What manga are you currently reading?

[alexpk86]

I'm following Eyeshield 21 and the re-re-reprint of Jojo's Bizarre Adventures, when I go back home I'll have to buy all the arrears. Oh yeah, also Ultimate Avengers.

On the internet I'm reading Bleach's scans and Beelzebub's.
I really can't stand Bleach, though: it started okay, but during the last arc got repetitive and boring and full of deus ex-machina and Tite Kubo trolls and I'm only curious about how this shit will end...probably like Inuyasha.
Beelzebub is just plain stupid and with no consistency.

And remember...we will all be part of Ichigo's heart someday.

[Kinokokao]

I finished Maiden Rose volume 1 today, and I can't decide how I feel about yet.

I'll definitely be getting the next volume, but reviewing it might be more difficult. I'll let you know when I reach a consensus.

[eharper256]

Just finished reading Well, the available four novels, anyway.

Wow, that was actually pretty good. One of those things where you think you think you've got the plot nailed, but then it actually turns out to be a real mindscrew. Several times. And yet he still somehow manages to get relationship development in there. Hmm, I can learn alot from his writing. Possibly a new favourite among light novels of mine, certainly up there with the original Scrapped Princess novels.

As noted, technically a set of light novels, but I thought that it was better here than in the reads thread.

[noodles]

[Kinokokao]

Okay, ready for my Maiden Rose review, finally, after re-reading it and giving the series some thought.



Maiden Rose vol 1

Art: A+/C- <-- I give it two rankings because, first of all, its gorgeously rendered. Really quality work, proportions all as they should be, adorable chibi-omake at the end, etc. That being said, I don't necessarily like some of the art, specifically, Klaus's character design. I know why he looks the way he does, and I appreciate the artistic talent, but I still don't like it.



But, hey, guys in uniforms? Romance between soldiers? I'm so there.

Story: A-
Romance: A+/D- <---again, two rankings, and I'll explain why here in a second.

Overall: B+

More detailed review:

(nsfw language and content, but sfw images):

[spoiler]

Okay. Maiden Rose. First of all, the premise is awesome. Pseudo-WWI tech in a pesudo-Earth setting, with feudal overtones.

Taki is the young, beautiful, pure lord of his people and the leader of an elite tank command unit known as Rozen. They're fighting in a war against some Empire, I was really paying that close of attention and the first book skips around quite a bit anyway. Part of their enemy is the Saxons, a blond-haired, blue-eyed people, of which Klaus is one. However, Klaus has revoked his heritage and become Taki's fiercely loyal "Mad Dog" Knight.

The story skips around quite a bit at first, so it was a little confusing for me, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless, especially once I understood things. Taki has a cold, reserved persona but is a passionate, devoted leader and brilliant tactician who is beloved by his people. Klaus is half-feared by Taki's people, who cannot bring themselves to trust a Saxon, and Klaus is notorious for doing his own thing and obeying no one but Taki.

After every battle, however, Klaus corners Taki in his rooms and proceeds to...

well, rape him.

Sort of.

STAY WITH ME PEOPLE!

This is why I had such a difficult time reviewing this particular manga, and why the "romance" rating is in two parts.

First of all, [hide]cocks[/hide] everywhere. Most yaoi manga is all "ohhh a gently glowing suggestion ohhh" but, no, Maiden Rose is IN YOUR FACE [hide]dicks galore[/hide] big, powerful [hide]cocks[/hide] and graphic sex. Very graphic.

But, yeah, Taki is cold and rejecting toward Klaus, who in turn gets back at Taki by ordering him around in the bedroom and humiliating him while doing so. He several times wonders why Taki doesn't fight back or call for help; is it shame? Taki is stubborn and prideful, and refuses to show Klaus any affection or encouragement; he stoically takes his "punishment."

But we are also shown Klaus's sincere affection for Taki, and their past, including how they met:



A young Klaus journeys to the East to attend Taki's coronation ceremony. They meet and Taki demands Klaus lift him up so he can gather the flowers.

They meet again, years later, in a military academy. This is when Klaus decides to throw everything away and join Taki as his Knight. We see gentle, tender scenes between them indicative of a newly blossoming romance. We're shown a scene of Klaus with his sister, telling of his decision to leave his homeland and revoke his citizenship to join Taki. He is tender here, gentle, his smile as he thinks of Taki beautiful and we, the reader, feel the same as his sister when she tells Klaus to follow his heart.

And, yet, in the present, we have this bitter, seemingly hateful relationship between Klaus and Taki.

My friends, this is what intrigued me, and what got me hooked. It reminiscences of both Zetsuai and Mirage of Blaze, two of my favorites. As much as I like sweet romance, I also crave the depraved, angry passion that stirs up bittersweet regret and sorrow. I can't help it; there's some dark part of me that responds quite viscerally to the "I love you so much I'm going to rape you" seme -- I can't explain it, and I just gotta roll with the punches sometimes.

Anyway, this is background to the main storyline, which has to do with the war. I'm walking the fine line between giving enough info to explain myself and not revealing too much of the plot.

At the end of volume one the reader we're given some further background for Taki and Klaus's seemingly soured romance, which sets up things nicely for the next volume. The series carefully blends the action of war against the drama of the romance, and the resulting mixture is fantastic. I believe there are 3 volumes out so far and the series is still on going.

[/spoiler]

So there you have it! I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, for the reasons mentioned, but I'm thoroughly addicted.

[noodles]

Why does the title have to sound so much like Rozen Maiden (and you said the tank battalion was called Rozen? derp derp derp)

I loved the flower gathering picture though o_o

Sounds like a cool story, though not one I could easily relate to

[Kinokokao]

I have no idea why the similarity. "Maiden Rose" works on many levels for the series; I can't go too much into why without spoiling the ending of the volume (which really puts a new spin on Klaus/Taki's love/hate dynamic).

Flower gathering scene is gorgeous.

[Weeaboolits]

Not reading anything new at the moment, most recent was Ichigeki Sacchu!! Hoihoi-san, a lovely series about toy robots that kill bugs.

My favorite manga was Q-ko-chan, by Hajime Ueda (the guy who wrote the manga adaptation of FLCL), it's pretty short, but shows exactly why they hired him to do the FLCL manga.

[noodles]

I read the first Q-ko-chan. It was really interesting as it set everything up, but towards the end it was really boring and unfocused :/ I never went and got the second one.

I should also mention that I didn't enjoy the FLCL manga much. The first book was great, and I liked the darker tone ([hide]and naota really killing is father[/hide]) but, like I said, it got really unfocused and bland. And the manga's ending was kind of a flop.

The FLCL anime, however, is one of my favorite of all time. I liked it as a kid for how funny and badass it was, and I love it now for its atmosphere and its story of a kid leaving childhood and entering those frustrating years where you ask a lot of questions and are never completely happy with how things in your life turn out

[Weeaboolits]

The second volume is where it gets good, it's also the last volume, so you may as well finish. I won't say it gets easier to follow, because it doesn't, but unlike the FLCL manga, it can't be blamed on sloppy panels where you can't tell what's happening. I'll admit a big part of why I like it is because I adore Ueda's art style.

One of my other favorites is Genshiken, if you've never read it, you should, or at least watch the animu. Madarame is my hero.

[Kinokokao]

Maiden Rose II was so good. More detailed review to be forthcoming.

Also read "The Tyrant Falls in Love" and... kind of disappointing, actually. Not much plot in the book, just lots of weird sex pesudo-rape that made me be like OH COME ON MORINAGA YOU KNOW BETTER but whatever maybe the next volume will be better. It's funny; their dynamic is so much more comic than Maiden Rose, and a hell of a later nice, but I almost prefer the serious treatment. I'm just not a fan of the "lol no means yes you know you want it :3" bullshit.

But it's Hinako Takanaga so the art is gorgeous and it's got great humor, and of course I'll be buying the next volume.

[noodles]

[noodles]

[Illuminage]

[noodles]

still waiting on that rewiew kino