Aria the Natural, Part 1 Anime Boxset (English)

April 26th, 2009

I need to say this first, because I am sick and tired of getting nasty emails, comments and blogposts from people who have no grip on reality. I do NOT think that Aria is Yuri. Many other people who are not me do. I review Aria as Yuri because the *other* fans  insist on seeing all sorts of couples in the mostly all-female cast, since so often they talk to each other, or are in the same frame. They even touch once in a while, so clearly there’s sex involved, in the eyes of this group.

I *do* enjoy imagining a relationship between Alicia and Akira. That is the only Yuri I have ever seen in this series and I am completely honest about the fact that I have wholly made it up in my head, encouraged only by Raku-Gun and Crush doujinshi. So please, stfu about me ruining Aria for you because I had the nerve to call it a Yuri series. If me calling a series Yuri pisses you off, then its probably a bad idea to read this blog since it is a *Yuri* blog and covers many things that other people who are not you think of as Yuri.

Moving on….

Unless you have your Yuri goggles on very, very high, you’re not going to see much Yuri in Aria the Natural, Part 1 boxset. What you will find is a story about a young woman who finds joy in the smallest things of everyday life. And by moving so slowly that she has time to see and enjoy these things, she brings the people around her into her world full of wonder and beauty – whether they want to or not. I believe that that is, in part, the reason why so many of the fans of this series are otherwise absurdly cynical people, with nothing specific to be angry at, so they rail at me, or The Man, or whatever, without actually doing anything about anything. Akari’s “my pace” attitude and appreciation for everything – bugs, bread, hats, weather – forces us to slow down and at least take a look at what she’s looking at, even if we don’t appreciate it as much as she does.

As with the previous Aria boxset, Right Stuf does a nice job on reproduction and translation, managing to communicate Al’s old man puns and Akari’s wide-eyed perspective uniquely. And although I did not order the set from them directly, I’m told that the extras for direct pre-order are way fun – in this case, an Aria-shachou squeeze toy. (Thanks to Sean for ruining it forever reporting on it with this line, “Hollowed out, it’s the most amusing condom ever!”) Unlike the first season box set, the extras for these disk live on a separate disk of their own and are entirely worth watching, if you care about such things as staff and VA interviews, trailer videos and the like – which I enjoy, no matter how insipid the comments. An Episode Guide Booklet is included as a physical extra for the set, as well.

Nevertheless, there are some scenes that will be imagined as Yuri. Alice’s shadow-hopping episode was very popular with Alice x Athena ‘shippers, for one. In my opinion, the hottest romance in the series is Aika and Al. ^_^

Of course, the number one reason I watch Aria is not Yuri, real or imagined, it’s the scenery porn; the love in our eyes with which we gaze at the shadow in St. Mark’s Plaza, a meteor shower, a street vendor making dolls dance or the evening sun shining on Venetian glass. It’s this that makes Aria worth watching and rewatching. And if your love of the series is affected by anyone’s opinion then you’ve missed the entire point of wearing Akari-colored glasses.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 1
Service – 3

Overall – 8

Many many thanks to new Okazu Hero Tricolor Cavy for sponsoring today’s review! I have enjoyed not only the hours it has taken me to rewatch this anime, but also the renewed appreciation it gives me every time for the simple joys of my real life. Thank you.

Posted in Aria, English Anime | 3 Comments »


Yuri News Report – April 25, 2009

April 25th, 2009

Thanks for your patience while we had fun with (and without) you last week. We’re back today with a pile o’Yuri news!

Yuri Manga

Aoi Hana, Volume 4 is coming. Don’t shudder with anticipation too much, it’s bad for your joints. Jump up and down instead – your heart could use the exercise.

Azumanga Daioh is poised to have a 10th anniversary and the author is celebrating a new manga edition by penning three new chapters to entice you to buy it.

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Yuri Anime

Apparently the first DVD of the 4th season of Maria-sama ga Miteru had massive sound and extra issues, which made all the fanboys mad.

Strawberry Panic box sets are coming out in English. They are, of course!, on the Yuricon Shop for your convenience.

This is kind of interesting – Sean points out that Gakuen Alice is playing on the Anime Network. That means there was a dub, I guess. I think it’s interesting that that series got a dub, but did not make it onto network TV in the usual hacked up form shoujo usually has to go through to make it to TV.

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Other Yuri News

Tadeno Eriko, Yuri manga artist, creator of WORKS, and contributor to the Yuri Monogatari anthology, wants you to know that she is part of a new lesbian erotica group. Art and stories are up for your viewing pleasure – in Japanese.

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We’ll see you next week for more Yuri news!

 

Posted in Yuri Network News | 4 Comments »


Ichigo Mashimaro Manga, Volume 6

April 24th, 2009

Once more it is my genuine pleasure to welcome Sean Gaffney back as Guest Reviewer!

The sixth volume of Ichigo Mashimaro (苺ましまろ) is finally out in Japan (it’s been running since 2001, but is only up to Volume 6 due to the author’s frequent breaks and the sometimes short chapters). There’s no earth-shattering changes, except that if anything Nobue gets even less to do. As Chika has gotten more tsundere and taken over much of the beatings of Miu, Nobue has sadly faded into the background a bit.

In any case, we get 10 new chapters here, interspersed with ‘a day in the life’ interstitials. My favorites of the interstitials are a) Miu responding to her teacher’s request to solve a difficult fraction problem by getting out her giant protractor, and b) Miu’s amusing giant geek glasses she wears during chemistry, complete with spiral effect.

The girls battle a cockroach, have fun drawing on each other’s faces (in 2 separate chapters, one with a ‘third eye’ and the other with Japanese characters), and practice cooking (in a hilarious Miu and Chika 2-hander that barely has the others at all).

Some of this volume is also being animated in the Encore OAVs, such as Matsuri’s utter inability to help herself not be kidnapped. Oh yes, and Miu dies and goes to hell, in easily the best chapter in the entire volume. You can see it animated in the first Encore OAV. Note once more Chika’s inability to stop laughing when Miu does insane stupid things, even when she’s a demon of Hell.

The final chapter, where Miu complains that the only playing they do anymore is gaming, and that they should go outside and be more physical, was only in Dengeki Daioh last month. So don’t expect a new volume anytime soon. Still, it’s 160 pages of cuteness and Miu insanity, which is always worth your time.

Ratings:

Art – 7 (I do like the attention paid to the different outfits)
Story – 6 (loose collection of gags, really)
Characters: 7 (9 for Miu and Chika, 6 for Matsuri, 5 for Nobue).
Yuri – 3 (Not as much here as the last volume, though Miu and Chika are
so going to be a couple in a few years)
Service – 9 (It’s Barasui. What else needs to be said? It only loses a point for lacking catgirls.)

Overall – 7. A good, solid volume.

Oh yes, and Ana is in it too.

–SG

Posted in Ichigo Mashimaro | 3 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Octave, Volume 2

April 23rd, 2009

In Volume 2 of Octave (オクターヴ) Yukino continues to deal with the hole in her life left by the absence of everything she thinks she wants. In doing so, she really pissed me off. ^_^;

On the one hand, Yukino is an ex-pop idol, studying to be a manager, living a life that is a poor reflection of what she strived for. She longs for adulation, for recognition, for hordes of fans to tell her how wonderful she is so she can see herself in the reflection of their adoration.

On the other hand, she is a hard-working young woman, trying to build a career for herself, living on her own in the big city, with an older lover and a decent life.

Unfortunately for Yukino the former weighs much more heavily on her than the latter. And her expectations of herself and her life weigh even more heavily. Her weaknesses far outweigh her strengths in her own mind.

In this volume, Yukino visits her hometown, bringing Setsuko along, but is not strong enough to acknowledge her. She meets her old friend, who is getting a second chance as an idol, but her envy makes her vulerable. Above all, her desperate need for recognition and “normality” (as she defines it) leads Yukino to do something that will stick in the craw of every reader who likes Setsuko.

This volume was a little rough on me. I wanted to like Yukino, to sympathize with her, to support her. But…I couldn’t. By the end of the book I was ready to slap her and then she does something that really pissed me off. The thing she does doesn’t bother me at all – it was *why* she does it that gagged me. There is nothing I respect less than people who only feel validated when it comes from an external source.

Whether Octave has a Yuri ending – or even any kind of happy ending – is of no concern to me. Right now, I really don’t care much what happens to Yukino. I’m more concerned about Setsuko, because she seems like a pretty decent person and I don’t want her to be hurt by Yukino’s selfishness.

Ratings:

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

Overall – 8

Because of my strong feelings against Yukino and for Setsuko I have to admit that this is a good book. It’s got me giving a crap what happens.

Posted in Yuri Manga | 8 Comments »


New Anime Season Spring 2009: Queen’s Blade

April 22nd, 2009

Watching Queen’s Blade is like trying to have a conversation with someone who won’t stop staring at your tits. Or like trying to converse with a really nice girl, who seems to be pretty interesting, but we keep staring at her tits instead of listening to her.

I would really, really like to notch the service back three steps on this anime. As it stands, I roll my eyes so much I keep losing track of what’s happening. What’s happening is a quest series that stars a bunch of strong women who have been rendered down to the bare minimum of personality and near-identical bodies, all of which have the same nipples.

Oh, yes. Women’s nipples do *not* all look the same. This may come as a shock to a large portion of the Queen’s Blade viewing audience. If this surprised you, I think you need to read more Hustler.

The plot, such as it is, is about a quest by a number of women for the Queen’s Blade – the awarding of which will give them the power and rank they need to do whatever it is that drives them to seek it. Each story is completely worthy, so we are likely supposed to feel remorse that not all of them can fulfill their quests. Since we so fixedly stare at their secondary sexual characteristics, I barely notice they exist as characters. “Blah blah blah,” they say, and I’m sure it means something, but we’re staring in between their legs obsessively and I’m finding it hard to care, because all I can think is, “Metal underwear and no leggings. I bet that chafes something fierce. I wonder if they carry talcum powder in their packs.”

When the characters are attacked by creatures that are stand-ins for tentacles, like snakes and giant frogs’ tongues, I also find myself wandering off thinking that this series is like the Caligula of Six Degrees of Yuri voice actresses. The voice cast is instantly recognizable. Some of them I feel a little bad for, but mostly I assume that they thought, “Hey, it’s a paycheck. As long as there are no live events, I can do this.”

I am not the audience for Queen’s Blade. I would LOVE to see a version of this without all the service. It would be a cool series. But instead, I watch this and wonder if I’ll ever get to watch something this spring that doesn’t have us staring unblinkingly at women’s thighs and breasts.

Yuri in this series is implict – lots of f/f pairs that fanboys will immediately slash because service is the same thing as affection for most. And then there’s the explicit siscon relationship that Reina’s sister has for her. I can’t help but assume that Reina and Listy are already paired in half a dozen doujinshi, as well.

In *my* fan delusion, Queen’s Blade is a classic quest story starring pairs of strong women who bond together as friends and who compete for the Queen’s Blade. In reality, it’s an exhaustingly bad series of nothing but service, held together with a plot thinner than the g-strings they all wear.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 4
Characters – 6
Yuri – 5
Service – 9

Overall – 5

If you watched Xena: Warrior Princess staring fixedly at Callisto’s crotch, you will probably enjoy Queen’s Blade.

Posted in Miscellaneous | 12 Comments »