Manga Review: Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 2, by Yuhki Kamatani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

HELP OR HINDRANCE?

Tasuku is starting to feel at home at the drop-in center―just in time for him to help a younger student who also hangs out there. Misora Shuji likes to wear girls’ clothing but is unsure about their gender identity. Will Tasuku’s guidance offer Shuji some clarity or just make things harder?

Review:

There's a really harsh moment in this volume, just as a warning.

We officially meet Misora, a boy who likes dressing as a girl. This introduces a new aspect to the story, as Misora states he's not gay, he just likes dressing as a girl—and also explores the idea of not really knowing who he is yet. He's younger than Tasuku, and gives Tasuku a moment to help and be there for someone going through something similarly difficult.

It all goes down when Tasuku and Misora go out to a festival. Misora is confronted with a harsh part of being a woman, and he doesn't quite handle it well—not that anyone should, really. But he reacts by blowing up at Tasuku, in a very public, harsh way.

I appreciate the point of view that Misora presents here, but I don't particularly care for the way he talks. He's very brash with his words, which perhaps Tasuku needs. He blatantly uses the word fag, and how he treats Tasuku when he freaks out is just not okay. It was a really hard moment to read.

It also looks like Tasuku's crush is going to do something in the next volume. It's unclear where he stands on these things, but I suspect we'll find out soon.

I am really glad that this is being released. I think it's an important story. Plus, the artwork is gorgeous—I love the imagination used here. And those color pages at the beginning of this volume are just gorgeous.

Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish, Volume 1, by Akiko Higashimura

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: March 22, 2016

Volumes: 15+

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

THE LONG-AWAITED STORY OF FANGIRLS TAKING ON TOKYO!
Special large-size 2-in-1 edition of over 400 pages!

"One of the best anime and manga for beginners. Enthusiasm - geeky and otherwise - is power in Princess Jellyfish. Enthusiasm saves the day and paves the road to the future." - Kotaku

"Princess Jellyfish's ambition is simple: to tell a delightful story in a delightful way... It's a pretty deadly one-two punch." - Anime News Network

"Loaded with heart, soul, humor and insight." - About.com

STINGING BEAUTY

Tsukimi Kurashita has a strange fascination with jellyfish. She’s loved them from a young age and has carried that love with her to her new life in the big city of Tokyo. There, she resides in Amamizukan, a safe-haven for girl geeks who regularly gush over a range of things from trains to Japanese dolls. However, a chance meeting at a pet shop has Tsukimi crossing paths with one of the things that the residents of Amamizukan have been desperately trying to avoid—a beautiful and fashionable woman! But there’s much more to this woman than her trendy clothes! This odd encounter is only the beginning of a new and unexpected path for Tsukimi and her friends.

Review:

I have been wanting to read this for a while now. I watched the anime and was immediately obsessed. I knew it was only a matter of time, and was super excited when Kodansha announced they would be releasing it in two-in-ones. Firstly, it’s a very pretty, big volume. I wouldn’t have minded single volumes, but these are nice as well, and about the same price it would be otherwise, if a couple dollars cheaper. There are also five color pages, and they are gorgeous.

I will say that the anime follows the manga very closely, at least so far. But I don’t mind a bit, and it made me want to re-watch it after reading. The artwork is a little rough at times, but mostly I didn’t mind it at all. It was very pretty in some places as well. The humor was the same as in the anime, exaggerated and adorable and funny.

Tsukimi lives in a house with a group of otaku girls, all of them terrified of other people and going outside and men and stylish women. They call themselves nuns, or amars. When Tsukimi runs into Kuranosuke, who is crossdressing as a stylish woman at the time, he kind of barges into her life. This then proceeds to freak out her roommates, when they don’t even know he’s a guy. But Kuranosuke helps them when they find out their house is trying to be bought and demolished, and he also introduces Tsukimi to his political, extremely shy around women, older brother. We also meet their driver, Hanamori, who is pretty much an otaku for cars, and I like him a lot.

I love how this series deals with insecurities and individuality. All of the characters are insecure about something—the women are pretty much insecure about everything—but they’re also completely themselves. They don’t shy from their obsessions, or their fear of other people. They look how they look and don’t want to change that, are even afraid to. They are how they are, and they don’t know how to be any different, and might not even care to change that, either. On the other side of it, Kuranosuke dresses like a woman all the time, tells people about it and uses it to bother his family. He doesn’t hide who he is or what he wants to do. He’s proud of it, even.

I am just in love with this series. I think it’s hilarious and adorable, quirky in the best possible way, impressive. It reminds me of Ouran High School Host Club, only with college-aged otaku women. If you’re even a little curious, I would recommend picking it up. I would recommend it to anyone, actually. I am eagerly awaiting the next one.

Manga Review: So Cute It Hurts!!, Volume 2, by Go Ikeyamada

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Volumes: 12+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kobayashi Mitsuru and Kobayashi Megumi are twin brother and sister, with identical faces but radically different personalities: while Mitsuru is a confident charmer who wins the hearts of dozens of girls, Megumi is an average otaku who is in love with a virtual hero. Yet, the two's lives start to turn upside down after Mitsuru and Megumi switch roles...

A complicated love story starts!

Review:

I will say that some of the humor is still too over-the-top for me. The way Megumu exaggerates in her thoughts and freaks out, Mitsuru’s ego, the use of text speak at times. I get that it’s purposeful, but it still doesn’t quite work for me.

We find out more about Aoi in this volume, a new problem that he has, as well as seeing what’s between him and Shino. We get to see the twins together and how similar they really are. The siblings falling for other siblings is an interesting thing to throw in.

The focus is more on Aoi and Megumu here, which I’m all right with. They’re more interesting to me right now. And I will say that the sexual tension between them is ridiculous. There’s some between Mitsuru and Shino, but not nearly at the same level. The way Megumu looks at Aoi with clearly loving eyes, even Aoi is falling for it, despite believing she’s a boy. Megumu doesn’t even think to hide it.

Which is to say that it shouldn’t be surprising when Megumu’s big reveal happens, even though I still wasn’t expecting it to happen so fast. I wasn’t expecting Mitsuru’s, either, but for a different reason. This twist does have me more interested, though, and impressed that it didn’t take very long.

I’m also impressed that this isn’t shying from the cross-dressing aspect. The couples are pretending to be the same sex, but that doesn’t stop the sexual tension rising from both sides, or others from thinking they might be gay. And it’s not really shamed or avoided—I love that.

I was surprised with this volume; the first half didn't pull me in, but the second half had me newly excited. Now I’m looking forward to the next one.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, and Erik Jansen from MediaLab PR. Thank you so, so much!