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Dear Fandom: Please Grow Up.

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Yesterday saw the release of the first Twilight graphic novel adaptation, produced in all its glossy, hardcover glory by Yen Press. I haven’t had a chance to do more than a quick flip-through so far, but though I’ve never read the novels (and have little interest in doing so) I’m actually looking forward to taking a look at the series in graphic novel form, if only to see what all the hype is about.

By “hype” I’m not only talking about the series’ huge sales. I’m also interested in finding a connection with its notoriously rabid fans. I’ve found myself defending them quite a bit recently against accusations of being “crazy,” “repugnant,” and “freaks,” which has made me more curious about the source of their obsession than I might have been otherwise. After all, if obsessive fandom is the issue, there’s very little I can relate to more. …

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Kiss Your Hair

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By Duo Brand
DMP, 177 pp.
Rating: M (18+)

A long-haired gardener provides special services to his employer but finds himself falling for the butler instead. A teenage houseboy (drawn too young for this reviewer’s comfort) catches his master in a compromising position with the head servant. An artist falls in love with his model and feels unable to sufficiently express his beauty through painting. These stories and more make up the anthology Kiss Your Hair, the latest in English from BL mangaka team Duo Brand, authors of Shards of Affection.

Though this anthology holds together better than some, it is unable to avoid the most common trap plaguing its kind—an inability to choose between romance and pornography. As a result, it ultimately fails at both. Loosely held together by the theme of master and servant (stretched to include relationships like senpai/kohai and employer/employee), each of the volume’s stories features grand declarations of love, almost none of which are well-developed enough to ring true. One possible exception is the story “Escape,” featuring two old friends who find themselves thrown together again in desperate circumstances.

Released under DMP’s adult 801 Media imprint, this manga is never coy about getting its characters into bed, but just as too much sexual content leaves little room for developing romance, the reverse is also true. Though the stories rush blatantly toward consummation (a few even begin there), these scenes feel hurried as well, like flashes of memory from a hazy, drunken night.

Duo Brand’s art is sketchy but expressive, with attractive character designs distinctive enough to provide genuine variety over the course of so many unrelated stories.

Without a clear allegiance to love or lust, Kiss Your Hair ultimately falls short on both counts.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at PopCultureShock.

Physical Attraction

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Physical Attraction
By Tatsumi Kaiya
Published by DMP/June
Rating: M (18+)


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Kurata has been sleeping with his college buddy, Narusawa, for the past two months, beginning just after Kurata’s breakup with a long-time girlfriend. Certain that the relationship is purely physical, Kurata becomes ill at ease when he realizes he’s developed feelings for Narusawa. Kurata’s uncertainty leads him to seek out his ex-girlfriend for advice, but what will he do when Narusawa spots him meeting up with his ex?

Before getting around to the meat of this review, it’s important to note that though DMP lists Physical Attraction as a one-shot, it is actually an anthology of (mainly) unrelated short manga–a significant discrepancy for those of us who have come to avoid most BL anthologies like the plague. That said, though the volume is afflicted by some of the unavoidable pitfalls of short-story romance, it is more appealing than most, thanks to Tatsumi Kaiya’s skillful exposition and attention to characterization.

Most pieces of the anthology follow the same kind of premise as the title story–students or coworkers (in one story even strangers) who confront unexpected feelings for each other. One tells the story of high school lovers turned college roommates, enjoying the freedom of living together for the first time. In all cases, character development and emotional content take precedence over sex scenes, which is a rare blessing in this type of anthology. This is not meant as a judgement on sex scenes by any means (though I’ve often argued that too few are well-written enough to be meaningful) but it only stands to reason that a short manga has the greatest chance of success when the majority of its pages are actually used to develop the story.

Some are more successful than others. The title story and its follow-up, “Loving Attraction,” are the strongest, with a nicely-developed romance and fun, idiosyncratic characters (including the supporting cast). On the other end of the spectrum, “Cooled Passion,” about a reporter and a politician who were once friends, is underdeveloped, unbelievable, and seems to suggest that justice is best achieved through rape. Even the volume’s weakest stories, however, benefit from the author’s ability to effectively introduce new characters and their circumstances with a minimal amount of exposition, making the most of the limitations of the format.

Kaiya’s artwork is generic–so much so that it’s difficult to tell characters apart from one story to the next. Fortunately, strong characterization makes this less of a problem than it might be otherwise.

Like most of its kind, Physical Attraction is no match for the high drama of serial romance or even a hearty one-shot. Ultimately forgettable, it is intended to be consumed and discarded. Unlike many, however, it is a collection of (mostly) warm and engaging stories, well-suited to a quick read on a lazy afternoon.

–Complimentary digital access provided by the publisher.

How To Seduce a Vampire

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How To Seduce a Vampire
By Nimosaku Shimada
Published by DMP
Rated YA (16+)

Watanabe is a young man living off a part-time job, who just happens to be descended from a legendary demon hunter. Mizuo is a good-looking, nocturnal hairdresser, who just happens to be a vampire. Throw the two together and you get… love? As hackneyed as this premise may sound, its execution is good-humored and surprisingly entertaining, thanks to an unlikely combination of outrageous cliché and good writing.

Mangaka Nimosaku Shimada takes nothing too seriously. From ridiculous boys’ love conventions (What can a vampire drink in lieu of blood? Semen, of course!) to the characters’ hobbies (one of Mizuo’s old vampire friends is an action figure otaku), everything in this story is plainly lighthearted and frequently played for laughs.

On the other hand, Shimada takes the time to develop each of the manga’s primary characters, giving each of them extensive backstory and genuine motivation, without falling into the cloying sentimentality that pervades most modern vampire tales. Shimada’s vampires are neither pathetically heroic or viciously monstrous, nor are they particularly romanticized despite their appearance in a romance manga. Unfortunately, some of the story’s most promising bits of plot seem woefully unfinished, as though the actual run of the manga failed to live up to the scope of the author’s ideas.

The story’s art is unremarkable but adequate, with the only major caveat being that it is wildly over-toned. Readability is never a problem, however.

For those weary of the glut of vampire romance stories cropping up everywhere these days, How To Seduce a Vampire provides a surprising oasis in an endless sea of affected teen angst.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at PopCultureShock.

Confessions of a Former Scan Junkie

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I’m sure by now everyone has heard the news about Nick Simmons’ alleged (and meticulously documented) plagiarism in his fledgling comic, Incarnate. For those who haven’t, Deb Aoki has a collection of links and Twitter conversations here in her blog. As you’ll see from her post, discussion of plagiarism has segued into discussion of piracy. I was foolish enough to wade into the comments section yesterday evening, which turned out to be frustrating, exhausting, and really nothing else.

As I mentioned to someone later on Twitter, I was not nearly as anti-scanlation when I entered the conversation as I was when I left. In the end, the pro-scanlation crowd had turned me against them to the point where I not only could no longer see any merit in what they were saying, but was frankly disgusted by the idea of being part of the same fan community. I have some examples to share, but first, a confession: …

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New Shojo Beat Licenses?

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These VIZ licenses may not be new to some, but they were to me!

This evening, while perusing the Amazon listings for Beast Master, by Kyousuke Motomi, my friend and fellow manga blogger Jennifer Dunbar noticed a listing for Dengeki Daisy by the same creator with a July 2010 release date. I checked the Simon & Schuster site, and sure enough, there it is!


Dengeki Daisy
From the site: One day at school, Teru accidentally breaks a window and agrees to pay for it by helping Kurosaki with chores around school. Kurosaki is an impossible taskmaster though, and he also seems to be hiding something important from Teru…

This inspired me to check for other new prospective Shojo Beat titles on Amazon, and I struck gold with a listing for Seiho Boys’ High School! by Kaneyoshi Izumi, mangaka of Doubt!!, with an August 2010 release date.

Seiho Boys’ High School
From the site: Remote, lonely and surrounded by the ocean. This isn’t Alcatraz we’re talking about, it’s Seiho Boys’ High School, where the student body is rife with sexually frustrated hunks! How can these young men get girlfriends when they’re stuck in the middle of nowhere? These are the stories of the students of Seiho High and the trouble they get into as they awkwardly pursue all girls who cross their paths.

I’m not sure that Seiho will really appeal to me, but I’ll probably give it a shot. I’m really happy to see more from Kyousuke Motomi, though, since Beast Master is adorable. Looks like this is a slightly longer series, as well.

5 Female Voices in Manga Criticism

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Recently, a group of critics at The Hooded Utilitarian posted part one of an article naming their picks for Best Online Comics Criticism in 2009. It’s a great read with some fantastic links to follow. Johanna Draper Carlson linked to this at Comics Worth Reading, mentioning that she hoped the next installment would include more manga and more women, because “some of the most insightful critics currently are women talking about manga.”

I agree with Johanna, of course, and it got me thinking about how many manga blogs by women I read every day and how much these women have shaped my own experience with manga. Certainly one of the things I value most about the online manga community is that so many of its prominent voices are women, and it feels like a great privilege to be able to interact with all of them so easily. …

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Oh, What a Year Can Bring

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As some on Twitter may recall, December marked my official one-year anniversary as a manga reviewer. I’ve been blogging about manga since late 2007, but it was December of 2008 when Kate Dacey e-mailed me to ask if I’d be interested in joining the crew at Manga Recon. Having declared several times before then that “I don’t write reviews!” I was not especially confident, but I plowed in anyway and it’s been a fantastic year. My first review subject was volume thirteen of Claymore for the December 8th Manga Minis column. I’d like to think I’ve come a ways since then.

An old entry that springs to mind is one called Life of Me, posted on January 1st of last year, in which I included a photo of the desk where I write. I think you’ll notice the most significant change over the course of the year: …

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Love Skit

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Love Skit
By Rie Honjoh
Published by 801 Media

love skit
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At eighteen years old, Aoto has had more than his share of tragedy. Orphaned in his youth, he’s dedicated himself to taking care of his older sister, Ryouko. Though relief eventually arrives in the form of Ryouko’s fiancé, Takashi, it brings along with it a new set of troubles, as Aoto quickly realizes he’s fallen in love with his new brother-in-law. Now, after his sister’s death, Aoto is left alone with Takashi, experiencing both grief and guilt over his own feelings. Then enters Masayuki, an old classmate of Takashi’s who is smitten with Aoto and determined not to let him pine after his dead sister’s husband for the rest of his life.

I’d anticipated this release quite enthusiastically, based on the emotionally affecting trailer offered up on YouTube by 801 Media, and at the outset it indeed seemed to have all the elements required to make up a rather touching (if conventional) boys’ love story. Unfortunately there are also several moves taken from the Creepy Yaoi Playbook, preventing the story’s early promise from quite following through.

Though fourteen years his senior, Masayuki chases Aoto like a sex-obsessed teen, grabbing at him incessantly at the least appropriate times and forcing himself on Aoto the moment he receives the slightest reciprocation of his feelings. Finally able to release his apparently uncontrollable urges, Masayuki forges on, regardless of Aoto’s obvious physical and emotional discomfort, whispering sweet nothings like, “Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon. Come on,” while Aoto winces in pain.

… be still my heart?

The manga’s reliance on questionably consensual sex is honestly a real shame, as it is otherwise quite thoughtful, exploring the internal struggles of its three main characters with unexpected insight. Though its “gender doesn’t matter” theme stubbornly refuses to grant the characters a shred of gay identity, even this could pass as a minor quibble if the sexual politics were not so blatantly askew. Rie Honjoh’s art is expressive and even whimsical, giving the romantic scenes a sense of playfulness that is distinctly refreshing in a story of this kind. Though the volume’s primary tale is interrupted halfway through to make way for a short side story involving one of its supporting characters, it still manages to feel substantial, especially in terms of character development.

For those who can stomach the bedroom dynamics, Love Skit certainly has its charms. For less fervent fans of the genre, it is probably best left on the shelf.

Ludwig II, Vols. 1-2

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ludwig2Ludwig II, Vols. 1-2
By You Higuri
Published by Digital Manga Publishing
Rating: 18+ (Mature)

Repulsed by affairs of the state and obsessed with the beauty of the arts, young King Ludwig II of Bavaria would much rather attend the opera than discuss his country’s vulnerability to power-hungry Prussia. As his ministers struggle to turn his focus to politics, Ludwig seeks the company of kindred spirits, particularly attractive young men whom he also desires as sexual partners.

With his greatest love apparently unrequited (that for notoriously decadent composer Richard Wagner, who uses Ludwig’s patronage to conceal his affair with a married woman) and his effusive relationship with Prince Paul of Thurn and Taxis nearing its end, Ludwig becomes infatuated with his new stable boy, an attractive young blond named Richard Hornig, whom he soon appoints as his personal manservant. Despite numerous obstacles, including a criminal plot hatched by Hornig’s brother and Ludwig’s brief engagement to his devoted cousin, Sophie, their mutual love grows, threatened only by political enemies and Ludwig’s increasingly frequent hallucinations.

As a matter of historical fact, King Ludwig II’s tragic and unexplained death can hardly be treated as a spoiler, a point wisely taken by mangaka You Higuri, who uses the event to open the series while also introducing Ludwig’s cousin Elizabeth (Empress of Austria), with whom he shared an exceptionally close relationship. Elizabeth, whose restless spirit earned her the name “The Wandering Queen,” begins as narrator and is portrayed throughout the story as the only person capable of truly understanding her cousin, doomed (as he is) to a fretful life as penance for the sin of dreaming. Higuri also makes good use of Ludwig’s well-known obsession with Wagner and his controversial legacy as “The Mad King,” by giving him recurring visions of a beautiful male “Valkyrie” (mythical Norse maidens who act as angels of death, portrayed extensively in Wagner’s opera Die Walküre) who draws him slowly into darkness and away from Hornig.

Though early on, Higuri tosses in a half-hearted reference to Ludwig’s lifelong struggle with religion and sexuality (as documented in his diaries), Ludwig’s imaginary Valkyrie is given most of the dirty work when it comes to tearing him away from his One True Love, Hornig, as well as the task of explaining his death. That Higuri’s story is highly fictionalized is not only obvious but intentional, yet it is its historical foundation that gives it much of its resonance, so much so that it’s tempting to wish she had gone just a bit further.

Higuri has set up a very attractive tragedy—its beautiful lovers doomed by circumstance, position, and mental instability. This premise, as stated, is perfectly primed for romantic fantasy and certainly a staple of the genre. What’s a bit sad is that the demands of boys’ love must take precedence over the opportunity to illustrate Ludwig’s true tragedy—one better told by historians and biographers. Much more heartbreaking than a tale of star-crossed lovers is that of a sensitive and artistically inclined young man, shackled by position and ruined by wealth, tortured by the impossibility of reconciling his deeply ingrained religious beliefs with the reality of his own sexuality, and doomed to lose lover after lover to disenchantment or, worse, matrimony.

Not only does Higuri romanticize Ludwig’s famously mysterious end, she also carefully leaves out his pain over Hornig’s real-life marriage, which took place years before. Though the true tale, of course, fails to provide the stuff of romantic fantasy, it reveals far more poignant truths about life as a gay monarch in the nineteenth century.

Even the New York Times, in their 1886 obituary, described Ludwig as a man born “too soon or too late”—a reclusive lover of the arts burdened with the weight of deep feeling, and ill-suited to an environment of politics and war. That Ludwig’s loneliness is palpable, even in the coldest historical accounts, is painfully revealing and unfortunately far removed from the world of boys’ love manga, as is his eventual decline into obesity. Given Ludwig’s aesthetic tastes, it is likely that Higuri’s ending for him—young, beautiful, and adored even in his final moments—would better satisfy his sensibilities than the one he came to himself.

One aspect of Ludwig’s personality that Higuri captures quite well is his devotion to his own fantasies—bestowing lavish gifts on those who pleased him and pouring his personal fortune into the construction of a series of elaborate castles—something that caused strife amongst his ministers but inspired considerable loyalty in the Bavarian people. It is Ludwig’s increasing retreat into fantasy that Higuri uses to justify his romantic and beautiful demise, something Ludwig himself would no doubt have appreciated.

Historical inaccuracies aside, Higuri’s tale is undeniably engaging and honestly romantic, despite her tendency to sentimentalize some disturbingly imbalanced bedroom dynamics which, granted, may not be far removed from class-based sexual politics of the day. The series’ detailed artwork and lush, period setting provide a feast for the eyes as well, with special attention given to the emotional tone of each scene. Ludwig’s inner world is especially well established, both visually and otherwise, and Higuri’s ability to portray him equally well in ecstasy as in despair gives him the range necessary to rise above the melodrama as a genuinely poignant character.

With just enough fact behind the fiction, Ludwig II manages to be more than a stylish costume piece, and if it inspires yearning for a deeper look at history, this can hardly be a bad thing. Succinct yet satisfying in two double-sized volumes, this series provides enough substance to please even casual fans of the genre.

Review copies provided by the publisher. Review originally published at PopCultureShock.

Roureville, Vols. 1-3

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Roureville, Vols. 1-3
By E. Hae
Published by NETCOMICS

roureville
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Evan Pryce is a an acclaimed reporter for the New York Times, whose most recent story has earned him a spot on a terrorist hit list. When coworkers at the Times make it clear they want him out of the vicinity until things cool down, he is shipped off to the middle of nowhere to investigate a tabloid-esque ghost story tip, very much against his will. Having spent ten days searching vainly for an off-the-map town called Roureville, Evan is about to throw in the towel when luck appears suddenly in the form of a flustered priest who unintentionally leads him straight into the town. Though the ghost story appears to be unfounded, Roureville is fishy from the start and after Evan manages to score a place to stay with a quiet young local named Jayce, the townspeople make it very clear that they wish for him to leave, enough even to resort to attempted murder. As the series continues, Evan becomes closer both to his reticent host and to the town’s carefully protected secret, ultimately discovering that he shares more in common with them than he ever would have suspected.

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Manga Marching Orders, 11/30/09

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fromfar1Wow, y’all sure can pick ’em! The results of the last Manga Marching Orders post, in which I asked for help in deciding between several shoujo fantasy series that take place in other worlds, were overwhelmingly in favor of From Far Away, and now I see why: it’s awesome! You can find my review of the first five volumes here. I’ll definitely be continuing that series through to its completion—how I let it languish in my to-read pile for so many years is beyond me!—but in the meantime, I’m soliciting advice once again.

Recently, I read the first three volumes of Honey Hunt, which was my first time reading anything by Miki Aihara. I liked it a lot, and it made me intrigued about the series she’s best known for: the ultimate guilty pleasure of shoujo, Hot Gimmick. This, in turn, got me thinking about other shoujo/josei classics with possibly over-the-top/raunchy romance drama that I really should read.

Here, then, are the five series I’m trying to decide between. All are complete and owned by me in their entirety, inveterate hoarder that I am. I note, too, that 80% of these series were released in the US by TOKYOPOP. They sure don’t license them like they used to.

hotgimmick11. Hot Gimmick by Miki Aihara – shoujo, 12 volumes
Believe me, I have heard the complaints about this one. Forewarned is forearmed, they say, and since this series is still being talked about so often, I feel like I should experience its icky-yet-addictive blend for myself.

2. Peach Girl by Miwa Ueda – shoujo, 18 volumes but split into two series by TOKYOPOP
I want to read this for the same reason I want to read Hot Gimmick. I’ve been reading Miwa Ueda’s newest series, Papillon, and have seen other reviewers note its similarities to this earlier story. I remain ignorant of any recycled story elements, and this just won’t do!

3. Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa – josei, 14 volumes
I’ve heard many good things about this series and though I’ve read some josei, I’ve never read a josei series as long as this one. Plus, I’m always ridiculously excited to read about a heroine who has a career.

4. Happy Mania by Moyoco Anno – josei, 11 volumes
Connie mentioned this series recently in a review over on Manga Recon and it really intrigued me, especially when she said, “the series reveled in dragging the characters through all sorts of relationship miseries, then having them beg for more.” I went out and procured it (got a great deal on eBay!) based on her recommendation. I think it’d be fun to read about a succession of guys instead of just one true love. Sex and the City in manga form!

5. Mars by Fuyumi Soryo – shoujo, 15 volumes + 1 one-shot
From what I’ve heard about Mars, there doesn’t seem to be much really raunchy about it, but I’m willing to bet that in a series this long there’s going to be some major crazy drama somewhere along the line. I’m also intrigued by this mangaka in general; her seinen series ES: Eternal Sabbath looks really good, and I feel like I should read this one first to better appreciate the contrast.

Reader, help me choose!

Manga/Manhwa Holiday Gift Guide

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bluepresentgoodWelcome to Manga Bookshelf’s Manga/Manhwa Holiday Gift Guide! I am one of many bloggers publishing such a guide over the next few days as a response to the New York Times Graphic Novel Gift Guide which turned up last week with not a single volume of manga included.

Now, with so many bloggers making recommendations at once, I’ve deliberately refrained from attempting to create anything like a comprehensive guide, instead focusing on series and genres I especially favor in fairly arbitrary groupings. For a rich, well-rounded shopping guide experience, I recommend making the rounds to everyone’s guides over the next week or so (Erica Friedman is keeping a list of participating bloggers over at Okazu and David Welsh is linking to entries as they go up at Precious Curmudgeon). But first, behold!…

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The Way To Heaven

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The Way To Heaven
By Yamimaru Enjin
Published by DMP

waytoheaven
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Moriya is a former boxer whose eyes were so damaged in his first pro fight that it ended his career. Watase is a former yakuza whose partner was so moved by watching a boxing match (coincidentally, the very match that permanently injured Moriya) that he insisted on leaving the world of crime, taking Watase with him. Together, they are strangers who find themselves plucked from Earth at the instant of their deaths by an alien woman with the power to manipulate time. The alien wishes to use Moriya and Watase as subjects in an experiment she’s developed to determine if “recycling” methods used on her planet could be put to use in order to solve Earth’s energy crisis. “The human body is filled with energy,” says the alien scientist–energy that only need be extracted. For this purpose, she transforms Watase into a vampire whose mission is to collect vials of blood, and Moriya into a werewolf who must collect vials of semen (don’t ask me). For each vial collected, the two of them will earn 0.1 seconds “before impact.” In other words, they will gain back a tenth of a second of their lives before they both were hit by an oncoming truck.

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Picks for Right Stuf’s DMP Sale!

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Like many of you I’m a sucker for a sale and though I missed the recent sale on Vertical books while I was out of town (*snif*) I’ve perked up a bit over this week’s specials at rightstuf.com from Digital Manga Publishing, whose eclectic mix of titles (on sale through tomorrow, October 22nd) offers something for everyone. Taking a look at my review index, I realize I’ve actually reviewed very few of these, but my recommendations are as hearty as ever!

floweroflifeAt the top of my list are a couple of titles from the brilliant Fumi Yoshinaga, Antique Bakery and Flower of Life, both wonderfully quirky series as only Yoshinaga can produce. She has a great gift for painting her characters through dialogue that is uniquely hers and it is this that draws me most to her work. Also, she’s funny–really, really funny, yet simultaneously poignant and frequently deep. If that alone is not enough to sway you, check out Michelle Smith’s lovely review of Antique Bakery and Shaenon Garrity’s hilarious overview of Flower of Life. As Shaenon says at the end of her write-up, “Thank you, Fumi Yoshinaga, for continuing to be better than everyone!” …

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