don't be dull, be fannish

"Gorgeous Carat La Esperanza, Volume 1" by You Higuri

♦ ♦ ♦

As beautifully drawn as ever. Unfortunately, not as good as the first series or the standalone volume that followed. Why? The Gorgeous Carat story's main draw is the relationship between Noir and Floréan - and that was, sad to say, lacking in this book. There were only a handful scenes with these two. Noir was after a certain jewel while Floréan chased after a girl he had spotted in a church. And not even the reappearance of Azura, the blue-eyed devil, added suspense which was really strange, you would have expected more from him, especially after what he had put Noir and Floréan through in the first series. I still liked this work but it lacked the wonder and suspense of the previous series.

---

"Gorgeous Carat La Esperanza, Volume 2" by You Higuri

♦ ♦ ♦

Again, only a few scenes with Noir and Floréan. The manga mostly focused on Maria and her situation, her trauma and issues, her relationship with Azura. Even in tense situations, I didn't really feel the suspense. It's too bad that the author focused so much on a newly created character, the established ones thus felt like guest stars in their own book. A good story, just not as good as "Gorgeous Carat" and "Gorgeous Carat Galaxy".

"Gravitation Vol. 11" by Maki Murakami

1 star out of 5

At this point, I'm reading this manga only to support the yaoi genre in my country. It's so incredibly stupid it hurts. I don't understand what happened. This manga has always been slightly dumb, but at first, it had at least a somewhat interesting storyline and I was curious about the relationship between Yuki and Shuichi. But then, it devolved into... this. Why?



"Gravitation Vol. 12" by Maki Murakami

1 star out of 5

Well, that's it. The last volume. Overall, this manga series was a huge disappointment for me. From a crazy yet tender love story it turned into a string of stupid scenes about giant mechanical pandas and managers waving guns around and Shuichi in stupid costumes and... And the relationship between Yuki and Shuichi... Well, Shuichi was regularly humping Yuki's leg while Yuki kept insulting and belittling him and the reader should have still somehow believed that these two were in love? Wow. I really don't understand why this manga is such a cult hit.

This time, not even the tidbits about Yuki could save this volume from being stupid. I don't know if the author really loves crazy stuff so much or if she simply didn't have enough to continue to the story properly, to flesh it out, so she included stuff like K. destroying half of Manhattan or the giant mecha panda, but this time, she really overdid it.

Review: There's a really interesting story buried underneath all the crazy, over the top stuff and that's actually pretty frustrating, the knowledge that if the author had just toned down the nutty stuff, this could've been an amazing manga, what with Shuichi's blooming career and Yuki's split personality disorder and a dark past. As it is, you mostly want to strangle the brat *sigh*

Vol. 3: I liked this volume, the fact that underneath all the crazy, there's actually a very touching romance there. I know that this manga isn't to be taken seriously, but when we get these small glimpses of the characters' real feelings, they shine even more brightly!

Didn't care for the bonus story, though.

Vol. 4: I would have expected a little deeper reaction to what happened to Shuichi - especially on Shuichi's part - but it was great to see a really serious, even crazy Yuki! Yeah, Shuichi had to go and make a mess again - of course - but what we learned of Yuki's past was amazing. Loving it!

Vol. 5: Crazy like usual. But that accentuates the dark, serious moments even more - like for example Tohma's obsession with Yuki. He's so taken with Yuki - despite having married Yuki's sister - that was ready to kill Aizawa. And with a smile on his face to that. That was scary.

Synopsis: Florian takes Ray and Lila to a distant relative's estate/castle known for its unique garden with sculptures of monsters. Jacques, who now oversees the estate, is forced to sell some of its treasures for upkeep and to take care of his cousin, Eleonora. Things are complicated by a blizzard and the arrival of Jacque's fiancee, Charlotte, who abhors Eleonora. A mysterious figure starts to attack guests, and Eleonora kidnaps Florian, who she sees as a symbol of the time in her childhood when she was still innocent. While searching for Florian, Ray and the others discover a complex series of secret paths.

Review: It's You Higuri, of course I loved it. This was a re-read for me, I just felt like visiting Ray and Florian and Lila and Solomon again... It's a stand-alone volume set after the "Gorgeous Carat" series and once again, Florian is the damsel in distress, hehe. Also, I love this sort of gay stuff - the possible relationship between Ray and Florian is only hinted at, there's no sex, it's all plot and character stuff.

I have to admit though that I saw some scanlations of Higuri's "Gorgeous Carat L'Esperanza" work and... Higuri's style is not as beautiful anymore as it used to be. Some artists' style matures, hers regressed. And it's a shame because the gorgeous drawings were what drew me to her manga. The latest ones though... All the characters look like kids, the long lines, lean figures, detailed features, it's all gone. I will of course buy it, I need more Florian and Ray but it's still a disappointment :(

This is definitely not a manga for kids. Azura really likes to shoot and torture people and there's also the implied non-consensual sex - yes, it's only implied, never actually shown, only indicated with shadows and rumpled clothes. I actually love the style that You Higuri chose, that she didn't go for graphic details. This way, the whole thing has a much bigger impact. I also love that in this manga, sexual assault actually does have consequences, the character doesn't just bounce back like nothing happened at all.

Re-reading my favorite manga of all time, just because. I love it so much that you can't expect any objective thoughts from me. You Higuri simply rocks and Ray and Floréan (as they are called in German) are just perfect. I love how their relationship progresses so slowly that you can't even really call the manga yaoi. I love the way Ray and Floréan bicker, Laila's jealousy, her realization that for Ray, Floréan is "the one", Solomon's tenacity, Noël's cuteness... Yes, I love everything about the manga :)

* I know I said that I wouldn't watch House anymore but I might give at least one ep a go yet - ( Ausiello's spoilers for the upcoming episode... ) \o/

* Czech Prima airs Joe Flanigan's Thoughtcrimes this weekend! Joe Flanigan! On my TV! *dolphin noises*

* And You Higuri's "Gorgeous Carat L'Esperanza" vol. 1 comes out this June in Germany! Eeeeeeeee! It's "Gorgeous Carat"! My most favorite, Nr. 1 manga for ever! Rey and Florian for EVER! *more barely audible dolphin noises*

I finished Matsuri Akino's "Genju no Seiza 1" and let me tell you, this mangaka has some issues with animals XD As in Akino's other series, "Petshop of Horrors", there are man-eating animals here again! It's not a bad manga per se, but not as engaging as PSoH. In PSoH, it was Count D and Leon and their relationship that made the series so interesting. GnS doesn't have such fascinating characters, unfortunately. I have one more book at home, if it doesn't pick up though, I won't be buying any more :(

And now I'm reading Yoko Matushita's "Yami no Matsuei 1". Wow. Oh wow. Great story, awesome, awesome drawings - I saw the anime that was inspired by this manga and I have to say that the manga is definitely more beautiful visually. Especially Tsuzuki. I know that the mangaka herself and even the characters call Hisoka the "beauty", but I always liked Tsuzuki better. He's gorgeously drawn. Also, what amused me was the mangaka saying that she "toned down" Muraki, made him less creepy. Okay, if that's less creepy I would love to see the "original" O.o Because Muraki is one of the creepiest characters ever! It's just too bad that this series was never finished, that it just dissipated with book 11 :(