Maka-Maka Vol 1: Sex, Life, and Communication

Maka-Maka #1

by Torajirō Kishi

Jun and Nene are friends with benefits. They've always been there for each other. Sex is a means of communication between them. They're close friends that make each other feel good. It doesn't matter if they have significant others. The two of them are friends with benefits - and that's what Maka-Maka means, "friends with benefits".

Genres: Manga, Comics, Yuri, Graphic Novels, LGBT, Queer, Comics Manga

Mass Market Paperback

First published December 17, 2003

About the author

Has kidney problems, including renal insufficiency.

Currently unmarried.

Reviews

[Jocilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this title when it came out and was saddened that it didn't fit well into Yuri as a genre (at least not with what had come before). I do remember thinking I was jealous of the relationship Jun and Nene shared.

But that was before I started into reading women's writing and feminine lit. Nowadays I have a greater appreciation for the multiplicity and depth of relationships between and among women. Jun and Nene's relationship may be what some may call "alternative" but it is every bit as legit. The art isn't necessarily groundbreaking, but it IS wonderful to see any manga in full color. Similarly, the stories in this volume are episodic and non-unlike any other josei. I'm really glad this title was picked up for translation and I'd be interested in Kishi's other works.

[Pari · Rating 4 out of 5]

When i started reading it, i was a little...um, hesitant to continue further, as Nene and Jun has sex practically everywhere. It got uncomfortable at times.

But then, things happened. We learned stories of both sides snd then I fell in love. Their relationship is just so, so beautiful that i can't seem to take my mind off them. There was a certain purity in their relationship and nothing about what they're doing is pure.

The development of their feelings and as their character evolved, they evolved beautifully.

I loved it. I can't wait to read it more.

[Vleegoodfellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breezy, beautifully illustrated series that treats casual sex with intelligence, and explores its layers with humor and joy.

[Gretel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reads like a dude wrote it.

[clemencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antes pensaba al manga erótico como puramente obsceno, sucio. Por suerte le di el beneficio de la duda a Maka Maka. Veo que mucha gente lo sintió como simple porno, pero difiero. Apreciemos la multiplicidad de dinámicas entre mujeres. Esta es la historia de dos personas que se quieren y se lo muestran corporalmente. El sexo es conexión, comunicación; el sexo puede llegar a ser espiritual, y hay veces en las que el amor es sexo, y el sexo se convierte en herramiento del amor.

[Ed Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Durty.

[not important · Rating 5 out of 5]

living for this healthy connection

[Muyu · Rating 5 out of 5]

@2016-11-12 14:38:12

[nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

words of advice don’t read this around anyone !!!!

[Mark Will Never Cry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda eh, it be hentai tho. I did finish it and the second volume tho.

[lucero · Rating 4 out of 5]

controversial para muchos pero me gustó

[Milybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

No se que pensar... En si no hay una historia me perdía en muchos momentos es más los sexual que lo demás

[nag · Rating 4 out of 5]

adorei como elas sao conectadas e como a nene deposita toda a confiança na jun
são muito fofas e safadas

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is definitely a lot of sex but there is a story and the artwork is realistic.

[Devon Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maka-Maka is a beautiful manga exploring love between two women and how they communicate that love through sex. It's graphic, not leaving anything to the imagination, but it consistently finds the romance within these sexual interactions. It's light in plot and functions more as a character study, but that doesn't mean it isn't saying something.

The manga follows Nene and Jun, two college aged women who are best friends. They have boyfriends they don't really like, they have aspirations they don't know how to achieve, they have a love for each other they don't quite recognize. Their sexual relationship is based in a comfort they can only feel with each other. While they might fight or feel distant, it's consistently through these sexual interactions that they can actually say what they need to.

Volume 1 features some background on both characters. You have these pages in which you learn about Jun and Nene's respective childhoods, offering some real insight into why they are the way they are. It's a level of insight you just don't often get in a work like this. This volume also features some of my favorite chapters, such as Issue #09 where they have sex under the moonlight. This volume also ends on the incredibly somber chapter of Nene's birthday.

My best pitch for Maka-Maka is that it reads as if Richard Linklater wrote a lesbian porn. The characters are incredibly rich and you get these intimate glimpses into their life. The lack of any real plot or overarching conflict is the ultimate strength of this work, not a detriment.

If you are not immediately turned away by the graphic sexual content, I cannot recommend this enough.

[Kenisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it kind of hard to categorize this. Artful porn? It's certainly is titillating, but falls short of the lewdness I typically associated with porn. Yes, it has women having (lots) of sex, but their relationship is very sweet and sensual, and not something that they can easily find with other people.

The art style is really appealing. The artwork is clean, and their body types are realistic.

[Sir Nicho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and was happy I found it online. The realism and tender moments we all have in relationships adds to the authenticity. The artwork is great as well. Don't let all the sex turn you off. Starting the second volume now.

[m. · Rating 4 out of 5]

good art, romantic enough but not too much that it takes away from the raw, ardent sexuality displayed

[Kittyki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm, mit is írhatnék. A rajzolása egész szép, imádom hogy az összes oldala színes. Aranyos kis yuri manga.

[scarlettraces]

deeply, deeply ashamed