MURCIÉLAGO Manga, Volume 3 (ムルシエラゴ)

August 7th, 2015

Murcielago3The problem with liking violent manga is that one day you hit a moment where the fighting stops being the point and the gross becomes the point and you either think, “nope, crossed the line” or you hold your breath and become a guro fetishist.  While I am absolutely capable of watching an adult yakuza’s hand be cut off without feeling the slightest bit of a twinge, once you throw victimization into the mix, I’m outta there.

MURCIÉLAGO manga, Volume 3 (ムルシエラゴ) starts with a big ole leap from creepy violence into super gross.

We start off with a twin-tailed story. In the first we have a serial killer who skins the faces of his victims. Resident psychopath Koumori Kuroko is sent out by the police to catch the killer. As a counterpoint, we return to the story of the lost waif, Ringo-chan, who had been rescued by Hinako and Kuroko…and who turns out to be a serial killer herself. As the two plots develop, by which I mean the deaths pile up, we learn that Ringo’s father is the mask killer, and he’s responsible for torturing Ringo to break her into serial killing. Throughout this entire arc, I was  wholly unentertained, as the background images of Ringo’s “training” were unpleasant in any number of ways.

Thankfully the arc wrapped up and we set aside serial killer and tortured lolicon. The final arc takes the story back to a more light-hearted form of perversion and violence, as Kuroko and Hinako meet up with one of Hinako’s old classmates…and she needs their help. While Kuroko fantasizes about Chiyo, we get the set up of the next arc which takes place at a mysterious all-female mansion full of stereotypes.

Bonus content is set in an all girls school where Kuroko makes love to Chiyo, until Chiyo shakes her out of her reverie and we see that it was all just a phone game. It’s a popular game, in this house, though, because Hinako is also playing it, as well. bwah-bwah-wahhhhhh~

Ratings:

Art – No, really not.
Story – Also pretty no.
Characters – I think I’m starting to like Hinako best, frankly. She’s not a murderer like Kuroko, but she’s strange in a way I can’t pin down, competent and smarter than everyone gives her credit for. She’s no shrinking violet, either and is up to violence when she needs to be.
Yuri – Just to remind you that Kuroko is a predatory lesbian, the bonus chapter is a 10
Service – Yes, it has all the service.

Overall – Started at a 3, ended at a 7

Less victims, more ridiculous, less torture, more fighting please.

Posted in MURCIÉLAGO | 3 Comments »


Yuri Live Action: Carmilla, Season 2

August 6th, 2015

CarmillaLast November, I had the pleasure of reviewing the live-action webseries Carmilla. It was a smart, funny, intriguing blend of many things I found in my nerdy lumberyard, and in general I enjoyed it immensely. This summer we have a chance to watch a second season of this silly concatenation of random geeky Yuri interests.

As the series begins, we return to Silas University, where the evil Dean has been defeated, her plan to feed to student body to a giant fish god who lives beneath the campus thwarted. The students are ready to return to a semblance of normality, but that’s not likely, as the Board of Directors is traveling back to the campus to, it appears,  dissolve the university and, apparently, sell the students to a secret company/organization. The biggest spanner in the works is the identity of the Chairman of the Board, Camilla’s sister, Mattie Belmonde, cheerfully overacted by Sophia Walker. It’s hard to dislike her when she’s being so vile. ^_^

The story starts off with a nice kiss between Laura and Carmilla, then, between the elements of the larger plot, descends into some comfortable lesbian drama, as the two of them argue about completely mundane things in the middle of the blood-and-horror fest around them. Almost all of the previous cast returns, including Danny, Perri and  La Fontaine.

Ratings:

Overall  – 9

The series is not yet complete, but again tends to be short 5 or so minute webisodes, which makes for a fun weekend binge-watch. As with most sequel seasons there’s a bit of floundering in detail where we’re not sure it’ll have meaning, but I’m still watching. ^_^

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Sound! Euphonium Anime (English) Guest Review by Christina Maria J

August 5th, 2015

Sound!EuphoniumWhoo-hoo!! Today is Guest Review Wednesday and we have a new Guest Reviewer! Welcome Christina Maria J. with a much-looked forward to review! The floor is yours, Christina Maria!

Before Sound! Euphonium aired, most people, me included, expected it to be something along the lines of a slightly more serious K-On! with different instruments. Instead it asserted its origins in the novel of the same name, to provide a mature and complex drama.

The show centers on high school freshman Kumiko, who almost besides herself finds ends up joining the band club, playing the euphonium despite her stated desire to get away from a past doing just that in middle school. She joins, only to find a club that’s both terrible and rife with old wounds being reopened by the presence of a new, ambitious advisor. Further complicating matters is the presence of old middle school bandmates, who Kumiko clearly has baggage in regards to, most notably the ambitious Reina.

A highly character-driven show, Sound! Euphonium not only juggles a large cast of characters, it actively explores a number of their lives, without ever straying from its central narrative and thematic points. This is made possible through highly efficient writing that rarely sticks to developing one plot point at a time; with almost every interaction developing multiple characters as well as the central plot. Unlike other shows, you won’t find archetypal characters doing their thing in isolation until their focus episode happens. Of the many relationships presented, the central one is that between the emotionally guarded, cynical Kumiko and the passionate, aloof loner Reina.

It is within this relationship the Yuri lies. Starting slow with Kumiko simply being heavily preoccupied with Reina, it develops to a point where the two share an intense physical and emotional intimacy that is not lost on other characters. A key aspect of their relationship is that it heavily deviates from the mold of being pure and innocent – much of their flirting is quite sexually laden – instead focusing on mutual attraction or how the other doesn’t simply conform to expectations of “proper” behavior. Both emphasize this aspect as part of their declaration of love for the other and, unusually, it is framed as a positive that helps them not only realize themselves, but learn to properly interact with society. This intense romantically and even sexually charged relationship is emphasized by how it stands in contrast to the close, platonic friendships between girls that make up most of the rest of the key relationships of the show.

On the whole, it builds up as a full romance, starting with the early stirrings of a crush and working all the way to being an established relationship. At least that’s how it comes off to me and the reading the show itself encourages. But I would be dishonest if I claimed that my interpretation wa universal. Many have found that it lacks the smoking gun of absolute proof that makes them feel like the creators truly sought to present LGBT representation.

There is much more I could talk about, I haven’t touched on the show’s themes at all, for example, nor have I touched on the band plot despite the way itform the backbone of the show. I could also have discussed the care with which music and the band experience are portrayed or the strength of the visual storytelling. Instead of going deeply into these topics, I’ll simply encourage anybody who finds anything in this review even the least bit interesting to explore it for themselves.

Ratings:

Art – 10: Pushes the boundaries of anime visuals, both technically and artistically
Story – 9: Complex and mature
Characters – 10: All complex, multidimensional and sympathetic with no anime stereotypes in sight
Yuri – Personally 9: but in light of the frustrations of others and my understanding of how my own background informs my perception, I’ll say 6 overall.
Service – 2: Generally unobtrusive, but there are some questionable character poses in a few shots

Overall – 10: A truly exceptional, nuanced drama that also provides what is, in my opinion, the best looking TV anime ever made

Available on Crunchyroll in all regions except Asia.

Erica here: Thank you Christina Maria, for a thoughtful review. I’ve been waffling over whether to give this some time, since fan art is rarely a good indication of anything other than fan delusion. ^_^ Now I’m inclined to give it a try!

Posted in English Anime, Guest Review | 27 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Ai Rabu Yuu Yori Aishiteru (愛羅武勇より愛してる)

August 3rd, 2015

airabuyuuAi Rabu Yuu Yori Aishiteru (愛羅武勇より愛してる) by Kumichou takes a common trope, grabs it by it’s ear, drags it out behind the school then gives it a big kiss on the forehead. ^_^

Takaoka Risa is the quiet, loner, smart girls glasses type. She eats alone, studies alone, but she is not lonely. She’s fine by herself.

Tough girl Shinjou Kazumi is always getting into fights. She also has no close friends, but when she sees a bunch of upperclassmen trying to bully Risa, she jumps in to save the other girl, although she really has no idea why.

When Risa later spies Kazumi being set upon by a large group, she likewise jumps in to stop the beatdown, and in the mix tells everyone that she likes Kazumi. Kazumi is embarrassed, but finds Risa interesting enough that she wants to be friends.

What follows is a sweet, awkward courtship by Risa, who knows what she wants, but doesn’t care why and Kazumi who isn’t sure, but really likes to be around Risa.

They both aren’t sure, until they have it out in a major blowout, whether what they feel is “like.”  When it becomes apparent that “like” it is, they both accede to their interest without difficulty.

An extra story about an low-achieving athlete and the girl who cooks her wonderful food rounds out the volume.

The art is cute, the characters are cute, the feels are cute. I enjoyed this story when it ran in Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari and as a collected volume.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 7
Service – 1

Overall – 8

This book strikes a pleasant balance between the one-note plot needed for a single volume romance story and my desire to read stories about characters with character.

Posted in Yuri Manga | 6 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Lily Love (Thai)

August 2nd, 2015

LilyLoveWhen I wrote my article, Yuri: A Genre Without Borders, last year for Eureka magazine’s “Current State of Yuri Culture” issue, I ended it with a short discussion of how Yuri is thriving beyond Japanese borders.* In the article I discussed a number of non-Japanese Yuri collections, including Yuri Monogatari and  Lepakkoluola from Finland. Had I written the article this year, I would have been able to add World Canvas, Godley Malabanan’s Tagalog Yuri comic, the Frey and Freya anthology (which I will review in the future) and Ratana Satis’ Lily Love out of Thailand.

Volume 1 of Satis’ collected webcomic was available only by special order through the author herself, but the story is available online on the translation team website, Three Musqueerteers, who provide unpolished, but more than adequate English translations. You can read it in Thai on Ookbecomics. Update: Thanks to Three Musqueerteers’ Alextasha, we now know that an official English print volume is in the works as well. ^_^

Donut goes to an all-girl’s school, is shy and nerdy, but becomes captivated by a neighbor in the dorm, Pew. Pew is adult and cheerful, and has recently broken up with a girlfriend, she admits. They become close, very quickly. Donut’s not sure what her feelings are, and is especially confused after they get drunk and very nearly kiss. Donut realizes that her feelings are not merely friendship, and runs after Pew, who is about to board a bus for Chiang Mai. Admitting her feelings, Donut finds that she’s still not sure what her relationship with Pew will be like, but the two of them continue to become closer. Volume 1 ends a chapter past the English translation with their first real kiss.

Like Malabanan’s manga, Satis’ story is firmly rooted in basic Yuri tropes, without any sense of irony. This story has been told hundreds of times, but everyone who writes it, writes it like no one else ever has. For Donut, this is all new and terrifying. “But we’re both girls,”  is the repeated refrain of stories like this, like GIRL FRIENDS, or so many before and so many yet to come. And there’s nothing wrong with it, although I’ll always favor UKOZ’s post-all-this relationships. ^_^ But I will give Satis this – Donut is kinda cute and Pew is very honest, and Donut’s friends are all good about when they figure it out. There’s no bullying or ostracization to deal with.

The art is lovely. Professional quality all the way through. The book itself, published through Ookbee Comics, is above and beyond most self-published efforts. For the art and book alone, this was worth getting.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 8
Story – 6
Yuri – 6 in the story, 9 in the associated art pieces on the website.

Overall – 7 and I look forward to more.

*One of the more interesting critical comments I received on Japanese blogs was that I was being optimistic. I think that I’ve been proven right. My collection of non-Japanese Yuri is growing enough that it’s going to deserve a shelf of it’s own! (First I gotta figure out where I can put a new shelf…) ^_^

Posted in Yuri Manga | 13 Comments »