Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: manga, melancholy, moe, nerds, reviews, sehnsucht, surreal
“Your mischief has gone far enough, Lil’ Strawberry…”
–Doll Shakedown in Rozen Maiden
Manga >> Peach-Pit’s Rozen Maiden (Vols. 1-3)
I decided to take a trip in the Wayback Machine to a series that I have almost finished at this point (due to my avarice in gobbling up each installment): Peach-Pit’s Rozen Maiden. With the creators’ suggestive-sounding nom de plume, a rather shojo feel throughout and a downright creepy Gothicism, you think that I would despise it. But all things considered, Rozen Maiden is an intriguing little work. The blurb on the back advertises it as a “metaphysical comedy,” and it definitely does not disappoint.
The beginning of this series is where its strength lies–enter Jun Sakurada, an obstinate, oversensitive, emo lad who for some reason or another has chosen to withdraw from school, his friends, and his loving sister Nori. To give the audience some idea of how utterly petty Jun is, we find him doing the only thing he loves nowadays: buying cheap crap over the Intarwebs, then hastily returning it before the “risk-free trial period” expires. Yeah, he rolls like that.
In his computer desk one day, a note appears with the question of to wind or not to wind. He chooses “wind.” By “wind,” they mean “wind up a doll,” and by “wind up a doll,” they mean “bring said doll magically to life.” Over time, all seven of the dolls are expected to accumulate in his home, eventually destined by their creator, the Dutchman (?) Rozen, to battle for supremacy. Even… to the death?
Against all odds, this is all carried out with almost saccharine sweetness at times. From the tough-girl-with-a-heart-of-gold Shinku (who makes Jun her “manservant”) to the precious Hinaichigo (“Lil’ Strawberry”), all main characters are fully explored and given backstories in “the N-Field” (apparently synonymous with Jung’s collective unconscious!). Jungian references are my big weakness, sorry.
As always, the fragility of the various dolls and the deadliness of their capabilities are frequently drawn upon for dramatic irony and cognitive dissonance. The rather hallucinatory design of most of the work can get under your skin if it weren’t for the (sometimes forced) comedic relief segments. And for those who think it looks creepy, I have to say… that’s the idea. It’s not just Gothic, it’s Gothity-Goth-Goth Goth.
And that says nothing of the series’ broken villainess, Suigintoh. We don’t much about her this point, save that she’s bad news. Oh, and she’ll tear your arm right out of its socket. (Read and see…)
So pick up a copy of Rozen Maiden… get in touch with your effete feminine side today!
Final Grade: A-.
Employees of Croach & Croach Jr. MUST NOT:
touch, breathe on, or stand too near Mr. Croach Jr. unless they wish to be fired immediately.
No children are allowed in any room Mr. Croach Jr. occupies.
Any member of the staff who has recently handled a child must undergo immediate quarantine.
–Notice at Croach & Croach Jr., the Proto-Hollow Fields
Manga >> Madeleine Rosca’s Hollow Fields (Vols. 1-2)
If you are one of those insufferable wights who believe that any story involving something magical or mysterious is automatically child’s play, you probably won’t like the Hollow Fields series very much. I would assume you’re not one of these, however, since you’re taking valuable time out of your day to read this weblog.
That said, the Australian Ms. Rosca’s Hollow Fields is an adorably Gothic tale in the tradition of another Poe-writ-small, Lemony Snicket. In fact, she even lists Snicket among her influences. Anyway, the basic premise of Fields is that Lucy Snow, the precious, bunny-eared heroine of the series, has been sent by her somewhat neglectful parents to a prestigious boarding school in the vicinity of Nullsville. Unfortunately, she ends up getting sidetracked and, with obligatory stuffed animal sidekick Dino in tow, she stumbles upon the secretive steampunk nightmare that is Ms. Weaver’s Academy for the Scientifically Gifted and Ethically Unfettered. In short, a school for mad scientists.
The “Engineers” that run the school are essentially undead corpses that have been kept alive through the magic of steam and clockwork-driven technologies. The children are essentially ensnared through a misleading contract. Every week, a child must be sent to the Windmill for a permanent “detention.” And yet, somehow, a light, silly air befitting an “All Ages”-rated comedy permeates the work, making it a manga I wouldn’t mind my children reading.
Well, except Summer’s evil Deathtrap maybe.
My only major quibble is… well, major. It’s the irritating habits of some characters to repeat quirks (i. e. Lucy’s constant treatment of Dino as if he’s alive, Groundskeeper Croach’s groundless hatred of children, etc.) and Lucy’s incessant st-st-st-stuttering. Venerable manga st-st-st-stereotypes all, but still annoying nonetheless.
Final Grade: A-.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: failure, manga, reviews, sexuality, surreal, the trap
Manga >> Ken Akamatsu’s Love Hina and Negima!: Magister Negi Magi
“What? Keitarou, you want to see my panties?!”
–A Caricature of a Thirteen-Year-Old in Love Hina
To be honest, I’m really only reviewing the first volumes of Hina and Negi, with a nervous peek at Volume II of the former. This was a powerful lesson to me: the first ten pages do NOT necessarily set the tone for the rest of the work… also, always order online if you can. That way, you can get Love Hina in a paper box tied with string to cover your shame. Seriously, everything I had heard heretofore about this series had been nothing but how life-affirming, yet raunchy, yet precious it was. It entranced female readers, and caused male ones to clap their hands with joy at the glory of it all!
Boy, was that ever crock of s**t.
Here’s the plot–no doubt you’ve heard it before if you are familiar at all with the ignoble harem plot. There’s this kid, Keitarou, who’s basically an unbelievably sad sack of a man. He’s not very bright, not very athletic, not incredibly cute2, nor is he assertive… and guess what, he’s not good with women either. When his parents kick him out of the house, he discovers his grandmother has decided to bequeath ownership of the bizarrely secluded Hinata Inn to… him. So he’s the landlord of an all-girls dorm!3 And you know what… that girl who promised him in kindergarten that they’d go to college together and get married and live happily ever after? She’s living there too! How can hijinks not ensue?!
Unfortunately, the much-lauded formula of Keitarou continually barging in on the girls in various stages of undress, falling on top of them, or having them fall on top of him gets repetitive to say the least. After a beat or so, the girls would punch him in the face or otherwise beat the snot out of him so he wouldn’t do it again. But, try as he might, he just can’t shake his bad luck… and thus it continues for fourteen volumes or twenty-four episodes, depending on which medium you prefer. Everyone has notoriously short memories (and tempers), so this cycle of love and loathing occurs quite often. Also, when he gets within a few feet of junior high students, he makes them weep with his propensity for sexually suggestive accidents.
But there is a modicum of sweetness, in a dystheistic sort of way: they’re just a bunch of people thrown into this crazy world, watched over by that malevolent Demiurge, Akamatsu Ken.
…You know, that actually makes me kind of sad now to remember that.
As for Negima!, for the last time: it’s not Harry Potter. Nor is it even a pervy Harry Potter. Nope, it’s about a ten-year-old boy who teaches English to fourteen-year-olds. But there’s only one problem… whenever he sneezes, it causes their clothing to fly off! And it only works on girls, apparently!4 Hobotaku gives a pithy value judgment on this less-talented sibling of the Love Hina franchise:
…Be forewarned, do not read this in a store. The last thing most people want is to stumble over someone in a Dragonball Z shirt that’s looking at middle school girls’ underwear. Trust me, it’s creepy, and you’ll end up dying alone.
Final Grade: D-. Revised: C-.
3Many of whom are underage! Are you giddy with joy yet?!
4If it worked both ways, that would just be gay (and sexually egalitarian).
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blogcraft, cute, manga, moe, technical difficulties
I thought I had all the kinks worked out of this thing, but apparently my expectations were too high. Due to technical difficulties in WordPress (and maybe my version of Firefox?) this page will either look beautiful, like this:
Or bewildering, like this:
Her name is Afghanisu-tan, in case you’re wondering.
So if this site looks like a turd wrapped in gold leaf, it’s not my fault. Just pop it open in another tab, or, if nothing else, soothe the savage beast within with a refreshing Baby Rickroll.
***UPDATE***
Yipe! WiFi access to this site makes it look just peachy. It must be my recalcitrant wall hookup back in the dorm.
