Yawara, A Fashionable Judo Girl, Volume 2 (English)

December 7th, 2009

There is a fine line between “She doth protest too much” and “Standing one’s ground.” When it comes to a woman not buckling under the pressure of the wishes of everyone around her, I’m usually right behind her, rooting for her to make her own decisions.

In Volume 2 of Yawara, A Fashionable Judo Girl, Yawara doth protest too much.

Her Mom has already pointed out that girls who do Judo are still feminine. Everyone in her school looks up to her for guidance and leadership and even her friends think she ought to step up and shine a little more.

But no, Yawara has a dream of being a nobody, of embodying the passive ideal of wife and mother and passing through life with nary an influence. Okay, fine, that’s her choice, I got it. I don’t agree with it, but it’s hers, so I respect that.

But, when the judo club implores her to become their coach so they can man up and defend their reputation, and Kazamatsuri begs her to compete, telling Yawara that she shines brightest when she’s playing Judo, Yawara hardens her heart against them and says that *they* are being selfish.

“No,” I found myself lecturing this 2-dimensional, fictitious character on the screen, “you’re the one being selfish.” Even, as Every Sports Writer Matsuda points out, Haute Couture, Rich-Girl Sayaka is running along a beach dragging a *tire,* all because of Yawara.

It takes an unfunny stalker to piss Yawara off enough to bring about the change of heart needed to make this series move forward. Watching the formerly pathetic Judo team kick his ass helped.

I did not ever do Judo, but I was a martial artist for two decades and have a few years of Aikido in there. Let me tell you something about throwing and being thrown. Throwing is easy. Being thrown is hard. Taking ukemi, as they say, is the essence of any martial art that includes throws. Here’s what I want to point out – there’s a lot you can do to change the direction of a throw. And when Yawara throws the punk stalker, she throws him straight down. In a way that I can guarantee hurt. A lot. It was satisfying.

In fact, watching Yawara practicing her rolls really made me want to break out the mat and do a little practice myself. Which is the hallmark of a really good sports story for me. I want to get up and do the thing myself.

In any case, Sayaka has eyes only for Yawara, unfortunately not in any way that can remotely be described as desire, but we’re getting there. Yawara and Sayaka are about to have their first match and will be rivals for the love of Kazamatsuri. It doesn’t sound promising, but remember Ayaka and Ryoko from Tenchi? They pretended to fight over Tenchi all the time, but even Sasami saw through that. ;-)

Ratings:

Art – 7
Characters – 5, because unfunny stalkers are unfunny
Story – 8
Yuri – 1
Service – 5

Overall – 8

Again, my sincere thanks and probably my next set of bruises as I practice my ukemi are dedicated to Ana M.! Thanks for sponsoring this trip down not just one, but two memory lanes for me. ^_^

Posted in English Anime | 2 Comments »


Hanayashiki no Junin-tachi Manga, Volume 3

December 6th, 2009

In Volume 1 of Hanayashiki no Junin-tachi (花やしきの住人たち,) we met Aki, a boy who excels at “women’s” tasks like cooking, sewing and being functional. As punishment he is sent to live at a girl’s dorm, which just goes to show that his father and grandfather are idiots.

In the Hanayashiki dorm, Aki meets energetic, cute and hungry Renge who falls for him, and creepy loner Ayame, who has an extra creepy twin brother who is really damaged. Aki falls for Ayame and, of course Ayame is interested in Renge, in standard fashion.

In Volume 2, we learned that Ayame is a lesbian because she’s only met broken and disturbed men and that her mother was distant and cold, just like Freud said.

Now we are at Volume 3, and any chance that Ayame and Renge will get together is receeding quickly. Renge comes to grips that Aki isn’t going to be hers anytime soon, and somehow Aki finds himself protecting Ayame more and more from Kakitsubata, her brother. When Kakitsubata starts to sexually assault Ayame, Aki’s had enough and takes Ayame to his room to give her somewhere safe to stay. And it is safe, as we had previously established that Aki is a good guyTM. He’s not going to do anything to Ayame and he may keep her from hurting herself.

Aki’s Dad shows up to free him, so of course everything comes to a crisis. Ayame, having met the first non-violently insane man of her entire life is cured of her lesbian desire, Kakitsubata does not kill himself, which is a shame and in the end everyone lives happily every after. Oh, yes, they do.

I never really expected this series to go my way, so I can’t say I was disappointed on that score, but the pat ending really makes all the DRAMA sort of meaningless. Much like the ending of Mai HiME, I feel as if we were cheated on an actual ending that dealt with the consequences of everything that happened in the story. Also, the lessons we learn, that cross-dressers are violently insane and lesbians are also damaged until they are fixed by a heterosexual attraction, are massively uncool.

On the other hand, if you like DRAMA, then this series does have some decent qualities. Aki being a very decent human being and Renge also not being a freak go a long way to helping the book not suck.

Also, I should probably point out that they do all live happily ever after – as friends. For which I was very grateful. Because frankly, there is no way any of the possible pairings would feel right.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 5
Characters – 5
Yuri – 1
Service – 2

Overall – 6

As a whole, the series is like watching a Tornado. Aki shows up, and through no fault of his own, pulls the house down. But in the end, the skies are blue and there’s always tomorrow to rebuild.

Posted in Miscellaneous | 3 Comments »


Yuri Network News – December 5, 2009

December 5th, 2009

The end of the year draws nigh and I guess it’s time to start thinking about my Top Ten Lists. Number One will be easy but ugh, the rest is going to be hard – this year because we had a ton of good stuff to choose from. And here’s a few more titles, to complicate matters. :-)

Yuri Manga

Choir! was a horrible-looking comic strip that turned out to be totally tolerable, with moments of actual funny and a surprisingly genuine Yuri couple. Now there’s a second volume out.

I still haven’t had a chance to read it, but Japanese Yuri lists say that at least one of the stories in Nakamura Ching’s collection Chin-Man is Yuri.

***

Yuri Drama CD

YNN correspondent Katherine H. is glad to share the news that there is a *third* Saki original Drama CD in the works.

While we’re at it, I want to share the news that the Maria-sama ga Miteru Premium CD with original recording, is now available. Those of you who favor Yumi x Touko (by which I mean…Sean) will like the cover.

***

Yuri Anime

Moonphase announced that Mitsudomoe is going to become an anime. A single glace at the cover of the manga was enough for me. If you like the idea of fetuses in frilly dresses, and a vaguely sort of Yuri-ish feel then you’ll love this, I’m sure.

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Snatches of Yuri

Akane-iro Symphonia – Ichijinsha’s *other* novel line has been putting out a few Yuri novels and this seems to be the latest. High school girls and desktop music, with Yuri.

Sakura Ricetto looks, well, Yuri with lots of service. Girls, bathing, Yuri. Yup.

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Other News

Google has released a new Japanese IME for those of you who would like the ability to type in Japanese directly. If you do not read Japanese, it will not be a big help to you, but if you can type Romaji, it will. Like the Microsoft IME, it gives you choices for Hiragana, Kanji and Katakana when you type Romaji in. I like it so far, which is to say, for the twice I used it this morning. :-)

(IME is Input Method Editor, in case you were wondering. Read about them here.)

***

That’s a wrap for this week.

Become a Yuri Network Correspondent by sending me any Yuri-related news you find. Emails go to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com. Not to the comments here, please, or they might be forgotten or missed. There’s a reason for this madness. This way I know you are a real human, not Anonymous (which I do not encourage – stand by your words with your name!) and I can send you a YNN correspondent’s badge.

Thanks to all of you – you make this a great Yuri Network!

Posted in Yuri Network News | No Comments »


Yuri Light Novel: R.O.D., Volume 2

December 5th, 2009

I write about many things here at Okazu, but above all, I write about love.

There are, obviously, many types of love. Love of family, love of friends, love between comrades, love as an obsession. And in so many of these reviews, I deal with love that can’t easily be expressed in simple terms.

In the second Read or Die Light Novel, we find Yomiko and Nenene in this space. They aren’t “in love” with one another, but they clearly need one another and love and care for one another. They are each other’s most important person, but they are not lovers. More than friends, less than lovers, more than family.

This is all in the small spaces in between the larger issues like the opening of the world’s largest bookstore, the subsequent terrorist attack, the appearance of Mr. Gentlemen and lots of running around.

R.O.D novels have a very specific genre pattern – goofy beginning, serious plot with loads of violence, Nenene in danger, evil bad guy, happy reunion between Nenene and Yomiko, then Yomiko goes home to her shrine to her dead lover Donny and the book ends.

This volume had exactly what I wanted out of it – a few moments where we had glimpses of the affection Yomiko and Nenene feel for one another, a moment where Yomiko is cooler than cool and Yomiko saving the day and beating up the bad guy.

The plot isn’t really important. If you’ve read or watched Towering Inferno, just add John Smith as a terrorist and you’re pretty much there. ;-) Now add Yomiko walking out of the burning building and standing in front of an unhappy and worried Nenene, sitting there holding her knees until she realizes it’s Yomiko, then leaping to her feet, crying as she embraces the other woman. There, that’s this book.

Ratings:

Art – 4
Story – 6
Characters – 7
Yuri – 2
Service – 2

It wasn’t until I was almost done with the book that I realized that I was picturing John Smith from Mai Otome, not the John Smith from the R.O.D.-verse. Not like there’s that much of a difference.

Posted in Light Novel, R.O.D. | 2 Comments »


Zombie-Loan Manga, Volume 7 (English)

December 3rd, 2009

Gosh, if *only* Michiru found *just* the right time to say just the right things, maybe that tragedy with Yomi wouldn’t have happened.

Oh, wait, nothing has happened yet, but you just know something is going to in some future volume.

Because in Volume 7 of Zombie-Loan, while Michiru really, positively has something very important she wants to talk to Yomi about, there just never seems to be exactly the right time without any kind of interruption or just the right atmosphere with no zombies, rivals or Shinigami. No, poor Michiru, she really, positively has something very important to say to Yomi, but just can’t manage to find the right time or place to say it.

In the meantime, the two teams of zombie-hunters fight each other, zombies and the people who are manipulating them, all pretty ineffectively, while the manipulators spout off random, over-blown and ultimately meaningless dialogue about life and death…mostly death.

So, basically, more of the same, with a sprinkling of tension waiting for Michiru to say something like, “I like you Yomi, not that way, but in a way that will endlessly torture you, because my affection for you and interest in you is a lot, but not quite the same kind of interest and affection you have for me. I won’t let you go – obviously, or I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you – but I won’t give myself to you, either. Here’s my friendship – more than you can be comfortable with, but less than will make you happy. Take it. There’s no option to leave it. We’re friends again, right?”

Bleah.

It’s not the series’ fault that Michiru sort of pissed me off with her waffling. Waffling is, of course, a standard manga plot complication. I just really feel bad for Yomi. It sucks to fall in love with a female friend who wants to have sleepovers and snuggle, but isn’t “interested in you that way.”

I keep having the same thought as I read Zombie-Loan. If you like people running around killing one another, tragic backstories and the near-dead, I recommend Dogs, Bullets and Carnage over this.

If you prefer bishies, submissive glasses-girls, Yuri-ish-ness and zombies, then Zombie-Loan is just fine.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 5 Not a big fan of “running around pointlessly” plots
Characters – 6
Yuri – 2
Service – 3

Overall – 6

Once again, it’s my pleasure to thank Okazu Superhero Eric P for his generosity in sponsoring today’s review! It’s easy to become an Okazu Hero – just purchase any item on my Yuri Wishlist and my review and eternal thanks will be credited to you. You’ll receive an official Okazu Hero or Superhero badge to proudly display as you wish (or not) on your social media page or website of choice and you’ll be added to the Hero’s Roll on the side bar here at Okazu, so everyone will know that you are a Hero!

Posted in English Manga | 2 Comments »