katikat: (gay-handholding)
2012-01-08 03:41 pm
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Book #2

Dragon Love by Jun Mayama

3 stars out of 5

Similar to Ayano Yamane's "Viewfinder", a story playing with dub/non-con and the Stockholm Syndrome. In this manga though, most encounters between Kyosuke and Feifon are of the dub variety, not outright non-con (there's only once scene like that, if I remember correctly) - Feifon usually gives Kyosuke the chance to call for help but Kyosuke doesn't. Why? Because he's really bored with his life in general and with his fiancée in particular and Feifon, as arrogant and domineering as he is, gives Kyosuke exactly what he needs.
katikat: (kimono-flower)
2011-07-20 10:24 pm
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Book #51

"Das Demian-Syndrom Vol. 5" by Mamiya Oki

4 stars out of 5

I'm always amazed by how much Mamiya Oki can stuff into one volume, her mangas always feel somehow longer than anybody else's, don't know why. In this volume, I liked the low-key, background romance between Tasuku and Shiba - or maybe it's just unrequited feelings on Tasuku's part? - better than the main relationship between Jo and Azuma. Maybe because Jo and Azuma have Issues with a capital I whereas Tasuku and Shiba feel much more... mature, I would say, as silly as it might sound what with them being high-schoolers too. Anyway, the funniest thing about this manga are the chibis, mostly with dog ears and bushy tails to that. Ha!
katikat: (Default)
2009-02-05 03:56 pm
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Mamiya Oki's "The Demian Syndrome 4" (manga), #15

The fourth volume of the "The Demian Syndrome" - or "Das Demian-Syndrom" in German - is darker than the previous three (not that those didn't have their dark parts, mind you). In this one Azuma's suppressed feelings for Takamiya make Azuma snap. He assaults Takamiya. Takamiya can't forgive him or himself for letting it happen, he suffers from nightmares and guilt... But he still needs to know why Azuma did it, he needs answers.

This manga has overall somewhat darker tone, it's dreamy and sometimes it doesn't make much sense since it follows the philosophy of Hermann Hesse's "Demian" - a book about two people who are inexplicably drawn to each other over and over again. In this manga, Takamiya and Azuma keep hurting each other but they can't stay separated.