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

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!

So-Good Sunday! Cosplay at the New York Comicon

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?

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.

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

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.

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

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. 

Eerie Queerie--Manga

Okay, again, I feel bad reviewing an older manga with limited availability, but Eerie Queerie! is worth discussing, at least a little bit. This four-volume series by Shuri Shiozu was an early addition to my manga collection (I have a lot of manga...a bookshelf of manga), and it remains one of my favorites. Not because it is exceptionally complex (it isn't), not because it is well illustrated (it isn't), not because it is angst filled and character driven (it isn't...not really), not because there are possessed masks housing goat-demons who try to seduce high-school mediums, or embittered ghostly servants forced into cat cos-play by perverted bisexual priests, or cross-dressing shrine "maidens" who woo lost-loves with funny faced frogs. Ah, I'm such a liar, it's totally those last three things.

Eerie Queerie! is adorable and ridiculous. I wind up "ooh"-ing and giggling aloud every time I read it. It's just so...cute? Certainly the main character, Mitsuo Shiozu (same last name as the author...on purpose!), a high-schooler who can see the dead and is extremely susceptible to possession, is a goofy, giggly teen with a heart of gold and a deep connection to his few friends. He has spent a lonely life, but due to some unforeseeable hijinks involving a dead school girl, he forges a close friendship with (super hot) Hasunuma who is interested in folklore and the occult. His first, best and most-devoted friend, Hasunuma, obviously has strong feelings for Mitsuo that go beyond friendship and a willingness to protect innocent Mitsuo from the world. However, confused Mitsuo fails to make the connections between Hasunuma's feelings and their affectionate interactions...Mitsuo realizes his own feelings of love towards Hasunuma later, and is appalled that HE might be taking advantage of his "innocent" friend (Hasunuma uses every ploy in the book to get Mitsuo closer to him, or lay "claim" to him in front of rivals). As a reader I cannot help but laugh and laugh at Mitsuo's confusion and the entire comedy of errors that is Eerie Queerie!.

Here is a typical Hasunuma move (with a typical Mitsuo response):



Hasunuma is kissing Mitsuo as he leaves to go on a school scavenger hunt. Mitsuo is at first alarmed by Hasunuma's overtly affectionate ways, but Hasunuma tells him that "that's just what friends do." Mitsuo, having no experience with friends (and secretly desiring all that yummy affection) is reassured and begins to accept the "normalcy" of Hasunuma's touchy-feely-ness. Ichi, the third man in their group, is constantly bothered by Hasunuma's advances on Mitsuo...he thinks Hasunuma is taking advantage of Mitsuo's ignorance and naivete...Ichi is right--he is.  


Hasunuma is my favorite character in this series. His devotion to Mitsuo, his playfulness (despite the serious nature of his feelings), his sweetness, his sacrifices and his infinite patience make him a little swoonworthy. Everytime I reread E Q! I find myself rooting for Hasunuma (he's the biggest flirt in the world), and rolling my eyes at the baffled reactions of Mitsuo. Hasunuma is not the lead in the story, but he is the romantic lead...it makes for an odd and compelling will they/won't they situation (actually more of a will Mitsuo realize/won't he realize) which all works out happily (and goofily) in the end.

Eerie Queerie! isn't deep and profound. It isn't soul-shattering. It isn't much more than a ridiculously amusing supernatural comedy, but it is really, really cute without being annoying or precious. Ultimately, it is worth a read, especially if you like aggressively perverted Shinto priests...and it turns out I do.

Note: the rating on E Q! is 16+, but there is NO graphic sex in this. There are sexual situations and a crazy amount of innuendo, but no actual sex. As far as yaoi goes, it is pretty tame, and sweet without being smutty. The only risky character is the Shinto priest who does get a little "handsy" at times. I would say that this might be more of a PG-13 series than a restricted one, but that's just liberal ol'me.

Black Butler -- Kuroshitsuji -- Day 18 -- Best Plot

I wanna be your dog!

I first heard about Yano Toboso's Black Butler while I was enrolled in Japanese classes in San Francisco. One of my very junior little otaku classmates told me she thought I would love it, and she wasn't wrong.

Set in an alternative Victorian London, Black Butler features a 13-year-old protagonist, Lord Earl Ciel Phantomhive, a mature for his years, orphan who heads the family business, who keeps deep ties to the underworld and an allegiance to the queen. Ciel lives in a manor with a number of attendants, most notably a butler of amazing talent: Sebastian.

It's not long before we learn that Sebastian is actually a demon who has a pact with Ceil. Ceil needs his help to avenge his parents' deaths and his own humiliation at the hands of an evil group of a**holes and in payment, he will give his soul to Sebastian.

It's an interesting relationship. It's not master and servant, though it can seem that way. Ciel orders Sebastian around. Sebastian follows orders. Sebastian is loyal to Ciel, and he protects the crap out of him, but it's not love or fidelity that binds them. It's the promise of a tasty soul, which Sebastian is willing to wait for. After all, he's immortal. And, he knows that Ciel's soul is going to taste really good, so full of hate and thoughts of cruel revenge for someone so young. Sebastian may seem tender, but he doesn't have feelings, not in the way humans might experience them.

The main plot, of course, is that with Sebastian's help, Ciel will seek his revenge, but there are plenty of subplots to keep the viewer's interest. Whether they are hunting down Jack the Ripper or engaged in a Queen's favorite curry cooking contest, the characters and plot are engaging.

The art is great. I have to say, Ciel looks adorable in a dress:

This show has been the inspiration for many a cosplayer, I'm sure. Truth be told, with such fun fashion, I might be convinced to to dress up as a character from this show!

So, will Ciel get his revenge? Will Sebastian get his tasty treat? Watch and find out!