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wednesday_10_00) wrote2012-02-07 03:36 pm
wednesday_10_00) wrote2012-02-07 03:36 pm
Entry tags:
February manga, week 1
First, a random "this bugs me" moment:
(From the most recent chapter of "Love Stage," currently running in Ciel.) Note the microwave in the first panel--this is a reheated breakfast. (I assume the toast was cooked separately, but given the rest of this breakfast, who knows?) Now, I don't really like eggs, so I'm no expert, but aren't eggs reheated in a microwave really rubbery and gross? Also, everything seems to be on a bed of lettuce? Why would you put lettuce on a plate of stuff someone else is going to reheat hours later? And it probably doesn't show up in the tiny scan, but I think there are some cherry tomatoes there? Did those also get reheated? Wouldn't they explode in a microwave? In the next panel, Izumi declares this reheated breakfast to be delicious. If it had come straight out of a frying pan, I would not question this, but as it is, I'm gonna just go ahead and say, no, there is no way this breakfast is anything more than "edible."
...Not that I would spend a lot of time thinking about this or anything. *cough* Moving on...
Hatsukoi Switch - Shishito Karari (heh)
Short story collection. The first four chapters are about friends in high school. The first chapter didn't really do anything for me (because the seme was kind of a jerk), the second couple was pretty cute, and then the fourth chapter was about the first couple again, and it was SUPER cute, so I maybe kinda sorta forgive the seme for being a jerk in the first chapter. The last two chapters in the book were about an unrelated couple and nothing special.
I would just like to say, I am really sick of confession scenes that IMMEDIATELY turn into sex scenes (especially when said scenes take place at school, gah, I know this is BL and nobody will walk in on you unless it's a plot point, but, GAH). Really, who made this rule that stand-alone chapters MUST* have a sex scene? Because sometimes they are just ridiculously out of place.
*Yeah, I know, they don't ALL have sex scenes, but really, like 99% of them do, so it must be some sort of rule somewhere.
Juicy Cider - Shinba Rize (heh!)
Takayuki (aka Taka-chan) is totally in love with Ken, his best friend since they were little baby kids. He tries to put on a show of being cool and worldly, but inside he's a huge dork who spends all his time imagining potential Ken seduction techniques.
As a romance, this is just so-so, but as a comedy, it's hilarious. Sort of wish we'd gotten to see them once they're a little older (and Ken isn't so, uh, clueless about sex) because I totally see Ken taking complete control of the relationship, while Taka-chan is just sort of stunned into doing whatever Ken wants.
Gakkou no Sensei 7 - Matsumoto Kazura (sweh!!!)
Basically, just imagine INFINITE EXCLAMATION POINTS here, because this volume is the best. thing. ever. ALL NORA, ALL THE TIME. I'm not even sure which I like better, Nora getting to know the other kids at the school, or baby Nora (!!!! he's a baaaaaaby), living on the streets of Tokyo. [Probably not really Tokyo. Some town. Whatever. Tokyo sounds cooler.] No, that's not true, because baby Nora is great, but Nora interacting with the other kids is THE BEST SERIOUSLY.
Also:
OH GOD, CHOCO, DON'T HURT BABY NORA
Apparently the next volume is going to be the end of the series. But, to be honest, I can't even really be sad, because volumes 6 and 7 have already given me everything I ever wanted and more. Thank you forever, Matsumoto Kazura, for Yuki and Nora.
(Did I mention this volume is the best ever? Because it is.)
Horori Koisuru, Tokuragoshi Shoutengai - Aoiro Iriko (heh!)
Short story collection. 1. Boy seduces crush with cake 2. Boy is in love with his friend's cake-making older brother 3. Guy meets the guy he's been in love with for 10 years at his father's funeral 4. Guy is jealous of his live-in boyfriend's writing talent 5. Two men fall in love(?) while a cat looks on just before WWII.
The first two stories are cute enough, though the first one made me want to tell the characters to consider eating cake on a PLATE with a FORK, and maybe then you wouldn't end up with frosting all over your face! and the second one ended kind of strangely (really, arguing over who is going to top when you haven't even kissed?). The third one was meh. I liked the last two, though I don't really get showing the cat as a boy for most of the story. Not sure how just showing him as a cat would have been less effective in any of the scenes. (Mostly it just makes you go "...does this boy talk?" in the beginning.
Itoshi no Nekokke 2 - Kumota Haruko (sweh!)
Love how this story has no plot, just a series of vignettes showing how adorable Kei-chan and Mii-kun are. Love, love, love how adorable Kei-chan and Mii-kun are. Do not love some of the side characters (Mii-kun's editor is a complete asshole, and I really wish Haru, who hits on anything that moves, whether it is in a committed relationship or not, would GO AWAY), but I can look past that because Kei-chan and Mii-kun are SO FREAKING ADORABLE.
And hilarious. Maybe it's just me, but for some reason I think this panel is like, the funniest thing ever:
Also, hee! atKei-chan and Mii-kun 2.0 Yutchi and Ken-chan:
Totally saw this coming after the whole "boys can kiss other boys when they REALLY REALLY like them" thing, but still adorable and hilarious.
(Could I possibly use "adorable" or "hilarious" any more times in this review? Look, I just tell it like it is, OK?)
Himitsu no Ohana-chan - Mae Ushiro (meh!)
This collection of one-shots is definitely a mixed bag. I loved the title story (about a boy who is constantly mistaken for a girl, and a big, tough dude who likes to wear pretty, frilly bras)--I really wish there had been an extra chapter for it but you can't have everything, I guess--and most of the other stories were cute, though there is some wacky humor that may be a plus or minus, depending on the reader. I did not love the story about the guys with the same name (one handsome, one ugly), which I really wanted to like, because I love the idea of it, but both of the guys were kind of jerks so I really didn't care about them at all.
Texy mono:
Mitsu wa Yoru yori Kagirinaku - Sakiya Haruhi/Takanaga Hinako (DNF)
For some reason last week, I was in the mood to re-read parts of the White Heron series. After that, I got out this book, which is three side stories that take place after the main series. (I had forgotten that the Tomoyasu/Ai story mostly just annoyed me--jeez Tomoyasu, are you going to spend the rest of your life unable to think of Ai as anything but a child you corrupted?--and what I really wanted to read was the story in one of the special booklets, oops.) But anyway, then I read the second story (Mito/Tomoki), which I realized I had not read before. But this story, also, was frustrating, because it's sort of like...Tomoki is ALMOST in love with Mito, but not quite? And...why do you end a romance on that note? :/ I think I read in the author's notes at some point that she felt she had to "balance" the series by making Mito/Tomoki less rabu rabu than Tomoyasu and Ai are. Ummmm....does not compute. Can there ever be too much rabu rabu? I have yet to encounter such a thing.
When I first got this book, I just skipped the last story entirely, knowing it was about Ei (Ai's father). This time, I actually attempted it, but was defeated by the huge long sex scene with Fukuda. Agh, so gross, whyyyyy D:
(From the most recent chapter of "Love Stage," currently running in Ciel.) Note the microwave in the first panel--this is a reheated breakfast. (I assume the toast was cooked separately, but given the rest of this breakfast, who knows?) Now, I don't really like eggs, so I'm no expert, but aren't eggs reheated in a microwave really rubbery and gross? Also, everything seems to be on a bed of lettuce? Why would you put lettuce on a plate of stuff someone else is going to reheat hours later? And it probably doesn't show up in the tiny scan, but I think there are some cherry tomatoes there? Did those also get reheated? Wouldn't they explode in a microwave? In the next panel, Izumi declares this reheated breakfast to be delicious. If it had come straight out of a frying pan, I would not question this, but as it is, I'm gonna just go ahead and say, no, there is no way this breakfast is anything more than "edible."
...Not that I would spend a lot of time thinking about this or anything. *cough* Moving on...
Hatsukoi Switch - Shishito Karari (heh)
Short story collection. The first four chapters are about friends in high school. The first chapter didn't really do anything for me (because the seme was kind of a jerk), the second couple was pretty cute, and then the fourth chapter was about the first couple again, and it was SUPER cute, so I maybe kinda sorta forgive the seme for being a jerk in the first chapter. The last two chapters in the book were about an unrelated couple and nothing special.
I would just like to say, I am really sick of confession scenes that IMMEDIATELY turn into sex scenes (especially when said scenes take place at school, gah, I know this is BL and nobody will walk in on you unless it's a plot point, but, GAH). Really, who made this rule that stand-alone chapters MUST* have a sex scene? Because sometimes they are just ridiculously out of place.
*Yeah, I know, they don't ALL have sex scenes, but really, like 99% of them do, so it must be some sort of rule somewhere.
Juicy Cider - Shinba Rize (heh!)
Takayuki (aka Taka-chan) is totally in love with Ken, his best friend since they were little baby kids. He tries to put on a show of being cool and worldly, but inside he's a huge dork who spends all his time imagining potential Ken seduction techniques.
As a romance, this is just so-so, but as a comedy, it's hilarious. Sort of wish we'd gotten to see them once they're a little older (and Ken isn't so, uh, clueless about sex) because I totally see Ken taking complete control of the relationship, while Taka-chan is just sort of stunned into doing whatever Ken wants.
Gakkou no Sensei 7 - Matsumoto Kazura (sweh!!!)
Basically, just imagine INFINITE EXCLAMATION POINTS here, because this volume is the best. thing. ever. ALL NORA, ALL THE TIME. I'm not even sure which I like better, Nora getting to know the other kids at the school, or baby Nora (!!!! he's a baaaaaaby), living on the streets of Tokyo. [Probably not really Tokyo. Some town. Whatever. Tokyo sounds cooler.] No, that's not true, because baby Nora is great, but Nora interacting with the other kids is THE BEST SERIOUSLY.
Also:
OH GOD, CHOCO, DON'T HURT BABY NORA
Apparently the next volume is going to be the end of the series. But, to be honest, I can't even really be sad, because volumes 6 and 7 have already given me everything I ever wanted and more. Thank you forever, Matsumoto Kazura, for Yuki and Nora.
(Did I mention this volume is the best ever? Because it is.)
Horori Koisuru, Tokuragoshi Shoutengai - Aoiro Iriko (heh!)
Short story collection. 1. Boy seduces crush with cake 2. Boy is in love with his friend's cake-making older brother 3. Guy meets the guy he's been in love with for 10 years at his father's funeral 4. Guy is jealous of his live-in boyfriend's writing talent 5. Two men fall in love(?) while a cat looks on just before WWII.
The first two stories are cute enough, though the first one made me want to tell the characters to consider eating cake on a PLATE with a FORK, and maybe then you wouldn't end up with frosting all over your face! and the second one ended kind of strangely (really, arguing over who is going to top when you haven't even kissed?). The third one was meh. I liked the last two, though I don't really get showing the cat as a boy for most of the story. Not sure how just showing him as a cat would have been less effective in any of the scenes. (Mostly it just makes you go "...does this boy talk?" in the beginning.
Itoshi no Nekokke 2 - Kumota Haruko (sweh!)
Love how this story has no plot, just a series of vignettes showing how adorable Kei-chan and Mii-kun are. Love, love, love how adorable Kei-chan and Mii-kun are. Do not love some of the side characters (Mii-kun's editor is a complete asshole, and I really wish Haru, who hits on anything that moves, whether it is in a committed relationship or not, would GO AWAY), but I can look past that because Kei-chan and Mii-kun are SO FREAKING ADORABLE.
And hilarious. Maybe it's just me, but for some reason I think this panel is like, the funniest thing ever:
Also, hee! at
Totally saw this coming after the whole "boys can kiss other boys when they REALLY REALLY like them" thing, but still adorable and hilarious.
(Could I possibly use "adorable" or "hilarious" any more times in this review? Look, I just tell it like it is, OK?)
Himitsu no Ohana-chan - Mae Ushiro (meh!)
This collection of one-shots is definitely a mixed bag. I loved the title story (about a boy who is constantly mistaken for a girl, and a big, tough dude who likes to wear pretty, frilly bras)--I really wish there had been an extra chapter for it but you can't have everything, I guess--and most of the other stories were cute, though there is some wacky humor that may be a plus or minus, depending on the reader. I did not love the story about the guys with the same name (one handsome, one ugly), which I really wanted to like, because I love the idea of it, but both of the guys were kind of jerks so I really didn't care about them at all.
Texy mono:
Mitsu wa Yoru yori Kagirinaku - Sakiya Haruhi/Takanaga Hinako (DNF)
For some reason last week, I was in the mood to re-read parts of the White Heron series. After that, I got out this book, which is three side stories that take place after the main series. (I had forgotten that the Tomoyasu/Ai story mostly just annoyed me--jeez Tomoyasu, are you going to spend the rest of your life unable to think of Ai as anything but a child you corrupted?--and what I really wanted to read was the story in one of the special booklets, oops.) But anyway, then I read the second story (Mito/Tomoki), which I realized I had not read before. But this story, also, was frustrating, because it's sort of like...Tomoki is ALMOST in love with Mito, but not quite? And...why do you end a romance on that note? :/ I think I read in the author's notes at some point that she felt she had to "balance" the series by making Mito/Tomoki less rabu rabu than Tomoyasu and Ai are. Ummmm....does not compute. Can there ever be too much rabu rabu? I have yet to encounter such a thing.
When I first got this book, I just skipped the last story entirely, knowing it was about Ei (Ai's father). This time, I actually attempted it, but was defeated by the huge long sex scene with Fukuda. Agh, so gross, whyyyyy D:
no subject
I did. It's in the Picture Reader's Guide to Writing Satisfying BL Manga, which was vetted and approved by the Committee on Yomikiri in May, 2007. We sent you a memo. If you're not going to attend the meetings...
How much is it killing me that Gakkou no Sensei was released two months too late for my order and its status at Amazon is currently "usually ships within 2 to 5 weeks." Don't make me come over there, Japan.
no subject
its status at Amazon is currently "usually ships within 2 to 5 weeks."
It's 24 hours at BK1. Or do you need to order from Amazon for Tosuisha stuff?
Don't make me come over there, Japan.
I WISH Japan would make us come over there. :(
no subject
I look forward to ordering more manga based on your recommendations... when I get caught up! Someday!
no subject
I think it's the only fair rating you can give to something you haven't finished. (Though, for me personally "this was so awful I couldn't even finish" is worse than anything else I could rate a book.)
My entire library should be rated DNR, sob.
Ganbare! Just a little at a time! (Don't you have time for a little manga in between spider-cleaning projects?)
no subject
You gave this such a high review, I ordered the first one to try it out.
...Wow, Misaburou is a total jerk. I mean, just, wow.
I'm actually kind of surprised you got through the first volume to read the second. You must be much more forgiving than I am. I had to stop reading at the part where Misaburou admits that he was having sex with a bunch of different guys while supposedly still maintaining a relationship with Kei in Hokkaido...and he was trying to go hang out with all these guys without Kei even after Kei is with him. That, on top of the crappy way he treated Kei upon his arrival in Tokyo...I just can't bring myself to do anything other than hate him.
On the bright side, I still have Gakkou no Sensei left to read, so hopefully that will be a mood-lifter.
no subject
Anyway, yeah, I don't disagree with you. But I give Misaburou some leeway, because although he was totally in love with Kei, he felt that Kei didn't really feel the same way about him (rightly so, in my opinion), and they spent YEARS apart with their relationship really not being a relationship at all. (Also, Misaburou is completely spineless and for some reason hangs out with a bunch of jerks.) Since it's clear this was all in the past and won't happen anymore, and Kei was willing to forgive Misaburou and move on, I gave the second volume a chance. Personally, I think it's totally adorable, but if you can't forgive Misaburou, I doubt it would change your opinion of him much.
Have you put in your next manga order yet? I'm not sure you're going to like the chou-aniki story.
no subject
Yeah, I just ordered yesterday. I'm sad to hear you don't think I'll enjoy it. ;_;
no subject