This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
Cerise wrote:
BlackRoseVixen wrote:
Now...onto something that is NOT yaoi. I found this amazing manga last year and have been in love with it ever since. It's called Bizenghast. It tells the story of a lonely little girl named Dinah who lost her parents in a car crash. Ever since then, she's been able to see ghosts and spirits. They torment her, and the only person who brings her peace and happiness is her best friend, a boy named Vincent. After getting roped into a contract where she has to set free the unresting spirits of the dead, Dinah and her town of Bizenghast are never going to be the same. Macob and mystery lie ahead for Dinah and Vincent. Can the two come out of this deal alive? They just have to keep one thing in mind: Not Every Lost Soul Is A Lost Cause.
I've considered Bizenghast before, but I'm a bit of a snob and have avoided "world manga" to this point because Dramacon is the only one I've seen a good review on.
Since you seem to read a lot of yaoi, have you read Eerie Queerie? I recently received it from a friend, and have no idea what I'm about to get myself into. Should be...weird...given that I'm more of a yuri fan (heck, there are very few het relationships I can stand in manga/anime--I think it's adding the boy to the equation.)
I wasn't too fond of Bizenghast. Tha author is too whiney and it supposedly stole a scene from the Labyrinth. And Eerie Queerie (Ghost!) happens to be one of my favorites
It's so cute
You'll love it whether you're a yaoi-er or not.
Though you'll feel bad for Ichi...I did.
D=
Last edited by My_Friend_Todd (03-07-2008 01:36:17 PM)
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Mmmm.... Manga<3
I have a lot but I've finished all of the series' i have except three and I'm only activeley collecting 2.
Chobits by clamp. I have the first four but have stopped collecting until further notice. I've read it all anyhow. =x
Tsubasa, also by Clamp... Is getting confusing. I'm up to date, though =]
And Fruits Basket. 19's coming out SO sooooon~ <3333
And some random Yaoi books. But none of them are really good. =.=
Do any of you know good yaoi titles? (Manga and/or novels?)
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Minato wrote:
Do any of you know good yaoi titles? (Manga and/or novels?)
Those are becoming more and more popular, huh? I've read two of them: Don't Worry Mama and Cold Sleep. They're both novels and the former is the smuttier (sp?) of the two. Both have definate seme/uke roles. They're both published by June Manga, which is mostly yaoi titles.
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Rae wrote:
Minato wrote:
Do any of you know good yaoi titles? (Manga and/or novels?)
Those are becoming more and more popular, huh? I've read two of them: Don't Worry Mama and Cold Sleep. They're both novels and the former is the smuttier (sp?) of the two. Both have definate seme/uke roles. They're both published by June Manga, which is mostly yaoi titles.
I own Cold Sleep. I liked it =] Don't Tell Mama, I was really close to buying the other day but it didn't really interest me....
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Minato wrote:
And some random Yaoi books. But none of them are really good. =.=
Do any of you know good yaoi titles? (Manga and/or novels?)
Check the previous page for BlackRoseVixen's post, she's got a few listed.
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I really haven't read any manga in forever, but I can certainly recommend a few.
DeathNote OMFG that manga is incredible. Read it. I like the ending way better than the anime. It's one of the smarter manga I've read.
Kazaan A lot of people don't know this one for some reason. I don't understand why, since it's GREAT. It's in that RPG type genre, but totally flips around situations. The characters are well written and it's an exciting plot.
The Violinist of Hameln This one was never released over here AND I DON'T KNOW WHY. It's SO funny. And unique. Maybe it's considered too old?
Last edited by Emiemipoemi (03-10-2008 11:14:05 PM)
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Emiemipoemi wrote:
I really haven't read any manga in forever, but I can certainly recommend a few.
DeathNote OMFG that mange is incredible. Read it. I like the ending way better than the anime. It's one of the smarter manga I've read.
Really? Huh. I read it and couldn't see what the fuss was about. I mean it was a great story, but the writing was so...well, it always reminded me of the first game of Mafia we played here. A little too "I know you know that I know that you know that I know that you know that I think that you know that I did it." Just a little too juvenile for my taste, with a bit too much internal narrative spoon feeding the information. I don't know what I'd do to change it, just I think a lot of the writing (but not the story) could use some work.
Edit:
Just finished my first foray in th Boy's Love genre by reading Only the Ring Finger Knows. I kind of felt like I was reading porn that forgot to put in the porn. I wasn't impressed, but then again, I didn't find either guy particularly likable. The little sister was cute though.
Last edited by Cerise (03-10-2008 02:23:21 PM)
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See, the problem with a lot of yaoi is that they're no better than formulated romance novels. I think the problem is that manhood isn't embraced; it is mostly lacking or forgotten. Of course, most yaoi is created by women so they mostly write upon female fantasies, so it's hard to get into the head of a man in such a manner. If a man writes yaoi, I think it would be more interesting so we can have a more accurate perspective. I dunno, but for me, the while seme/uke thing gets a little redundant sometimes.
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Cerise wrote:
Emiemipoemi wrote:
I really haven't read any manga in forever, but I can certainly recommend a few.
DeathNote OMFG that manga is incredible. Read it. I like the ending way better than the anime. It's one of the smarter manga I've read.Really? Huh. I read it and couldn't see what the fuss was about. I mean it was a great story, but the writing was so...well, it always reminded me of the first game of Mafia we played here. A little too "I know you know that I know that you know that I know that you know that I think that you know that I did it." Just a little too juvenile for my taste, with a bit too much internal narrative spoon feeding the information. I don't know what I'd do to change it, just I think a lot of the writing (but not the story) could use some work.
I suppose the thing I liked about it is it was less juvenile than other manga I'd read. It was dark and creepy. Manga I've seen is usually romance, comedy, or action. I've never really found a DEEP manga. Akira almost hit that point. However, if I want interesting, convoluted, and something that makes me think, I'll read something else. If anyone knows of any manga like that, then I'd love to hear about it. The closest thing I can find to that is reading certain graphic novels, like Arkahm Asylum or Watchmen.
Last edited by Emiemipoemi (03-10-2008 11:14:19 PM)
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Well, despite the immaturity of the characters at times, you do have to give Death Note credit for raising the bar a bit. In my case, the one thing that turned me down was the obvious sexism. I loved the artwork! It was so detailed. For some reason, the way the characters were drawn reminded me of Junji Ito's artwork. Well, slightly. I think it's from the lack of the huge eyes.
Oh yeah, read Junji Ito's Uzumaki. It's so creepy, it is beautiful. I've got volume one of the original graphic novel release from Viz. I wish I bought the other two back then, but $15 for a single volume wasn't exactly doable for my budget at the time. I'm kinda glad they re-released it.
I miss the manga that was released by Viz's PULP Mag. I am deeply saddened that most of their stuff is out-of-print. The only things I have are Junko Mizuno's stuff, which I treasure. When I think about it, I think I have all of her stuff. Oh wait, just not Collector's File 002, but I think most of it features art from Hell Babies. Anyways, I only read a few issues of PULP. Obviously, I was underaged to subscribe at the time. They stopped in 2002. >.<
(sigh). Why are all the stuff I really want to read out-of-print? :gonk:
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Maarika wrote:
Adrasteia wrote:
HEN was so great for such a fanservice-y series, but they stopped translating it at chapter 15(?), and nobody's touched it since. But, if you find out that they have released new issues, you should definitely post here and let me know.
There are about 50 chapters out (the fifth volume is being translated at the moment, 3 more to go!). EMS manga is doing the scanlations right now, so have look. (You can also download the the volumes/chapters you've missed).
redrice009 wrote:
I suggest Hellsing, to people who like fantasy, sci-fi, and/or violence. The manga now, NOT the anime.
Seconded. The manga is rather good, I haven't seen the OVA yet, but I heard they are following the manga more, so here's hoping that it's better than the series was.
And it has suits/uniforms in large quantities. And vampires. And Integra!
lol, hopefully she's a woman this time. Do not forget the Nazis
I saw the first episode of the OVA, looked alright.
Yeah, I just started Deathnote... Sadly I already got spoilers.
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Rae wrote:
Oh yeah, read Junji Ito's Uzumaki. It's so creepy, it is beautiful. I've got volume one of the original graphic novel release from Viz. I wish I bought the other two back then, but $15 for a single volume wasn't exactly doable for my budget at the time. I'm kinda glad they re-released it.
Junji Ito is awesome. He is creepy but also has a sense of humor. You ever read GYO? WALKING FISH!
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I forgot to mention this in my opening post, but everyone here should at least consider reading Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms. It's been released in NA (but for those who don't buy manga, I suppose it's probably available scanslated as well). It's a one-shot manga exploring the effects of the atomic bombs on three different generations. It's amazing.
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I just borrowed Battle Royale from my friend, and am starting the second volume. It's easily the most explicit manga I've ever seen, with gratuitous amounts of both gore and sex(often pornographic). It makes me a little nauseous at times, but the story and art are awesome.
If you're looking for something very, very atypical for manga, I recommend it. But it's definitely not for the weak of heart.
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Adrasteia wrote:
I just borrowed Battle Royale from my friend, and am starting the second volume. It's easily the most explicit manga I've ever seen, with gratuitous amounts of both gore and sex(often pornographic). It makes me a little nauseous at times, but the story and art are awesome.
If you're looking for something very, very atypical for manga, I recommend it. But it's definitely not for the weak of heart.
Battle Royale... That's the manga versio of Ikki Tousen right?
I LOVED that show XD And not for the large amount of nudity and stuff. 3 Kanu is my favorite ;x
I bought the three-books-in-one of Princess Ai yesterday and read that. It was pretty good =x
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Haha, not Battle Vixens. Battle Royale is based off a Japanese novel. It's bascially like Survivor, but you have to kill off every other person on the island to win.
They do advertise Battle Vixens at the back of each volume, though, so I guess they have some similarities.
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Yeah, Battle Royale has no linked anime, but there are a couple of live action films for it.
Not that I've read it or seen any of the movies, just yakking.
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I saw the movie before I knew it was a manga. It's a fun movie.
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Emiemipoemi wrote:
I saw the movie before I knew it was a manga. It's a fun movie.
I think the manga came after the movie. In any case, it's originally a novel; quite a good one, too. Alas, the personality of the teacher is far less fun than that of Kitano-sensei in the movie. Then again, Takeshi Kitano only needs to play himself to make almost any character good.
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I also saw the movie first, but I like the manga more because it explores the personal histories of the characters(which makes the reading experience far more intense, in my opinion.)
The friend who lent me the manga has read the novel, but unfortunately the english translation isn't that great. The manga is fantastic, though! I'm already on volume 5 and I love it. The artwork is some of the best I've seen in manga, and it's just so twisted.
just for fun, here's a picture of one of the more intriguing characters about to kill somebody.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/ … lecomc.jpg
Last edited by Adrasteia (03-16-2008 02:19:03 PM)
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People wrote:
Death Note
I'm quite a DN fan, both of the manga and the anime. I think the differences between the endings were interesting, and I can never really pick a favorite. Anyway, Cerise, I can understand what you mean about the hype, as I sometimes found myself laughing at the "I know what you're going to do next!" antics. But, all in all, I do think it's an extremely intelligent story, and poses a good question-- at what point do the ends cease to justify the means? How far can someone go for the greater good? I myself supported Light, and though he did reach his breaking point, I think it made for an even stronger character.
Here's something odd (highlight): In the "Death Note 13: How To Read" guide, the character descriptions listed a birth date for all characters, and a death date for those who died. Characters like Light, L, and Soichiro had a date listed, while characters like Near or Matsuda, who lived until the end, simply did not. Misa Amane, who was never shown to have died in the manga, had a death date listed one year after Light's. In the anime, scenes of Light's death are spliced with scenes of Misa looking rather morbid standing at the ledge of a bridge. She was never shown jumping, so it was up to the viewer to decide if she commited suicide. This was never in the manga. I always wondered if this was happening at the same time as Light's death. There's absolutely no way she could have known, and there's nothing to support that this happened later on, because the scenes are shown within each other. In "How To Read", the writer says that she always imagined Misa finding out about Light, becoming depressed, and eventually commiting suicide. But this was just her personal thought, and not actually part of the storyline.
Maybe I'm just overthinking it, but I still find it strange.
Last edited by dollface (03-16-2008 07:12:47 PM)
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I think the main thing I liked about DN is that Light. was. insane. He was an insane fuck. And it made it all the more scary. Have you SEEN the faces he makes??
Last edited by Emiemipoemi (03-16-2008 09:25:32 PM)
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Adrasteia wrote:
The friend who lent me the manga has read the novel, but unfortunately the english translation isn't that great.
It seems the English version of the manga was rewritten so it's not really true to the Japanese version. I don't know about the novels though.
...And now I must see this movie.
Also, since we're talking about Light:
(edit: I think I must have posted this somewhere but I forgot where )
Last edited by Maarika (03-16-2008 11:09:14 PM)
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! I saw that picture in the IFD picture thread. To be honest, it's pretty probable to me. I can't really see Light making a true romantic connection with anyone beneath him, so it would make sense that the only person worth his time is L. You can definitely make an argument for 'sexual tension' between these two, but I won't in fear of being stoned by the forum.
Maarika wrote:
It seems the English version of the manga was rewritten so it's not really true to the Japanese version. I don't know about the novels though.
Yeah, I read that the manga was 'spiced up' by the translator to avoid the dialogue sounding... awkward, or something? Although he tries to inject 'accents' into the manga, resulting in really odd catch phrases that don't make sense or were used in the 50's, for the most part it's completely readable.
The novel, on the other hand, was translated by Viz, a manga company. Translating manga is very, very different than translating literature, and think it was a mistake for them to try. I guess a weak translation is better than none.
Oh, and the movie is easy to find on torrents. I really hope you like it - if you do, and can stomach a lot of explicit violence/sex, you should try the manga as well. I'm totally addicted.
Last edited by Adrasteia (03-17-2008 04:07:49 AM)
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My favorite character in DN was probably Misa's shimigami (her mother's instinct was so sweet), followed by Ryuk. Didn't like Ryuk originally, but I think he even he realized things weren't going the right way after awhile.
L creeped me out from being hunched over all the time, I thought Light was just liked the sound of his own voice, and while I liked Misa character design and her early portions, she was just a bit too subservient/obsessed for me to really identify with her.
Oh, I forgot about Mello. I was so disappointed when it didn't turn out he was really a girl, but I really liked that character regardless. Not Near though.
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