No, Amazon

[wednesday_10_00]

The fact that I once looked at the standard edition of Sekaiichi Hatsukoi DVD vol 2 does not mean that I want to buy it, especially since I already ordered the LE version. FROM YOU. Sheesh.

This weekend was terribly unproductive in terms of reading things to review (or actually writing reviews), because I spent most of my time cleaning and catching up on some old magazine reading. I will say:

*I usually try to read the random one-shots that fill up the pages of Ciel and Tres Tres not taken up by their uber-popular series, because you never know when you might find something good, but wow have they been craptastic lately. Maybe I need to stop wasting my time on those.

*Takagi Ryou's new series (what, "Game" isn't in the title? Is that allowed?) is BL Alice in Wonderland. THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST THING EVER.

*I might have to forgive Sakuragi Yaya for her new (non-Shunpei) series, because although I'm not so sure about the single father character, I am in love with his stoic pediatrician not-yet-boyfriend after only one chapter.

*So, somehow I never got around to reading Abe Miyuki's new series (Super Lovers) that's been running in Tres Tres for the past year and a half, so I also decided to read the first chapter or two, just enough to help me decide whether I should get in Japan or not. And then I stayed up past midnight last night reading every chapter I have. (happy family moe buttons: PUSHED) Er, I guess that means I'll be getting it.

(My parents are coming back from vacation tomorrow, so I guess I need to clear all that porn off the coffee table...)

Comments

[mangaroo.livejournal.com]

Okay, torture me. What comes with the LE of the Sekaiichi Hatsukoi DVDs?

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

A pretty slipcover for the DVD case, a drama CD, and mini-manga chapter (Hatori Yoshiyuki no Baai). I'm actually sort of sad that they seem* to be coming with CDs, because I assume that is taking the place of the cute little toys that came with the Junjou DVDs, which I loved.

Also, if you buy all six, you can send in for a plush Tinkle (the rabbit mascot). I need to figure out how to do this. (I mean, I know I will need to use a deputy service to do it, but I need to find one that I can send the stamps to and stuff.)

*I say "seem" because the extras for even the third DVD haven't been announced yet, so it could change eventually.

[sara-tanaquil.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's interesting -- insaneneko's reactions to Super Lovers have been so "WTF?" that I've pretty much been ignoring it (especially since Abe seems to specialize in not-really-BL, or has that changed since she moved to Ciel?). You will have to pimp it to me in Japan.

I am kind of sad that I haven't been getting magazines lately (should I buy the back issues while I'm in Japan? STOP IT, SELF), but I never had time to read them in the first place, so... argh. Anyway, thank you for reporting on what I'm missing!

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

Ha, well, I know insaneneko is very anti-shouta, and one of the main characters starts out at age 8, so...yeah. There are a couple of time skips and he's 15 where I am right now (apparently I am OK with a 15-year-old making out with a 23-year-old, lol).

Edit: now that I think about it, this is sort of a given, since I like teacher/student stuff. I should explain that when it started out he was 8, and I was like, "uhhhh," and then there was a time skip and he was 13 and I was like, "OK, better, could he be 15 maybe? 15 is a good age for making out" and then he was.

especially since Abe seems to specialize in not-really-BL, or has that changed since she moved to Ciel?

Yes, the non-BL thing was entirely the product of Tosuisha's imagination. Before they outlawed dirty boy-kissing, she did regular old BL for them. (See also: my anti-Tosuisha rant (http://wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com/182688.html) from the 30 days meme.) It's really funny to me that you bring this up when we were just talking about Kimi wa Boku wo Suki ni naru this morning; that is one of her old Tosuisha BL titles.

should I buy the back issues while I'm in Japan?

To be honest I sort of expect to see this...

I am having space issues with my magazines right now. I really, really don't want to throw them away, but DAMN they are a huge space hog. :/

[sara-tanaquil.livejournal.com]

I thought about Kimi myself after I posted that. ^_^ I guess I was thinking about other stuff she did with Tosuisha, like the Komatta thing I could never bring myself to get into, that never QUITE manages to become BL (wasn't that back when they were still running things like G-Defend?). Oh, Tosuisha, you have a lot to answer for.

To be honest I sort of expect to see this...

You are not a good influence. :-P

Space is an issue with magazines, although at least I'm lucky in that I can stash them in boxes in the attic (you should have seen how much shelf space they used to take up in my bedroom). But for me, looking at them and feeling guilty for not finding the time to read them is almost worse... but I'd rather be reading volumes than magazines when I have time to read.

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

wasn't that back when they were still running things like G-Defend?

Yes, but I think the difference is when the two started. GD was already too far gone into BL-land (and, I'm guessing, too popular to axe--I wonder if Jinjuu was an attempt to get rid of it, but I am super cynical), but since Komatta started after their new policies took effect, no BL.

This is all just speculation on my part, mind. But I think the fact that Abe finally jumped ship and went to a BL publisher is pretty telling. I am really wondering how Hakkenden is going to go now. (I was, unfortunately, behind on Tosuisha's publication of that, so now I have to wait for Asuka to catch up before I can read the new chapters in the magazine.)

I'd rather be reading volumes than magazines when I have time to read.

Good point. For me, magazines take a while to read through (especially when I don't skip the random crappy one-shots), so they keep me sane when the budget limits how much manga I can buy a month. But they are starting to take over my closet and I don't know what I'm going to do when I move to an apartment. :/

[manga-crow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I basically did the same thing - they all got boxed and put away, and now I just don't buy magazines. So much to read, and something had to go :p

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

You know, you should give Super Lovers a try. I'm okay with the "shota" in this because, as wednesday_10_00 says in her comment, the kid becomes a teen pretty quickly. My issues with the manga have more to do with characters who don't make sense to me than anything squicky. The art is lovely and the family moments are cute. Also, I like my incest to be INCEST, not sorta-incest (esp when there doesn't seem to be a good reason for the sorta-incest...).

[mangaroo.livejournal.com]

I like my incest to be INCEST, not sorta-incest (esp when there doesn't seem to be a good reason for the sorta-incest...).

Sometimes manga makes people say the best things ever.

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

XD;

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

characters who don't make sense to me

I admit, one thing that bugs me about the series is the mixed signals Haru sends. Does he really think his relationship with Ren is that of normal brothers? Or does he see Ren as something more? He seems to be understanding more in recent chapters, but for a while there I was seriously confused.

I like my incest to be INCEST, not sorta-incest

I am starting to think there's something going on with the twins, tbh.

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

I admit, one thing that bugs me about the series is the mixed signals Haru sends.

This is what frustrates me the most about this manga. If I was being uncharitable, I'd think he was toying with Ren. I know he's not, but it would make more sense to me than anything else (other than authorial incompetence in creating an understandable character).

I am starting to think there's something going on with the twins, tbh.

I wonder about them, too.

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it doesn't help that everyone's excuse for them is that they're basically Canadian; does the author REALLY think Canadian brothers kiss all the time like that? I have seen similar excuses in manga before, but that just seems like pushing the lines of common sense to me. Also, it confuses me that the twins are also sending mixed signals about it; on the one hand, they act like they went through similar treatment when they were younger, but on the other hand they both seem to understand that Haru and Ren's relationship is way beyond that of normal brothers.

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

Remember how Americans in anime/manga do crazy stuff (like grabbing boobs, which is something Japanese women do, not American women)? I guess Canadians get to be lumped in as well. I don't know how else to explain it. *shrugs*

As for the twins, I can't read them at all. They know Ren and Haru don't have a normal relationship, seem slightly bothered about it, but seem to shrug it off in the end. What makes Haru happy is good with them? Are they just happy he's attached to someone?

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

Oh, for sure, I'm well aware of the trope, but it just seems like Haru and Ren go TOO far for me to believe the author really thinks this is normal behavior for brothers anywhere.

Yeah, I agree on the twins. Also, Aki was super jealous of Ren at first, which made me think maybe he had a thing for Haru....but then he's super jealous of Shima's student, so...confusing?

[sara-tanaquil.livejournal.com]

You guys are not making me more inclined to buy this. I have enough trouble being confused by the language as it is. :-P

(Still, I am open to room pimping.)

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

But, but! Look how adorable they are!



(This is home video footage from when they were 8 and 17.)

[sara-tanaquil.livejournal.com]

GAH. You're right, that is lethal.

I may have to just deal with being really confused.

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

EXACTLY. When confronted with that level of adorable, you have no choice but to put up with whatever else the author throws at you.

[collarnojutsu.livejournal.com]

I must know; what makes that so adorable?

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

I'm confused by your question. It's not like there's anything to explain; if you look at that and don't think it's adorable, I can't help you.

[collarnojutsu.livejournal.com]

Oh, so it's not something more in the text, then? I wasn't sure..

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

Nah, the dialogue is just like "go away, he's sleeping" "shhh, go back to sleep" etc. Not especially adorable.

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

aru and Ren go TOO far for me to believe the author really thinks this is normal behavior for brothers anywhere.

Oh yes, she takes it too far to be plausible. I don't know how other readers can overlook this (if they do).

Re: Aki, he is such an extreme bura-con in the beginning I never thought of him as a serious rival. Is he the younger twin? Maybe he's used to hogging his brother's attention and can't stand any competition...

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

IIRC, Aki is actually the older twin. (But, as they're twins, does it really matter?)