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Hey, there, and welcome! This is just a fun blog where I take the time to talk about all the wonderful comics I'm reading. And I read a lot! I started reading manga in elementary school when it was all flipped, started reading Marvel in college (and am now reading 616 in approximate chronological publication order - in 1971 currently), and have been looking for good Superman comics to read since I was pretty young. And yeah, I have read a lot of Foxtrot and Luann. I back a lot of kickstarter projects, I buy a lot of smaller press works, and I'll dip into a webcomic or two (though I'd prefer to wait for a physical print run if that's ever possible!)
Entires are tagged by creator, publisher, and genre and/or demographic. Below, you can find some answers to some questions you may have. Thanks for stopping by!
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Sticky: Release Calendar
Mar. 27th, 2019 05:48 amAn ever updating release schedule for comics I am interested in.
-Italicized titles are digital only titles.
-A Google Sheets version is available here, with pages divided up by release date, title, and publisher.
The Google Sheets version will be more up to date/complete
Note that discrepancies between Diamond release dates and bookstore release dates aren't noted, so a certain title be later or earlier depending on which I've listed and where you're buying.
March
Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart by Syundei (19th, Seven Seas)
The Delinquent Housewife vol 4 by Nemu Yoko (19th, Vertical) - End of Series
Hitorijime My Hero vol 2 by Memeko Arii (19th, Kodansha)
Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige and Stephen Byrne (27th, DC)
April
Blue Flag ch 42 by Kaito (2nd, Shueisha)
Transparent Light Blue by Kiyoko Iwami (2nd, Seven Seas)
The World's Greatest First Love vol 12 by Shungiku Nakamura (9th, SuBLime)
War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery #1 by the McElroys and Andr (10th, Marvel)
Go With the Clouds, North-by-Northwest vol 1 by Aki Irie (16th, Vertical)
Prince Bari vol 2 by (16th, Netcomics)
To Take An Enemy's Heart by (16th, Netcomics)
To Take An Enemy's Heart by (16th, Netcomics)
When I arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll (16th, Koyama)
Smut Peddler Presents: Sex Machine by Various (23rd, ICC)
Nyankees vol 2 by Atsushi Okada (30th, Yen Press)
( More Releases )
-Italicized titles are digital only titles.
-A Google Sheets version is available here, with pages divided up by release date, title, and publisher.
The Google Sheets version will be more up to date/complete
Note that discrepancies between Diamond release dates and bookstore release dates aren't noted, so a certain title be later or earlier depending on which I've listed and where you're buying.
March
Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart by Syundei (19th, Seven Seas)
The Delinquent Housewife vol 4 by Nemu Yoko (19th, Vertical) - End of Series
Hitorijime My Hero vol 2 by Memeko Arii (19th, Kodansha)
Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige and Stephen Byrne (27th, DC)
April
Blue Flag ch 42 by Kaito (2nd, Shueisha)
Transparent Light Blue by Kiyoko Iwami (2nd, Seven Seas)
The World's Greatest First Love vol 12 by Shungiku Nakamura (9th, SuBLime)
War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery #1 by the McElroys and Andr (10th, Marvel)
Go With the Clouds, North-by-Northwest vol 1 by Aki Irie (16th, Vertical)
Prince Bari vol 2 by (16th, Netcomics)
To Take An Enemy's Heart by (16th, Netcomics)
To Take An Enemy's Heart by (16th, Netcomics)
When I arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll (16th, Koyama)
Smut Peddler Presents: Sex Machine by Various (23rd, ICC)
Nyankees vol 2 by Atsushi Okada (30th, Yen Press)
( More Releases )
Cover feat Leo and Vega
This was a pretty instant kickstarter back for me, where all i needed was lesbians + motorcyles and samples of that great art. (Hey, I grew up watching Sailor Moon, and Haruka picking up Michiru on her bike was STUNNING.)
So ROADQUEEN, the collected edition of two previously released digital comics, is about Leo, the girl that EVERYONE at her all girls school is in love with, who only loves her motorcycle and doesn't have time for girls despite being super gay herself. In comes Vega, who offers to soup up her bike to help Leo with some issues of girls chasing after her, only to take Leo for a ride. No, not that kind of ride, nor that one. It's one big con. Fast forward to story two, and Leo, newly graduated and broken hearted, but still not dating anyone because she thinks she's way too cool for them, is approached by Vega once more. Vega will give back what she took ONLY if Leo will pretend to date her for a week, so Vega can turn Leo into a decent lesbian and not a total asshole like she is now. Cue Leo fucking everything up.
Everything about ROADQUEEN is charming. It's a very funny series with Leo being an absolute failboat at anything to do with relationships and other people, yet somehow being really cool when she's on a bike, and Vega who is just super cool all the time. Like, it's just SUCH a pleasure to see these girls be comedic and selfish and fall in love and just be secretly MAJOR dorks, because they totally are. The first story is interesting, but it's really story two where this book shines.
Vega doesn't have time for Leo's shit. (Well, no more than a week.)
It's a lighthearted fun read, with fake dating (well, practice dating??) and not so fake feelings. When Leo discovers she's developing feelings for Vega, I SCREAMED in delight. And the art is fabulous, both lovely to look at and lending itself well in style and tone, easy to read, with great expression and movement. And Leo and Vega are also both drawn super fucking hot, oh my god.
Also, I read this as physical edition so got to read the only-in-the-physical-copy bonus story where Vega is, uh, frustrated once more.... It was SO FUN.
I am SO excited to read more by Mira Ong Chua. I don't know HOW I managed to snag one of the physical copies of My Very First Vampire Blood Drive, but I did, and I cannot wait to get it. You can beat me to reading it by getting the pdf version now of course.
ROADQUEEN is available digitally on Mira Ong Chua's gumroad storefront (print sold out as of writing.)
Ao Haru Ride vol 2 by Io Sakisaka
Mar. 2nd, 2019 07:17 amNote: These images are from the Viz website.
High school shoujo romances are AMAZING. Ao Haru Ride is AMAZING. Let's jump right in.
Originally published by Shueisha, Ao Haru Ride follows Futaba Yoshioka who, in middle school, was shy, girly, and very much NOT into boys. Except for one, Kou Tanaka, who was her height, kind, and not intimidating at all. That first love fizzled, and now in high school, Futaba remade herself to be more tomboyish, eating ALL THE FOOD (yes, girl!), and distancing herself from her middle school image as much as possible. Then Kou Mabuchi, who looks amazingly like Tanaka, but all grown up, starts attending her school and surprise, surprise, Mabuchi is Tanaka! Only he's not at all like the Tanaka she remembers. In vol 2, they've started their second year, Futaba relatively friendless due to events in vol 1, and this one is all about volunteering as Class Rep and bonding with her classmates.
Their chemistry is really great
I actually don't know exactly what draws me to Ao Haru Ride so much? The situation? The characters? I ADORE Futaba, and Kou proves to be secretly charming under his "I don't give a fuck, but i can't actually say fuck" attitude. The side characters that will comprise their friend group are also wonderfully fun.
And the whole thing of meeting someone years later, and how they've changed is of course super great too. I really, really hope I've changed from middle school (and high school and college and even from a few years ago.) We're constantly changing as people, and especially in youth, those changes can be dramatic. Futaba often gazes at Kou and wonders what made him change so much, and Sakisaka talks a lot about how she loves that kind of thing, which was the whole impetus for the story.
It's going to be AMAZING when Murao and Futaba become friends!
Speaking of the mangaka, my FAVORITE part actually comes from the free talk in one of the chapters, in a side panel where, I'm pretty sure, brief character bios/this is the story so far show up in serialization in Bessatsu Margaret (the magazine in which the manga is published) and other similar magazines. That's not needed in the collected form, so the mangaka get to put basically whatever they want in there. In one, Sakisaka discusses a time where her acquaintance K (actually her older sister) dramatically dumped her boyfriend, and IT IS AMAZING. Go, K oneesan!
The leadership retreat shenanigans are fun - scavenger hunts and group projects no one wants to do and having to define concepts and why they're important take me back in good and bad ways, as are the delight of overnight school trips in general. It's nice to get out of the halls of the school, even if the activities themselves are school oriented, and I look forward to more beaks from school life as the year progresses.
Sakisaka's art is great - I love her character designs, with the lines under Kou's eyes and the way she does hair, and the style is light and cute, perfect for a romantic fun manga.
I'm really excited for more!
Ao Haru Ride is available in English from Viz.
Cover feat Kou
High school shoujo romances are AMAZING. Ao Haru Ride is AMAZING. Let's jump right in.
Originally published by Shueisha, Ao Haru Ride follows Futaba Yoshioka who, in middle school, was shy, girly, and very much NOT into boys. Except for one, Kou Tanaka, who was her height, kind, and not intimidating at all. That first love fizzled, and now in high school, Futaba remade herself to be more tomboyish, eating ALL THE FOOD (yes, girl!), and distancing herself from her middle school image as much as possible. Then Kou Mabuchi, who looks amazingly like Tanaka, but all grown up, starts attending her school and surprise, surprise, Mabuchi is Tanaka! Only he's not at all like the Tanaka she remembers. In vol 2, they've started their second year, Futaba relatively friendless due to events in vol 1, and this one is all about volunteering as Class Rep and bonding with her classmates.
Their chemistry is really great
I actually don't know exactly what draws me to Ao Haru Ride so much? The situation? The characters? I ADORE Futaba, and Kou proves to be secretly charming under his "I don't give a fuck, but i can't actually say fuck" attitude. The side characters that will comprise their friend group are also wonderfully fun.
And the whole thing of meeting someone years later, and how they've changed is of course super great too. I really, really hope I've changed from middle school (and high school and college and even from a few years ago.) We're constantly changing as people, and especially in youth, those changes can be dramatic. Futaba often gazes at Kou and wonders what made him change so much, and Sakisaka talks a lot about how she loves that kind of thing, which was the whole impetus for the story.
It's going to be AMAZING when Murao and Futaba become friends!
Speaking of the mangaka, my FAVORITE part actually comes from the free talk in one of the chapters, in a side panel where, I'm pretty sure, brief character bios/this is the story so far show up in serialization in Bessatsu Margaret (the magazine in which the manga is published) and other similar magazines. That's not needed in the collected form, so the mangaka get to put basically whatever they want in there. In one, Sakisaka discusses a time where her acquaintance K (actually her older sister) dramatically dumped her boyfriend, and IT IS AMAZING. Go, K oneesan!
The leadership retreat shenanigans are fun - scavenger hunts and group projects no one wants to do and having to define concepts and why they're important take me back in good and bad ways, as are the delight of overnight school trips in general. It's nice to get out of the halls of the school, even if the activities themselves are school oriented, and I look forward to more beaks from school life as the year progresses.
Sakisaka's art is great - I love her character designs, with the lines under Kou's eyes and the way she does hair, and the style is light and cute, perfect for a romantic fun manga.
I'm really excited for more!
Ao Haru Ride is available in English from Viz.
Arena by Lehanan Aida
Feb. 17th, 2019 08:30 amContent note: rape and sexual assault, slavery, major violence
Also this comic reads right to left.
I hadn't heard of this webcomic before Top to BOTM picked it for their February comics reads, and I'm glad they did! Also omg, now I know why they picked it - Lehanan Aida is also the cover artist for last month's (novel) read. They probably mentioned this. WHOOPS.
ANYWAY.
Arena by Lehanan Aida is about Cladius Caesar, next in line for Emperor, and Athal, a Cimbrian prince turned gladiator, catches his eye, and he's determined to make Athal his.
Claudius is not a kind man, killing anyone who displeases him, plotting against his father (who is still defending him to the Senate, unaware,) and using whatever means he can to get what he wants. And Athal is what he wants the moment he sees him enter the arena. Athal, meanwhile, is full of hatred for all of Rome (genocide and enslavement don't work to make friends,) but Claudius finds a way to make him go along with his sexual advances.
Lust at first sight
And that's basically where the story's at right now. It's going to be FASCINATING to see where it goes. There are 2 complete chapters, each about 40 pages, and we're in the middle of Chapter 3 at the moment.
Look, I'm really hoping for at least one (more) murder attempt (by Athal), one foiled murder attempt (foiled by Athal), and more than a few non-con scenes (which it looks like we are promised!) I also really hope we see Claudius get WORSE before he gets better. Actually, I'd be fine if he didn't get better? And like, Athal just got... a little more into him because of that? "You're so awful and have manipulated me into this to the point that i love it" kind of thing, because uhhhh.... That's my jam. BUT! I don't expect that! Just, you know! Wild speculation!
We've got hints of political intrigue sprinkled throughout, too, and I am really looking forward to how Claudius's stepmom, who he's boning, will fuck shit up, and how the addition of [SPOILER SPOILER], used to control Athal, will affect things.
But mostly I'm excited about the whole sex slave thing, because I am me.
First of more murder attempts, fingers crossed!!
The art is filled with muscled men, gorgeous women, and eye candy that is historical outfits and settings. I'm especially really into the ladies' hair. This reads right to left, as I mentioned at the top, which took me a few pages to catch on to. Be sure to check out the lovely spreads in the unchaptered section as well!
I'm really excited to see the return of updates to this story, because we are just getting into it, and there's so much great potential.
Arena is available for free online at its website.
Also this comic reads right to left.
I hadn't heard of this webcomic before Top to BOTM picked it for their February comics reads, and I'm glad they did! Also omg, now I know why they picked it - Lehanan Aida is also the cover artist for last month's (novel) read. They probably mentioned this. WHOOPS.
ANYWAY.
Arena by Lehanan Aida is about Cladius Caesar, next in line for Emperor, and Athal, a Cimbrian prince turned gladiator, catches his eye, and he's determined to make Athal his.
Claudius is not a kind man, killing anyone who displeases him, plotting against his father (who is still defending him to the Senate, unaware,) and using whatever means he can to get what he wants. And Athal is what he wants the moment he sees him enter the arena. Athal, meanwhile, is full of hatred for all of Rome (genocide and enslavement don't work to make friends,) but Claudius finds a way to make him go along with his sexual advances.
Lust at first sight
And that's basically where the story's at right now. It's going to be FASCINATING to see where it goes. There are 2 complete chapters, each about 40 pages, and we're in the middle of Chapter 3 at the moment.
Look, I'm really hoping for at least one (more) murder attempt (by Athal), one foiled murder attempt (foiled by Athal), and more than a few non-con scenes (which it looks like we are promised!) I also really hope we see Claudius get WORSE before he gets better. Actually, I'd be fine if he didn't get better? And like, Athal just got... a little more into him because of that? "You're so awful and have manipulated me into this to the point that i love it" kind of thing, because uhhhh.... That's my jam. BUT! I don't expect that! Just, you know! Wild speculation!
We've got hints of political intrigue sprinkled throughout, too, and I am really looking forward to how Claudius's stepmom, who he's boning, will fuck shit up, and how the addition of [SPOILER SPOILER], used to control Athal, will affect things.
But mostly I'm excited about the whole sex slave thing, because I am me.
First of more murder attempts, fingers crossed!!
The art is filled with muscled men, gorgeous women, and eye candy that is historical outfits and settings. I'm especially really into the ladies' hair. This reads right to left, as I mentioned at the top, which took me a few pages to catch on to. Be sure to check out the lovely spreads in the unchaptered section as well!
I'm really excited to see the return of updates to this story, because we are just getting into it, and there's so much great potential.
Arena is available for free online at its website.
Note: These images are from Comixology previews
Cover of Issue 1 feat. Seiji
Fence is another one of those titles that I put on my hold list at my LCS the moment I heard about it and then.... didn't get around to reading it.
Thankfully, a podcast I highly enjoy, Top to BOTM (a male/male romance podcast), decided to do a month of COMICS, and Fence was one of their picks. YES!! This is my WHEELHOUSE. This is my PASSION. COMICS ARE SO GOOD.
And Fence is so good. BUT! It's absolutely, positively a sports comic with gay characters and not a romance at this point. A lot like 10 Dance, but if 10 Dance were more casually gay and was a bit more Prince of Tennis during all the matches.
Still a great read, though!
Fence, by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad, with colors by Joana Lafuente, published by Boom!, is about Nicholas Cox, a kid entering high school who adores fencing and aims to be better than his absent father (a secret to all but Nicholas), Olympic fencer Robert Coste. While pursuing this dream, he crosses epees (pretend there are accents there, I'm lazy right now) with Seiji Katayama, and is utterly defeated. Worse yet, months later and on scholarship to a fancy private boys school, he finds himself rooming with Seiji as they compete for one of the three coveted spots on the school's fencing team.
The first 12 issues are all about deciding that team. It's match after match, and while character moments are shown within those matches and a little between, if you have ZERO interest whatsoever in a sports story, this is probably not for you. Because it's a lot of sports. Like, a lot. A lot a lot. If that is something you're into, please read on...
Nicholas being angsty in front of his dad's old school photo
So what makes Fence (like many a sports comic) so great is the characters. We've got a wonderful cast (my favorites being Bobby, who likes to wear skirts and tie his hair up in cute ways, and Aiden, the playboy who'll have one night stands with all the boys, while having a massive one sided crush), and I'm so excited to see more of them. This was a big Yuletide fandom, I believe, and I can totally see why. It's pretty easy to find different ships with different combinations, though the canon ones, though subtle, are definitely signaled in the story (and cover art, as HamletMachine's cover for one later issue has Bobby and his roommate making a heart with their hands.) Also, this world is, much like Yuri on Ice, devoid of homophobia as far as I can tell, so the fact that boys are crushing on boys behind all the fencing in the foreground is no big deal.
Fence has moved from single issues to trade only, starting with volume 4, release date tbd. At least, that was last I heard (August 2018), and I'm hoping that the trade sales of 1 through the upcoming (August 2019) 3 don't make Boom decide to cancel it. Fence is REALLY hitting its stride with the wrap up of the team try outs arc.
Plus, if I don't get to see Nicholas and Seiji kissing eventually (though this promises to be a very... very... slow burn... because remember, sports comic, not a romance!) I'll be absolutely distraught.
I'll settle for the swooning over Aiden, in the meantime
Johanna the Mad's art is pleasant to read, with very attractive and distinct character designs, and I'm super into it. Lafuente's colors are bold, complimenting the tone and Johanna the Mad's art. I quite liked HamletMachine's guest covers, too, that was a lovely little surprise. (Also guess whose comic I SUPER need to read one day still...) I really hope Johanna the Mad keeps on - if she doesn't, it wouldn't be the first time an artist co-creator whose art I loved left and someone else took over, which is the only reason I mention this at all.
Once I started reading, I devoured all 12 issues, and now I'll have to wait who knows how long for more. *throws self dramatically onto a chaise lounge*
Fence is published by Boom! Studios and is available both digitally and in print.
Cover of Issue 1 feat. Seiji
Fence is another one of those titles that I put on my hold list at my LCS the moment I heard about it and then.... didn't get around to reading it.
Thankfully, a podcast I highly enjoy, Top to BOTM (a male/male romance podcast), decided to do a month of COMICS, and Fence was one of their picks. YES!! This is my WHEELHOUSE. This is my PASSION. COMICS ARE SO GOOD.
And Fence is so good. BUT! It's absolutely, positively a sports comic with gay characters and not a romance at this point. A lot like 10 Dance, but if 10 Dance were more casually gay and was a bit more Prince of Tennis during all the matches.
Still a great read, though!
Fence, by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad, with colors by Joana Lafuente, published by Boom!, is about Nicholas Cox, a kid entering high school who adores fencing and aims to be better than his absent father (a secret to all but Nicholas), Olympic fencer Robert Coste. While pursuing this dream, he crosses epees (pretend there are accents there, I'm lazy right now) with Seiji Katayama, and is utterly defeated. Worse yet, months later and on scholarship to a fancy private boys school, he finds himself rooming with Seiji as they compete for one of the three coveted spots on the school's fencing team.
The first 12 issues are all about deciding that team. It's match after match, and while character moments are shown within those matches and a little between, if you have ZERO interest whatsoever in a sports story, this is probably not for you. Because it's a lot of sports. Like, a lot. A lot a lot. If that is something you're into, please read on...
Nicholas being angsty in front of his dad's old school photo
So what makes Fence (like many a sports comic) so great is the characters. We've got a wonderful cast (my favorites being Bobby, who likes to wear skirts and tie his hair up in cute ways, and Aiden, the playboy who'll have one night stands with all the boys, while having a massive one sided crush), and I'm so excited to see more of them. This was a big Yuletide fandom, I believe, and I can totally see why. It's pretty easy to find different ships with different combinations, though the canon ones, though subtle, are definitely signaled in the story (and cover art, as HamletMachine's cover for one later issue has Bobby and his roommate making a heart with their hands.) Also, this world is, much like Yuri on Ice, devoid of homophobia as far as I can tell, so the fact that boys are crushing on boys behind all the fencing in the foreground is no big deal.
Fence has moved from single issues to trade only, starting with volume 4, release date tbd. At least, that was last I heard (August 2018), and I'm hoping that the trade sales of 1 through the upcoming (August 2019) 3 don't make Boom decide to cancel it. Fence is REALLY hitting its stride with the wrap up of the team try outs arc.
Plus, if I don't get to see Nicholas and Seiji kissing eventually (though this promises to be a very... very... slow burn... because remember, sports comic, not a romance!) I'll be absolutely distraught.
I'll settle for the swooning over Aiden, in the meantime
Johanna the Mad's art is pleasant to read, with very attractive and distinct character designs, and I'm super into it. Lafuente's colors are bold, complimenting the tone and Johanna the Mad's art. I quite liked HamletMachine's guest covers, too, that was a lovely little surprise. (Also guess whose comic I SUPER need to read one day still...) I really hope Johanna the Mad keeps on - if she doesn't, it wouldn't be the first time an artist co-creator whose art I loved left and someone else took over, which is the only reason I mention this at all.
Once I started reading, I devoured all 12 issues, and now I'll have to wait who knows how long for more. *throws self dramatically onto a chaise lounge*
Fence is published by Boom! Studios and is available both digitally and in print.
Bloody Sweet by Narae Lee
Feb. 14th, 2019 05:52 pmContent Note: Bullying, suicide, self-harm
Fetechou and Naerim sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Sometimes obsessively checking Kickstarter has its perks, because I spotted TappyToon's KS for vol 2 of Bloody Sweet the day it went up and hit the back button SO HARD, and then waited patiently, so so patiently, for these two THICK volumes to arrive.
And my patience was rewarded with one hell of a story. A story that I finished a few days ago, but I still find myself thinking about and tearing up all over again. Ahhhh... *clutches face* Okay, let's get into it.
Originally published as Honey Blood from Kakao, Bloody Sweet follows Shin Naerim, the daughter of a moodang (Korean shaman, often written as mudang,) who is bullied relentlessly day in and day out. One day, on a school trip, she opens a wardrobe to find a 583 year old vampire, Vlad Fetechou. When he has a taste of her delicious blood, a contract between (future) witch and vampire is formed, and Naerim finds herself with a dog like immortal servant.
And yeah, it's often just as funny as that sounds like it should be.
But omg, how do I talk about this comic? I want to just scream, OH MY HEEAAART!!!! But that's not useful to anyone, really. But going on that theme, it's full of drama and comedy and, yes, HEART. Naerim's in a very dark place at the start of the story, and so much of it, amid the developing romantic feelings and ominous intentions of outside forces, is about her finding the ability to love HERSELF again. It's about friendship and helping one another and connections and accepting one's feelings, good and bad, and knowing one has every right to exist in the world. Naerim isn't the only one struggling. Gradually, we learn of Fetechou's own troubles, ones that aren't apparent because he has lived with them so long and knows how to put on a happy face. And they find comfort in one another, and it's just so LOVELY.
The cast is rounded out with a slew of others, from a 6(?) year old monk in training to a 20-something fat beauty stylist who IS MY FAVORITE OF THE INCIDENTAL CHARACTERS to the man (well, vampire) who created Fetechou, and I love them ALL (yes, including the unrepentant mean girl queen.) I'd read all of their stories shooting off from this one in a HEART BEAT.
Also this is SO non-explicitly kinky, which YES PLEASE.
Along with the funny, heartbreaking, gorgeous, hopeful story, we get Narae Lee's FANTASTIC art. It's so lively and vibrant and wonderfully conveys every tone and tonal shift, as we move from a comedic moment to a darker one to a romantic fluttering. Prior to this, Narae Lee did the comic adaptation of James Patterson's Maximum Ride, and while, uh, I have no love for James Patterson's stuff (sorry,) I am thinking of picking it up JUST for Narae Lee's art.
This story has it all - wonderful characters, great art, SUCH GREAT EMOTIONAL IMPACT, AHH. And I just checked, and there's an absolute HEARTWRENCHING extra that you can't get on the TappyToon site and can only get in the physical edition, so if you can manage to snag this two volume set, DO. It's so worth it.
My ONE itty bitty complaint is that these publishers (not just TappyToon) who license Korean comics for English speaking audiences don't seem to employ copy editors, and I'm not entirely sure how the translation process works anyway. But a copy editor on the translated script is sorely needed on pretty much every licensed Korean webcomic I've read, across different publishers, and these publishers are really doing a disservice to both the creators and their audiences by not having one. For Bloody Sweet, it's in the second half where misspellings, repeated or dropped words, and odd phrasings appear quite a bit. It was a little distracting, because they WERE relatively absent in the first half, so my brain had to readjust midway through. But it's totally worth getting through that. I just really REALLY wish it had received a better treatment, especially once they decided to go to print with it.
All in all, if you aren't bothered by the above content warnings (and do take those seriously), I HIGHLY recommend this if you want a lovely supernatural youthful romance. It's SO SWEET. It's.... Bloody Sweet, ohohohoho~~ (Sorry, not sorry.)
I'm going to be sitting with that ending (the climax, the ending, the bonus print exclusive ending) for a long time. This story's going to live in my heart. <3 <3
Bloody Sweet is available in English on TappyToon (print edition still available on Backerkit as of writing)
Fetechou and Naerim sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Sometimes obsessively checking Kickstarter has its perks, because I spotted TappyToon's KS for vol 2 of Bloody Sweet the day it went up and hit the back button SO HARD, and then waited patiently, so so patiently, for these two THICK volumes to arrive.
And my patience was rewarded with one hell of a story. A story that I finished a few days ago, but I still find myself thinking about and tearing up all over again. Ahhhh... *clutches face* Okay, let's get into it.
Originally published as Honey Blood from Kakao, Bloody Sweet follows Shin Naerim, the daughter of a moodang (Korean shaman, often written as mudang,) who is bullied relentlessly day in and day out. One day, on a school trip, she opens a wardrobe to find a 583 year old vampire, Vlad Fetechou. When he has a taste of her delicious blood, a contract between (future) witch and vampire is formed, and Naerim finds herself with a dog like immortal servant.
And yeah, it's often just as funny as that sounds like it should be.
But omg, how do I talk about this comic? I want to just scream, OH MY HEEAAART!!!! But that's not useful to anyone, really. But going on that theme, it's full of drama and comedy and, yes, HEART. Naerim's in a very dark place at the start of the story, and so much of it, amid the developing romantic feelings and ominous intentions of outside forces, is about her finding the ability to love HERSELF again. It's about friendship and helping one another and connections and accepting one's feelings, good and bad, and knowing one has every right to exist in the world. Naerim isn't the only one struggling. Gradually, we learn of Fetechou's own troubles, ones that aren't apparent because he has lived with them so long and knows how to put on a happy face. And they find comfort in one another, and it's just so LOVELY.
The cast is rounded out with a slew of others, from a 6(?) year old monk in training to a 20-something fat beauty stylist who IS MY FAVORITE OF THE INCIDENTAL CHARACTERS to the man (well, vampire) who created Fetechou, and I love them ALL (yes, including the unrepentant mean girl queen.) I'd read all of their stories shooting off from this one in a HEART BEAT.
Also this is SO non-explicitly kinky, which YES PLEASE.
Along with the funny, heartbreaking, gorgeous, hopeful story, we get Narae Lee's FANTASTIC art. It's so lively and vibrant and wonderfully conveys every tone and tonal shift, as we move from a comedic moment to a darker one to a romantic fluttering. Prior to this, Narae Lee did the comic adaptation of James Patterson's Maximum Ride, and while, uh, I have no love for James Patterson's stuff (sorry,) I am thinking of picking it up JUST for Narae Lee's art.
This story has it all - wonderful characters, great art, SUCH GREAT EMOTIONAL IMPACT, AHH. And I just checked, and there's an absolute HEARTWRENCHING extra that you can't get on the TappyToon site and can only get in the physical edition, so if you can manage to snag this two volume set, DO. It's so worth it.
My ONE itty bitty complaint is that these publishers (not just TappyToon) who license Korean comics for English speaking audiences don't seem to employ copy editors, and I'm not entirely sure how the translation process works anyway. But a copy editor on the translated script is sorely needed on pretty much every licensed Korean webcomic I've read, across different publishers, and these publishers are really doing a disservice to both the creators and their audiences by not having one. For Bloody Sweet, it's in the second half where misspellings, repeated or dropped words, and odd phrasings appear quite a bit. It was a little distracting, because they WERE relatively absent in the first half, so my brain had to readjust midway through. But it's totally worth getting through that. I just really REALLY wish it had received a better treatment, especially once they decided to go to print with it.
All in all, if you aren't bothered by the above content warnings (and do take those seriously), I HIGHLY recommend this if you want a lovely supernatural youthful romance. It's SO SWEET. It's.... Bloody Sweet, ohohohoho~~ (Sorry, not sorry.)
I'm going to be sitting with that ending (the climax, the ending, the bonus print exclusive ending) for a long time. This story's going to live in my heart. <3 <3
Bloody Sweet is available in English on TappyToon (print edition still available on Backerkit as of writing)
Note: These images are from Kodansha and Amazon/Comixology previews
This is the third double volume in the series (so volumes 5 and 6 in Japan) released in the US, and I adore Wotakoi. It's so funny and delightful and sweet!
Originally published as Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii first on Pixiv and then professionally by Ichijinsha, Wotakoi follows the joys and follies of Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji, two childhood friends and secret otaku (well, secret in Narumi's case!) In the first volume, they began dating, became friends with their coworkers Taro Kabakura and Hanako Koyanagi, both nerds and dating each other, too, and volume 2 introduced Naoya Nifuji, Hirotaka's younger brother and darling normie, and Ko Sakuragi, a tall androgynous gaming nerd girl Naoya mistakes for a boy. The three kind of major plots in this are a festival, Naoya realizing Ko is a girl, and a work trip to an onsen. Amid all that, occuring during and between, are lots of funny hijinks as they try to live their lives.
Okay, so let me get to the excited screaming about everything.
NARUMI-CHAN, I FEEL YOU, GIRL. Narumi's an absolute fujoshi, and I am surprised how often I agree with her top/bottom preferences in her fantasies (as in a previous volume, she and Hanako discussed who would top between their boyfriends and in this one, they discuss the above normie coworkers, Aiba and Baba. I'm team Baba/Ai all the way. And Hirotaka/Kabakura too.) AH HEM. Anyway.
Every page is full of humor and references to various things - shows, comedians, actors, games, manga, memes - and while I might not notice/get all of them, I'm still happy with what I do get. (I screeched at last volume's Maison Ikkoku reference, because YES, Maison Ikkoku!) The translation does an EXCELLENT job at straddling the change-for-American-audience and retain-original-Japanese well. I was reading another manga a while back, and I was PRETTY sure they weren't talking about Brad Pitt and some other American actor, but the translation for THAT had decided that was better than the Japanese actors they were probably discussing... But Wotakoi keeps in those references and has translation notes at the end of each Japanese volume (so halfway and at the end.) I really appreciate that, because I get to be excited about people and things I DO know and learn some new things, especially the memes. Oh the memes! This one seemed particularly meme-heavy which was interesting.
But really, my two favorite couples in this are actually Hanako/Kabakura and Naoya/Ko. I LOOOOOVE the contentious but loving relationship between Hanako and Kabakura (sorry, I can't call him Taro! I think only Hanako does ANYWAY, so like. I think I can be forgiven,) and as CHARACTERS, I love them so much. They are both just SO COOL (I mean, Kabakura thinks he's a lot cooler than he is, but he's still pretty cool. Maybe not as cool as Hanako especially when she's dressing up as a favorite male character, but no one can beat her coolness.)
Naoya and Ko haven't hooked up YET, but Ko has SUCH a crush, and they are just TOO CUTE TOGETHER. And aaaahhhh, I love Ko so MUCH, she isn't used to having friends, and she's so awkward and a delight and I would die for her. *coughs* Anyway. I am so excited to see them hook up, because THEY'VE GOTTA, RIGHT??
And like, I am me, so of course I ship every permutation of everything (and BOY does it have lots of cute little hints that are shipping fodder,) but we're talking canon here right now, so... But it IS canon that Narumi totally imagined the Nifuji brothers being a little intimate, and did I say Narumi is my GIRL, because like, yes?? YES?? Who WOULDN'T? I mean, okay, so lots of people, but me and Narumi are down. That's all that matters.
This is just so charming and delightful, and no WONDER it's so popular. Like, if you are reading this, it's just because you like Wotakoi so much that you felt like reading some other people be happy about it for a while, right? Because like, WOTAKOI. (Yeah, it's not for everyone just like nothing is for everyone, but it's got mass appeal, because it's so GOOD.)
I haven't seen the anime yet, though I have heard the opening, which is a BOPPER. Also there's going to be a live action movie??? Not out in Japan yet, even, but MAAAN, we do NOT get enough live action Japanese movies I want to see. *files it away in wish box with the likes of Ore Monogatari and orange live action features*
And what to say about the art other than I love it? It's so expressive and fun and delivers great visual comedy with such a variety of faces and references to other properties.
Wotakoi is great, and if you're into anime/manga and aren't reading it, I suggest you try it sooner rather than later.
Wotakoi is available in English from Kodansha.
Cover featuring Naoya and Ko
This is the third double volume in the series (so volumes 5 and 6 in Japan) released in the US, and I adore Wotakoi. It's so funny and delightful and sweet!
Originally published as Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii first on Pixiv and then professionally by Ichijinsha, Wotakoi follows the joys and follies of Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji, two childhood friends and secret otaku (well, secret in Narumi's case!) In the first volume, they began dating, became friends with their coworkers Taro Kabakura and Hanako Koyanagi, both nerds and dating each other, too, and volume 2 introduced Naoya Nifuji, Hirotaka's younger brother and darling normie, and Ko Sakuragi, a tall androgynous gaming nerd girl Naoya mistakes for a boy. The three kind of major plots in this are a festival, Naoya realizing Ko is a girl, and a work trip to an onsen. Amid all that, occuring during and between, are lots of funny hijinks as they try to live their lives.
Okay, so let me get to the excited screaming about everything.
Of course Hirotaka would never ask WHAT BL novel she was reading, but Hanako totally would. ALAS, we are stuck with Hirotaka and normie coworkers.
NARUMI-CHAN, I FEEL YOU, GIRL. Narumi's an absolute fujoshi, and I am surprised how often I agree with her top/bottom preferences in her fantasies (as in a previous volume, she and Hanako discussed who would top between their boyfriends and in this one, they discuss the above normie coworkers, Aiba and Baba. I'm team Baba/Ai all the way. And Hirotaka/Kabakura too.) AH HEM. Anyway.
Every page is full of humor and references to various things - shows, comedians, actors, games, manga, memes - and while I might not notice/get all of them, I'm still happy with what I do get. (I screeched at last volume's Maison Ikkoku reference, because YES, Maison Ikkoku!) The translation does an EXCELLENT job at straddling the change-for-American-audience and retain-original-Japanese well. I was reading another manga a while back, and I was PRETTY sure they weren't talking about Brad Pitt and some other American actor, but the translation for THAT had decided that was better than the Japanese actors they were probably discussing... But Wotakoi keeps in those references and has translation notes at the end of each Japanese volume (so halfway and at the end.) I really appreciate that, because I get to be excited about people and things I DO know and learn some new things, especially the memes. Oh the memes! This one seemed particularly meme-heavy which was interesting.
But really, my two favorite couples in this are actually Hanako/Kabakura and Naoya/Ko. I LOOOOOVE the contentious but loving relationship between Hanako and Kabakura (sorry, I can't call him Taro! I think only Hanako does ANYWAY, so like. I think I can be forgiven,) and as CHARACTERS, I love them so much. They are both just SO COOL (I mean, Kabakura thinks he's a lot cooler than he is, but he's still pretty cool. Maybe not as cool as Hanako especially when she's dressing up as a favorite male character, but no one can beat her coolness.)
Naoya and Ko haven't hooked up YET, but Ko has SUCH a crush, and they are just TOO CUTE TOGETHER. And aaaahhhh, I love Ko so MUCH, she isn't used to having friends, and she's so awkward and a delight and I would die for her. *coughs* Anyway. I am so excited to see them hook up, because THEY'VE GOTTA, RIGHT??
And like, I am me, so of course I ship every permutation of everything (and BOY does it have lots of cute little hints that are shipping fodder,) but we're talking canon here right now, so... But it IS canon that Narumi totally imagined the Nifuji brothers being a little intimate, and did I say Narumi is my GIRL, because like, yes?? YES?? Who WOULDN'T? I mean, okay, so lots of people, but me and Narumi are down. That's all that matters.
I don't go for extras like Narumi does because $$ and space, but I understand her passion.
This is just so charming and delightful, and no WONDER it's so popular. Like, if you are reading this, it's just because you like Wotakoi so much that you felt like reading some other people be happy about it for a while, right? Because like, WOTAKOI. (Yeah, it's not for everyone just like nothing is for everyone, but it's got mass appeal, because it's so GOOD.)
I haven't seen the anime yet, though I have heard the opening, which is a BOPPER. Also there's going to be a live action movie??? Not out in Japan yet, even, but MAAAN, we do NOT get enough live action Japanese movies I want to see. *files it away in wish box with the likes of Ore Monogatari and orange live action features*
And what to say about the art other than I love it? It's so expressive and fun and delivers great visual comedy with such a variety of faces and references to other properties.
Wotakoi is great, and if you're into anime/manga and aren't reading it, I suggest you try it sooner rather than later.
Wotakoi is available in English from Kodansha.
A Windflower Embroidery by m:m
Jan. 29th, 2019 02:52 pmContent notes: homophobia, age gap
When foreign comics take place in the US, it's GREAT. I love seeing perceptions of the US. This, not surprisingly, feels very much like a gay movie or novel, and I mean that in the best way. I can see this being an indie film very easily. And this is m:m's first ongoing series, I think?? NICE.
Originally titled Anemone no Shishuu from Nihon Bungeisha, A Windflower Embroidery is about Angel Morales who works at a bar during the night and a 30-year-old novelist Julio Brown who writes under the name of Edmund Black. They both come from oppressive families - Angel with his conservative and over protective mother, Julio with his homophobic brother and parents. One evening, when Julio's alcoholic brother is shaking him down for money, Angel intervenes, and thus sparks a connection that will lead to laughs and love and DRAMA WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO YET BUT YOU KNOW IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
Because Angel is NOT a 20-something adult, but a teenager still in high school. And boy, is he smooth at avoiding THAT, aren't you, Mr. I'll-be-waiting-outside-while-you-pay-for-the-booze. (GREAT scene.)
As the above image shows, they are REALLY cute together and have fun times. I VERY MUCH relate to Julio's general worries and nerdom. I mean, I was never one of the cool kids like Angel is, and like, hey, props to Julio for not being ABSOLUTELY FUCKING TERRIFIED OF CLIMBING A BILLBOARD???
But this is a DRAMA series, and the tone absolutely reflects that. There's a lot of contemplation and flashbacks, and there's always the tension of the possibility of SOMETHING going wrong. Mostly as to someone (his mother or Julio) finding out what Angel is really up to/who he really is. But the sense of fun and joy that Angel and Julio experience together is just so lovely amid all that.
In this problem, Julio's problems are VERY apparent. He's a very lonely, reserved man, so of course Angel's boldness is exhilarating to him. I'm really excited to see what this motivates him to do in the next volume. And it was SO LOVELY to see him feel so accepted and loved. There's an over-the-top metaphor about water glasses, but it's A FUCKING BEAUTIFUL OVER THE TOP METAPHOR, BECAUSE I TOTALLY SNIFFLED AT IT and it's just so so sweet.
As for Angel, he's clearly stifled by his mother, but he wants to achieve something, make her proud of him, so proud that she'll HAVE to accept who he is. He's only had his friend Lucy really know him so far.
But let's take a quick second to talk about Lucy, BECAUSE I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
She is AMAZING. As a child, she used to dress in super frilly clothes, but she really loves the explicit rocking music that Angel lends her when they're kids. She's not in it much, but she's playful and fun and confused, too, because TEENAGERDOM. Anyway, I would read a whole series just about Lucy. I know this is a BL manga, but I really hope we get to see what happens with her in the future, too, whether she figures out this love thing or not and what she ends up doing with her life.
Now let's get to the art. The art is GORGEOUS. It's clean and detailed, with a very solid look, with a great feel of realism. I love how people's body types and faces change with age (the subtle difference between Julio's face now as a chubbier guy and his face when he was a young man coming out to his family is something I really like.) But the expressions and exaggeration, showing off great movement and life, are all FABULOUS. There's nothing stiff about the art. And let me repeat about the EXPRESSIONS. Everyone (especially Angel) has a thousand different types of smile alone.
This series is still ongoing in Japan (it's a 2018[!] title), so it's going to be a wait. I really really REALLY hope Renta keeps publishing the series in English and doesn't drop it (since it IS going to be a bit of a wait,) because I really, really love it. It's also a series that could have any number of endings, not all of them happy, but I am HERE for whatever goes down. I cannot wait!!
A Windflower Embroidery is available in English from Renta!
Cover featuring Angel in a field of red flowers
When foreign comics take place in the US, it's GREAT. I love seeing perceptions of the US. This, not surprisingly, feels very much like a gay movie or novel, and I mean that in the best way. I can see this being an indie film very easily. And this is m:m's first ongoing series, I think?? NICE.
Originally titled Anemone no Shishuu from Nihon Bungeisha, A Windflower Embroidery is about Angel Morales who works at a bar during the night and a 30-year-old novelist Julio Brown who writes under the name of Edmund Black. They both come from oppressive families - Angel with his conservative and over protective mother, Julio with his homophobic brother and parents. One evening, when Julio's alcoholic brother is shaking him down for money, Angel intervenes, and thus sparks a connection that will lead to laughs and love and DRAMA WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO YET BUT YOU KNOW IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
Because Angel is NOT a 20-something adult, but a teenager still in high school. And boy, is he smooth at avoiding THAT, aren't you, Mr. I'll-be-waiting-outside-while-you-pay-for-the-booze. (GREAT scene.)
Angel (left) and Julio (right) being dorks together. SO CUTE.
As the above image shows, they are REALLY cute together and have fun times. I VERY MUCH relate to Julio's general worries and nerdom. I mean, I was never one of the cool kids like Angel is, and like, hey, props to Julio for not being ABSOLUTELY FUCKING TERRIFIED OF CLIMBING A BILLBOARD???
But this is a DRAMA series, and the tone absolutely reflects that. There's a lot of contemplation and flashbacks, and there's always the tension of the possibility of SOMETHING going wrong. Mostly as to someone (his mother or Julio) finding out what Angel is really up to/who he really is. But the sense of fun and joy that Angel and Julio experience together is just so lovely amid all that.
Julio contemplating how much of a boring person he is. I'm boring, too, but at least you've got your writing! (And Angel!)
In this problem, Julio's problems are VERY apparent. He's a very lonely, reserved man, so of course Angel's boldness is exhilarating to him. I'm really excited to see what this motivates him to do in the next volume. And it was SO LOVELY to see him feel so accepted and loved. There's an over-the-top metaphor about water glasses, but it's A FUCKING BEAUTIFUL OVER THE TOP METAPHOR, BECAUSE I TOTALLY SNIFFLED AT IT and it's just so so sweet.
As for Angel, he's clearly stifled by his mother, but he wants to achieve something, make her proud of him, so proud that she'll HAVE to accept who he is. He's only had his friend Lucy really know him so far.
But let's take a quick second to talk about Lucy, BECAUSE I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
Lucy and Angel are SO not into each other, but what better repellent than fake dating?
She is AMAZING. As a child, she used to dress in super frilly clothes, but she really loves the explicit rocking music that Angel lends her when they're kids. She's not in it much, but she's playful and fun and confused, too, because TEENAGERDOM. Anyway, I would read a whole series just about Lucy. I know this is a BL manga, but I really hope we get to see what happens with her in the future, too, whether she figures out this love thing or not and what she ends up doing with her life.
Aw, Luce, maybe you're ace! Or maybe you're just in an awful little town and need to get to the big city!
Now let's get to the art. The art is GORGEOUS. It's clean and detailed, with a very solid look, with a great feel of realism. I love how people's body types and faces change with age (the subtle difference between Julio's face now as a chubbier guy and his face when he was a young man coming out to his family is something I really like.) But the expressions and exaggeration, showing off great movement and life, are all FABULOUS. There's nothing stiff about the art. And let me repeat about the EXPRESSIONS. Everyone (especially Angel) has a thousand different types of smile alone.
What a tease.
This series is still ongoing in Japan (it's a 2018[!] title), so it's going to be a wait. I really really REALLY hope Renta keeps publishing the series in English and doesn't drop it (since it IS going to be a bit of a wait,) because I really, really love it. It's also a series that could have any number of endings, not all of them happy, but I am HERE for whatever goes down. I cannot wait!!
A Windflower Embroidery is available in English from Renta!
Teeeeesting!
Jan. 25th, 2019 05:23 pmLook, artists make thumbnail layouts, bloggers make test posts just to see how their post looks when testing out a theme.
Anyway, I really hope to start sharing all my feelings about comics soon.
Anyway, I really hope to start sharing all my feelings about comics soon.
