 |
Flower of Life Vol.1 - Fumi Yoshinaga
by shroud
I love it when a mangaka not only meets my expectations, but exceeds it in such a manner that the bar is lifted as if to the very heavens. I'd previously read Yoshinaga's Antique Bakery, and her treatment of the slice of life genre quite simply enchanted me with her cast of quirky, but honest portrayals of people living in a ... neighbourhood, all centred on a new patisserie. I then read her BL title, Ichigenme, and again, her take on the university student romance theme grabbed my attention and left a heavy impression. With Flower of Life, she simply blows most of the competition out of the water.
You think you know high school centred stories of the non Boy's Love kind? You think you know realistic slice of life type tales? Think again, as Yoshinaga doesn't simply tell us a story about one character's life experiences, but an entire class' , and that of those they care about. She literally holds up a mirror, so that every small conversation we once had, or overheard, at some point of our school life, is echoed. Her portrayals go beyond mere likenesses towards the end of almost being ghosts of reality. This is manga that is so honest, it resonates. From her conversational prose, to the incredibly expressive drawings, this is a true masterpiece.
The premise is deceptively simple. A new kid is starting high school, a month behind his peers. That in itself is unusual enough, but there is more. Haru is a year older than his peers, and begins by introducing himself to the class and explaining the reason why he is older and starting later: he has just recovered from leukaemia. The otherwise passively bored to mildly interested public faces of his classmates at once leap into life. This guy almost died from a serious illness, and now has come to join them. Bleached blonde hair, friendly smile, open personality, he has faced something that these young people thought of as unthinkable at their age. He quickly finds a close friend in the chubby kid in the class, Shota. Shota gets him in the manga club, where he discovers that Haru is quite talented. Not that this gets him any bonus points with manga club president and classmate Kai Majima, whose goal seems to to be to harass Haru given the opportunity.
On the surface, this sounds pretty by the book, but Yoshinaga's treatment of it is anything but. All the little asides by fellow classmates are overheard, revealing the uncertainties and insecurities that reign during these years. The high hopes are there too, as Shota and Haru forge forward with their passion for drawing manga. The observation of the adults in the story is just as revealing: from Haru's teacher whose looks are not only deceptive, but has a messy love life that spills over into the lives of the students by chance, to Haru's sister, a hikamori (shut in) who actually LONGS to go out to work, but cannot bring herself to even walk to the local shop to buy cream, and who has carried the burden of caring for her sick brother with grace. Each character is rich in flaws that reveal their inner humanity, and touch a chord within the reader. These are all traits and emotions that we have either felt, or recognise from other personal experiences. The lives intertwine, weaving a tapestry that is beautiful, rich, and varied. So not so much a traditional story, as a vignette of an era in the lives of a group of people, as they play, laugh, cry, and above all, grow.
***I would like to extend my thanks to Digital Manga Publishing for providing me with a review copy.***
Read the complete review |
 |
Maiden Rose Vol.2 - Fusanosuke Inariya
by shroud
It begins, as so many things in life do, with a memory. An unfulfilled promise, talked about in hushed tones with regret, passing along a vague hope of one day setting things right. A memory of the scent of flowers..a scent that fuses with the ideal of that undefined promise, a scent that binds the soul of those pledged to follow. A ... memory that belongs to Claus von Wolfstadt, and a scent that he breathes in from Taki, the commander of the Maiden Rose. Daydreams and unfulfilled promises of idealistic destiny are one thing, but for Claus, the scent has awoken his soul. Abandoning his homeland as his country and Taki's face off again once more in war, he pledges his undying loyalty as a Knight to his beloved.
Disliked by the officer cadre, he lies wounded in Taki's arms from the beating he suffered during questioning for being a suspected spy while Taki lie in the infirmary. But the war does not wait for petty disputes and posturing to be completed by the rank and file; enemies make their move. A third party has entered the war arena: an Eurotean train is barrelling down the track, about to cross the No-man's land and breach the border. No one has messaged ahead, and no one answers their hails. Top brass umm and ahh and decide nothing. Coming into Taki's sector, his officers know they MUST inform him of the impending intrusion. Entering the room, they are dismayed to see Claus lying like a faithful dog upon his master's lap, his head being tenderly caressed. Discomfort is evident, and distaste for the Mad Dog, but report they must.
With so much hanging in the balance with HQ's hands off approach to queries and the ominous silence from the train, Taki knows he can only rely on his best two men to enter the train while in the unclean No man's land, and hopefully stop it before his troops are forced to blow the bridge. With his knight wounded and hiding a reliance on drugs to get him through the mission, and a somewhat personal combat inexperienced radioman their sole hope, Taki and his men are on edge. But other factions are out to play their hand, with a Eurotean internal squabble come to roost and vendetta by one of Taki's own officers, Claus has the cards stacked against him. When the drugs begin to wear off and Claus faces a former war enemy with the upper hand, he finds himself literally staring death in the face. But if Claus dies, how will his master respond to the death of his loyal Knight, the one known both as as Mad Dog and as Lycanthrope? Is it a reaction that those who witness it are prepared to fully understand, when the heart of their Maiden Rose weeps in angry anguish? Claus and Azusa had best return to their comrades, or the war will get VERY personal.
Once more Inariya sensei weaves a complex tale of minutely nuanced emotions against a backdrop of war. It is the 1920s in this alternate world, and the details are simply staggering. I have ridden vintage trains in restored period passenger cars, and the detailed drawings of the exterior and interiors is simply incredible in likeness. Her attention to technical details that could make or break a plot thread is, as always, superb. Her characters wear their uniforms well and seem to stand and move naturally. The action scenes fairly burst across the page. Make no mistake about it, this is a well conceived war manga with a romance theme firmly woven into its fabric rather than a romance manga with war thrown in.
Presentation wise, Digital Manga again came up trumps. The translation flows emotively, fluidly conveying the delicate undertones to what is said, and easily implying the unspoken implications with great ease. The art is clean, with no blurring or smudging from the editing process , nor is there any censorship to be scene. This is a VERY explicit graphic novel, with no holds barred when it comes to displays of war brutalities, combat, or sex, so it carries an 18+ rating. The reader should be prepared to be emotionally thrust into the maelstrom that envelopes our characters, as the tides of war and the pettiness of human emotion, threaten not just three nations, but the love of two people who complete each other. I look forward to volume three, and the next battle.
I'd like to thank Digital Manga for providing me with this review copy.
Read the complete review |
|
|
A Foreign Love Affair - Ayano Yamane
by shroud
I have to admit I rather have my own love affair with this title. It was my introduction to the marvellous Ayano Yamane's works. Now I have to confess that I did not encounter the manga first, but rather the animé. I was so taken with it, I simply HAD to locate the manga original. I actually had ZERO success in this (curses on living ... abroad from the publishers where supply can be sketchy) until my review copy came along. It was, for me, a two year long wait. But, once I had the real thing finally in my greedy fujoshi hands, was it worth it? Heck yeah!
Digital Manga published this title under their 801 Media imprint, which gets smaller print runs due to smaller distribution networks (heads up here guys, smaller bookseller base should not = smaller print run, as Amazon and Book Depository are global, and we fujoshi haunt these places like crazy, snapping these up). This is why I could not lay my hands on one, as Amazon sold out quickly, and that was pretty much all she wrote unless I wanted to pay through the nose to a secondary seller or importer. What using this imprint also meant though, was that this is uncensored..so all the literally hot juicy bits are on full glorious display. I am going to admit I am not one to blush easily, and I am just going to say this once (during this review at least). If you are are too shy or conservative to look at full nudity and bodily fluids without freaking out, you should stick to nothing stronger than titles where all they do is chastely kiss and hold hands, or at the most, stay hidden under the covers (preferably with the lights out). Seeing a guy rendered with invisible bits is just ... well ... laughable. I get a fit of the giggles every time I see it. It's even funnier than when as kids, we noticed our dolls just had a big blank spot, with maybe a hole drilled in. Kinda takes the realism out of the story and ruins the mood. But, this is an 801 title, so it is all there.
Opening the book, I was impressed with the full colour illustration at the front. Quite often these are rendered in English editions as black and white due to costs, but 801 left it in colour. I was really happy to see this, as Yamane-sensei's colouring skills are fantastic, with the shading and tone striking a realistic chord. The story itself is well translated, with prose flowing as elegantly across the pages as the drawings do. I was very happy to see this, as any awkwardly translated bits would have quite ruined the gently comedic nature of this romantic story. Make no mistake about it, this is most definitely a rom-com, with an elegance and precision that quite reminds me of old time Cary Grant films in flavour. Well, except for the man x man part and the sex, obviously. In fact, even the premise is one that would not have been out of place during the heydey of those old films.
Take one Japanese yakuza, the third under-boss of his group, who is being forced by his father and members of the group to marry a slightly older woman against his wishes. Add in that she doesn't want to marry him either, but her father was the boss of an affiliated group and has died; this marriage is to cement her safety and her group's future, so she goes along with it. The big problem however, is these two don't get along, and never have. In fact, it is safe to say, they have the sort of relationship that is like a rudely disdainful older sister has for her spoiled rotten, short tempered little brother. She hates ANYTHING traditional, especially in regards to yakuza, so her one condition for marrying as the groups wish is that she gets to do it on a cruise to Italy and enjoy a holiday once there before returning. Of course, once the I Do's are said, and they return to their shared cabin, their true sides emerge, and it is cat fight time. Enough is enough, and Ranmaru storms out, while Kaoru refuses to let him back in.
Wandering to the ship's bar in his kimono, he encounters a handsome stranger who speaks Japanese, and they have a nice friendly conversation while drinking. Ranmaru is still sulking about the whole Kaoru thing, so he asks to stay in his new friend's cabin, where he is treated to quite the wedding night indeed. What follows on is a delightful romp as the identity of the handsome stranger is revealed, followed by a set of misadventures for Ranmaru as his stubbornness and Kaoru's disregard for him land him in hot water several times over, only for fate to bring the handsome stranger back to him again, and again. And all the while, Kaoru is wishing for her own tryst with a blonde, blue eyed Italian.
The fun just doesn't stop, as we watch Ranmaru flail his way through Italy wearing his yukata and sandals regardless of location or occasion, and Kaoru blithely, without noticing, leaving him behind, throwing him out, or otherwise misplacing him (anything, as long as he is NOT there, HUMPH!). Al's suave, intense lovestruck demeanour is sincere but also sets up many of the laughs as Ranmaru's obliviousness puts him in the position of the comedic foil. Toss in a rival yakuza boss in love with Kaoru, and who discovers Ranmaru and Al's skinship, and the chuckles just don't stop coming. Far from being silly, it is heartwarmingly wry. Will Al and Ranmaru discover their true feelings one another, and is is destined to be a mere holiday fling? You'll have to have a read a find out! Available as a paperback at Digital Manga's own Akadot Retail web store as well as Amazon, via secondary sellers (used and new- NOW they get them!). It's well worth a read, and makes quite the nice appetiser while waiting for Viewfinder to hit the shelves.
Read the complete review |
