Archive for the Yuri Manga Category


Yuri Manga: Negima!

June 3rd, 2009

It’s Wednesday, which must mean it’s time for a Guest Review! Today Sean Gaffney will catch us up to date on the Yuri in Negima! Magister Negi Magi. Take it away, Sean!

I haven’t done a review going into the Yuri in Negima in a long time. Mostly as there’s been almost nothing to say. The only Yuri couple with any subtext, Setsuna and Konoka, have remained pretty much at a stasis for about 20 volumes.

However, this new arc in the Magic World seems to be finally showing some character development. Tsukuyomi, the Evil Psychotic Lesbian of Negima (whose psychotic crush on Setsuna is shown even more blatantly, to the point of verging on attempted rape), notes that Setsuna is weaker now that she’s more ‘human’, and notes that she’ll never be able to protect her ojou-sama that way. (This will be in Volume 25, which should be released here in early 2010.)

We’re now 3 volumes later (i.e. what you’ll see at the END of 2010), and Setsuna is still worrying about this. This is unsurprising, as worry, self-hatred, and love for Konoka are Setsuna’s defining traits. She frets that her blade is now ‘dull’ because she’s grown close to Konoka, and is happily walking around town eating cotton candy with her. She fears that she is unable to protect her, even as she unconsciously cuts a huge boulder heading towards Konoka without even stepping out of her self-loathing monologue.

And thank God, Konoka, who has always been more observant than people give her credit for, breaks her out of this, having known all along (with a little push from Eva) what’s going on. She snaps Setsuna out of her funk, points out that true strength is the opposite of what she thinks, and asks Setsuna to be her partner forever. And then they Pactio kiss.

Which goes on, and on, and on, and it’s clear that it’s Konoka who’s making the kiss never ending. It only ends due to lack of breath. And now Setsuna has a new Konoka-powered Pactio card, with who knows what new powers.

Being as Negi is ten years old, this is the closest we get in the series to a real couple. And this scene is almost everything that the fans have been looking for – I found it rather startling, in fact, especially for a shounen fighting harem manga like Negima. Akamatsu has never shied away from Yuri feelings in some of his other manga series, but it’s always been subject to the ‘main pairing’. But, aside from mocking Setsuna’s admiration of Negi on occasion, these two have never even come remotely near having a male rival who might get between them. I now declare it canon.

Even if, yes, Konoka is still teasing Setsuna shamelessly. (Setsuna, after that kiss, can’t figure out if Konoka is that naive or that easygoing. It’s pretty clearly the latter.)

Oh yes, Negi and his friends are in this chapter too, and there’s a major plot revelation confirmed (by a villain, so don’t take bet money yet). But that’s sort of irrelevant to the Yuri awesomeness.

Ratings:

Art – 6. Overuse of the computer CG and far too much busy background, distract from the cute girls that are the only reason people read Akamatsu.

Story – 7. Interesting things are being dished out at a decent shonen rate. Not as well-paced as One Piece, but far better paced than Bleach.

Characters – 8. Likeable, flawed heroes, and Akamatsu has done pretty well at actually having Negi still act like a 10-year-old. I hope we’re nearing the end of Setsuna’s mega-angst.

Yuri – 7. Only the one couple (sorry, fans of Chisame/Chachamaru and other fanon pairs), but a very nice payoff.

Service – 9. (It’s Negima. They’re still getting their clothes blown off every 2-3 chapters.)

Overall – 7.5.

It’s hard to recommend Negima to newbies (the first 4 or so books are a bad intro to what it’s become), but for fans, it’s nice to see a reward for all that diligence.

Go KonoSetsu! –SG

And Go Sean! for letting us know that there is any payoff at all in this series. And thanks again for bringing your unique perspective to the readers of Okazu.





Yuri Manga: Hayate x Blade, Volume 3 (English)

June 2nd, 2009

I told you, didn’t I? I’ve been telling you for years now and you *finally* realize that I haven’t been lying. Hayate x Blade, Volume 3 is…awesome.

In this volume, two major things happen – we start to learn that the characters we thought were all idiots are in, fact, amazingly, stupendously cool. And we also learn that as amazingly, stupendously cool as they are…they are still all idiots. ^_^

You are not alone when you decide that Jun is the most amazingly, stupendously cool character, by the way. As you will see in the next volume. You may also be amused, but not at all surprised, to learn that Jun is voiced on the Drama CDs by Toyoguchi Megumi. Yes, she *is* the Sei of this series – it wasn’t just your imagination.

So, in Volume 3, we realize that Ayana is deeper than just being a grumpy old grump and Hayate has a lot to learn and Jun has a very important person in her life and that person, Yuho, is quite amusingly broken. We also learn that Hitsugi and Shizuku are awesome. We actually learn that *every* volume, so just get used to me saying that, if you aren’t already. ^_^

I can’t speak for anyone other than myself when I say this but, I thought the fight between Jun and Ayana was genius the first time and I love it no less this time. Just wait ’til we get to Volume 4! (Which I just finished editing a few weeks ago. So, it’s a-coming.)

As with the last few volumes, I did in fact copy edit this one, and for the first time I’m actually credited. I have to say that I think Adrienne and Ed are a top-notch team at the translation and adaptation and it’s a genuine pleasure to work on this book – not just because I love the series, but because they do a fabulous job. I feel like the characters all retain their specific voices, no matter what accent or speech patterns they have in the original, without it ever sounding forced. As a person for whom “voice” is critical in writing, this may be the best ever example that a good translator and a good adaptor can really make a tremendous difference.

So, seriously, if you haven’t been sure if you want to get Hayate x Blade, do. Not because I love it, or because I worked on it, but because Volume 3 is pure awesome.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 4
Service – 2

Overall – 9

Tor still does not send me copies of books I work on (can you believe it? When I ask, I’m told they have no extras to send…seriously.) So my heartfelt, sincere gratitude to a new Okazu hero, Jason H for stepping in and sponsoring today’s review! Jason, thank you for being my hero! Drop me an email at anilesbocon at hotmail dot com and I’ll send you a copy of your Okazu Hero badge to proudly display on website or blog!





Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime Wildrose, Volume 3 (百合姫 Wildrose)

May 28th, 2009

Let’s get the most damning thing about Yuri Hime Wildrose, Volume 3 (百合姫Wildrose) out of the way right up front. When I picked it up today to review it, I couldn’t remember a single story in it, although I had only re(!)read it a week ago. After I picked it up and flipped through the volume I remembered a few of the stories, but having set it down again more than ten minutes ago, they are already slipping from my mind. This is not a good thing. But that aside, it’s a fine addition the the Wildrose series.

Mistukuni Hachime, of Gokujou Drops fame, brings it on with “Netemo Sametemo,” which seems just about the most straight-on schoolgirl item in the book.

“Closet Daisakusen’ started off with action and I thought, “woo-hoo, we’re gonna get us some girls with guns,” but no, it was a peeping tom/sex in the closet story.

Nanzaki Iku, aka Doropanda Tours, brings in entirely new, yet completely identical ShizNat stand-ins for more semi-public sex and a mild plot complication.

Amano Shuninta’s “Sweet Exercise” was quite…sweet. A curvaceous woman, Umi, worries that she’s too heavy and tries to diet herself thin only to learn that her curves are what her girlfriend Morii likes.

There were a number of other stories, of course, but none that really stepped up to be more than the sum of its parts.

The impression left behind by the overall volume is one of what the Japanese and many western fans refer to as “ecchi”-ness. It’s titillation of the “sorority sisters’ lingerie party” sort. There’s peeping and cosplay and teasing and bonbons and teacher/student and a bunch of other sorts of tee-hee kind of stuff. Much like Volume 1 and Volume 2. This is what Yuri Hime Wildrose is. It’s a collection of twitter, twitter “ecchi” stories. As Monty Python so brilliantly put it, “wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more.”

Ratings:

Art – Variable, as good as 8 at times. Which times are entirely up to personal taste. ^_^
Stories – 6-7
Characters – 6-7
Yuri – 9
Service – 10

Overall – 7 for me, probably 8 or 9 for others.

Before you ask – the reason it gets a 9 for Yuri and not a 10 is because the sex seems more for intended for the reader than for the characters. The cover art says it all – they are looking at us, not each other. And that, in a nutshell, is why I like but do not love the Wildrose anthologies.





Yuri Manga: Gakuen Alice, Volume 5 (English)

May 22nd, 2009

Gakuen Alice is a warped tale of children with immense, silly powers and what happens when stupid adults imprison them in the cage of a “school for gifted children.”

The heroine of this story, like so many shoujo manga heroines is cheerful, energetic, likable and not particularly intelligent – a lesson any child would immediately recognize as a warning against being the cheerful, energetic and likable person in their class. It’s only going to get you into hot water. Just keep your head down and you won’t get hurt.

Mikan, like Bink of the Xanth series, has the really troublesome talent of nullifying other people’s talents. But only when people’s lives are threatened, and she can’t do it on command. So of course, her life is a living hell, as students and teachers torture her for her lack of ability, both mental and magical.

Again in typical shoujo fashion, Mikan converts her many enemies to friends by mostly bearing up under tremendous odds until people realize that she’s actually fun and a nice girl, to boot. By Volume 5, she’s converted a huge chunk of her class to her side, has gained some peers with unusual abilities and, at last, attained some small amount of status within the school. Just in time for the school festival.

Yuri shows up in this volume in the form of a girl named…Yuri, whose “Alice” is to have other girls fall in love with her. Much to her chagrin. That she’s tall, attractive, butchy cool and has been slated to take the role of Prince in the class pla. doesn’t help. Because of wackiness, Mikan ends up with the role, but it doesn’t stop the girls from clinging to Yuri.

If you have seen or read Gakuen Alice, you will know that Mikan’s best friend is Hotaru, a cynical genius who pushes Mikan away as often as she is there for her. It seems that Mikan’s feelings are deeper for Hotaru than the other way around and, in earlier volumes, we see Mikan fantasizing about Hotaru while dreaming, as well as her overtly expressed desire to hug and kiss Hotaru.

In Volume 5, we are allowed a moment to wallow in this not-really-a-relationship. For it is the dance after the school festival. The boys are dressed like Little Lord Fauntleroy and the girls are bedecked with angel wings. The tradition is that whomever you dance with for the final dance and you will be together forever. Rumor and conjecture fly about who Mikan will dance with. Hotaru is called up to the stage as the winner of the “Overall Excellence” award for the festival and is therefore allowed to announce her choice for partner. She chooses Mikan. In front of the whole school, and say what you will, you cannot tell me that Hotaru does not know what she’s just done. :-)

I know some of you nay-sayers will feel absolutely obliged to write in and educate us that Mikan is “really” paired with Natsume but, frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. For the night after the school festival, at least, it’s all about Mikan and Hotaru.

This was another of those books that was being worked on during the great Tokyopop meltdown of 2008, so there are a few inconsistencies and technical issues, but nothing that detracts significantly from enjoyment of this pinnacle of the series for those of us who think Natsume is an utter bore.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 5
Service – 2

Overall – 7

Thanks to Okazu Superhero Daniel P. for sponsoring today’s review and allowing me to revisit a series I much enjoyed the first time around!





Lesbian Anthology: Sparkling Rain (English)

May 15th, 2009

Yuki pulled her face away. She couldn’t get used to the concept that anything that lesbians made was wonderful. She did want to support lesbian work even if she thought it was ugly, and she couldn’t stand heteros mouthing off at lesbian work. Watching this bad piece of porn, however, was tortuous. – From “Monalisa Night” by Izumo Marou

Well, you know, I am *so* right there with Yuki. I love to support lesbian work, truly, but so often wonder who the hell it’s for? Not me, certainly. And Japanese lesbian works equally, if not more so, sometimes.

And so I approached this anthology with a full measure of concern that I might find it teh suck. Instead, I have to say – with great pleasure – that Sparkling Rain: And Other Fiction from Japan of Women Who Love Women, edited by Barbara Summerhawk and Kimberly Hughes, is full of awesome and wonderful. With the exception of one story, every single story had at least a few magnificent gems. Not like diamonds in the rough at all, though – like a ring that particularly catches your attention in a jewelry store window.

The anthology begins with introductions by Sawabe Hitomi and Watanabe Mieko, two women who were heavily involved in the lesbian community in Japan. Their insight into the politics and social situations of the time fascinated me. Not terribly surprising, as I’ve been lurking on the edge of their world for so many years.

This is followed by two literary essays, one on Yoshiya Nobuko, the woman I consider to be the great-grandmother of Yuri. These are then followed by about a dozen pieces of fiction, including a story by Natsuko Mori that I had previously read in her Himeyuri-tachi no Houkago collection, and a few translated Plica-chan comic strips, with a breathtakingly honest introduction by translator and scholar Mizoguchi Akiko.

All excellent, but these were not even the best of the collection. “Monalisa Night” is a non-linear multi-perspective tale that follows a number of women in a cubist painting of a story. Uehara Chigusa’s slightly tortuous, but very real “Story of a First Love,” starts off with one of the most honest appraisals of the delusional relationships we create in our own mind. And the title story, Nakayama Kaho’s “Sparkling Rain” is incandescently beautiful, painful, realistic and highly fantastic all at once.

And still, these are not the only treasures in this book. Almost every story stopped me cold with at least one truly remarkable, memorable scene or line. Even as I write this review, I can call to mind a number of scenes that have burned themselves into my memory. These are all stories I will revisit one day soon.

Every story was surprising, every story was interesting and even the ones I did not like, I was glad to have read. This was not just a lesbian work, and so worthy of support – Sparkling Rain is an *excellent* lesbian work and so, worthy of praise and recommendation.

Ratings:

Overall – 9

Seriously, I hope you’ll buy this, because it was truly an extraordinary book.

I want to thank James Welker for making it possible for me to review this, and New Victoria for providing a review copy. If this had been what I expected I would be thanking them politely but, as this book was unexpectedly excellent, I thank them from the bottom of my heart for giving me this opportunity to tell you all about it.