 Ditto
Characters – 7 Ridiculous to absurd. 
Service – 7
Yuri – 10

Overall – 8

Like MURCIÉLAGO,  MURCIÉLAGO BYPRODUCT – Araña is “messy and gross and violent and gay.” I love it. 





Yuri Anime: Bloom Into You (English)

October 24th, 2018

Another good reason to take a look at HIDIVE is Bloom into You, simulcasting on Fridays. In no way is that a general statement – the Bloom Into You anime is a surprisingly excellent entry into the list of recent Yuri anime. (2018 is going to actually be a fun year to write up that top anime list!)

Because I have detailed every single concern I have ever had with the manga in previous reviews, I’m going to just set them aside. Not because the anime addresses them, but because the anime gives us additional layers and nuance to the story. I didn’t expect that…and I liked it.

The story is pretty much done straight from the manga. This is very typical in a Kadokawa series that runs in Dengekoi Daioh magazine. Traditionally, the anime runs through the first couple of manga volumes to stimulate interest in an ongoing series. It would thrill me to know that we were going to get to the point of the school play in Volume 6, but I do not expect it. ANN lists 12 episodes, which sounds about right for the typical Kadokawa marketing plan. 

As ever, I find myself watching Sayaka, here voiced by Kayano Ai – who seems to be a regular in many of the popular Kadokawa series. The anime really plays up her longing looks at Touko and the laser-like intensity with which she regards Yuu. For her, the animation really amps up the tension. 

The animation itself is all right. The faces strike me as having weirdly pointed chins which reflects the art of the first volume, but not the better art of later volumes. Backgrounds are given more detail than people, as is the way these days, but I feel the gap here is less pronounced. Body movements (and clothing motions) seem better animated than I expected and the backgrounds aren’t that hyper-realistic that makes the characters seem out of place. I do have one very sincere complaint, however. The eyes are animated strangely and yet, are constantly the focus of close-ups. I don’t mind that the faces are not exceptional well-drawn – I deeply mind that we’re forced to zoom in on them over and over. Dear gods, visual media directors, please stop doing every scene in close-up. For pity’s sake, back the fuck up.

Overall its balanced, if not brilliant, animation, with way too many close-ups on strangely drawn eyes.

Those of us following the manga won’t be in for any surprises regarding the plot, but if you haven’t been reading the manga I can actually recommend the anime as a solid place to start. And, man, does that feel good to be able to say. When I was at Yuriten and saw the poster for the anime, I actually groaned inside. After the last couple of Yuri anime that I could not recommend and frankly wish were wiped out of the collective consciousness, it feels really good to add another Yuri romance to Asagao to Kase-san among the recommended Yuri anime to watch for 2018.

Ratings:

Art – 7 -1 for the eyes, so 6
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 5 + 1 for Sayaka, so 6
Service – 1 on principle

Overall – 8

I was delighted to find the anime quite enjoyable. I hope you’ll give HIDIVE a trial and see for yourself.