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As a fan of the first season, I was looking forward to the announcement that the second season got a green lit. I disliked the idea of having a new master and butler but as the updates and airing date were moving close, I felt that the new master is indeed interesting and unique. Aside the new butler of course.

The moment I got to watch the first episode of the second season, there were mixed feelings. Confusion, amusement and unsatisfaction. The latter episodes became dull but there were certain ones that just makes me “Okay fine, I’ll finish this. Maybe it would be more interesting ... on the next episode.” I was damn wrong. The second season was full of faults in an overall score. The characters took a sudden landslide the moment Alois declared that he wanted Ciel, Claude lusting for Ciel’s soul and Sebastian being a weak demon whenever Ciel’s soul was on the table. Landslide?More of a catastrophe I guess.

So I’ll start with the first and second most important part, characters and plot.

Ciel Phantomhive is a strong hearted independent noble. Why in the name of the queen of England should he let his emotions of pride and selfishness just because there is someone working for the queen other than himself? This is clearly a point why Ciel is, most of the times, a spoiled brat, only a million fold richer. Ciel’s reincarnation as a demon made the overall season’s score lower than the others. He is Ciel but at the same time not. It’s not confusing. Just imagine Ciel, being himself, only as a empty hollow. Do you get it now? Great. Now you’ll see why Ciel isn’t interesting anymore. I just don’t know for those Sebastian x Ciel fans though, I’ll just leave their imaginations of pedophility love.

Sebastian Michaelis is the famous talk around bishounen town. I’m not a fan of his character but if I could compare his development between the two seasons, I would say that he became more of a lowly and cowardly dog than a humble butler in the present season. He is confident that his possession, Ciel’s soul, wouldn’t be robbed by some other demon. Which lead to a disaster which also lead to another huge failure, particularly the 12th episode. His resistance as declared in the first season was his biggest mistake if I say so myself.

Alois Trancy(please do not remind me of his real name, I prefer this instead) is one of the freshest characters I’ve seen. He is an interesting, pathetic, adorable, slutty, pitiful, devastated, attention-seeking male cinderella. But he became the dullest thing I can see in the 12th episode. He has become weak and easily-controlled soul. Leaving his murder behind, his character, wanting to be loved by Claude is just like those romantic movies I’ve seen a hundred times. It’s unrequited love, master and butler special edition. He became a poorly made character by the moment he said that he wanted Claude despite his failure of finishing the contract. Biggest waste. Period.

Claude Faustus, fuck this butler very much. He is the biggest mistake. And because he is the biggest mistake he is also the culprit of the biggest downfall and biggest waste of the series. He’s too honest, sneaky and is a monkey dressed in a butler suit with glasses. He’s the type that if he wanted something, he would use anyone just to attain his ‘something’ and this something was none other than Ciel Phantomhive. His death was a failure too. I dislike him so much that I wouldn’t even be able to accept comments about my rant about him.

Hannah Anafeloz,with no mistake, has the most development especially in the last two episodes. She has become Alois’ savior and Ciel’s killer. She ignited Alois’ passion of becoming one with Ciel and devoured Alois’ into a new contract after letting him know that she is one with his younger brother, Luca. I’m surprised that she grew feelings with Luca which lead to performing a contract with him which became a bridge to be of service under the Trancy household. Oh, did I say she’s a masochist? Yeah. The hell with it. She rocked the boat herself.

The triplets, the highlight of their existence was their failure of killing Sebastian. Other than that, they’re triplets! And triplets are eyecatching. I prefer them cleaning and doing household chores instead of attacking Sebastian just to hide their idiocy and uselessness.

And of course, who would forget the Ronald Knox appearance? I didn’t see that coming, I doubt that you did too.

The minor characters that were adapted to the second season has a pale presence. The parts where Sebastian was handing over a letter declaring the death date of Ciel were confusing. Their reactions weren’t as lively as before.

Second, art.

The art of the first season was balanced. The background and character quality was well balanced. The second season wasn’t. The background quality was more of an A+ while the character quality was lower, more of a B minus. Maybe it’s just me, but other than that, it was brilliant. The animation was great too especially when it comes to the fighting scenes.

Third, music and character voice.

The CV in the first season had a good score coming from most of the watchers, why wouldn’t the second season have too? It’s better and more fine. The music is more than passable. It’s befitting. Except that in some points it sometimes overpowers the characters.

Kuroshitsuji or in English, Black Butler, is a finely made series. The thing is, it flunked during the second season in very many points. So many that you will be able to point them out even though you haven’t watched the first season.

Third season? No thanks. But if they’ve decided to push another season through, good luck with that. I’ll keep my mouth shut till then.

Complex yaoi fans are still yaoi fans. It’s hard to look for heavy drama and psychological storylines that you might just want to have another dish served in your plate. Trust me, it won’t ruin your appetite.

Now clear your plates everyone and let me introduce you Kawaii Akuma.

So we’ve heard that loli-shotas are too adorable and cute. It defines a boy with girly features and giving off pheromones. Naruse Fuuta is one and is developing feelings for the class president, Akiyoshi Tooru.

Don’t get the impression of the common girly uke being pushed down by the masculine seme.

It isn’t what it looks like.

Naruse is, at first, ... your typical loli-shota infront of everyone in school. Being loved and served by everyone except Akiyoshi. One afternoon, Naruse comes up with Akiyoshi and is asking if he could be his friend, startled by the popular Naruse’s begging, he declines. Little did he know that our cutesy Naruse is actually a demon in disguised!

Plotwise, Kawaii Akuma’s direction was really subjective and overused. A lot of scenes were already shown in a lot of titles. You say it’s cliché, I say it’s interesting.

Madarame Hiro’s art style is the kind of what you can see everyday. It possesses similarities in different manga styles. The only thing that might be distinguishable are the character’s sketchy eyes and lips. It adds up the sexiness in them.

The humor used is a great asset in this volume. The chibi were remarkable and funny. Akiyoshi’s reactions to things totally gave me a belly laugh.

I assure your enjoyment in reading Kawaii Akuma otherwise, let me bring you another dish.

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter are seasons wherein we enjoy different things on different times, different places with different people. Seasons for most of us basically means changes in time. But for Kazushi and Harutomo, these seasons gives them a feeling of love and it is something to give importance of.

Aishiteru is another yaoi manga which got me interested because it didn’t have a girly uke. The cover gives off a harmonious atmosphere. And with that, I started clicking the pages away.

Kazushi is an elite workaholic businessman while his lover, Harutomo is a part time cleaner in the same company, who has a potential in ... cooking and dreams to become a chef someday. The story concentrates on the development of their feelings and attraction towards each other. There were no serious conflicts, third parties and such. It brings nothing new to the table and is easier to read.

In terms of art, I found nothing special except that the art suits the flow of the story. Nothing more, nothing less. I liked how Fujitani Youko mixed the feel of the seasons in it. It follows the footfalls of the changes of seasons, but again as to what I have said earlier, she focuses on the characters. The seasons just spices up the story itself.

I can’t say that there were huge character developments, the author didn’t dig up the past of any characters or gave big complications in it. It’s more of realizing goals and the desire to love a person just because he is what he is. It also claims that distance makes one’s relationship more stronger.

Aishiteru is just another story that deviates from other mangas that revolves just with lust. It’s right up in my alley and for those who seek a calmness in a read, this is definitely recommendable.

There will always be a manga with very obscure scenarios. Those with extensive narrations and dialogues that leads you in deep thought and reflection. Male homosexual relationships are intriguing, Kyuuso wa Cheese no Yume wo Miru is intriguing.

It is unmistakably a mouse trap.

If you ever thought reading one of the most decent stories that includes homosexual relationships, you may take this one into consideration. That which interweaves the art, characters and plot into a flawless lacework with no strings unwoven.

The story technically revolves around Kyouichi, a married man with lots of adultery in it. And it seems that these little mistakes he has gave a ... way for Imagase to create a new connection with him. Unfortunately, Imagase, a past underclassman of his, is a hired investigator of his wife. Imagase knows the bad stench of the relationship. Kyouichi’s gone frantic. He’s confused. He is dead meat if this news arrives to his wife. But Imagase assures him that his little play arounds with different mistresses will end up like a bubble with an exchange of one little thing.

His body. Imagase wants it. He wants it ever since college days.

What makes Kyuuso wa Cheese no Yume wo Miru different from all the other mangas is the package itself. It’s simply alluring, deceiving and blinding. One may dislike it for some imbecile reason, the other may be totally in it. I may join the latter, I may also be the first. It is confusing. Beautiful. Really something sensible as a yaoi read.

Story-wise the manga has given a new meaning for its league. It’s simple at first but it definitely changes its pace towards the following chapters. It focuses on Kyouichi’s unfaithful, simple-minded, dense and confusing train of thought. However, it also talks about some past events during their college days and Imagase’s view about Kyouichi. When looking from Imagase’s stand, it makes the story more depressing and bitter. The hardest part of his unrequited love is he is inlove with someone who is straight and indecisive. The only way to show him this kind of love is by forcing on to Kyouichi. The volume has numerous of love making and dialogues along with it. Still has the yaoi feel, only better.

The art is interesting in different points. It sometimes focuses on the eyes, the lips and other different parts where it shows more affections, emotions and compact. All in all, the art is actually kaleidoscopic in a way. It’s sometimes intense and sometimes gentle. There is no stable and monochromic style in it. The scenes are different from the other. It communicates with the reader as if trying to say something behind the profile. The sexuality is occasionally in cold sober. The feelings are forced unto each other. The other may not want it, the other will. It defines two different people from different worlds. Not as equals, not as people on the same wavelength.

The characters has a grade of 100 out of 10. The way they were delivered is simply astounding. In terms of the use of character portrayal is one of the best that I have come across. Kyouichi’s wavering feelings has left Imagase to be unable to hold back his emotionality. Imagase is temperamental for the time being. Why? Is it because he got his hopes up to where he thinks that Kyouichi might have a slightest chance to fall for him? Maybe. Or, maybe not.

Imagase’s nature is somehow childish. He wants to own Kyouichi. He’s possessive and doubtful of him when he is with the girls. These feelings germinated from the time they went into the same college up to when Kyouichi had gotten married. Is he a bad person? I don’t think so. I believe he’s just someone who can’t hold on to his feelings any longer. For several years, he had kept them. He treasured them as if he had hope. He did have.

Kyouichi is your run-of-the-mill playboy character. Not actually the type wherein he’s in a harem but he just sticks to whoever shows affection to him. May it be love or lust, he is easily swept away by feelings. Confused with Imagase and to his own sexuality, he fights back against the fact that he might be a homo. But beneath his inane decisions and thoughts there is a hidden abashment of his own mistakes. He wants to renew himself and he just didn’t know the right way to do it.

Beside the manga lies cigarette butts that remained untouched. The atmosphere reeks of cigarette. Whoever reads this piece of art may fall into deep slumber and dream that life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, its about learning how to dance in the rain.

The relationship is more tense than before. It’s now vulnerable and weaker than ever, He is defenseless. He is flustered. Everything is now a mess.

The suspension bridge is about to break.

To be more precise, Sojou no Koi wa Nido Haneru is the sequel of Kyuuso wa Cheese no Yume wo Miru. It’s now more concentrated on the strengths and weaknesses of the relationship and the thoughts of Kyouichi. Another rival has arrived for Imagase and the pressure between the two is unsettling. Kyouichi stays the same. He still lacks too many puzzle pieces for him to complete the jigsaw of his true feelings. He ... is still unable to see awareness. Weak as ever, he commits the same deranged mistake, twice.

If you thought the prequel had exquisite dialogues and character portrayals, you better think again after reading the sequel. It digs more unto the fine angles of the choice of words. It’s specifically breathtaking.

The character progress focuses more on Kyouichi rather than Imagase. He now takes the spotlight and is more contemplative compared to the prequel. He becomes more sensitive and affectionate. A total different Kyouichi we have seen from its prequel.

Imagase, on the other hand has less development. Not that his caliber hasn’t been improved but it’s more like his character stability suits the flow well. He’s dependent on unrequitingly loving someone willingly instead of being loved by someone who he doesn’t have feelings with. It’s realistic and painful but love is fine just the way it is. It takes someone out of his league.

Tamaki is one of those a little above average women you can find in this genre. She is more composed and decent compared to the prequel’s lady. She knows well Kyouichi’s outer feelings. She knows Kyouichi’s affections towards her isn’t as deep as his so-called previous lover. Their relationship has lots of faults and limitations. Her thoughts of making Kyouichi happy isn’t enough to let Kyouichi be happy. It just isn’t enough to budge Kyouichi out of his zone. He was never hers from the start.

They’re both in love. One is a mass of desire, one is a regretful gentleman. It’s not all about sex. It’s about them. Them being painfully in love. It was so painful, that it’s considered as a divine punishment.

The internal part of the sequel is more on confusion and second thoughts. Imagase’s acceptance of his lost is one of the biggest turnarounds of the story and so was Kyouichi’s bewildering decision. If you were to look up to the face of the story, a dense reader would simply see two men, misunderstandings, sex, sex and sex. With this I’m telling you, you’re getting it all wrong dear.

Sojou no Koi wa Nido Haneru’s scenes has more impressive feelings in it. The dialogues and emotions were perfectly in sync. It’s either you end up in awe or you end up in awe. You have no way to get out of the story’s quicksand.

At the end of the series, I ended up in tears. To depart from someone who has treasured you and to hopelessly return to your fated someone. One has come a long way in order to find his own happiness, his own self, his own feelings.

But once he turns his back again, he might never have something to return to.

A song that has connected us using this tender red string of fate. With your eyes that reflects the beautiful budding leaves, I want to see you again.

Nakamura Asumiko, known as an author of many stories with cognitive storylines, once again breathes new life into the shounen ai genre with her replenishing and distinctive art.

Doukyuusei

The story follows the life of Kusakabe, a student who is whimsical and has an easy going attitude. One day, he notices his classmate, Sajou Rihito not participating during a choir practice. He seems surprised but ignores it. That afternoon, during dismissal, he forgets his lunchbox, returns to the room and ... hears someone who was singing the practice song. He discovered that it was Rihito behind that voice and voluntarily tells him that he can be his practice partner. The days where the two of them bond with the lyrics and notes has given Kusakabe a chance to know Rihito better. What more awaits at the end of the road the two are taking?

Comparing with the other works of Nakamura like Double Mints and Coponicus no Kokyuu, Doukyuusei is more compassionate in nature. It strokes the slice of life genre and platonic romance.

Nakamura’s art style has a grotesque attitude on it. It’s somewhat strange, deformed and surreal but is absolutely beautiful. The character contours and backgrounds are made most of copious emotions. It lacks shadowing but keeps up with the lining. The art is near to extravagant and far from average.

The boy meets boy plot is simply mediocre with the usual developments. Repeating to what I have said earlier, the plethora of emotions makes up the most of the mainstream story. Flowing naturally with the current of the sequence of events.

As for the characters, the myriad of discourse and feelings makes it complicated. The lines of the poem from the classic class and the Budding Leaves song not only matched the atmosphere but it denotes the main events as well. The delivery of the innocence of their uncommon relationship without chasing skirts is also impressive, pointing out a vast of flaws in a relationship, jealousy, rivalry, love and the like. Hana-sensei’s personality is also note worthy. Suffering from an unrequited love with Sajou and with the discovery of the relationship of the main cast. It tells us that love isn’t always of happy moments. It is imperfect, unjust, and prejudiced.

As far as I can tell, Doukyuusei is one of the best works of Nakamura and is indeed another promising title. The superiority of art and the balanced stream is something worth reading for.

So what can you find in an average yaoi manga? Fetishes? Girly uke? Masculine uke? Aggressive seme? Shy seme? The deed? Impotency? Bishounens? Love?

If you asked me what has made me to love yaoi more, I would straightly answer Otona Keikenchi. The one who has got me in its sway. The culprit for this obsession.

Frankly speaking, Otona Keikenchi is one of the freshest manga that I have read in this genre regardless of the cliche plot. Not because I have it in my faves but on the grounds that it's peculiarly entertaining.

The story progress isn't slow nor fast paced. It simply starts off with Yumeji ... who is secretly an impotent with only the two of his best friends knowing it. He meets Seiji, an underclassman of his who has an attitude. With this, he begins to discover that Seiji is the cure of his impotency.

The timing of events just fits for a volume. Unlike some yaoi I've seen, the explicit scenes weren't exaggerated. Though it has certain effects added when it comes to those prospects. The cheesy parts weren't overdone, actually it has none. Like confessing how they love each other and the like. Nevertheless, the relationship between Yumeji and Seiji shows a distinctive tie.

I am a reader who is a sucker for great art. While Otona Keikenchi has stereotypical characters, Nekota Yonezou made them more realistic and cute by means of her unique art. Yes, I just said cute. Who doesn't find it cute anyway? It wasn't too mature nor too childish. Balanced should I say? No exaggerated sparkles and blushes. The chibis did a good job as well. The cuteness will make you go gaga all the time.

The characters each had a chance to grab the spotlight, even the supporting characters. Both really fits in a comical way. The progress was quite visible in the main character's part. Yumeji with his impotency cured and developing a body smell fetish and only attracted to Seiji's scent. On the other hand, Seiji has little of progress. He later shows more affection towards Yumeji but still has a suprematic attitude.To clear things up for other readers, this ain't a S&M manga.

Ahhh, the love for Otona Keikenchi made me write a short review of it. Since I've enjoyed the cuteness(since these types is my cup of tea) why not have try it for once?Leave your lust for the meantime yaoi fans.

[renewed review for blog use]

Being a sucker for animes with bishies, I expected Miracle Train to be one of the best to be anticipated last Fall 2009. Unfortunately, it failed to meet my expectations. The sad part is I had to drop it after watching 5 episodes. I only watched it til its 5th since I thought it’ll have some developments, but again, no.

Oedo-sen e Youkoso or simply Welcome to the Oedo Line focuses on 6 guys who are actually Oedo train stations. They are some sort of a host club, in a train. They help ladies who are troubled and they’re the only ones who can see and ... get inside the train itself. In every episode they help at least one lady to clear away her worries.

The story and character progress is close to zero. It keeps repeating the same story every episode. A worried girl accidentally gets on the train, then one train station guy being focused in each episode, gets to help the girl, the girl thanks the guy then the train leaves. What can be more worse than that?

Well, enough of the trash. Aside the fact that Miracle Train is boring, there is at least one guy that kept me interested, Roppongi Fumi. Besides having good features and being random, I liked his choice of words in his episode. The other guys were just too dull. They were flat and not to mention, too predictable.

Miracle Train have the potentials to be a good anime. It just lacked development and thrill. The plot of guys helping girls is just so overused that they may want to give spice on it to give the viewers a different feel.

“No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

Where have I read this line? Wait. Let me think.

Oh right, from oodles of shoujo mangas I read. I remembered dropping a lot because they were a lot too similar to each other. It just differs from the art to its supporting characters and leads. There’re a lot of arcs being used over and over and over again. Hotsprings, going on field trips, getting locked in a gym storage room and whatnot.

Of course, Dengeki Daisy springs out the cliché plots at its peak.

As another fan of the shoujo genre, I am once again amused on how Motomi Kyousuke handles ... his way of manga clichés. I never imagined myself loving another shoujo manga to this point. And to add up to that, the author is male. A he, making a shoujo manga that gets a high popularity, now this is something.

So what makes it differ from the others?

Is it the art?

The art is dramatic and humorous often times. Fully detailed, from emotions to bony structures. One thing I noticed was the eyes for every character describes what they are. For instance, Teru’s eyes. They were set to kill. It helps her give the impression of a strong and honest girl. For Kurosaki’s, his eyes gives off the mysterious and arrogant feel. Not that it isn’t cliché, but it gives the characters a sense of individuality.

Is it the storyline?

It follows a story of Teru, a smart girl who lives alone with a cellphone as a memento from her late older brother and Kurosaki, some weird janitor slash programmer who is actually in imminent danger of having his head bald. Joking aside, the cellphone serves as a communication device between Teru and an unknown guy who he calls himself as DAISY. Teru finds him as her security blanket and often emails him on what is going on with her everyday life. Kurosaki, however comes up and treats her as a servant because Teru, as we all know, is poor. She agrees to be his servant to pay off a debt. The story goes on and eventually, this two, seems closer than before. So at the end of reading a short sneakpeak, you end up questioning yourself, who is DAISY? What happens to Teru and Kurosaki?

Dengeki Daisy is actually easy to predict, at first. But then, when you are at the point of making sure that this event is going to happen, it surprises you with another blast, and this is what makes the story interesting.

Is it the humor? The drama?

There’s always a page or two that you can’t help but laugh. A dramatic or romantic scene abruptly shifts to a comical scene makes it double the laughs. It just pops out when you least expected it. I avoid comparing a manga from another but for Dengeki Daisy, in terms of comedy is one of the best I have read. It feels all natural and not too much of a trying hard.

Dengeki Daisy clearly defines what the word drama means. Its emotionality and depth makes the characters more realistic and melodramatic. Though I say it is dramatic, it can be more of mysteric.

Motomi’s good sense of humor and drama makes every chapter healthy in a theoretical sense. He knows what shoujo manga fans look for and he blends it amazingly well together.

Taking a quick look of another shoujo manga wouldn’t hurt, why not give it a try for a change? You’ll never really know unless you give one. You might end up getting bald if you don’t.

From the makers of the popular series Death Note, Obata Takeshi and Ohba Tsugumi once again sets forth to a new work of a totally different package.

Regardless on how dark-themed their previous work is, they manage to enliven its fans by shifting to the lighter genre.

Bakuman welcomes us into a fresh concept. Its comical profoundness blends well on how solid the main theme is.

Basically, it tells a story about two boys who dreams to be mangakas and are willing to give their best shot to be successful in the future. Moritaka Mashiro, who handles the art, commits to his crush, Azuki, that as soon as ... they get the chance to have their work animated, they’ll get married and with Azuki as the heroine’s seiyuu. Takagi, the writer, though he certainly has the best grades and capacity to study in great universities, decides to work more on the manga with Mashiro and his girlfriend, Miyoshi.

Of course, this doesn’t revolve with just that.

Becoming a great and successful mangaka takes a step by step process. Which is clearly depicted here. It isn’t all play. The process takes months, years or maybe even decades.They falter, they rise. Showing us that at a certain point in our lives, we cannot avoid failures. We use them as a stepping stone towards our dreams, making them a reality.

The main setting takes place to Nobuhiro Mashiro’s workplace which is soon taken over by his nephew due to his death. It helps more on its flashbacks and the current situation of the lead characters. It’s also another source of information for them inline with the manga they’re making.

Another foundation of this is its supporting characters. They build good relationships disregarding the fact that they are rivals in terms of the manga industry. They keep to mind that when one is being left behind, the others see to it to be able to be of help. It makes the setting more wider and tense. Each character tends to develop in its own pace and succeeds to the main storyline.

The art doesn’t have too much depth on it when compared to Death Note. It’s more comical and light. Many panels were sketchy and it concentrated only to the characters rather than the background. The materials being used were detailed and gave more a professional artist feeling. As a reader, I noticed that from the recent updates, the art and story flow seemed bland. Though I may take it as something that an artist wants to practice and improve on, it still confuses the readers and it makes them think on what the artist really wants to portray.

The story has a fast progress. It shifts from a weekly and monthly basis then jumping off to a specific awaited date. Such as a release of the early and finals results, getting questionnaires from readers and whatnot. Before you know it, they were already in college. This is a good way for avoiding the readers to get bored rather than reading lengthy chapter page with no thrill in it. Bakuman makes you feel flipping its pages forever. A volume after another, a page after a page. A lot of its chapters weren’t enough for 20 pages, so please expect a lot of cliffhangers.

Bakuman has tediously long dialogues. Lengthy narrations and dialogues from the characters that it sometimes fills up the majority of a panel. For a young reader, they may skip a lot of it since it doesn’t really have nothing to do with the base story. But for someone who is interested in this field, the dialogues are a worth read.

Even though Bakuman possess a lot of comical scenes, it has a hidden depth on it. Remove the humor, it’s still great. The comedy just adds the shounen flavor to it but is a big factor for those who aren’t into dark themed mangas. Making it more flexible to its readers.

Bakuman drives you to a new world filled with mechanical pencils, T-squares, calligraphy pens, tones and paper. Setting you off in a journey filled not only with the concepts of being a mangaka, but also gives you an idea of their world and what they see behind their eyes of a true manga artist.