Takarazuka: Singing in the Rain

February 6th, 2007

I am not a Takarazuka fangirl. I know this because I do not know the nicknames of every actress in a particular troupe. I do not follow a particular troupe or actress to the exclusion of all others. I just like what I like with no preference for anyone or anything. Makes *real* fangirls crazy, because I’m like “I have no clue what troupe so-and-so is in.” ^_^

Okay, so way back in the dawn of time, I got a copy of the Takarazuka Rose of Versailles: Oscar et Andre on VHS. It was pretty, and pretty…er…laughable. Mostly because my wife kept singing her own lyrics to the music. But at some point Aran Kei stepped out on the stage as Fersen and my interest in Takarazuka was born. And despite my refusal to obsess, I do still like Aran Kei. ^_^

So Sean Gaffney, in his continuing effort to destroy what little soul I have remaining, brought his DVD of Singing in the Rain starring Aran Kei to what was essentially a Yuricon regional staff meeting with munchies.

I had never before seen the original Singing in the Rain. Isn’t that awful? So, while I vaguely knew the story, it was all really fresh and new to me.  I think I probably liked it better *because* I hadn’t ever seen it before. I was able to follow some of the dialogue, and I honestly marveled at the way the songs were translated. They really worked.

But the number one reason the show works is the combination of Aran Kei as Don Lockwood and Yamato Yuuga as Cosmo Brown. Let me digress for a moment…

When I attended Winter Comiket 2002, I picked, quite at random, a Takarazuka doujinshi which, quite at random, was an Aran Kei book. In fact, it was a “Touko x Tani” book, which translates into English as “Aran Kei x Yamato Yuuga as a BL couple”. ^_^ It’s very bizarre to me, the lesbian who sees the otokoyaku as women in suits, that straight fans see these women as men somehow…

In any case, I went into the show knowing that fans liked the two of them together. And, now that I have seen the show, I agree. The dynamic between them was simply delightful. They aren’t Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor, but their dance moves aren’t too shoddy, either. ^_^ I can see why the doujinshi artists paired them together, and not Aran Kei and Hizuki Hana (who was, btw, quite cute as Kathy.)

In general, I am not a fan of musical theater. But you add in the gender-bending of Takarazuka, and that weird surrealism that comes from translating a thing into Japanese from English and I’m always going to find it much more entertaining. ^_^

Ratings:
Cinematography – 7
Music – 8
Story – 8 (It’s pretty funny in any language)
Characters – 9
Yuri…or is it Yaoi this time? We’ll call it – 3

Overall – 8

Mmm…Aran Kei….

Posted in Live Action, Takarazuka | 2 Comments »


Yuri Manga: Simoun, Megami magazine version

February 5th, 2007

I must have been prophetic last week. I said, “no more reviews for a while,” went home and promptly became incredibly ill. I did make it to Jennifer’s great lecture, and I’ll talk about the book sometime in the future, but basically, I’ve been in bed since Saturday afternoon.

I’m doing a review today so you don’t all forget me, but because I’m exhausted, it’s going to be quick. So. I thought I’d review a manga that is *so* thin that I ought to be able to review it in a single sentence:

“What if the characters from Simoun were in a world that looked and functioned suspiciously like Garderobe from Mai Otome?”

And that’s the entire “story.” It’s much more like a parody doujinshi than any kind of “real” version of Simoun.

The Simoun Sybillae are in training at Arcus Prima Academy, in bouts that look suspiciously like those held at Garderobe Academy for potential Otome. They win fame, fortune, money and status, meow, meow, in these battles.

As you can see in the cover picture from chapter 2, the kisses remain, and so do the remersions, although these become attacks used in the 2-on-2 hand-to-hand battles. And Amuria is not dead, she’s just punch-drunk on remersions.

The big on-going gag (and I use that term liberally) is Aeru’s negative reaction to the whole “kissing another girl” thing, as you can see in the above picture. She is so put off by the kiss, that she kisses one of Lodreamon’s ugly dolls instead. The resulting remersion surprises the heck out of the rest of the Sybillae.

I find that I don’t have the first chapter of the five that comprised this story…I’m not sure I care.  ^_^

This is a goofy, service-laden, Lowest Common Denominator parody of Simoun. Like the Drama CD (review of which is forthcoming) if you actually *liked* the depth of the anime, you should ignore this version of the manga with all your might and stick to the Yuri Hime edition of the Simoun manga.

Ratings:

Art – 5
Story – 2
Characters – 5 (What’s left when you take deep characters and render them into their one or two most superficial traits?)
Yuri – 5
Service – 7

Overall – 5.

It’s crap. But it still made me laugh once or twice. If it had been a doujinshi, instead of an official story, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it. As it is, it reads like a ritual diminutizing of the Simoun Sybillae. “Well, we can’t have you gals thinking you’re all that. So, some mostly naked posters and a crappy story’ll put you in yer place. Ay-yup.”

Posted in Simoun, Yuri Manga | 4 Comments »


Brains and Brawn

February 1st, 2007

Reviews are going to thin out for a little while, but not because I’m slacking. And not because of bad stuff. In fact, it’s all good. I just have one of theose weeks that are a confluence of *things*: a Yuri Monogatari Project deadline, getting ready for New York Comic Con, and a lecture in NYC by a friend of mine. Which is what I want to mention today, as it involves…a book.

Just a little less than a year ago, I was in Illinois and I had the pleasure of reading Black Bodies and Quantum Cats written by my friend Jennifer Ouellete.

Jen has a new book out, one that will surely appeal to geeks of all kinds. Her new book, The Physics of the Buffyverse, combines three of Jen’s favorite things in one – physics, fighting and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.

Tonight, she’s going to be doing a combination book-promotion/signing/lecture/martial arts demo, “The Physics of the Fight: Isaac Newton in the Buffyverse,” in New York City. I plan on being there – you all know how I feel about women who kick ass. LOL Nuthin’ I like better than to watch a real women beat people down…for fun. Just for a laugh, I contacted some old Martial Arts friends and we’re going to have a little reunion at the lecture. (If you’re interested in attending the lecture, you’ll want to get the details from Jen’s own faboo blog, Cocktail Party Physics.) So, tonight I’ll be setting aside my “Doyen of Yuri” life for an earlier incarnation. (Which means that, for the fourth time this week, my old MA will come up in conversation…I’m starting to think the universe is trying to make a point….)

Anyway, when I’ve read Jen’s book, I’ll be sure to let you know how it is. I have no doubt that it’ll be fun. And I’ll start doing reviews again next week. Promise.

 

Posted in Miscellaneous | No Comments »


Yuri Drama CD: Yokohama Shopping Log, Volume 2

January 31st, 2007

When I first mentioned Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, known here as Yokohama Shopping Log in the beginning of 2004, I briefly touched upon the existence of several Drama CDs that were based on the series. In the intervening three years I have managed to get all three CDs, but I find I have never reviewed them. All three are available from Amazon JP through the Yuricon Shop, along with many other fun yuri-flavored Drama CDs.

Drama CD 1 ends with the appearance of Kokone at Cafe Alpha. The second Drama CD picks up with the messenger android’s arrival and delivery of her message in the cutest faux kiss ever. ^_^

The rest of the Drama CD follows the progression of the manga, just as the first CD did, with light jazz musical interludes. It’s all wonderful, just as the manga is.

The real payoff is the chapter when Kokone asks Alpha about the Moon Lute. In my head, when they shared a musical moment, it was a slow, soft, lyrical piece. But the music for the chapter (called “Orders” here) was peppy, jazzy and absolutely gorgeous. When both Konone and Alpha vocalize along with the music it was simply stellar. A real “moment” in the truest YKK sense.

If you are a fan of Alpha and Kokone already, then even if you don’t understand a word of Japanese, I think you can understand and enjoy this CD, if only for the moment when they come together in music. ^_^ If you are not a YKK fan; first read the manga, instantly become a fan of our two favorite lesbian androids, and *then* buy the Drama CD! ^_^

Posted in Drama CDs & Audiobooks, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou | 5 Comments »


Three Non-Yuri Reviews: Onegai Friends, Venus Versus Virus and Ode to Kirihito

January 30th, 2007

All three of these things I am reviewing today – one a drama CD, one an anime, and one a manga – were things I wanted to talk about. But none of them are Yuri, so I thought I’d lump them together in one mashup post, going from the worst to the best, in quick succession.

Starting with the bottom of the pile.

Onegai Friends is a Drama CD-only side story in the Onegai Teacher/Onegai Twins world. As you may or may not know, the Onegai Teacher manga was drawn, although not written, by popular Yuri manga artist Hayashiya Shizuru. That was the best thing about the series. It’s otherwise tripe. It’s one of those things I can benchmark people on. Anyone who loves this series will never be invited over for lunch. ^_^

There was some rumor on both Japanese and American forums that Onegai Friends was going to be a story with lesbian characters – that the friends are, in fact, in love with one another. Well…no. They aren’t. They are both in love with the same guy. THAT is the ENTIRE story. Just, they are both in love with the same guy. Guy shows up, one falls in love with him, the other, her friend, pretends to not be in love with him, so her friend can have him, only he’s in love with the friend who is giving him up. Until the friend who loves him, but loves her as a friend more, gives him up so her friend can have him. They are very good friends, and this story is so dull I wanted to cry. I’m only glad that “PLEASE!”, the production company that writes the “Onegai” series, stopped. They suck at writing. Did we mention that they are friends? Because they do about 145,798 times in the CD.

Ratings:

Art – N/A
Story – N/A
Characters – 4
Yuri – 0
Service – 5 (how many baths do people have to take a day to make it a fetish?)

Overall – 2

Second up: Venus Versus Virus is a new anime that has one of the worst titles in the world, ever. ^_^; I know that some Yuri is reported to exist in the manga, although I have not yet read it – I expect it to be thin to non-existent, and there are so many better things to spend my time on. The anime has fake-y yuri in the opening and ending sequences – you know the drill, the two female leads curled up near, maybe slightly touching one another, one sitting in front of the other…. I know this may come as a surprise, nay shock, to some of my less socially developed readers, but women touch each other all the time without it meaning that they are lovers. In short…this is a kiddy-version of Kiddy Grade (Two female leads, lots of action, tears, possible death-like sequences, some belabored grieving over the fact that the other didn’t understand how much she meant to me, but no real deaths – and no Yuri. ). This is a classic case of the “Newtype Effect” in which two otherwise straight women are deployed draped over one another to play the Yuri-service card, when there is no Yuri and neither character is remotely lesbian. Not that this will stop fans from insisting.

…Yesterday, I answered a questionnaire about the genre of “Yuri” and one thing I pointed out was that, when I first began pioneering calling all of this Yuri, it was hard to get people to recognize that two characters were a couple at all, even when they were explicitly shown to be so. Now it’s all I can do to keep some fans from calling every two girls who stand next to one another, a “couple.” Sheesh…!

Ratings:

Art – 5
Story – 5
Characters – 5
Yuri – 1
Service – (OMG! They are so a couple!) 4

Overall – 5

Lastly, a manga that is so good, that I really felt kind of uncomfortable about covering it in this post – it so richly deserves a post of its own. But it’s not Yuri, and many, many, many people are writing paeans to Ode to Kirihito. So I’ll keep this short.

Ode to Kirihito was incredible. I honestly felt a bit intimidated by the 800-page book. But it was at my library and I thought, “If not now, when?” So I grabbed it, went home and read. And oh, my god. I actually feel *honored* to have been able to read such an incredible book. It is big, but it’s a page-turner of a story. I read it through in one sitting, and could not have put it down if I had wanted to.

I went into Ode with no expectations, or any knowledge of the story – I strongly recommend doing that, therefore I won’t say a word about the story. I think it’s safe to warn that there is violence, some sexual violence, and nudity. This is not a book for kids – and really, not too many kids will be interested in this tale of human nature.

But oh my god, what a tale.

Quick technical thing: the book reads left to right and has been flipped in that old-fashioned way that make people shake hands left-handed. Despite that, and because the story *is* all that, I barely noticed.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Yuri – 0
Service – 2

Overall – 8

 

Posted in Miscellaneous | 8 Comments »