Fujoshi O'Clock: August Edition

Fujoshi O'Clock is a monthly feature at Nagareboshi Reviews which focus on boys' love/yaoi news, reviews, and meta. The feature also puts a spotlight on trans/bisexual/genderqueer manga/anime news and articles. For yuri/shoujo ai, see fellow bloggers Yuricon and Yuri no Boke for a more thorough examination of the girls' love genre.

It was actually quite difficult to keep up with the reviews this month, so only articles again.

But do visit Slightly Biased Manga, as I think Connie has been the best at steadily posting yaoi/BL reviews at a good clip this past month. See also a review of the Betrayal Knows My Name series over at No Flying No Tights.

But other than those!

Here are the articles for August:

Putting Up Links On A Tuesday

I totally and completely meant to post last week but between getting ready to move into my dorm, said move into my dorm, and starting fall classes, updating the blog fell by the wayside. I hope y'all enjoy this round-up of links to pieces I've enjoyed lately as some sort of apology; this month's Fujoshi O'Clock update will come later this week!

• This Wondermark strip about computer support speaks to me on a molecular level as a former A/V assistant. Your dongle's totally rebooted.
• Zack Davisson wrote up a brief history of yokai for Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai back in 2013, but it is still a worthwhile read for yokai enthusiasts. Also, read Shigeru Mizuki!
• More yokai? Why not! I find this piece on the gendering of yokai across the shojo/shonen demographic divide a really fascinating look at how Japan's mythology is skewered based on the target audience.
• Naoki Urasawa and Hisashi Eguchi talk about manga in the 70s and 80s. I think that's all you need to know there.
• A lot of Patreon sponsored posts at Ogiue Maniax have been really worth reading, but with a title like 'Diners, Saiyans, and Drives', how can I not link to it?
• Contemporary Japanese Literature looked at one of my favorite sub-sets of manga - the shojo manga - as part of the 'cultural cross-pollination' which has inspired current women in English language comics. They talk about Bizenghast as well as Bee and Puppycat, which are both awesome. Also, look, a Smile cover!

You Need To Read Vinland Saga, Right Now

"From the distant north... beyond the frozen sea... they come, bringing with them the black clouds of war." - Chapter 1

Sometimes, the manga market favors the popular but untalented and ignores the talented but niche. Sometimes it skews towards quality titles in their favor. Unfortunately, due to the nature of manga in America, it often does not; titles with smaller demographics are often left by the wayside, destined for cancellation or to be published in total anonymity without any press coverage or fan love. 

Vinland Saga seems destined to join the ranks of outstanding manga who never found their audience and their sales margin, and if that comes true and Kodansha pulls the series from English publication, than we should all feel bad for not supporting this series. In 2014, Kodansha temporarily suspended the Vinland Saga's publication schedule and immediately fans worried for its future.

Later news from Kodansha confirmed that the future of Vinland Saga relies on sales; if volumes six and seven do well, volume eight and onward will be confirmed for release. If not, well... that's all, folks. Say goodbye to any more new Makoto Yukimura in English.

Asuna on a Starless Night: Sword Art Online Progressive 1

Sword Art Online: Progressive book 1
Author: Reki Kawahara
Artist: abec
Yen Press
358 pages

One month after Akihiko Kayaba’s game of death began, the death toll continues to rise, two thousand players having already lost their lives to the ultra-difficult VRMMO world of Sword Art Online. On the day of the strategy meeting to plan out the first-floor boss battle, Kirito, a solo player who vows to fight alone to get stronger, runs into a rare, high-level female player. She gracefully dispatches powerful monsters with a single rapier that flashes like a shooting star in the night… (Source: Yen Press)

Every time I think I don't have time to write, I remember that Reki Kawahara is writing not one, but two, but three different light novel series concurrently: Accel World, Sword Art Online, and Sword Art Online: Progressive. I can only imagine what his daily writing regimen looks like. While the Progressive arm of the SAO franchise retreads familiar ground as it takes readers through the Aincrad arc a second time, the 'remix' aspects of it make it more of an alternate universe take on SAO's first arc, especially when it comes to Asuna and her relationship with Kirito as well as the Aincrad world itself.

Manga Review: Ranma 1/2 2-in-1 Edition, GN 9

Ranma 1/2 (2-in-1 Edition) Volume 9
Author: Rumiko Takahashi
Viz Manga
360 pages

Meet Picolet Chardin II, master of the très terrifying La Belle France School of Martial Arts Dining. A style of martial arts based on eating doesn't seem like it would be hard to master…but if Ranma can't defeat Picolet in La Belle France, it'll be wedding bells! Then, the unfortunately named "Pantyhose Taro" makes trouble for Ranma and the others, but who's really the target—and cause—of all the vengeance? (Source: Viz.com)

The latest Ranma 1/2 omnibus collection contains volumes seventeen and eighteen from Rumiko Takahashi's infamous martial arts comedy series. It is a ridiculous, slapstick bundle of humorous hijinks and romance and at this point, if the idea of characters literally slamming into scenes at random while oddly placed bodies of water put other characters into gender-related peril don't tickle you pink, you will probably not care to pick up the newest installment in this modern classic. But Ranma 1/2 remains a classic for a reason, one of the biggest reasons being that Takahashi knows how to keep things interesting book after book, and arcs like Picolet and Pantyhose Taro show that when this series is at its best when it gets weird.