'Meanwhile, Ren is determined to get her hands on Akito's mystery box--even if it means killing for it!'

IHNJ,IJLS 'Akito's mystery box'. And yes, I have a filthy, filthy mind. Almost as filthy as Ginny's at times.

So, didn't get the FB Ultimate as it's basically just two books I already own pastede on yay. But I did re-read FB 5 and 6, aka the Kisa intro books. I then followed it up with Gakuen Alice 3.

Don't get me wrong they're good books. But...

I hate Japan at times. The whole attitude of 'if you're being bullied, it's your fault for not being stronger and fitting in more' just makes my teeth grind. I know that they're slowly trying to change this in Japanese schools (possibly as it's harder to cover up the suicides in these internet days). But manga likely doesn't help, as it tends to enforce the same attitudes. Becoming stronger makes people like you, and makes your bullies become friends. Being weak makes you a laughable coward. See: every shonen manga ever (Usopp is possibly a big notable exception, but then One Piece is an exception to almost everything).

It's pretty weird with the Fruits Basket example, as they even discuss the fact that blaming the victim (as Kisa's teacher does) is wrong, but no one bothers to suggest that anything else be done about it. The attitude is 'it's wrong, but that's the way the world works, so get stronger anyway, Kisa!'.

And I don't even get to have Hiro be a sarcastic bastard this time.

As for Gakuen Alice, it's not even trying to subvert. The school is a giant bully palace, which the heroine deals with by being shiny and never giving up, and eventually the bullies stop by seeing her shiny niceness. In other words, it's most modern shoujo mangas. Even her best friend bullies her in a tsundere, I'm-doing-this-to-make-you-less-naive way.

In short, Japan is not America. Again. (Not that bullying in America is on the decline either, but that's another post...)

Have been perusing it since I picked it up yesterday, here are some random thoughts under spoiler cut:

( Read more... )

Now to hang out and wait for Volume 19. And no fanbook to make the wait seem less this time either.

So Tokyopop's been putting out these 'Ultimate Editions' of some of their manga. Hardcover, double or triple content, larger, etc. Battle Royale's coming out with 3 volumes per edition, so is $24.99, and Fruits Basket 1 just came out at $14.99 with 2 volumes per edition.

Now I see TP is soliciting Kare Kano UE 1 for $12.99, coming out in February. The *only* reason I can see why it's 2 dollars cheaper is "FB sells better". Indeed, FB UE 2 is in Previews this week as well, for $14.99.

I wonder if I can get an Ultimate Edition of Gatcha Gatcha for about 3 bucks at some point. :D (I love GG to death, but it sells like crap.)

No word on whether the Kare Kano Ultimate Edition will have extra added scenes between Asaba and Sakura, just to make buyers feel even MORE creeped out. (I wonder if Chaos can even do the Asaba sexy dance anymore after reading the end of Kare Kano.)

I glanced at the FB Ultimate Edition that's just hit stores. First of all, don't advertise color pages if they're only the covers reproduced inside. :p And yeah, it's just a reprint, no updated translations or anything that I can see. Still a good buy for those who don't have the early manga. I'd forgotten how we were seeing little signs of Shigure's evilness from the very beginning, most likely as he had far more goofball stuff in these volumes.

BTW, I read an article that a lot of Canadian comic shops are simply ignoring Canadian prices and selling at US. Is this the case in the Toronto shops frequented by the gang up there?

I actually had a couple of short FB fic ideas I may type up, one with Hana and Uo discussing the Soumas after their visit to the house in Volume 2, and the other with Shigure and Mayuko meeting a few years after the end of the series. A snippet from the latter:

( Read more... )

Hopefully I can flesh this into a ficlet or drabble, as opposed to having it die, like all my fics these days seem to. May need to review canon as well, to make sure I don't screw up something obvious that everyone else remembers.

Poor Uo! She's barely in the popularity polls, and her relationship with Kureno didn't even make the poll at all. What is it about Uotani that makes people in Japan not vote for her...?

Was also amused at Shigure's plummeting in the later polls, after his more sadistic side came out...

The Ritsu/Mitchan comic was cute, but my favorite of the mini-comics has to be 'What if Kyo read FB 97 and 98'. Especially as I was noticing that Kureno was all over Tohru myself! (When we cut to Rin looking really mad, I at first thought it was cause he'd walked off and left Tohru there sobbing, but wonder if she saw the hug and got upset due to curse reasons...)

Hanajima and Kazuma seems to be something of the case of an author getting a hysterical idea, and then just liking it too much to let it go. :)

I keep forgetting Ayame and Mine exist. ^^;; Ayame actually appears very little in the 2nd half of FB (then again, he's not alone... many of the Jyuunishi seem to vanish as the plot gets rolling along).

Teeny weeny type! Yes, I know it's the same size in Japan, but still. EYESTRAIN-O-VISION.

It's also huge. Don't let its 186 or so pages deceive you, it is PACKED with stuff.

As for the adaptation/translation, it flows very well, and tries to handle the gender awkwardness of you know who as best it can. Apart from a small error on Page 65, I haven't noticed anything about it to date I haven't liked. Kudos to Ysa and the Nibleys!

Also, reading all of these character bios in a row (I just finished Hatori) is really, really depressing. SO MUCH FREAKING TRAGEDY FOR ALL. Oh, and reading Shigure's profile, I tried to imagine writing one for the anime Shigure. I laughed. They'd be so different.

Amusing note: when I mentioned the book to Merc, and Ysa's role in it, he thought it was a US-produced fan book written by Ysa, a la that crappy Secrets series. I had to explain that no, these really do come out in Japan. Del Rey put out one for Tsubasa, and are going to do a Genshiken one as well once the series finishes. I'm hoping that when they get past Alabasta, Viz will put out the One Piece guides as well.

Highly recommended, get get get.

I also got Yuri Monogatari 5 today from Erica. It's a fantastic anthology of all yuri manga, from both English-speaking and Japanese creators. Every fan of yuri, or even of terrific anthologies, should have a copy. Order it from the Yuricon.org site.

Just picked up Fruits Basket 17. Spoilers follow.

( Read more... )

Oh yes, Comiclist said that CLAMP no Kiseki 8 (the X one) was out this week, but my store didn't get it in. I suspect Diamond is split shipping again.