Just wanted to remind everyone that this weekend is the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival in NYC, at the historic Puck building. I will be there tomorrow at the Prism Comics table, along with a host of other cool independent GLBT artists, writers and publishers.
I hope you’ll drop by!
In Maria-sama ga Miteru: Margaret ni Ribon, White Day is approaching and Yoshino, Shimako and Yumi have all gathered at the Rose Mansion to plan a way to return the chocolates that they received on Valentine’s Day. They decide to buy candies and make small bags that they will decorate. As they decide on the forms, materials and decorations of the bags, each conversation leads into a short story.
The first story picks up with the current life of former Rosa Chinensis, Mizuno Youko, first-year law student, but forever meddler and onee-sama to everyone around her. Youko’s determination to be a completely different person – say, someone like Sei – fails utterly.
Then we take a moment to look at former Rosa Foetida, Torii Eriko’s, relationship with Yamanobe. This story was the best in the book, as she meets, befriends and ultimately agrees to be rivals with, Yamanobe’s daughter. It was a short story, but very touching and beautiful. We get to see a side of Eriko we’ve never seen before. Great story.
Sean will be happy with the next story, as we follow former Rosa Gigantea, Satou Sei’s, side of the trip to Italy with Kei, her decision to not see or be seen by Shimako, and her immense satisfaction with the parakeet joke. ^_^
Then comes a very short, but absolutely excruciatingly adorable vignette as the three Rosas (and yes, although Rei and Sachiko have not yet graduated, they are acting Rosas) consider dropping the “-san” from each other’s names. While they do manage to call each other by their first names only, they mutually decided that it’s pretty much too embarrassing, so they scrap the idea. It was brutally cute. ^_^
In the course of their conversation, Shimako offhandedly refers to her personal situation that I never told you when I reviewed Kira Kira Mawaru, because it was a spoiler. I am going to continue to not tell you, because it continues to be a spoiler.
The next two stories follow Yumi after she leaves the school. In the first, she runs into Shizuka, who has returned home for a funeral, and in the second she makes her hatsumode (first shrine visit of the year) to an Inari shrine with Touko.
The last story follows the adventures of Yumi’s blue umbrella after she loses it in Rainy Blue. In ten days it is witness to several lives in transition. ^_^ We learn that the person who sewed it up was a guy – he chose pink because it was a cheerful color and he didn’t have blue. ^_^
In the Afterword, Konno Oyuki comments that she didn’t actually set out to name the book after two Shueisha comic magazines (Margaret and Ribon), really. But she realizes that no one will believe her anyway. ^_^Also, she addresses the issue of Sachiko’s graduation and whether this series will end. Do I tell you what she said or not? Do you really want to know? Let me know!
Ratings:
Art – 7
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 2
Service- 6
Overall – 9
This was probably my favorite of all the short story collections. The stories were fun, touching and we got to see the former Rosas just a bit. A wonderful book to sit and read on a beautiful spring afternoon. ^_^
Today’s review of Gakuen Alice, Volume 2, is entirely due to the kindness of Grace E! Thanks Grace, for entering the ranks of sponsors here at Okazu!
In Volume 1 of Gakuen Alice, we met irrepressibly positive and energetic Mikan, and followed her as she moved heaven and earth to be reunited with her BFF, Hotaru.
In Volume 2, Mikan is now officially a member of the Alice School but, because because all energetic and cheerful protagonists need to overcome horrible and unnecessarily cruel obstacles, she is forced into the bottom of the entire class by being given no stars, i.e., no privileges. And to continue the abuse, the students have decided to scapegoat her, (which is hideous and annoying, but pretty sensible on their part because of the overwhelming fatalist beliefs at the core of most societies.) They can be abusive because she has no power – and having no power is proof that she deserves to be abused.
To add to this cheerful scenario, Mikan learns that her letters to her Grandfather are not only not being sent, they are being destroyed.
To balance out these whopping helpings of misery and despair, Mikan is introduced to the “Special Alice” class of freaks who, like all good freaks, embrace their freakiness with joie de vivre not seen in other classes. They welcome her with open arms and she *finally* gains some allies in this horror-house of a school. Her new sempai even offers a piece of sage advice, which she put into play right away. In order to turn the energy of her bored classmates away from bullying her, she challenges them to a game of dodgeball. It keeps them busy, wears them out and in the end, a few more of the kids in the class accept her as maybe being not so bad.
Of course, this won’t end the bullying – it will increase in desperation for a little while, as the remaining antagonists escalate the issue – but for Volume 2, its 2 steps back and 2 steps forward for Mikan.
At the same time, we’re treated to strong evidence that Natsume is violent, antisocial and cruel because he’s beaten, tortured and treated like an animal. It’s a valid excuse, but it always sticks in my craw, just like the neglect and abuse that set up Harry Potter, James and the Giant Peach and every other kid’s book that uses that sort of plot driver. I’m always blown away by the idea of writing a story for little kids in which the plot is driven by cruelty against the protagonist…. What kind of crazy is that? (Yes, I know that most kids feel that way at some point or another, but there’s running away because your parents spanked you and then there’s chronic emotional torture. It’s not just a matter of degree.)
The trick of course, is that getting through the bad stuff means that you appreciate the crumbs of good that much more. If Mikan was instantly the happiest, best and most popular girl at school we’d all find her boring – and I know I probably wouldn’t trust her. lol This way we KNOW she’s worked for every little teeny ounce of respect and privilege she gains. Still…
As we all expected, Yuri in this volume is pared away to almost nothing. Hotaru presents her usual cold front, but when the chips are down, she warms up enough to help Mikan. Best Friend Forever, definitely. On the love side of things, I think Ruka-pyon has got an obvious crush, I mean – he dresses up as Mikan so she can escape. Duh. ^_^
Ratings:
Art – 7
Story – 6
Characters – 7
Yuri – 1
Service – 3
Overall – 7
As with Tetragrammaton Labyrinth, I’ll probably keep reading Gakuen Alice, but I’ll take it off the Yuri Wishlist, since it’s pretty much no longer a Yuri series. If anything happens in later volumes of note, I’ll be sure to mention it!
For anime fans in general, but more specifically for fans romantic pairings, there’s a delicious moment when one of the couple starts getting very irritated at his/her reaction to the other one. Often that irritated reaction is the sum and total of their personality, spawning any number of tsun-xyz combinations. Sometimes, they move beyond that phase…but not too often.
In Volume 2 of Kaleido Star, Layla Hamilton – for a brief moment – becomes pointlessly and hopelessly irritated at Sora. It’s kind of cute, but mostly because I know it’s temporary. ^_^
In any case, there are all sorts of Yuri-esque situations floating around Volume 2, but the main plot is Carlos giving Sora all sorts of amazing opportunities, but doing it in the most assholish way possible. Of course, because Sora is our heroine, she overcomes every obstacle, and starts to create her own unique presence on the Kaleido Stage. It works. It really does. I gotta hand it to the writers, the whole “Little Mermaid” arc just – worked.
So, for Yuri, we have Rosetta gleefully piling on the Yuri-service for the Kaleido Stage audience by both hugging and kissing Sora in front of them (the latter of which prompts a juicy “whoooo!” from them.) There’s the aforemetioned tsuning by Layla, and we get to enjoy Mia’s kvelling over her princely Anna.
Speaking of Mia and Anna, one of my favorite things about Kaleido Star is how Mia, Sora and Anna all start off as a performers, but as the series progresses and Sora transforms into a Kaleido Star, Anna focuses more and more on comedy, and Mia shifts her focus to trick choreography. The tricks still remain the best thing about this series. I’d genuinely love to see a swing Diablo fight, like the one Rosetta and Sora did. Don’t you think that would be totally cool?
Ratings:
Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 4
Overall – 8
Once again, thanks go out to Ted the Awesome for sponsoring today’s review!
And for the person who asked me once why I watched this anime when I don’t like circuses, here’s my answer: For the same reason I watch Vampire Princess Miyu, when I don’t like vampires, or Devil Lady, when I don’t like horror, or Simoun, when I don’t like war stories. ^_^
In March, I took a chance on a new manga on the off chance that it might not suck, and lo and behold! it totally was wonderful manga crack! Women with giant haunches and breasts fighting supernatural creepy things in provocative clothes to save the poor peasants of Hakodate against evil foreign influences in the early days after Perry forced Japan open to the west. I enjoyed the heck out of it.
And so we crack open the covers of Hakodate Youjin Buraijou Himegami Volume 2. The bad guys this time are a bunch of Civil War rejects that have become Youjin, who are seeking to encourage the assistance of a particular man by killing his son and threatening the rest of his family. His one child escapes and goes running straight into the arms of Cabaret dancer Himeka. Hime of course grabs Hyou and they head out to fight the evil foreigners.
Of course Hyou gets in a little trouble and of *course* Himeka transforms into Himegami and this time we get to watch. Whoo. So Himegami and Hyou fight the evil civil war soldier-monsters and just as things are getting a little hairy three more women who are dressed just like Himegami, but with different totem animals show up – the calvary has arrived. Hyou is a little “buh?” and so are we, but we just go with it and enjoy the action and the fishnet nijna costumes.
After the bad guys have been dealt with, Himeka comforts Hyou as she goes through the pangs of the leaf marks on her back disappearing. They have some genuinely tender moments together and Himeka hopes that maybe Hyou will lighten up, but, no. That’s about all the Yuri we get this volume, but it works for me. ^_^
Ratings:
Art – 6
Story – 6
Characters – 7
Yuri – 3
Service – 6
Overall – 7
I’m actually looking forward to the next volume – I want to know who those chicks are and what the deal is with Himegami. Plus I keep hoping that she will get a kiss in soon. ^_^
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