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my darling kitten hair

Off the Shelf: Ghosts, Demons, & Darling Kitten Hair

December 16, 2012 by MJ and Michelle Smith 4 Comments

MJ: Helloooooooooooooo!

MICHELLE: Yo.

MJ: It took every bit of willpower I had not to begin with “Ho, ho, ho!” That’s how much I’m looking forward to my upcoming vacation.

MICHELLE: Heh. I’m not taking much of one, but hubby is, which is kind of like a vacation for me!

MJ: I hope it gives you a least a bit of a break! I’m counting the days…

So, in all the mess of holiday preparations (or not), have you had a chance to read any manga?

MICHELLE: Not a great deal, actually, but some!

demonlovespell1The first item on my agenda this week is the debut of Demon Love Spell, a supernatural shoujo comedy from Mayu Shinjo. I must admit that the setup of this one—an inept shrine maiden with the thoroughly uninspired name of “Miko” tames a sexy demon—did not sound very promising. Coupled with the mess that is Ai Ore!, I definitely had to question why I was putting myself through another Shinjo manga. As it turns out, though, it isn’t bad. It’s not good, nor original, but it isn’t bad!

Miko Tsubaki is descended from a family that has protected a certain shrine for generations. Her father is a renowned exorcist, and though Miko lacks the ability to see ghosts and demons, she still wants to follow in his footsteps. When a classmate suggests her cheating boyfriend is possessed by a demon, Miko takes her seriously and attempts to bind the guy. To her utter astonishment, she succeeds. Kagura, a formerly studly incubus, who survives by feeding off women’s passionate feelings, has been reduced to a tiny state. This ignominious downfall prompts other demons to show up and mock him. However, whenever Kagura’s in physical contact with Miko, she’s able to see and fight them off.

Thus begins a partnership, with Miko lending him energy and him lending her his powers until she’s able to remember the spell to change him back. Of course, there’s a lot of innuendo here, as Kagura is typically tucked into her cleavage for these scenes, and he also has been visiting her sexually in her dreams. I did kind of worry this would be something like Black Bird, but it really isn’t. Kagura is pretty sexually voracious, true, but he doesn’t seem to be doing anything Miko doesn’t want—her dream self states quite plainly that she’s been enjoying what’s going on—and occasionally seems rather sad that she’s unable to remember their closeness during their waking hours. Theirs isn’t a deep love and unfolds far too quickly to be convincing, but at least it’s not icky.

Ultimately, Demon Love Spell is kind of generic, but it’s the kind of fluff one can enjoy without feeling bad about it.

MJ: I reviewed this book for my very first episode of My Week in Manga, and surprisingly, I think I enjoyed it more than you did—or at least felt more enthusiastic about enjoying it—though this could possibly be due to my extremely low expectations. (I never made it past volume two of Ai Ore!) I think I really appreciate its ability to provide some genuine sexiness without all the gross misogyny of Ai Ore! or Black Bird. I don’t know why these things always seem to go hand-in-hand in trashy shoujo manga, but they really do. I’m grateful for a break from it.

MICHELLE: Yes, “sexy without being gross” is a good way to describe it. I like it enough so far to read more, but it’s not the kind of thing I see myself wanting to reread multiple times in the future.

Anyways, what have you been reading this week?

kittenhair2MJ: I pondered heavily over what to choose for my solo read this week—even going so far as to solicit suggestions on YouTube—but in the end, I snatched up the opportunity to talk about volume two of Haruko Kumota’s My Darling Kitten Hair, out this week from JManga. Normally, I’d save a title like this for our BL Bookrack column, but this series is so charming, I just couldn’t wait that long!

A quick recap of the premise for those who missed my short review of the first volume: Young salaryman Kei-chan has left his Hokkaido hometown in order to join his high school boyfriend, Mii-kun (a slovenly writer who makes his living penning erotica), at his grandmother’s boarding house in Tokyo. Though the two have been a couple for a long time, the bohemian atmosphere of the boarding house is a far cry from their closeted world back home, which turns out to be a real adjustment for both of them.

This is absolutely a slice-of-life series, much heavier on characterization than it is on plot, but its series of snapshots into the young men’s lives illustrates beautifully the unquestionable weirdness of becoming a real, independent adult, especially when you’re trying to do it alongside someone from your childhood. Volume one focused heavily on Kei-chan’s introduction to Mii-kun’s queer circle of friends and the shifting of their relationship from chaste country sweethearts (and later, long-distance lovers) into that of sexually active adults. Volume two continues with more of both, which in less skilled hands might simply become repetitive. Fortunately Kumota is the kind of writer who understands how to move her characters forward without having to rely on dramatic plot points to do so. Her deceptively light story develops slowly and naturally, full of warmth and charm in every moment.

It’s so rare to read a BL series (or any relationship-driven story) that is about staying in love rather than falling in love, and there’s a reason for that. It’s hard! As difficult as it can be to write authentic, well-developed romance, much like actual romance, it’s even harder to keep that fire burning after the initial rush of first love. Thankfully, My Darling Kitten Hair stands as a lovely example of how to do exactly that. And it’s a real pleasure to read.

MICHELLE: That sounds really wonderful. Almost like a worthy successor to Future Lovers, if I may make so bold a claim having not read any of the title in question! Is the story still ongoing after the second volume?

MJ: The internet tells me that it is, indeed, ongoing, which fills me with great joy! You particularly, Michelle, will enjoy the two bonus chapters at the end of volume two, depicting Kei-chan and Mii-kun’s relationship from the contrasting POVs of the boarding house’s two cats.

So as usual, we have a mutual read on deck. Would you like to introduce it this week?

MICHELLE: !! Okay, that settles it. I am going to do a brief of this in next week’s Bookshelf Briefs, I do declare!

07-ghost1Our mutual read this week is the re-debut of 07-Ghost, which was originally launched by Go!Comi a few years ago and is now back in print thanks to VIZ Media. This political/military/religious fantasy is the story of Teito Klein, a shrimpy (there needs to be some kind of master list of short male manga protagonists!) but talented student at the Barsburg Empire military academy. He’s a member of the special class, whose students use a power called zaiphon “to shape the divine energy of life.”

Their graduation ceremony includes banding together to defeat a hulking prisoner, and soon after Teito and his best friend Mikage manage to pass the test, Teito overhears some school officials talking about how he’s the best candidate for something called the Eye of Mikael, which was a stone that protected the rival Raggs Kingdom. This sets off a flurry of disjointed memories, and very quickly thereafter Teito has escaped and found himself seeking sanctuary in a church ruled by three rather eccentric bishops. The school/military hasn’t given up on finding him, however, and they’ve got no qualms about using Mikage to do it.

MJ: Well done, Michelle! What readers also should know is that this series runs in Ichijinsha’s Comic Zero Sum which, if you’re a fan of other Zero Sum fantasy series from authors like Yun Kouga (Loveless) and Kazuya Minekura ( Saiyuki Reload), gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. I went into 07-Ghost expecting three things: pretty male characters, sprawling fight scenes, and homoerotic subtext, and it delivered on all three.

MICHELLE: It definitely reminds me of those series, especially visually. Somehow the art style strikes me as “old-fashioned,” but I can’t really explain why. It’s not as light and simple as some things I’ve been reading recently, which helps create the fantasy feeling, methinks. There were times when I was confused by what I was looking at—what is that flying thing? what’s going on in this fight scene?—but these questions were all quickly answered by the story, so it wasn’t really an issue.

One thing I had some issues with is the pacing. Teito’s escape from the military academy after that overheard conversation is a veritable whirlwind, and he deduces very quickly that he’s a member of Raggs royalty. Perhaps I’m simply used to other manga, where we actually see the moment when a truth is realized, and there is much emphasis on the point to make sure the reader gets it, but with 07-Ghost it felt a little rushed to me. His memories, visions, and temptations to sell his soul in order to learn about his past can also be a little confusing. But that said, I think some of the other plot elements are paced nicely, like the continued allusions to the seven ghosts who I can only assume are eventually going to awaken and do something badass.

MJ: I agree, there were some whirlwind sections that left me feeling a bit frazzled and confused (though the story always caught me back up), and I think the fight scenes in particular could use more definition. But overall, I really enjoyed the chance to sink into some female-aimed action/fantasy, which I’ll admit is a pet genre of mine. I feel like the rushed introduction to Teito’s past was supposed to sweep us along so that we’d experience the same shock as Teito does, but it doesn’t linger quite long enough on that moment of realization which robs it of some impact (and a bit of credibility). But in the context of the whole volume, I can accept this as a minor stumble. And I’m anxious to find out more about the seven ghosts!

MICHELLE: Me, too! I wasn’t aware prior to reading this that I actually wanted 07-Ghost to be license-rescued, but now that it has been, I see that it was a pretty worthy contender. Thanks, VIZ!

Filed Under: OFF THE SHELF Tagged With: 07 Ghost, demon love spell, my darling kitten hair

BL Bookrack: March 2012

March 22, 2012 by MJ and Michelle Smith 13 Comments

Welcome to the March installment of BL Bookrack! This month, MJand Michelle take a look at two debut volumes from the Digital Manga Guild, Tweeting Love Birds and You & Tonight. In Brief: About Love from Digital Manga Publishing’s Juné imprint, and volume one of My Darling Kitten Hair from JManga.



Tweeting Love Birds, Vol. 1 (Kindle) | By Kotetsuko Yamamoto | Digital Manga Guild | Rated YA (16+) – Thanks to a back cover summary that made one of the characters sound intensely annoying, I wasn’t expecting much from Tweeting Love Birds. I ended up being pleasantly surprised, but that’s not to say that the book is riveting or unique.

Daisuki Ohtaka started playing baseball because his grandfather was a fan, and even goes so far as to enroll in his grandpa’s alma mater. He doesn’t seem to have much personal love of the game, however, and once he arrives and discovers the shabby state of the team, he immediately wants to leave. After the small and cute captain, Suzume Morino (aka “Tweetie,” a nickname derived from the fact that his name means “sparrow”), blackmails Daisuke (whom he promptly christens “Taka”) into staying, he finds himself becoming more intrigued by Tweetie and experiencing jealousy when others give him attention, even while maintaining that he is straight.

Yes, this might be another “only gay for you” story, but so far it’s kind of charming. It has a slice-of-life feel that I appreciate, with any baseball action firmly in the background, and sometimes it’s even funny. I snickered out loud, for example, when a drunk Tweetie proclaims, “Taka touched my boobies.” There’s nothing much original about the plot or its execution, but neither is there anything glaringly offensive. The adaptation by DMG group Boys’ Love Bang Bang is also flawless, with no errors or awkwardness to detract from one’s reading experience.

I’m a little surprised that Yamamoto-sensei was able to squeeze enough material out of this setup for a second volume, but there is indeed one more installment to go before the series is complete. Despite first impressions, I’ll be coming back for more.

– Review by Michelle Smith



You and Tonight, Vol. 1 (Kindle) | By Keiko Kinoshita | Digital Manga Guild | Rated YA (16+) – Rikuro has spent ten long years hiding his feelings for his straight best friend, Yasutaka, only to discover that Yasutaka gave in and slept with a male coworker after he begged and cried. Though the news gives him sudden hope, it also makes him begin to panic that his time is running out. But can his friendship with Yasutaka really survive the truth?

I’ve developed a bit of a love affair with Keiko Kinoshita’s work as of late, and this series has only deepened my feelings. Written in the same vein as her earlier two-volume series Kiss Blue, You and Tonight is a thoughtful, quiet manga about the delicate balance between love and friendship, and how two lifelong friends deal with the complications that arise when that balance is disturbed. Also like Kiss Blue, You and Tonight lets its characters process this sloooowly, which is one of the things that makes Kinoshita’s romance work so well. She isn’t afraid to let her characters wallow in uncertainty, and she certainly takes her time, but there’s never a sense that the story is dragging. On the contrary, there is tension in each moment, even the quietest ones.

Kinoshita’s artwork has always been on the understated side, but her expressiveness really shines here in this volume. She makes the most of her characters’ body language and subtle facial cues, working as much emotion into them as she does into her equally understated dialogue. Both Rikuro and Yasutaka process most everything on the inside, making their moments of visible weakness even more powerful. A single panel of Rikuro breaking down, alone in an elevator, springs immediately to mind. It’s an image that’s stuck with me for days after reading this volume. Digital Manga Guild localizing group Cynical Pink does a lovely job, too, providing a clean, lyrical adaptation that suits Kinoshita’s tone perfectly.

For fans of Keiko Kinoshita, this series is a must-read. For everyone else… it’s a must-read too. Highly recommended.

– Review by MJ


In Brief:

About Love (Kindle) | By Narise Konohara | Digital Manga Publishing/Juné | Rated YA (16+) – I’m late to the party on this title, and I can only say that with the deepest regret. With its complicated characters and slow-building romance, About Love is absolutely my type of BL. Mangaka Narise Konohara weaves an unlikely love story between two seemingly unremarkable characters—a fresh-faced newlywed and the insecure young wedding planner who discovers the truth behind his smile—and she does it with the utmost subtlety and care. From its expressive, melancholy cover to the very last page, About Love is thoughtful, moody, and stunningly poignant. The only downside is that this title is not yet available digitally, but if any recent BL title is worth the shelf space, this is it. Highly recommended. – MJ

My Darling Kitten Hair, Vol. 1 | By Haruko Kumota | JManga/Libre Publishing | Rated Mature – This title came to my attention by way of JManga’s ABC of BL/yaoi and I could not be more grateful for the introduction. This adorable manga follows the romance between a slovenly young writer and his salaryman boyfriend who has just come to live with him (in a charming, Maison Ikkoku-like setting) after maintaining a rather chaste, long-distance relationship for six years. It’s not often we see a romance manga that begins in the middle of the relationship, and even less often that the main pairing is surrounded by convincingly queer characters who feel authentic as part of the story and not just as glorified set pieces. Even more encouraging, the series is still ongoing in Japan, which means there is some hope of us having a good, long time with it. Honestly surprising and highly recommended. – MJ


Some review copies provided by the publishers.

Disclosure: MJ is currently under contract with Digital Manga Publishing’s Digital Manga Guild, as necessitated for her ongoing report Inside the DMG. Any compensation earned by MJin her role as an editor with the DMG will be donated to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Other recent BL reviews at Manga Bookshelf: Ata (Digital Manga Guild)

Filed Under: BL BOOKRACK Tagged With: about love, my darling kitten hair, tweeting love birds, you & tonight

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