Wild Ones Vol 3

[meganbmoore]

So, why did it take me three volumes to notice that this is essentially Gokusen, when Yankumi was 15? 

I really wish we hadn’t had a “Sachie is kidnapped” story already. Yes, it’s a “yakuza heiress and bodyguard” shoujo romance, and all the “tests” Jin put Rakuto through to see if he was worthy of being Sachie’s protector were a hoot, I just prefer Sachie to be kicking would-be-kidnappers in the nuts(which is not out of character) to waiting for Rakuto to come save her. Of course, now I’m trying to remember if Sachie’s father has been mentioned, so I can decide whether or not I think there will be a future storyline revealing Jin to be Sachie’s father.

I have to wonder about Japan’s obsession with panty thieves. No matter how funny yakuza hoods faced with girly panty protection are, I find this to be a rather concerning trend in Japanese entertainment. I also have to wonder why Azuma is around. It’s like he’s lurking in the background, debating whether or not he wants to try to steal Sachie from Rakuto. Then again, he may just realize that Rakuto probably would make sure he ended up dead if he tried.

Also, enough bratty kids clearly destined to be snarky woobies, shoujo genre! We don’t need them in every shoujo series!

Hmm…all this probably comes across as fairly critical, but I’m not really. It’s just normal shoujo(but with a badass and justice driven yakuza heiress heroine with a sneaky and devious bodyguard with monomania!) and thus largely romantic fluff and humor. 

Comments

[lotuseyes.livejournal.com]

i haven't read alot of normal shoujo. Fruits Basket is prolly the most recent and ongoing though I did read Mars, Kodocha, Marmalade Boy, Paradise Kiss...okay pretty much all of TokyoPop's old series. I do however want to read Nodame Cantible one of these days. I'm somewhat in love with the live action movie I just saw some weeks ago and now feel I should watch what happens BEFORE it all and read it too.

Wilds Ones has such pretty everything though Vampire Knight has pretty everything but the storyline makes my brains bleed out of my ears

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I have the first volume of the Nodame manga, but haven't read it yet, though I have seen all of the Live Action.

Wild Ones is kind of normal High School shoujo, but the dressing makes it exceptionally fun.

[lotuseyes.livejournal.com]

nodame has to wait until one of three series ends: Tsubasa, xxxHolic or Red River. right now Red River might win out since its on volume 22 of 28 and is actually ENDED in Japan whereas the other two are not. i could read the scanlations but at the moment i'm keeping up with 15 different series (I think 15) in scanlations and can't keep track of what i've read and not read anymore... though is 7 Seeds doesn't get a new chapter out soon I might just Hiatus that and move on...

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I'm holding out for 7 Seeds to get licensed, myself. I mostly read scanslations as a form of self-defense against spoilers.

[lotuseyes.livejournal.com]

i honestly have no hope for anymore of Tamura's works getting published. I'm amazed that Basara, Wild Com and Chicago all got published at all (thank my lucky stars that Animerica Extra was around, because quite frankly I'm not at all in love with 'Shoujo Beat' and Shounen Jump ceased being cool when the only series I read is YYH. I gave up on Naruto, Yu-gi-oh is of course done and Hikaru No Go makes me cringe now.). Licensing companies seem to be trending towards more classic less known series or total hits with animes to cross-PR with.

If 7 Seeds ever gets itself licensed I am going to drink a bottle of sake in its honor. Yumi Tamura, Chieko Hosokawa and Chie Shinohara all deserve a better chance to shine over here (though with Kodansha publishing their own stuff over here w/o the middle man we might see other companies following suit).