With my tastes in manga in mind, I knew that I was going to have mixed feelings of Fushigi Yuugi. As a person who's not a big fan of isekai I found myself comparing this manga a lot to similar style mangas, mainly Sailor Moon & Inuyasha. Now my biggest ordeal with this isn't a dislike for Fushigi Yuugi but rather a "If it's like these other titles, why read it?" I really needed to know what this manga could bring to the table that would convince me to continues reading it. Chapter after chapter presents little to no new interest, in fact I'm only more noticing parallels to Sailor Moon (Usagi chasing after tuxedo mask) Then again I guess this can be a reflection of manga values during the time of release.
Fushigi Yuugi strikes me as a very basic shoujo that lacks the substance or hook to keep me reading. It falters next to bigger titles of it's time especially now looking back to it. Title's like Inuyasha are popular because in episode 1 alone we are shown the conflict between Inuyasha and Kikyo that keep us wanting to know what happened between the two and keep us around every episode after to see them meet. I think had Fushigi Yuugi had lead with a stronger concept it would have kept my attention longer rather than looking for something elsewhere.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Week 9: Shoujo and Josei
By far one of my favorite genres, shoujo and josei have a special place in my heart and library.
Today I wanna review and recommend one of my favorite title in Shoujo, Kimi Ni Todoke. Sawako is a shy high school girl struggling to make friends due her "Ring Monster Girl" appearance in which they nickname her Sadako. Because of this misconception she often keeps to herself but is overall a very kind a sweet girl who means no harm. Meanwhile in the same class we have Kazehaya, a boy loved by everyone due to his refreshing and aloof attitude. Drawn to each other the two become friends and additionally add Chizuru and Ayane to be Sawako's closest female friends.
Kimi Ni Todoke is what I would recommend as a good first time shoujo to anyone wanting a slice of life with some romance. The story does reach a satisfying resolution which is something most manga's of the genre can't say. While being cute I think this manga really benefits from Sawako's character development by never forcing romance onto her, it takes it's time at a good pace. Overall Sawako's relationships, both platonic and romantic, are what truly drive the plot and keep the reader's attention throughout the series.
Today I wanna review and recommend one of my favorite title in Shoujo, Kimi Ni Todoke. Sawako is a shy high school girl struggling to make friends due her "Ring Monster Girl" appearance in which they nickname her Sadako. Because of this misconception she often keeps to herself but is overall a very kind a sweet girl who means no harm. Meanwhile in the same class we have Kazehaya, a boy loved by everyone due to his refreshing and aloof attitude. Drawn to each other the two become friends and additionally add Chizuru and Ayane to be Sawako's closest female friends.
Kimi Ni Todoke is what I would recommend as a good first time shoujo to anyone wanting a slice of life with some romance. The story does reach a satisfying resolution which is something most manga's of the genre can't say. While being cute I think this manga really benefits from Sawako's character development by never forcing romance onto her, it takes it's time at a good pace. Overall Sawako's relationships, both platonic and romantic, are what truly drive the plot and keep the reader's attention throughout the series.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Week 8: My Brothers Husband
My Brother's Husband is a story of family, acceptance, and education. Gengoroh Tagame is well known for gay manga that depict men as larger, muscular, and hairy (Also known as Bara.) Tagame's work has always been subject to criticism but shows a modern take of Japan's view on people who are or present as homosexual. My Brother's Husband is an easy way to digest the reality of Japanese values and harsh attitude towards LGBT+ members. The story revolves around Yaichi who is newly introduced to his deceased twin brother's husband, Mike, who travels from Canada to Japan. Alongside his daughter Kana, he welcomes Mike into his home but not without judgement. As the story progresses steps are taken towards Yaichi becoming more openminded and accepting of Mike as both a person and family member.
I think an important scene to look at is the one where Mike is shirtless and Kana is playing with him. Yaichi, enraged by this, steps in and treats Mike's action as malicious or what may even be labeled as perverse solely on his sexuality. He reflects on this when he realizes that he himself has never minded Kana seeing himself, another man, shirtless and apologies for his judgment and outburst. Not long ago in the US homosexuality was also seen in the same light and most people would immediately associate being gay with perversion and even pedophilia. As Yaichi gets to know Mike he gets to learn more about his twin and understands why he felt like he needed to escape Japan in order to be loved and accepted.
I think an important scene to look at is the one where Mike is shirtless and Kana is playing with him. Yaichi, enraged by this, steps in and treats Mike's action as malicious or what may even be labeled as perverse solely on his sexuality. He reflects on this when he realizes that he himself has never minded Kana seeing himself, another man, shirtless and apologies for his judgment and outburst. Not long ago in the US homosexuality was also seen in the same light and most people would immediately associate being gay with perversion and even pedophilia. As Yaichi gets to know Mike he gets to learn more about his twin and understands why he felt like he needed to escape Japan in order to be loved and accepted.
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