Manga Review: Onani Master Kurosawa - Volume 1

It has been a long time since I've wanted to review a manga straight after reading it. I just finished volume 1 of Onani Master Kurosawa – a brilliant manga that is considered doujinshi because it is a parody of Death Note. It also helps that the scanlators dubbed this Fap Note, especially since “Onani” means “masturbation”. Now, if all you innocent young readers out there are getting a little shocked, I'll have to remind you that I've reviewed worse things on here, and I probably will review ones even worse than those! But at this point, don't underestimate this manga just because of the title. There is a substance to this that I so deeply adore.

Onani Master Kurosawa is a manga that isn't simply about a guy who likes to masturbate. That is only the general setting for the story. This manga is about a guy with a habit. And then one day he uses that habit to deal out justice. Then he kinda gets caught and is forced to use that habit a little more. And that habit is – yes, you've guessed it. Onani. His “daily duty”, he calls it. See, our leading man, Kurosawa, goes to the girls' bathroom in the old school building every day after school, and masturbates to fantasies of him screwing with the girls in his class. At first you're thinking “Ugh, honestly, where's the substance in this? He's just a horny kid who jacks off in a bathroom stall to images of his female classmates choking on his dong.” Well, honestly, it's more than that. The plot does thicken!

Aaaaand, random art fangirling off-topic starts now! Oh. My. LORD. I love this artwork. This is one of the situations when the artist of the manga is different to the author, and I'm not familiar with this artist. Did my research and figured out that since this is a doujinshi of sorts, this is the only work he has that has been published, but there is more in store for this blooming mangaka. I know I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on him! This is sketchy and raw with gorgeous pencil lines and a meticulously careless way of shading things. To some extent, it's funny, but I love the way he draws hands. I notice lots of expressions through hands, and more so in this manga. Partially because the artwork is so attractive to me, and partially because this guy is a freaking talented genius. What I mean to say is, I noticed a subtle use of hand gestures here. The way a character might refer to something, an indicator of someone's stance or even force and movement. Aaah, good artwork satisfies me in a way nothing else could at 1AM. Also, might I say this man has a TALENT for drawing expressions. I love it. I must say I laughed when I saw the cover page for this manga. When this artwork is cleaned up and has colour added to it, I'm sorry to say it loses its charm. I can't imagine it being anything other than roughly done in that sketchy, unfinished style. I also hope he can improve on his line finishes when he inks, because the cover looked like it was done by an amateur, which was pretty disappointing after reading an entire volume then going back and looking at the front. Sad, I tell you! But I adore it anyway :)

Right, let's get down to talking about what this manga is actually about! Kurosawa, a boy with distaste for everything. Well, mostly for the people around him, like the annoying, clingy Nagastuka Keiji or the otakus or his teacher even. It's a little bit funny sometimes, because it reminds me of my high school days where I'd stare at everyone around me and go “Why am I surrounded by a bunch of shallow idiots?” - but that's not what this is about. It's about the good, the bad and the ugly of human nature. Now, I know you're sitting there shaking your head at the screen going “How can masturbating tell you about human nature?” Well, shut up and keep reading! That's why you made it this far, right?

There are various social settings that our protagonist partakes in, which are all essentially part of the same collective ruling – the brutalities, inhumanities and stupidities of school life. What perturbs me at times is the fact that these kids are only 14, but you get over it quickly once you become absorbed in the story – which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing. Apart from the fact that Kurosawa masturbates every single day after school, he's quite observant to the different cliques that the students hang out in and the social hierarchy that they've split themselves to – and he chooses to stay out of it. That, I think, is pretty smart, but at the same time it doesn't mean he's ignorant. He notices who has been bullied, who has the unspoken authority, who is downright annoying – all that. The beginning half of the volume is pretty much an introduction to this. You get to know more about Kurosawa's daily habits and you understand the social setting through his eyes. Mostly, this view is disdainful and judgemental, but you start to understand that this isn't just the harrowing monologues of a dark seething pre-teen. I think there's a truth behind it that you don't immediately realize, but it sneaks up on you quite well.

So the story so far seems like two disconnected things: a disgustingly realistic portrayal of school life – and a chronic masturbator. How these things come together (hahahaha, come. I'm so childish!) is from the help of a little mousy (she's described as “squirrel-like” in the manga) girl called Kitahara. She's the main victim of the bullying and after a gut-wrenching scene that will certainly make you want to gag and cry at the same time, Kitahara is filled with frustration and rage. Given the right opportunity, that combination can be quite dangerous. Now hold that thought while I go on to talk about some masturbating, then I can connect these two things together.

Kurosawa is also raging. His rage is due to the fact that everyone knows where the injustice is, but no one will do a thing to correct it. So what does he do? He takes matters (and his man-meat) into his own hands, and masturbates. All over the bullying girls' clothes. Not while they're wearing them, of course, that would be awkward. But through careful deliberation, Kurosawa deals some revenge – and justice – through jerking off. Since this is an entire volume review, I'm not going into detail, so I encourage you to read it and find out exactly what happened and how it all went down. Like some dick-tugging vigilante, Kurosawa anonymously becomes a saviour!

Or so he thinks.

Let's go back to raging, frustrated Kitahara. She's pretty smart and puts things together pretty quickly, so she seeks Kurosawa out and asks him for a favor in return for her silence about his “daily duties”. He got back at two girls, but there's still one that she thinks deserves some pain too. And how does she intend on doing this? By being “the catcher in the toilet” – appointing Kurosawa to do her dirty work for her. (I swear I'm not making all these bad puns on purpose!) The volume ends with Kurosawa accepting this arrangement – because he has no choice, and Kitahara about to state her proposition.

Then it's over. Honestly, you're just salivating for more at this point. And you have to admit, once you get this far, you know the next volume is really going to be worth it. It's right now that you realize that the story has only just begun, and there's so much that could be done with this story. So far, I'm impressed. My only hope is that it doesn't escalate into heights of stupidity, or lose the plot along the way.

Random notes on this volume are Kurosawa's hilarious punchlines at the end of each of his sessions (such as his references to his “man juice”. Is he serious? Haha!) – an obvious play on the style that this was written. This is a story that has its dangerous side while being subtly laced with satirical overtones, and it's then that the parody of Death Note comes out. The comedy in this is in its overplayed seriousness. Kurosawa's serious or malevolent expressions sometimes seem comical because you can connect it to Death Note so well that it makes you laugh. Especially when you realize that he's talking about jerking off. It's classy, smart and funny, in an odd masturbatey way. However, on a more serious note, the connections to Death Note are also in Kurosawa's observations of people, his distaste for them and his inner monologue that basically picks out every human flaw these people carry. It's sad, but true, because sometimes you can't help but agree with him, despite his magnified aversion to social situations. But somehow, you can't help but tie it back to his own habit. It's almost like a paradox, but who's judging who at this point?

Now, I've pretty much devoured my way through this manga, and I think you should too. So stay sharp kidlets, and keep your hands to yourselves! Or don't. Depending on how much you like this manga. I won't judge *wink wink*

MizzFWA

Chapter Review - Cheese in the Trap Ch44

This chapter's gonna be good!

Now that Sul and Jung are back in the game (and by back in the game, I mean talking to each other), the attention is one them once more. Sometimes I wonder why it is they receive so much attention. Is it the fact that Jung is popular or the fact that Sul is not so popular herself? Either way, Jung's cluelessness when it comes to Sul is adorable, and Sul's mini freak-outs are just as cute. So let me just say, it seems they're back to normal. He's unconsciously charming and naïve, and she's gullible and cautious. Interesting couple? I think so! The chapter starts out with them having a similar kind of interaction in class where you realize nothing's changed between these two. They're both just very stupid.

Now, at this point, I think it's cute that they're clueless to one another, but the way people talk about them is starting to get pretty obvious, and they both need to man up and do something about it. So far there's been no defining things to Sul and Jung's “relationship”. Are they friends? Are they more? It's pretty clear on some level that Jung is naively interested in Sul, and Sul is friends with Jung but cautious about it. The only cause of frustration (and awesome!) is the fact that Sul REALLY doesn't think that Jung isn't interested in her. Which makes me giggle. The reason I go on this little rant is because right now, instead of whispering behind their backs, people are starting to actually be forward about it. Classmates are asking Sul what's going on between them and classmates are asking Jung if he and Sul have “that kind of relationship”. Sul is frazzled, as usual, which is adorable. Jung kinda smiles and goes “what do you mean?” The only thing that saves Jung from answering the question properly is Jae Woo getting annoyed with everyone and going “cut the useless bullshit.” And Jung is just sitting there smiling.

Honestly, either he's playing dumb all the time or this kid is really stupid.

I mean, with how cunning and underhanded he can be (as we've seen in the past), has anyone found it strange that Jung is SO naïve when it comes to Sul? This is what I think makes a lot of readers distrust him. But we'll see how the plot thickens!

Now, there's a little explosion between Sang Chul (the little prick) and Jae Woo. I think there must be something personal Jae Woo has against Jung, and it seems to me because he thinks he has undeserved popularity – or that he's overrated. If he had talked more honestly and openly to Sul a year before I have a feeling they would have gotten along quite well. But at this point, it's pretty obvious that bringing up Jung around Jae Woo hits some pretty serious nerves. It wasn't even about Jung directly, but the mere mention of him seems to set Jae Woo off. I can't help thinking it's personal! Or maybe it's just plain old jealousy. Even at this point, Jung is a pretty mysterious character.

Now, The end of the chapter is Bo Ra, Eun Taek and Sul deciding to get something to eat when our lovely man In Ho turns up – just because he can. Oh! And just before I get distracted by the awesomeness that is In Ho and Sul, let me just take a few words to say that I think Min Soo is a creepy obsessive stalker. I'm not going to elaborate on that, but I can bet you this will come up later in the series! Mark my words, you'll remember that sentence. I'll take bets if I have to.

Anyway, back to this dynamic duo of what-the-hell-do-you-want-from-each-other. Honestly, it's obvious In Ho has some hidden agenda, but I don't know if it's Sul's naïve or gullible nature that makes her play along with him. If it were me I'd have either stopped talking to him a long time ago or just drooled over how goodlooking he is and never pay attention to a word he says. But let's see how Sul deals with him! Again, I don't think I can give too much away about their conversations, but it seemed unusually comfortable, for both of them. They still bickered a bit, but it's like they don't mind each other so much. I think it's better for both of them to get better acquainted but still keep their hilariously awesome dynamic. Also the fact that In Ho mentions his hand, he's given something away of himself, as well as revealing this hidden plot about Jung! Sul, being dense, doesn't really take the potentially dangerous side of it and thinks it must be an innocent mistake. At this point, we don't even know. I'm really anxious to find out the full story of In Ho's hand because we still don't fully understand the nature of Jung's character – and I think In Ho is the key to finding out.

The chapter ends with a bit of comic relief with Bo Ra and Eun Taek betting on who Sul will end up with - which is just the way I like them to react. Damn, I actually have no idea at this point! I think that's one of the things that gives me faith in this strip!

Until the next chapter, kidlets! Stay Sharp!

MizzFWA

All images (c) Soon Ki. None of these images belong to me.

Chapter Review - Cheese in the Trap Ch43

Now, the new chapter for Cheese in the Trap has come out WAY before I could even write a whole story review! I'm putting this up here for whoever's up to date with it (if any!) but that story review will be up soon, I promise. It's just that this is one of the few strips that I get worked up about – and on top of that, it's released weekly. This means that I only suffer through my entire week 's worth of university work to be able to read these sweet sweet chapters. By the time I get them, I'm salivating. I'm warning you beforehand that I will get extremely excited in these reviews, so I make no apologies for my language or behaviour while writing them, as usual. Oh, and before I forget! These chapter reviews will most definitely contain spoilers, so I do apologize if you read these and go “OH SNAP, I DIDN'T REACH THAT PART YET!”, but don't blame me! You have been warned. Past this point, I'll be talking about all events up to present. I will, however, give you some leeway on the spoilers and as per my usual conduct, I won't give away the ending, or some of the crucial awesome “OH SNAP” moments – because you all know how much I love those.

Just as a quick recap of (very) recent events, the last chapter was Jung running into Joo Yong, which commenced into an awesome but slightly creepy flashback, then Jung making a comment that Joo Yung should sort himself out instead of worrying about superficial things like 'love'. I mean, he practically goes “Are you in a fucking soap? Shouldn't you get your shit together instead?”. This left the chapter at a slightly shocking note because... Well... What the hell is he doing with SUL then? Goddamn hypocrite. Anyway, that's as much detail as I'll go into Chapter 42. If you're curious about it (and I can assure you, the flashback was BRILLIANT), you should check it out!

So, Joo Yong goes on a bit of a rant about how after he left his family's house, we wasn't sure if his lover would still want him (He's quite evasive about the gender here, so I don't think Jung realizes Joo Yong's “lover” is a man. Aaah lovely!), but love prevails all and his lover comes for him! It's quite a sad, pathetic flashback, to be honest. Just 5 panels of Joo Yong bawling his eyes out. Have I mentioned that I hate his character? This slightly fruity, slightly bitchy, weepy gay man with the most annoying ponytail and facial hair EVER. Ugh. I hated that he was in the storyline at all. All he does is whine.

Now, at this point, Joo Yong is gushing about his lover, and keeps insisting that Jung should find someone special too. Jung asks him what this girl is like that he's met. NOW. Here's where it all clicks. If you realize, Jung has some tension with that tutor/assistant tutor guy, who just so happens to be Joo Yong's big hunk of man love. I think this slimy little idiot realized that enough to 1. hide the fact that his lover is someone Jung potentially threatened, and 2. neglect to mention that it's a MAN. Lovely. At this point, I don't know if this is a smart move or not. Joo Yong tries to evade this situation by once again insisting that he should find someone special, bla bla bla. What interests me at this point is Jung's wonderful negligence in taking Sul into consideration AT ALL. Which is kind of confusing because for the longest time (before I saw last chapter's flashback) I had some faith that Jung was actually a decent person who was slightly misunderstood. I still think he is, but maybe he hasn't brought Sul up – or even shown any inkling of considering her – because he's a private person who'd rather keep it to himself. He certainly seemed that way when it came to dealing with In Ho. Oh well! Also, as a slight giggle factor, it seems like Joo Yong is still intimidated by Jung, which I see as a win - mostly because I don't like Joo Yong and he's icky. Yes. I said it.

And speaking of In Ho! Oh man, I love this guy. He's like, the comic relief of the comic relief. I used to think Sul was the comic relief because she's a little bit gullible and a little bit clueless, but someone with good intentions all around. But in social situations, man she's funny. However! In Ho is comical in his manic approach to things, his determination to screw Jung up, and his strange quasi-interest in Sul. I don't know if he's fascinated by her, but it sure seems like it sometimes. Now, put those two together, and you've got some BRILLIANT dialogue. Best interaction ever! I might actually leave this bit out in the review for you to read and enjoy, because In Ho's reactions are beautiful. This gist of it is that he's surprised that Jung gave Sul an edge in to apologize, when he was wishing with his sweet little demented heart that she would screw it up. He also still seems to think they're dating, because he's all “lol lol lol Jung's girl is such a difficult bitch” and you're all “you have NO clue what's going on, do you?”. Also, the way Sul just happily chucks the batteries out of her phone and goes to sleep made me laugh so hard. I don't know why she couldn't just put it on silent, but this way works better for the strip. I know there's a reason she's the protagonist!

Now, it goes back to Joo Yong and Jung, and I'm going to skim this very quickly in the review because there are other things to talk about and I'm reaching my limit on how much I can gush about one chapter. Also, I don't like Joo Yong and I think he's icky. Yes. I said it again. Read the chapter if you want to pay more attention to it!

Joo Yong freaks out when his lover calls him because Jung wants to answer the phone for him. He's all “Uhhh no! My “girlfriend” and I are fighting, I'm ignoring her on purpose. You go on home, I'll eat this food. Oh, and yeah. Give me some money, bitch.” So Jung goes “What a freaking weirdo”, gives his phone back, pays for the meal and leaves some extra money for Joo Yong as well – which Joo Yong uses to get smashed. At this point, his lover comes in and goes “Why the hell are you smashed? (to which Joo Yong doesn't reply because he's off his face and out cold) Lady! (to the woman that works at the restaurant), why did you let him get smashed? How did he get smashed? How much do I owe you for him getting smashed?” The patron then informs him that he doesn't owe anything because he came in with a younger, more goodlooking man who paid for everything, and they seemed quite close. Lover Boy then proceeds to freak the hell out.

Now, the last bit of the chapter is a little segment between Ah Young and Sang Chul. Sang Chul is another character I don't like because of his raging immaturity and how he always seems to be hyper. He runs into Ah Young and is still fangirling over her. He tries to get her attention by gossiping with her about Jung and Sul, claiming that they had a fight and there are huge rumours that they're going out (which is exactly what's happening. They did fight, and there are rumours that they're dating – even if they're not). Honestly, he clearly doesn't care at all about what's going on with them. He just wants Ah Young to go out with him so he's using this as an excuse. She doesn't fall for it and drops some serious Girl-Power-One-Love-Power-To-The-People shit on him (not that dramatic, but, you know. Basically, she doesn't fall for it, which I think is brilliant. I found Ah Young to be a little bit of an irrelevant character at one point, but now I've got to admire her spirit and her no bullshit policy.

At any rate, this was an interesting chapter. It ended with Sang Chul bringing out his maturity and having a fit in class, then Sul walking into class. I don't know if it's the same class, but I've been waiting for the chapters to go back to our lovely leading lady! There wasn't much for me to actually criticize or analyze in this chapter, no cliffhangers or gut-wrenching flashbacks like the last one, but it was good to go through this anyway. Since the artist and author, Soon Ki, has already had copyright issues with the strip, I'm a bit apprehensive about posting up pictures, but so long as you all know where it came from, I think we'll be fine!

Stay sharp kidlets! Until next week!

MizzFWA

All images (c) Soon Ki. None of these images belong to me.

Manga Review: Ringo Nikki - Volume 1

This might sound odd, but at the ripe old age of 19, I almost feel like I've started to outgrow shoujo. I'll feel like as I mature, my tastes mature with me, and as I progress out of high school and into university, I almost feel like I can't relate to those school crushes and young teen romances anymore. Then what happens is I'll pick up a story like Ringo Nikki, and discover I'm still a 16 year old on the inside. Now, don't get me wrong, I speak like this ironically mostly. I know of women in their 30s who still enjoy these sweet fuzzy shoujo manga, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I think eventually I'll become on of them as well! I just see this as a personal reflection that as I moved out of one phase of my life and into the next, my manga would grow with me. Still, I'm pretty glad that nothing is changed. I don't really feel the fuzz as much, and I almost laugh at the over-the-top attitudes these young manga girls have towards what they call “love”, but I can still giggle like a little schoolgirl and enjoy it just the same!

Ringo Nikki, my feathered friends, is a manga after my own schoolgirl heart. It's got the classic element of “I really, REALLY can't stand you right now, but I'm probably going to fall for you later”. And you know what? I love it! Now, our hero isn't the kind of guy who's arrogant, he's the kind that is just cocky and mischievous enough to make him charming – endearing even, just about downright adorable! Trust me, I like me a guy that I can bicker with, because you know what? It just makes it all the more interesting! And that's the perfect example of what's happening here.

Ringo (I love her name!) is a 16 year old wonder. Takes care of her hopelessly hopeless father and is a picture of responsibility. It stems from your average mother-died-so-she-had-to-take-over complex. But what I love about this manga is Ringo's father. The manga has a quality to it that every character has their own personality. Rather than slapping on a generic mom and dad (which in manga are usually minor characters who are very passive and don't have opinions) and generic side characters, the mangaka has given everyone their own qualities. Ringo's father is cheerful with lame puns, but it's a cheerfulness that makes you go “awww”, because this fabulous family of two is poor. Their unfortunate situation is made worse when Papa Ringo (can I call him that? I want to call him that!) is laid off his job. They are forced to move away and Ringo must leave her life – and love – behind. And so our story begins!

What I absolutely hate in manga is clichés. And what I absolutely adore about this manga is its tendency to break away from a few clichés. Ringo already has someone she likes, but because she's moving away she thinks it's a hopeless case to pursue. The fact that she already has someone on her mind is perfect! It creates more tension for the bickering, arguing and all other mischievous behaviour that goes on between Ringo and Micchan, the hero of this manga. Micchan works at the bath house that she goes to and lives at the boarding house his family owns after her house burns down. And although at first Ringo finds him completely irritating, she starts to warm up to him, as she naturally would.

Now, I'm not going to go into too many specifics, I've had the habit in the past of ranting on for too long and possibly giving away too many things – but the dynamic between Ringo and Micchan revolves around Micchan bothering her, her unconsciously warming up to him, tantalisingly delicious moments of tension and Micchan egging her on to make things work with Sakura.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Sakura, Ringo's “first love”, does play an active role in creating a bit of a love triangle here. And another break from cliché is the fact that Ringo is not madly in love with both of them and can't decide between the two. In fact, she thinks one of them is annoying as hell, while the other is sweet, but somehow she can't bring herself to completely commit to him just yet. I found it refreshing that although Sakura thinks Micchan is irritating (does no one like this poor guy? How sad!) and sees him as a threat, Micchan does have his moments where he encourages Ringo to try harder with Sakura.

This story is only made more interesting when Ringo can never really read Micchan. Sometimes he hits on other girls, sometimes he hits on only Ringo, sometimes he tells Ringo she should be with Sakura, and sometimes it almost looks like he goes out of his way to come in between them by being as adorably annoying as possible. I think it helps with Ringo simultaneously wanting to fall for him and kill him. In that sense, I think Ringo doesn't know what to do with his casual affection or whether or not to ever take him seriously. As for Sakura, he has that rare determination and intensity that you could only get from 16 year old shoujo boys, straight out of manga. It's actually kinda sad, he's so serious that it seems he has no sense of humour at all!

The end to the volume, I have to say, is the perfect cliffhanger. It's like the mangaka spent the entire volume taking you to the very pinnacle of the peak of the height of the climax of the love triangle, then decided that you have to wait for the next volume, because she feels like dangling you there for a bit. And trust me, it's well worth the wait for the second volume – and you better believe that I'll be covering that as well! So, all you little shoujo lovers, if you've rediscovered that 16-year-old fangirl in you, whether you are a guy or a girl, you're going to love Ringo Nikki! Watch this space for a review of the second and final volume and we'll find out the fate of our beloved Ringo.

Stay sharp kidlets!

MizzFWA

All images (c) NAKAHARA Aya. I do not own any of these images.

One-Shot Review: Escape

This isn’t your most conventional style OR genre of yaoi manga. Some of you may criticize me for this, just as this manga has been criticized, but there’s a strangeness to this manga that I find attractive. Moreover, I think its awkward and slightly disturbing elements make it high on the list for me.

Backtrack a little bit, though. I’m not saying I agree with the violent nature of this manga, but it’s a passion that I can’t ignore. Therefore, you can’t ignore it either. Because I said so. And why should you agree with me? Well, you’re reading this, aren’t you?

Because of the somewhat controversial nature of this manga, I’m not going to vote it as One-Shot of the Week (It’s a bit early for that too, although I always like to write in advance). Even as an afterword, the mangaka apologized for spewing out domestic violence straight off the bat.

Alright, I’ve been building on it for long enough. Once I get into the review you’ll realize all that hype is for nothing. Well… almost nothing. There is violence in this manga, but not to the extreme limits you’d think. It’s still violence as a product of aggressive anger, and that’s what puts the shock in it.

Shouta is your average college student, working part-time at a video store and as gay as can be (did I mention this was yaoi?) for one of the costumers. He spends the first couple of pages fawning over this older guy who comes into the store in his business suit and his glasses and his cute smile – oh it’s wonderful.

By the way, this is my random paragraph to go off-track and mention little tidbits about the artwork. Starting… NOW! Okay, I have to say, I really like the way this guy dresses. I’m not very girly and I’d dress like that. Casual and comfortable with random accessories (headband/scarf/bracelet) to add a nice touch. It looks like you have good taste but because it’s so relaxed and easygoing, it looks effortless. However, I can’t understand why he’d be required to wear an apron at a video store. It’s not like he’s going to be serving DVDs with some tartar sauce on the side. *sigh* This isn’t a fashion blog. I’ll move on to REALLY talking about the artwork now.

This is a really attractive style to me. I’ve noticed – especially with yaoi – that this is the new face of manga. It’s not the traditional ones where the eyes are really larger than life, the hair is elaborate and the expressions are drastic and dramatic. Maybe it’s because it’s targeted towards males. Manga evolves and you can already pick up on different styles, and this is a look that you can notice as being less whimsical and more focused. The lines are hard, sharp and clean. No screwing around. It makes it seem less flimsy and more… well, let’s admit it. More manly. I’d have to say, I like the yaoi style like this much more than shoujo. However, girls don’t really look that good drawn like this most of the time, which is why this is a style that is usually set aside for the good ol’ man-to-man.

Back to the story! :D Although Shouta’s totally hot for this guy, Shiraishi, there’s little to gained from his side. Ah, unrequited love. Hurts like a bitch. But Shouta’s not lacking in the sex department. Oh noooo. Enter Kuraki, Shouta’s… friend with benefits – if we’re going to put this delicately.

Oh wait, this is Mho-Shoujo. When have I ever been delicate? Screw that, they’re fuck-buddies. That’s what FB really stands for. Not Friends with Benefits. Not facebook. Shouta goes over to Kuraki’s and they do the nasty. As soon as you see Kuraki, you already know who’s on top. Besides, Shouta looked terrified as he was about to go in. The room. Go in the room, okay? GOD, you’re all a bunch of perverts.

Anyway, they get busy, Kuraki has a smoke, Shouta falls asleep. Silly little boy, he mumbles Shiraishi’s name in his sleep. Kuraki hears it. The thing about Kuraki is that he’s one of those squinty characters. He’s constantly got his eyes narrowed – giving everyone the most evil look his muster. Like “I hate you all” So at this moment, he turns to Shouta’s sweet sleeping face, gives him that look, and looks away.

At this point, you’re thinking ‘Uh-oh’ because you can tell nothing good’s going to come of it. And you’re probably right. The next time Shouta goes over to Kuraki’s to get some (Just SOME. You know?), Kuraki’s waiting to confront him. Actually, you wouldn’t call it confronting; Kuraki doesn’t even want to hear what Shouta has to say. So after taunting him, cornering him, threatening him with cigarette burns and a bit of yelling, Kuraki knocks Shouta to the ground.

Whoops, we have a bleeder.

By this time, the scene is getting a bit grim. Major non-con starts happening, Shouta’s freaking terrified and sporting a pretty bad nosebleed. If the bleeding didn’t get to you, the thrusting will. The blood on the floor, the sweat, the sound effects are pretty disturbing. This is borderline rape, and you’re reading this not sure of whether you’re supposed to be enjoying it or be shocked. I said ‘borderline’ because at that point, Shouta has a sort of epiphany – if you want to call it that. In the heat of the moment, he can’t remember Shiraishi’s face. He then turns around and sees Kuraki with almost a tender look on his face.

Now, all the while Kuraki had been shouting at Shouta. Yelling that Shouta likes it rough, will never be satisfied with anyone else – and you can understand why a few minutes later, he has that expression on his face. If Kuraki was the heartless bastard we would normally make him out to be, he wouldn’t have been provoked (and even threatened) by Shouta’s mentioning of someone else – even if it was in his sleep. This is the passion I was talking about in the intro. You can tell Kuraki genuinely cares, and I think the anger and the acting out stemmed from fear. I think Kuraki actually freaks out at the thought that Shouta would want someone other than him. It’s a crime of passion! Literally! See? You’d have to learn to appreciate the more odd ways of showing someone you care about them. Like I said in my disclaimer – here on Mho-Shoujo, we don’t discriminate :3

How Shouta reciprocates Kuraki’s actions is sweet. The ending, to me, was perfect by one-shot standards. A lot of people say that in situations like this they feel dissatisfied with what they call ‘open endings’. It’s true that it’s open, but in the sense that it says “What happens, happens! This is the story, there is a future, and we’ll leave it up to you to interpret what you think will happen!” A lot of people don’t understand that concept of ending one-shots. It’s a standalone chapter for God’s sake. It’s supposed to leave it at a point you can call the end, but not say “Yay! Happy ending!” but more like “Yay! Wish them luck for the future!” I mean, you don’t say “Happy birthday!” to someone and that’s it, they die. Noooo, it’s “Happy birthday and many years to come!”

See? I love putting things into perspective.

So, kidlets, if you’re not easily shocked, don’t feel bad about a bit of blood (it wasn’t THAT much), into a bit of rough sex, then pick up this one-shot and find out about it’s ending ;)

MizzFWA

(Image © Kyuugou. None of these images belong to me)

Reviews: Aozora Yell - Ch5

The first chapter of the second volume has finally been scanlated, translated and delivered into my loving arms :D I have to say, I had been anticipating this chapter almost as much as I anticipate the Nana chapters – although I’ve been pretty disappointed with the releases of Nana these days. Days? I think not. More like weeks. I am feeling quite let down. Waiting for that manga to come out is like waiting for nail polish to dry. It’s agonizingly long and all you want to do is be able to finally scratch your nose or something. My point is – I’m waiting for those chapters to come out so I can get over the suspense and be able to concentrate on other things.

Anyway! This isn’t about Nana! It’s about Aozora Yell’s latest release. Now, it actually wasn’t what I was expecting in the shoujo sense of it all, but I’m quite impatient and I should learn to remember that with the development of couples, it takes time. Especially this couple! One that is so blissfully unaware of their attachment to one another. It’s lovely. I think one of them needs a conk on the head to be able to realize what they mean to each other.

How the chapter starts is really cool. I think Ono is quite cute about the fact that she and Daisuke are “special” friends. Ono’s best friend makes a comment about the fact that Ono’s a little more than sweet on him. Ono, true to what their relationship is like, is completely oblivious.

And then we leave it at that.

I thought it was kinda cute, but it lasted shorter than I would’ve liked. But then again, I have a huge heart for cute little stories that make less than a little sense but have a whole lotta shoujo – so of course I’m going to be impatient. After that, there’s a sweet little scene of exchanging numbers, and Ono ships herself off to band camp.

I gotta say this, that camp is brutal. I’m never playing the trumpet. You have to do all THAT? I think not. I’m a runner, but they’re making it quite hardcore for music. No wonder it’s a top band. They really put in the effort in every aspect! I’m talking like this is real. Someone pull me out of the Fangirldom, please?

Anyway, the moral of this chapter is further building up Ono’s confidence. It was quite interesting to see her struggle with her self esteem and be able to pluck up her courage to talk to people. When she ends up doing so, everyone thinks she’s adorable. I thought so too! She’s able to call Daisuke for moral support, she realizes he’s been there for her even when she didn’t particularly go to him first, and it puts a seal on the fact that they are one REALLY, REALLY adorable couple.

However, there’s one bit in this chapter that I wasn’t particularly fond of. When Ono tells everyone to get along, she ends up falling asleep straight after. The girls start chatting and think she’s quite the pretty young thang and that she’s cute and stuff – and then they make a comment that to me seems a bit out of place, and a little malicious in its own way. Is it just me? They remark that she seems like the type to meddle in others’ business. Now, Ono has good intentions, she’s incredibly sweet and she’s like this little puppy everyone wants to cuddle because she’s cute and naïve and quite oblivious. I get that they’d think she’s a bit clueless – because she kinda is, but that seemed uncalled for. Not in the sense of “How rude!” but in the sense that it came out of nowhere. Also, it’s a bit foreboding. If you think about it, this is foreshadowing something that’s to happen in future chapters. You can just feel it. A comment like that isn’t just in passing, and mangakas have a habit of throwing stuff out there for you to go “Whoa, hold on… What’re you trying to say? What do you mean by that?” This is one of those things.

Well, that’s the chapter. She seems to have been accepted a bit more, but I think the biggest struggle Ono will have in this manga is fitting into her band – more than her relationship with Daisuke. Although I’m seriously waiting for some juicy plot device to put more focus on them. Shall we make bets on all those clichés? Sudden, random ex-girlfriend? Him showing her his soft side and her magically realizing her feelings? A sudden intervention of a new love interest (For either one of them)? I could go on, but I’ll leave it up to your imaginations – and the next chapter! Have fun kidlets! Don’t shoujo too hard! :D

MizzFWA

(Images © KAWAHARA Kazune. None of these images belong to me)

One-Shot Review: The Miyama-Uguisu Mansion Incident

This is one of the cuddliest things I’ve ever read. It’s not exactly shoujo, but it IS warm and fuzzy and exciting, so it gives you more or less the same feeling – in a more innocent and pure way. However, if you ask me, the title’s a bit random. But who cares? I certainly don’t. This was the sweetest thing I’ve ever read.

I can’t believe how amazing this is. First off, let me say the art just blew me away. It’s detailed, it’s intricate, it’s warm and it’s concentrated. You can just see the attention and effort that’s been put into this. The expressions are wonderful, the action is fluid and the entire feel of it made the artist side of me take a deep breath of content – it was perfect. The story is wonderful, and call me soft or whatever, I don’t care, but I got goose bumps at a couple of points in this manga.

Actually, you don’t really get grips of the story in your conventional ‘event – event – funky plot device – event – climax – ending’ setting. It’s more like ‘Here’s a bunch of characters, stuff’s happening that we won’t really explain until later, but enjoy the events at hand for now.’ – And you know what? I like it! The story itself is resolved wonderfully and you won't be disappointed. The colour page is lovely, but it bothers me when they’ve got that cover-page text going “Oh no! What’s going to happen?!” and “Going on a spiritual journey to be FREE!” or some junk like that. All that shit just ruins it for me. I know it’s supposed to be teasers or something, but I don’t feel teased at all. Just really tested.

But as far as story goes, I liked this so much that I’m NOT going to tell you what it’s about. I suggest you pick it up and read it. It’s the fluffiest, most heart-warming story ever and if you read it without even knowing the general plot (like I did) you will not only be pleasantly surprised – you’ll also be gushing all over the place! Guaranteed aww-fest! You want to know the best part? It’s not because it’s one of those ‘couples’ that say sweet things to each other all the time or the guy being all “Because of my inexplicable and unjustifiable love at first sight for you!” It’s actually a warm story that isn’t completely shoujo. Actually, don’t put it in the shoujo category at all!

Here’s where the fun starts. The first page introduces you to a random guy in a long black coat. Honestly, I love what he’s wearing. His whole look, it’s all well put together. That’s just massive kudos to the mangaka mainly because I find a lot of manga heroes tend to look the same or their looks are ‘themed’ similarly. Does anyone share that sentiment? Here, his outfit’s simple, not over-designed or blinged up like some idol (notice how manga heroes, especially in fantasy or supernatural manga, have WAY too many man-accessories?) This is devoid of all that, and his face isn’t that typical manga man-face. That long-faced, pointy-chin, piercing-eyes, too-much-amazing-hair type face that I’ve complained about before (I complain lots about manga stereotypes, don’t I?). Granted, he’s got pretty sharp eyes and his own fair share of luscious hair, but his face is small and his smile is sarcastic, which I find mischevious and alluring. His whole persona seems to reek of dark humour and broody moments – with just a smattering of sheer, smiling “he’s a bastard” vibes. But in a good way! The kind of guy you think is a bastard just because he does everything with a smile. As the story progresses, his utter devotion, loyalty, determination and strength just grow on you. I want to take a bite out of this guy. Interpret that as you wish :P

The only thing that disappointed me about this manga was the character of our ‘heroine’ Monaka, who, to be honest, (wow that’s a lot of commas) was not the most impressive character ever. She had no presence whatsoever. She simply jumped right into the helpless, clueless, damsel in distress-she-doesn’t-know-about personality. She kinda flitted about going “what’s happening?” and in the sense of the course the story took, you can’t blame her. However, there was a moment that opened up a chance for her to pull herself together and prove her courage by throwing away her fear and just ACTING. She has a complex, and I thought she’d overcome it by plunging right in – sort of like how I got over my fear of rollercoasters by going on the scariest ones first. Now I can’t get enough of them! But instead of jumping onto that stupid rollercoaster, you know what her ‘moment of redeeming courage’ was? She yelled. She was all “Gah! I hate you! Go away!” – that kind of yelling. Umm… Well… *cough cough*

I’m sorry, but that’s kinda pathetic. I just kind of sat back and went, “what are you doing?” Needless to say, I wasn’t too impressed with her bit, and if she wasn’t the main character, I could’ve done without her in the story. Is that being too harsh? Maybe! Because I absolutely adore this one-shot. Perhaps I should rephrase and say I adore it from our lovely hero’s perspective. That’s probably why this didn’t make it as One-Shot of the Week. (Actually, I’d planned on that, but once I started reviewing it and unpicking it a bit more, I realized it didn’t quite make the cut. Even now I’m doubting my decision and wondering if I should push it up anyway! But I just can’t do it at this point, as much as I adore this.)

To wrap this up, I’d have to say the ending was perfect. It didn’t have that typical fairytale ‘happily ever after’ vibe to it, but a half unconventional, half cute, but completely satisfying ending. Read this manga! I insist, really. One-shots are good because although it’s only a short story and maybe doesn’t have ALL the development in the world, it’s the manga equivalent of having just one scoop of ice cream as opposed to a whole sundae. So get yourself a scoop of this! It’s got all the toppings! ;)

MizzFWA

(Images © KATOU Kazue. None of these images belong to me)

Review: Blooming: Bring It On! - Volume 1

I must say this as a starter: I love love love manhwa. And this is no exception. If I wasn’t so impatient, this would be the Manga of the Month (even though technically, it’s manhwa), but I think I should wait and see what July yields before making a decision. This manhwa has two separate titles, if you’re going to search for it. Blooming, and Bring It On are what you can look this up under.

First off, a small rant about manhwa. Drawing-wise, it’s got subtle differences from manga. For example, the eye-to-face ratio. What I mean is, the size. In Manhwa, the eyes tend to take up more space on the face. Why do I notice this? I don’t know. The fact that manhwa is left-to-right just messes me up and I find myself disoriented a lot of the time. I’ll read a whole page right-to-left and wonder why it doesn’t make any sense before I realize my mistake. Other than that, they’ve got similar themes to manga, so it’s not too much of a difference to read. Oh! And I like the way they draw the irises. Don’t ask, simply observe the next time you find yourself picking up a manhwa – and make sure that manhwa is this one :D

This story is funny, deliciously mischievous and on its way to one of my top shoujos. So far, I’ve only read the first volume, and will do a review based on that, and keep updating as I go. Our lovely main, Miha (thanks to her brother) is a sporty, martial arts-doing, tomboy. She basically doesn’t have much of that girl appeal, and does things like run to school and relieve stress through physical activity. Enter Seung-Suh, gorgeous, lethal with an attitude of his own. From the very beginning, these two don’t get along. Just a quick side note: I was really pleased with this manhwa because of the names. Normally with manhwas, I can never get a good hold of the Korean names, and I find them hard to remember and pronounce. Here, the names are pretty simple, so I was a happy Mizzy.

SO, she finds him passed out in the girl’s changing rooms one day and freaks out, wondering who this freak is. Through her brute strength, ends up carrying him along with his colossal hangover out of there. Since it’s the locker room, he gets a glimpse of her goods (well, just her bra, but you know what I mean :P) and when it turns out he’s in her class she freaks out and calls him a perv.

Here’s where his ‘danger’ comes in. He’s got a lovely face – and he knows how to use it. He turns everything on Miha, saying he wasn’t feeling well and she tried to take advantage of him, and that she’d ‘exposed’ herself to him. Naturally, everyone believes him – and that’s where the rivalry starts.

Before I continue, I bring your attention to Yun-Jin, Miha’s cousin. Drop dead gorgeous, silent, bosses Miha around, and is wildly sought after. It’s a bit of an oddity that Miha listens so willingly to whatever Yun-Jin says, and regardless of her tough exterior, Miha never backs down or complains. Ki-Ri, Miha’s best friend, doesn’t really approve of this, but there ya go. There’s a brilliant moment here where Seung-Suh butts in and reprimands Yun-Jin for using Miha and for not doing things for herself. However, even at that point (when you’re rooting for Seung-Suh, the only person who’s got the balls to throw it back in that ho’s face) Miha defends her cousin. There’s gotta be some back story to that – I can feel it.

On another side note, Ki-Ri seems to have quite the thing for Mu-Jin, Seung-Suh’s best friend. I’m really excited to see where that’ll go. He seems to be that ‘strong, silent’ type, maybe not paying attention to her TOO much. Not out of ignorance, but just one of those guys. It makes me giggle because Ki-Ri really makes attempts to be close to him, and I think that’s a sort of comic relief.

As IF Miha and Seung-Suh aren’t funny enough. What is it about couples like this that attract me? Something like Love Com, they can’t stop going at each other. Seung-Suh’s got some sort of past (I won’t reveal too much since I’m not going to hand out spoilers like candy – as much as I LOVE candy) which contributes to his danger. He’s got a very odd way of showing kindness towards Miha, especially in the one situation that he tried to help her. It was genius and hilarious – and insulting. He seems to handle Miha with a lot humour, if not that general rivalry they’ve got going. That’s the best part. I think he gets this inner giggle every time something happens between the two of them. Miha takes every opportunity to sabotage him, because she simply can’t trust or like this guy. Or does she? :D I think it’s one of those unconscious attractions. Unlike Risa from Love Com, I think it’s gonna take her a WHILE before she grasps it.

However, the end of the volume had me doubting, and also begging for more! Once I’d finished the first volume I jumped to find the second – only for the internet to crash on me. Perfect timing, yes? However, I’ve gotten my hands on the next two volumes. However, I can’t help but feel a bit bad that I’ve gotten so attached to it. It’s like falling in love at first sight. Is it real? In this case, I can only hope so, because a manhwa with this much promise should hopefully go well! I’ll be back with more tales of my sordid love affair with Blooming: Bring It On! :D

MizzFWA

(Images © BAEK Hye Kyoung. None of these images belong to me)

Review: Love Com - Volume 3

How’s THAT for an intro picture? Are you curious now? I hope so! :D

I’m going to race through volume 3 because it’s not my favourite volume in the whole world. It’s not bad, it’s still got funny moments, but I absolutely ADORE volume 4 that I can’t wait to get to it! But because I love volume 4 loads and loads and loads, I thought I’d do a separate review because it’ll be twice as long as this one, probably. Yes, yes, I know my reviewing organization isn’t terribly fabulous, but I do get it done.

Okay, first chapter of volume 3 seems to resolve the Haruka issue. His confession wasn’t very impressive, lawl. His presence itself is quite an interest and an annoyance to me. His pursuing Risa seemed all very oh em gee in the beginning, but afterwards, I kinda wished he’d shut up. Maybe it’s the fact that he was getting in the way? But his exchanges with Otani were classic. I’ve mentioned that before, but there’s no denying it, it was FUNNY.

It’s here that we start to see Risa paying attention to the fact that she likes Otani. After Haruka’s ‘confession’ and Otani’s animal-management (I will say no more about that. Read the chapter and find out :P It’s not as bad as it sounds) Risa realizes she shouldn’t use Haruka as some sort of distraction for her feelings towards Otani. SO the chapter ends nicely with “If I told Otani I like him, I wonder how he would react” So you definitely know at this point that she’s seriously thinking about it and considering it. Isn’t that lovely?

At this point I’d have to say the major spoilers start. As if I haven’t said too much already, but it’ll start with little ones and slowly build up. By the time I reach volume 4 I’m afraid you’re going to have to do an Oedipus and scratch your eyes out unless you don’t mind reading spoilers to the MAIN plot of the story. Ye have been warned. This is not for the frail of heart.

Right now, starting the second chapter of the volume, there’s ANOTHER character that decides to drop in. Of course there are going to be obstacles! Before the main characters could ever get together, you have to realize the fact that it never comes easy. Enter, Seiko (there’ll be spoilers about her in a bit) who just can’t keep it in her pants when she’s around Otani, and she kisses him. Of course, everyone’s shocked and the Seiko-complex begins, spanning over two chapters.

First, because I’m a complete spaz and my mind’s in ADD mode right now, I’ll have to quickly give a run-through of the rest of the characters, just so I don’t make references that people get confused about. The group of friends includes Risa and Otani, Chiharu and Suzuki, Seiko and Haruka (less predominant roles, really) and Nobu and Nakao. Nakao is Otani’s best friend. He’s this quiet fella mostly and seems quite mellowed out. Nobu is his girlfriend, Risa’s best friend, and one of the coolest characters, in my opinion. She’s quite sassy, always well put together and she’s the voice of reason. Gotta love her!

So, everyone freaks out about this pretty young thang that’s appeared to ruin Risa’s chances (which she’s still doubting a bit) and Nobu tells Risa that she needs to fight back. But in the midst of it all, we find out the truth about this insatiable girl.

OMFG CRAZY MAD SPOILER!

That insatiable girl is a boy.

So when I said she couldn’t keep it in her pants, I wasn’t joking.

Lawl. So Seiko is really Seishiro, but she’ll never tell you that. She’s like Isabella from Paradise Kiss – she feels like she’s a girl trapped in a boy’s body, and she’s actually this feminine pretty little… Has it hit anyone yet that Risa was beat by a GUY and that there was some indirect random yaoi moment in this? I’m sure Otani felt fabulous about it. Or not? :D

After everyone (except Otani) breathed a sigh of relief, the last chapter of the volume is basically resolving the fact that Seiko’s a guy who’s comfortable being a girl and that no, they’re not disgusted and she and Otani are cool. Risa is surprised by Seiko’s tolerance to the fact that she’s really a guy. It really doesn’t bother her, because regardless of that fact, she’ll still admit her feelings for Otani – still be honest about it. When her confidence falters Risa encourages her to be herself, because she's so awestruck by her resolve. In turn, Risa learns a little lesson too. End of volume.

WAIT! NO! Mini-spoiler, perhaps?

End of volume is Risa taking Seiko’s example and is being comfortable and honest with herself about liking Otani. This is the first time she’s not cat-and-mousing in her head – she’s definitely said it! Not out loud, though. Sorry to burst your bubble, but all that’s happened is she’s admit to herself the way she really feels instead of being in denial. It’s a warm moment, and drawn out in quite a funny way, making it really light. You feel like it’s an honestly young and purely lovely moment. Yay for that!

And so begins one of my all-time favourite volumes. Watch out for a long-ass review of volume 4! What was that? You thought this was long? Oh dear child, you have much to learn :D But granted, I did say I’d race through it. Oh, how I lie. I never race through anything, do I? Well, I make no excuses! :D See you at the next review!

MizzFWA


(Images © NAKAHARA Aya. None of these images belong to me)

One-Shot Review: Don't Stay Gold

Wow, okay. I have a love-hate relationship with this manga. For a one-shot, it’s high on the list – but not too high. The story, from what I could follow of it, seemed pretty genuine, so I thought it was an enjoyable read. For you yaoi fans out there, it’s not too explicit, and most of it leans more to shounen ai in the general aspect of the story. The drawing – flawless. I loved the art on this and it’s completely my style. Just enough balance between the physical and the emotional in the sense of expressions and movement, and you’re surrounded by controlled lines and neat detail. Right here you have a slick 40 pages by YONEDA Kou that tell a pretty good story in such a short space – but it does have its draw-backs.

I say ‘pretty good story’ based on what I caught of it. The dialogue’s a bit hard to follow sometimes because you have no idea who’s saying what and you’re left guessing. This was a major turn-off for me because essentially, I thought it’d be a fantastic story. That’s why I can’t exactly review the story too much – because I’m not entirely sure of it myself. All I can give you a review of is the progression of our lovely yaoi couple.

The bread and butter of the story is that some Yakuza boss has the hots for this one guy that’s paying off debt for him by fighting – or killing or something. Somehow this guy, the ‘Mad Dog’ gets himself beat up, and has to stay with the doctor for a while (because he gave the boss a big fat NO. Like “Hells to the NO, you’re NOT getting in my pants” kinda thing.)

Okay, the doctor’s not really gay to start with, the Mad Dog seems like he’s questionable (he doesn’t really reveal much in the beginning) and the boss is like a dog at the butcher’s – he wants some. The doc just won’t admit he has a thing for this guy, but as they stay together, some sort of connection develops between them.

Mad Dog (real name Kuga) seems to be young, the type that was abandoned and made his way by fighting. You know, survival of the fittest, only the strong survive, hunt or be hunted, yada yada yada. The doc (real name Kageyama) is not really in the closet. There was no closet. He’s just a guy with a burn fetish who saw Kuga’s burn marks, touched him in a completely yaoi way, then decided to make a closet – and then cover the closet with a tablecloth and deny the existence of it. It took a while for Kageyama to come to term with his feelings, but when he did, he acted on them pretty well. In an oddly similar way to Indigo Blue, Kageyama took some time to figure out what he was comfortable with. His denial phase could be deemed slightly adorable, but you never know. Some people might just think “STFU and get it over with!”

The chemistry between Kuga and Kageyama has its push and pull, which made it interesting as to where it was going. The story doesn’t follow a particular seme/uke relationship that most yaoi fans die for – but you’d be surprised at how well this works. It’s a lovely relationship between them, but I feel slightly unsatisfied in the development side of it. There could’ve been more, I think. There were some big steps forward, but it felt rushed, like running before you learn how to walk. I would’ve loved to see all the baby-steps in between. Granted, it’s a one-shot and normally you shouldn’t ask for much in 40 pages, but I’ve seem better moderated development in other stories that leave you way more satisfied. For that reason (although I did consider it) this isn’t a one-shot of the week. Well, at least it tends to your yaoi needs ;)

SO, pick this up for some enticing yaoi moments, and let it pull on your heart-strings (at least once or twice :D). Stay sharp, my feathered friends! More reviews will come your way.

MizzFWA

(Images © YONEDA Kou. None of these images belong to me)

Review: Love Com - Volumes 1 and 2

Volumes 1 and 2… Are you afraid? Well, maybe you should be! Get ready for some mad reviewing :D

Okay, Volume 1 was the introduction, and started covering most of what I’ve said in the general review. If you skim that you’d be able to get a quick idea and we can jump straight into the deep end of this kiddy-pool.

WARNING: Here there be spoilers. Well, I’m reviewing the story, so it’s like reading a summary, so you can read on if you haven’t read the manga and you don’t mind knowing the plot. However, if I’m about do reveal something SO undeniably juicy, I’ll put up another spoiler warning.

Right. You have the introduction of the two characters, Risa and Otani) They don’t get along, but when they find some common ground (they totally dig each other’s friend) they decide they can get along, join forces and put their backs into it. Risa has the hots for a guy taller than her, Suzuki, while Otani thinks that Risa’s friend Chiharu is a tasty little morsel (this is the second time I’ve referred to Chiharu as edible. Maybe it’s because I write these so close to lunch time?) By the end of the first chapter, they’ve made failed attempts to go for gold. In-between bickering like a 60 year old couple, they’ve spent their time enjoying each other’s company while completely forgetting about their goal.

Now, does anyone see what’s coming? No wonder everyone thinks they’re going out! They spend their time freaking out about the pool and fangasming over the waterslide together. Everyone’s kinda going “Only those two would be simple-minded enough to find that amusing” I’D tease them too.

As they keep trying, they realize Suzuki and Chiharu may have an interest in each other, rather than in Risa and Otani. One of my favourite moments happened when Chiharu reveals that because he’s so short, she doesn’t consider Otani to be a guy. Risa’s pep-talk with Otani just made my day. I think it was great because they’ve destroyed that helpless girl image and had Risa nail him a good one.

SO, Otani encourages Risa, and she increasingly admits what a lovely person he’s turned out to be, rather than some short jerk. I think it’s that tickle in the back of her head that doesn’t become as predominant until the second chapter is over. Now, I would’ve loved to have explained how this little tingle with Risa happened, but I think Laura of Heart of Manga (linked on the homepage!) captured the essence of the first ‘moment’ between Risa and Otani (no matter how small) in her Memorable Manga Moments, linked here:

http://heartofmanga.blogspot.com/search/label/love%20com)

I couldn’t have put it better myself. By the second chapter they’ve realized their efforts are in vain, and they’re just going to give it up. Chapter 3 is a huge fight just to get Suzuki to confess, which happens just nice and smoothly (Random note, I did NOT like what Risa was wearing when they went to the movies. Is it just me?) Suzuki and Chiharu hook up, Otani and Risa bicker again, and decide to make a wager. Who’s going to score first? Let’s find out, shall we? Chapter 4 is where they start trying. After some weird make-up issues, odd hairdos, a love machine that confirms their compatibility at 100% (Suzuki and Chiharu had a funny moment with that one) and some synced food, a goukon presents itself. Risa goes thinking she’s gonna score big, ends up finding a dog, a bird and a monkey (not literally) AND Otani. Lovely! It’s here that we unlock the source of all fangasm and unity between Risa and Otani: Umibouzu. No, I don’t need a tissue, it’s a band that only Otani and Risa seem to know and LOVE. After karaoke like mad people, they fangasm some more, and Risa makes this naïve little comment about Otani being good looking and just because their compatibility is 100% doesn’t mean there has to be love involved. Pssh. Girl, are you shitting me? Don’t kid yourself :P

At this point, I’ve written SO MUCH and I’ve only spoken about the first volume. So I’m going to speed through the rest. Volume 2! Dun dun DUN! Lovely plot device every shoujo mangaka loves to pull – the ex-girlfriend. Impossibly cute, sweet and nice, she turns up and puts a twist on EVERYTHING. At this point, Risa is playing cat and mouse in her head about liking Otani (“He’s great! He’s wonderful! He’s so nice! He’s cool! He’s – what? NO, I don’t like him!”) and then this little wonder comes along. She looks like Chiharu, turns out she was the basketball team manager at Otani’s old school and she dumped him. WELL. Since I’m fighting to keep this short, let’s go into Tarzan-Jane mode. Otani has Umibouzu tickets. Invites Risa on Christmas. Ex-girlfriend appears. Invites Otani to Christmas party. Risa freaks out about ex (“I don’t like him but I’ll take time to feel slightly subdued and maybe threatened!”). Risa encourages Otani to go and ‘reconcile’ with the ex. Risa goes to concert alone. Risa falls and cuts her knee. Risa on the verge of tears. OTANI! (I just had to put it like that :D) appears. Risa realizes Otani ditched ex for her. Risa bursts into tears. Otani holds her hand and takes care of her boo-boo.

NOW. In the middle of all this, Risa is slowly realizing her feelings because by the end of it, she says “Something might develop” Ooooh you know you want it! However, the volumes not over yet! If you thought Risa conquering the ex was one thing, conquer THIS.

Risa and Otani have been getting quite nicely until a new character appears! Haruka! Some childhood friend of Risa that she saved lots of times because he was such a pussy *cough cough* I mean, ‘girl’ that he got bullied lots. Okay. What does he want? He wants Risa! Like.. wants-wants her. I have to say, comedy-wise, some of the times I’ve laughed the hardest was with all the interaction between Otani and Haruka. It was so beautifully priceless that I couldn’t help myself. Volume 2 ends with Haruka telling Risa he’s going to confess to her soon. NOT that he’s confessing, no no no… He’s GOING to. Thing is, I really like Haruka’s presence as a character because he’s the boy dependant on the girl. That rarely happens – shoujo boys are usually manly and rigid beyond everything else, and the only time the girl would be dominant is if she was some sort of dominatrix, or completely madly evil out of her mind. But Risa’s not, so it’s a change.

After that, then like any other respectable mangaka, she leaves you hanging. That’s exactly those 2 volumes. Wow, to think I actually considered doing 4 volumes in one post. I’d be here all day, and so would you. So I’ll leave it here and you can simmer in all of that for now. I’ll be rolling in with Manga of the Month tomorrow, so watch out for that! It’s a recent release that’s been catching eyes and turning heads and will be one of the up-to-date mangas that I’ll be reviewing in the future on this blog! Take it easy, and don’t overdo the doki-doki moments :D

MizzFWA


(Images © NAKAHARA Aya. None of these images belong to me)