YKK Forum

Afternoon manga question

This is a little off-topic, but I saw a manga serial in the Oct. issue of Afternoon, p 571, and wondered if someone could give me a translation of the title so I can look for it translated. All I understand is the "X" at the end.

I got this issue to see YKK in its native form and to support the mangaka. I was surprised to see 5 or so series I recognized from US manga or scanslations.

Thanks

- Kerry
Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Howdy,

I'll look at the series when I get home tonight.

Afternoon has many popular series that have been brought over to the US already. Ah, My Goddess and Blade of the Immortal are two of the most famous.

Best,

Dave

- dDave
Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Del Rey have just announced they've licensed Genshiken, so that's another Afternoon title coming to America.

- martialstax
Thursday, October 21, 2004

Howdy,

The manga in question is "Nazo no kanojo X" by Ueshiba Riichi. He also did "Dicommunication" and "Yume Tsukai".

Best,

Dave

- dDave
Friday, October 22, 2004

Howdy,

I should have included that "nazo no kanojo X" means "mystery girl X". (Although I'm sure that "lolicon girl X" was a close second when he titled the series.)

Best,

Dave

- dDave
Friday, October 22, 2004

I just checked on the author - looks like he goes in for sensationalism - maybe "Mystery Girl" is a mild example; the only unusual thing I saw was a weird variation on the "secondhand kiss". Still, the art was nice.

- Kerry
Friday, October 22, 2004

"Sensationalism?!"

Hai!!!

I like Ueshiba-san very much, and this is another nice story. Both parts (are there more?) have already been scanned and translated by Kotonha.

Anyone know if there are picture books by Ueshiba-san?

- seaweb
Saturday, October 23, 2004

Here's the link to the the manga:
http://kotonoha.monkey-pirate.com/index.php?topic=59.msg321#msg321

What's the story about? I'm not sure I'd like it that much, but I don't know anything about it. ^-^

- Carn
Saturday, October 23, 2004

Ueshiba Riichi's stories are all sort of the same thing -- they involve middle-school students on the cusp of puberty who are discovering their own sexuality, and there are always bizarre supernatural elements as well (often involving Eastern religious imagery). Generally the supernatural elements can be read as metaphors for sexual development or adolescent sexual confusion in some way. Discommunication actually took place in college at one point but the characters still looked like they were in middle school.

He's one of my favorite mangaka and I hope that he comes back with an actual series (Mysterious Girlfriend X was just a short story).

- Chris Kern
Friday, October 29, 2004

BTW there was only one "part" to this story -- the scanlation group may have released it in multiple parts but it was just printed as a single 80-page (or so) short story.

- Chris Kern
Friday, October 29, 2004

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