quicklog part 2

[charmian]

Sumeragi Natsuki manga: Damn, I love this mangaka. This has been the best new discovery I've made for awhile. It seems she doesn't do long series, more like one shots. Her art is gorgeous (and in the style I like: I tend to prefer the more realistic styles), and her topic matter is very much to my taste: she likes to adapt ancient East Asian legends (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, although it seems mostly Chinese from what I can see), or write stories in that style, so they have a more classic feel, rather than the normal shoujo manga emotional tone. (Some of the legends I've heard before, like the snake, others not) Highly recommended, and since they're mostly one shots, you don't need to worry about having to read volumes and volumes)

http://www.mangatoshokan.com/series/Hana-no-Koe
http://www.mangatoshokan.com/series/Rensen-Hana-no-Koe-Yowa
http://www.mangatoshokan.com/series/Yama-ni-Sumu-Kami

Recent Ravages of Time: K, no one but me reads this, and is likely to read it, unfortunately. (In case anyone is reading this blog who isn't already horribly sick of hearing me talk about it, however, here's the wikipedia pg, and here's where you can read it... No, I should use reverse psychology. I ABSOLUTELY FORBID YOU FROM READING IT. DO NOT DARE TO CLICK.) However, I will post just to hear myself talk. Sun Ce.... T_T Also, the Battle of Guan Du has started, thus giving Guo Jia his big scene. Still unsure of what the purpose of Yuan Fang's character is, although he's gotten a huge upgrade.

Dear My Girls: WTF? Why the Little Women tie-in? Bizarre. Anyway, this is a pretty much forgettable entry into the 'ridiculously rich school' shoujo genre. (If you want to read a manga in the genre, try Meichan no Shitsuji for a recent one) Why did I read this?

Hadashi de Bara wo Fume (Step on roses barefoot). I tried reading this because I like the Taisho era. However, it is pretty much ridiculous OTT arranged marriage shoujo, and the sort where like all kinds of earth-shattering events occur, but have little impact on the reader. Pretty art though. Not recommended.

Tail of the Moon: Tried reading this.... bailed after awhile. Guess I'm looking for more serious/dark takes on the Edo period. I've been reading too much Yamada Fuutarou-dervied ninja stuff. XD

Amatsuki: IIRC this is fairly popular, and has really nice art, but I found it garbled and attempting to smash too many genres together. Something feels off about the pacing also. Not recommended.

Lady Georgie: My, I didn't expect it to be this...torrid of a historical melodrama. I started reading it because it was classic shoujo, and yeah, this reads like a historical romance. Not really a pure modern formula one, but more of the old-fashioned dramatic kind. If you like that, it's a pretty good example, and it definitely has a fair amount of oomph behind it.

Yokohama Monogatari: http://www.mangafox.com/manga/yokohama_monogatari/ This is a pretty good historical shoujo manga, about two girls, who, though of different social stations, are friends who grow up together during the modernizations of the Meiji era. I like it because it isn't that overdramatic (more gentle and slowpaced), and it provides some interesting color to the era. Recommended.

Comments

[badtzhobby]

Sumeragi Natsuki manga looks interesting. I'll check out. Thanks for the rec.
Re: Lady Georgie and Yokohama Monogatari, I also prefer the later same reasons you do and because of the friendship between the two girls.

[charmian]

Lady Georgie feels like it's a prototype of all of the similar stories that came later. Also, before in the story I was thinking 'huh, Australia, this might be interesting' but later the story suddenly goes to England. The tone it takes is kind of unusual for manga but conventional for an English-language book, if that makes any sense.

[badtzhobby]

IIRC, there was a reason why everyone left Australia and went to England I can't remember why, though. I see what you mean about the tone being conventional for an English-language book. I find it's interesting that there are many shojo manga in 70's and 80's that are set outside of Japan. Maybe there are some now that I'm not aware of...

[charmian]

Oh, I know there was a reason, I was just disappointed.

Yeah, it's like... sentimental English romance suddenly in manga form!

I guess another example would be 'Candy Candy.' Which I still need to read till the end.

[badtzhobby]

"Oh, I know there was a reason, I was just disappointed. "
Ah, got it. I misunderstood.

"I guess another example would be 'Candy Candy.'"
Actually, I meant manga that is written in 2000 or later.

[charmian]

No, I meant I was referring to Candy Candy as an example of the 70s-80s shoujo manga set outside of Japan.