Live Action: Hana no Asuka-gumi NEO

January 4th, 2011

As we ended, so shall we begin. We ended the year on a Live-action adaptation of a Yuri manga. Sadly for us, Kakera, was not a particularly good adaptation.

Happily for us, Hana no Asuka-gumi NEO was an *excellent* adaptation of my favorite obscure manga series ever.

A quick synopsis: Kuraku Asuka is a girl who had been bullied in middle school. Brought right to the edge of suicide, she finds purpose in fighting for her life – both literally and figuratively. Through an acquaintance with Kijiima Yohko, a sociopath who involves Asuka with the girl-gang underworld of Tokyo, Asuka is reborn as the best fighter in the city. Asuka becomes involved with the underground organization that runs the girl gangs, the Zenchuu Ura, and the leader of that organization, Hibara-sama. After being the second-most powerful person in the Zenchuu Ura, Asuka leaves Hibari and becomes friendly with the “outside Group” in Shinjuku. That “Omoteban” is run by the lovely Hime, and has members with the elemental names of Kai, Mizu, Hi, etc… Also involved with the Omoteban is Asuka’s best friend, Doumoto Miko…the half sister of Yohko.

You got all that? Well that’s not half of it, and I’m grinning as I type, because no matter how long I spend explaining this series, no matter how many times I explain it, it will never be clear unless you read the whole thing. ^_^

The series was super popular in the 80s, with both manga and TV series. The manga came back for an extended epilogue a few years ago. An absolutely dreadful movie was made in the 90s, which had one awesome scene but was otherwise excruciating. In the meantime, the creator had gone on to become best known for her BL series.

In 2009, the manga was undergoing a renaissance and some genius decided to make a Live-action movie – the movie that hadn’t been made the first time but really, really needed to be made. And so, we now have the opportunity to enjoy Hana no Asuka-gumi NEO! (花のあすか組 NEO!). And thank heavens for that!

This movie is so close to being exactly right that the few kvetches I have are ridiculous. Asuka is played by none other than the daughter of Takaguchi Satosumi, the series creator. She’s too tall (Asuka is a shrimp,) but otherwise, she’s great.

The plot is taken from the manga itself, so if you’ve read the the thing, you’ll know the plot the instant it begins.

Mizu is the first to show up, and Miko is…perfect. Hime was sort of off, and Yohko is all crazy all the time, and not quite perfect – her hair was all wrong – but she was a total sociopath and nice and violent, so that was fun. What had me dancing around was the appearance of Kurenai, scar and all. No Hibari-sama, but I could forgive that, as it would have been deeply confusing if you weren’t a fan. Why you would be watching this movie if you weren’t a fan, I can’t for the life of me guess, but it could happen. The fights were *excellent.* Everything I could have hoped in a totally serious adaptation of one of the silliest series I’ve ever loved.

Ratings:

For casual viewers of cheesy Japanese live-action movies – 7

For me – 9

So to start off the new year, run and buy Hana no Asuka-gumi NEO! for a taste of the good ole days when girl gangs ruled the streets and school of Tokyo.

Posted in Hana no Asuka-gumi | 5 Comments »


What Women Want From Comics

January 2nd, 2011

You may have noticed that Marvel, DC and their various imprints have been expressing confusion for some years as to “what women want” from comics. Call it ingenuous or clueless, I know I am not alone in being confused as to why it is just so freaking *hard* for the men in charge of these companies to figure out what women want. So, I thought I would help them.

I set up a (completely non-scientific) poll and asked woman who read comics to answer the questions. I had no particular agenda, but there will be inevitable bias, as I am human, with thoughts and experiences of my own. I received 424 completed responses.

Here are the questions I asked and the responses I received:

1. When you were young, did you read comic books you bought for yourself? (As opposed to reading your brothers’ comics or getting them from a parent or relative.)


1. Yes 286 67.77%

2. No 136 32.23%

2. What kind of comic books did you buy most (Choose One)?

1. Superhero 249  59.86%

2. Romance 7  1.68%

3. Horror 9  2.16%

4. War 0  0.00%

5. Manga 94  22.60%

6. Other 57  13.70%

3. Thinking about your favorite character from the comic books you read (or *a* favorite character) were they:

1. Female 242  57.89%

2. Male 176  42.11%

4. Still thinking about your favorite character, were they special because of:

1. Something they had (a magical object or talisman) 12 2.86%

2. Something they were (A Princess, a God, an Alien, etc.) 55  13.10%

3. Something they did (fought bad guys, solved mysteries) 147  35.00%

4. Some innate quality (a beloved icon, a charismatic leader, a furious fighter, a persistent snoop, etc.) 206  49.05%

5. Thinking about that favorite character, or any characters you liked the most what description below would best describe them? (Choose all that apply) 

1. Voluptuous 51  1.79%

2. Hard-bodied 97  3.40%

3. Outgoing/Friendly 189  6.63%

4. Tactiturn 72  2.53%

5. Idealized 91  3.19%

6. Realistic 154  5.41%

7. Popular 76  2.67%

8. Loner 161  5.65%

9. Ambitious 162  5.69%

10. Laid-back 83  2.91%

11. Princely 14  0.49%

12. Princessly 35  1.23%

13. Heroic 267  9.37%

14. Damsel in Distress 16  0.56%

15. Chaste 24  0.84%

16. Sensual 98  3.44%

17. Weak 16  0.56%

18. Strong 320 11.23%

19. Driven by Emotion 208  7.30%

20. Driven by Reason 162  5.69%

21. Fighting for Justice 295  10.35%

22. Fighting for Revenge 86  3.02%

23. Fighting to Save Humanity 172  6.04%

6. Thinking about comics you read now, are you likely to seek out the same kinds of characters as you described above? 

1. Very likely 200 47.51%

2. Somewhat Likely 137  32.54%

3. Neither Here nor There 55  13.06%

4. Somewhat Unlikely 21  4.99%

5. Very Unlikely 8  1.90%

I also asked two text questions:

Please describe the ideal character you would have liked to have seen in a comic as a child (to the best of your ability to do so.)

and

Please describe the ideal character that you would like to see in a comic now. 

For the all responses to the text questions – including the excitingly predictably attempts at trolling (you can tell because they contain synonyms for “penis”) – please visit this link. For the full results of the questions above, go here.

I will take the liberty of summarizing the results of this poll, as *I* interpret them.

Dear Marvel and DC – 

Women read comics. Women who read comics have been reading comics since they were children, just like men who read comics.

Women who already read your comics like superheros – male or female – who are strong, independent and who fight for justice.

Women who already read your comics would like to see female superheros with a dark side, and who don’t need to be rescued, but can find their way out of danger *on their own.* 

Women who already read your comics, would like to see more diversity, including more superheros of color, more LGBT characters and more body-type diversity. 

Above all, women who already read your comics, would like to see you figure out that what women want isn’t that complicated.

Sincerely,

Women Who Read And Buy Comics 

Posted in Now This Is Only My Opinion | 29 Comments »


Happy New Year from Yuricon & ALC Publishing

January 1st, 2011

 

Many thanks to Artists ARThomas and Mari Kurisato for their contributions!

Posted in ALC Publishing, Yuricon | No Comments »


Live-Action Movie: Kakera, A Piece of Our Lives

December 31st, 2010

Well I just finished watching Kakera, a live-action adaptation of Sakurazawa Erika’s Love Vibes manga. In a word, it was abysmal.

The original was a short romance between two women, each who have other attachments they need to clear up before they can get together comfortably. The main conflict comes from Mako’s discomfort with “being gay,” when she is still in a “I’m not gay, I just love you” mindset…and the issue of her boyfriend who feels that he’s allowed to leave her, but when she leaves him for another woman, gets angry. You know, pretty normal stuff. If you are interested, you can read my review of the Love Vibes manga from back in 2004.

The original ended on a high point, maybe a little idealistically, as Mika and Mako go running off together hand in hand.

The movie pretty much squeezes the life out of the original story, and fills the gaps with the movie equivalent of formaldehyde, giving it body without making it look truly alive, and leaving behind an unpleasant smell.

Mako, the cheerful, average girl with an average boyfriend has been turned into a total wet rag, Haru. Mika, the energetic bisexual now becomes Riko, a sculptor of prosthetic body parts who lives at home and is…strange.

The idea that Riko could find *anything* appealing about Haru is hard to swallow for most of the movie. And when they do kiss, it’s that typical Japanese no-movement, no-reaction dry lip pressing that just makes me want to stab something. Every time you almost sort of start to like one or both of the characters for a second, or the movie shows some sign of life, an awkward, unpleasant and usually depressing scene is inserted that stops the momentum and ruins the mood.

In an interview, the director proudly says she rewrote about 80% of the original story. All I can say is that she has some serious issues, if this was written with her life experiences in mind. (Thanks to Katherine H for the link to the interview. It explained a lot.)

What really just kills this movie dead is that it utterly craps all over the happy ending of the manga. Forget running off hand in hand. I won’t tell you what happens, because it’ll just piss you off.

Ratings:

UGH

This is exactly how not to do a live-action adaptation of a manga.

Posted in Live Action | 4 Comments »


Taisho Baseball Girls Anime, Disk One (English)

December 30th, 2010

Taisho Baseball Girls: Complete Collection“If you’re amused by our lack of experience, that’s one thing and I can’t do anything about that, but if it’s that fact that we’re women that amuses you, that I will not sit still for!”

If you have ever wanted Japanese women to speak up for themselves, then you really must watch Taisho Baseball Girls.

The plot is a simple one. In the beginning of the 20th century, Japan was embracing Western culture with some fervor. Western clothes, sports, vehicles, cuisine took on more than just a new and exotic flavor – they became emblematic of Japan’s appearance on the international stage.

A young woman, totally dissed by her fiancée’, and not at all pleased with his antiquated notion of what a woman’s role was supposed to be, decides to fight him on his own turf – the baseball diamond. Akiko decides that she will form and field a baseball team of…shock!…girls!…to combat this grotesque display of sexism. And, slowly, piece by piece, she does. In this, she is joined by her friend, Koumei. Koumei is the daughter of a Western cuisine restaurateur who is himself ironically very conservative.

This story is as much a paean to amateur baseball as anything else. The girls, who know nothing about the game, recreate all the wheels for themselves; everything from basic batting and throwing techniques, to signals and scouting. If you strongly oppose sports stories, this may not be the anime for you, then. But if the “guts” ideal holds for you, I cannot think of a more delightful way to revel in each and every step of the journey.

There is Yuri. It begins with tall, athletic Tomoe, who is much admired by a coterie of younger students. Tomoe may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but she has a sincere princeliness that she’s not afraid to wield.

Tomoe might be admired by the other girls, but it’s Koumei that she herself has her eyes on. It’s easy to see that she does, because we also watch Koumei closely through the series. She’s a great character – strong, but not unreasonably so, and smart in a “got a good grasp of human nature” way.

That’s it for the “real” Yuri, but there’s no end of slashable pairings. Of course people like Akiko and Koumei together. They are the leads. They are the team’s pitcher and catcher pair and, as team manager Kawashima notes, they ought to function like a married couple and be of one mind and heart.

In my head (and I have no doubt I am not alone in this) I am convinced that Yuki and Tamaki are a ridiculously adorable couple.

But my own personal crush goes to Kawashima Noe. If Akiko and Koumei are the  heart of the team, Kawashima is the brain – and if you know anything about me, you know that competence and intelligence are my two favorite qualities in a woman. Even a non-existent ones. ^_^ Kawashima is the one who recreates the position of manager and scout for the team, enabling them to progress.

Sentai Filmworks’ production is not perfect. The subtitles are dubtitle-y. They often represent the conversation in a way that the script is not actually expressing, but if you can’t  understand what they are saying anyway, it seems sensible enough. There is no dub, which is no loss for me, as the voice actresses in this series are some of my faves. “Extras” are the non-extras of DVD credits and ads for other Sentai properties.

If you’re interested in the manga for this series, you probably should be warned that Itou Shimpei does the art, so there’s less baseball, less Yuri, more service and the character designs are goofier. But it’s still cute. Here’s my review of Volume 1. For an overview of the first Light Novel, check out George R’s review from earlier this year.

All that being said, for a story that is sure to make you smile, and lots of really laugh out loud moments, Taisho Baseball Girls is an excellent choice. This is a pick-me-up-when-I’m-down series, without question.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 2
Series – 1

Overall – 9

Many, many thanks to Okazu Superhero Amanda M for providing us with hours of entertaining baseball hijinks and smart, dedicated and increasingly competent girls!

Posted in English Anime | 4 Comments »