Scum's Wish Vol. #02 Manga Review

Your warmth is what I seek.

Creative Staff:

Story & Art: Mengo Yokoyari

Translation: David Rowe-Caplan & Megan Denton

Lettering: Erin Hickman

What They Say:

Mugi and Hanabi are in a relationship even though (And exactly because) they're both in love with someone else. As the deception continues, will they hurt the ones they care for the most?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Now that the toxic relationship between Mugi and Hanabi has been established, I'd say it's about time to throw a few more bodies into the fray, don't you think? After all, what good is a series about decaying and unrequited romance when you only have one couple to focus on? If you haven't figured it out in the first two sentences, the second volume of Scum's Wish hones in on the feelings of some of its side characters -- specifically Sanae Ebato (Best girl) and Noriko Kamomebata...Err, Moka, as she likes to be called.

Ecchan's feelings toward Hanabi were hinted at in the first volume, but become incredibly more apparent this time around. Hanabi, desperate for companionship in any sense whatsoever, adores Ecchan, albeit in a strictly platonic way. So when she invites her over for a typical one-on-one slumber party that ends up being a complete make-out session, she a bit surprised to say the least. Through flashbacks, we learn that Ebato has admired Hanabi ever since they first met. Incapable of controlling her emotions, she lets these feelings out in a steamy, physical confession that takes on the form of some hardcore yuri action. Hanabi, not necessarily being opposed to the idea, doesn't fight back and instead sort of...gives in. This is the first time anyone has ever openly expressed romantic interest in her, after all. It's a new, exciting feeling that completely contrasts Hanabi's relationship with Mugi. Ecchan, on the other hand, simply wants to become closer to the object of her affection through any means possible. And, in a way, it works. Though, later on in the volume, her emotions begin to take a toll on her and becomes complacent with the idea of becoming a sex object for Hanabi.

On the other side of things, Moka's feelings toward Mugi reign just as clear as ever. Her hatred toward Hanabi is what winds up taking a turn for the worse. Instead of just shouting mean, Moka-like things toward Mugi's current "girlfriend," Moka instead begins planting seeds of Hanabi's evil side in her friends -- particularly Ecchan. Mugi, having a soft spot for Moka, never fully dismisses her and even reasons with Hanabi, beseeching our protagonist to pay her no mind. Of course, this doesn't really work considering every appearance the princess makes comes with a serving of, "Leave my man alone!"

In the second half of the manga, we finally find out more about Mugi's past. And, as we could have guessed, he's no stranger to physical contact. Just a year or two ago, Mugi was wrapped up in a secret relationship with a beautiful senpai of his, yet again free from any emotional attachment. Apparently, his desire for Akane has been a reoccurring theme for a while now with his last partner fully understanding that she was a bit of a replacement for his tutor as well. The interesting part of this relationship is that Mugi's senpai was basically just using him to satisfy her thirst for sex, becoming pretty much synonymous with Akane (Her personality has been further established in the anime thus far, so we haven't exactly gotten to her feelings yet).

The purpose of this volume is to really force home the idea that everyone in Scum's Wish is in love with someone else. It's not your typical love triangle, it's a love octagon. And the beauty of this series (Apart from its subtle encroaching dread) is that no one is happy. There isn't a single character in Scum's Wish that is okay with their position in terms of romance. And just the thought behind a story like that is enough to make a series worth reading.

In Summary:

The second volume of Scum's Wish further reinforces the book's themes of unrequited love while spending exemplary amounts of time on developing its side characters. It's apparent that, from this point on, the series is only going to get darker -- which is exactly what people that pick up this book are looking forward to. The slow burn has begun, and at the forefront of it are a plethora of well-fleshed out characters and a writer that doesn't care about our feelings.

Content Grade: B+

Art Grade: B+

Packaging Grade: A

Text/Translation Grade: B+

Age Rating: 16+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: January 24, 2017

MSRP: $14.99

Kiss And White Lily For My Dearest Girl Vol. #01 Manga Review

All's fair in love and war.

Creative Staff:

Story & Art: Canno

Translation: Jocelyne Allen

Lettering: Alexis Eckerman

What They Say:

Two girls, a new school, and the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

In middle school, Ayaka Shiramine was the perfect student: hard-working, with excellent grades and a great personality to match. As Ayaka enters high school she expects to still be on top, but one thing she didn't account for is her new classmate, the lazy yet genuine genius Yurine Kurosawa. What's in store for Ayaka and Yurine as they go through high school together?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Considering the recent boom in popularity for yuri manga and anime, it was only a matter of time before Yen Press hopped on the gravy train and grabbed a title or two of their own. So, considering that I am incapable of letting any shoujo-ai title sneak past me, I immediately marked this down on my list of '"Cute things I need to check out" and eagerly awaited its arrival. Now, it isn't wrong of me to say that Seven Seas has started to create a sort of monopoly on Yuri titles -- the proof is in the pudding as far as that goes. But now that the manga giants of Yen Press have gotten their foot in the door with the long-awaited translation of this 2013 series, they are true challengers to the aforementioned monopoly. But can Kiss & White Lily compare in quality to the outpour of yuri from Seven Seas?

Heck yes, it can.

Our story begins with the beautiful and talented Ayaka Shiramine as she starts her new life in high school. Being the top student throughout all of her middle school years, Ayaka is determined to keep up the hot streak and remain 'perfect' in the eyes of her peers. However, things don't necessarily go according to plan. After months and months of trying to reach number one, Ayaka has fallen to one of her classmates -- Yurine Kurosawa. What's even more surprising than this sudden fall from grace is the fact that Kurosawa spends pretty much half of every school day asleep at her desk. Despite Kurosawa's narcoleptic tendencies, she excels in everything under the sun. This girl, known as a 'prodigy' or 'genius' to her classmates, just isn't interested in anything. That is, until Ayaka waltzes into her life.

From the moment these two first come into contact, Kurosawa is enthralled. Never before has she encountered another person she's actually been interested in. Ayaka, on the other hand, is convinced that Kurosawa is her arch-nemesis. After all, she's the only thing keeping her from reaching that goal of perfection she's had in mind since her elementary school days. So when Kurosawa decides to get all-out obsessed with Ayaka, she doesn't know how to handle it. It escalates even more when she kisses her out of nowhere one day. So now we're blessed with an archetype we don't commonly see in shoujo-ai -- a tsundere.

That's right. Ayaka, kicks into full tsundere mode the second Kurosawa kisses her, lighting the fuse for what is going to be an adorable and interesting relationship from this point on. But the growth between these two isn't the only thing that keeps the ball rolling in this volume. Ayaka's best friend and cousin, Mizuki Senoo, has a love story of her own as her crush is right there next to her on the track team. This love story, however, is a bit easier to follow. Moe Nikaidou, the object of affection for Mizuki, is the ideal partner. She pays close attention to detail and has an air of maturity hanging over her. So when problems for Mizuki begin to arise, Moe is the first to notice. The best thing about the relationship between Mizuki and Moe, though, really lies in their openness with one another. The two become a prime example of that wonderful type of yuri love where neither girl care's about the sex of the other. To put it plainly, they're in love. It creates a great contrast with the "main" love story between Ayaka and Kurosawa.

Eventually, our romances coagulate into one, unified love story within a group of friends. Kurosawa, determined to have the track team stop pestering her to join them, begins running with Mizuki whenever she so feels like it. This way, she won't technically have to join and is thus freed from any form of commitment. But the bigger part of this is that now everyone is linked together. And we all know that love can't stay a secret within a small group of friends. So, in just the first volume, we already have the groundwork for what could go on to be one of the most intricate love stories in the yuri genre. I'm getting intense Kindred Spirits vibes from this, and that is undoubtedly a great thing.

This is a goldmine for yuri fans and an absolute gem for everyone else. I just hope that this isn't a one-off for Yen Press and that they continue to pursue the genre as a whole. 

In Summary:

The artwork is beautiful, the story is detailed, the characters are relatable, and the love is real. There isn't much else you could ask for in one volume of manga. Despite having only two standalone titles to her name, Canno provides a deep understanding of shoujo ai that transcends expectation and tailors to each sect of the fandom. Kiss & White Lily is one of the most well-rounded love stories out there.

Content Grade: A

Art Grade: A

Packaging Grade: A

Text/Translation Grade: B

Age Rating: 16+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: March 21, 2017

MSRP: $12.99

Rewrite Episode #22 Anime Review

You can't achieve anything without sacrifice.

What They Say:

Kazamatsuri, a modern, well-developed city renowned for its burgeoning greenery and rich Japanese culture, is home to Kotarou Tennouji, a high schooler least privy to the place's shared values. Content to fill his pockets with frivolity, the proud and nosy boy whiles away his time pestering the self-proclaimed delinquent Haruhiko and indulging in his amorous feelings toward the oddball Kotori.

Equipped with the superhuman ability to permanently rewrite any part of his body to multiply his strength or speed, Kotarou is naturally drawn to the supernatural. One special meeting with the lone member and president of the Occult Research Club, the "Witch" Akane Senri, leads to Kotarou reviving the Occult Club by recruiting Kotori and three other members: the clumsy transfer student Chihaya, the strict class representative Lucia, and the unassuming Shizuru. As Kotarou unveils hidden secrets of each member of the Occult Club through their shared adventures, he will inevitably encounter a fate that only he might be able to rewrite.

The Review:
Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Now that Kotarou (AKA Suzuki Bondo) is a member of both Guardian and Gaia, things are about to get complicated. In last week's episode, Kotarou "aligned" with the Suzaki sect in Guardian. So when he decides to arrange a meeting with Sakura Kashima, it's a bit of a surprise. Kind of. I mean, he is a double agent after all...I think. Anyway, before we get into the repercussions of this, it's also important to note that Martel's foster center is absolutely horrible considering Akane has escaped for like the tenth time in four episodes. However, that's probably due to the fact that the one girl back from Kotarou's team in Guardian hunter training is now the head foster mom -- which raises the question of, "Where the hell did the last one go?"

Okay, back to Gaia. I'll spare you the details in the meeting with Sakura Kashima and attribute it to the fact that it only happened as a means of introducing the artificial heaven that is 'The City of Stone'. After Suzaki confronts Kotarou about his meeting with the enemy, Kotarou is able to swing things in his favor and prove that his true allegiance resides with the business mogul. This prompts Suzaki to blindfold our protagonist and walk him in a gosh darn alternate dimension that Gaia was apparently keeping in the basement. This kind of explains that random fall Kotarou had back in season one's pilot episode. Maybe. The two dimensions didn't really look the same, but the idea of Gaia having two universes in their basement seems a little too ludicrous even for Rewrite. Though, I wouldn't be surprised by anything at this point.

Once Kotarou discovers this artificial afterlife (As Suzaki calls it), he realizes just how serious Gaia is about this whole 'Key' thing. So, of course, he winds up going back to Kagari and Kotori, only to find that Kagari now has a weird obsession with military tanks and thinks they should obtain one of their own. Kotarou is unable to provide a tank but, instead, gives Kagari a cell phone and essentially tells her not to stay out past her bedtime. Then there's this whole thing where Kotarou reluctantly agrees to kidnap baby Akane (Who has been chosen as the new 'Saint') and decides somewhere along the line that this is against his morals and tips off Kashima, causing him to just sit in a van with a bunch of other guys wearing balaclavas. 

Eventually, Kotarou winds up back at the mega-tree and engages in a pretty heated discussion with Kagari. Kagari, incapable of understanding how human emotions work, begins to question Kotarou's motives for actions. This causes Kotarou to try and explain that the whole idea behind emotion is that it transcends rationality. Fed up with her continued inability to comprehend this, Kagari gains emotions of her own and erupts into another volcanic explosion of screaming while tears pour from her eyes. Finally sensing his chance to be a protagonist, Kotarou swoops in and KISSES HER?! BUT THIS IS KEY. (No, I'm not making a pun.) Kagari then pushes Kotarou off of her and storms away like the emotionally suppressed loli she is as the episode draws to a close.

In Summary:

Rewrite's hot streak continues with this exceptional addition to its second season. For what is arguably the first time since the series' conception, Kagari's character sees substantial development in the formation of her emotions. And while parts of the episode can seem boring or uninteresting, there are several scenes packed with enough intensity and intimacy to make up for it as a whole.

Grade: B+

Streamed By: Crunchyroll