Anata no Yoru ga Aketera (あなたの夜が明けたら)

October 15th, 2021

Anata no Yoru ga  Aketera (あなたの夜が明けたら), translated on the cover as After Sunrise, Haru Harukawa Collection is a collection of shorts by, obviously Harukawa Haru. Some of these shorts have appeared in other collections, such as the Shakaijin Yuri anthology brought out in English here by Yen Press as Whenever Our Eyes Meet.

These stories are varied in tone, adult couples to a surprisingly poignant maid/mistress story, office stories and, inevitably a few high schoolers. A couple of the stories have some problematic age gaps, but whether you find that unpleasant or not is yours to decide. The stories themselves are not generally creepy. Sex is implied, or alluded to with tasteful nudes, rather than graphically depicted. But, like many of the kinds of stories I prefer, the emphasis is on emotional closeness, rather than physical relationship. And that is where I found the most problematic, content.

The first story is a classic modern fairytale. A woman who lost her husband hires a sex worker to sleep with. Not have sex…actually sleep. She cannot sleep alone. Now that she finds she can sleep this way, she has the sex worker fired from her agency, so she can…what? adopt her? own her? hire her?… full time. And because the client is so wealthy, she expects the sex worker to not work. What will she do with her days? she asks.  Whatever she wants, is the reply. My head is full of alarms and sirens throughout.  It’s fairy tale world, a sex worker and client fall in love live happily ever after. But…whatever she wants? Maybe she wants to be a sex worker, Ritsu. Did you never consider this?

A few of the stories had this “cool story, bro” quality, where if I told you the idea it would be fine, but when you dig down a bit, it is not so fine. Which made me like this book more than if it had just been one bland happy ending after another.

Ratings:

Art – variable, but mostly 8. You can tell the early stories.
Stories – 7
Characters – 7
Service – surprisingly little to none
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8

Like an acquired taste, the stories had a complicated enough flavor to leave me with something to think about.

Posted in Yuri Manga | No Comments »


Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei (転生王女と天才令嬢の魔法革命)

October 14th, 2021

Here’s a phrase I’m using more and more these days: “Ahead of the English language edition.” Yesterday, Mariko gave her impression of a book that will be heading our way from Seven Seas and today, I’m looking at the manga for a Light Novel that has recently been licensed by Yen Press as The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady with a projected March 2022 release date.

Volume 1 of Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei (転生王女と天才令嬢の魔法革命) is the manga for a light novel of the same name. (The FTC has reminded Amazon to remind me to remind you that links to booksellers here are affiliate links and I therefore make a pittance when you click them and purchase items. I will have to figure out a simple way to do this that doesn’t drive us all crazy.)

Princess Annisphia has a lot of unique ideas about magic, most of which don’t fit with the common learnings about magic in Parettia. There’s a reason for that. Annisphia isn’t from Parettia – she’s been reborn into this world from ours and she’s dedicated to creating magic that heats her bath and tea and gives her a flying broom.

Euphilia is a high-ranking noble girl whose life has been thrown into chaos, as her betrothal has been canceled and her reputation destroyed. When Annisphia literally crash lands on the scene of Euphilia‘s shaming, the princess loses no time – she bodily throws Euphilia over her shoulder and takes her home, where she asks the King if she can keep her. Annisphia needs Euphilia – a genius at magic – to help her create better magical tools.

Volume  1 is a rough start to this story, to be very honest. The first chapter is mostly Euphilia’s former fiancee’ screeching at her, endlessly. Annisphia showing up is literally the only reason I kept reading. Traumatized, Euphilia is unable to help her own case throughout the volume, getting few coherent words in. I was in serious doubt about this “genius” until the final pages of the book. Had I been the editor, the story would have begun the morning after the crisis, with flashbacks to everything, then moved on from there.Instead we are treated to page after page of Euphilia being reviled publicly for…I’m still not sure, but I got tired of the screaming and skipped.

When Annisphia has brought Euphilia to the castle, the princess is at pains to reassure the genius noble that she is wanted and welcome. But then the book takes some time to leer salaciously at Euphilia as she dresses and it just feels absolutely disgusting of us, honestly. Poor Euphilia has had a horrible few days and we are literally centimeters away from her crotch in the most absolutely creepiest possible gaze. By this point, I had already decided to stop reading the story…more than once. For some reason, I persevered. And the book did get better.

Annisphia takes Euphilia into her workshop. We get a primer on magic and how Annisphia is not (for reasons we understand) tied to the elements. But she can and does create magic stones, which stand in for her ability. Euphilia, however, is genuinely a magical genius (ahah!), with the ability to use all the elements. Annisphia wants to create magical tools for and with Euphilia. And so she does.

Euphilia wakes the next morning depressed and lonely in the King’s castle, sure she’ll be abandoned again. Annisphia finds her and in a moment dispels her fears….the Princess has made her a magical sword which can change, depending on which attribute she wants to use! Annisphia and Euphlia are clearly going to make a powerful team.

Ratings:

Art – 6 Good enough, but the service was foul
Story – 6 There are hazards on these roads
Characters – 8 Annisphia carries the lot of them in this volume
Service – 7 Yes, but why?!? Ugggh.
Yuri – 0 Not so far, but clearly we are going to head there

Overall – It was hard to like intitially, but the end pulled it up to a 6.

Can Euphilia clear her name with Annisphia’s help? Will that matter when the Princess is clearly on the side of the Genius? Will I get volume 2 or just read chapters over at Comic Walker? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Posted in Miscellaneous | 8 Comments »


Gunbured X Sisters, Volume 1 (ガンバレッドｘシスターズ), Guest Review by Mariko S.

October 13th, 2021
Welcome to Guest Review Wednesday on Okazu! This week we welcome back Mariko S whose reviews are always a delight to read. Ahead of the Seven Seas edition of this seies, Mariko is taking a look at Gunbured X Sisters, Volume 1, (ガンバレッドｘシスターズ) and I for one can’t wait to see what she says about it. Welcome back, Mariko and take it away!
 
I am not an aficionado of vampire tales. I’m not a fan of nunsploitation movies. I don’t care for stories of spectacular violence or body horror. But when I ran across Mitogawa Wataru’s demented yuri-nun-vampire-girlswithguns-horror-erotica mashup manga… somehow, I knew it was for me. There is nothing subtle about this manga: It is proudly exploitative and violent. There is ugly lesbian sex and plenty of blood. But if just the idea of the sentence “sexy lesbian nuns hunt vampires with ridiculous weapons” makes you smile, you will love this book too.
 
Dorothy (Dolores to everyone but Maria, for reasons) is the daughter of the head of the Church, and a prominent nun in the monster extermination division of the abbey. She is slated to be the next leader of the Church and is treated with awe and deference by all that she meets. To public appearance, she is the picture of the Church’s ideal, trained in every aspect of running the Church and combating monsters. But privately she is a deeply, deeply damaged young woman. Her mother seems to have died when she was very young. In childhood, she witnessed the nursemaid that raised her be torn to pieces by vampires. She has become obsessed with the idea that vampire/human hybrids called “dhampirs” exist, and that finding one is the key to her quest to exterminate all vampires and effect her revenge.
 
Maria is the dhampir that Dorothy has been searching for all these years. Hated by humans and vampires alike, she and her sister Noelle were orphans. One fateful day a few years earlier, Maria helplessly watched as her sister was kidnapped by a vampire, and has spent all of her time since then hunting vampires from the shadows in hopes of finding her.
 
Of course, fate and circumstances conspire to bring the two together. Maria, chased by a horde of vampires she cannot defeat, crashes into Dorothy’s chapel, and is gravely injured. Once Dorothy realizes what she is, Maria gets a quick education in dhampirology. To this point, Maria has nourished her vampire side with blood bags, but a drink straight from the source triggers a powerful transformation into a bondage-geared beast. In that state she is capable of wielding the huge cross-shaped transforming gun that Dorothy totes around, which is specifically designed for dhampir use. Afterward they reach a detente – Maria will subjugate herself to Dorothy and work with her as a Red Sister, in order to further her mission to find and rescue Noelle. In return, Dorothy will be able to use Maria’s power in her quest to annihilate the vampire scourge.
 
Introductions aside, the rest of volume one is devoted to peeling the onion on the workings of the world and its societies, both vampire and human, as well as deepening our understanding of our heroines. Maria is crass and boorish, and absolutely uninterested in conforming to the expectations of a sister or of obeying Dorothy. But Dorothy in turn has a sadistic streak, and delights in manipulating Maria into doing her bidding. That completely unsubtle sub/dom dynamic is a major part of their relationship, especially at first. They undergo some missions that provide both spectacular stages for violent action, as well as further the mystery of just what the vampire legions are up to. We are also eventually introduced to Shanon, the princely woman who leads the Knights of the Cross, the male equivalent of the Red Sisters in the Church. She has been in love with Dorothy since childhood, and is her self-appointed protector.
 
Let’s talk about service. In case everything I’ve already written hasn’t made it abundantly clear, this series is a confection of pure uncut service from every direction. There are shower scenes and bedtime seductions and bondage and clothing destruction. There is every manner of salacious angle chosen to show off legs and breasts and butts. Maria wears a “combat habit” that is basically a miniskirt and corset, and after her magical girl transformation to dhampir mode wears even less. There are buckets of blood and violent deaths and huge explosions. What I appreciate most is that Dorothy and Maria are never cringing victims who are abused by the story for the reader’s pleasure (only to win in the end to make all the torture “ok”). No, they have power and agency at all times. They are not cute. At all. They are foul-mouthed crazy assholes, and I love them both for it. Also worth noting is Dorothy’s character design – if you like full-figured women but are tired of the anime aesthetic of a twiggy girl with two beach balls strapped to her chest, then Dorothy’s zäftig frame may be right up your alley. She has big hips and big breasts and they look and move like they should – A+, Mitogawa-sensei.
 
Yuri is a slow burn in this series. Dorothy is clearly obsessed with the idea of “owning” Maria the dhampir. There is a lot of playing around with vampire lore and tropes to suggest a conflation of Maria’s bloodlust with sexual desire for Dorothy. But they are both so screwed up and self-absorbed at this point, that most of the Yuri is veiled through their power dynamics. The late introduction of Shanon introduces another Yuri trope to the story, and there will be more, much more, in subsequent volumes.
 

Ratings:

Art – 10     Totally subjective, but the detailed-yet-sketchy renderings of gothic churches and dark alleys and horrible monsters and sexy nuns is, to my mind, perfect for this story.
Story – 7     Points for innovation, points off for cohesion (there’s a lot of hand-waving for anything that doesn’t get us to the next scene of mayhem). Also, having grown up Catholic, the concept of the Church operating in this way is absolutely hilarious.
Characters – 9     Did I mention “shit-talking lesbian nuns-with-guns?”
Yuri – 5    Not so much yet, outside of some variably tasteless exploitation scenes between Dorothy and Maria.
Service – Yes.

Overall – 8

 
Note: the title is a bit of a Japanese play on words, combining the words “Ganbare!” (Do your best!) and “Red Sisters” (the name of the combat division of the Church’s nunnery). The author’s romanization (which differs from the katakana), “Gunbured”, also suggests a reference to a “gunblade,” presumably the cross-weapon that Maria wields as a dhampir.
 
Attempt at obligatory limerick:
 
In a modernist medieval town
Hot nuns fill bloodsuckers with rounds
With a Church ineffective
And each her own objective
Dorothy and Maria get down
 

Erica here: Outstanding! Extra credit for an obligatory limerick. ^_^

As a quick reminder, Seven Seas English-language edition of this series is slated for March 2022 release. It sounds like utter trash…I look forward to it. ^_^ Thank you again, Mariko for this review and we look forward to hearing about future volumes from you.

Posted in Guest Review, Mariko S, Yuri Manga | 5 Comments »


Even Though We’re Adults, Volume 3

October 12th, 2021

Akari and Ayano met in Volume 1, but their relationship was instantly complicated by the fact that Ayano…is married. In Volume 2, Akari moves to give herself a fresh start only to find herself literally face to face with Ayano, as her new home is across the street.

In Even Though We’re Adults, Volume 3, Akari can’t get a break…she’s walking to the train in the morning with Ayano, and home with Ayano’s husband Wataru. As they chat, Akari is sucked deeper and deeper into the quicksand of their family life and her own past. Akari returns to her previous job, which means she’s meeting her ex, as well. It’s a complicated set of circumstances in which no one is wrong, and everyone is trying, but the mortification just keeps piling up. Poor Akari.

I’m absolutely convinced that this is the best work Shimura-sensei has ever created, as the people are all relatable; from the two girls in Ayano’s class who may be targeted because they like each other, to Eri, Wataru’s shut-in sister.

Every single character here is doing their best; every single character is trying to figure out how to be, how to navigate the complicated waters of society and relationships. And nearly everyone is struggling. I love this story. There’s no good guys or bad guys, there’s no one who is more than slightly, very normally awful. Everyone is smiling, but also hurting, and trying to figure out how to make it through the rapids of life safely.

In and among all of this, I am particularly on tenterhooks about the two girls in Ayano’s class. They don’t know, yet (or ever) that they have an ally, but I hope that they end up okay.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 7 I’m liking most of them, even if they annoy me sometimes ^_^
Service – 0
Yuri – Yes. Also Queer.

Overall – 8

Thanks very much to Seven Seas for the review copy! Volume 3 is hitting shelves today, so grab yourself a copy of this queer and complicated story about adult life. Excellent lettering by Rina Mapa, as well as outstanding translation by Jocelyne Allen.

I especially loved this panel of a phone argument. ^_^

Posted in English Manga, LGBTQ, Shimura Takako, Yuri Manga | No Comments »


Q-Force on Netflix

October 10th, 2021

Q-Force is about the first Queer superspy team in AIA (ahem) history. Shunted aside by homophobic commanders, top spy of his class, Steve Maryweather (voiced by Sean Hayes, who was the first gay ever for a lot of American households, by way of Will & Grace,) is shunted to boring duty in West Hollywood*, where his team is an apparent bunch of underfunded and ignored misfits, who are berated constantly by their homophobe commander. Given the premise, it could be easy to dislike this series before it gets off the ground. But, while this is no Steven Universe, I would argue that Q-Force is actually worth watching.

Let’s start with the problems with this series, before we get on to why it does, honestly, exceed its limitations.

The homophobia is…not great storytelling. In fact, the first episode really bogs down as the prejudice of the people around “Agent Mary,” as they take to calling Steve, is given primacy over literally every other aspect of the story. In the early scenes, it is tiring, as Steve is pushed aside by and for wildly incompetent toxic straight men. Worse, it hits a nadir, when 10 years have gone by, and we know that our Federal agencies may still have homophobes in positions of power, but also know they are not allowed by law and policy to be…this. So, it’s a story written by/for people with paltry imagination who cannot imagine that the world, organizations or any individuals within them can move past the trauma of their past. Honestly, this continues to be a problem throughout the story, and occasionally really gets stuck in this viewer’s craw. When homophobic jerk Buck (voiced by Rick Harbour) is assigned to the team, it makes no sense, as he had been promoted to top spy. In a real story, it would be a subplot that he is being punished, but here, he is assigned there to torture Steve, which makes no sense and just is a stereotype of every jock bully ever. It doesn’t create depth, it robs it….until the last few episodes, where the story finally finds a place to use Buck cleverly.

Despite that, the story works.

For one thing the team is great, full stop. Each individual voice actor was excellent in their role and the stereotypes were treated with love and genuine humor. So, Deb the lesbian, voiced brilliantly by comedian Wanda Sykes, whose wife thinks she works at Pep Boys (does the rest of the country know Pep Boys? I thought it was a NJ/Philly thing,) is actually a great mechanic whose car is named SubaRue McLanahan. ^_^ That’s several in-jokes right there.

Stat the hacker (Patti Harrison), and drag queen Twink (Matt Rogers), make up the rest of the agents in Q-Force. For both these, their various obsessions and fandoms are given room to show up as not only acceptable, but come in handy. How many otaku dream of their favorite show being actually relevant to something they need to know right now? Everyone’s quirks are presented as skills that come in handy, from Twink’s Ariana Grande impersonation to Stat’s encyclopedic knowledge of a fictitious in-show show, Cobblestones. I am endlessly fascinated with in-media, and deeply enjoy it when it becomes part of the story.

Coming as no surprise to anyone who has ever read a review here, is my favorite character, team leader V. Voiced by Laurie Metcalf (probably best known as Roseanne Barr’s sister, Jackie  in Roseanne.) V is given a lot of depth and a whole arc of her own. An arc that, while it was ultimately more “homophobia bad, gay good,” had some surprising and funny moments.

Where the story works is, like all good ensemble casts, when they start working together. It becomes a minor triumph when they realize that they are actually a team. Having been raised on anime, I expect the story to happen at that point…and it does! The story is utterly absurd and joyously ridiculous from that point on to the end…and it all works. Every stupid sex joke, and reference to unreal media influencers, a company called, brilliantly, “Honestly?”…it all works. Like the first season of beloved media franchises, the first few episodes have to be endured so the rest of the season can develop.

At the moment, Netflix has not greenlit this for a second season…I can’t really decide if that’s a good thing or not. As a short one-season goof, Q-Force is fun. As a longer show? I don’t know how it would hold up. But because it is so short, I can recommend you watch it if you can and just let it happen. Don’t take it too seriously, don’t look for lessons beyond “We’re Q-Force! Yay!” Which made for a fun evening’s binge watching.

Ratings:

Art – Not entirely bad, with some very good moments
Story – Gays are funny, homophobes are bad, and anyone can be evil or a hero
Characters – Stereotypes, but when they flesh out, they work
Service – Yes. There are a fair amount of sex jokes, mostly male and some nudity, mostly male, but yes, service. Not all of it played for laughs
Queer – 10

Overall – 7

It had a rough start, but it quickly grows into itself and has some fun on the way.

Props to Fortune Feimster as Desk. A great supporting role that she was perfect in. I’d like to see a short with her as lead. Maybe team her and Caryn up, writers!

*Who would ever complain about being assigned to West Hollywood? I don’t do gay scene things ever, and if someone paid me to live there, I’d suck it up. Sheesh.

Posted in Western Cartoons | 3 Comments »