Kokonoka no Majyo Manga

November 13th, 2008

It’s great pleasure to thank Komatsu-san for sponsoring today’s review! This is the first of several volumes of manga that he sent me and I hope you’ll all enjoy the reviews as much as I enjoyed the manga!

Kokonoka no Majyo takes place in a fantasy setting, at a girls school. In this original situation, the story starts with several of the students at the school discussing the witch who lives in the surrounding forest. Sarami, an amiable girl who is a recent transfer into the school, does not know the legend. So when the wind begins to blow and all of a sudden a girl who looks exactly like Sarami appears, needless to say, she’s a little surprised.

The forest witch, who takes the name Nanoka, is a nice kid, much like Sarami. The book continues with chapter after chapter of pleasant, day to day happy school and life situations, in which Sarami gets to pass her enjoyment of all things on to Nanoka. Of course there is some drama, there are some happy moments, some sad moments, a magical creature sidekick thing and an annoying little sister-type character. Everything is in its place.

The truth behind Nanoka is not entirely unpredictable, but again, it’s a comfortable fit. The whole book is one formulaic, agreeable romp through stereotypical situations and clichéd characters. The art is moe but almost completely without fanservice so, if you prefer your cute and sweet to remain unerotized, you will find this story appealing.

Yuri comes in the form of tall, classic beauty Kanon and her wavy-haired girlfriend Aretta. They have a chapter all to themselves, so we are in no doubt whatsoever as to whether they are together. And for the entirety of the story, they are a happy couple, seen doing very normal things together, like shopping and playing in a stream. An altogether refreshingly happy Yuri couple, doing completely average things. One could easily imagine them shopping for furniture together. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – I’d say 5, but should you like moe 7 seems reasonable
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Yuri – 6
Service – .5

Overall – 7

While there’s nothing shockingly original about Kokonoka no Majyo, time spent reading it is time spent pleasantly. Thank you Komatsu-san!

This gives me an opportunity to mention that I have created “Okazu superhero” and “Okazu hero” badges for the sponsors of reviews. If you have ever sponsored a review, please email me at the address on the top of the sidebar there, and I’ll email you your badge image, which you can proudly display on website, blog, email or just keep to yourself. It’s up to you. ^_^ Thanks to all the Okazu heroes out there!

Posted in Miscellaneous | No Comments »


Magical Witch Punie-chan Anime (English)

November 12th, 2008

“Lyrical Tokarev, Kill them all!”

With this incantation, you know that Magical Witch Punie-chan is not your usual magical girl anime.

After the appearance of vegetables who come to life, sing and dance, begging to be made into curry and submission holds called “Princess arm lock” and “Princess guillotine choke sleeper,” you start to realize that there is nothing good and right with this anime. It’s all sorts of wrongness combined into one lovely little package of wtf.

This craptastic little story scratches almost all my itches. Except one. There’s no Yuri. I tried, too. I thought that maybe Punie and the gang leader Anego, might, possibly…but, no go. Anego goes off and falls in love with a guy in a very cute episode about a doomed romance. (There is, however, some serious “6 degrees of Yuri” in the choice of voice actors, which appeased me slightly. Not only are there a host of Marimite VAs, both Chikane and Himeko’s VAs appear in this anime.)

If you ever wanted your magical girls to lose the wand and drop someone with an choke hold, fight to death with their magical creature sidekick, animate vegetables that create their own tragic stories of heroism, and take down the evil punk girl gang that inhabits every average school with love and superior fighting skills, then you need to watch this.

Once again, my love and thanks to Media Blasters for making/allowing me watch this delightful piece of utter crap. You’ve made me so very, very happy. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – a surprising 7
Story – an amusing 7
Characters – a ridiculous 8
Yuri – a disappointing 0
Service – a remarkably low 2

Overall – a completely satisfying 7

God, this anime hurts, but it hurts so good.

Posted in English Anime | 4 Comments »


Stray Little Devil Manga, Volume 4 (English)

November 11th, 2008

Stray Little Devil , Volume 4 continues the adventures of human girl Pam who was handwaved into a dimension occupied by devils and angels and forced to undergo trials and tribulations in order to be returned to the human world. In the meantime, power struggles both big and small fill the background of the angel and devil worlds, and Pam spreads her cheerful friendship across the befuddled characters who inhabit her new life.

Many adventures befall Pam as she rises to the challenge of becoming a full-fledged devil, many of which seem to require her ass being shoved in our face and or her clothes disappearing. Ah, MediaWorks, how much joy have you brought to the lives of lonely people…

The main attraction in this volume is Pam’s bonding with Lin-fa, the angel who looks exactly like her best friend forever back in the human world. The two make their way through a series of amusingly predictable scenes; Pam smiles gamely in order to cheer Lin-fa up and get her to work together and Lin-fa looks stricken a lot.

Today’s review is an exercise in the subjective nature of Yuri. I have been told by many people if only I would get to the fourth volume of Stray Little Devil I would see that it is undoubtedly Yuri. Well, I’ve gotten there, and I see what you’re all saying. But I still don’t agree.

That is to say – I am absolutely, perfectly aware that these two are being set up in a way that lends itself to being labeled Yuri by people who believe that girls have only one possible kind of friendship. Because I know that women have many more levels of friendship than just “sex-friend” and “not sex-friend,” I see this as a very intense friendship. Even if they should embrace, I will still continue to see it as an embrace between shinyuu, between close friends who find themselves with an incredibly strong bond.

So when Volume 5 comes and the inevitable climax of the plot arises, I am not likely to find their protestations of love and caring for one another to be anything more than protestations of love and caring between friends. I trust my gay-dar. I have never been wrong except for once (and I’m still convinced he was lying about his girlfriend.)

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 6
Characters – 6
Yuri – 1 for me, 4 for those who wish to see it
Service – 4

Overall – 6

As a tale of predictable crises, with predictable outcomes, Stray Little Devil is predictably entertaining.

Posted in English Manga | 7 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Choir!, Volume 1

November 10th, 2008

Choir! was one of the manga I picked up last month that, despite my best efforts, I found I did not hate.  ^_^;

The color art on the back cover and inside really pushed my ability to tolerate and, in fact, upon revisiting this manga, I find myself repusled all over again by them. However, the manga itself is nothing at all like the color art, for which I am immensely grateful. So, should you be looking for a loli/moe school girl story about cat-ear girls, you will be disappointed by Choir!.

Choir! is a 4-koma style comic that runs in Comic Ryuu – the same magazine that gave us Nemurubaka – and is not unlike the many other 4-koma series about school girls published in magazines for men. Like Rakka Ryuusui or Tori Koro or Hidamari Sketch, 4-koma comics focus on situations that allow for wacky misinterpretation, or one cracked character saying a thing that is funny. Insert trombone, penny whistle, clown horn or kooky noise of your choice. ^_^

The premise of Choir!, such as it is, is about “Fashionable otaku girl” Mawata (a reference that made me laugh) and her friends in their day-to-day fun school lives. Because Mawara is an otaku, she does spend some time wearing cat accoutrement, and we get the inevitable Comiket chapter, as well as other typical otaku and school interests. And, of course, maid outfits.

For the purpsoses of art, Mawata is not above kissing another girl. But she’s not really the Yuri character in the series. The cover characters, Mawata’s friends, Shousei and extra moe Mayuko are. Shousei’s interest in Mayuko is evident fairly early on, and it appears that Mayuko, for all her protestations of innocence and disinterest, is being more a tease than anything. Mayuko appears to find it amusing to string Shousei along, then push her away. (Run, Shousei, run! Don’t do it!) However, in a massive reversal of all that is manga, Mayuko *admits* to jerking Shousei around and at the end of the volume is absolutely, totally Shousei’s girlfriend. Not what I expected, certainly.

There is a fair helping of service in this story. Bathing, dress up, Yuri, cat ears, general otaku drooling at their particular fetish and the like. This is another 4-koma that, should an American publisher pick up, the average creepy guy in the corner would probably like. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 4 to *me*. If you like moe-ified high schoolers, then maybe a 7 to you.
Story – 6 It’s situation comedy.
Characters – 6 Like most 4-koma, the characters have the depth of one or two gags
Yuri – 7
Service – 7

Overall – 7

Not at all what I expected. I’m not displeased to have taken a chance on Choir!.

Posted in Yuri Manga | 4 Comments »


Hayate x Blade Contest!

November 8th, 2008

Good news, everyone! (Yes, yes, that was a Futurama reference)

By the kindness and generosity of sponsor Ted the Awesome, I am pleased to announce a special Hayate x Blade contest open only to members of the Yuricon Mailing List and readers of Okazu!

You have three ways to win:

1) Write a fanfic (no more than 500 words) about Yuricon mascot Yuriko at Tenchi Gakuen

2) Draw a piece of fan art that shows any of the characters of Shoujoai ni Bouken or Saiyuu no Ryouko as students at Tenchi Gakuen

3) In no more than 100 words, tell me about your ideal shinyuu, with whom you would want to compete in the Hoshitori!

or

4) Entertain me in some other way. (Make an AMV of Marimite to Disney’s “Kiss the Girl” or draw Medusa and Alecto as shinyuu, or something else clever and fun. It’s up to you, but it has to entertain me! lol)

The most entertaining entries will win a copy of Hayate x Blade, Volume 1 for yourself or for a library near you. (Please get the library’s consent first!)

There are no other rules, except that entries must be sent to anilesbocon01 at hotmail dot com by November 30.

Good luck!

Posted in Contests | 4 Comments »