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larryhammerI've been in the mood lately for a certain sort of low-key shoujo high-school romance-drama, aimed not at the teh dramaz but rather exploring the slow evolution of the heroine's emotions and the character relationships constellated around her. Low-key is important here -- lingering, rather than wallowing. In its way, they're rather soothing. The anatomizing the progress of romantic feelings reminds me of the Love sections of the Kokinshu or parts of Genji, only privileging the female POV and using modern narrative tropes such as love triangles as something to be resolved as a dyad.
Unless otherwise noted, all these series are unlicensed. Most are complete in Japan, but for some scans are still ongoing. In no particular order:
Crazy for You (Karuho Shiina) - Series of chained relationships with five principles creates three interlocking triangles. Which sounds plot-heavy but manages not to be, through excellent storytelling. (6 volumes complete, some sidestories not yet scanned)
Kare wa Tomodachi (Ririko Yoshioka) - The sort where the two leads not only go out with the wrong people but have sex with them. The later plot complications run into melodrama territory, but this still fits the bill because of the plastic ducks. (6 of 7 volumes scanned)
Strobe Edge (Io Sakisaka) - What's charming about this one is how the heroine seems to have wandered in from a romcom, but despite her energy and initial naivete, she is actually quite reflective and not at all stupid. I also like the author's switcharoo with the unlucky childhood friend, who initially looks like one leg of the triangle but instead ends up being part of a beta couple, showing that yes first love is not 4evers. (6 of 10 volumes scanned)
Shiroi Mado no Mukougawa (Kyouko Hikawa) - All of Hikawa's early high-school romances count, really, but this just happened to be the one I stumbled upon most recently. (That her range includes these, the Wild-West adventures of Miriam, the high fantasy From Far Away, and the historical fantasy Otogi Moyou Ayanishiki only increases my admiration of her work.) This one includes childhood friends and various potential romantic complications. (1 of 2 volumes scanned; see also Onnanoko wa Yoyuu! for a completed 1-volume series)
Sprout (Atsuko Nanba) - Heroine lives in a large traditional home converted to a boarding house, and the love-interest is a classmate boarder. I like how the protagonist cannot bring herself to dislike the love-interest's girlfriend because she is, in fact, genuinely pretty and sweet. The other boarders are a hoot, as well. (7 volumes complete)
Bokura wa Itsumo (Ayu Fujimiya) - There is a love triangle, but only some of the four leads are involved -- the set-up is to compare and contrast several relationships. I have high hopes for this one. (2 of 6-ongoing volumes scanned)
Hatsukare (Miyoshi Toumori) - Extremely sweet, and refreshing in that there's no triangle on the horizon -- the two leads have enough troubles negotiating their relationship, having both grown up attending single-sex schools and being shy to boot. (2 of 10 volumes scanned)
Kingyo Sou (Yuki Fujitsuka) - A high-school-into-college romance, with taiko drumming and a deaf love-interest. No real triangle here because, well, learning to communicate with a deaf love-interest contributes enough plot tension for two low-key volumes. (2 volumes complete)
24 Colors (Kozue Chiba) - Short, sweet, and oh so gorgeous art. Which is as it should be, as the principals are all in the school art club for a reason. If it had lasted more than one volume, the triangle might not have been as abortive, but I'm good with that as it's the weakest part of the story. (1 volume complete)
On the border of the set of Things Like This are Tenshi Nanka ja Nai (Ai Yazawa; scans complete) despite being slightly heavy on the drama, Cat Street (Youko Kamio; scans complete) despite being heavy on plot, and Kimi ni Todoke (also Karuho Shiina; licensed and ongoing) despite having a fair amount of comedy. Outside the set are Faster Than a Kiss, which is both too fast-paced and too oriented on the comic events, and Akagami no Shirayuki-hime, despite its ever-increasing charm and assurance, as that has too much plot.
Anyone have anything similar to recommend?
ETA: It occurs to me that Eensy-Weensy Monster is a sort of two-volume distillation of His and Her Circumstances shifted into this sub-genre. The evolution of the hero gets as much emphasis as the heroine, but it's all very introspective and low-key and about the emotions, rather than the drama. (2 volumes, licensed, one of them published)
---L.
Unless otherwise noted, all these series are unlicensed. Most are complete in Japan, but for some scans are still ongoing. In no particular order:
Crazy for You (Karuho Shiina) - Series of chained relationships with five principles creates three interlocking triangles. Which sounds plot-heavy but manages not to be, through excellent storytelling. (6 volumes complete, some sidestories not yet scanned)
Kare wa Tomodachi (Ririko Yoshioka) - The sort where the two leads not only go out with the wrong people but have sex with them. The later plot complications run into melodrama territory, but this still fits the bill because of the plastic ducks. (6 of 7 volumes scanned)
Strobe Edge (Io Sakisaka) - What's charming about this one is how the heroine seems to have wandered in from a romcom, but despite her energy and initial naivete, she is actually quite reflective and not at all stupid. I also like the author's switcharoo with the unlucky childhood friend, who initially looks like one leg of the triangle but instead ends up being part of a beta couple, showing that yes first love is not 4evers. (6 of 10 volumes scanned)
Shiroi Mado no Mukougawa (Kyouko Hikawa) - All of Hikawa's early high-school romances count, really, but this just happened to be the one I stumbled upon most recently. (That her range includes these, the Wild-West adventures of Miriam, the high fantasy From Far Away, and the historical fantasy Otogi Moyou Ayanishiki only increases my admiration of her work.) This one includes childhood friends and various potential romantic complications. (1 of 2 volumes scanned; see also Onnanoko wa Yoyuu! for a completed 1-volume series)
Sprout (Atsuko Nanba) - Heroine lives in a large traditional home converted to a boarding house, and the love-interest is a classmate boarder. I like how the protagonist cannot bring herself to dislike the love-interest's girlfriend because she is, in fact, genuinely pretty and sweet. The other boarders are a hoot, as well. (7 volumes complete)
Bokura wa Itsumo (Ayu Fujimiya) - There is a love triangle, but only some of the four leads are involved -- the set-up is to compare and contrast several relationships. I have high hopes for this one. (2 of 6-ongoing volumes scanned)
Hatsukare (Miyoshi Toumori) - Extremely sweet, and refreshing in that there's no triangle on the horizon -- the two leads have enough troubles negotiating their relationship, having both grown up attending single-sex schools and being shy to boot. (2 of 10 volumes scanned)
Kingyo Sou (Yuki Fujitsuka) - A high-school-into-college romance, with taiko drumming and a deaf love-interest. No real triangle here because, well, learning to communicate with a deaf love-interest contributes enough plot tension for two low-key volumes. (2 volumes complete)
24 Colors (Kozue Chiba) - Short, sweet, and oh so gorgeous art. Which is as it should be, as the principals are all in the school art club for a reason. If it had lasted more than one volume, the triangle might not have been as abortive, but I'm good with that as it's the weakest part of the story. (1 volume complete)
On the border of the set of Things Like This are Tenshi Nanka ja Nai (Ai Yazawa; scans complete) despite being slightly heavy on the drama, Cat Street (Youko Kamio; scans complete) despite being heavy on plot, and Kimi ni Todoke (also Karuho Shiina; licensed and ongoing) despite having a fair amount of comedy. Outside the set are Faster Than a Kiss, which is both too fast-paced and too oriented on the comic events, and Akagami no Shirayuki-hime, despite its ever-increasing charm and assurance, as that has too much plot.
Anyone have anything similar to recommend?
ETA: It occurs to me that Eensy-Weensy Monster is a sort of two-volume distillation of His and Her Circumstances shifted into this sub-genre. The evolution of the hero gets as much emphasis as the heroine, but it's all very introspective and low-key and about the emotions, rather than the drama. (2 volumes, licensed, one of them published)
---L.
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no subject
Date: 20 December 2010 11:59 pm (UTC)Aoi Hana is a really sweet, low-key yuri romance. I really love the relationship between the two main characters (one who has always known she's a lesbian, and her best friend who's trying to figure out if she is). It manages to explore the confusion one feels when figuring out your sexuality without angst.
no subject
Date: 21 December 2010 02:30 am (UTC)And the first volume of same author's Wandering Son comes out in a couple months.
---L.
no subject
Date: 21 December 2010 03:58 am (UTC)Kingyo Sou is one of my favorite unlicensed mangas ever. I love the combination of sweetness and poignancy; that the deafness is not treated as a terrible life-ending blight and is not simply sparkled away through the power love, but remains something that they deal with.
I'm not sure I have anything similar to recommend. Hoshiyomi no Yogensha probably doesn't count because the heroine is a suicidal (in the first chapter) ex-prophet and magical assassins keep popping up. But it has a certain sweetness to it, and despite the drama there's a strong focus on how she recovers by building a quiet life with her new friends.
no subject
Date: 21 December 2010 05:00 am (UTC)I wasn't remembering Hoshiyomi no Yogensha from your description, but which probably says something about its memorability, but once I looked it up I confirmed that I have indeed read that. Charming but a little light-weight, despite the initial premise, and the heroine's rebuilding of her life is indeed the best part.
And exactly that, about Kingyo Sou -- there's remarkably little dramaz about the deafness. It's just something to work through.
---L.
no subject
Date: 21 December 2010 08:07 pm (UTC)I loved Shuukatsu Kimi Ni Naitei.
no subject
Date: 21 December 2010 11:43 pm (UTC)*adds title to TBR list*
---L.
no subject
Date: 22 December 2010 03:14 am (UTC)---L.
no subject
Date: 23 December 2010 07:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 December 2010 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 December 2010 01:30 am (UTC)I haven't tried Dengenki Daisy yet. *adds to TBR list*
---L.