What manga are you currently reading?

[Weeaboolits]

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai

[Kinokokao]

Just finished reading volumes 1-9 of Silver Diamond. Unfortunately that is all that available in America -- TokyoPop had the license and they went bankrupt. Ohsnap.

I also read Only Serious About You volume 1, which was pretty cute and straightforward. I'll guess I'll get the next volume.

Incidentally I found that Sublime, Viz Media (S&S) new imprint for yaoi, acquired the license for Awkward Silence by Hinako Takanaga -- awesome. Also the license for Yaya Sakuragi's school boy/priest romance whose name I forgot and am too lazy to look up, but I'm excited for that one as well. Takanaga and Sakuragi are my #1 and #2 favorite yaoi mangaka, respectively. Anything by either of them is an instant buy for me.

[beekee]

[Kinokokao]

YES! It's true!

School boy uke is the pursuer of the relationship, that's the best part -- and the priest is a tsundere! I love pushy uke role reversal crap like that.

Also, Yaya Sakuragi -- she did Tea for Two and Stay Close to Me! I love her.

[beekee]

[PLA]

^ How come I already know the term "sasoi-uke"?

[Kinokokao]

I suppose I need to look into buying volumes 10-26 of Silver Diamond in Japanese, or possibly French, which would be slightly easier for me to translate. Or maybe start a letter writing campaign to every publisher begging for some of them to pick up the license. Yen Press (Hachette) might be interested...

Speaking of, You Will Drown in Love has a third volume, but BLU (TokyoPop/HarperCollins) had the license and they've got kaput. I'm more confident that DMP will try to snatch up that license since Takanaga is like printing money for them with Tyrant, and they did Devil's Secret under their 801 Media line. Then again, if Sublime grabbed the Awkward Silence license... ? Hm.

Someone has to want it, though. Unlike Silver Diamond, which I fear just isn't popular or in high enough demand. SD doesn't fit into the June imprint, or the DMP line -- possibly the Doki Doki, but, really, it doesn't fit their distribution model either, what with being such a long series.

SD's best bet really is Yen, or possibly even Viz (then again, does Viz even do anything outside their -Beat lines? They did Banana Fish in the long ago, in the time before time, but I really haven't kept current with straight releases) -- but, alas.

So yeah. French imports might still be my best bet, since I'm no closer to learning Japanese than I was when I was 13.

[PLA]

So sadodere is a thing.

[Kinokokao]

I... don't think I know what that is?

I have read recently:

Let Dai volumes 1-3

First off, prettiest art I have ever seen in a manwha. SO PRETTY.
Secondly, super fucked up. So much angst and craziness. One of those NO ONE IS HAPPY EVER FUCK YOU sort of stories. I am okay with that.
15 volumes total. From various sources I have 4-8 arriving soon. I'm liking it quite a bit so far. The translation is a bit strange in places due to various nuances and things, but overall quality work considering the relatively inexpensive price of $10 per book -- that's $7 for me, with my discount. So that's nice.
Basic plot is honor student Jaehee becomes involved with the beautiful and borderline sociopathic delinquent Dai, leader of the Furies gang. Shocking things happen in the first volume that set in motion major changes for the main characters -- Jaehee and Dai, and the sisters Euhyung and Yooneun. Some of the themes are the inexplicable nature of attraction, the painfulness of change, and what it means to be connected to others.

Also read... let's see... Oh! Yes! Junior Escort vol. 1

Which is actually 2 chapters of the "Junior Escort" storyline and then 4 unrelated short stories by the same mangaka. The short stories were hit and miss, but I liked the main story line enough to want to get the next volume. Art is so-so. Not great, not bad, just kind of like "okay, what's next?"

Oh, and I finally finished reading Finder volumes 1 and 2.

Finder 1's first chapter is... fucking brutal. I can't really read it. I physically recoil in disgust just thinking about it. But Ayano Yamane has gorgeous art and she's something of a legend, so I felt obligated to see what the fuss is about.
It gets better after the first chapter. In the author notes at the end of the first volume she reveals that first chapter was for a S&M-themed anthology so, that makes sense. The second chapter is much better.
Storyline is Akihito is a freelance photographer who runs afoul of criminal underworld-saturated Asami, who is all powerful and possessive and "oh look I just raped you but you know you like it" kind of stuff. Second chapter has Akihito running into Fei Long, a Chinese mafia boss with some sort of past connection to Asami.

Finder 1 is 2 chapters of the Finder series and then 3 unrelated short-stories. One of them, DNA of Love, involves two classmates who investigate whether or not their fathers are engaged in a homosexual love affair. It's silly and light-hearted nonsense. Another short story involved a kouhai/senpai and seemed like the failed set up to launch a longer serial, so that was rather meh.

Finder 3 was much better. One chapter with the main Finder couple (Akihito and Asami) and then a flashback showing how Fei Long and Asami met. I found myself much more attracted to the Fei Long story line. This is no doubt due to fact that Fei Long is gorgeous and possesses yards and yards of black glossy beautiful hair. Also he is super wobbly and adorable and oh look he just did something badass and tragic. Fuck yeah.

I guess I'll get Finder 3. I was so initially repulsed by the series that I gave up reading it, so I'm glad I stuck it out through the second volume at least. Like I said, Ayano Yamane is such a classic and Finder was one of those series, like Tyrant, that got stuck in licensing hell.

[PLA]

[Kinokokao]

re-read Black Sun by Uki Ogawasara so I could read Black Sun 2.

Ending was like UH OH RAN OUT OF PAGES KTHXBAI -- seriously. The ending needed to be at least one chapter longer, maybe two. People were losing body parts and dying left and right, and I was like, "what, who are you, what just happened, oh my god"

Also. Lots of sex. Inexplicable amounts. I think I ultimately prefer something softer and sweeter, such as...

Only Serious About You volume 2

OH MY GOD SO AMAZING YES I LOVE IT FIVE STARS A+ WOULD READ AGAIN

seriously saccharine overdose in places. Utterly utterly adorable, I wish there were 45 million more volumes so I could read them.

Basic plot is Osawa is a single father who lives with his adorably precious kindergarten-aged daughter Chizu. He works at a restaurant and life is hard for him, being a single dad. One of the restaurant's loyal customers, Yoshiaki, is openly gay and goes through a series of boyfriends -- who he is infamous for cheating on. He's actually a spin-off character from Kai Asou's previous work, Room for Half Rent, which is not currently licensed. Anyway, Yoshiaki has been dumped once again for cheating. He's always flirted with admittedly straight Osawa, so he's hard for Osawa to take seriously.

A series of fevers, first with little Chizu, then Osawa, and then finally Yoshiaki, brings the three of them together. Yoshiaki offers for Osawa and Chizu to move in with him, but Osawa resists despite the clear convenience offered by having Yoshiaki around. Themes include Osawa not letting others help him, Osawa struggling to keep custody of Chizu when his ex decides to remarry, and Yoshiaki proving to Osawa that he can be serious about something.

It's fucking adorable as all hell is what it is. Art is beautiful with clean lines. Comedic moments abound in between melancholy reflections on what it means to let yourself be helped. Plot is very simple and perfectly paced. Although I wished it were longer, I'm content with the length -- everything gets wrapped up and resolved, with room left over for a few bonus side-stories at the end of the book. I would read a million pages of adorable slice-of-life scenes between these characters.

Kai Asou marks herself as a mangaka to watch with this one. I hope Room for Half Rent gets licensed soon as well. Her art is truly beautiful -- simple and clean, just like her plot, and the sex scenes remarkably tasteful and -- best of all -- happy. After so much craziness with Finder and Black Sun, I'm relieved to see two people actually enjoying themselves. No weird manipulation, none of that weird uke-crying. Also her characters behave like real people with real emotions.

In terms of being a complete package -- great plot, cute and funny characters, amazing art, plenty of sweet romance -- Only Serious About You delivers.

[Kinokokao]

Kabuki volume 1 by Yukari Hashida

I've read one other work by Hashida, Warui, which I believe I reviewed here. My overall impression was not exceptionally favorable. I found her art to be a tad off-putting for its style, although the substance -- that is, her ability to render a scene and place the nuances of emotion into each line -- showed promise. Her storytelling ability I likewise found moderately acceptable, and there were a few moments where I was like, "Okay, this could be good" -- ultimately I just didn't care for the themes of Warui all that much.

Fastforward to Kabuki, a title I've been eyeing for a few years now because I'm a sucker for anything with more than one volume. One-shots are the norm in yaoi, and I prefer a series, so I'm always on the hunt for something of substance and story. I'd held off on Kabuki due to my reservations regarding Hashida, but I was able to scoop up the first two volumes for a good price.

I'm so glad I did!

Kourosuke is a battle shy samurai who is the lord of a castle in the 16th century. When the castle comes under attack, he commits ritual suicide with his devoted page and lover, Kageya. They swear to meet again in the next life; no matter how long it takes, they will find each other again. The opening blurb, even before the title page, is: "I will never leave you. Even if we are separated by something deeper than death. If a hundred years pass... or a thousand years... or even ten thousand years... I will find you." .... GAAAAHHHHHH OMGYES.

So the flashback fades with Kourosuke waking up in a hospital in modern day Japan... with all his memories erased -- except those of Kageya and his past life. He is shocked by the century change, and his own body, which is that of a 17 year old boy. Kourosuke is desperate to find his Kageya and adjust to the bewildering changes of life in this change other world. There are three potential Kageya reincarnates -- the grandfather, father, and son of the Kageya family, which is still serving the Kuga family. Poor Kourosuke!

So let's review all the reasons why poor little Kino went into dokidoki paradise:

- Reincarnation
- Destined/Desperate Lovers
- Mental trauma (amnesia)
- Lord/squire relationship

Plus the entire dynamic of Kourosuke not knowing anything about the modern era, and not remembering anything of his life before the accident. So awesome. He speaks and thinks like a 16th century samurai still <3 Adorable.

Yes. So much yes. I am still waiting for book 2 to arrive from Akadot. I just checked the tracking info and my package reached the sorting facility in Maryland yesterday, so hopefully early next week I'll be able to continue the story. Squee!

Art style is still bit a strange, but ultimately I think it's improved some since Warui. That or I'm more willing to overlook it. I'm not gaga over the art like I am for Takanaga, who is simply exquisite, or Kai Asou, who had such clarity and refined beauty in her lines. Hashida's art is more... bizarre? I'm not sure how to classify it, honestly. I'm just such a sucker for reincarnation-type stuff (thanks, Mirage of Blaze! You've ruined me forever). It's one of those things I just click with.

[PLA]

[zamisk]

...I guess this fits here?

I stayed up super late reading all of the comics related to the Runaways. Love that series, even if there are some areas for improvement.



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[Kinokokao]