Click Manhwa, Volume 1 (English)

March 27th, 2009

You may have noticed that almost all (if indeed, not all) of the gender-switch manga and manhwa that make into English are meant to be comedy. I have some theories about that, the chief of which is that for many, many people drag is, all by itself, utterly hilarious. Add to that the whole gender switch thing, and the joke is fall on the floor hysterical.

Not so much for me. I think I have yet to see a drag show that I thought was inherently funny. zOMG! Man in dress! is not enough for me to fall on the floor laughing. Even (especially) when it was Milton Berle. Monty Python did funny drag scenes, because the funny was in the writing, not just in the drag.

So, when I’m reading something like Your and My Secret, the story has to be funny for me to find it funny. The idea that Nanako and Akira switched bodies zOMG!, on it’s own, is just not enough.

Which brings me to today’s review.

Click, Volume 1 is, without rival, the least funny “comedy” gender-switch manga I have ever read. It beats out Yubisaki Milk Tea, which I found utterly without merit, for the position. Not because the gender switch itself is preposterous (it is, but it’s still miles better than being hit by an alien spaceship), but because the characters in this story are the most hideously unlikable, unsympathetic, cretinous characters it has ever been my experience to read.

The lead character, Joonha, is a medieval-minded sexist asshole. He believes that he is God’s gift to warthogs and acts accordingly. When it turns out that his family has a genetic predisposition to switching gender, he wakes suddenly female, but no less sexist, or one jot less an asshole.

Joonha continues to remain an asshole throughout, as she switches schools, deals with the important things like periods and skirt length (sigh) and other breath-robbingly comical situations.

The truth is, I so disliked Joonha that I found myself wishing her exceedingly painful cramps for her period. Stupid git deserves the worst nature can throw at her. Although mood swings would go completely unnoticed by the people around her.

Yuri is implied when we learn that Joonha’s father was once female and her mother fell in love with him then. If he had not switched, Dad and Mom laugh, they would have had to have been a lesbian couple. Ahahahah. And the girl that Joonha rejected with the most brutality and the least class possible, has vowed to track her down and be true to her – no matter what. zOMG. So, Yuri? Yeah, I guess. I’ll get back to you in Volume 2 to see if it gets any less miserable.

It dawned on me about 1/2way through the book that I will *never* understand straight women’s attraction to men who are loathsome and that no one ever smiles happily in a manhwa. I find it utterly depressing.

This is the first Netcomics book I’ve ever read. I have no quibbles about the reproduction, but I’m sure if I asked, I’d get straight-girl responses to the misery. (Last time I asked someone I know at a BL/Hetero publisher, I was told, “Isn’t it hysterical?” I looked at the respondant like an alien was bursting out of her head. No. It really isn’t hysterical.) I will give Click this – in comparison, Your and My Secret is much, much more entertaining.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 4
Characters – 5 Joonha – 2
Yuri – 1
Service- 1

Overall – 4

Welcome *another* brand new Okazu hero, Gabrielle S. for sponsoring today’s review! Gabrielle – to receive your Okazu Hero badge, email me!

Posted in English Manga | 12 Comments »


Your and My Secret Manga, Volume 3 (English)

March 26th, 2009

Akira and Nanako switch bodies with the help of a machine that then immediately breaks, leaving them stranded in each other. Akira likes Nanako and Nanako likes Nanako. Shiina is Nanako’s best friend and, now that Nanako is in Akira’s body, they are going out. Senbongi is Akira’s best friend and, now that Akira is in Nanako’s body – which Senbongi knows – he wants to go out with Akira. Because Shiina is cute and girly, Akira naturally likes her too, so all that’s left is Senbongi and Akira’s body liking each other to make a complete mess.

Which is exactly what we get in Volume 3 of Your and My Secret.

The bulk of the book is taken up by Akira (in Nanako’s body) playing Juliet to an extremely amorous Senbongi. Nanako (in Akira’s body) seems to be uncommonly jealous and rumors spring up about Akira and Senbongi as a result. When Senbongi attempts to actually kiss Akira (in Nanako’s body) at the climax of the play, Nanako (in Akira’s body) jumps in to break up the kiss, but ends up kissing Akira (in Nanako’s body)instead. Nanako (in Akira’s body) jumps up and, to cover her (his) behavior confesses his feelings for Senbongi. The girls of the school respond with doujinshi immediately.

While we all wallow in this crazy, wacky, unresolvable gender-bendy love quadrangle, there is one poor soul whose soul is not having any fun at all. Shiina, Nanako’s best friend now girlfriend, is confused, hurt and upset. In the very first sign of her thinking of someone other than herself, Nanako (in Akira’s body) apologizes to her (his) erstwhile girlfriend with a kiss. Whether you consider that Yuri or not is entirely personal.

The book ends with Senbongi once again trying to argue his case to Akira (in Nanako’s body.) He doesn’t care that the girl in front of him is really a boy, he likes Akira and thinks he’s cute as Nanako. End of story for him. But Akira states plainly that, despite everything, he likes Nanako. Senbongi apologizes for being difficult and leaves the room. Where can this possibly lead? I have no idea. I can see Akira (in Nanako’s body) competing with Shiina for his own body with Nanako inside. But I guess we’ll find out next time, won’t we? ^_^

So, Yuri is in the eye of the beholder once again. If a girl in a boy’s body kissing a girl is Yuri or if a boy in a girl’s body liking a girl is Yuri for you, then you will see this as Yuri. I’m more inclined to weight emotional intent higher than physical aspect, myself. And of course, there’s apparent – and amusing – BL too, for those of you who like that.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 6
Story – 6
Yuri – 3
Service – 5

Overall – 7

Today we welcome a brand new Okazu hero Elaine B. for sponsoring this review! Thank you very much, Elaine – email me at your convenience to receive your Okazu Hero badge!

Posted in English Manga | No Comments »


V-Hunter Manga

March 25th, 2009

I’m pleased as punch and mad as a porridge knife to offer you a Guest Review today by Okazu Hero Katherine! Katherine thank you so, so much for this review because it means I didn’t have to write anything for today! Yay! :-) I would like to take this opportunity to flog an old horse. This review is about a scanlation. You may have noticed that I do not do reviews of scanlations. I either buy the book in English or Japanese, or one of the Okazu heroes buys it for me. I know that some scanlation groups simply desire to share obscure and out-of-print things with fans. However, I strongly object to fans who read scanlations and watch fansubs but do not support the genre in any meaningful way. I know that my readers are huge purchasers of Yuri, and for that I am immensely proud and thankful, so I am not accusing you, dear reader. Just making a point for people who should stumble upon this review randomly, or who have never considered the issue before. Thank you for your patience, the dead horse flogging is done, the review will now commence.

When I found Shizuru Hayashiya’s debut work, a modest one-shot titled V-Hunter, my heart went aflutter and my eyes lit up with childlike glee at the thought of seeing the starting point for Hayashiya-sensei’s professional manga career, which would later include the excellent action-comedy Hayate x Blade and the delightfully goofy rom-com Strawberry Shake Sweet. After reading V-Hunter, all that I could think was, “Hayashiya’s come a long way since then….”

Don’t get me wrong. The story features Hayashiya’s trademark energy, screwball humor, and of course, Yuri. (Yay!) But like any incipient mangaka, her story is marked with the telltale signals of inexperience. First, the artwork. The character designs are very 90s shoujo. Hayashiya was clearly still defining her own unique style when she drew this. While full of dynamic facial expressions and expressive body gestures (a signature of her later manga), the art lacks the confident, solid line work and more appealing, refined character designs that she would hone in her later works. (Although her take on Rhett Butler is hilarious.)

The story itself is fairly unique. A high school-aged girl (come to think of it, she never gets a name…) rents an old VHS copy of Gone with the Wind (E here…OLD? That’s all we *had* in the 90s! Sheesh.) from a local video store. But since she’s playing the video for the 666th time (*insert evil laughter*), out pops a demonic version of Rhett Butler who, being a demon, needs the blood of a virgin after arriving to earth. That does mean what you think it means, but before Rhett can sully our virtuous heroine, a mysterious woman conveniently shows up (the V-hunter or “video stream manipulator,” who does get a name) and, upon the girl’s request, banishes Rhett back into the video (I’m laughing as I type this) using another video demon from a well-known horror flick. After the V-hunter’s task is complete, the girl asks her how she can repay her. But since she can’t pay the monetary fee (3,000,000 yen), she agrees to “pay” the V-Hunter using her body. (Which again, does mean what you think it means, but Hayashiya doesn’t show anything more than strictly necessary. Sorry. :) ) The V-Hunter then leaves, and the omniscient narrator sagely reveals that the V-Hunter only saves pretty girls. How noble. :)

So, despite the threat of non-con, this comes through as a fluffy, fun one-shot (more fun than it really should be @_@;;) that will satisfy those looking for some goofy humor and a weird story, if not the storytelling chops and broadly appealing characterization that appears in Hayashiya’s later works. (But hey, it’s a one-shot.) Anybody who’s a fan of Shizuru Hayashiya’s manga should check it out, if only for the fun of seeing how far she’s progressed and which elements have been present in her work since the beginning of her career.

Ratings:

Art: 6 (Fun, but kinda sketchy.)
Story: 7
Characters: 6 (Nobody I would want to meet, but still entertaining.)
Yuri: 7
FanBoy: 3
FanGirl: 4
Hayashiya Fan: 8

Overall: 7

Thanks again Katherine and Lililicious, for bringing us a look at another screwball Yuri comedy from the screwball mind of Hayashiya-sensei. I’ll be back tomorrow, but no clue if I’ll care about you all enough to post. See you soon!

Posted in Hayashiya Shizuru, Yuri Manga | 3 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime, Volume 15 (Part 2)

March 24th, 2009

The second half of this volume of Yuri Hime (百合姫) picks up with “Mizu-iro Cinema,” a little ditty about popular actress Yui who, after a day’s shoot decides to take a walk along the beach. As she stands looking out over the water, a voice impores her to not jump and she is tackled, then accidentally pushed in, by a girl school uniform. Tamae takes Yui to her house to warm up and dry off. Yui and Tamae realize they are the same age, and during a discussion about school, Yui reminisces about her former schoolmate…and lover. Upon returning to her hotel, Yui realizes she has lost a necklace given to her by that former lover and rushes back to see if Tamae found it. Tamae leaps into the water to find it when she realizes that the necklace holds meaning for Yui, but as the other girl looks for it, Yui thinks that maybe, it doesn’t have that much meaning after all. The end of the story asks “Has a new love begun…?” But really if it weren’t by Hiyori Otsu, running in Yuri Hime and they didn’t say that, I’d say, “Not really.” But what do I know? ^_^

“Sei Ippai Suki to Uso to” is by another new winner of Ichijinsha’s manga contest. Kayo and Miya meet on the first day of school and become love rivals for the hand of Rinko-sempai. Only, Miya has fallen in love with her rival. Happily, Kayo is also in love with Miya, so it all works out. The best thing about this story was that the art reminded me of Raku-Gun’s, but wasn’t as angular and cynical.

Oh look at that. “Nanami to Misuzu” is still running.

This is followed by color pages hawking Ichijinsha properties. Then moving on into “Sweet Peach” which completely fails to capture my attention. The splash page offers gratutious bathing scene for those who really like that. Touka is thrust into another confusing situation as treasured companion to Amateru-sama and surrounded by maids and handservants. It makes about as much sense as any other scenario in this story has.

“Shirogami” allows the editor to include another “wounded girl” story. Minaho has no memory of the past two years, not even a glimmer of recognition for her best friend Takako. In her mind, she’s still in her third-year of middle school. Takako comes by bringing books for her all the time. Minaho wonders why she likes them so much, but Takako’s answer throws her for a loop – Takako knows her likes and dislikes and holds books she knows Minaho will like to forward them to her. The messages on her cel phone to “that Minaho” – her self previous to her accident – from Takako puzzle her. She deletes them, until she comes across a picture of her and Takako…kissing. At school she confronts Takako with that picture, insisting that she is not “that” Minaho. In tears, Takako apologizes for upsetting Minaho. Minaho gets a heartfelt mesaage that Takako misses her and the next day, Minaho waits for her, sending her a message that she wants to see her too.

“Tokumei Prologue” tells the story of how Nanao met Matsumoto, before the stories that make up Junsui Adolescence. It was love at first sight. ^_^

In “Past Heaven” Yuu has never had the chance to go to a friend’s house so when Ayumu invites her, she’s very nervous – and even more so when she realizes that they are alone. But Ayumu is Ayumu, so Yuu-chan is happy, until Ayumu pushes her back and asks her to go out with her. Yuu replies that she doesn’t do that kind of thing, and Ayumu immediately relents. But at school the next day, when Yuu greets Ayumu, she’s greeted pleasantly – with her family name instead of her given name. Yuu guesses correctly that she’s hurt Ayumu. She finds the other girl smoking behind a tree, and learns that Yuu resembles (heavy sigh) a girl she used to be in love with. They were discovered kissing by a parent, who separated them immediately. So when Ayumu came to this chsool, she was immediately captured by Yuu, who resembled her girlfriend. Yuu says that she really doesn’t think there’s a difference between being friends and going out, but Ayumu says that it is different. Yuu declares that she can’t become Ayumu’s former gf, but will make sure she’s not alone. They end the story eating warm taiyaki together.

And finally, “Apple Day Dream.” In between being reminded that Mayu has a big chest and Kaoru loves big chests, we learn some incidentals about the cast, like family members and favorite flavors. Mayu give Kaoru Valentine’s Day chocolate, but really doesn’t expect anything in return.

Overall – 8

This issue probably had fewer stories I genunely didn’t like then any other. Overall it’s a neat bell curve – a few to love, most average and a few to dislike.

Posted in Comic Yuri Hime, Yuri Manga | 3 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Yuri Hime, Volume 15 (Part 1)

March 23rd, 2009

I’m away this week, hopefully kicking back and relaxing as you read this. :-)

The cover of the winter issue of Yuri Hime (百合姫) evokes Valentine’s Day hijinks with Kiri and Arare from “Tokimeki Mononoke Gakuen,” chocolates and the joys of licking the cook. ^_^

The book starts off with “Kaminaga Hime” the next chapter of the Black Cat Mansion saga. In this story, a boyish hairstylist falls in love with one of her customers, only to find that, at the end of it all, she is loved back.

In “Creo the Crimson Crises,” stuff happens that involves Creo snuggling Suoh a lot Suddenly, for reasons that would be apparent if I was actually reading this story, Suoh transforms into a bustier, older, sexier, but no less soppy, version of herself.

In the next chapter of “Kono Onegai Kanau nara” the awkward love triangle continues as Tsukiko attempts to confess her feelings to You-chan, but does not manage it. The third point in this triangle, whose name escapes me, overhears and reacts with jealousy and frustration. Tsukiko tries again, this time coming much closer to making her point. Time will tell how this painful situation will shake out.

The Essay on Yuri Manga by Miura Shion touches on the recent series Girl x Girl x Boy, which I reviewed and found to be better than the sum of its parts. ^_^

The cover series appears! In this chapter of “Tokimeki Mononoke Gakuen” Arare is tortured over her desire for Kiri and her fear of becoming a O-bake. Having made her decision that hot lesbian sex is more important that staying human (and who can blame her?) she runs into kogal Akina who, it turns out, sold her humanity for a little nookie herself. Akina warns Arare from doing it, then says she was lying, it was the best thing evar. She jumps Arare, who runs out into the night, only to face the inhumanity of her schoolmates. She wakes from a dream of being attacked by Pero, and runs out of her room to Kiri’s. Will she make the fateful decision? Tune in next month to find out!

“Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan” manages to be even cuter and fuzzier and warmer than usual as Sarasa and Seriho have a conversation that is long overdue. Sarasa explains that her one true desire is to be by Seriho’s side, making the tea shop work. And so, she has chosen to attend a local trade school to become a pastry chef. Seriho refuses to pretend that she is anything but thrilled at the decision, and the scene ends with them side by side, looking at a future together.

“Urbane” tells a somewhat trite story about a girl who appears at a winterbound village and is just a little scary (and cool.) Miyuki becomes known as the local Snow Woman, but Kuriko warms up to her anyway, only to be shoved roughly aside when she tries to heat up their friendship. Miyuki finally admits that Kuriko reminds her of the girl she was in love with, confessed to and was rejected by. They decide to thaw their relationship and Miyuki admits that her real name is Miharu, preaging a beautiful spring for them both.

In “Nostalgia” a crush on an older married woman becomes a point of contention, then the kernel for a deeper familial love. Kyou met Konomi when she was 8 and Konomi was a newlywed at 17. Her older husband, a loving and dedicated man Takuto, has now been dead for 14 years and Kyo really wants nothing more than to be the one that Konomi looks at with that expression. And, it could happen. But Kyou realizes that their bond was never really meant to be as lovers, and so she recreates it as “family.”

That takes us about halfway, so I’m going to cut out here and pick this up for tomorrow.

Posted in Comic Yuri Hime, Yuri Manga | No Comments »