Review: YUKARISM Volume 4

YUKARISM, VOL. 4
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Chika Shiomi
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Rina Mapa
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7971-9; paperback (November 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

It seems as if VIZ Media published the first volume yesterday.  However, the English-language, graphic novel publication of Yukarism, the nostalgia-tinted historical romance, has come to an end.  Created by Chika Shiomi, this manga follows an accomplished teenaged author who can slip into time and  assume his past life as a courtesan.

As a 17-year-old high school student, Yukari Kobayakawa is already an accomplished author.  Yukari's historical novels are set in Japan's Edo Period of the early 1800s, of which he writes about with amazingly accurate detail.  Shockingly, Yukari has the ability to slip into a past life in the Edo period, where he is a beautiful, renowned courtesan (Oiran) named Yumurasaki.

As Yukarism, Vol. 4 (Chapters 14 to 17) opens, Yukari is confronted by his ailing health.  He seems to be afflicted by Yumurasaki's fatal illness from the past, and the reason may be because Yukari is spending more and more time in the past.

Yukari is apparently also taking his compatriots into the past.  In the past, fellow student, Mahoro Tachibana, was Shizuka Takamura, a witch-doctor who was in love with Yumurasaki.  In the Edo past, his temporary housekeeper, Katsuhiko Satomi, was Kazuma, Yumurasaki's bodyguard.  Caught in the mystic energies of the past, Mahoro believes that Kazuma killed Yumurasaki, so now, she must kill Satomi to save a life.  Are the three fated to repeat their tragic connection?

[This volume includes bonus manga.]

Like Chika Shiomi's prior series, the Yukarism manga is a short-run manga.  Yukarism Volume 4 is the final volume of this series.  The story is a fireworks-like display of mystic energies and time-shifting that rivals Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange comics.

The short bio at the back of this volume states that one of Shiomi's favorite artists is Gustav Klimt, and I can see the Klimt-ish in her art.  This final volume is filled with pages of lovely art, including many pages with big close-ups of romantic moments.  There is a happy ending, but it is as melancholy as it is sparkly and fizzy.  I like that Shiomi insists on complicating the little things and the big things.  Even here, the typical must be at least a little atypical.

Fans of Chika Shiomi will have four easy volumes in which to love the Shojo Beat title, Yukarism.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Yukarism: Who Were They?

I read Yukarism, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Yukarism: Dark Sides of Future Past

I read Yukarism, Vol. 2

I posted a review at ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter or at Grumble.

Review: YUKARISM Volume 1

YUKARISM, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Chika Shiomi
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Rina Mapa
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7590-2; paperback (December 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

VIZ Media has recently released its latest series from mangaka Chika Shiomi.  Entitled Yukarism, this nostalgia-tinted historical romance follows an accomplished teenaged author who can slip into time and  assume his past life as a courtesan.

Yukari Kobayakawa is 17-years-old and attends high school.  He is also already an accomplished author who writes about historical Japan, specifically the Edo Period of the early 1800s.  Shockingly, Yukari has the ability to slip into his past life in the Edo period, when he was as a beautiful, renowned courtesan (Oiran) named Yumurasaki.

As Yukarism, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 4) opens, high school student Mahoro Tachibana gets a chance to meet fellow classmate, Yukari Kobayakawa.  She is a huge fan of his period novels.  Surprisingly, Yukari is sure he knows Mahoro, and she is also sure that she knows him.  They have a connection in the past, but Yukari wonders if their relationship was friendly or deadly.

I knew that I would like the Yukarism manga by Chika Shiomi.  I loved Shiomi's supernatural romance, Yurara, and I was a fan of her other supernatural shojo manga, Rasetsu.  Her work bewitches me.

I must admit that the contents of Yukarism Volume 1 strains credulity.  The chance of so many reincarnations in such close proximity to one another is too much to believe.  Still, if I accept the reincarnation conceit to begin with, I guess I have to accept all of Yukarism's other fantasy elements.  The elegant line work of Yukarism's art gives the story a captivating quality, and fans bewitched by Shiomi's other supernatural romances will want to try this.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Rasetsu the Final Volume

I read Rasetsu, Vol. 9

I posted a review in the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

I Reads You Review: RASETSU, VOL. 5

Creator: Chika Shiomi; Kinami Watabe (translation and adaptation)

Publishing Information: VIZ MEDIA, paperback, 192 pages, $9.99 (US), $12.99 CAN

Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4215-2754-3 (ISBN-13)

Rating “T+” for “Older Teen”

Rasetsu is a shojo manga (comic for teen girls) from creator, Chika Shiomi. Rasetsu is essentially a spin-off of an earlier Shiomi manga entitled Yurara, mainly because a character from Yurara appears in Rasetsu.

Rasetsu focuses on its title character, 19-year-old Rasetsu Hyuga. When she was 15-years-old, an evil spirit attacked Rasetsu. Although she survived the attack, the spirit vowed to return to claim Rasetsu on her 20th birthday… unless she has found true love. As a memento of their encounter, the spirit left a bright red flower mark on her chest. Now, Rasetsu works for Hiichiro Amakawa Agency, an exorcist agency, and she uses her special powers to banish evil spirits. She also searches for true love which may have come in the form of her two coworkers, Iwatsuki Kuryu and Yako Hoshino (the holdover from Yurara).

As Rasetsu, Vol. 5 begins, Rasetsu is dealing with the aftermath of Kuryu’s kiss. What should she make of it when her heart really longs for Yako? Yako teases, but how does he really feel about her, especially considering that he is still hung up on that spirit he loved in high school? Meanwhile, their boss, Hiichiro Amakawa, drops their strangest case on them. Nanami Nishikawa is a young woman who is about to give birth to her child, but a dark spirit that kills babies is after her unborn child.

Rasetsu, like Yurara, is a supernatural-themed romance. Rasetsu is also a shojo love triangle with a hook – the young lovers are also ghost busters. Separately, neither the romance nor the ghost busting is original in its execution, but when combined, they make Rasetsu seem special. Each – the love triangle and the supernatural – gives the other a sense of urgency. The conflict is not just about fighting ghosts, but it is also about combating the sense of confusion that young love time three creates.

I like Rasetsu quite a bit, almost as much as I liked Yurara. I tear through a volume of Rasetsu like there was a box off of Popeye’s fried chicken waiting for me at the end. Rasetsu is not a great manga, but it does supernatural romance better than most. It is a personal favorite, and I would recommend it to people familiar with Shiomi’s work.

B+

Manga Review: RASETSU! Volume 2

RASETSU, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA

CARTOONIST: Chika Shiomi
TRANSLATION & ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Kinami Watabe
LETTERS: Freeman Wong
ISBN: 978-1-4215-2751-2; paperback; Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
200pp, B&W, $8.99 US, $10.50 CAN

Rasetsu no Hana was a supernatural mystery shojo manga written and illustrated by Chika Shiomi.  The series was serialized in the manga magazine, Bessatsu Hana to Yume, from 2005 to 2010.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a nine-volume graphic novel series, entitled Rasetsu, from 2009 to 2011 under its “Shojo Beat” imprint.

Rasetsu Hyuga was attacked by an evil spirit when she was 15-years-old.  Although she survived the attack, the spirit vowed to return to claim Rasetsu on her 20th birthday… unless she found true love.  As a memento of their encounter, the spirit left the mark of a bright red flower on her chest.  Now, the 18-year-old Rasetsu works for an exorcist agency, using her special powers to banish evil spirits, while she awaits her fate.

As Rasetsu, Vol. 2, opens, Rasetsu has a year-and-a-half remaining before her demonic attacker returns to take her.  Not knowing the circumstances, her coworker, Yako Hoshino, thinks that Rasetsu’s quest for a boyfriend is frivolous, but what are those strange feelings that Yako is having for Rasetsu?  Meanwhile, the rivalry between Yako and fellow employee, the dark, handsome, and very tall, Kuryu Iwatsuki, simmers; is the source of their banter Rasetsu?  Then, the entire Hiichiro Amakawa Agency, including boss Hiichiro Amakawa and receptionist Aoi, head to the amusement park for a day of fun, but it’s really a work holiday.  The park is haunted!

THE LOWDOWN:  Fans of manga-ka Chika Shiomi probably already know that Rasetsu is a spin-off of the shojo manga series, Yurara.  Yako Hoshino was the odd-man-out in Yurara’s love triangle.  Shiomi seems to be creating another supernatural love triangle with Rasetsu at the center and Yako and Kuryu vying for her affections – maybe.

Rasetsu Graphic Novel 2 mixes elements of the workplace romance with aspects of the supernatural thriller (hauntings, angry spirits, aggressive entities, etc.).  Although Rasetsu is like Yurara, Rasetsu isn’t a carbon copy, but it sure comes close.  Perhaps, that’s why I like Rasetsu as much as I do.  The character development is not strong, and the drama is soft; even the romance comes across as gooey, junior high puppy love.  On nearly every page, flower patterns and effects encircle the characters during moments when love is in the air.  But like the troubled spirits that often appear in these stories, Rasetsu possess the reader when simple enchantment isn’t enough.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fans of the manga of Chika Shiomi will like the “Shojo Beat” title, Rasetsu.

B+
7 out of 10

Revised:  Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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