Gentlemen's Alliance, anyone?

Post about anime's sister, manga in here. Manga reviews accepted in here as well.

Gentlemen's Alliance, anyone?

Postby PigtailsJazz » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:00 pm

Upon picking up the beautiful February 2007 edition of Shojo Beat, I noticed that it contained a '43-page preview' of The Gentlemen's Alliance by Arina Tanemura. According to Amazon, the first volume in English doesn't come out until March 6th. So, for all of you Tanemura fans out there, I would suggest stopping by your local bookstore and grabbing a copy of Shojo Beat. ^^
User avatar
PigtailsJazz
 
Posts: 221
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:29 pm
Location: In my head

Postby Radical Dreamer » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:02 pm

From what I've heard of this series, I probably won't be interested. Apparently, there's some level of shounen-ai in it, which is enough to keep me far, far away. XD I'll wait 'til Tanemura's next series, I think. XD
[color="DeepSkyBlue"]4 8 15 16 23[/color] 42
[color="PaleGreen"]Rushia: YOU ARE MY FAVORITE IGNORANT AMERICAN OF IRISH DECENT. I LOVE YOU AND YOUR POTATOES.[/color]
[color="Orange"]WELCOME TO MOES[/color]

Image

User avatar
Radical Dreamer
 
Posts: 7950
Joined: Sat May 28, 2005 9:00 am
Location: Some place where I can think up witty things to say under the "Location" category.

Postby PigtailsJazz » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:08 pm

WHAT?!?! *weeps bitterly* WHY, TANEMURA, WHY???

Man....I should really do my research on these things next time....
User avatar
PigtailsJazz
 
Posts: 221
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:29 pm
Location: In my head

Postby Radical Dreamer » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:10 pm

PigtailsJazz wrote:WHAT?!?! *weeps bitterly* WHY, TANEMURA, WHY???

Man....I should really do my research on these things next time....


Yeah, I know, I was disappointed, too. XD I'm hoping she's just temporarily dipping in these things, though. Here's hoping for a next-to-spotless Tanemura series on the horizon in the near future, though. XD
[color="DeepSkyBlue"]4 8 15 16 23[/color] 42
[color="PaleGreen"]Rushia: YOU ARE MY FAVORITE IGNORANT AMERICAN OF IRISH DECENT. I LOVE YOU AND YOUR POTATOES.[/color]
[color="Orange"]WELCOME TO MOES[/color]

Image

User avatar
Radical Dreamer
 
Posts: 7950
Joined: Sat May 28, 2005 9:00 am
Location: Some place where I can think up witty things to say under the "Location" category.

Postby Mangafanatic » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:14 pm

Radical Dreamer wrote:Yeah, I know, I was disappointed, too. XD I'm hoping she's just temporarily dipping in these things, though. Here's hoping for a next-to-spotless Tanemura series on the horizon in the near future, though. XD



It is true that Gentlemen's Alliance had a lot more objectionable content (IMHO) that many of Tanemura's pervious series. However, even her past series have had some substantial issues. Oshige's affair and some of the tame nudity in FMoS, comes to mind for example.

PigtailsJazz wrote:WHAT?!?! *weeps bitterly* WHY, TANEMURA, WHY???

Man....I should really do my research on these things next time....



Yeah, there's one character who's openly gay, a character who crossdresses, and a female character who messes around with male characters in the nurses office. And that was just in the first couple of volumes.


I must say, though, I'm ashamed to be so woefully behind on Tanemura news if this means that Gentlemen's Alliance has been licensed. I must find out when this happened. . .
Every year in Uganda, innumerable children simply. . . disappear. These children all stolen under the cover of darkness from their homes and impressed into the guerilla armies of the LRA [Lord's Resistance Army]. In the deserts of Uganda, they are forced to witness the mindless slaughter of other children until they themselves can do nothing but kill. Kill. These children, generally ranging from ages 5-12, are brainwashed into murdering in the name of the resistance and into stealing other children from their beds to suffer the same fate.

Because of this genocide of innocence, hundred and hundreds of children live every night sleeping in public places miles from their homes, because they know that if the do not-- they will disappear. They will become just another number in this genocide to which the international community has chosen to turn a blind eye. They will become, in affect, invisible-- Invisible Children.

But there are those who are trying to fight against this slaughter of Uganda's children. They fight to protect these "invisible children." Please, help them help a country full of children who know nothing by fear. Help save the innocence. For more information concerning how you can help and how you can get an incredible video about this horrific reality, visit the Invisible Children home page.
User avatar
Mangafanatic
 
Posts: 4918
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2004 5:00 am
Location: In La-La land.

Postby Mr. SmartyPants » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:23 pm

Maybe there's... like.... meaning behind all those characters? I'm probably prejudging, but the fact it says "Gentlemen's Alliance" means to me that there's some major character who straight, heterosexual, calm, and smooth gentlemen-like qualities.

But I don't know for sure XD Maybe I'll check some of it out later.
User avatar
Mr. SmartyPants
 
Posts: 12541
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:00 am

Postby Ashley » Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:31 pm

The reason such a staunchly "clean" Tanemura is switching to something racier is because the whole theme of the series is "love"--Tanemura is trying to explore all sorts of relationships: friends, heterosexual couples, and homosexual ones. There's also some hints at possible incest, and teacher-student relations. I think she wants to find out if there's anything that's really "off-limits" or "wrong."

Personally, Gentleman's Alliance (or ShinCross, as I've heard it referred to) is my least favorite of her series, and not just because of the shounen/shoujo-ai. A lot of that could be just fluff anyway (i.e. characters pretending to be gay for a rise) but it's also quite confusing storywise and a little bland. You're better off, I think, sticking to her more mainstream stuff.
Image
User avatar
Ashley
 
Posts: 7364
Joined: Mon May 26, 2003 10:00 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Postby Radical Dreamer » Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:05 pm

Mangafanatic wrote:It is true that Gentlemen's Alliance had a lot more objectionable content (IMHO) that many of Tanemura's pervious series. However, even her past series have had some substantial issues. Oshige's affair and some of the tame nudity in FMoS, comes to mind for example.


Well yeah, that is true. And of course, there's the religious aspect that keeps me from fully checking into KKJ just yet, too. Another thing, though, is how sparse the content is. If the series is riddled with objectionable content, that's one thing (as far as I'm concerned, at least XD), but if there's only a mild spattering of things that show up once or twice in a few volumes, that's much easier to handle (depending on what those "spatterings" contain, of course XD). I guess it all boils down to what any one person is comfortable with reading.
[color="DeepSkyBlue"]4 8 15 16 23[/color] 42
[color="PaleGreen"]Rushia: YOU ARE MY FAVORITE IGNORANT AMERICAN OF IRISH DECENT. I LOVE YOU AND YOUR POTATOES.[/color]
[color="Orange"]WELCOME TO MOES[/color]

Image

User avatar
Radical Dreamer
 
Posts: 7950
Joined: Sat May 28, 2005 9:00 am
Location: Some place where I can think up witty things to say under the "Location" category.

Postby Ashley » Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:17 am

KKJ SIDETRACK!

there's the religious aspect that keeps me from fully checking into KKJ just yet,


As it should. I did a review on this title a while back (https://www.christiananime.net/manga_reviews.php?display=179), so maybe that would help?

In my opinion, the twist on Christianity is not meant to be offensive. I think she uses it for the imagery and for a loose backdrop the way we would use a Greek myth. And having taken some classes on Shinto and Buddhism, it's a typical Japanese way of looking at God. However, the religion shouldn't be the ONLY thing keeping you en guarde with KKJ...there is a near-rape scene and some implied "other" things.

Just thought I'd help you clear it up. If you have more questions feel free to PM me.

</KKJ Sidetrack>
Image
User avatar
Ashley
 
Posts: 7364
Joined: Mon May 26, 2003 10:00 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Postby Radical Dreamer » Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:27 am

Ashley wrote:KKJ SIDETRACK!



As it should. I did a review on this title a while back (https://www.christiananime.net/manga_reviews.php?display=179), so maybe that would help?

In my opinion, the twist on Christianity is not meant to be offensive. I think she uses it for the imagery and for a loose backdrop the way we would use a Greek myth. And having taken some classes on Shinto and Buddhism, it's a typical Japanese way of looking at God. However, the religion shouldn't be the ONLY thing keeping you en guarde with KKJ...there is a near-rape scene and some implied "other" things.

Just thought I'd help you clear it up. If you have more questions feel free to PM me.

</KKJ Sidetrack>



Oh yeah, I definitely understand that. It's mostly because I can just imagine my mom deciding to randomly flip through a volume of it and happening upon the worst page in the book or something. XD It happens often (it happened with Furuba, at least), and I'm never informed enough to clearly explain why it is the way it is. XD The review should help a bit though, so thanks! :D
[color="DeepSkyBlue"]4 8 15 16 23[/color] 42
[color="PaleGreen"]Rushia: YOU ARE MY FAVORITE IGNORANT AMERICAN OF IRISH DECENT. I LOVE YOU AND YOUR POTATOES.[/color]
[color="Orange"]WELCOME TO MOES[/color]

Image

User avatar
Radical Dreamer
 
Posts: 7950
Joined: Sat May 28, 2005 9:00 am
Location: Some place where I can think up witty things to say under the "Location" category.

Postby Doe Johnson » Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:37 am

Shinshi Doumei Cross (as I know the title) is very...interesting...in a kinda weird completely confused about what's going on kind of way. It does have a slight shounen-ai theme in it that appears right from the beginning, but if you've gotten that far, as far as I remember, it doesn't really get too much worse. From what I remember, there's one character who's gay, one who's bi, and then the friend who is always in the doctors office *cough*. Each chapter only comes out once a month so I haven't read a translation in ages, but other than the weird creepy stuff that made me want to burn it, I found the story interesting. I kinda find the whole figuring out which character did what to be fun, as there are so many twists in the story that you'll be completely lost at times.
The #1 Fan of mastersquirrel's Voice!

In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. - Douglas Adams
I smell cinnamon roll-y!!

You fight like a dairy farmer!
The Giver of Quality Hugs
I felt a great bump in the Thread, as if millions of posts suddenly bumped in terror and were suddenly silenced.

No - My birthday isn't really on the Ides of March, but that is the fake date I use everywhere on the Internet.
Adopted: ishy

the cc is special ground, cc's provide protection to all who seek shelter there, no violence can be done in a cower corner - it is known
User avatar
Doe Johnson
 
Posts: 489
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 10:45 pm
Location: Kansas

Postby shojoiscool2 » Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:05 pm

Radical Dreamer wrote:From what I've heard of this series, I probably won't be interested. Apparently, there's some level of shounen-ai in it, which is enough to keep me far, far away. XD I'll wait 'til Tanemura's next series, I think. XD


Oh know :shake: , this was totally on my to buy list, I guess I'll try Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne next.
shojoiscool2
 
Posts: 74
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2006 10:03 pm
Location: south us

Postby PrincessZelda » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:18 am

Huh... My friend was telling me that Arina Tanemura had a new manga coming out soon, and I was excited and really wanted to buy it, but now I'm not so sure... XD What's it rated?
"If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats."

Image
User avatar
PrincessZelda
 
Posts: 1855
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:00 am
Location: New Mexico

Postby ChristianKitsune » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:39 pm

I wish I had found this thread before purchasing this book...*siigh*

It was wrapped in plastic because of a poster inside...so I didn't get a chance to flip through it...

I thought that Tanemura's previous titles are alright that maybe this was okay too...DARN IT!


10 bucks down the drain...though since Doe Johnson's post made it sound a little better I might give it a try, as to buying further volums I probably will not.
ImageImage
Stick Monkey Chronicles
Web-Manga Hosted by: The Project
User avatar
ChristianKitsune
 
Posts: 5420
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2005 12:00 pm
Location: In my sketchbook of wonderment and puffy pink clouds! *\^o^/*

Postby PrincessZelda » Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:14 pm

[spoiler]The guy that says he's gay isn't really gay. He's just pretending to be gay so girls will leave him alone.[/spoiler]
"If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats."

Image
User avatar
PrincessZelda
 
Posts: 1855
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:00 am
Location: New Mexico

Postby ChristianKitsune » Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:17 pm

*O* Ohh that makes me feel better XD
ImageImage
Stick Monkey Chronicles
Web-Manga Hosted by: The Project
User avatar
ChristianKitsune
 
Posts: 5420
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2005 12:00 pm
Location: In my sketchbook of wonderment and puffy pink clouds! *\^o^/*

Postby PrincessZelda » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:18 pm

Yeah, I was kind of freaked out at first, too. XD I bought it, and then was like "Hmm... I don't know about this..." But decided to finish the first volume, and see if it got worse, and then I'd stop reading it if it did. But then I got to the end and realized that it actually wasn't as bad as it seemed... XD
"If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats."

Image
User avatar
PrincessZelda
 
Posts: 1855
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:00 am
Location: New Mexico

Postby Shao Feng-Li » Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:13 am

Hey that's cool. Maybe if the first volume itself is OK I'll get it for the poster XD
User avatar
Shao Feng-Li
 
Posts: 5187
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2003 12:00 pm
Location: Idaho

Postby Doe Johnson » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:45 am

Well...I might be making it sound better than it actually is. I dunno, I found it interesting, but still quite offensive.
The #1 Fan of mastersquirrel's Voice!

In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. - Douglas Adams
I smell cinnamon roll-y!!

You fight like a dairy farmer!
The Giver of Quality Hugs
I felt a great bump in the Thread, as if millions of posts suddenly bumped in terror and were suddenly silenced.

No - My birthday isn't really on the Ides of March, but that is the fake date I use everywhere on the Internet.
Adopted: ishy

the cc is special ground, cc's provide protection to all who seek shelter there, no violence can be done in a cower corner - it is known
User avatar
Doe Johnson
 
Posts: 489
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 10:45 pm
Location: Kansas

Postby Ashley » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:40 am

Well, I would caution everyone not to get their hopes up. I haven't finished this series, but I have read quite a ways into it, and well, it doesn't get much better. Teachers having affairs with students, students' sexuality being questioned, even cross-dressers are in abundance.

Tanemura-sensei said in an interview about this title that she wanted to explore "love." She wanted to bring in all aspects of love, too, so that's why there's so much questionable content. I don't know that it will get better, but I thought I'd give you guys a heads up.
Image
User avatar
Ashley
 
Posts: 7364
Joined: Mon May 26, 2003 10:00 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Postby The Doctor » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:26 pm

in that case it won't get better. Once an artist has dedicated himself or herself to exploring certain aspects of life through storytelling, only God can stop it. Especially since the author sees nothing wrong with it.
My new project: Story Ship, a storyblog. Now updates are every Friday!
http://storyship.blogspot.com/

Check out my short film IMPACT. Trailer available at impactshortfilm.webs.com. Short film now available FREE at http://bit.ly/cglmZ6

"There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1
User avatar
The Doctor
 
Posts: 512
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:10 am
Location: Right here.

Postby ChristianKitsune » Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:11 pm

ohhh I see...=_=' sounds kinda scary...I will probably not continue it then...BOO TANEMURA!
ImageImage
Stick Monkey Chronicles
Web-Manga Hosted by: The Project
User avatar
ChristianKitsune
 
Posts: 5420
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2005 12:00 pm
Location: In my sketchbook of wonderment and puffy pink clouds! *\^o^/*

Postby Shao Feng-Li » Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:46 pm

Welcome to Japan :/
User avatar
Shao Feng-Li
 
Posts: 5187
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2003 12:00 pm
Location: Idaho

Postby JesusFreak84 » Sat Apr 14, 2007 11:32 am

I read the preview chapter and didn't like it at all, and not just because of the shonen-ai aspects of it. :-\
Papist Pest :angel:

http://jesusfreak84.livejournal.com
http://www.adorem.us/forum
http://www.omegarock.com
Warning: I'm prone to the following--
:rant::comp::bang::poke::forehead:
"MOES. I can has Sane Sig now?" (Plagiarized from Mithradir.)
User avatar
JesusFreak84
 
Posts: 279
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2004 10:00 am
Location: Somewhere in the midwest...


Return to Manga and Manga Reviews

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 45 guests