laceblade | Reading "Wednesdsay" | Fuck-Ton of Comics Edition

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Reading "Wednesdsay" | Fuck-Ton of Comics Edition

SO...after my HP reread, I had a lot of stuff due back at the library.
Then I went to comics club & borrowed lots of stuff from people. SO THIS IS A LONG LIST, is what I'm saying.

Cold Steel by Kate Elliott - Great conclusion to a trilogy I've loved. I LOVE CAT AND BEE. CAT AND BEE FOREVERRRRRRR. Also I now want to read a bunch of other Kate Elliott stuff. Good thing I've been buying her novels wherever I find them used/cheap.

Kaze Hikaru, volumes 14-18 - Things are getting a little more intense! I loved the foreshadowing when the doctor came to visit - listening to Okita's chest, when the reader knows he's going to end up dying from consumption.

Saturn Apartments, volumes 6 & 7 - The end of this series! It got a little more intense than I thought it would. Anyway, I can't remember any manga or comic focusing so much on class issues as the central theme of the plot. I'm glad I read this - great sf/f ideas, and a great entry manga, if you're looking for something.

Tears of a Lamb, volume 2 - Didn't like this volume as much as the first - almost the entire thing was about the school's sports festival. I did enjoy meeting Kanzaki's sisters, though.

Dengeki Daisy, volume 2 - I loathed the first half, where Teru was a "slave" doing domestic tasks for Daisy (although she doesn't know he's Daisy).
I LOVED the second half, though - where it's about hackers & the work Teru's brother did while he was still alive. I really hope that Teru goes & lives with Riko.
I'll keep reading FOR NOW.

Very Vicky, issue #? & The Very Vicky Junior Hepcat - This was described to me as a fashion magazine, but idk if I agree? Anyway, Vicky dresses in black cocktail dresses & oversized black hats, & is going to visit her aunt & uncle down in the South (she lives in NYC). She hangs out at the beach although she tries to stay out of the sun. She makes friends. The pages are filled with references to old fashions & alcohol. One of the side character meets God on the beach, & he walks around & tries to meet people. I think I didn't read enough to get a full picture. Overall, it seemed kinda weird. I didn't like it enough to seek out more, I don't think.

Dykes to Watch Out For, vols. 1 & 2 - borrowed from

jesse_the_k - I've heard about these for years but never read them before. Strip comics about the lives of lesbians! Just people living life. I really like "mundane" comics like these - it happens more often in manga than in US comics, I think. I'm glad there's lots more to read. The references to late-1980s politics make me happy. The errant transphobic comment does not.

Pretty Deadly, #1-4 - Glad I went back to reread #1 & then reread everything that's been released through now. It all makes sense again! I love the writing & the art. I'm excited to see where this goes.

Saga #18 - Decent wrap-up to this arc. Loved the final panel. Thirsty for more, but the next arc won't start 'til May!

Hawkeye #16 - I spent an embarrassing amount of time searching my apartment for #15 before complaining on Twitter & being told that Marvel skipped #15! Weird, but yay for more Kate Bishop!

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You are now way ahead of me for Kaze Hikaru. I think I'm on volume 14.

I'm starting to despair for when I catch up with the English release - I know that Japan is like, 14 volumes ahead. We'll see whether I'm motivated enough to download & read them, lol.

Ha! Glad you liked the mundanity of DTWOF, that is its ongoing value for me. Can you point me to similarly daily-life-centered manga?

re errant comment, perhaps Bechdel heard from people who were displeased. The core circle enlarges to welcome trans people—in fact that was where I first "met" them.

Good to know for future DTWOF!

As for your question about daily-life-centered manga, I've been thinking about this, & it's so ubiquitous in manga that it's almost hard to answer.
Like...in shoujo manga (marketed toward younger girls), I think EVERYTHING is "slice of life" except for the stuff that's obviously magical school-girl-esque (prime example being Sailor Moon - you can usually tell if the girl's holding a scepter & an outlandish outfit). However, even magical school girl stuff can focus on daily life - I think that for shoujo especially, super heroes spend a lot more time trying to reconcile their daily life than happens in US superhero comics (current stuff like Captain Marvel and Hawkeye excepted).

Josei manga (marketed toward adult women) is also almost entirely centered on slice-of-life stuff.

ALL THAT SAID, I can recommend some of my favorites, but this is basically a list of my favorite non-sf/f manga:
Silver Spoon, from the creator of the sci-fi story Fullmetal Alchemist, is about a kid attending an agricultural high school. I actually haven't read the manga, just watching the anime, but I imagine they're almost identical.

NANA by Ai Yazawa - This is about two girls named Nana, who are both 21 years old, who meet on a train when they're moving to Tokyo at the same time. One is determined to make it as a punk rock singer, and the other is a boy-obsessed fashion hound. They seem very opposite from one another, but their friendship is the bond that ties together a huge mess of young adults navigating love & the pop music scene in Tokyo.
I love both the manga and the anime - in the anime, obviously, you get to hear the music, which helps.

Honey and Clover is about a group of students attending an art college in Tokyo. I love both the manga and the anime; as with NANA, I really love the insert songs that are put into the anime, although the music is not a plot point like it is in NANA.

Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa is about a young professional woman who allows a homeless dancer to start living in her apartment. She attempts to hide him from her more socially acceptable actual boyfriend & co-workers. Tough on the outside, Sumire has anxiety and depression, so maybe you can tell why this series appeals to me so much ^^;;
As described on Wikipedia, "Sumire provides room and board, and Momo provides unconditional love and loyalty. Sumire says there is no sex in their relationship, and she will only sleep with men who have the "three highs": higher pay, higher education and higher height (i.e. taller than her 170 cm.) Despite this, there is definite sexual tension in their relationship."

K-ON! - I like the anime more than the manga. A group of girls form a band in high school. They like to drink tea & eat desserts more than they like to practice. This is a comedy, & I find it hilarious while also enjoying their friendships with one another.

I own all of these except Silver Spoon, which hasn't yet been licensed for release in the U.S.

This is awesome! Thanks so much for the enlightenment, and I'll swing by and take advantage of your generosity re SILVER SPOON real soon now.

Hey - unfortunately, Silver Spoon is the only one I can't lend you! The manga hasn't been released in the US yet.
If you'd like to try the Silver Spoon anime, I could give you a 48-hour pass for Crunchyroll (which is like Netflix for anime).

re: DTWOF -- I find that some characters are transphobic and biphobic, all those things. And having been a young lesbian in the mid-90s, a lot of that was true.

Alison Bechdel followed these characters up until her strip took a hiatus in 2008. And many of the characters, evolved with the culture.

Thanks for the context note - it's very helpful as I continue to go along!

Ha! I totally fail at reading comprehension.

I do better to appreciate manga at my own pace. I'll come swooping into your sector some night and borrow "Tramps Like Us," which sounds like it's right up my anti-establishment alley.

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