S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 18

Manga Review: Beastars Vol. 4

Animal tales are often considered the purview of kids and fun fantasy. However, sometimes you’ll get one like Orwell’s Animal Farm, which is more a commentary about human society. Beastars also falls into that category, and you can read on for my review of Volume 4. (For reviews of other volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

As gray wolf Legoshi continues to grapple with his feelings for dwarf rabbit Haru, he discovers another member of the Drama Club is friendly with her too. But just how friendly…? Meanwhile, someone is developing feelings for Legoshi. And Bengal tiger Bill is threatening to reveal some disturbing truths about someone’s past…

The Review

This series began with a murder on campus, and such herbivore killings are on the rise throughout town. However, even though they’re fueling distrust and tension among the Academy students, these ominous incidents hover mostly in the background while the narrative focuses mainly on the individuals involved in interspecies relationships.

This installment begins with Haru, who once more throws me for a loop. At first, she seemed like the victim of an undeserved reputation. Then she seemed the type so casual about sex that she has no emotional attachment to anyone she sleeps with. Now we discover that she does have a special someone. Her relationship with Louis is surprising in two respects. One, that she has genuine feelings for him, unlike the other guys. Two, that Louis–for whom image is everything– risks sneaking to Haru’s shed when so many others are sneaking over there for a quick fling. While there is more to the relationship than sex, it is also clear that both are intent on keeping it under wraps to preserve Louis’ reputation. Thus, we have both Legoshi and Louis drawn to Haru, whom neither can have, and things get really fraught when Legoshi discovers Louis and Haru’s relationship AND Juno discovers Legoshi’s crush on Haru.

Juno, by the way, undergoes an extreme personality makeover in this volume. Before, she was so wimpy as to be bullied. Now she’s got aspirations of becoming the next Beastar and holding her own against Louis. According to the character design notes, the creator decided she didn’t like Juno’s original personality so she changed it. While Juno is more interesting this way (and I rather like the way that she challenges Louis), the shift is jarring, and the only aspect of her that remains unchanged is her puppy like affection for Legoshi.

Unlike Juno, Louis has been established as having a complicated personality. The pressure of his vaunted lineage factors into it, but the primary reason goes much deeper. I’d thought that our glimpse of the black market in the last volume was as bad as it got, but apparently the city harbors worse, and Louis originated out of those depths.

It is unclear where the plot is going, but with all these suppressed desires and increasing tension between carnivores and herbivores, I get the sense the Academy is heading toward a boiling point.

Extras include story thus far, cast of characters, character design notes, bonus comics, and the creator’s afterword.

In Summary

Louis may put on a front of perfection, but he’s got a lot to hide, and this volume swings wide the door on his secrets. We also get a glimpse of Juno’s aspirations, which surprisingly go beyond capturing Legoshi’s heart. While it’s unclear where the story is headed, the internal struggles of these tormented characters are definitely keeping things interesting.

First published at The Fandom Post.

Novel Review: The Gilded Ones

A primary criticism of the We Need Diverse  Books movement is how books are populated by overwhelmingly white casts. This is definitely not the case in  Namina Forna’s YA fantasy The Gilded Ones. Read on for the review.

Back Cover Blurb

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.

The Review

Note: this is a review of an Advance Reader’s Copy. In the foreword, the author states that the book is an examination of patriarchy, but it isn’t so much an examination as it is a scathing criticism. I’m not necessarily opposed to such an overtly feminist viewpoint; after all, there are many misogynistic practices that must be called out. Even so, I couldn’t get myself to like Forna’s tale of girls standing up to wrest the future with their own hands. Partly because characters are so blatantly divided into good and bad, mostly along gender lines. Partly because the rules of her fantasy world, Otera, are so convoluted.

Otera consists of four regions, each occupied by different races but all ruled by a single emperor and religion. As part of that religion, all girls are slashed at the age of sixteen in the Ritual of Purity. If their blood runs red, they are accepted as members of society; if it runs gold, it signifies they’re alaki, descendants of demonic beings known as the Gilded Ones. The protagonist Deka, who has always been despised in her Northern village because of her mixed heritage, anxiously prays for red blood so she can finally earn acceptance. However, the day of the Ritual, humanoid monsters known as deathshrieks attack the village, and a sudden transformation overtakes Deka, changing her world forever.

The thing about this narrative is that it often states one thing, then some chapters later, contradicts that established fact. For instance, the races of the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western regions roughly equate to white, black, Asian, and Latino, respectively, and the story opens with Deka as the one biracial girl in her otherwise all-white village. Her late mother was a Southerner, and Deka describes at length the discrimination she suffers because of her mixed background and the villagers’ suspicions about her mother’s purity. That seemed to infer that race was a factor in the purity tested in the ritual. As it turns out, the state religion is enforced by the Emperor, a Southerner, so Deka’s dark skin has nothing to do with her purity. Also, once Deka leaves her village, the whole issue of racial tension becomes a nonissue.

As another example, the appearance of an alaki is supposedly rare; Deka remarks that the last time it happened to her village was “decades ago.” However, when she goes to the imperial capital, she joins scores of other alaki–and those are only the ones born in Deka’s birth year. That makes them uncommon, but certainly not as rare as the original statement led us to believe.

Then there are the okai. The term is introduced on page 1, but it isn’t defined until halfway through the story, which was confusing. Unfortunately, getting that definition made things even more confusing. Okai are top-tier imperial assassins, and not only are there female okai, there’s an entire garrison in the capital dedicated to their training. Despite the religious rules stating that women can’t leave home without an escort, must cover their faces with a mask (kind of a reverse veil), and are forbidden from running, that same system also allows some women to be trained as elite killers under the Emperor’s auspices? The necessity of female okai, which have supposedly existed for generations, is never explored, nor is the means by which girls are chosen for this path rather than the standard fate of submission to a husband. These inconsistencies in the world order are unfortunate, especially because other aspects of Otera, especially the visual descriptions of setting, architecture, and fauna, are beautifully imagined.

In the midst of this problematic world framework, Deka undergoes a classic hero’s journey. She begins as a powerless, oppressed prisoner, and through the help of the enigmatic noble White Hands, she endures boot camp style training, learns to harness her true powers, and ultimately discovers and fulfills her grand destiny. Between the abuse, the training, and the battle scenes, there is a lot of brutality and death. The violence isn’t gratuitous; Forna has a purpose for those scenes, but if you’re squeamish about torture, this might not be the best fit.

Forna does a pretty good job presenting the psychological scars of Deka and her fellow alaki. Fleshing out the personalities of the male characters, not so much. By and large, the men are one-dimensional brutes, who are often corrupt and self-righteous to boot. The one exception is Deka’s love interest, Keita, who is so perfect he treats deathshrieks with respect, despite the fact they slaughtered his entire family.

Those who enjoy heroic tales will find Deka’s journey from weakling to warrior an engaging one (if you’re willing to overlook the issues in the world order.) For me, the most compelling part of the story was White Hands and the secrets she withholds from Deka. Forna does an amazing job of weaving an air of intrigue around this character. However, when the mystery behind the deathshrieks’ very complicated lifecycle is revealed, all I felt was disappointment. White Hands is presented as the cunning strategist pulling the strings in the background, but her master plan is way more convoluted than it had to be. And despite the excessively unnecessary twists and turns leading to the confrontation against the ultimate big bad, the final battle is conveniently tidy and short.

In Summary

I really wanted to like this book but couldn’t. The Gilded Ones has strong female characters, vivid visual details, and unfortunately, too many places where you must suspend belief. If you’re looking to read about girls who kick butt and overthrow their oppressive patriarchal systems, this book has it in spades. However, if you need that action presented against a world order that makes some sort of sense, give The Gilded Ones a pass.

First published at The Fandom Post.

 

Manga Review: Hatsu*Haru Vol. 10

Ah…high school romance. It is a staple of shojo manga, and Shizuki Fujisawa adds another title to this list with Hatsu*Haru. Read on for the review of Volume 10! (For reviews of previous volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Thanks to Riko’s heroic instinct, she took first prize in the Hottest Guy Contest and won a trip to a hot-spring resort. Kai has been eagerly awaiting their romantic getaway, but unfortunately for him, the dream trip for two has suddenly become a group affair. With Shimura and Misaki tagging along, alone time has dwindled to a thing of mere imagination. Odds take a turn in the boys’ favor, though, when Shimura insists on sleeping in Misaki’s room…The hope for intimacy may not be lost, after all!

The Review

The last volume ended with Riko winning Hottest Guy Contest, and Volume 10 dives into the hot springs trip Kai was hoping for. Only it’s not the intimate getaway he’d been dreaming of. Yes, we get to see our characters in traditional clothing in a charming setting, but in keeping with the pattern of Kai’s romantic plans getting thwarted, this time he’s blindsided by a third and fourth wheel. The circumstances that have Misaki and Ayumi joining their overnight trip are fairly improbable, but this is shojo manga, so oh well.

Not surprisingly, Riko’s awkwardness about being alone with Kai interferes with his efforts to grow closer to her, but he manages to get a kiss without getting punched, so that’s progress in a sense. As for the other pair, they’re still not a couple, but Ayumi’s forced to face Misaki’s feelings more directly than she’s ever had to.

Then the timeline speeds up, and we zip through three holidays: Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day. Most of the focus ends up on Valentine’s Day when Kai, who despairs that it will even occur to Riko to give him chocolate, decides to make Valentine’s chocolates for her instead. A third of Chapter 39 winds up an illustrated recipe for chocolate muffins as Kai and his guy friends head to the kitchen to bake treats. The narrative’s taken pains to point out how manly Riko is, and this arc highlights Kai taking the traditionally girly role.

Predictably, Kai’s Valentine’s chocolate arc ends with a comic twist. For Misaki, though, it extends to a get well visit to Ayumi’s house when she falls ill on Valentine’s Day. Unlike the time Kai took Riko home, Ayumi’s conscious for all of Misaki’s attentions, and it is sweet seeing him dote on her. However, the mood shifts to comic when Misaki encounters Ayumi’s parents. The arc reveals quite a bit about Ayumi, and the way it strengthens Misaki’s resolve to pursue her is adorable.

Extras include story-thus-far, mini-manga about Fujisawa-sensei and her assistants, afterword, and translation notes.

In Summary

Kai and Riko’s romance continues at a turtle’s pace. Despite an overnight trip and a tremendous effort to make Valentine’s Day special, they only manage to progress to the point where Kai can kiss Riko without getting punched. Misaki, though, is making great strides with Ayumi. Although she’s yet to reciprocate his feelings, it’s a delight to watch the two grow closer.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Saga of Tanya the Evil Vol. #09

The Saga of Tanya the Evil anime was a surprise favorite for me in 2017. With a title like that, I was almost too scared to give it a try, but conniving little Tanya turned out to be nothing like I anticipated. Yen Press has released Volume 09 of the manga adaption, and you can read on for the review. (For my reviews of other Tanya the Evil works, click here.)

Back cover Blurb

Only a step away from their demise, the Regadonia Entente Alliance desperately push for a government-in-exile. Meanwhile, the notorious “Rusted Silver” Tanya von Degurechaff faces off against Colonel Anson Sue in another fatal battle that threatens to change the course of the entire war…and her chances of promotion!

The Review

Volume 8 ended with a glimpse into the far future, and Volume 9 continues that meandering path by detouring back to the assessment that revealed Tanya’s magic capabilities. While this look to the past includes her rationale for volunteering for the military, it mainly serves as a framework for explaining how technology and magic work in this world. If you’ve ever been curious about the origins of aerial mages, these pages lay out a fairly detailed explanation.

We then return to Tanya’s present-day and the summons that cut her leave short. The pace gets bogged down as the narrative presents a status report on the northern conflict against the Alliance, an initial survey of the battleground to come, the announcement of search and destroy orders to Tanya’s battalion and an update on the Alliance official at the center of this activity. It’s a lot of information for a complicated setup. Tojo-sensei makes these giant chunks of information more digestible by placing some of it in a lunchtime chat between Visha and an Academy friend and by interjecting humor through the contrasting responses of Tanya and her subordinates. Even so, it’s a dense read. (Not nearly as dense as the original novel text though).

However, there is a purpose to laying out the broader landscape for these multiple moving parts. When those parts finally converge, the payoff is huge. The collision of air, sea, and undersea forces is astronomically improbable, but it makes for splendid chaos, and Tojo-sensei does a great job conveying the frantic thoughts of all parties involved.

In the midst of the furious battle is a turning point for Mary Sue that doesn’t occur in either the anime or the novel. Being X and his cohorts in the higher plane haven’t meddled much since the Elinium 95 arc. Now they intervene directly and in a significant way. Whereas the anime and novel implied Mary’s powerful mana was something inherited from her father, here her powers are the result of not one, but three miracles. The divine backing she receives is quite dramatic and brands her as a force Tanya must contend with down the line.

Extras include a world map, battle log thus far, character introductions, and detailed glossary of terms between chapters. Unfortunately, the font on the character introductions is so small (4 point? 3 point?) that reading it feels like an eye exam.

In Summary

After a lesson on the history of mages, the narrative returns to the abrupt summons to Tanya’s battalion. These orders might be sudden, but the explanation of the circumstances surrounding it takes a while. However, if you’re patient enough to process that information, it pays off in a thrilling ocean battle.

First published at the Fandom Post.

 

 

 

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #21

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released the 21st volume of this novel series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

The Review

I’d thought Lawrence and Holo’s traveling days were over, especially given that they’re now proprietors of a popular inn. However, Hasekura-sensei seems to have decided that this couple’s dynamic is best while they are on the road. Thus, thanks to assistance from several non-human types, the pair is journeying again, this time to catch up after their daughter Myuri.

The combination of travel and moneymaking schemes is reminiscent of the original series, but this book retains the Spring Log format. In other words, rather than one continuous narrative, it consists of five short stories, each with its own self-contained arc. However, the first four stories follow one another so closely chronologically that they form a steady look at this new journey.

The first of the four is “Beyond the Steam and Wolf,” written from the perspective of Selim, who’s tasked with running the bathhouse in Lawrence and Holo’s absence. She is a relative newcomer to the Spice and Wolf world, and we get to know the shy, conscientious wolf a bit better as Lawrence and Holo eagerly prepare to leave the village. The perspective then shifts to Lawrence’s once they hit the road. “The Autumn Colored Smile and Wolf” pokes fun at Lawrence’s rusty traveling skills during their first significant journey in over a decade. He then gets to redeem himself in “The Colors of the Forest and Wolf,” when a lord requests their assistance in protecting a forest in his territory. The impact of human activity on the ancient landscape Holo once ruled was a constant thread in the original books, and this story revisits that issue. Then the first leg of their journey ends with them handling the repercussions of Col and Myuri’s activity in “The Eggs of a Journey and Wolf.” This fourth story is a lovely throwback to the original Spice and Wolf tales in that it involves economics (futures trading in herring eggs) and conflict with a religious institution (a young priest who apparently aspires to be just like Col), but it also works in a new element. Preceding Spring Log tales have Lawrence and Holo seeking ways to preserve memories of their days together, and this story introduces a new means for doing just that. An added bonus is that Holo is so desperate to attain it she refrains from her gluttonous ways for once.

The final story in the collection, “Another Birthday and Wolf,” is a brief flashback. Written from Col’s point of view, it chronicles a party celebrating the tenth year of both the Spice and Wolf bathhouse and Myuri. Most of it is Col preparing Myuri for her grand entrance. To be honest, it strikes me as odd that a young man of around twenty is dressing up the ten-year-old girl instead of her mother or another female. At any rate, the interchange makes it very difficult for me to take a romantic Col/Myuri pairing seriously.

Extras include the first eight pages printed in color, world map, six black-and-white illustrations, and afterword.

In Summary

Holo and Lawrence begin a new journey! Fans of the original series will get to enjoy Holo and Lawrence essentially reliving their younger days on the road. They have the vibe of an old couple rather than the insecurity of their unmarried selves, but the stories present a nice blend of travel and moneymaking.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina Vol. #01

There are a range of witches depicted in literature nowadays – good, bad, sexy, terrifying. But how about a witch wandering around with no particular goal in mind? This is the subject of Jougi Shiraishi’s light novel Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina. Read on for the review of Volume 1.

Back Cover Blurb

What’s your favorite story? Does it have a hero who slays a dragon and saves a princess? Or a child of prophecy destined for greatness? Well, my favorite story is a little different. It’s the tale of a witch who travels the world, seeking nothing in particular. With no quest of her own, she’s free to wander wherever the wind takes her, adding a few pages to the story of whomever she meets before setting off on her next adventure. At the end of her travels, the witch takes on an apprentice who will one day begin her own journey. And so the cycle continues, or so the story goes. Now, the witch who starts the story anew…who could she be?

The Review

Elaina may be a witch, but she’s not an ugly old hag. As a cute girl in her late teens, she’s definitely in the moe category. But despite being a genius at magic, she uses her powers mainly to fly herself via broomstick from place to place.

No, this isn’t a witch on a quest for magical items or seeking to improve her skills or any other concrete goal. For the vast majority of the story, Elaina’s magic merely shortens her travel time. She doesn’t even really use those powers to make a living, which strikes me as truly odd. Despite having the ability to fix broken items, transform herself into animals, manipulate tools, and fight off several mages at once, the way she earns money when she runs low on cash is bogus fortune-telling. As such, the magic aspect of this story is nominal, except for a couple of flashback chapters about Elaina’s witch apprenticeship. (Even then, her motivation for undergoing that training is because her mage parents require her to become a full-fledged witch before they will allow her to travel.)

The meat of the stories, then, is the places she visits. Elaina calls them “countries,” but they are more like medieval city-states. Each is ruled by a monarch, but they are enclosed by protective walls and can be fully explored in one to three days. Every chapter focuses on a different country or an in-between village. Because Elaina is a traveler, we get to explore these countries and villages alongside her, and each place is unique.

Actually, it’s more accurate to say each place has its own particular brand of weirdness. From the country that persecutes ugliness to the country awash in counterfeit currency to the country literally divided into two because its king and queen can’t compromise. Some episodes are humorous: others are mysterious or sad. However, these anecdotes tend to highlight the worst of humanity–stupidity, avarice, hate, deceit, indifference.

The opening chapter, “The Country of Mages,” left a particularly bad taste in my mouth. I believe the author’s intent was to make a story in which Elaina inspires a lonely mage. However, Saya’s behavior is definitely the stuff of creepy stalkers (I don’t care that it’s coming from a cute girl, psychopathic behavior is psychopathic behavior).

On top of that, Elaina’s commentary on the people and places she encounters is mostly snark. Because her snark isn’t particularly clever or insightful, it just makes everything seem that much more unpleasant. Given the disdain she expresses throughout most of her travels, I have to wonder why she bothered leaving home at all.

Extras include the first four pages printed in color, five black-and-white illustrations, and afterword.

In Summary

The title of this book is accurate. Its chapters chronicle the journey of a wandering witch named Elaina. However, the actual content of those chapters don’t form a cohesive narrative, and the main character Elaina doesn’t have enough personality to make engaging commentary on these disjointed and often dark anecdotes.

First published at the Fandom Post.

 

 

 

Light Novel Review: The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?) Vol. #01

Fantasy series are full of royalty, and those characters are often noble, incompetent, evil, or ambitious. But how about a genius prince who is plain lazy? That’s the protagonist of The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?). Read on for the review of Volume 1.

Back Cover Blurb

Prince Wein is ready to commit treason. And who can blame him? Faced with the impossible task of ruling his pathetic little kingdom, this poor guy just can’t catch a break! But with his brilliant idea of auctioning off his country, this lazy prince should be able to retire once and for all. Or that was the plan…until his treasonous schemes lead to disastrous consequences-namely, accidental victories and the favor of his people!

The Review

This series’ long-winded title is somewhat misleading. The main character, Wein Salema Arbalest, is a prince and a genius, but his country, the Kingdom of Natra technically isn’t in debt. The kingdom doesn’t owes money to others; rather, Natra is lean on industry and resources. Ergo, the demands on the country’s leadership are high but the material benefits are few. Wein, however, is naturally lazy, bears no idealistic notions, and has had a taste of the good life during his studies abroad in the Earthworld Empire. As such, his dearest dream is to sell out his country to the Empire that he might live out his life in ease and luxury.

The title might also lead one to think the story is of trade and negotiation, similar to Spice and Wolf. Although Wein’s first act after being named Prince Regent to stand in for the ailing king is a peacetime discussion with the Earthworld Empire’s ambassador, the majority of the plot concerns military strategy and tactics and the resulting geopolitical consequences. (Even that initial discussion with the ambassador concerns the terms of an agreement allowing Imperial troops to be stationed within Natra.)

Sounds like serious stuff, but even though everyone around Wein is serious and takes him seriously, Wein is a comic character behind the scenes. He’s constantly trying to ditch his responsibilities, and only the fear of a coup and his longtime friend and aide Ninym (the one person who knows his true nature) keep him in line. He’s also got a sister complex and is a bit of a perv (a tone which gets incorporated into the artwork). If the series was turned into an anime or manga, it would undoubtedly include fanservice elements.

As annoying as I found the breast references, this plot was engaging. Interestingly, it reminded me of another Yen Press title, Tanya the Evil. While one is a fantasy and the other is an industrial-era isekai, both have heavy strategic, tactical, and political elements. Tanya and Wein have vastly different personalities, but they are similarly deemed model patriots when in truth they’d dump their responsibilities given the chance. And the running joke with both is that their brilliant schemes to attain the easy lifestyle continually backfire.

The main weakness of Genius Prince is that, unlike Tanya, its cast tends to be very one-dimensional. Aside from Ninyim and Wein, characters have little nuance. They’re all evil, all loyal, all idiot, or all victim. Also, even though Wein’s father remains king, he never appears throughout the several months worth of events.

Despite that, the story is an entertaining, easy read. Whereas Tanya delved into details to the point that it was a real slog, Genius Prince does a good job presenting information in a clear fashion that doesn’t bog the pace.

Extras include the first eight pages printed in color, ten black-and-white illustrations, and afterword.

In Summary

A military narrative takes a comic tone as a prince regent’s best efforts to rid himself of his kingdom backfire into one brilliant victory after another. The plot involves quite a bit of strategy and geopolitics, but it keeps the parameters simple, so it’s easy to comprehend. That combined with Prince Wein’s behind the scenes outbursts makes for an entertaining story.

First published at the Fandom Post.

 

 

 

Manga Review: Love Me, Love Me Not Vol. 1

Complicated romantic drama forms the basis of many shojo titles, and Io Sakisaka’s Love Me, Love Me Not falls into this category. Read on for the review of Volume 1.

Back Cover Blurb

Four friends share the springtime of their youth together.

Fast friends Yuna and Akari are complete opposites—Yuna is an idealist, while Akari is a realist. When lady-killer Rio and the oblivious Kazuomi join their ranks, love and friendship become quite complicated!

The Review

According to the Greetings page, the story has two main characters, Yuna and Akari. However, while we do get scenes in Akari’s perspective, the story feels like it belongs to Yuna, which is too bad because she is much less engaging than her costar.

Yuna’s the stereotypical nice, shy high school girl. Unfortunately, she’s so timid she doesn’t make an impression on other people nor does she make an impression as a lead character. Akari is confident and friendly, and she’s had to move often because of family circumstances. The two meet when Yuna helps Akari at a train station, and they become friends when they realize Akari has just moved into Yuna’s apartment building. Like most high school girls, they talk about boys and quickly discover they have different views on romance.

The story has a very slow start. Unfortunately, even once the girls’ relationship gets established, Yuna’s so passive and mopey I’m not inclined to root for her as a character. The plot primarily focuses on Yuna’s and Akari’s differing views on romance and how their love lives play out in real life. Yuna’s knowledge of romance comes primarily from shojo manga, she has an idealistic (fairytale) view of love, and she finds it near impossible to talk to boys. Akari has no trouble talking to boys, has dating experience, and is currently in a long-distance relationship. As such, Akari views Yuna as naïve while Yuna thinks Akari’s feelings of love are shallow. Even so, the girls care for one another and try to help each other when the focus of attraction comes into the picture.

The boys that trigger that are Rio and Kazuomi. Rio is Akari’s stepbrother and Kazuomi is Akari’s longtime neighbor and friend. Predictably, Yuna falls for Rio, and Akari falls for Kazuomi. Watching Akari navigate life is somewhat interesting. She’s very active, going so far as to take a part-time job to fund visits to her faraway boyfriend, and has an awkward blended family situation. Yuna, on the other hand, is so passive and unremarkable she’s boring. She doesn’t have the guts to confess to Rio; instead she just witnesses other girls confessing to Rio over and over. On top of that, Yuna is called a “nice” girl, but all it takes is one unfounded rumor for Yuna to essentially brand Akari a slut. While Yuna does redeem herself, it’s not enough for me to sympathize with her as a character, and I’m not especially interested in what happens to her next.

Extras include Greetings and Afterword.

In Summary

Two girls with different views on love befriend each other just before they enter high school. While the ups and downs of teen romance can fuel scintillating drama, Love Me, Love Me Not is flat as a can of stale soda due to the lack of initiative of its overly quiet and self-conscious main character Yuna. And even though the mangaka appears to be setting up the two heroines for a love square with the two boys closest to them, the story thus far hasn’t sufficiently endeared the characters that I care who ends up with whom.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: The Royal Tutor Vol. 13

Rich, handsome young men, each with his own distinct personality…this type of bishounen cast is a staple in shojo manga. And if you like yours with a generous helping of chibi humor, you should definitely check out Higasa Akai’s The Royal Tutor. Read on for my review of Volume 13. (For my reviews of other volumes click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

The ongoing troubles at Café Mitter Meyer leave Licht feeling helpless as he witnesses firsthand the hate directed at his master for his Kvel ancestry. Infuriated by the kingdom’s ugly dark side, Licht realizes he has an opportunity many do not: the power to enact change from the highest level of government, the throne itself! With his return, all four brothers are reunited in the palace. They have all been transformed by their experiences apart, and each is more determined than ever to rule for the betterment of Granzreich!

The Review

The first half of Volume 13 is Licht centric. He’s been absent from recent chapters so Akai-sensei’s making it up with an extended arc where he’s the star and the guards Ludwig and Maximillian form the supporting cast. Like most Licht stories, it centers around the café, and like his brothers, Licht hits upon a turning point during their time apart.

A new element introduced at the close of Volume 12 is the existence of ethnic minorities within the kingdom. Volume 13 fleshes out that dynamic further. Kvels appeared to be modeled after the Jewish people, and considering how this world resembles 19th-century Europe, the picture of discrimination it presents isn’t difficult to grasp. It is, however, a shock for the privileged and mostly sheltered Licht.

Unlike the libel incident against Kai, the vandalism against the café is left unresolved. On one hand, it’s frustrating not to reach a resolution. On the other hand, it is a realistic outcome and one that wakes Licht up to the inequity that exists in his country. Thus the youngest prince discovers motivation to embrace the role he was born to, and Akai-sensei leaves the door open for this vandalism incident to reemerge at a later time.

At this point, Heine’s not only won the respect of his four pupils, but he’s leveled them up as candidates for the throne. Thus, the focus turns to the throne’s heir apparent, Eins, who poses with the Royal Tutor on this volume’s cover.

While the younger princes are technically competing with their eldest brother, most of the conflict has arisen between Heine and Count Rosenberg. Rosenberg’s position as Eins’ head steward would lead one to believe his actions are driven out of a desire for personal gain, but an unusually frank conversation between Heine and Rosenberg and a walk down memory lane with Kai reveal that the relationship between the count and Eins is deeper and more complicated. And with Eins acting strangely following his much-anticipated betrothal to a neighboring princess, Akai-sensei’s got me insanely curious as to what his fatal flaw might be.

Extras include bonus manga and illustrations and the first page printed in color.

In Summary

The troubles at Café Mitter Meyer take on an ugly tone. Although Licht is determined to stop the culprit, he eventually realizes that the problem is beyond what an ordinary café worker can handle. Thus, he embraces his princehood and returns to the palace with a new purpose. With that, all four brothers are reunited in time to receive news of their eldest brother’s engagement. Akai-sensei finally reveals more information about Eins and Rosenberg, but those details serve to raise more questions, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next volume.

First published at The Fandom Post.

 

Just Released: “Meet JetDo” the Webtoon!

And now for something really different…I helped write a webtoon script! Parts 1 and 2 are available on YouTube, and the links are below.

As for the story behind the script…a few months ago, my friend Shu, who helped fact check my short story Hidden Heritage, asked if I’d be interested in a freelance project. She’s one of the owners of JetPens, an online stationery store (if you’re looking for specialty pens, they’re the place to go!). As a way of engaging their customers, they wanted to create an origin story for their green-clad mascot JetDo, and Shu asked if I’d like to write that story.

The invitation literally came out of the blue. I had zero experience doing work for hire. But it sounded like a great opportunity to write in a different style. Plus, Shu is an awesome person, and I was completely on board with her vision for JetDo.

That’s how I wound up on a team with producer Miriam Ling and artist Joshua Banaag. The project felt a lot like making short films in Los Angeles. There was a scope, schedule, and budget. Each collaborator brought something different to the table, but we were collectively striving toward the goal of crafting a cohesive, engaging story. Some writers prefer to have full control over the creative process, but I rather like group brainstorming and enjoyed hashing out JetDo canon with the team.

The other thing reminiscent of my film experience was that the scope changed as we progressed. The biggest change was the format. The story was originally to be printed as a mini-zine so Josh and I started by organizing pictures and text on a paper layout. However, the mini-zine was eventually deemed less cost-effective and less environmentally friendly than a digital format, so we switched to presenting the story as a webtoon.

That meant Josh and I went from an illustrator/author team to an animator/screenwriter team. The change actually made writing easier because I was no longer beholden to my nemesis, word count. However, the brunt of the storytelling shifted from text to images, so I had to keep in mind the amount of time and effort it took to animate scenes while I wrote.

By the way, Josh did an awesome job shifting roles from drawing stills to animating images. I’ve always enjoyed animation, and it was pretty exciting to see the scenes I wrote come to life this way.

So please check it out! It’s free wherever YouTube is available. And I hope you’ll enjoy the tale behind JetPens and JetDo!