The Bookshelf

Upcoming 801 Day G—-away Info No.04

Hey there people. I’m trying to determine how open I’m going to make this year’s g—-away. So, if you could, please let me know where you’re located. You can answer here or if you want to keep it between us, you can send a fanmail/ask or submit it through my site’s contact form (don’t forget to identify yourself). If you’re on Twitter you can tweet it to me. Whichever works best for you.

There’re some pretty awesome prizes, so even if you usually don’t talk to me, you may want to make an exception this time.

If you want to track the updates and such you can track this tag: 801G2013 (Tumblr and Twitter)

Which country do you call home?

As of this moment it’s 201. I’m really glad you guys are still hanging around. Thanx for dropping by and thanx for staying. Here’s to another 1000+ covers and maybe some more followers.

Kamo Nabako: Ikenai Ezuke Keikaku [3.5]

Sunae Hata: Koutetsu no Baby Leaf [3.0]

Nekota Yonezou [KOMEYA]: Namida Hanamizu Gusyogusyo Danshi [enh]

Yamakami Riyu: Koroshi Monku wa Futari Kara [3.4]

The title story was rather mediocre until right be for the end and then it just sank again.  Even the ménage à trois was disappointing. The second one, which was about a cross dresser and one of my least favorite character types, a door mat, was boring. The last two stories are what kept this book from being a total failure. The third story was about two childhood neighbors who reunite. This was more of the flavor that I prefer of Yamakami’s offerings: a brash and confident uke and a one-track-mind seme. The last story is an extra for an older story that I enjoyed, Aisaretaino.

The Aisaretaino extra looks like typical Yamakami and was drawn around the same time as the main work, 2005. However, the artwork for the original works that were drawn between 2010 and 2012 are… well….  The first two stories, 2010 and 2011, respectively… they look as if she was either leaving more work to her assistants or she was actively trying to tweak her drawing style during production rather than practice illustrations and random sketches. It’s more awkward than her already awkward style. Fortunately she seems to have recovered or found her groove with the third story, 2012. Her lines look as if she managed to soften her angles and tame some of her exaggerated poses a bit, but it still looks like her hand.

Kamo Nabako: Anata no Jinsei Hikiukemasu! [3.4]

@ cherryfetish

*cough* small correction, it’s kouhai, not kouhei *cough*

HAHA! I kept mistyping that. I thought I fixed it or perhaps I pasted the wrong version, I was really sleepy and mad when I wrote that. I should have checked it again, but I forgot about it. It’s been in the queue for a while. It’s fixed now. Thanx! 

Takumi Yuu: Miteran Nee Yo [3.4]

The first story about two rivals hooking up was OK, but the second story, which was about a sempai pursuing his kouhai and the kouhai pursing his sempai, but just not in the same way, was just enh. I liked the third story to an extent, but I think it ended too soon. Stories 1 and 2 feature one character speaking in such a way as to convince the other character that their feelings are mutual even though the other character won’t admit it/hasn’t come to terms with it. I don’t like pushy characters who put thoughts in other characters’ heads or words in their mouths. Sometimes I can ignore it, but I guess the combination of there being more than one story like that in this volume and that the stories were only OK makes it difficult to let it pass. The third story isn’t much better because the older guy coerces the younger guy and basically buys him by paying off his debts. But even though I’m annoyed, I still think it ended too soon. I think the thing I liked most about this is what I seem to like most about the majority of titles I’ve read by Takumi: Her characters (usually uke) don’t always react in the stereotypical way. For instance, some of them do not continue to play hard-to-get after they’ve realized their feelings and some—once they’ve realized their feelings—even go further sometimes and become proactive about participating in the relationship.

Ryu Keiichiro, Tabata Yoshiaki & Yugo Yuuki: Yagyuu Hijouken Samon [3.5]

This is the only shonen ai title drawn by Yugo Yuuki. I really wish he was inclined to do more. I like his art.

Muneyama Yoshimi: Anitsuu! [3.0]

Fujikawa Ruri: Kuroneko wa Shippo de Amaeru [3.3]

The main story was OK and Sakaguchi-san was quite handsome. I like the layout of the panels; it was done in such a way that you were able to appreciate the artwork more than usual. The one thing I didn’t like about this volume was the anthropomorphism of the alcoholic beverages in chapter 5. The idea in and of itself is fine, funny, even, and it’s already being done well by Natsumizu Ritsu. She has an ongoing story—more like a series of vignettes—featuring snacks personified. Hers is cute and it’s completely tongue-in-cheek. Having read those, when I compare the relationship between Sparkling Wine and Beer to the relationships between Natsumizu’s characters in her snack kingdom, the beverages’ fall flat.

@ gaviotaperdida

I felt so bad for the God of Poverty… *sigh*

I thought her interpretation of Binbougami was interesting. He’s a god that makes you poor, but the guy was already broke, so Binbou worked to make money and in turn the guy spent all the money on frivolous things, thereby returning himself to his broke state and taking Binbou along with him. Binbou’s also supposed to be a dirty, scruffy old man, so that Hideyoshico’s Binbou was young-ish, clean and took work as a helper who was appreciated for his laundry skills, was amusing.

Hideyoshico: Kingyo Sukui [3.5]

@ quierobl

They were scanlating from magazine chapters which is why they’re missing the extra. Happens all the time. But I do hope they find the extra.

I figured as much since they didn’t include the cover. I hope someone finds it; I can’t wait to read it.