Squeefinity: A Casual Guide to Anime and Manga

Rainy Day Love -- Satomi Konno

2012-02-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

Publisher: DMG
Audience: The cover says 16+ (Due to the amount of naked stickiness, I say 18+)
Localization Team: Cynical Pink

Here on the West Coast, certain manga bloggers aren't immune to romance problems of their own. Sometimes, said manga bloggers, who will not be named, want to just read a cute and ideal love story and fantasize for a moment that love is just that easy.

Tonight I had the opportunity to read Rainy Day Love. It is adorable. Yes. I know, crabby Shakespeare who usually just wants to be critical of everything is saying: this manga is pretty darn sweet.

Older Teen Yuta works in his family's senbai shop. When his younger highschool buddy Shizuno appears, Yuta realizes he has feelings for him. There's not too much struggling here, not too much angst. There's just a little fumbling, a fever and some love. Shizuno's been in love a long time and has some very adorable fantasies about Yuta, which Yuta can't live up to. But, it's okay, because the real Yuta is more adorable to Shizuno than the fantasy one.

The real charm of this manga for me is the older couple comprised of Shoichi, Yuta's older brother who also works at the senbai shop, and the usually intoxicated Seigo, a family friend who had been in love with Shoichi since they were kids.

They are one of those "one part flaky but earnest and lovelorn, one part kind and responsible and terrified to get involved" couples that you just want to root for.

I actually think that the mangaka liked the older couple more than the younger couple, too, because they're drawn a bit better than the younger couple. Or maybe I am just an old lady and prefer to look at more mature male characters.

Speaking of artwork, it feels a little lazy at the beginning, but really gets much better toward the end. Some of the chibi characterizations in this are just cute as cute can be.

On the tail end of Dr. M's translation rant, I have to say that the translation for this story was really great. How do I judge that? Because, I didn't have to think about it. It was natural, well-paced and clear. I was able to get into the story and get away. Sigh.

Certain manga bloggers wish that love would just show up on their doorstep and confess itself or bumble into their workplace and have an outburst or go through some deep soul searching on their behalf. Someday. Maybe. And on that day there will be plenty of wind.

Until then, there's manga.

The Deal with Translations: An Emotional Plea by Dr. M

2012-02-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

Here's the thing: words are magic. If you don't think so, consider that pretty much everyone in the world learns how to write by spelling. We make words by learning to spell...get it? Words are magic. And they mean very particular things. I feel like admitting some things about myself in this post, so bear with me, Dear Readers, as I ~~have a hissy fit~~ make an emotional plea to translators, and ~~wax all academic up in this mug~~ discuss the complications of writing and translating in general.

ABRACADABRA!

Now something magics itself into being right?

Aren't you glad I didn't say Avada Kedavra?

(First Harry Potter reference of the day, y'all!)

First, I am an English Professor (not that you'd know it by my improper comma usage), which means that I deal with language all the time. I teach students how to translate ideas in their heads into writing language on the page which can then be translated by another person back into ideas and understanding...WHEW! This process of communicating (translating concepts, experiences and emotions into squiggles someone else can comprehend) is something that is extremely difficult for even the most talented of writers. When I teach I admit that. I actually do have a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing, and I still get frustrated and overwhelmed when I write. As a writer I am always trying to pin down an elusive thought or feeling into the exact right words, and sometimes failing. The reason for the difficulty is not only the nuances of our personal experiences, but the complexities of language itself. I warn students regularly about misusing the thesaurus, explaining to them that although there are many words for what seem like the same thing, but those words are NOT the same.

Every word is a living, adapting, evolving signifier with at least, if not more than, two "definitions." The first is a bare-bones basic definition, the denotation of the word. We can look this up in the dictionary and read about what a word means on its most basic level. But every word also carries within it a secondary connotation, a definition that is not only in flux (adapted, defined and redefined), but which often contains either value, judgement, nuance, emotional connection, or cultural association. What does this mean, well, maybe we should use an example? I'll use something scandalous...I know my audience.

The word Bitch means, quite literally, female dog. That's one of its denotations. The other denotation is that it is a pejorative term for an aggressive or contentious woman. Lots of words can mean two things. Unless you're a dog breeder, you aren't really thinking of the first definition, so let's look at the second one. Bitch can mean a lot of things, and the connotation of the word depends on the situation, speaker, audience and implications. If I am poking fun at my best friend (something I cannot help but do) and she laughs and calls me a bitch, I'm okay with that, because the context of the situation (our relationship, the mood, the tone of voice, and the implications of that word) makes it fine. If my sister puts a sticker on the back of her car that reads "Super Bitch," I might roll my eyes, but I know that a sticker like that is actually doing something very subversive; it is re-appropriating (redefining a word that is hurtful within the dominant culture for positive use within a minority culture) that term in a way that she can identify with, and implying that she is a strong, independent woman.

It might be interesting to discuss,
but I don't want this sticker on my car.
(Image from eshirt.com)

If a waitperson at restaurant calls me a bitch, though, he or she will NOT be getting a tip (and I should probably check my food for spit)...the context of their comment is wholly negative, critical and could even be sexist depending on the gender and intention of the server. If someone at a bar calls me this, I will wind up in a fist-fight (I told you, Dear Readers, I am admitting things today). The word itself does not change, but the meaning does all dependent on the speaker, audience and context. Over time language can morph and move in and out of popular use, it can completely change meanings in remarkable ways because language is alive.

Ichigo is confused by all of this.
Let's just let him go fight bad guys.
He's not really a semiotics/sociolinguistics fan.
(Image from Anime Vice News)

So, if writing is hard even within one's own language, imagine the difficulty translators face when attempting to move not only from artist to audience but between languages which might have very different understandings of what words mean. To be a translator you have to know a culture very well and understand not just what words mean, but how they are used in day to day interactions, between various groups of people (among whom a particular word may mean something different in different contexts). The language of a culture reflects the ideas, values, and texture of a culture. There are words for things in some languages which simply do not exist in another language because there is no cultural equivalent, or because such a language has no use for a particular word (check out this list of 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words from Jason Wire at Matador Abroad). There are also cultures that are naturally multi-lingual in a sense, adopting words from other languages and absorbing, adapting, redefining them into their own daily use. Both English and Japanese adopt words regularly from other cultures when there is no equivalent in their own language. Although the words adopted are often used in similar ways to the original language's meaning, there are subtle differences in connotation. There are even cultural groups who technically speak the same language, but their use of it is so different that it causes translation issues. English is spoken in the United States of America, Canada, Australia, England and some island nations. And yet even close neighbors like the USA and Canada have language differences significant enough to cause translation and comprehension issues. Even within a single country like the USA, there are regional and cultural differences reflected in language. I live in the rural Southeast of the United States. Shakespeare lives in an urban environment on the West coast. We both lived in the upper Midwest for a while. I am from Appalachia. Each of those places has different speech patterns, dialects, regional speech, and values reflected in word usage, syntax, etc. People in different social, economic, cultural, regional and even social-specific groups can have an impossible time understanding one another, despite speaking the same language.

Shuichi is mad that Dr. M's poor fansubbed
Gravitation didn't do his story justice.
(Image by shubear88)

Translation IS hard. And I admire anyone who attempts it. In order to get my degree one of my requirements was to translate poetry (a slippery genre if there ever was one), and a snippet of critical theory from French into English. I had a hell of a time, despite knowing both languages rather well. I had a decision to make too, would I translate literally (this word is equal to this equivalent word) or would I translate for meaning and nuance (this word implies this meaning with this related word)? The whole thing is baffling and takes a careful, patient willingness to engage with original text, language and audience. I admire and respect translators to the utmost. Especially those translators who started out as unpaid fans of anime or manga, working only for love of the genre and a selfless desire to share the thing they love with their fellow fans. Fansubbers/Fanslators helped build a market for anime and manga. Now, as both traditional and digital publishers scramble to keep up with the demand of hungry fans like me, those amateur translators are starting to receive recognition for their work. They become parts of translation groups, and places like Digital Manga Guild hire them, finally paying them for their talents and dedication. Some groups are phenomenal (our new pals Cynical Pink, for instance) and produce translations that take into account the complexity of language. Some groups, on the other hand, need an editor and proofreader NOW! (Incidentally, I charge around $3.00/page for proofreading and $12/hr for editing, if anyone is interested. I have a lot of experience, and I expect people to pay for it.)

Nausicca approves of decent translations!

So, translations are hard, I understand that! They take time, and there are deadlines and rushed jobs, but regardless of those constraints they need to be thorough. Some publishers are very good at providing final edits and proofreads for their translators, and some are, well, some are...um...what's up with the bad translations lately? I find the whole thing rather dismal, and I hope that it isn't the trend of things to come. Rushed translation jobs with multiple errors in usage, syntax, and grammar (not to mention the questionable stylistic choices) are not the answer to a growing interest in the genres. I would rather have no manga and anime, than poorly translated, formatted or (for whomever's sake!) edited works. I hate slop. Slop is hard to read. Slop does not do credit to the original work, and it does not successfully convey the complexities and nuances of a story. A consideration of language, the medium by which a story is told, is CRUCIAL! For this reason, I'm glad that Shakespeare has chosen to highlight the translator, or translation teams, working to bring us manga and anime when possible. I plan on following suit, and giving credit where credit is due. Kudos to those translators who love the genre enough to pour their time and effort into the difficult process of moving between languages. And shame on those who don't take it seriously. Poor writing is sometimes the fault of the original author, but more often than not, it is sloppy, unconsidered language that can make the difference between a good story (with bad writing) and a great story. I want great stories. I think we all do, so I'll end with that plea I promised.

Dear translators,

Thank you for your efforts to bring us stories we might never have access to, but please do remember to take your time.

Love,
Dr. M

First Impressions/So-Weird Sunday! Thermae Romae (Anime Series)

2012-02-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers, I have yet another brand-new series to review. This one Thermae Romae is currently running on Fuji TV. This anime series is based on an award-winning manga series of the same name by Mari Yawazazi. The manga series itself was popular enough to spawn a live-action feature-length film (scheduled for release this year), and this anime series. After viewing the first three episodes of the anime, and watching the trailer for the live action film (embedded below for your amusement/bafflement) I have to say...um, uh...what just happened? Well, Thermae Romae just happened, I guess.

The title sequence shows some nice examples
of Roman Art and Architecture.

The central figure of Thermae Romae is Lucius Modestus, a Roman architect living during the rule of Hadrian. He seems to be suffering from architect's block. Frustrated by his lack of inspiration he seeks relaxation and recharging at one of Rome's many baths, only to find them anything but relaxing. Whilst (yes, "whilst") dunking his head under the water for a little peace and quiet, he notices a strange drain in the floor of the caladrium and is immediately sucked down the drain (yes, "down the drain") only to emerge in Modern Japan.

This is the plot. Now far be it for me to pooh-pooh a time-travel adventure, because honestly, I love me some wibbly-wobbly, timey-whimey time travelling. But, still being honest, this is a weird anime. Even if we ignore the absurdity of the plot (yes, that is the plot...architect sucked through time drain), this is still pretty silly. It is also the kind of silliness that I know Japanese audiences enjoy, a "fish-out-of-water" comedy.

The old man is right. Lucius doesn't understand Japanese.
That's hilarious!

These kinds of comedies are nothing new to fans of anime or manga. We've seen similar plots and oddities in series like Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (a favorite of Shakespeare's) and in Ramen Ikaga (a favorite of...man, I don't know who likes that one...silly CAN go too far). The thing is, I'm not positive that these types of comedies translate well. They just come off as punny and hyperactive, and many of the "jokes" are perhaps too culturally-specific to resonate with a foreign audience.

In episode 1, Lucius emerges in what he believes is the "slave's bath" and is given a fruit milk to drink. He is a fan, to say the least. His response to fruit milk, which I think sounds gross, is pretty dramatic.

FRUIT MILK ORGASM!
(I apologize for that outburst, but that's all I can explain this as.)

The fruit milk stuns him into unconsciousness, and he awakens again in Ancient Rome (which to him is just Regular-old Rome) inspired to take what he's learned on his time-travels and introduce them to his own culture. Fruit milk is such a hit with bath patrons that he has to buy another cow. The end.

Episode 2 begins one year after Lucius's new "avante-guarde" (the anime's words, not mine) bath became a hit. He is called to the bedside of Consul Lepidus...and OH, MY GOD, IS THAT STEVE BUSCEMI?

Not Steve Buscemi.

No, I guess it isn't, but would it really be that weird? I mean this is an anime where monkey attacks at hot springs seem unsurprising (that comes in a minute, Dear Readers). Anyway, he is called to the Consul's deathbed and is asked to construct an open-air bath, something unheard of in Roman times (I did not know that, I learned something! This is educational!). While searching the grounds with Steve Buscemi look-alike, Regulus, he discovers a natural spring that's heated with the waters of Vesuvius. He enters the spring and SHAZBOT, he's whisked back to modern Japan, and is attacked by monkeys (I always deliver on my promises, Dear Readers).

Lucius fell into the monkey bath, instead of the people bath.
Now he's going to need Rabies shots.
I hope he gets them while he's still in the "future."

Aside from discovering the benefits of hot springs, Lucius also discovers hot-spring boiled eggs and warm sake. He relaxes into a slumber and awakens again in Rome. Inspired he builds the bath which not only restores the Consul's health, but renews his vigor entirely. Hooray! Also, somehow a monkey got sucked back into Rome with Lucius, but no one seems to worry about that.

Episode 3 begins two years after the first accidental time tubing, with a history lesson about Hadrian and his homosexual lover Antinous and a description of a strigil (a Roman bathing tool that looked a little like a shoehorn and was used for scraping oil and dirt from the body). See, we are learning stuff. Lucius is having a discussion with his friend about creating baths in the home when...SHAKAZULU, he's whisked again back to modern Japan. This time he emerges in a soaking tub in a regular Japanese home.

Taking a soak!

He is mistaken for a caretaker by a very old man who introduces him to amazing things like washrags and beer. Again, he passes out, this time awakening with a washcloth in his hand and a plan for a home bath and shower for his friend's aging master.

And use it he does!

Inventive, but still disgusting.

And I stopped watching here. Cow Bowels.

All in all, Thermae Romae isn't SO-Bad. It is a little funny. The episodes are short, even by Japanese norms--they run around 12 minutes each, and the artwork is different enough from the standard fare to be interesting. It is weird though. Purposefully weird. And I'm not exactly clear what's special or compelling enough about this series that it deserved a live-action version...then again, I'm not sure why people watch Adam Sandler movies either. So, take my impressions of this series with a grain of salt and a full-awareness that this isn't something I'd be super into no matter what form it took. It is a fun bit of fluff, but not much more.

Now here's that live-action trailer I promised you, enjoy!

Full Bloom, Vol 1. Rio, Saori Mieno

2012-02-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

Publisher: DMG
Audience: 13+ (totally fine for a younger teen; no sex, just longing)
DMG Team: Acolytes of Adaptation

Hello Dear Readers,

I've been busy, busy, busy this week and also full of insomnia. One of my goals, though is to try and review a good number of DMG titles. I'm also going to try and give props to the teams who do the work of translating/localizing these titles, so you'll see that up there in the attributes from now on.

Full Bloom, Vol. 1 is a high school love story with light (so far) themes of gender fluidity/confusion. From what I can tell there is a boy/girl identical twin pair that like to swap clothes. Both of them go by the name Nagi because their parents couldn't tell them apart as babies, which I have a hard time believing if one is really a boy and one is really a girl.

Anyway, this guy Shima Masaki, fell in love with the "girl" twin like three years before and confessed his love, but "she" ran away -- I guess to America, and Masaki has been pining after her ever since.

One day, the twins show up at the school, and Masaki's heart goes all aflutter driving him into straight up stalker mode. His friend, Akira, who I think the comic is trying to portray as a bit of a player, is often around making observations or something and his other friend, Yuki, aka Prince, a manly woman who all the girls swoon for, is also around making observations.

To be honest, I found this manga kind of hard to follow.

The twin swapping was difficult to keep tabs on. I think because the twins have the same name and you never know if the boy is the girl or the girl is the boy because they change out their hair and their clothes outside of the panels.

There was a lot of talk about which bus which character was riding, and we find out at the very end that Shima Masaki is like a super amazing karate champion. It would be nice for character building to know that earlier, I think.

I don't know about this manga. I sort of followed the story, but toward the end, I just couldn't figure out anything to do with the twins, like if it was the boy who liked Masaki or the girl or if they were both actually girls or boys. I know one of the pair was clearly annoyed about something, but I couldn't quite put it together.

This was a cute, well-drawn manga, with a plot that I think is interesting. Maybe Vol II will bring it all into clearer perspective? I hope so!

Did anyone else read this? Was anyone else completely bewildered?

Anyone?

Why Manga Publishing is Dying...

2012-02-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

We shared this on our Google + page a few days ago, but I think it really could use a share here.

For anyone who loves manga as much as we do, Jason Thompson over io9.com wrote a really great article about the future of manga. You should read it!

Why Manga Publishing Is Dying (And How It Could Get Better)

Really. Go read it now.

<3 Shakespeare

New Reviewer Mr. Empty and Other Squeefinity News

2012-01-30T10:23:00.000-08:00

That's a sad name, isn't it? Oh, Dear Readers, Shakespeare and I have invited Mr. Empty to join us in posting reviews of anime and manga to Squeefinity.com. You'll find his first review, a "First Impressions" look at the Code Geass-esque Blood Blockade Battlefront, below. And we guarantee that although his name is Mr. Empty, his heart is not a bleak and sorrowful place (well, not all the time).

Why add someone at all? Well, to be honest we figured, why not? Shakespeare and I have our own review styles, and perspectives, so we thought it couldn't hurt to add another voice to the discussion on Squeefinity.com. We look forward to more of Mr. Empty's reviews as he becomes part of the Squeefinity team. What he may not know is that he's on double-secret probation until the swearing in ceremony, where we honor the long, century-spanning history of The Super-Secret and Semi-Loyal Order of Squeefinite Squeedom. It begins with the ceremonial recitation of the secret pledge to watch one's html "so Shakespeare doesn't have to fix it later," and ends with an arm-wrestling competition with James (which everyone wins because he has surprisingly little upper body strength).

So, that's new, but we're also planning some other new things to keep Squeefinity on the pulse of...well, we're planning some things. Here's what's coming down the pipeline:

An academic/writerly discussion of translations by yours truly, Dr. M, in which I complain a lot about the poor translation jobs I've been seeing lately, and admit that translating ANYTHING is actually a very difficult process.

Another Winchester Wednesday post by the often absentee James Parker Lombard. This one on genre and genre-busting.

More stunning discussions by Shakespeare, including a review of Saori Mieno's Full Bloom.

A review (or possibly even reviews...yes, plural) of the classic manga/anime series Fruits Basket in anticipation of the February British re-release by MVM.

Mr. Empty's rebuttal to my claims that FLCL is pointlessly annoying. Will he prove me wrong? Maybe.

Remember to follow us here on Blogger, elsewhere on Twitter, circle our page on G+ and add us to your RSS feed to keep on top of all the haps!

Join us, Dear Readers!
Together we will be victorious and win the all the internets!

First Impression: Blood Blockade Battlefront (monkeys, blood, and bug burgers)

2012-01-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

"Blood booger battlebots monkey something" - Dr. M

This is the first review of a wave of newly published books from what I like to call the Old Masters, mangaka who have had a very successful series put out and are now doing a sort of victory lap with a new series. This series, Blood Blockade Battlefront, which has conveniently been to shortened to B³ for fans who know keyboard shortcuts, is from Yasuhiro Nightow, the man behind Trigun, which I always found pretty entertaining.

This series starts off with the briefest of brief introductions, right before jamming your head between the bars of a jail cell full to the brim of complete and total mayhem. There is a little bit of a sense (for me at least) that Nightow might have had a fuller introductory chapter that cut to the editing room floor, and it can leave you feeling a bit lost on first read. The introduction actually seems more like the introduction for the 52nd chapter of a serialized manga, where everyone already knows what the deal is, and the character bios are just a wink, wink for the fans.

The main character is a bit of an underwhelming underachiever, named Leo. Hilariously (to me), he writes and photographs a tourist guide for Lost Planet, which just cracks me up every time I read that line. As we learn more about Leo, he has a crippled sister (~~Nunally~~?) and he's busting his ass in the biiig ciiity to make some money to help her. However, because he's an underwhelming underachiever, he sucks at this, and doesn't even have money for a burger, which, by the way, is a burger made out of what looks like a giant grasshopper leg. This is due to the fact that the biiiig ciiiity he is in, is Jerusalem's Lot (no, Stephen King, not like yours). Jerusalem's Lot used to be New York City, rift opens, all sorts of aliens pop in and start chillin at the Holiday Inn, except for the giant grasshopper aliens, who are made into burgers, apparently.

Leo's job as a writer is cut a bit short, when he loses his meal, and his camera, to a "mechamonkey", which just looks like a cute-ass little monkey. This is where things get interesting, because Leo is the only one who can see what took his camera as mechamonkeys are too fast to see (~~LeLouche~~?). This leads into the bigger story arc for the volume, where Leo chases the monkey (~~LeLouche chasing Arthur~~?). Whilst chasing the robotic simian, Leo gets face-stomped by a chain-smoking badass dude, named Zap. Zap is part of Libra. Libra is a shadowy organization that seems to be some sort of vigilante group, operating outside the law. Zap thinks Leo is Libra's newest recruit. Pretty basic setup.

Things get interesting, when Zap drags Leo to Libra headquarters, only to realize in a hilarious, mix-up way that only manga can deliver (you have to read it, you really do), that Leo is not the newest member of Libra. Klaus, the big, square-jawed man on the cover, is the leader of Libra and realizes that Leo has special vision, which allows him to see things that are moving faster than the eye can see. Neat!

It gets even neater, when Femt, "King of Depravity", unleashes a scheme on Jerusalem's Lot. Femt doesn't seem to be the biggest bad guy for the series, but who knows, maybe Nightow likes to setup all the players from the get-go. Femt has a giant demon from that rift I mentioned, and he's set-up a portal that allows half of the demon to exist in Jerusalem's Lot for a couple of seconds at a time, every so many minutes, and the other half is stumbling around the city looking for it's arm. -_- This is actually more interesting than it sounds, because every time the arm comes out of the portal, it swings a sword and blows a bunch of shit up! :o Apparently it's Kenpachi Zaraki's arm! :p

In case you haven't yet guessed it, the portal is in the monkey! So, the wacky (not really) and wild (pretty wild) chase for the fast little guy is on. And Leo, backed by Libra, are the only ones who have both the ability to see the portal opening, and do something about it.

As far as the actual manga styling goes, this is pretty solid work. Occasionally the action might require a bit slower reading, it tends to be a lot of speedlines and that can be difficult to decipher when there's explosions and fighting going on, but in general, it's a very solid drawing style, easy to read. If you've read Trigun, this should be a familiar feeling, it's got a lot of the same style. Also, it's violent, but not gory. No entrails hanging out, just puffs of blood and the like, a good medium for this kind of story in my opinion.

The biggest complaint I have about the book is that it left me craving more, so badly. I wanted to know more about the characters, I wanted to know more about the powers, I wanted to know more about ~~Nunally~~ his sister back at home, and Libra looks to be an interesting bunch as well.

All said and done, this is a solid series from a mangaka who isn't likely to get his series cancelled anytime soon. If you're looking for a new series that has solid action and burgers made from big ol' cricket legs, give this one a shot. ;)

P.S. It doesn't really come across as anything like Code Geass, I just find it funny when story arcs match up like that. :P

Ata (Manga)

2012-01-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

Title: Ata
Author/Illustrator: Tamaki Fuji
Publisher: DMG
Genre: Yaoi
Rating: 18+ Explicit Content...for some frank discussion, not for graphic sex.

EXPLICIT CONTENT NOTED!

Dear Readers, occasionally I come across a manga that I should not like, and yet...I do. Ata is such a manga. And not because it's risky, or raunchy, or because it contains questionable aesthetic choices, because Ata doesn't really do any of those things...in a lot of ways it's just another straight-forward, predictable, sloppy-love-triangle yaoi. But it's also less than that, in that it is really badly written. And it's also more than that, in that behind that bad writing and predictable scenarios there is something raw and powerful and heart-wrenching about the art and the genuine emotion that is expressed by these characters. To be honest, it surprised me. I mean it really surprised me. I said aloud to the computer screen, and the dog who happened to be listening in, "Holy crap, am I crying?" And, Dear Readers, I was.

Let's start with the bad:

Straight away (no pun intended) I am annoyed at the protagonist, Kagerou, who is complaining that his troubled, middle-school drop-out, foster-brother and childhood friend has "decided" that he is gay. So, my hackles were raised. Raised! "Decided?" Grrrr. Thankfully this attitude is diverted quickly by a more reasonable discussion, almost so quickly that I thought, maybe they didn't mean "decided." I'm fairly sure the author didn't. Unfortunately, this manga is riddled with not only so much bad writing in general, but also so many blatantly obvious proofreading errors that it's hard to tell if "decided" was a mistake or intentional.
Clunky translations might not bother every reader, but they make me want to throw things. If translation is an art (and it is), whomever translated this just handed you a placemat with a crayon drawing of a cat which wound up looking more like an eggplant with a deformity. And typos? Typos are unacceptable, and yet...

Faught is not a word.
if the whole fought/faught thing were an isolated incident I might overlook it, but there are others. At one point Kagerou's name even shows up as Kagefou.
Poor translations can do more than just sound clunky. Sometimes they can change the meaning of the passage. For example, rape is a serious word. Rape is violent, brutal and is NOT about the physical act of sex as much as it is about the concepts of power, control and viciousness made physical. It is not a word to be thrown about lightly. And it is not molestation. Molestation is bad too, but it isn't rape. Molestation is unwanted sexual advances and can lead to rape, but these two things, although related, are not the same things. Language is subtle, friends, and often things that seem like synonyms to the (kill it with fire) thesaurus, are not things that are synonyms in the real world. No one is raped, thankfully, in this manga. People are, however, molested. But even that seems like the wrong word at one point. Maybe the word was coerced? Seduced doesn't seem right? Translations ARE hard, but words need to be used wisely, Dear Readers.
Sometimes poor translations just make a mess of everything. At this point I don't know if it is the translators or the original author who should take the blame for one of the stupidest and most biologically improbable discussions of ejaculate ever. I'm assuming here, Dear Readers, because I don't read a lot of ejaculate discussions. If the translator is to blame then okay, status quo for this manga, I suppose. But if the author is to blame, then I have to ask that manga writers do a little research when dealing with the male anatomy and its functions.
The plot is predictable in a lot of ways, boyhood friendships grow into unrecognized adult affections and it takes a love triangle for the characters to realize their true feelings. Nothing special or startling happens plotwise, but...I still wound up in tears. Let's explore why.

Kagerou doesn't seem to understand Ata at all, but he still sets himself in the role of protector, a role he took on when he and Ata were very young. Ata was a foster-child in Kagerou's home, and had a troubled past. They formed a close brotherly bond and spent much of their time together.

Little Kagerou (dark hair) comforting a little Ata (light hair) after a bad dream.

Kagerou takes his role as big-brother and protector very seriously even now. He calls the men Ata sleeps with "garbage" and he's right...they are. They're abusive, manipulative, cruel and selfish. But sadly, Ata can't seem to live long without falling from one bad relationship to another. At times Kagerou even has to step in physically to protect Ata from his choices in partners.

Adult Kagerou and adult Ata after one of Ata's nasty breakups.

Ata doesn't seem to understand Kagerou either. Ata wants to be with someone, but not just someone--someone who will care for him. He discovers, to his dismay, that he has been in love with Kagerou for a very long time. The string of lovers serve to occupy his passions, because he would rather keep Kagerou by his side than lose him completely. The lovers he has are ultimately unlovable, but that's fine with Ata, who feels as if he is unworthy of even the cruelest sort of partner, since, he believes, he is betraying them all with his love for Kagerou. Kagerou is Ata's home, and he is so afraid of poisoning that home with his desire, that he shuts himself off from any real feelings. He is used to men who use and mistreat him, so he becomes nervous when one of Kagerou's friends, archery Captain Sanuki, becomes interested in him. Ata falls into a secret relationship with him, and when their affair is revealed shit hit the fan for only a second before Kagerou backs down--he only wants the best for Ata, and Sanuki is a good guy for once, someone that Kagerou can approve of.

The problem is that Sanuki knows Ata's feelings for Kagerou, and eventually tires of playing second string, forcing Ata to admit his feelings to a broken and astonished Kagerou, who has been waiting for Ata all along.

Argh! Why am I crying when this is so badly written?
I am totally ashamed of myself right now.

And that, Dear Readers, is the moment I actually start to cry.

So, despite the bad grammar and the stupid assumptions about male physiology, there's something so painfully raw and beautiful beneath the surface of this otherwise cliched story that it moved cynical old Dr. M (who does not believe in things like true love, or soul mates, or unicorns, or tragic-pretty crying moments in the rain) to tears. And that, Dear Readers, is a pretty significant thing. I just really wish the writing were better. I can't approve of this manga, or recommend it as is...the writer/teacher/reader I am will not allow me to do that, but I can say that IF you can tolerate bad writing, then the story may be worth the effort it takes to slog through this train wreck. Better yet, just look at the pictures. The pictures are very nice.

Waiting in the Summer/Ano Natsu De Matteru (Anime Series)--First Impressions

2012-01-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

I have a brand, spanking new one for you today, Dear Readers, Ano Natsu De Matteru, or Waiting in the Summer, first aired just a few weeks ago in Japan (on January 10th). Already sites like Crunchyroll are airing the first episodes.

Waiting in the Summer begins with the protagonist, Kaito, filming at night. As he records the night landscape around him, he has an internal monologue in which he discusses his theory of life after death, and its relationship to memory. He believes that the dead live on by entering our hearts, essentially making homes there, and only fading when they are forgotten. At this point, Dear Readers, I am hooked. In those opening scenes as Kai stands on an empty bridge at night looking down into the darkness (an old Super 8 clicking and whirring in his hands) he thinks of not only the mother and father he lost so tragically, but the end of the school year and the life-lessons and changes it implies, and as a result I sort of fall in love with this introspective and odd character.

Then BLAMMO--Alien ships, explosions, a shock wave that tosses Kai's shattered and bloody body from the bridge into the abyss below.

Good thing it was a dream...or was it? (DUN-dun-dunnnn! That's a dramatic bit of old timey music and I wish you could hear it, but you cannot...DUN!)

Kai is starting up his Junior year, and heading into summer break*--he's at a crossroads of sorts, not yet an adult, and certainly no longer a child. He is a filmmaker, and as such records the dramas he claims to "already see in motion" around him.

This is drama I am familiar with.
My friends cockblock me all the time.
Shakespeare may be cockblocking me as you read this.

Many of these "dramas" take place between his group of friends and Ichika, the new Senior in school, who volunteers on her first day (and out of the blue) to star in Kai's recent film. Her inclusion into the group puts a strange spin on the group's dynamics as they begin their Summer film project.

One of my strongest first impressions of this series is that it is beautiful. I've never heard the illustrator's name, Pepako Dokuta, before in anime or manga, but wow, just WOW! And the writer, who goes only by Ichika (incidentally the same name as our female protagonist), seems unfamiliar as well, but WOW! So far, so good, Waiting on the Summer. Now, just keep it up.

Kai and Kanna (one of the group) walk home at night.
Look at that scenery?

I like Kai, he seems like a lonely, artistic boy whose imagination and emotions often get the best of him. As viewers we often get ringside seats to his neurotic fantasies. His parents are deceased, and his sister is going abroad over the summer so, on an impulse, he invites the homeless, awkward and buxom Ichika to move in with him for the duration of the break.

Ichika being filmed on the train platform.
SPOILER ALERT: She's an alien!

In a wholly predictable plot twist (I'm not spoiling anything you couldn't figure out in like two seconds on your own, Dear Readers) it turns out Ichika is an alien.

Agreed, friend of Kai's whose name I cannot remember at the moment!
Aliens ARE usually a huge plot twist.
Very M. Night Shalyman (except not at all)!

Takasuki Ichika accidentally crashed to earth with her friend/pilot named Rinon who looks like a peach/hamster hybrid thingamahoozit. Man, it just got silly, didn't it?

Magical Space Thingamahoozit, Rinon
is perhaps the unlikely product of an illicit hamster/peach love affair.

Ichika is hiding her identity and searching for someplace she's dreamed about, an imagined landscape she believes exists on earth. Kai wants to help her find it as they complete their film.

Despite the somewhat silliness of aliens and peachy/hamsters, this is a complex story about love, although it doesn't seem like a romance. This story is instead about the sometimes fuzzy borders between love and affection and friendship and attraction. As young adults at a crossroads of sort, these characters must navigate through these new and troublesome, and sometimes non-distinct, emotions. So, yes, on the surface the premise seems predictably silly, but the silliness should not dissuade you, Dear Readers. I'm looking forward to learning more about each of the group members as I watch their dramas unfold. And I'm hoping the silliness is kept to a minimum. I like silly too, but it seems unnecessary in such a beautifully illustrated and emotionally complex series.

*The traditional Japanese school system graduates students between grades in the Spring, before Summer break.

Un-Go (Anime - 2011) Season Overview

2012-01-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

When it was announced last year that Bones would be producing an anime with character designs by Yun Kouga I nearly split a brain node. If you are a fan of anime, you'll know that Bones has brought us such classics as Full Metal Alchemist and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Ouran High School Host Club, and Soul Eater, to name a few. Last season, they produced No. 6, a thought provoking dystopian series that we covered on this blog.

And for those of you who know me, you might remember that I'm kind of in love with Yun Kouga. She's a great writer and an amazing artist. She's probably best known for the unfinished and thoroughly haunting, Loveless, as well as Earthian and Gestalt. Yun Kouga's characters are long and lean and whispy. They remind me of rebar. They look like they could just break, but by force of will, they can hold skyscrapers in place.

Inga in his child male form

The plot is not based on an existing manga. It comes from Ango Sakaguchi's novel Meiji Kaika Ango Torimono-chō or is inspired by it. I don't know anything about Ango Sakaguchi except that he was born in the early 20th century and was an intellectual and novelist. I believe his novels center around themes of war.

Inga in her adult female form

The anime, Un-Go, takes place in current day but alternate-Japan. What we know at the beginning is that there was a big war, something on the scale of a World War, and some Post Patriot Act and SOPA/PIPA-esque legislation has been enacted to protect the country. We know our history is the same at least until 2001, as the anime mentions the terror attacks of September 11. War and terrorism are big themes in this anime (and some of other of Bones' projects) as is information privacy, censorship and the internet in general. As a fan of dystopian themes, this should be right up my alley.

Within this setting, Un-Go is meant to be a detective story, which also very much suits my tastes. Main character, "The Defeated Detective," Shinjuurou Yuuki, and his strange looking assistants, clearly supernatural, Inga and artificially intelligent, Kazamori Sasa, find themselves pitted against the reclusive, beloved and suspiciously always right, JJ Systems Chairman and go-to detective, Rinroku Kaishou.

Rinroku has a daughter, Rie Kaishou, who plays heavily into the storyline. She, like Shinjuurou, cares deeply about the truth, which often causes a deep conflict within her because her father cares less for the truth than shaping a peaceful reality.

A post-war, dystopian mystery with supernatural elements, character designs by Yun Kouga and produced by Bones? Seriously, this should be my dream anime!

Kazamori in her stuffed bear form

Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. The season was only 11 episodes, not long enough, in my opinion, to present such a complicated plot and connect the audience to the characters. This happened with last season's Bone's project, No. 6; the short season just afforded too little space to convey any real heart.

Kazamori in her android form

While I normally complain about "monster of the week" types of shows, I think Un-Go would have benefited from a story ark that incorporated something like this. First establish the bond between Shinjuurou and Inga and the audience, as well as cement their place as crack detectives with a series of "mysteries of the week." Later move into an over-arching plotline.


I like Shinjuuro's design. He's nondescript especially next to Inga, but he has lovely eyes.

This show made me think about some other series with pairings between humans and supernaturals: Tactics, Death Note and Black Butler. All of these series benefited from allowing the audience to linger with that relationship for a while before introducing a complicated plot. Unfortunately, I didn't feel invested in Shinjuurou or Inga at all. In fact, I didn't really understand Shinjuurou's motivations. I think he was in the war. I think he loves people and "the truth," but I want to know why he and Inga are so bonded? Then I can care about what they are doing.

Beyond that, the mysteries were not that engrossing. The writing could have been greatly improved upon.

Un-Go's "Novelist" bears a striking resemblance to another Yun Kouga character.

Do I think this show is watchable? Sure. I got through all 11 episodes in one sitting. In a vacuum, I really like the characters. I love watching Yun Kouga's designs in movement. I just felt disappointed about the production as a whole.

Hmm, Loveless' Soubi looks a bit like Un-Go's "Novelist"

One last thing, the music/score for this anime was great. The closing song, Fantasy by LAMA, is very catchy:

<br><br><br>Fan

Why I Read Yaoi

2012-01-21T00:49:00.000-08:00

Oh, Erioca With Love, I love you for your Bowie-esque-ed-ness

This afternoon, I was talking with someone about my last post, a review of "Attacked on a Tiger's Whim" by Mario Yamada. I was telling her about the non-con subgenre of yaoi and how it's really popular and how I sometimes feel like this crazy upside down moralist when I write about this stuff.

For instance, I spend an awful lot of time reading comics that deal with gender fluidity and same sex relationships. Many of the comics I read are full of sticky bodily emissions, inappropriate longing and angst about sexual identity. Yet, I'll go full tilt on stories that don't sensitively handle sexual violence, underage protagonists, relationships with clear power inequalities, and fetishes, specifically anthropomorphic furry-ish type stuff. I hate that crap.

Yet, if it's a really good story, with a strong plot and clear motivations for characters' behaviors, I'll turn right around and applaud the very same things I just condemned above.

Gravitation's Eri and Shuichi share an ice cream cone moment.

In yesterday's post I wrote that every person has her reasons for reading yaoi. I have mine. If you're a fan, Dear Readers, then you also have yours. I'd like to take some time to talk about why it's important to me, and I will, because this is my blog, and I can.

Yaoi, also known as boys love, shonen-ai, BL or whatever, here in the States, is a genre of story telling, specifically manga and anime, that focuses on male to male pairings involved in romantic and sexual relationships (though those two need not be mutually exclusive). Stories sometime only nod to romantic possibility and some get down right and dirty. Yoai is written primarily for women by women. I've tried to share yaoi with gay men friends of mine, and they were just not interested. That's not to say there aren't men out there who love this stuff. I'm just generalizing here.

Jazz's Doc and Naoki are desperately in love, but it takes them a long time to figure that out.

Why would a woman make a comic about two men getting it on for other women to read? Why would a fangirl get all squee seeing two boys kissing? I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm all that hetronormative, but I would like to, one day, marry a man and hold hands and have a stork bring us a baby. Reading stories about sloppy sex between two guys is not scoring me many points in that department, but I'm not about to put the manga down, at least not until I finish this next scene...

Fake's Dee and Ryo share a private kiss in their patrol car.

There's some speculation and research into why yaoi has become so popular. You can get a feel for the conversation by reading this Wikipedia breakdown. Some folks think it has to do with women gaining more power in society. Others think it has to do with sexuality. Some apply feminist or other theories to the phenomenon. It's all really interesting.

Because I'm always thinking about stories and how they're told, I think the reason I like yaoi is because if feel like it essentially sucks gender politics right out of the narrative and the characters' relationship with the reader.

What the heck does that mean? I'll tell you! To me, it means all of the characters in a story are on equal footing. The story may be full of sex, but free of sexual politics. There's no, this is how a woman should be in relationship to a man and this is how a man should be in relationship to a woman.

The reader isn't obligated to identify with the character of her sex/gender just because that's who it's natural to identify with. She can identify with any number of characters, and in the context of stories about sex and relationships, it becomes a safe space for her (the lady reader) to explore different roles and dynamics. The reader doesn't have to ally herself with female characters who might be weak or coy or strong even, or who fall into acceptable societal roles and have the same parts that she does. Nor does she need to feel uncomfortable in forsaking female characters (and thereby rejecting a part of herself) because she embraces and relates to qualities present in the male characters.

As a younger reader/consumer of media, I often identified more with male characters. Frankly, a lot of them were more active, fun, adventurous and stoic than the female characters I encountered. We don't have to go into the psychology of this right now, but as a little girl, I spent endless hours fantasizing about growing up to be GI Joe's Storm Shadow or Snake Eyes. Luke Skywalker and Han Solo were way more capable and engaged than Leia in my mind and Indiana Jones was such a bad ass compared to any of his weaker female companions. Even my real life heroes, Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi (look, I was a weird little kid) were men, and the smart people, too, Einstein, Jung, Freud (Yes, weird, weird little kid.).

What would Storm Shadow vs Snake Eyes slash look like?

That's not to say I didn't encounter strong female characters who I absolutely loved. Laura Ingalls Wilder, Menolly from the Harper Hall stories (Oh yeah, that's one for the deep geeks out there) are a couple. It was their fortitude I admired, less than their "masculine" strength.

I'm in my mid-thirties and I'm sure the young women who were born after me had subtly different experiences. I was raised by a parent who grew up in the fifties and sixties and though she was a wild child, I'm sure she had a lot of values about male/female relationships present in her psyche. I observed that a lot growing up, and felt very resistant to it. I was always uncomfortable with being "a girl" or "girly" because I didn't feel it represented me or who I was inside. I do love being a woman, but sometimes, especially when I was younger, I found society's definition/shaping of that gender identity very chafing.

I found a lot of relief in identifying with the male characters I saw on the big screen and television and read about in my books, but I also felt uncomfortable. I wasn't a man, nor did I ever want to be a man, and I felt a slight self-disgust, like, am I a hater of women? All of these female characters aren't like me. Am I rejecting them because they are women or because I don't identify with them? Do other people ask these questions when they read? I really hope so.

Preach it, Fumi Yoshinaga!

In Yaoi, all of the couples are "male" and in some sense genderless. This gender-less-ness creates a space free of preconceptions about what a man or woman is or should be or what-have-you. There is an equality between the characters not present in a man/woman pairing, where each member of the couple comes already imbued with a preset notion of gender identity.

When she reads yaoi, a skinny teen girl can be the brawny, strong and silent type, the pushy type, the shy, quiet type; she can be any type. She can explore whether and from which side she likes unrequited love or if she believes in love at all. She can be the top or the bottom. She can think about sex outside of a the context of gender politics. She can, and so can any other woman: housewives, day traders, grocery baggers. There's something revolutionary in that, a freedom, albeit a little strange, but healthy and fun.

A sweet, public kiss between the two main characters of "Only the Ring Finger Knows"

For our yaoi readers, I'd be interested to hear about why you like the genre.

Attacked on a Tiger's Whim - Mario Yamada

2012-01-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

Publisher: DMG
Rating: Mature/Explicit
Genre: Yaoi, Crime, Yakuza
Warning: Sexual Violence

Okay, new rules for Shakespeare. If it says Explicit Content on the cover and it is a one shot and it mentions encounters between two men as a "nightmare," it is probably too much for this bard's delicate sensibilities. But, this bard ventured forth. She read, and now she shall review.

Main character Tomoya works at a host club despite being a top university graduate of some kind. He has a couple of bad (aka rapey) experiences with Murase, a dark, big, mysterious guy who turns out to be in the Yakuza. Despite their disturbing past, when Murase shows up a third time for some hot loving, Tomoya realizes there might be more between them than violent, unprovoked sex attacks. There might actually be love there.

Because there are a lot of yaoi stories where rape/non-con is a precursor to true love / romance, I know there is a market for it. In fact, I'm pretty sure there is a big market for it, and because we all read yaoi for different reasons, I'm going to try something new and not judge the morals of this story too harshly.

In my experience, I can remember only two stories that I really love in which non-con sex happens between the two main characters early on, and they still manage to fall deeply in love.

There's "Jazz" by Tamotsu Takamure (of "Awaken Forest") and Kakae Maeda:

and "Passion" by Shinobu Gotoh and Shoko Takaku:

Both are published by DMP/June.

"Jazz" and "Passion" are sneaky about this, "I love you so much, I'm gonna rape you!" thing. In those stories, the victims turn out to not actually be victims but mostly willing participants in their partners' attacks.

In "Jazz," a difficult, uncomfortable but elegantly told narrative, Doctor Narusawa is taken by force by his much younger patient, Naoki. It turns out he was in love with Naoki just unable to overcome his own self hatred to be anything but terrified of him. Additionally, the story telling is deft enough that the reader gets that these are really messed up characters who somehow manage to fumble their way toward each other.

In "Passion," the teacher, Shima, knows his student, Hikaru, is in love with him. The idea of a real relationship is fraught with too many complications, so he creates a situation in which his student will have to take him by force, then he uses the guilt his student feels as instruments of power and control.

I highly recommend both of the above stories if you haven't read them. They're a bit older, and a bit disturbing, but very good.

But, back to the story at hand: "Attacked on a Tiger's Whim." There's a little bit of everything here: sex, a love story, a crime story, a twist, guns, action, adventure, possibly real estate. And, it's not bad for what it is. Did I say that? Yes, I did. Because, this story does have appeal for the right readers.

The writer does a smart job of getting the reader to kind of hate Murase from the beginning. There's no appeal to him. He's a dirty rapist who comes after this innocent barely legal guy. Later we learn, it's more complicated. Both times he seeks Tomoya out are because he's going away for a long time, and he feels compelled by some deep force (love) to seek out Tomoya. Maybe I'm just imagining it, but Murase seems to get more handsome as he becomes more sympathetic, and we begin to understand him better. Is this what Tomoya sees as well?

After the initial humps (literally) the story does take off, and we see both of the main characters softening. This isn't just an erotic love story. There's also all sorts of business about the Yakuza and family bonds and betrayal and so forth. That's a lot to do in a short space, and that may be why the narrative is a bit off. However, if you're in the mood for something short, engaging and fairly dirty, I would definitely recommend this story.

Stop SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-17T20:49:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

Many sites are blacking out to protest SOPA and PIPA today. We're not blacking out, but we stand in solidarity. There won't be any new posts today. Please go learn more about SOPA and PIPA you might want to follow some of these links.

Learn Something:

Some basic facts about the proposed bills

Another blog's more eloquent take on SOPA/PIPA

Do Something:

AmericanCensorship.org

Now, If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go not use Wikipedia for a while!

<3 William Shakespeare

For the love of Gravitation!

2012-01-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers, I promised some Rock 'n' Roll around here! And, I mean to deliver! I've been thinking for ages about how to talk about Maki Murakami's classic many incarnated animanga-marketing extravaganza: Gravitation.

But, where do I start? Let's see, there's an anime, an OVA, a manga, a "remix" manga, light novels and oh, also dōjinshi, which Maki Murakami authored herself (and it is some really sick stuff, folks, sick.). I mean, who does that? So, meta. Actually, I think it was just so disturbing her publisher wouldn't touch it, but anyway.

At the heart of the blitz of materials that make up the Gravitation-verse, the story of a budding pop / rock star, Shuichi Shindou, and his love for a tortured romance novelist, Eri Yuki (sigh...). Shuichi, the lead singer of Bad Luck, is a little pink haired freak with too much energy, self-doubt, self-belief, passion and OCD. And, hrm, he is completely not like anyone I happen to know...

I've been thinking a lot about Shuichi lately, and why I even like him as a character? Point of truth: he can be a little annoying and abrasive, moving from the highest of heights to the lowest of lows, creatively and emotionally; he goes chibi too often for my tastes, and he is kind of pathetic. His band only has like two songs, and he wears the same outfit at every concert (oh, that's just the anime? Production value? Whatever.)

But, the thing is, I just love this character.

Shuichi is naively open to love. He sees what he wants, and he goes after it. He often agonizes and mopes, but he realizes that he shouldn't deny how he feels even if others don't approve. He's passionate about his creative life, and about the people he loves.

I'm going to go on record as saying: Shuichi Shindou inspires me!

In a forthcoming post, I will actually talk about one of the myriad associated comic type, moving picture what-have-you's that he appears in.

Squeefinity in the Haps!

2012-01-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers, quiet though you may be (comment already, you guys...we see you lurking), Squeefinity is trying to make ourselves louder. We had a great 2011, because we began to take our role a little more seriously this year. For 2012, we want to step it up a notch with more reviews, another attempt at a give-a-way (no one wanted a copy of the worst manga Dr. M owns? Bizzare, right?), polls and queries, news and maybe a few guest bloggers.

This past year we began, in earnest, to post a few regularly scheduled theme days, and tried to bring you our unique (read that as: weird-old-academic-literary critic-fangirls) perspective in reviewing anime, manga and even a light novel or two. We write because we love. And we do love, Dear Readers, we love you, we love characters, we love complex plots, we love silliness, we love angst, we love triumph, we love frailty, we love good writing, and we love hot anime boys, because we are, admittedly, kind of pervy at times.

This next year we resolve to bring you more. So follow us on twitter @squeefinity, circle us on Google +, follow us here, put us on your RSS feed, drop us a note, a comment, an email, and in return we promise more good things on our end.

WE JUST WANT YOU TO LOVE US!
WHY WON'T YOU LOVE US?

Manga News: SuBLime Manga

2012-01-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

SuBLime Release Calendar

Hey, yaoi fans, you know you're out there, don't be shy, because we at Squeefinity.com certainly aren't. If we were would we admit to having read half the things we post about? No, no we wouldn't.

SuBLime Manga, seen below, releases its first digital yaoi at the end of this month.

Or above, if you're reading the captions.

The site is in beta, so you can be on the cutting edge of something...that's always nice, and it increases your cool points. SuBLime is partnered with VIS media, and appears to be along the lines of the old BeBeautiful publications, and might be continuing some of their old defunct titles...hooray! They will be producing downloadable manga soon, so sign up for their newsletter and support this new venture...especially if you like to see boys kissing other boys.

Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys (Vol. 1)

2012-01-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

The truth is, I'd be hard pressed to not like a comic that begins with the protagonist hijacking the lunchtime music at his junior high to play T.Rex's 20th Century Boys:

"I wanted something to change, something...For the first time, rock music shook the halls of No. 4 Junior High," the protagonist says. "Nothing changed at all..."

Written by the master, Naoki Urasawa, the creator of "Monster" and "Pluto" among others, 20th Century Boys has won a ton of awards. Licensed by Viz, the manga is somewhere around #17 in the US. After reading the first volume, I just keep thinking 1) How do I get Naoki Urasawa to marry me? and 2) How can I afford to get my hands on the entire run? Because, this is a comic I do want to own. And, you'll want to own it, too.

Oddly enough, I'm reminded a bit of The Watchmen when I read this. There's no similarity, just a feeling, a kind of sadness that comes with being alive. 20th Century Boys is a science fiction mystery based around a group of kids who were school friends in 1969. They had a secret hangout and a symbol that signified their need to become heroes, to rise up and protect what's worth protecting. They're little boys, and they believe and feel with that naive childlike passion -- Then they grow up and become obscure, mediocre salary men, science teachers and convenience story clerks.

Kenji, the main protagonist always wanted to be a rock 'n' roll musician, but he doesn't have the luck or drive or ambition. He ends up running a convenience store and raising the child his sister has abandoned. When a mysterious disappearance occurs and a childhood buddy, Donkey, inexplicably kills himself, Kenji begins to notice a pattern. The symbol he and his friends created as kids keeps showing up, and he realizes there is something more going on than mere coincidence.

What I like about this manga is the depiction of the boys as children, a nostalgic, without being sappy, exploration of their memories. I like the contrast between their childhoods and their adult lives, the slightly bittersweet, but "this is how life is" motion of the work that feels very real. Even if it didn't evolve into a mystery or have any speculative elements, 20th Century Boys would make a great "slice of life" story. However, it's got more teeth than that.

There's something strange happening, a cult coming to power, allusions to giant robots, people meeting untimely fates, and I want to keep reading. So, I will.

Warning! Whispers of Love (Manga)

2012-01-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

Title: Warning! Whispers of Love
Author/Illustrator: Puku Okuyama
Genre: Yaoi
Publisher: DMP
Rating: 16+ YA

After reading the super-adorable The Rule of Standing on Tiptoe by Puku Okuyama, I was thrilled to find another of this author/illustrator's work up for review on eManga. I am a big fan of Okuyama's style, which is expressive and almost watercolory in its shading. And the plot of The Rule of Standing on Tiptoe was so sweet and understated and genuine feeling that maybe, just maybe, Dear Readers, I got my hopes up too high?

This story is a compilation collection, with four separate stories about young love. It manages to deal with younger characters without being overly creepy (for the most part). But, something about the first story arc and title piece Warning! Whispers of Love turned me off. It's not that this story segment is bad, per se...it's that it has at its heart an obsession with ear cleaning. Yeah, ear cleaning. Now before anyone attempts to instruct me on the fact that there is a very "sweet" sort of association with ear cleaning in Japan...I already know. Here's a video below of some very pretty ladies picking waxy whatnots out of the ears of paying gentlemen.

Precious! Except maybe to my admittedly western sensibilities...also, why is that guy yelling at the end? Anyone? I don't know what's going on! Ears!

If I had a quarter for every time a upper classman begged
to "only put the tip in," I would have no quarters.

So, main character Hajime is a first year high school student, and is being persued rather vigorously by highly ranked upperclassman Eiji. Eiji just wants to clean Hajime's ears. Eiji is a little scary, and sexual innuendos abound. Okay, it's kind of cute, but the ear thing...not my cup of fetish. The other stories are better.

The second story sequence, called "My Room/Our Room" is about a guitarist named Shino who, on a whim, takes a total stranger as a roommate. Sota is upbeat college kid who ran away from home to attend school, he needs a place to stay for two weeks, and Shino takes him in. This is yaoi, so obviously the two fall in a rather timid sort of love and Sota stays on after the two weeks. It's cute and sweet, and well-drawn, but nothing that makes my stomach flip, but this sequence certainly seemed the most well-considered of the four.

The next story sequence consists of two parts entitled "Lens," and "Beyond Friendship" and focuses on one of my favorite things...two childhood friends who realize that they really love each other once they are separated. It's a little predictable, but worth a read, I suppose. There isn't really enough room or development for it too move beyond plot into anything more complex.

The last story is a little weird and seems to be about a young man who is jealous of his boyfriend's dog. Eh. Meh. Bleh. I could take it or leave it.

Overall this collection isn't bad, it just feels rushed, perhaps to the point of incompletion at times. The stories are little more than brief plot sketches and as such don't seem to be very good at capturing or maintaining my attention, regardless of how much I admire Okuyama's illustrations. It's a fast read with not much meat on its bones--nothing I'd get obsessed over.

So Bad Sunday - A Fallen Saint's Kiss - You Higashino

2011-12-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Dear Readers, even this happy holiday won't keep me from delivering today's So-Bad Sunday. Today's offering A Fallen Saint's Kiss is just straight up hentai. Hey, Pron, we have to stop meeting like this! I'd really like a So-Bad Sunday that was bad because the plot was amazingly terrible, but I just keep encountering books of such smutty proportions (even when I'm not seeking them out).

This is a rare instance where you won't see any images from this comic on our blog because, frankly, it's too graphic. I thought there was a prohibition in Japan against displaying um, to put it nicely, parts, in comics, but this one has them in spades. Ha, ha, parts...

Anyway, much like any quality pron, this comic book really doesn't have a plot. Mr. Okano, an uptight Social Studies teacher is dominated by Tokiwaa in increasingly humiliating and violent ways. A sadist falls in love with a fellow student but that doesn't cap his cruelty -- apparently, it's true romance to tell someone if they ever leave you you will kill them. And in a third tale, a student, convinced his teacher is gay, bullies him obsessively by committing a series of harassing acts bordering on hate crimes. One day the teacher, takes the student aside and is like: yup, you got me, I'm gay. BTW, I'm going to rape you. And, the student is like: oh, wow, this is horrible. But, then, he realizes he kind of likes it, and they fall in love.

I know that there are folks out there that really like this stuff. I know it. Man, on an off day, maybe I could like it...um, no, actually that's not true. I don't have a problem with sub-dom relationships; I don't have a problem with pron. I don't really have a problem with this book (Okay, well, maybe with the last story in which the protagonist gay bashed and in which the gay character pretty much embodied every gay evil-doer stereotype ever). I really just didn't like it.

And, that is that.

I Want to Bite (light novel)

2011-12-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

Title: I Want to Bite
Author: Isaya Takamori
Illustrator: Chigusa Kawai
Rating: 18+ MA
Fun fact: I LOVE books, but I'm not fond of light novels.

Here is a non-fiction story entitled, Dr. M's reaction to reading I Want to Bite.

Dr. M's reaction to reading I Want to Bite.

Dr. M sat on her gray exercise ball and bounced away as she logged into eManga. There in the list of titles for review sat a vampire story entitled I Want to Bite. She clicked tentatively on the link and only got as far as the title and first name of the creator...the ever-lovely Chigusa Kawai. Dr. M grinned widely and chuckled softly as she inwardly rejoiced--"Chigusa Kawai and Vampires!" She bounced faster as she clicked on the pink "READ" button. Images of Georges and Robert from La Esperanca swam around in her head. But what was this? Kawai didn't write it, she only illustrated it. Dr. M's eyebrows lowered into her signature frown and her bouncing slowed. "That's okay," M thought, "She did illustrate it, so there will be tons of lovely vampiric wind!" She clicked "next" on the digital reader, and there were words. "Next," more words. She made a deep rumble in her throat that sounded like a growl, "Oh, man...a light novel?" She stopped bouncing and uttered a "meh," before clicking the x to close the viewer and moving on to the next selection.

The End--A story by Dr. M

Okay, I don't have anything against light novels, but I wanted a manga. Kawai did like 20 illustrations for this and nothing more. It was, to say the least, disappointing. And I may have read it, IF...IF there weren't like 20 other books waiting to be read on my actual shelves. This one gets saved for later, or maybe if we're lucky, Ms. Shakespeare will give it a read. Light novels are more her thing.

The Rule of Standing on Tiptoes (manga)

2011-12-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

Title: The Rule of Standing on Tiptoe
Author/Illustrator: Puku Okuyama
Genre: Yaoi? I suppose incidentally it is.
Publisher: DMP
Rating: 16+ YA, but really doesn't need to be (zero sex or sexual situations)

Cover: Kosuke (Ham-chan) on Raku (Luck)'s shoulders
as Raku steals his chips. These boys are goofballs!

Okay, first of all, this is freaking adorable...adorable...like one of the most adorable things I've ever read, so I am going to keep writing adorable over and over again as I review it. ADORABLE! The Rule of Standing on Tiptoes is an adorable high-school romantic comedy/friendship story about the tallest boy in class and the shortest boy in class. Short, hyper, hamster-like Kosuke and tall, popular Raku first meet when Raku hits Kosuke with his bike on the first day of 10th grade. Kosuke, who is immediately nick-named Ham-chan by Raku, is the first to discover Raku's secret--he's only half-Japanese. The secret isn't a big deal, but Raku stands out so much already because of his good looks and height that he'd rather keep his blue eyes (he wears black contacts) and his light brown hair (he claims he dyes it) under wraps to keep him from standing out more. His personality is vastly different from loud, boisterous, pierced, bleach blond Ham-chan, but despite their differences they form a fast friendship as they make their way through the pitfalls of high-school. Somewhere along the way each, individually, starts to form more difficult feelings of love and devotion to the other. Did I say adorable? Because seriously, this is adorable. There's no graphic sex, no weird drama, no astonishingly unrealistic beautiful boys, no big obstacles, no secret pasts (I mean unless you count Raku's heritage), no psychic powers, no conniving rivals (one standard high-school-type rivalry is pretty tame), no aggressive lusting...there's nothing but an absolutely genuine feeling, sweetly awkward friendship that turns into an absolutely genuine feeling, sweetly awkward sort of love. Adorable.

On a side note there is something about Kosuke (Ham-chan)'s gestures and personality that reminds me of Ms. Shakespeare. Some of it may be the way he hyperactively panics before over-rationalizing and putting on a stoic face. Some of it may be because she is kind of adorable. See exhibit A and B below:

On the left the adorable Ms. Shakespeare and surly Dr. M battling for the only copy of a manga!
On the right Ham-chan and his ex-girlfriend race to school to prove who is faster!
It really does look like us.

So, the manga is adorable, and Ms. Shakespeare and I are adorable. Facts is facts, Dear Readers.

This really is one of the most honest seeming yaoi manga I've ever read. Okuyama has really captured that swoony-sick feeling that accompanies a timid sort of love. It is well worth a read if only to re-experience that feeling again. Oh...adorable (just wanted to type it once more).

Only Serious About You (manga)

2011-12-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

Title: Only Serious About You 1
Writer/Illustrator: Asou Kai
Genre: Yaoi
Distributor: June
Rating: Not provided...I would put it at a PG-13 (no sex, some suggestive remarks, one sweet kiss)
Fun fact: On sale at 30% off at Akadot

Okay, this is squeeworthy. Completely squeeworthy! And it has so many of the lovely things I like: older characters, character development, complex back story...plus, it's sweet. So sweet. These are the kinds of mangas that remind me that somewhere deep inside, I am still a girl (but not very often so be warned).

The main character of this manga, Nao, is like me in that his mantra seems to be "I will work harder." This mantra is my downfall, and it is his too. Nao is a single father whose daughter, Chizu, falls ill. As a single father he must take time off of his work as a cook, bartender and waiter, to care for her, but as he is alone and strapped for cash, this becomes difficult. One of the regular customers, Yoshi, who is openly gay, a serial dater and an tremendous flirt, offers to lend his help and reluctantly Nao takes him up on it. Eventually Nao too falls ill and in typical yaoi fashion the illness brings Nao and Yoshi closer together as friends. Eventually their relationship will move from close friends into romantic territory, but not in this first volume. There are obstacles in the way that must be overcome before then.

Yoshi (in bed) finally succumbs to the flu.
It is Nao's turn to take care of him. It is at this moment that Nao
realizes that he and Yoshi are alike in their reluctance to depend on others,
and that Yoshi asking for his help is actually a big deal.
They are becoming a family.

First is the fact that Nao is not gay or doesn't realize he is--that's an issue! Nao is a divorcee with a broken heart, as such he's very guarded and unwilling to get close to or rely on anyone. Chizu is the center of his life, and he sees no point in taking time away from her for selfish romance. The second obstacle is the fact that Yoshi (who Nao says is "pretty loose with his love life") never seems to be serious about the men he dates. We discover later that the string of lovers Yoshi has is his attempt to ward off loneliness he's felt his whole life (he was raised in an orphanage)...he just wants someone to love and stay with him. Both men will find the companionship and love they desire in subsequent volumes, but in the meantime the slow pacing and development of their relationship will keep me reading. At the end of volume one some complications arise with Nao's over-protective boss, his selfish ex-wife, and Yoshi's on-again/off-again flame.

I want volume two, which comes out late this month. This is a manga I'd read again, and a manga I'd recommend to others. I want it on my manga shelf and, Dear Readers, you should want it on yours too.

So-Bad Sunday! Shocking Pink! (manga)

2011-12-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

What? Shakespeare added this shockingly censored image!

Title: Shocking Pink!
Author/Illustrator: Yasuiriosuke (I'd use a psuedonym too!)
Publisher: Project-H
Rating: HOLY NO! XXX? Do they still have that. NC-Nobody!

Okay, first of all I cannot, Dear Readers, post any images from Shocking Pink! And even if I could, I don't know as I would post any, because it's gross. And, um, the plot is...um, uh? Well, the plot says it is based on the Chinese Story of the Three Kings. Sure, just the way Dragonball is based on Journey to the West...as in, not at all except for some names. This thing is a chaotic mess and a royal (there's a pun there) hump-fest. I can't follow much of anything except that a crazy woman with very large breasts is convinced that she is the reincarnation of Lui Bei, founder of the Han Dynasty. She shows up randomly the doorstep of the main character, Takyaaki Morkuzu, because she believes that this high-school student is the reincarnation of her "tactitian," Koumai Shokatzu (their names are spelled the same in Kanji). He calls her a nut, and she humps him into submission. Then things get really confusing. Two other reincarnated kings join Lui Bei and they share their goal for world domination, which consists of getting knocked up. Also the neighbor girl is in love with Takyaaki and peeps on him before offering to become his love slave.

Then there's a wrestling match with the neighbor's one-eyed, bad-ass older sister, and that turns into some crazy orgy thing, and then...the end? I feel dumber just for having read this. I also feel dirty and gross. How can something so porny be so decidedly unsexy? Maybe that takes talent, but I'm really not interested in figuring it out.

So, in review I have three things to say about Shocking Pink!: too many juices, what the hell just happened, and the Japanese have some sort of crazy eye-patch fetish that still confuses me. In summation, no, because it isn't even good porn.

Winchester Wednesday: The Hero's Journey

2011-12-14T10:21:00.001-08:00

Finally I have my own sign in, thank you ladies (even if you are both decidedly unladyish).
As promised you'll find another installment of Winchester Wednesday below. This one centering on the surprisingly difficult answer to the simple question: who is the hero in Supernatural?

Supernatural and the Hero's Journey

One of the things that makes Supernatural so deliciously complex is the dual protagonists viewers find in Dean and Sam Winchester. Fans of one or the other Winchester can rationalize and provide support for their favorite amongst the boys as the central hero of the storyline. I myself have had arguments over "central hero" several times, and the debate usually centers on the fact that most stories contain only one protagonist. There may be subplots and side-stories, but the larger overarching plot normally (with exceptions, of course) depends on one, and only one, lead character or hero.

Think of every epic ever written. Beowulf, The Illiad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, The Divine Comedy, Lord of the Rings (yeah, I went there), Sundijata,The Epic of Gilgamesh, Paradise Lost, any number of Arthurian romances, Norse sagas, quest journeys, and even Star Wars. There is one central and primary hero in each of these epics. It is rare to see more than one protagonist--this leaves SPN fans choosing a primary hero, because as readers we expect we will be required to do so.

Were I to pick one protagonist I would, out of devotion/obsession more than anything else, pick Dean. I could make the argument that Dean's story is a knights tale, and a pretty traditional one at that. Sam is then the equivalent of either a princess (ha!), a character foil (it is possible), a replacement for a more traditional love-interest (ask me about my wincest¹issues!), or simply a plot device.

That's not really fair to Sam though. Ms. Shakespeare, among others, has argued that the reverse is true and that Sam is the central protagonist because the story begins with him and climaxes (sort of) with his fall from grace and redemption. The most compelling reasoning for this argument is that Sam changes while Dean does not (at least not in the same drastic ways), because it is Sam, and not Dean, who needs to be redeemed. To that I say, "okay, okay."

Now Dr. M has a very different point of view--she believes that Sam is a "whiny douchenozzle" who "isn't good enough to share a hotel room with Dean," and that were Dean not "the most forgiving, tragic, beautiful and heartbreaking demi-god" to ever walk the earth he would have "shot Sam's ass in episode 20-something.²" She is certifiably nuts and incapable of most rational conversation, or thought, when it comes to Dean Winchester...which is why I am writing these posts instead of her. She also argues that Sam is plot, while Dean is character...but that's a post and argument for another Wednesday.

The truth is neither Dean nor Sam entirely fills the role of "hero" on their own, not in a traditional sense, anyway. Joseph Campbell, preeminent comparative mythologist and all-around friend to literature, outlined the stages of the traditional, cross-cultural hero's journey in several of his books, most notably The Hero with a Thousand Faces.³ This central monomyth⁴ has been revisited countless times across millenia and throughout wide-spread (worldwide really) areas. Supernatural seems to be one contemporary western retelling of this monomyth, albeit with an obvious twist--neither Winchester brother singularly fills the role of traditional hero. It takes both Dean and Sam to retell this foundational myth. I contend that these brothers, soul mates really, serve as fractured halves of what is usually a single hero. It is only together that they complete the journey and find wholeness.

Let's see how these beautiful boys stack up by running down the first stage of the hero's journey as outlined by Joseph Campbell ⁵.

In the departure stage, the first stage of the hero's journey, the protagonist moves from the known into the unknown. It is Sam who rather clearly steps into the role of hero at this point, and he begins as the story's primary hero. It is not until later on that we see how each brother fulfills various roles in the standard monomyth. It is Sam who fulfills the traditional steps in the first part of this story. He has, as many heroes do, a birth of unusual circumstance or import which serves as a foreshadowing of what is to come, or an indicator of the hero's "special nature." The departure stage consists of several subsections, or steps, but not every story will fulfill ALL of those steps, or fulfill them in the same order. This seems to be the case with Supernatural. In fact, some of the steps are fulfilled by both brothers in different ways, indicating that not only are they serving as co-heroes, but are completing individual journeys alongside the larger collective journey.

Home Culture: Sam has, despite the rigors and limitations of his upbringing into a hidden side of life as a hunter, found a home and a sense of "normalcy" through college and his relationship with Jessica. He has, prior to the series, abandoned his uncommon family and co-dependant bonds with his brother/caregiver/soul mate for one more socially acceptable. Without the rift between Sam and his previous life, the foundation for "normalcy" could not exist, and the journey would end before it even started, in a way. His rejection of the "family business" establishes him as a rebel, but a strange sort of rebel...one that desires not adventure, but the mundane existence of "normal" people. This stage is important, without it there is no "beginning" to start from. Dean cannot yet be the hero in this sense, because his role is to call Sam away from this false-life he's created and set him on the hero's path.

Dean as Call to Action/Adventure...I'd heed that!

Call to Adventure: The call to adventure in Supernatural occurs immediately with the pilot episode. Dean at this point clearly serves not as a hero, but as the call to adventure personified. His pleas to Sam for assistance in his supernatural quest to find their father interrupt the normal life Sam has attempted to create. In truth, as soon as Dean enters the scene Sam's part of the hero's journey begins. But like every hero, he is reluctant to take up the mantle, or the sword, either out of selfishness (Sam is still bitter, and angry at his father and brother) or out of disbelief (Sam does not feel that he has much to offer; if Dean cannot find him, how will Sam be able to help?).

Refusal of the Call: Again, this occurs almost immediately, in the first episode, but the refusal continues in later episodes as Sam continues to look for reasons to return to his normal life. Dean faces his own calls (plural) to adventure and puts up his own (less successful, due to his character) refusals to heed that call in later seasons, especially in Season 4, when he is called from hell by heavenly mandate to become a soldier for god, and in Season 6 when he is called from his life with Lisa to rejoin Sam. The cyclical aspect of the show and its various story-arcs further complicate the question of who the "hero" might be, and further supports my view that each takes at least part of a larger role while still following their own individual journeys. Sam's story in later seasons becomes less that of traditional hero and more of a modern-day internal journey to redemption and absolution. He is certainly a flawed hero, though his will is always for good he actually succumbs to a sort of false hero's journey in Season 4, believing he is on the right track as he is deceived by Ruby and Lilith.

Supernatural Aid: At some point in every hero's journey the hero must accept some supernatural aid. The show is called Supernatural so, it's not really unexpected that some aid comes from a supernatural source. Now, for Dean and Sam this is not always a positive thing. They do find supernatural aid in the form of Missouri and the ghost of their mother early on in the episode "home," and in Castiel in seasons 4-6, but that is part of a later stage of the journey. In this stage the supernatural aid pushes the hero further into the unknown, and convinces them to accept the journey. Campbell's steps never insist that the supernatural act, character or item that pushes the hero onto the path be a positive thing. It certainly is not in Sam's case. For Sam this supernatural event is first and foremost Jess's death. It is this act by supernatural forces that returns Sam (now motivated by vengeance) back to the hunt and back to his brother's side.

Crossing the First Threshold: Joseph Campbell provides that this step is the moment when the hero moves out of their comfort zone alone, and is "confronted with an obstacle that must be overcome before s/he can finally enter the dangers of the unknown journey" ⁶ . For Sam it seems that the threshold comes in episode 11 of season 1, "Scarecrow," when he abandons Dean to search for their father alone. While waiting for a buss alone he weighs his love and obligations for his family--primarily to Dean--and comes to an acceptance of his role. He also arrives just in time to save Dean from the scarecrow, which is convenient if not slightly implausible. Sam's threshold is acceptance; he accepts his journey and his place by his brother's side.

Now, if this seems like Sam is clearly the hero--think again. The truth is that Dean's journey is parallel and shaped by his own inner conflict, issues and obstacles. By the time Dean leaps into Sam's life he has at least partially accepted his awkward destiny and his role in the world. His call to adventure comes early on, at age four! And his decision to heed that call is motivated by his need to protect his brother (whom he sees as a central responsibility) and avenge his mother. The obstacle he must overcome is more internal--it has to do with pride, self-worth, and trust. Dean's personality leads him to leap headlong into danger spurred on by his love for Sam.

It is in this second stage of the hero's journey, which Campbell calls Initiation, that they boys begin to take on dual roles as hero.

The Road of Trials: This is quite literal with the Winchesters, as they are knights in shining Impala. In this step of the journey the "protagonist is found vulnerable and the outcome reveals a part of him/her that s/he did not know existed." For Sam this is literal. His demon blood is a weakness of sorts and is revealed late in season 1. For Dean this becomes literal as well, in some ways, in an early episode Dean 's heart is damaged in the hunt and he seems unconcerned with his impending death (this moment also forshadows his lack of concern for himself in season 3 after the crossroads deal). It is then that we, and Sam, realize that Dean's capacity for selfless behavior hides something equally beautiful and heartbreaking--a clear lack of self worth manifesting as a tendency towards sacrifice to help others. There are multiple moments along each brother's literal and metaphorical road of trials that reveal weaknesses, strengths, personality traits, and more. Each case, each "hunt," reveals more about the brothers to each other, the viewers, and themselves. Each case that brings them close to the Yellow Eyed Demon reveals more about Sam's infancy and destiny, while at the same time revealing more about Dean's personal scars and devotion.

Meeting a Soul mate: Well, let's call it "realizing" a soul mate for the Winchesters, because clearly they belong to one another in complex ways--they are parent/child, brothers, best friends, yin/yang, confidants, and for all intents and purposes, beloveds. We'll save the whole "beloved" argument for a later discussion...to be continued! Certainly they are not only willing to die for one another, but suffer eternally so that the other will survive. There seems to be no limits to the love they have for one another, although they admittedly have communication and trust issues...that's all part of the journey as well. For Dean the "soul mate" is realized most clearly when he is faced with Sam's death at Cold Oak. The subsequent deal he makes is the act of a desperate man who cannot live without his other half. For Sam this realization comes later in what I feel is one of the most revealing episodes of the series "Mystery Spot." During the Trickster's trials he comes face to face with the emptiness and desperation of a life without Dean.

Dean realizing Sam as soul mate.

Sam realizing Dean as soul mate.

Overcoming Temptation: Sam faces temptation more than Dean does in a lot of ways. Dean's temptation is selfless and temporary, finding its center in "What Is and What Should Never Be" (season 2, episode 20) when he is tempted by a Djinn into accepting a better life for both Sam and himself. Sam's temptation has to do with Ruby and his desire for power. Even though his desire for power, and his relationship with Ruby, is motivated by what he thinks is a larger good, it is deceptively evil. His nature is taken advantage of, and the temptation is only overcome by Dean's intervention and Dean's love.

Viewing the Whole Picture: This is something difficult to come by in Supernatural. The boys only have glimpses of the whole. Dean in "The End" and both brothers in "Changing Channels" in what seems on the surface like a "fluff" episode reveals a lot about the overarching plot and has strong allusions to another great epic Paradise Lost; only this time Lucifer isn't the hero at all. The view of the whole is revealed slowly in Supernatural. Pieces of the larger picture are revealed to brothers and viewers who struggle to construct some overarching plan.

The Ultimate Goal: Every hero's journey has to have one. So, what is the goal in Supernatural? Well, in a lot of ways, the goal is status quo...the goal is that the world go on, flawed as it is, as it always has, under the power of free will, and free from overt interference from supernatural forces. In another way the goal is salvation, not just of the world but of self. And certainly Sam's journey carries with it another goal, that of redemption, in the eyes of his brother, and for himself.

The third stage of the journey, Return, is when Dean takes center stage in some ways, while Sam takes up the slack as part of Team Winchester. Some of this story is left untold still, as one conflict leads to the next and the cycle begins again. It will be hard to predict what direction the journey will take in these last seasons. The Return consists of some classic literary tropes, such as The Chase, and The Rescue (these stages are fulfilled by Dean's pursuit of Sam's soul in later seasons, and in Sam's pursuit of redemption in earlier seasons). Both boys Cross the Return Threshold with a journey into the underworld. Both are called by forces outside of their realm (angels for Dean, demons for Sam) to become Master of Two Worlds in accepting or refusing (Refusing to Return) their roles as vessels for angelic hosts. The final stage of the hero's journey is yet to be realized, and I wonder if this is where the series will take a serious detour from the traditional form. The final stage is Freedom something that the boys cling to throughout the series, but something that has not yet been realized for them.

What kind of journey is this? Is it about redemption? Is it about vengeance? Or sacrifice? Or salvation? Well, it's about all of those things--each brother faces temptation, each descends (literally) into the underworld, and each is willing to sacrifice themselves (but not the other) to create a better world. Why? Well, because for the Winchesters the world cannot (does not) exit without the other in it. They act heroic, but are spurred on more by love for one another than any other emotion or incentive.

There is, in many ways, no point in saving a world without the other in it, because the "world" ceases to be, or at least it ceases to matter (that's very Wuthering Heights). As Sam says early on in season one's "Devil's Trap" some things, specifically Dean, are more important than any vengeance or closure. Both boys battle with their need to sacrifice themselves when, to misquote someone I've forgotten--the absolute worst thing that could happen to either of them wouldn't actually happen to them, but to the other.

So, neither Dean nor Sam is a hero in and of themselves, both satisfy steps in the traditional hero's journey, turning it into a heroes' journey, something plural and driven by love.

And that, Dear Readers (as our hostesses are wont to say), is some profound shit!

1. Wincest is a term invented by fan fiction writers and fans of the show that implies that Dean and Sam are not only soul-mates, but they have the hots for one another. Normally I would wince at a blatant disregard for the incest taboo, but there seems to be extenuating circumstances to their relationship. Plus, they're hot.

2. Dr. M. "You stupid c*%tface." Message to the author. 19 Sept. 2011. Email.

3. Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 3rd ed. New York: Pantheon, 2008.

4. A good outline of the heroic monomyth proposed by Joseph Campbell can be found via the History Through Literature Project pages produced by Berkeley's ORIAS (Office of Resources for International and Area Studies) program at: ORIAS. "Monomyth Home." History Through Literature Project. University of California Berkeley, 8 Nov. 2007. Web. 14 Dec. 2011.

5. A very nicely detailed chart of the stages of the hero's journey can be found at Seifert, S. "Hero's Journey Chart." Hero's Journey Defined. Earthlink, 18 March 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2011.

6. Seifert, S. "Hero's Journey Chart."

7. Supernatural. Dir. Eric Kripke. CW. CNUV, Baltimore. 2005-2011. Television.

MEGAPOST: Blood (anime), Blood+ (anime series), Blood+ (manga), Blood+ (light novels), Blood (live action)

2011-12-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

The story of Saya, the last vampire, has been retold and reimagined more than a few times. Saya was originally introduced to audiences in the 2000 feature length anime film Blood: The Last Vampire. The anime followed Saya, a sword-wielding teen with long braids as she battled bloodthirsty creatures called Chiropterans on a US Army base in 1966 Okinawa. It is during her battles that we first discover, as an audience, the preternatural qualities Saya has for destroying these vampiresque monsters--she is one of them, albeit older and more powerful.

Chiropteran--the name is taken from the order of mammals that include bats.
They are ugly and big. Much bigger than bats.

As such her blood acts as a weapon against them, essentially crystallizing and shattering their blood and bodies. It is in Blood that we are first introduced to another constant among the reincarnations of this story as well, in the character of David, one of the members of Red Shield, a secret organization intent on destroying the entire race of Chiropterans.

The storyline of Blood is simple, girl kills vampires, but it leaves viewers with more questions than answers. Who is Saya? If she is as cold and ruthless as she seems, then why fight to protect human lives at all? Why not see them as inconsequential casualties in a greater war? What is this secret organization lurking in the shadows? Does it work for good or evil? Or is it powered by something else---weapons development? political gain? economic gain? Why is Saya different from the things she kills? Why doesn't she change into the inhuman looking Chiropterans she hunts?

The 2000 version of Blood.
The cover shows Saya, and displays its gritty animation style.

None of these questions are answered in Blood, but despite (or perhaps because of) the lack of specific information the audience is provided, Saya becomes a compelling character, and perhaps another version of the archetypal female warriors against the supernatural (certainly along the same lines as Buffy). The character is revisited in 2006 in an anime series called Blood+ . This anime is clearly not only a continuation, but a reimagining of Saya's character and destiny. We see a very different Saya, at least at first, in this four season series.

The animation style has changed from the dirty, gritty and dark style of the film into something bright and almost confectionery at times. The skies are blue, the golden sun pours over beautiful background scenes in Okinawa. Saya has changed as well. She is a slim, big eyed (that's to be expected) waif of a girl who has very little superficial resemblance to her previous incarnation This new Saya seems overwhelmingly innocent. Where as the Saya of Blood was a loner, this Saya lives with her adopted father and two adopted brothers above the family-run restaurant and is on the track team. We soon learn that this sunny outlook is a result of severe amnesia. Saya has forgotten the brutality of her past and lives her live as a normal teen girl. Unfortunately, a sequence of events align to awaken Saya from her dormancy.

The cover of the 2006 DVD, shows a very different
animation style, and additional character of Haji.

The U.S. Government, conspiring with a large and mysterious pharmaceutical corporation called, Cinq Fleches, is doing research on Chiropterans in the hops of creating super soldiers. They "accidentally" release two, who head straight for Saya, attracted to her scent. At the same time Saya runs into a mysterious man named Haji (who is hot as all get out). This injured cellist awakens fuzzy memories in Saya, but she does not awaken to her full fighting potential until she is trapped in the school with one of the rampaging Chiropterans. Hagi, who we now see has superhuman strength and speed, saves her by awakening Saya with a bloody kiss. He feeds Saya his own blood and she supercharges--her eyes glow red as she easily defeats the Chiropteran; she then falls unconscious. When she wakes she remembers nothing of the incident. Saya's warrior side awakens again when her family is attacked by a human friend who has been "turned" into a Chiropteran. Saya's awakening has consequences. David, the (for lack of a better word) handler, from the original movie, sows up to reclaim Saya from her family. He gives them 24 hours to say goodbye--things do not go as planned.

Saya's family is attacked again, her father George is killed and her brothers Riku (the younger) and Kai (the elder) refuse to break apart their makeshift family further. What results is a heartbreaking series in which Saya reconstructs her tragic past and reawakens dark memories, all the while being pursued by Chiropterans, evil corporations and a malignant figure named Diva. Saya, it is discovered, has periods of dormancy for decades, so before her time runs out again she must defeat the evil she is partially responsible for releasing into the world.

In the middle of tall the battle and intrigue of this story lies a story about love and family. The central character for me is not Saya, nor her eternal demon lover (or chevalier) Haji (who is too pretty and devoted to feel genuine), but the older brother Kai. It is his story that I keep returning to, mostly because this faux bad-boy, ex-gang member turned would-be soldier refuses to part with those he loves. It is clear that he will fight to the death for his brother and sister, regardless of anything else. It is Kai who tells the story in many ways, and Kai who allows Saya her chance at redemption, who preserves the humanity of the tale and who never gives up hope. He is not a sunny optimist, he is a fighter and a wounded one at that. He is my second favorite type of hero (the torn prince) again. Saya and Haji are neigh indestructible, but Kai, who is fragile flesh and bone takes risks alongside them. And it is Kai who watches over Saya as she sleeps, keeping vigil for his sister (and the love of his life) until she awakens again.

Kai carries Saya when she has no more strength,
and keeps vigil over her as she sleeps.
(Kai is squeeworthy!)

The series ends with a tentative hopefulness and some room for yet another incarnation or sequel. I half-hope it doesn't happen myself. I like the ending as is.

If you are more of a fan of manga, live action or light novels the Blood/Blood+ franchise has you covered in those genres as well. The manga and light novels follow along with the Blood+ storyline, although there is a novelization of Blood as Blood 2000. The plot is followed fairly closely, with some expansion of course. The light novels do an interesting job of explaining each character's motivation, especially Saya's. Although it is sometimes nice to have this information, I don't see it as crucial to the understanding or appreciation of the storyline. The manga and novels also seem to play ou the Saya/Kai/Haji love triangle a bit more fully. Bringing this to the forefront turns the series into more of a romance, which is fine, but seems unnecessary. I get the feeling that the changes to the relationships were added to appeal to a younger female fanbase. The romantic aspect doesn't take away from the story entirely, bit it does simplify things. The relationships each of these characters has with one another is vastly more complex than a mere romance. For instance, Kai positions himself as brother, friend, protector (father figure), comrade in arms, and lover--each of these roles creates tension with the others. Saya's relationship with Haji is complex as well; they are essentially soul mates of a sort, their relationship has spanned centuries, but they are also master and servant in a relationship that can never have the same equality as Saya's relationship with Kai.

Haji comforting Saya.

To boil this sort of interwoven complexity down to a "He likes, she likes, he likes" love triangle is to over-simplify those relationships for an audience of readers who, I hope, can handle a more mature discussion of love, responsibility and devotion.

Of course, the 2009 live-action film Blood: The Last Vampire does none of this. It centers mainly on the original 1966 storyline with some nods to the series that follows. I think it was cast quite well, and the fight scenes are spectacular, but it is missing a lot of opportunities to move beyond basic plot.

It is not an unsuccessful retelling, just a very limited one. I like to see a strong female lead kick a bunch of big-bad ass. The Saya in the live-action version is almost as brutal and incompassionate as the original anime version. A few (sadly) expected changes were made to gain audience appeal. In the original Saya was moved to protect a frumpy, middle-aged, high school nurse, who spent most of the film in flustered confusion. In the remake the nurse is replaced by a young, pretty, American army brat. I know why they did it, and it doesn't make that big of a difference in the storyline, I suppose, but I still want to see a frumpy school nurse fighting terrifying monsters.

I would have given the film mad props for that...but alas. In truth the film doesn't do much for the franchise. There's no reimagining of the storyline or characters--they've simply been translated from anime to live action I always wonder, well, what's the point then? I feel this way about a lot of "translations" from book to film to anime to whatever---if you aren't going to add something or explore something further or reimagining something fully in this new incarnation, then why do it it all. OR, if the changes you do make are superficial or if they oversimplify something fans enjoy already, then what the hell is the point?

I'm looking at you Hollywood! And I"m already pissed about the all-Caucasian cast of Akira.

Saya's story has a lot of reinventions, some better than others, but that's all based on my personal desires for the story--each incarnation has strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I love the anime series Blood+. I'll admit that I sobbed quietly several times before the final episodes--where I sobbed very loudly. I fell in love with the fallibility of the characters and their sense of responsibility towards not just each other, but the larger world. Plus, I like a tragedy...man, do I like a tragedy.

So, in review and to sum up this ridiculously lengthy post (which I wrote in longhand as my students took their final essay exams) here's the breakdown:

Blood: The Last Vampire : Violent and gritty anime. Not a lot of revealed story line. Bad ass female lead.

Blood+ (anime series): Complex, international, intertwined story lines, beautifully animated, emotionally draining. My favorite version.

Blood+ (manga): Very much like the anime, plays up the "love triangle" aspect. Pacing is different--a few "new" or "extended scenes." Some characters, like little brother Riku, have bigger changes to their storyline.

Blood+ (light novels): Follows manga fairly closely. Added "bonus" of seeing characters' thoughts and motivations (if you need that sort of thing). VERY heavy on the Saya/Haji relationship righ away--much faster development of this complication, much slower development of overarching storyline.

Blood (live action): Follows original anime storyline. Some nods to later series (although I may not have noticed them if I were not such a fan). Violent. Fun. Nice effects. Little to no storyline or motivation. Lots of girls with swords--cool, but is it cool enough to recommend? Nah. Not unless you're a huge fan of the original anime.

Pick your Poison!

GUEST BLOGGER: James Parker Lombard for Winchester Wednesday

2011-12-07T15:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers, Ms. Shakespeare and I are rather busy ladies, but we do try to post regularly amid our complex and demanding lives. For instance, I am deeply embroiled in some international espionage at the moment and as a result could find no time to present anime/manga ta-tas for this past Ta-Ta Tuesday. I regret this, because there are so many ta-tas and so little time.

I have invited, after some rather existential discussions with Ms. Shakespeare (who in the last post called herself a mister...either way, sister), my good-twin James Parker to submit his thoughts for Winchester Wednesday.

Now, you might be asking, why have a Winchester Wednesday at all? I mean, it isn't anime (well, there IS an anime), it isn't manga (although there are plenty of doujinshi), and it isn't Japanese. Well, the answer is simple: Supernatural is about as anime-esque as a live-action anything can possibly be (except for maybe Torchwood). So, James Parker will provide the occasional guest blog post. The first of which, can be found, Dear Readers, below. Remember, you don't have to be nice to him...I'm not.

My name is James Parker Lombard, and I am a fanboy. Or, a fanman, although that sounds, as I say it, like an altogether ridiculous term. But, it is not as ridiculous as the fact that your two ~~fine, upstanding~~ babblingly-girly hostesses, Dr. M and Ms. Shakespeare, have called on me to submit to this anime/manga review site. To be honest, I don’t think I can pronounce either of those words. Is it Anne-may, or Ah-Nee-may? Is it Man-Guh or Mon-guh or Mah-n-gah? Dr. M has tried to correct me on several occasions, although I keep telling her, quite clearly and in no uncertain terms, that I don’t care. I am not here for manga or anime, no matter how one wants to pronounce it. I am here by squiggly, wiggly, “squee”ing request, to participate in Winchester Wednesday.

There are some things you should know about me. I am academic to a fault. I am not keen on emotions of any sort, mine or others. Actually, I’m not super-keen on people in general, so I try to keep to myself. I drink a lot of coffee. I have been known to be a “scowly mofo” (thank you, Dr. M). I put my foot in my mouth, but it doesn’t seem to bite me in the ass very often. I watch a lot of Supernatural. I may or may not write fanfiction of a dubious nature. I have a “thing” for Dean Winchester, and I tolerate Sam because Dean loves him.

My participation in Win-Weds is purely analytical, although it is driven by perhaps a sick-ish obsession with the nuances of the show, and that “thing” for Dean Winchester I mentioned. I don’t plan on being a moon-eyed, swooning sycophant about things. I plan on keeping this old-school analytical—I would be talking footnotes and works cited whenever possible, but I know my audience, so I’ll keep it to a minimum. I’m thinking Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Joseph Campbell, Homer, Dante, T.S. Elliot, Blake and some Plato paired with some hard-core critical theory, psychology, lit crit, and sociology. See, real old-school academic shit, because that’s how I roll.

Like the ladies here, I don’t warn about spoilers and I don’t pull punches. I dig complexities and condemn stupidities. I also encourage responses. Let’s get in a conversation about the over-watched and under-analyzed brilliance that is SPN. Post some responses, argue with me (I know Dr. M and Ms. Shakespeare will…I think they only invited me here because they think they’ll get to bitch and moan about things); I like an argument. Offer up theories of your own so I can shoot them down with wild abandon. I’d like that.

Next Wednesday’s post:
Supernatural and The Hero's Journey
A little Joseph Campbell checklist and a look into who the hero of the story might be. It isn’t as clear as one might think.

A Visual Tour of Japantown

2011-12-05T23:07:00.000-08:00


Shakespeare and her herbal liquor

There was a time when one could not get Becherovka in the US. One had to sneak it back in her luggage next to a few cartons of Czech or Swiss cigarettes. Now, one finds Becherovka at the local BevMo and Slivovice which one remembers sipping fondly one night with a friend after a drunken and giddy bike ride back from a Halloween party at Dr. M's, at Trader Joe's.

In any case, it is neither here nor there, but one Mr. William Shakespeare is a little drunk and giddy on Becherovka and fondly remembering her youth of folly, frolic and fun.

Speaking of, one Mr. William Shakespeare attended a lovely hang out time with Dear Friends in San Francisco's Japantown, and this one Mr. William Shakespeare wanted to share with the world.

It is a party if you are an action figure and a Robocop.

Who first broke the news of chair socks? This blog. Yes, Squeefinity. Get Chair Socks Today!

I'm 100% positive Disney did not actually license this. It seems more like something I'd find in Chinatown.

Cube Mickey!!!!

A little white or red wine?

Unfortunately, Shakespeare is terribly allergic to wine, which is why she is drinking Becherovka, which, she is uncovering, just at this moment, she might actually also be allergic to, as well. Sigh. How could anyone ever love a girl who is stupidly allergic to all things fermented? :(

Someone who does eat cakes: Please, oh please, eat these cakes.


This is actually one of my favorite places in Jtown: Murata's Cafe Hana

Murata's Cafe Hana Seriously has the most adorable cakes in the whole world. And if I ate sugar, I would stuff my face with them. They also have really good coffee drinks. But most importantly, the staff here is super nice. They are very sweet, in a kind of Midwestern way.

Maybe that's why I like Jtown so much. It, oddly, reminds me of home.


Izumya all dressed up for x-mas

Izumya all decked out for x-mass. This place has some serious Japanese home cooking. YUM!

Thanks, Lani for all the great pictures. L & B let's go to Jtown again soon.

It is late, and I drank too much, and I'm feeling nostalgic and sleepy. Reviews to come!

So-Bad Sunday: Shakespeare's Insomnia

2011-12-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

Artist rendering of William Shakespeare suffering from lack of sleep

That's it! No one gets a So-Bad Sunday from Shakespeare this weekend! I planned on writing something last night, but fell asleep whilst composing my oeuvre. Look at that fancy word, Dear Readers. I think it means complete body of work. For our purposes, we'll say it covers one blog entry. This one.

The truth is, I didn't read anything bad this week, and I have what seems to be some really good reading on the horizon. The person behind my persona has another project going, which is a music oriented, so the next few reviews will follow that theme. Expect some ramblings on 20th Century Boys, Detroit Metal City, Ai Ore, and the ever iconic and classic, Gravitation. Oh, Eri Yuki, finally I will pay homage to you in the only way I know how.

Eri Yuki, you seem more like a Cramps guy, but I guess it's Bad Luck that you love.

So-so Sunday!: Kemonozume (anime)

2011-12-04T17:00:00.001-08:00

Directed by Masaaki Yusasa (who also did Crayon Shin-Chan and Samurai Champloo...both of those are awesome). Madhouse Studios, 2006.

Admittedly, I selected this show to review because it was rated so poorly on the site animeseason.com. Sometimes I find it difficult to find bad things to discuss, and it isn't because there isn't quite a bit of bad anime and manga out there, but because I don't have the patience to sift through the crap long enough to figure out if it is bad or not. So, this week I looked at the lowest rated series on animeseason.com to make my selection. I was a little surprised to find an anime by Masaaki Yusasa on the list. I mean I love Samurai Champloo--which reminds me, that should go on the "to review" list. Long story short, I was intrigued...here was a good director, with a big fan base, and a very low 45% rating from viewers. I wanted to know what made this anime so unpopular, so I started to watch.

First off, I can't call this a So-Bad Sunday! post, because I don't know that Kemonozume IS so bad. It certainly has some obvious things that could turn off viewers, especially viewers looking for anime that meets their expectations. So, it's not bad--but, it isn't good either.

One of the things bothering viewers may be the animation style. Yusasa doesn't do your average slick, super-beautiful, boys and girls with big sparkly eyes kind of style. Those of you who have seen Samurai Champloo or Shin Chan know this already. And the angles of the work in this particular anime are visually strange as well. There are odd close ups and unexpected perspectives...this, I think, is a good thing. It isn't pretty, but it is interesting, and artistic. Unfortunately, strange and artistic doesn't work in every panel of this anime, and it may be part of what's warranting this series such low acceptance among viewers.

The good news is that the story seems interesting enough, at least on paper--Our hero, Tohihiko is the heir to a familial duty to destroy cannibalistic yokai (demons) called shokujinki, or flesh eaters. He does this with his "ogre sealing sword." His family runs a training academy for would-be shokujinki killers and he is next in line to take over the family business. So far so good, but here's where the conflict arises. Due to a monkey/skydiving fiasco on the beach, Tohihiko is introduced to pretty blonde Yuka.

Just your average night time monkey/skydiving fiasco leading to love-at-first-sight situation.

He, of course, falls in love with her instantly. Then he starts seeing her face everywhere (even on a monkey). She seems to be having similar "love at first sight" feelings about him and the two wind up making out on the beach in a rainstorm. Then they have sex, during which we, the audience, realize that Yuka is a flesh eater. WHAT? NO! Things play out as expected and the story evolves into a Flesh eating Ogre version of Romeo and Juliet. This isn't horrible, right? It's actually pretty interesting. A standard sort of lovers conflict pitting family, destiny and love against one another. I'd watch that. But there are some problems I feel I must address, Dear Readers.

Problems:
-Well, there's a lot of crazy monkey as plot device, which I can't say I approve of in an otherwise serious series.

Weird looking monkey likes butt fruit!

-There's also a big issue with our hero pooping his pants during battle scenes. I'll give you a second to let that sink in before I say "Um, no, Dear Readers, I'm not kidding, and I wish I were."

- Grandpa has a robot hand! (Why is this on the problems side? I don't know.)

- The bad guys, flesh eaters, are almost cute when they change from their human form into their blood-thirsty, rapey-death-machine forms.

Oh, my god, that thing is precious, even if it does have a half-dead woman
hanging off of its junk as it runs. Don't worry, it stops and eats her in the
next scene. So cute! It reminds me of Captain Caveman!

- The weaponized "buster suits" Tohihiko's creepster (yes) brother invents are also kind of precious looking.

- The music is weird as hell (although that is kind of to be expected give the director's style).

This isn't enough to make me definitively say this anime is bad enough for So-Bad Sunday!, though. I mean it has some good things going for it.

Good Things:

- The story is still strangely compelling, although it does seem pretty standard and predictable in some ways.

- The first scene of each episode is really stark and beautiful. A stylistic depiction of the mythology behind the flesh eaters and the warriors pitted against them.

- The mythology is interesting. That alone makes me want to watch more.

- This director takes risks that usually pay off very well in the end. His work is not conventional, but that's part of what makes it almost always interesting and inventive.

Would I watch more? Yeah, if I was bored. I give this a So-So. There are things that make me want to turn it off, but there are just as many things that make me want to keep going. It isn't bad, but it isn't everyone's cup of monkey butt fruit juice. Maybe take a look and see for yourself?

AVATAR Anime to Graphic Novel/Manga in the works

2011-12-02T17:48:00.001-08:00

Avatar...no, the other one. Yes, The Last Airbender, not the cheesy glow-bowl imperialistic snoozefest (am I seriously the ONLY person who hates that film and finds its colonial message unsettling? Oh, wow, a "noble savage" argument, that's not condescending, right? Sorry, back to the subject.

Someone is saving Avatar: The Last Airbender after that sad, racist, live-action disaster. Oh, man, it was horrible. I mean, everything was wrong. Where was the humor? The love? The non-white people...oh, wait, the non-white people were the bad guys...I shake my head. And how I loved Avatar. I mean...Aang rules. Sigh. We should just collectively agree that that film never happened. 1, 2, 3...okay.

So, someone is finally doing something with Avatar!
Here's a link to the story by Kelly Chung Dawson of China Daily:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/2011-12/02/content_14203302.htm

Hooray! I anxiously await Avatar: The Last Airbender--The Promise. The article states that it "will be released in early 2012 through Dark Horse Comics." Dark Horse is no stranger to the manga community, and has even collected some of their American comics in very manga-esque formatting in the past.

Now, if only someone would consider making it into a live-action film, THAT would be awesome.

(Selective memory is my friend.)

Akira Movie News

2011-11-30T21:09:00.000-08:00

From the Comics Alliance:

'Akira' Movie Update: Kaneda the Bartender and Actual Japanese Person Offered Role

I think this is a movie I probably won't be seeing.

Cute Things in My Life

2011-11-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends has me writing down three things I'm grateful for every day. It's a nice exercise. I post mine; she posts hers; our friends post theirs.

Well, I thought I'd share some of that gratefulness with you all, Dear Readers.

Today I'm grateful for the cute things! Especially my cat friend, Mr. Otis Redding!

Oh, no, is Otis Redding the real William Shakespeare?

And, apples, which are both tasty and adorable:

Eat Us! Eat Us! Eat Us!

And, finally, chair socks. Yes, chair socks!

Note, these chair socks have apples on them!


It would take a lot to beat this kind of adorableness!

What are you grateful for?

The Unwritten -- Mike Carey / Peter Gross

2011-11-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

For shame, Shakespeare! You don't write for a month and then you choose an American comic to profile on your site?

Yes, yup, indeed! Why? Because I hold the keys to the squee. Also, because Unwritten by Mike Carey and Peter Gross is a geek's delight, much in the same vein as Sugar Hill Gang's Rapper's Delight:

Actually, it's not. It doesn't have anything to do with rap, at all.

What Unwritten has more to do with is literary history, heroes and words. The main character, Tom Taylor was the inspiration for his father's popular fantasy novels about a young wizardy type boy and his two magical friends, a dufus of a boy and a smart girl... Sound familiar? Sure. In the world of Unwritten Tommy Taylor is considered greater than Harry Potter. And, the series author has mysteriously disappeared, so a cult following has grown around the man Tom Taylor, who ends up making his bread and butter attending comicons and signing memorabilia.

Our story begins when the news breaks that Tom Taylor isn't, well, Tommy Taylor. He may have been stolen as a baby or bought or something, but he is not the real, biological son of Wilson Taylor and boy, do folks feel duped!

Tom becomes the target of an assassination plot. He is then kidnapped by a fan gone too far and nearly killed when a mysterious lady shows up to save him. Determined to find out his own true identity, Tom and the mystery lady end up at the castle where his not-father, Wilson Taylor, wrote his famous novels and where Mary Shelly happened to pen Frankenstein, and where a group of horror writers are having a convention, which is also being attended by a by a knife wielding bad guy who seems to have strange power based on words and language.

This first installment of Unwritten is somewhat reminiscent of other comics based in and around already written stories. I'm thinking Fables or even The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I know, I won't step too far into that territory. I don't feel like I'm worthy to talk about Alan Moore. Maybe one day...

Why should you read this? It's literary, so naturally, it's good for you!

So-Bad Sunday! The Legend of Koizumi (Anime)

2011-11-20T20:07:00.000-08:00

See this guy? We'll he's the angry, mai-jong addicted former Prime Minister of Japan, Koizumi Jun'ichirou.

I am angry faced! See my rage! Arrrrgh!

And here he is in non-anime form shaking hands with possible alien, and full time weirdo, Tom Cruise:

Your Thetans are doing well in this meat body, Mr. Prime Minister!

Hey, same suit...interesting! In The Legend of Koizumi former Prime Minister (pictured above in both real and anime format) is the target of an attempted assassination. He is shot repeatedly, but does not die...he has a mission to fulfill.

Somewhere off the coast of Japan on what looks to be an American aircraft carrier, Kozumi's assistant watches as Kim Jong-Il picks his nose and chaws on some pigs feet. Kozumi shows up, despite being critically injured and challenged Kim Jong-Il to mai-jong. Another former Prime Minister joins him and Kim Jong-Ils son (wearing Mickey Mouse ears), sit to play. Then I get really lost. And I'm not JUST lost because I don't understand mai-jong (although I do not understand mai-jong at all). I'm lost because this is dumb.

The premise of this series is that all of the worlds problems are secretly solved/negotiated via a series of underground, top-secret mai-jong games.

And then they make fun of the Chinese for a while. How very Japanese? Meh. It turns out they resurrect a zombie Mao Zedong while Koizumi's irritating assistant continuously pees himself.

I stopped there. You shouldn't have to make it even that far, Dear Readers, just trust me on this one.

Alice the 101st (Manga)

2011-11-19T17:22:00.001-08:00

Title: Alice the 101st 1 and 2
Author/Artist: Chigusa Kawaii
Publisher: DMP
Rating 16+ (YA)
Buy it: http://www.akadot.com/alice-the-101st-vol-0102-gn-bundle-p-31824.html (2 issues for $8.99)

Chigusa Kawaii's second series Alice the 101st is a shoot off of much beloved (by me) La Esperança. What does this mean?

Well, lots of her signature wind-blown art. (Where does that wind come from? Aren't they in a room?)
Lots of sweet-faced school boys dealing with strange new feelings.
Music.
Elaborate backgrounds and bustling city scenes.
Discussions about the future.
Crippling self-doubt.
Daddy issues.
Guest appearances by Georges Saphir.
One tiny, miniscule glimpse of Robert Jade.

Aristide Lang (who would like to be called Aristo, but is instead dubbed Alice) is a new violin student at Mondonvielle Music school. Mononvielle only allows in 100 students a year, yet for some reason they bent the rules and accepted Alice as the 101st. Rumors fly around the school, because apparently school boys are vindictive gossips, and although it is first suspected that Alice got in thank to "connections" his classmates soon realize that this oddly talented, barely taught, country-rough, violinist not only has a strange skill, but that his father was an acclaimed violinist who attended Mondonvielle as (duh-duh-daaaah) a 101st student. Alice is out of his element, his roommate Theo thinks he's embarrassing because he plays by ear and can't read music, he's being pursued by an overly optimistic upperclassman named Vick, and he's being harassed by the substitute violin teacher who thinks he's a waste of time. To top it all off the second seat violinist, whom Alice calls Blondie Diamante (I forget his real name, and I like Alice's nickname for him) is a douche bag snob with an out-of control ego who has it out for Alice.

I like Alice. I think he's cute and sweet and adamant. He's playing for love and to get closer to his deceased father who was a virtuoso named Claude Savatier. How can I not like him? He's a diamond in the rough. A kid with talent and heart, who may not be the smartest cookie in the jar, but is still pretty tasty. He is attending Mondonvielle to "meet" his father. The museum in the school houses his father's violin, the "Margo." And in order to gain access to it, and actually play it, he must become one of the best in the school, a rival to oddly sweet, oblivious, and totally weird first seat violinist Maximillian.

This is a good start to a lighter story from Chigusa Kawaii, and I enjoyed the first two volumes. They don't have the same torturous emotional impact as La Esperanca, but very little does. I like that she decided not to compete with the earlier work and instead took it in a different, far more humorous direction. It was a good choice, and it will keep me reading on into later volumes. Another thing that will keep me reading on is the hopes of seeing a bit more of Georges and Robert.

Like this:

Right there under the "Vick!" is Robert. It's a small panel , but I don't care.
Georges had a recital and Robert was there.
Hooray!

It's cute instead of soul-crushing, but sometimes we all need some levity. I look forward to more of Chigusa Kawaii's work, and think this second series of hers is off to a good start.

American Comic Style Dr. M

2011-10-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

RAAR! I kick you with shit kicking boots!

This is a fairly accurate comic book hero representation of Dr. M. Why is she posting it? Because she has papers to grade.

When one has papers to grade one has a tendency to do the least important things ever.

One of these things was for Dr. M to draw a picture of herself as a superhero.

Tomorrow she's thinking about drawing a picture of Ms. Shakespeare in anime style.

Let's see what pans out, Dear Readers.

Makoto Tateno Double Feature-- How to Capture a Martini and How to Control a Sidecar (manga)

2011-10-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

I couldn't sleep last night, so I read some brand spanky new manga from DMP. Makoto Tateno, author of me-favorites (like fan-favorites, only more self-centered) Hero Heel and Yellow (and the less than stellar Fu Shin Ga: For Love or Money) has come out with two related manga centering around bartenders. I have a strong suspicion that Tateno really likes bar-culture and cocktails. Every single one of her manga has something to do with drinking. These two offerings center on the bartenders working at the upscale bar Maria Elena. The first volume How to Capture a Martini is pretty standard fare for her in some ways. I always appreciate that she deals with more mature characters and themes. The main characters in Martini were former lovers in high-school who parted ways suddenly when the eldest of the two, Shinobu, graduated. Naoyuki, the one left behind without even a word, has held a torch for him ever sense. So, when the two bump into each other (while Naoyuki is with his current girlfriend) at Maria Elena, Naoyuki is shocked and pleased at first, until Shinobu refuses to give him an explanation and pushes him away harshly.

Makoto Tateno likes to write about drinking!

Martini uses the martini (actual drink) as an overarching metaphor for the relationship between the two. The first cocktail Naoyuki ever has, made by Shinobu of course, is a martini. As Naoyuki explains, he expected it to be sweeter, but found it "much harsher and drier than I expected." The sentiment is a clear reflection of Naoyuki on Shinobu's character. He has been turned off by cocktails ever since, and yet, he forces himself into a position at Maria Elena to be near Shinobu again. It turns out that the martini Shinobu made all those years ago was intentionally extra-dry, something he knew Naoyuki would not like in order to push him away. Shinobu spends a lot of time pushing Naoyuki away, and indulging himself in a string of meaningless relationships. Ultimately, though, Naoyuki realizes that Shinobu's tactics hide his true feelings for Naoyuki. He begins to realize that the reason Shinobu ran from their relationship so many years ago was because he was scared.

Afraid of the pressure of a relationship and what Shinobu sees as inevitable heartbreak, he decides to abandon the relationship before he is destroyed. Happily the two, due to the sort of bizzare coincidences and intrigues that ONLY exist in manga, reunite and devote themselves to the love they abandoned so long ago.

Overall, it wasn't a bad manga, it was a little heavy-handed at times, but it didn't shy away from the kinds of mature issues that Tateno tends towards. The only thing I didn't like was the odd side-stories. They were weird, and incestuous, and fetishistic in a way that was fairly creepy. This should have been a sign. The sign should have read: JUST STOP HERE, DR. M!! But, I didn't stop there, did I, Dear Readers? No. I decided to read the second story.

I assumed, incorrectly, that How to Control a Sidecar would be a little bit of fun and minor angst from some of the other bartenders at Maria Elena. This time straight, super-star bartender Kousaka was in the spotlight. He was only a minor character foil to Shinobu in Martini, and seemed pretty standoffish and disinterested in that volume. It turns out that he's not so much standoffish as ridiculously oblivious to the kind of bar he works in. He fails to realize that about 90% of Maria Elena's clientele is gay. Even his co-workers find this oversight shockingly unobservant. It seems lighthearted at first; a clueless character getting hit on by all sorts of men without realizing the implications of their conversations. However, Dear Readers, it is NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT that kind of manga.

This is horrifically graphic stuff, not light hearted at all. And it includes a graphic depiction of extremely non-consensual sex which although treated seriously spins into something I am entirely uncomfortable with. Kousaka is attacked, beaten and raped by a customer, and to my distaste, not only forgives his attacker, but becomes involved in his life. NOT COOL! NOT COOL! NOT COOL! Kousaka isn't just oblivious, he's an idiot. He decides to "forget" it happened. AND he eventually falls in love with the man who raped him. Everything ends happily ever after...except that he was raped and beaten. I don't even know what to say about this except...every part of me objects to this story line. Traditionally Tateno deals with some dark themes, and some complications that seem troubling, but this crosses a line for me. Dr. M disapproves.

So, by all means, read How to Capture a Martini. It didn't blow my hair back in a manga-esque wind scene, but it does have some interesting moments. Avoid the creepy side stories in it though, you'll thank me when you have avoided reading about an incestuous relationship involving cat cosplay. And be seriously cautious about How to Make a Sidecar. Neither of these manga are appropriate for readers under 17, and I don't think How to Control a Sidecar is appropriate for any audience. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

The Color of the Clear Blue Sky

2011-10-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

Publisher: DMG
Audience: 16+

Thank goodness I read this manga right after writing my last review. It stands in clear counterpoint. The material could have been creepy, but it's not. Sakae, a student teacher struggles with the deep love and affection he has felt for his former elementary school teacher and mentor, Fukada. As adults they work side by side at the same school where years earlier they were only teacher and student.

The story is cute and sweet. Sakae is fragile but hard working. People always seem concerned with his health. Fukada is much changed by the years that have gone by since Sakae was his student. He's not as clean cut, or as visibly dedicated to his students. There are rumors that he was stalked.

Sakae doesn't struggle so much with his own sexuality as with his feelings. Is Fukada a former teacher, a father figure or a potential lover? In the past, Fukada said he would be Sakae's strength. Will he actually be able to fill that deliver on that promise? Fukada is a different person than Sakae remembers. Can Sakae accept him as he is now?

This is a cute little manga with not too much angst, appropriate longing, mutual affection and consent, not overly graphic, a happy ending, and my "I just want to read something adorable" stamp of approval.

Enjoy.

Ai No Kusabi -- Light Novels -- Volumes 1-3

2011-10-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

Why can't we just be two consenting adults who happen to be into some really sick stuff?

Publisher DMP
Graphic: 18+

A futuristic dystopia with designer humans, ghettoized youths, institutionalized homosexuality, cold blooded, pure-bred richies, and tons of graphic sex and corruption. This sort of sums up Ai No Kusabi, a classic yaoi series penned by Rieko Yoshihara.

I'm writing this review having read only half the light novels. I did see the OVA a number of years ago; it wasn't that great. I guess I was hoping the novels would somehow make up for it. They didn't do it for me.

So, I've probably said this before on the site, and if I haven't, I'll just say it now: I don't like stories where characters are underage, unless its a teenage drama and they're working through relationship in a consensual way with a person their own age.

Yep, I'm a prude that way.

I don't understand why the author just can't make the character older? She has that power. She is the writer. She can tack a couple years on there, no problem. And, that's not to say she can't complicate it with allusions to a messed up past, lurid details that enrich the story and move it forward, etc. Make there be a reason he's so young or show him some sympathy. Sure, he had to grow up early, but he's still a kid.

Ugg, I guess I should tell you who I'm talking about. Rikki, the fifteen year old leader of a gang of street toughs, Bison:

Hi, I'm Rikki, as portrayed in the OVA (as an adult).

Ai No Kusabi is focused around the "relationship" Rikki forms with Iason, a pure blooded upper crusty "Blondie" who basically kidnaps Rikki from the streets, breaks his spirit, humiliates him and forcibly does it with him a lot in graphic and painful ways. There's all sorts of explanation about castes and different groups and gambling and the underworld and human auctions and people who are pets, but these are all really just trappings for the sado-masochistic relationship at the center of the story.

Rikki's age isn't mentioned in the OVA, but I did get the impression he was much older than the character in the book, so I didn't feel as uncomfortable watching it, even given the subject matter.

I know that the world in which this story takes place is different and that the society is a lot more corrupt and blah, blah, blah but I just don't find the relationship between Rikki and Iason compelling. I feel bad for Rikki and I think Iason is slimy and gross.

Iason as portrayed in the OVA

Now let's talk about the writing. Hrm. I can't figure out if it is the original author's style to be so excessive or the translator's. Seriously, one writer to another: keep it simple. I know the writing was supposed to reflect the society's excess, but gee whiz: this is so florid. Also, this writer would benefit from one creative writing class in which the phrase "SHOW. DON'T TELL," was pounded into her brain. There is enough exposition here to make me cry and fall asleep at the same time.

Maybe this is why I only got through three books.

I will say: raise the age of Rikki. Make Iason not so gross and more sympathetic. Clean up the writing both stylistically and sex-wise. Cut the length of this by a half or a third, and it might be a good, interesting, even literary sci-fi-ish type story.

I hear a thirteen episode anime is coming out in 2012. Will it redeem this tale? I do not know. I do not care to guess. Now I am off to write and ponder tomorrow's breakfast.

Thanks, M, For Holding Down The Fort :)

2011-10-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Ms. Shakespeare here. The last month and a half has definitely been rough. If my life were the panel of a manga, I'd be all wild hair, head down, headphones on, gritty look on my face, fists clenched and wind, wind, wind.

But this isn't a manga, and the truth is, I'm just a nice Midwestern girl who is only super bad-ass in her own mind. I live in a great place and have enough to eat and though things have been difficult, I'm lucky.

Thanks, M, for holding down the fort while I go through my stuff and also for letting me yell at you. You're the best friend and co-blogger this lady could have!

I think I'm back!

William (Sir Francis Bacon) Shakespeare

So-Good Sunday! Cosplay at the New York Comicon

2011-10-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Check out Senen Llanos' fantastic portraiture of cosplayers at this years New York Comicon.

http://www.senencito.com/my-blog/2011/10/15/faces-of-new-york-comic-con-2011-saturday.html

Some impressively made and worn costumes from the worlds of comics, anime, manga, video games, film and pop culture.

One of my favorites:

Ciel Phantomhive...nice!

Ciel wasn't the only Black Butler character in the portraits; scroll through to see a very impressive Sebastian. Also worthy of note: an awesome Alucard from Van Helsing.

These folks may have spent $1000 worth of time (and maybe even a lot of cash) on their cosplay gear, but I still respect their singular efforts to impress. Much more impressive to me than that ready-to-wear Akira jacket. These are some talented fans!

And Llanos is one talented photographer as well. I love how he isolated the images from the busy backgrounds of the convention floors in order to highlight the characters, and the people who play them.

So-Bad Sunday! Cosplay/FanCollectable Quandry--how much is too much?

2011-10-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

Akira is groundbreaking stuff!

Do you love the anime film AKIRA? Lots of people do. The future-dystopia, sci-fi classic, released in 1988, is pretty groundbreaking stuff. The film is based on a manga series began in 1982 by Katsuhiro Otomo, the manga series is one of the first to ever be translated in its entirety, and is certainly one of the forerunners of cyberpunk as both a term and a genre of post-modern literature. AKIRA is a big deal. I am a careful fan of the film, and have had the manga series on my "to read" list for a million years. The problem is, it's pretty disturbing stuff. Post-apocolyptic, Neo-Tokyo, is not a pleasant place. It is overrun by gangs, espionage, government corruption, scientific exploitation...just about every negative path the future could take. Amidst it all the Capsule Gang, riding some pretty bad ass bikes, attempts to survive. Main characters Kaneda (leader of the Capsules), Tetsuo (burgeoning psychic heading towards destruction) and Kei (a member of an anti-government terrorist group) become embroiled in government espionage. Meanwhile there are psychic experiements going on, and the group learns about the mysterious Akira (a psychic rumored to be a biological weapon to have the power to stop or change the tides of the conflicts taking place in Neo-Tokyo).

To sum things up...this is a groundbreaking piece of literature that spun a groundbreaking film, it is a fan favorite, and it has a pretty important place in the world. If you haven't read/seen it, go do it.

So why is this on So-Bad Sunday!? Well, it isn't the film, or the manga, it's this:

For only around $1,000 US you can own your very own cosplay jacket
based on the Kaneda's Capsule jacket.
Bike, pants, boots, gloves, not included.

I don't even necessarily think this is "bad," in fact it is more than half-awesome, but I am still taken aback by it. This has been put out by Bandai as part of a celebration of the manga's 30 year mark. But, $1000 dollars? Seriously? I'm really bothered by this. Maybe it's because I spent two months convincing myself that it was okay to be a $25 dollar (75% off...I was lucky there was still one left) jacket last spring. Maybe I have a skewed sense of the world? Or a skewed sense of priorities?

Am I wrong in thinking this is bizzare? Now if this were a display item, or a piece of art (not to be worn), or hand-made cosplay attire, or even part of the wardrobe of some live action Akira...then I would be all "Holy hell, that's awesome." But, nerd-friends, this is meant to be sold to fans. This crazy piece of decadence has my head in a twist. By all means, if you have the money for such things, Dear Readers, indulge, but if you don't...please don't. I am the voice of reason, "YOU DO NOT NEED SUCH THINGS!"

And by all means PLEASE don't listen to the advice of Comics Alliance http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/10/10/akira-jacket-kaneda-red-black/ who said, "We urge you in the strongest possible terms to purchase this jacket at once. There is no downside whatsoever. Just do it. And then send us the photos." Bad, bad, Comics Alliance, don't encourage nerds like me to part with our money for your amusement. I guarantee that the first photo that comes in is quickly met with a "I can't believe someone spent that much money on a jacket like that."

At least that will be my response.

Winchester Wednesday--First Impressions SUPERNATURAL (anime)

2011-10-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, first I have to admit something. I love Supernatural. I don't just like it. I don't want to be friends with it. I LOVE it. Like, love-love. I love it in a way I haven't loved a television series since Buffy...and that, Dear Readers, is saying quite a bit. But, to be honest, Buffy didn't have Dean Winchester.

Dean Winchester (played by Jensen Ackles)--
I admit to blushing just looking at him.
The car helps.

Now, in order to resist babbling on and on (and I could at length) about Dean Winchester and my insane love of yet another fictional character, I will now slowly scroll down the page as I post, so as not to become distracted by him. And I will say, only briefly, that I would like to be Dean Winchester when I grow up. Pain and all. I'll take it. Ah, he's my second favorite kind of hero...le sigh.

When I heard, almost six months ago, that two of my favorite things: anime and Supernatural were going to make a baby...I squeed so loudly that I think I may have pulled a muscle. How often does that sort of thing happen? It was like a gift from Chuck (who art in heaven). Maybe, just maybe, my hopes were too high?

Not that Supernatural: The Anime is bad, mind you...it's just not...I dunno. I have concerns.

My first concern has to do with the storyline itself. Now, being a Dean-obsessed, theory-driven, research nerd, I know my SPN. I might know it too well. The storyline of the anime follows the original, yet it feels a little sketchy or "holey." I find myself wondering if I would be able to follow theise first episodes as part of a greater story arc were I not such an idiotically huge fangirl. I know the backstory, so I feel like maybe I'm filling in gaps that unfamiliar viewers may not be able to fill so easily. That IS a concern.

The selections of episodes are strange so far, and I wonder about their order and the decision-making process behind that order. It began with an episode entitled "Skins" which was fed almost directly by the live-action version, with some alterations. The next two episodes ("Roadkill" and "Home") were also inspired by the series, and shared titles with the original live-action versions. Then we start to get some new episodes, which are meant to fit within the original story line. The original episode I watched was entitled "Ghost on the Highway," and I have to say that it wasn't what I expected from the typical live-action Supernatural episode. I hate to say it, but it wasn't as well written, as complex or as interesting. And it should have been, because it was about the Impala (which may be this secret gear-head's favorite thing about the show...even moreso than Dean). I appreciate that the writers of the anime didn't just rehash the live-action series. I think that's important, and I applaud them for their efforts to create new episodes that seasoned viewers can appreciate. It's a great opportunity to add to the Supernatural storyline by creating side-stories and in-between stories to expand on the series. I just hope the rest of the new episodes are a bit more complicated and a bit more engaging.

Although Ms. Shakespeare has heard me rant ad infinitum almost about this already, I have to say it again...Jared Padalecki isn't a great actor. He's pretty to look at (not as pretty as Ackles), but he's not a great actor. He has a hard time delivering lines with believable emotion, and as a result of this sort of (dare I say) deficiency, his voice-acting becomes even more wooden and awkwardly delivered. It's almost like I can hear him reading off of cue cards. In once scene he laughed, and it was the most awkwardly delivered fake laugh I have ever experienced. I felt physical shame for him, because (as most people know) I am nothing if not overly empathetic at times. I cringed. My heart sank. Oh, it was so forced and uncomfortable that it hurt me. But, at least he's doing Sam's voice.

Jensen Ackles, who is an incredible actor with an uncanny sense of delivery (especially in funny or poignant moments) hasn't made a peep yet in the episodes I've seen. I know he's a good voice actor because he rocked his role of Jason Todd in Under the Red Hood...he made that film. It was stunning. Plus, his voice is at least half the charm of Dean's character. Although voice actor, Andrew Farrar, does a passable job...he just isn't Dean. In fact, he comes off a little less tough, and a little more goofy in a way I don't like. Dean is equal parts both, and Ackles walks a fine line in the live-action version between lovable goof-ball and angst-ridden knight in shining muscle car. I've seen reviews that say that the two episodes he voiced are far more emotional and effective than the earlier ones, but we'll have to save that for a later Winchester Wednesday post.

While I'm on Dean (which is something I would never pass up), I have to say that the animation leaves a little less to be desired. Padalecki already looks a bit like an anime character, but I was imagining Dean much differently than the way he was presented in the series. I believe I said, ALOUD to the tv, "Come on, Dean is hotness personified...draw him better."

Dean and Sam animated. Sam looks good. Dean looks...weird with dark brown hair.

I will, because I am obsessed, complete the series, and I'll try to keep an open mind. As it is, I don't think this series has done a poor job with the translation from live action into anime, it just hasn't been all I expected. I will enjoy the monster of the week feel, and found myself laughing at the COMPLETELY awkward live introductions to each episode done by Padalecki and Ackles...again, I got these weird pangs of empathetic shame-facedness when they came on the screen to introduce each episode; they are so obviously uncomfortable that it hurts me. Maybe my concerns will be aliviated as the series progresses--I promise to give it a fair shake.

If only out of my love for Dean. (It's like a sickness really.)

**Don't skip over the closing song when you watch this series. The J-pop version of Kansas' "Carry on My Wayward Son" is something to be heard...not admired, mind you, but heard nonetheless. Really, really funny stuff!

Ta-Ta Tuesday! Amaenaideyo!! (Anime)

2011-10-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

GROPERY! It's all for a good cause...I swear!

Amaenaideyo!! with two, count'em, TWO exclamation points appears to be about a 16-year-old Shinto priest-in-training named Ikko. Ikko gains spiritual superpowers when he becomes aroused, and in his super-charged, power-up state can defeat all sorts of supernatural chicanery, shinanigains, no-good-nik-ism and scallywaggification. It's a good thing for everyone involved that Ikko is surrounded by a group of teenaged nuns-in-training with plenty of bodacious ta-tas for viewing.

Fondling! Also for a good cause, maybe?

Either way, it's booby exposure every other minute in just the first episode. The pilot, cleverly entitled "Don't Make Me Come." (Bwahahahah?) centers on a yearly Shinto memorial ceremony for "retiring" old dolls and stuffed animals who have absorbed human feelings over their lifetime of love. Unfortunately, someone snuck in a uppity British porcelain doll, who seems to be posessed by an uppity British bitch who is unaffected by the sutras for purification because she's foreign...although she still speaks Japanese, so...? Anyway, BOOBIES!
Some are intentionally exposed to power-up poor Ikko, who is kind of a pervert.
Some are exposed as a result of "unfortunate accidents" in typical, "Oops, I saw your whatnots!" moments.
Some are the result of those frisky, underaged nuns-in-training trying to annoy each other.
Some seem just randomly to pop out...blam, boobies!

So, I don't think I'll continue this series, but if you are interested in things like perverted underaged priests, sexual innuendos, scantily clad teen nuns, or really, really stupid puns, then you might like it, Dear Readers. It honestly isn't bad, it's just not my cup of tea (served by an uppity British porcelain doll).

So-Bad Sunday! All Nippon Air Line (manga)

2011-10-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

Oh, hohoho! All Nippon Air Line...I see what you did there A.N.A.L.!

Dear Kei Azumaya,

Your manga nearly made me cry. No, not in a good way.

Could you please advise me on your publication process and experience, because, quite honestly, if this made its way not only into publication, but translation as well, then I'm pretty sure I could make it big on the manga scene with very little effort, zero plot and no discernible story line.

What disturbs me the most about your work, though, is not the stupid punny title (A.N.A.L.), or the blatant stereotyping of gay men as sex-hungry droids only interested in looks, money or satisfaction, or even the very obvious lack of any cohesive story line or characterization...what got me was this: for something entitled A.N.A.L. there was zero graphic sex. Not that I wanted to see it, mind you. In fact, I more than half-appreciate its absence, but I still find the lack of graphic sex rather disturbing. Had this manga been nothing more than scene after scene of porn quality plot and writing coupled with some graphic artwork, then I'd be all..."Okay, not my thing, but whatever. It's just porn," and then I'd move on to something else, hardly having noticed anything at all. But it didn't even have that...so I found myself wondering, "Self, what IS this?"

Thankfully, because I am clever, I was able to come up with an answer...IT IS BAD!

Very, very bad.

Seriously, did you get paid for this?
Dr. M

Ta-Ta Tuesday! Excel Saga--Anime

2011-09-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Excel Saga makes my brain hurt. I won't post it as a So-Bad Sunday! post because it is kind of clever, alibet in an annoying as hell way. So, to honor the bodacious ta-tas of this series, I submit it here.

This is Excel and those are her boobs.

Excel Saga is a parody anime, it takes (steals) from multiple genres, it intentionally attempts to be as weird, violent, and erratic as possible. For example, in the very first episode, within the first four minutes to be exact, Excel graduates from highschool and is promptly hit by a truck. KABAM! She is resurrected for the sake of the "storyline" (they said it, not me), by The Will of the Macrocosmos. She is then recruited by Ilpalazzo, to "fix the world" starting with ~~Tokyo,~~ F City; but she's so annoying he shoots her in the head. I can't blame him. The Will resurrects her again. He kills her a few more times. She is annoying. Her task, to save the world, begins with the "liquidation of manga writers and artists." Because that's what's keeping the world corrupt. Her first target...the author of the manga, Excel Saga. Why not, right?

Yeah, it just gets dumber from there. The "sometimes clever" I mentioned earlier have to do with its National Lampoon like quality of poking fun at anime and manga tropes. Of course, you have to wade through the crap to get to the good stuff, and some jokes run a little too long.

This is Excel's partner Hyatt.
She dies ALL THE TIME!
Even in the opening song.

I guess it's kind of hard to explain. Let's let the trailer do my work for me?

Yeah, I know. That didn't help either. Just enjoy the boobies, alright?

La Esperanca--Manga

2011-09-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

La Esperanca officially has one of these jobbers ç (called a cedilla). I may or may not try to remember to put it in like so: La Esperança. I'll try. And I will try...I mean it. Why? Because La Esperança is one of my favorite manga series ever. On the surface it's typical yaoi stuff--school boys yearning over forbidden feelings in a will they/won't they sort of situation that ends all too predictably. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but La Esperança does more than just rehash the same plot as a hundred other tension-filled, angsty, boy-love manga. It actually brings up some interesting and insightful discussions of destiny, friendship, faith, kindness, fragility and vulnerability. These are heavy, literary themes for this genre of manga and author and illustrator Chigusa Kawai (this is her first, and for a long time her ONLY work) handles them with maturity, subtlety, complexity and sincerity in this seven volume series.

But first, an important confession: I read this manga as it was being released by DMP, and eagerly anticipated each new volume. I can remember counting down release dates, driving on my lunch hour to (of all places) the local Game Stop, and bringing the volumes home with twitchy fingers. La Esperança made me nervous. It still does. I often delayed reading my new volume until I had re-read all the previous ones. I was certainly anxious to know what turn the story of wealthy private school students Georges Saphir and Robert Jade might take, but I'd need to ease myself back into it. To be frank, I was nervous for the characters. I both wanted and did not want to see them break. I was nervous for me as well, La Esperança is a series I had to physically step away from on several occasions (putting the book down mid-chapter with a sigh or sharp intake of breath) to ward off the emotional heartbreak that seemed inevitable.

In short, this series is pretty powerful stuff at times, especially in terms of image, emotion, and characterization. It also has a lot of wind blown angst. Lots of wind. So much wind that Ms. Shakespeare once went on a lengthy diatribe about the amount of wind in this manga series, claiming that in order for this to be realistic each character would have to be sporting around their own wind machine at all times. Wind aside, because I don't really care either way, this is a must read. Chigusa Kawai's first work is intense, impressive and (dare I say it? ) literary. I have been looking forward to some new work from this writer/illustrator since the end of La Esperança, and Kawai has finally produced something new--a series entitled Alice the 101st, which is on my to read and to review list as we speak. I only hope the new series lives up to my expectations based on this one. I'll certainly be letting you know, Dear Readers.

WARNING ONE: Blogger may have just screwed me out of a crazy-good, long-ass essay on this manga. In fact, I know it did. I have never had this experience on blogger, and am half-furious at both it and myself at the moment. I will have to rewrite it, and I am ensaddened. I hope it is even better this time around, although I expect it will not be. Hey, blogger, what happened to the auto-save? Did you forget to do that? Because it would have been really nice in this case. SO ANGRY!

WARNING TWO: Dr. M (seriously, I have an actual PhD...don't question my ability to get all schooley) is about to wax all academic up in this mug, please bear with her, humor her and acknowledge that from time to time this sort of thing has a place.

Robert and Georges first meeting.
Georges literally falls into his arms.
Only to be dumped out unceremoniously with a
"Tsk, I thought you were a girl."

At its heart, La Esperança is a buildungsroman about the development of the inner self. The teenage boys populating St. Grollo Boy's School are coming to an awareness of the singular self at odds with the surrounding world. This awareness brings with it an acknowledgement of limitations and complications. Each character is asked to face their fears about the past and future in order to become a whole person moving in and through the world.

Thematically it deals with some very important, and sometimes heavy, topics, asking us, as readers, to consider, what we do to protect ourselves from the world as human beings. It is very human to put up our guard against the world around us, because vulnerability leaves us exposed, but closing ourselves off keeps us from living fully in the world through connections with others. Georges, the protagonist of the novel, begins as nothing more than a pretty object--a self-effacing angel popular with all students, but close to none. Henri, the best friend, is held at arms length and longs to breach the unseen barriers Georges throws up to guard his inner self from the outside world. Robert, the antagonist and eventual love interest, hides his true self behind the perceptions others have of him; he lets his classmates and others believe him to be cold and callous because it is easier (and safer) than having to explain or relieve past sorrows.

Georges' Story is about acceptance:

In all of the essential ways, this is the story of Georges Saphir, orphan, half-saint, pianist, and angelic do-gooder with a tragic past he is unaware of. So, we must start with Georges.Georges has things wrong, but not on purpose. An altruist at heart Georges strives to be pure, to be kind and helpful to everyone, to live for others. But in living for others he abandons himself in many ways, and becomes less of a person as a result. The sweet-smiling barriers he constructs keep people from seeing what Georges believes is impure, or undeserving, below the surface. Robert is the first person to ever breach the barriers Georges puts up, and he does so rather cruelly in a way, telling Georges that there is a contradiction in George's actions, that Georges, who is friendly to all, but close to none, is actually cruel. He berates him, telling Georges that he spreads benevolence around, but feels none of it, that he pushes his kindness on people, and that although he seems altruistic he is in fact selfish with himself. Robert points out the "lie" in Georges' treatment of his classmates that he claims to like them, but never lets anyone know the real him. Georges, he claims, will be the one suffering in the end if he does not learn to love himself. Roberts lessons are cruelly given at first, but they belie the interest he has in Georges. Georges, over the course of the story, learns to let people in bit by bit. He also learns that to become an adult, to have real relationships, one must give of ones' self.

Robert's Story is one of rredemption:

Can I just tell you how much I love this character? Too bad, Dear Readers, I'm doing it anyway. I love Robert Jade. His cockiness covers his hidden sensitivities and insecurities, therefore he's my second favorite kind of tragic hero. My first favorite kind, incidentally is Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. He is a "pain demon," seemingly sadistic, but really masochistic. Oh, Heathcliff! Robert is the second kind, the torn prince, the knight errant crippled by his own inner workings and personal tragedies, the bad boy with a secret child's heart plagued by sorrows and desires ( on a related note, I love you, Dean Winchester!). His small gestures undo me. Scenes when we get a glimpse into Robert's past, scenes when he and Georges struggle to contain emotion, and scenes where Robert breaks, showing his kindness or his haunted soul, or his fragility, leave me breathless. Georges is a pretty blank page, but Robert....Robert is a supernova: a dying star in the throws of immolation. Robert is haunted by his own tragic past, one in which he feels responsible for the death of a loved one (whom Georges greatly resembles in looks and in personality). Neglected as a child, Robert is awkward with emotion and relationships, but it is clear that he has vast up-wellings of love that need an outlet. In the climax of the book, Robert not only redeems himself, but finds closure and forgiveness.

Side stories are about coming into one's own self, creating the individual, navigating the distance between expectations and reality, desires and needs. Each of the characters faces their own personal quests to establish a future, to comes to terms with obstacles and to make secure connections that will last a lifetime. These boys are at a crossroads in which the must choose the directions their lives will take: each struggles with very human fears, fallabilities, and even a few neuroses.

Georges kisses Robert out of the blue,
finally taking something for himself.

The story ends, not on a saccharine sweet happily ever after, but on a sort of trembling hopefulness. Robert and Georges actually part, but with promises. They will each other to fight, to survive whatever life may throw at them and (in the immortal words of Tim Gunn) "make it work" despite obstacles. We see a glimpse of their possible future in their determination to take initiative, address, change, and compromise WITHOUT sacrificing one's ideals, and self.

In this way the "Ending" feels more akin to a beginning. Half of me wishes for a continuation---half of me thinks that this hopeful, "non-conclusion" is the best of all possible endings for a series concerned with accepting and facing future obstacles.

I keep coming back to this manga again and again, not because it is sweet or inspiring (although it is at times) , but because it touches on what it means to be human in all of its incarnations--positive and negative. There are certainly moments where my heart is bursting for these characters, but there are equal number of moments when I feel afraid for them, or question their actions and reactions. Human beings are not perfect. There are no happy endings. In fact, there are no endings at all.

So-Bad Sunday! Mr. Tiger and Mr. Wolf--Manga

2011-09-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

That's Mr. Wolf. He looks like a people.

This yaoi manga by writer and illustrator Ahiru Haruno is about a wolf, named Mr. Wolf (inventive!). Mr. Wolf is hunting one day in the woods when he comes across what he believes is a tabby cat. For reasons that are disturbing, unrealistic and extremely random-seeming, Mr. Wolf decides to take said tabby cat home and make it his wife. The next day Mr. Wolf goes hunting again and returns to discover that the tabby cat is now a full-grown tiger-man named, appropriately, Mr. Tiger. Mr. Tiger is in love with Mr. Wolf and the two have foxy times together where, in an unforeseen role reversal, Mr. Tiger takes "charge" and makes Mr. Wolf his wife (in this manga wifelihood seems to be contingent upon who is on top during the gettin-it-on).

I would now like to outline my reading experience and follow it with some pertinent questions.

Reading Experience:
1. I am confused for the first 40 pages.
2. I am disturbed for the next 60 page.
3. I am again confused for about 20 pages.
4. Finally, I decide that the manga is actually stupider than even I first believed and put it down.

Pertinent Questions:
1. If a writer sets up a premise (no matter how stupid) shouldn't one follow it through? For example, if the tigers, wolves, dogs, whathaveyous that occupy this fictional space are anthropomorphized to the point of wearing clothing, having houses, etc. then, at what point does it seem normal to have actual humans hunting, capturing and desiring the pelts of said anthropomorphic, clothing wearing animeaux (French, ooh-la-la)?
2. Was that wolf seriously going to abscond with and marry a tabby cat?
3. There was a lot of discussion of animal life spans in this manga, and although I do feel that it would be disconcerting to lose one's "wife" at a young age (apparently the only realistic aspect in this manga the actual life spans of wolves and tigers), should it be a central plot point? It is decidedly NOT sexy to discuss the 7 year life span of wolves mid-coitus.
4. Are tigers clumsy? I had not realized that was a thing. I expect it may be a stereotype. People are so speciesist!
5. At one point the Tiger's brother, also conveniently named Mr. Tiger (Really? Really, really? Couldn't come up with one name? Just, Mr.Tiger this, Mr. Wolf that?), is rescued from hunters by an anthropomorphic dog who proceeds to hump Mr. Tiger (brother of Mr. Tiger, and therefore not to be confused with Mr. Tiger) silly, in a dubiously consensual fashion. My question is, how big is that dog? And, a follow up: could a dog hump a tiger silly?
6. Why are there two volumes of this manga? Isn't one crappy volume really enough? Is the story so epic that it must have a sequel?
7. Is this secretly some furry-fetish thing? Did I just read furry yaoi? Why would that be a thing?

I am so puzzled on so many fronts, and yet...I don't want to look at it again to find the answers. I think I'll just let this one go.

You know you want some of this tabby cat action!
Apologies to Jim Davis, creator of Garfield.
The writers of this blog DO NOT condone any humping of cats, wolves or cats who may be tigers.
Or any animal. Don't hump animals.
Love, Squeefinity
P.S. Furries are gross.

Flower of Life--Manga

2011-09-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Some days Ms. Shakespeare and I both feel that we could easily change the title and purpose of Squeefinity into the We Love Fumi Yoshinaga blog. We do love Fumi Yoshinaga. This artist and writer of us-favorites (like fan-favorites only more specific) Antique Bakery, All My Darling Daughters, and Not Love, But Delicious Food makes me Happy has written a ton...yes, a TON of other titles, and nothing Ms. Yoshinaga has written has failed to be mature, complex and honest about the struggles, insecurities, small triumphs and heart-sinking failings all human beings face, regardless of gender, sexuality, social status, finances or goals. She shies away from very little, fully acknowledging the complexities of her characters in her manga.

This series Flower of Life, centers on the complex lives of a group of high-schoolers. Traditionally her characters have been older, some even facing mid-life crises, but this time she has developed a true, and honest feeling, coming of age story. The characters Harutaru, Shota and Majima, are all high-school students facing different obstacles. The story begins with Harutaru's arrival at school. Haru arrives mid-year because he had been hospitalized and treated for Leukemia, his boisterous personality, blunt honesty and positive attitude, and bleached hair are his trademarks. He instantly befriends Shota, a pudgy little fanboy who is too cute for words (everybody thinks so), and creates a quick enemy of Majima, a pale (creepily beautiful) otaku with serious personality issues.

Harutaru and Shota
How cute is Shota? Supercute! Haru talks about wanting to eat him up.

Flower of Life makes me happy. It isn't super dramatic. It isn't a love story (although there is a fairly scandalous love affair later on between the androgynous school teacher and Majima). It's a story about kids struggling with life and decisions that will affect their future. Haru's older sister suffers from some rather intense agoraphobia. Shota struggles with self-esteem. Haru struggles with his future, and the possibility that his leukemia will relapse. Majima struggles with actually having feelings. Other classmates have their own stories and we see glimpses into their lives and their individual obstacles, some of which can be overcome, some of which will remain long-standing. It's a slice of life: sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, sometimes confusing, but always completely and utterly straightforward.

My favorite part of this series comes in the last volume. In it, Shota (writer) and Haru (illustrator) decide to take their little manga club, and their doujinshi (an amateur or fan created manga--some are original stories, and some are fan fictions) to the next level. The two make a good team, although they struggle with their egos like any duo working on a creative endeavor. The story of the two boys struggling to find success in manga writing and illustration may be a way for Yoshinaga to share her experiences as a manga-ka. Shota, even says at one point, "I'm expressing in manga what I can't explain in words." This statement may speak to Yoshinaga's approach to manga writing. Certainly her work has a subtlety and maturity that many writers shy away from. I suppose critics of her work could suggest that she is a little obscure and slow-moving in regards to plot, but I like to think that like all good writers, plot is a product of character development. Yoshinaga is not just a good artist, she is a good storyteller. I recommend all of her work. I haven't seen anything by this manga-ka that hasn't been interesting and insightful. She speaks, even in her few yaoi titles, about the human experience: love, pain, insecurity, desire, fear...all the things that make us human.

Squeefinity Silence...

2011-09-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

It has been a little quiet this week at Squeefinity, so what shall I do instead of providing a review? I'll point out the fact that I don't have one. Oh, I've been watching and reading, but unfortunately, my 'ol lady back is out again, so I haven't been thinking too critically due to the pain that is wracking the entire left lower quadrant of my body.


My back hurts almost as much as Eiri Yuki's soul. Almost...

I often joke about being a granny, but I'm actually fairly young, so it can be quite humbling to limp around very slowly and not be able to lift anything and so on. Not that I have room to complain. Lot's of folks have it worse, but it's a real bummer none-the-less.


For instance this guy's life really sucks. That's not even Scar's original arm, everyone he loves is dead, and pretty much everyone else hates him.

Anyway, I will stop complaining now and will promise to bring new updates soon!

So-Bad Sunday! --Sometimes things are SO bad that they are good.

2011-09-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today's So-Bad Sunday offering is actually live-action...well, it's half live-action. If you've ever wondered about the overly expressive gestures and gesticulations of anime and manga characters and thought to yourself, "Self, I wonder what that might look like in real life." Well, wonder no more.

A trio of Philippine students in the video below, created by moymoypalaboy, addresses the sometimes disturbing smirks, smiles and grimaces worn by anime characters. And although I find this video highly creative and extremely amusing, I still want to offer it as a So-Bad Sunday! post. The intentionally bad nature of the video, and the oftentimes painful faces made by the trio, draw attention to the fact that most anime would be fairly startling were it translated into live-action in a direct way. Things can be so bad that they're actually good.

I have to admit these guys are great. Fantastic even. Look at the dedication to the (near humiliating) task of syncing their actions pefectly to the trio of anime girls syncing the Backstreet Boys...stunning! And sort of shame-inducing...and creepy, don't forget creepy.

No. 6, Post Season Impressions

2011-09-15T23:03:00.000-07:00


Shion aka Sion & Nezumi

I just finished watching the last episode of the anime No. 6 . The season was pretty abbreviated at only 11 episodes. I had high expectations and hopes from the beginning. I really loved the dystopian storyline and animation. I also very much like the two protagonists Shion aka Sion and Nezumi aka Rat. There were some very faint Shonen-ai undertones, but I figured it would be more like a "bonded for some unclear reason" type of thing, which, for the most part it was.

I watched this weekly, but would like to see it in one go, as it seemed like there were some gaps in the narrative. Is it just me or was there just not enough space for the story? All in all, the show was evocative of a feeling I like, and I looked forward to it every week.

The final episode should have been split between two. It felt like a bit like a cop out with its happy ending, apocalypse and all.

Also, I'm sure that there was a collective high-pitched squee rising up like a sonic wave from the fangirl-iverse at the very end. Watch the show, and you'll understand. In the meanwhile, cover your ears. Some windows might be breaking.

Durarara! (Anime Series) Mid-season Update

2011-09-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

The season is half-over and I'm half-hooked, which is a good sign, because unlike our intrepid Ms. Shakespeare, I hardly ever feel obliged to continue a series if I'm not enjoying it. I am enjoying Durarara! As the story progresses, the interspersed stories of the first few episodes begin to overlap and reveal the hidden connections that exist in, Ikebukuro, a city that only feels anonymous and disconnected. The mid-season in Durarara! makes clear that, although disparate units make up the city, each of these units feed off of one another in co-dependent ways.

Each character plays a part in Ikebukuro, which itself is nothing more than a conglomeration of many selves, hitting and pinging off of one another in a seemingly endless, and intricate pattern. Every character, from the Russian Sushi Chef to the introverted Student Council Representative, seems to be on a search for some sense of completeness and connectedness that may already exist below the surface of their understanding. All of these characters express a heartfelt (and sometimes misdirected) desire to belong to something, and many, like the "main" character, Mikado Ryugamine, actively create that "something" through their actions and interactions.

It turns out, in a mid-season reveal,that Mikado is the accidental and anonymous leader of the Dollars, the "gang" of the moment that actually is more of an anti-gang, seeking out ways to act for the greater good instead of self satisfaction. His need for belonging stemming from his isolation (he is without family, and introverted) helps him create virtual connections in an online community. The numbers of Dollars swell beyond his expectations as more and more people join this "unband" of outsiders and misfits. Although they have been a latent gang (of sorts), Mikado calls on them for the first time in an attempt to assist Celty in her quest. Even he is impressed by the turn-out.

Other characters, like the siblings Shizuo Heiwajima (a self-proclaimed peace-loving man who seems anything but that when he resorts to ridiculous shows of violence)and Kasuka Heiwajima (a professional actor on the rise), keep a distance from one another despite their strong brotherly bonds, in order to assist the other in achieving their goals, and only reveal their connections in subtexts and secrecy. Other less pristine relationships like the one between Doctor and Pharmaceutical Director, Namie Yagiri and her disturbingly obsessed brother, Seiji Yagiri, have a more troubling relationship in which the co-dependency is pushed to its irrational, and disturbing, limits out of a twisted response to childhood loneliness and desperation.

Lovers like Celty and Shinra Kishitani (her old friend and current roommate) deepen their connection to one another, finding in each other someone who accepts their limitations without question (they are adorable in their sweet, simple friendship and stilted infatuation). They all struggle, in positive and negative ways, for completeness. Celty herself serves as a character who, quite literally, embodies this desire for completeness in her continuing search for her head and the memories she believes it may contain.

Out in the city it isn't only people, but incidents that become intertwined. A rash of disappearances is connected with gang activity, medical testing and even, in a rather disheartening way, with Celty's missing head. Good news everyone, Celty's head has been found…unfortunately, attached to the body of a murdered girl (one of Mikado's classmates who has gone missing—she was Seiji’s stalker and he killed her when she discovered Celty's head in a jar by his bed) by Namie Yagiri in order to satiate her little brother Seiji's obsession (I did say they had a disturbingly twisted relationship) with said head and serve as a "love gift" of sorts. Bleh. Poor Celty's head attached to that stupid girl's body. I hope Celty gets her noggin back; headlessness must be frustrating.

I love this picture of Celty and the Good Doctor Shinra
by deviantArt artist YukiYijiKusakabe.
She's captured the sweetness of his devotion to Celty,
regardless of her "incomplete" state.

Most of me wonders if I'm really just watching this series to see if Celty gets her head/memories back. I might be, but I'm also watching to see the connections play out. As I wrote in my earlier Durarara!: First Impressions post, this series has an insane number of characters who each tells/sees/experiences only part of the whole story of Ikebukuro and its residents. I like the complexity of the interwoven plots, and I hope that by the end of this series more mysteries and connections are revealed. Until then, it is on Adult Swim on Saturday nights. Check it out (try not to get confused).

So-Bad Sunday -- Shaolin Grandma

2011-09-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

You better run, cause Gran's gonna git you!

Today's So-Bad Sunday is the 2008 movie Shaolin Grandma, the story of an old lady who was raised by a Shaolin monk after World War II to become a badass Shaolin monk of her own and the head of her own dojo. I'm not really sure how she got from Manchuria to Japan where the story takes place, but that is neither here nor there, as you will soon see.

The story starts when a mailman discovers our old lady, Miyoko, dead on the floor of her little apartment. He calls the police and while waiting with her body discovers a series of autobiographical scrolls in which Miyoko describes her life. The story is told in flashbacks and explains how Miyoko was displaced as head of her temple by a dude with an afro and a younger chic with crazy legs. Miyoko and two of her disciples wander into the city and start working for an American who owns an anything goes kind of bar, where Miyoko earns her living dancing sexily and by sexily, I mean she does a lot of hip thrusting and boob fondling, which is totally not sexy for a 70 year old, but is probably the whole point.

Miyoko's disciples leave her when she refuses to stand up for them, and she goes and lives as a homeless lady in a park. One day, this old dude, Toko, invites her to play gate-ball (which looks just like croquet to me). She falls in love with him, but there is an opponent in her way. Miyoko develops a flaming gate-ball technique and burns the sh*t out of that other old b*tch,who really is kind of a jerk, and then she and Toko proceed to do it like animals, a lot, and by a lot, I mean they do it a lot and it is illustrated. I get the feeling old people really like to do it.

One day Toko asks Miyoko to marry him. Miyoko realizes she needs to beat the crazy legs lady and get her dojo back before she can marry Toko. Miyoko does a lot of training in the mountains (or somewhere naturey and rainy). She further develops her gate-ball technique, seeks out the big meanie who stole her dojo. She takes it back, gets married, then gives the dojo back to crazy legs. As for Toko, he turns out to be a womanizer and starts beating Miyoko. I know, she's a Shaolin monk, right? But, I guess she doesn't fight back.

They get divorced, but Miyoko is happy. She has a cat. Her life is great, and she will die alone.

The mailman finishes the scrolls. Miyoko suddenly reanimates and breaks his neck.

The end.

Now you will never have to watch this wretched movie. This is my gift to you!

And, if you want to give me a present, a plate of these cute donuts would be cool.

Shaolin Grandma is supposed to be a parody of recent Shaolin movies like Shaolin Soccer and Shaolin Girl. It's kind of the Japanese version of Airplane, Hot Shots or The Naked Gun. That's Scary Movie or Not Another Teen Movie for you younger Dear Readers. These films take the themes and tropes of "serious" films in a specific genre as their source material.

I never liked these kinds of parodies. Oh, I'm all about being "meta" and self referencing and all that hipster sh*t people like me like to do. We're down with making fun of things.Oh, wait, am I too old to be a hipster? Right, aging hipsters like me, you know, people who are still brave enough to walk into Urban Outfitters, but are starting to question the appropriateness of the clothing sold there...

But, I was talking about parodies and Shaolin Grandma. Okay. These are the kinds of films are very high context (to steal a phrase from my college communication courses), in that they assume the audience has a reference point for the jokes. The parody shows this and expects you'll know it is referring to that and laughing along.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this type of humor, and I think that it's probably even more present in Japanese than American comedy because of the culture's tendency to have more in-group understanding. I just find these kinds of parodies boring and devastatingly unoriginal.

You know what would be great? A movie about a Shaolin Grandma, a comedy even, that wasn't making such obvious, heavy handed and awkward nods to the films it was stealing from. In fact, it wouldn't need to steal from those films because it would be its own film, savvy enough for an audience that already got it, and strong enough to stand on its own. But, this was not that movie. And, that, Dear Readers, is why we have So-Bad Sunday.

So, I'll leave you with this:

It's really just to entertain my sweet M who is very busy these days.

Galaxy Express 999 -- First Impressions

2011-09-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

Those space train shows are so popular with the kids these days.

The other day I was at Japan Video, and it seemed like every drama cover had a couple or a couple and some kids and dogs all kinds. It was like someone had an alright idea for a show, but EVERYONE who had anything to do with producing it knew, if they just added a dog or two, that show was going to go from okay to SUPER GREAT!

Well, you get the picture. Dogs! Dogs, everywhere.

Speaking of dogs, do you know what else seems to be as ubiquitous in Japanese anime as dogs in Japanese cinema? I will tell you: Trains!

And, do you know who really likes to write about anime with trains in it? ME! Dear Readers, that's right! I love writing about the "animetrain" genre so very much!

If you remember my previous post on Miracle Train in which a gang of street tuffs, er, I mean Tokyo train stations embodied by androgynous young men help solve girls girly problems, or my even more previouser post on Galaxy Railways in which someone thought it was a great idea to build trains through space and then wondered why people would attack them, then you know, I just LOVE anime about trains. Blurg.

A space train being a train in space.

But, let's talk Galaxy Express 999 of which I have only watched one episode but am not surprised to find that it is a beloved classic of Japanese animation, long running and forever returning like Dr. Who. Though, unlike Dr. Who, Galaxy Express 999 is not so beloved by me.

I've said it before, and I will say it again: BUILDING A TRAIN TRACK THROUGH SPACE IS A VERY BAD IDEA.

Despite that, some of you Dear Readers may find the show enjoyable, so I will relate its premise to you now.

It's the future or some distant planet and a bit dystopian. Rich people have enough money to get their souls implanted in cyborgs so they can live indefinitely, while poor people have to stay human and live in unbelievable slummy poverty. The only hope for these slum dwelling human scums is that one day they might be able to get on the space train, the Galaxy Express 999, which will take them to a planet where they can get their cyborg bodies for free.

In this setting we find our poor hero Tetsuro Hoshino, a twelve year old urchin wandering though a snowy wasteland with his surprisingly pretty mom..

I really hope my cyborg body is more attractive than my human one!

Pretty mother and not-so-pretty son are on their way to the Galaxy Express 999, when a group of cyborgs led by a fellow named Count Mecha decide to go on a human hunt and kill his mom intending to skin her and make a trophy out of her.

The less attractive prey, Tetsuro, escapes and lays down in the snow to die but is saved by the mysterious and also very pretty Maetel:

I'm pretty and mysterious.

She tells Tetsuro she will give him a pass on the train if he takes her with him. Tetsuro agrees, but they aren't going anywhere yet, not before he takes an automatic weapon and goes and blows the sh*tballs out of Count Mecha and his buddies and burns down his manor. Then the cyborg police come after him with their crazy cyborg dogs, but Maetel saves Tetsuro with her cyborg horse and sleigh.

Long story short, they get to the city and rent a hotel. Tetsuro hears Maetel talking to someone in the bathroom, and he walks in on her while she is showering...wouldn't it be great if I stopped right here? Hee, hee!

Oh, but it keeps going. Shower scene over, the two are confronted with more cyborg police, and they escape to catch the Galaxy Express 999, a train that leaves its tracks and makes its way for the stars.

I won't knock this show too much because I know it is really loved, highly acclaimed, and I have not seen the whole thing. I will give it another go despite my train prejudice.

I just wonder if there will be any episodes involving dogs?

Geekend Round-up!

2011-09-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers, Hello!

While M is an ant and writes her posts weeks in advance, I am a grasshopper and I fly by the seat of my pants! It is Labor Day Weekend, and thus, this bard has not yet labored in service to anything that might have the word "productivity" attached to it.

No, no work, indeed, for that would be an affront to this special holiday that so many workers of the world toiled to beget, so that I could lay down and do nothing. Still, there is no holiday from being a geek. At least not yet.

I spent most of my weekend in the city (The City being San Francisco, and not The Town, my dear Oakland, where I hang my hat). Scrabble was played, and I was put to shame. Yesterday, my friends and I took a long walk through Pacific Heights and the Presidio, which is so restful and smells so fragrant the experience can only be recreated by putting on a New Age music CD whilst sniffing a satchel of potpourri.

Then it was off to breakfast in J-town. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries to start the day, followed by a very fresh and very tasty red bean taiyaki and a Diet Coke! CRAZY! Someone call the paddy wagon, for I have gone B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

This display of gluttony was followed by a small shopping spree, and I am now the owner of some Relax Bear folders, a kitchen backsplash, some scarves and a darning needle! Luckily, my pockets were empty by the time I got to the manga shop and all the things I was thinking about reading became a little less essential in my mind.

For those high-density urban residents who have not yet gone to Daiso I recommend a trip! There are many cheap items (upon which my eco-centric self usually frowns), which can be very useful in the postage stamp sized apartments of us city dwellers. From Tupperware all kinds, to space savers, compact drying racks to cleaning supplies and candy, this store literally has everything, and it is all about $1.50 a pop.

Additionally, you can find great items like this swan shaped inflatable penis:

Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elrio/

Or, your very own set of novelty breasts as described on this blog

I somehow managed to practice restraint with the above items and left only with what I could reasonably carry back home on the bus.

Today, I'm taking a cue from my cat and celebrating the holiday with a nap. I hope you all are having a wonderful long weekend, too!

So-Bad Sunday! KissXSis (Anime)

2011-09-04T02:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, first, don't click play on the video below at work, in front of grandma, or...well, don't click it until after you read the review. If you do, please be informed, Dear Reader, that I warned you. I did! It's right here, in writing...DON'T CLICK THAT PLAY BUTTON!

If you did click the play button, Dear Reader, I would like to apologize. It was gross, right? I know. And those are just the opening credits. Do you feel scandalized? I do.

Today's So-Bad Sunday offering is the ongoing anime series (what channel would air this?) called Kiss X Sis. And I'd like to begin my discussion of this series with a question posed in the first episode by the main character, Keita, who asks--"In what sort of world do people enjoy looking at their sister's panties?" Good question, Keita, you pervert!

The basic plot of this series is that graduating middle school student Keita is being wooed rather aggressively by his older twin step-sisters. They have lived together since he was three, and are as close as natural siblings, but the girls, Ako and Riko, have both (hurk) fallen in love with Keita and now want to do "stuff" with him.

I watched the first episode. In my defense, the summary of the series did not imply the absolute, pervy/grossness it should have. There was no warning that this series would have full-frontal gropage and a lot of up-skirt panty shots. Allow me to remedy the omissions from that misleading summary in my review by offering the following information: GROSS!

I nearly barfed at one point. No really, I gagged and did that little head-shaking barf face to keep it down. Yeah, they aren't related by blood, but COME ON! They ARE siblings in a contemporary setting. That's pretty frowned upon.

At this point of my anti-incest/"this anime is gross" rant Ms. Shakespeare is no doubt laughing uproariously at the hypocrisy of my railing against it. Why? Because maybe, just maybe, I have a sick fascination with the Winchester boys. To that I say...DOESN'T COUNT! And that's an argument for later! And I don't have to justify myself to you (except I probably should at some point because I just outed myself as one of those crazy wincest readers)! And lastly, James (who may be posting here if we can talk him into it), made me read it, so it isn't technically my fault! Oh, man! Seriously! It's not the same thing...I have so much shame. So much shame!

Personal Supernatural-related shame aside, this anime bothers me, and not just because it's got a weird, underage, incestuous, love-triangle plot (that should be enough, though). It bothers me because everyone (EVERYONE!) in this anime, including the parents, seems to be not only entirely (ENTIRELY!) okay with the weird, underage, incestuous, love-triangle plot, but actively encouraging it. The entire neighborhood (they all need more hobbies) is taking bets on which of the twins, Ako or Riko, will ultimately seduce poor confused Keita. The parents are all, "Oh, you girls, don't be too rough on Keita!" Blargh! Gross! Gross! Gross!

This is actually a popular anime...why? People actually LOVE this anime...why? So much of it is so wrong that I almost don't know where to start or finish. So, let me end this review as I began with poor confused Keita. At the end of the first episode (which is about as far as I was willing to watch), poor Kei-chan is confronted with dual love confessions in his middle-school classroom. He becomes angry. Okay. I get it. But, the reason he becomes angry is confusing to me. He believes that his lovely, older twin sisters are just messing with him, and that their intentions are not genuine. Oh, Keita, if that's really the thing you're concerned about, then...wow. You see, I thought the problem would be something different; something more akin to "gross, my sisters keep flashing me their panties and trying to rub on my junk. I could use some serious counseling and an intervention from a trusted adult!" Oh, Dear Readers, WTF? It's not cute. It's not "romantic." It's not arousing...I hope. It is simply uncomfortable and off-putting, and painfully, unavoidably, gross.

Now, Dear Readers, click play if you must, but be ready for nudity and disturbing incestous images. Remember, I warned you.

Awaken Forest - Yuna Aoi

2011-09-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

Publisher: DMP - June
Audience: Mature - 18+

Hello Everyone and Thank You for buying my book. I'm Yuna Aoi. That is a pen name, but I use another pen name, too..., writes the author in the postscript of the one shot Awaken Forest from DMP's June imprint.

Pen names, I get that! Some people claim I, the great William Shakespeare, am actually Sir Francis Bacon! No way. I've never met the scalliwag! Others, like the wayward author of this blog--who claims to be I, the great William Shakespeare--will pick from any number of personas on a given day.

I may not know Yuna Aoi's real name, but I do know that she also wrote one of my favorite Yaoi series of all time, Jazz, under the pen name Tamotsu Takamure.

Why am I so fond of this mangaka of many names? Well, to be honest, her stories are twisted, so twisted she makes use of a number of pen names in case someone from her family sees her work. She employs themes that in the hands of any other mangaka might really upset me: nonconsensual sex, incest, pathological jealousy, domestic abuse, etc. In fact, these stories do upset me, and I still like them.

Like authors who use pen names to hide their true identities, the characters populating the short stories in Awaken Forest are hiding who they really are from the world and from those who would love them.

In the first, a young, beautiful, wheelchair-bound author lives in a remote mountain mansion, where he writes award winning novels under his brother's care. From the outside, the brothers seem honorable and dedicated to one another. When a young editor from the publishing company arrives to pick up a draft of the author's new novel and is exposed to their secrets, we learn there is much more to this brotherly relationship than first meets the eye.

In the second story, the protagonist is driven into the arms of his lover through dishonest means. The protagonist sees only what his lover wants him to see: an innocent affection, deep dedication and desire to protect, but beneath this mask is something much more selfish.

In the third story and its associated nubbin of a story, two lovers never seem to connect because the selves they show one another are not true to what they actually feel. Only when they drop their masks are they able to find happiness.

Awaken Forest is drawn in Yuna Aoi/Tamatsu Takamure's distinctive style. Her characters tend to be a bit bigger, blockier and more masculine than other yoai artists' pretty boys. When characters blush, they blush with their whole face. They show their feelings with their whole bodies. They are forceful and expressive and they yell a lot. Some people don't like this mangaka's style, but I happen to appreciate it.

Before you read this book, ask yourself:

Am I eighteen or older? You better be, kid! This has some adult themes. Hence, the explicit content warning on the cover.

Pain, Depression, Anime & Manga Part II

2011-08-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

Where did my body go?

Why hello, Dear Readers! Remember a few months ago when your sage old granny of a writer, Ms. Shakespeare threw her back out and laid on the floor in agony while episodes of Stan Lee's Super Humans played in the background taunting her in her inability to be a super hero?

Oh, you don't? Okay. Well, maybe this post will remind you.

Around that time I was thinking a lot about disabled anime and manga characters, like, where are they? Well, guess what? I found them!

Apparently, they are all in Full Metal Alchemist and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood!

We are the Elric Brothers. We know a thing or two about pain and suffering.

It is possible all of characters in this tale are differently-abled. You've got Edward who is missing an arm and a leg, Alphonse who is missing a body, Izumi who is missing some internal organs, Havoc who ends up in a wheel chair, Roy who ends up blind, Lan Fan who is missing an arm and Hoenheim who is missing mortality. For goodness sake, Winrey's dog even has a prosthetic leg and there is a whole industry dedicated to automail.

There are more missing parts in these two parallel series than I can shake my cane at! This show is an amputee fetishist's dream!

Now, Dear Readers, because I can concentrate on one thing very very hard -- a trait some people might call obsessive, but I happen to call AMAZING -- I was able to watch both these series all the way through sometime in the last few weeks.

At the heart of both series are the Elric Brothers, Edward and Alphonse, two young alchemists who reside in a somewhat steampunky and somewhat pastoral military state that seems to be constantly at war with its neighbors. Their dad is a little absent and when their mom dies, they try to bring her back using a process called Human Transmutation. If you paid any attention in your Hermetic Studies class, you'll know that this isn't a very good idea. The boys end up paying a hefty toll physically and emotionally, and here is where our adventure begins.

I think it's probably a good idea to look at the two series as just that, two series which don't have too much to do with one another, except that they do. I really loved both of them, but if you ask me which I like more -- oh, I'm so glad you asked-- I believe Brotherhood was the superior work.

Wince, wince, wince. I know some thirteen-year-old-fangirl is out there getting ready to put me to rights about how: Brotherhood is lacking heart, and it doesn't dwell on the boys' childhood, and it is hard to understand if you haven't seen the original, to which this withered old hag of a cutey culture critic will say, "Listen, Youngster, a few years will put it all in perspective!"

Brotherhood is just a more mature story. There is less guilt and more heroism. There is more hope but also more uncertainty. It's not a tale that keeps turning in on itself like the original (which isn't bad at all). It is a story that opens up and expands until it's huge and unwieldy and terrifying. It stressed me out to watch Brotherhood, which, for me, means there was some stuff at stake there.

While Edward and Alphonse were at the center, the cast was more of an ensemble. The adults were more fleshed out. And there are some bad ass ladies:

Izumi Curtis: Just a Housewife

General Armstrong: Ice Queen

Lan Fan: F*ck Yeah!


Riza Hawkeye: Gun Expert

Winry Rockbell: Automail Goddess

But this isn't just about the ladies, there are a TON of badasses in this show! There are a ton of great fight scenes and a ton of ultra-squee moments. Even though I prefer Brotherhood I highly recommend both series, especially if you are on the mend from some dire old person injury and need something to contemplate while you recover. I'll leave it up to you to decide which you like more.

Are you listening to this old lady when she is speaking to you? FMA, either way! WATCH IT!

Ta-Ta Tuesday--Mayo Chiki! (Anime--Ongoing Series)

2011-08-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

Mayo Chiki!

I surprised myself by actually semi-enjoying the semi-adorable, Koo-koo perversions of Mayo Chiki!. This ongoing series (I watched up to episode 8--the next episode airs in Japan on September 2nd) is a gender-bending high-school comedy that's 90% insanely hyperactive schoolgirls in ridiculously short school girl uniforms. Those uniforms alone earn Ta-Ta Tuesday acknowledgement!

The title of the show Mayo Chiki! is a shortened version of the phrase "Mayoeru Shitsuji to Chikin na Ore to" which translates to "The Wavering Butler and Myself the Chicken." That's a fairly descriptive title. The main character of the series is Sakamachi Kinjirō (see the Chikin in his full name?) a very forthright, although slightly "wimpy," young man plagued by a a violence-loving younger sister, an absent mother who is a professional wrestler, rumors of his homosexuality and an allergic reaction towards women the series calls "gynophobia" (when a woman touches him his nose bleeds).

Jiro believes that his nose bleeds because he's associated women with violence
and his body has decided that if he bleeds then people will stop hurting him.
That is immensely sad. Someone should call Child Services.

Our poor Jiro-kun attends a school that is full of scantily dressed girls. In fact, there seem to be only two (well, three if you count one cross-dressing butler) male students...why this is is never addressed, so I assume we should just accept it as fact? As a result, Jiro is always on guard against nosebleeds and avoids contact with his female classmates, which is what leads those around him to believe that he is homosexual. The series itself (based on a series of light novels and a manga adaptation) begins when Jiro accidentally discovers that the most popular boy in the school, Subaru Konoe, is not in fact a boy, but a girl. Subaru attends school as a student, but also serves as the attentive butler to the wealthy and cruel (almost to the point of being sadistic) Kanade Suzutsuki, daughter of the school principal.

Why doesn't every anime series start with an accidental beaver flashing in the boy's bathroom? I suppose that's a question left to the great philosophers of our times.

My junk! You saw my girl junk!

A fight ensues as a result of Jiro discovering Subaru's secret. And Jiro, used to being beaten to a semi-pulp daily by his sister, proves himself tougher than he looks (he doesn't actually hit back, but he can take a punch). He is knocked out and wakes up chained to a bed in the school's infirmary by Kanade. She reveals the reasons Subaru must hide her gender and blackmails Jiro into keeping that secret. Kanade is a bored rich kid, though, and she cannot leave well enough alone. She is constantly conniving to make Jiro and Subaru's lives more complicated. As a result of their being thrust together, rumors begin to fly that Jiro and Subaru are dating (they really DO like one another...that's the cute bit). Later, in typical (goofy-as-shit) anime-style, Subaru's fan clubs get into the fray.

Yeah, I don't even know if any of what I just wrote makes sense, because I'm not sure if ANY of the series makes a whole lot of sense. It's goofy beyond belief and pervy as all get out, but also, admittedly, a little cute. There's just enough cuteness and sincerity to mellow out the annoyance the goofiness creates. Then again, I might not be the target audience. And this supposition raises one of the most important questions I feel that can be asked about this series (other than the one about beaver flashing)--WHO THE HELL IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

At first I thought, "Oh, it must be girls." The girls are the aggressors in the series in a few ways. They physically dominate poor Jiro, but they're also, especially in regards to Kanade, sexually aggressive. This at first led me to believe that this was a sort of backwardsly empowering bit of weird intended for high-school girls. It's certainly "cutesy" enough to warrant that audience. However, the anime also tends to use ANY excuse to get the characters naked. ANY excuse. Some of it bizarrely unreasonable. It's titty-city up in this series. There are BOOBS EVERYWHERE!

Another scene with Jiro blushing because someone has thrust
boobs in his face.

I have no idea who the target audience! None! All I can say is that they're a little pervy and enjoy watching girls mentally and physically torture, while both emasculating and TITalizing a high-school boy.

As the leader of one of the warring Subaru fan clubs I am in favor
of Jiro and Subaru's illicit love. I also have very ample ta-tas!

If I were to sum up this anime in one sentence it would have to be "GIRLS ARE SCARY!" I don't know what to make of it. I just don't. I know that it's popular. I know that audiences (whoever they may be) think it's cute and sweet. I know that it has elements I normally like in an anime: gender confusion (done much more successfully in other series like Ouran High School Host Club and Hana Kimi), a sincere main character who seems caring and loving despite their personal battles, and some funny-sweet moments. But it's just so...

TITTIES!

I'm not sure if I'll be continuing on with this series. It's cute. It's silly. It isn't complex or thought-provoking. It doesn't seem to have a lot riding on the plot. I keep finding myself asking "Who cares?" There's a little angst, alot of "will they/won't they" and some sweet moments, but I don't know that I care enough to slog through the rest of the pastel goofiness and random excuses for nudity. So, to sum up, I'll give it a solid MEH. If you're a fan of random boobies, then by all means go for it, see if it works for you. If you can handle the sort of silliness this anime entails, then this might be right up your alley. It's a so-so for me. I don't feel like I wasted my time watching it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to chase down new episodes. And I don't think I'll rush out to find the novels and manga this is based on.

No Touching at All -- Kou Yoneda

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

No Touching at All is a typical office drama type of one shot Yaoi manga. Shima is painfully shy. He was hurt in the past when he fell in love with a co-worker who was straight and who eventually rejected him. It made his workplace intolerable, and he had to quit. At his new job, Togawa, the boss, has taken notice of Shima, and finds him pretty cute.

Togawa is straight. Shima is gay. They start fooling around. Togawa eventually falls for Shima. He also gets offered a promotion at the same time. Togawa tells Shima he loves him, and he wants to make it work. Shima spazzes out. After all, he was rejected by a straight guy in the past. A month passes. Shima finally gives in, and they are free to be in love.

No Touching at All is a nicely illustrated manga and solidly told. The story follows an ongoing theme in yaoi, of the sweet gay boy who was put through the ringer in the past by a straight dude who couldn't sort out his feelings only to encounter a straight man who can variety.

If you liked Our Everlasting, you may also like this. If you are a fan of pining and longing, this might be for you, though, as a reader, I didn't feel there was too much at stake. Since Togawa doesn't waffle in his feelings, its really just a matter of Shima sorting out his own and trusting the relationship to work.

One technical issue with this manga is the word and thought bubbles are very ambiguous. It is impossible to tell which character is speaking in the majority of the scenes. I had to give up on a few scenes entirely, which is too bad. It kept me from really committing to the story.

So Bad Sunday -- Don't Worry Mama -- Narise Konohara & Yuki Shimizu

2011-08-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Ah, another Sunday and another light novel. I promise, Dear Readers, to cover a really crappy anime or manga next week to shake things up, but let us proceed for now.

Today's So Bad Sunday is Don't Worry Mama by Narise Konohara & Yuki Shimizu. Before we get started, I'm going to admit, with some degree of shame, I kind of like this story.

You may ask, How can you like it, if it is sooooo bad?, and I can only say, I am complex like that.

Also, I should say here that this story is not for the under eighteen crowd. There is nothing on the cover to indicate this, but believe you me, there is some sticky, dirty, doing it in here. Youngsters should avert their eyes.

Yuichi a likeable and capable enough employee at a pharmaceutical company is sent on a research expedition to an abandoned island with Imakura, his disagreeable, fat boss, with a mommy complex. They are looking for an herb that could be the key component in a weight loss tea.

From the get go, it is clear, Yuichi hates Imakura with a burning passion, the kind of passion one can only have for a despised authority figure. And, really, as a reader, you sympathize with him. Imakura is whiny, tubby, grubby and sea sick.

The men spend all day on the island looking for the herb, but never find it. Worse yet, the boat that was supposed to take them back to civilization never shows. Add insult to injury, their cell phones run out of juice. The two men are trapped on an abandoned island indefinitely.

There is nothing like starvation, diarrhea and rain to breed romance! The men struggle and fight. Imakura is useless. Yuichi wants to kill him. But soon Yuichi starts to notice that Imakura has soft skin or something. Also, he is losing a little weight and becoming less of a baby. Soon Yuichi can't stop thinking about his chubby boss man and keeps running off to shoot his load under the moonlight while imagining having foxy times with Imakura.

Eventually, Yuichi does trick the naive Imakura into having foxy times. Imakura really is like a child, as he still lives with his mom, and he has never done it with anyone because he's kind of hefty but also because he has some sort of issue with his em..hrm anatomy. But that is unimportant for Yuichi's purpose, if you catch my drift. Anyway, Yuichi tricks Imakura, explaining to him that he will practice with him and teach him how to do it, and apparently they need a sh*t ton of practice, much of it not very vanilla and graphically described.

Yuichi has been around the block a few times having had his share of the fellas, but he falls head over heels for little pudgy Imakura, who, in turn, thinks he has corrupted Yuichi and made him turn gay (though we readers all know that he was all gay to begin with).

So these intrepid men learn to live on the deserted island, and they have foxy times together, and they are happy. But, one day, they are rescued, and the fun is over.

Imakura's mama takes him away and won't let Yuichi near him. They both lose their jobs, and they don't see one another for a year. Then one day Yuichi is in a restaurant with his family, and he sees a skinny little sommelier. It is Imakura. Yuichi stalks him after work. They reconcile. They have more foxy times.

The end.

Oh, not quite. There is also an extra story in here that involves a school girl uniform, a beef noodle bowl and disposable razors.

***

M is totally skeeved out by this book. I actually don't hate it, even though it is ridiculous and pretty bad. Maybe it is because it involves two consenting adults who are in their late twenties and early thirties. There is some naivety and pressure but no noncon. There is some non-disney sex, but it is also between two characters who are pretty devoted to one another. To each relationship, its own island, I guess.

Read at your own risk because once these images get stuck in your brainbox, you can't take 'em back. Fair warning.

So-Bad Sunday! Dororon Enma-Kun (Anime Series)

2011-08-28T04:29:00.000-07:00

The title of Dororon Enma-Kun has been handily translated into the following Engrish equivalent--BAMF, It's Enma! Admittedly in electing to watch episode one of this series, I half knew what I was getting into...some fairly bad crap. Little did I know, Dear Reader, how deep the crap was. So deep. Such deep crap. Mind-boggling depths of crap!

Some of this depth can be seen in the trailer. Unfortunately the trailer has not been subbed into English, but I'd like to think you don't need to understand the language when the stupidity is wordlessly obvious.

The series begins in a bathhouse where shirtless elderly "Granny Gossip," sporting strange face paint and a beret that says "God" on it, begins swinging her pendulous boobs like propellers in order to warn main character Harumi that there are demons at the appropriately named Youkai Elementary school (youkai are demons). These demons, it turns out, will steal your face. Okay, the propeller boobs was a bit much, but face stealing demons are part of Japanese folklore tradition, so I start to think, maybe this is just a bit weird and spastic, and not bad at all. I am wrong. I am often wrong.

Expectedly, Harumi fails to heed the warning of geriatric tit-augerer Granny Gossip, and enters the school with a few exceptionally irritating friends. Their faces are stolen. I'm shocked. Harumi nearly drowns in the school pool while running from the now-faceless bodies of her friends and is rescued by a kappa (a kappa is a turtley, frogish, monk-haired, pervert demon and is a very traditional presence in Japanese demon stories). The kappa, named Kappa (inventive!) leads Harumi to the school basement where the nephew of the Great King Enma (also named Enma) has built the Hell House, doorway to hell. The magically naked Princess Yukiko invites them in and a talking hat named Grandpa Chappeau leads the "stray human" to Enma.

Then, things get weirdly pervy for a minute or two during a weirdly random discussion of panties that makes no sense. I am at a loss. I have no idea what is going on, and the small amount of knowledge of Japanese folklore that I have is only making it more difficult to understand. King Enma IS the king of hell, right? So, wtf is going on? I don't know. And every character in this anime is on a level of annoyingly hyper that has destroyed any reference point I have for such things. SO ANNOYING! Argh!

The group decides to round up the bad demons as part of a Demon Patrol. Hooray, a plot? They decide to use Harumi as bait, but (get this!) everyone falls asleep while waiting for the Face Stealer to attack. And our heroine almost pees herself when the demon comes for her. Really. There's a huge monologue about having to pee, during which her face is stolen. I shake my head at this.

Finally Enma wakes up and there's a battle with the monster, one involving, of all things, Dick SWORDS! Hooray, Enma breaks the monster's dick off. How do I know this happens? Well, they show it, AND the monster says, and I quote, "Oh, No! My dick broke!"

This, Dear Readers, is the moment I turned the anime off. Sometimes, as the great Kenny Rogers (another face stealing demon? Perhaps! You decide!)said, you have to know when to walk away (silently shaking your head in confusion).