There are two universal truths in today’s rapidly changing comics industry. The first is that Dog Man is the defining blockbuster of our era. The second is that more people are reading manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before. Therefore we at Comics Beat are continuing our Beat’s Bizarre Adventure. Every week we’ll have three writers recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea and elsewhere. This week we have fashion, fudanshi, and, of course, fish.
On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance
Writer/Artist: Shinnosuke Kanazawa
Publisher: Square Enix (print & digital & MANGA UP!)
He is the kind, beloved prince of the office. She is the prickly, gloomy one people tend to stay away from. When the clock hits midnight and the carriage turns back into a pumpkin, he transforms into a Lolita while she adorns spikes, chains and metal bars to become a punk.
Everyone has a side to them that they tend not to show at work. However, Amata and Hanku are interested in subcultures of fashion that transform them into new people—named Kanade and Aki, respectively. One day, Aki’s metal spikes accidentally tear Kanade’s puff-sleeve dress. They exchange contact info so that Aki might repay the damage they caused. Hence, a friendship blooms between these unsuspecting coworkers who go for opposing styles but share the same passion.
I found On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance almost two years ago in some manga recommendation reel. I remember sighing to myself because I was interested in the series, but who knew when (or if) it would get licensed in English. So imagine my excitement when MANGA UP! acquired it a year later!
Amata and Hanku as Kanade and Aki are into Lolita and punk culture. It’s especially tricky for Amane as a man who’s dressing up in frilly, elaborate dresses and donning a long, flowy wig. He’s extra careful not to let his secret slip. Shortly after meeting Hanku as Aki, he picks up on Aki’s scent that’s all too familiar to him. Hanku as Aki, on the other hand, is fond of cute things and Kanade immediately catches her attention.
Both are into fashion styles that stand out and it’s so fulfilling to read them finding someone who shares that devotion. For example, Hanku knows full well how expensive Lolita-style dresses are and is further stumped by Kanade having an emotional attachment to the dress. She knows it’s not just a piece of garment.
Of course, a subtle queer undercurrent accompanies On and Off. I appreciated the care the translator (who’s unfortunately not credited on MANGA UP!) put into keeping pronouns gender-neutral when the two are dressing up as Kanade and Aki or differentiating between sex/gender when necessary.
On and Off is serialized in Gangan Pixiv, which is a collaboration between Square Enix and Pixiv, an online community for artists in Japan. Other works from this magazine that readers would be familiar with are Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, Mr. Villain’s Day Off, and A Man and His Cat to name a few. As you can see, Gangan Pixiv isn’t solely focused on a specific type of genre or demographic. So I’m hopeful that the series won’t necessarily evolve into a romance between Amata and Hanku. Not that I’m against it! I just really enjoy their current dynamic and want to read more of their shared excitement toward their hobbies that mean so much to them. Highly recommended! — Merve Giray
The Downstairs Resident is Mr. Fudanshi
Writer/Artist: Kuroiwa Chihaya
Publisher: Manga Planet
The Downstairs Resident is Mr. Fudanshi delivers a comedy of errors as salaryman Sokabe deliberately chooses to live far from his workplace because he has feelings for his downstairs neighbor, Motoi. A private person by nature, Motoi keeps to himself—until fate intervenes. When a thief steals Sokabe’s belongings, he finds himself locked out of his apartment and needing an extra key. Motoi steps in to help, giving Sokabe an unexpected chance to learn more about him.
Sokabe soon discovers that his crush is a huge BL fan. But a hilarious misunderstanding unfolds when Motoi mistakenly assumes he shares the same passion. Now, Sokabe must keep up the act of being a fellow fudanshi while struggling to hide his true feelings.
The Downstairs Resident is Mr. Fudanshi is a series that many BL fans (fujoshi and fudanshi alike) can relate to. I’m not in a place where I can talk about BL with my fujoshi friends in public. Or pretty much anywhere that’s not online. I’m almost envious of Motoi’s fanboy tendencies and his unabashed, enthusiastic discussions about BL. The stuff that comes out of his mouth are things that I’d never bring myself to talk about—even online with trusted friends—without self-combusting.
The humor is one of the series’ strongest points. Just as poor Sokabe thinks that he’s found another gay person like himself, he realizes that his downstairs neighbor is the second-closest thing: a fudanshi. Motoi collects BL material and goes to cons too. Sokabe tries his best to pretend he’s a BL connoisseur but he’s terrible at it.
One of the strengths of this four-volume manga series is that the characters are fairly realistic. For instance, Furuichi is a fellow fudanshi who befriends Motoi. When he discovers Motoi and Sokabe’s relationship, he instantly becomes hostile because while he likes gay couples, he only likes them when they’re 2D. It’s not uncommon for BL fans to enjoy gay fiction but instantly draw the line when it comes to real-life homosexual couples. While Furuichi does redeem himself, I appreciate that the artist included this character in the story.
With its mix of humor, romance, and endearing misunderstandings, this lighthearted series is perfect for BL fans looking for a fun and wholesome read. — Hilary Leung
To the Sea
Writer/Artist: Mukoubi Aoi
Translation: zhuchka
Lettering: Tim Sun
Editing and Design: emuh ruh
Publisher: Glacier Bay Books
To the Sea begins like a children’s story. One day a young girl hears that a dolphin has appeared in the nearby Tama River. When she finds him, scarred and floating in the water, she discovers to her surprise that she can understand its language. The dolphin says that she is just like him–a descendant of Triton. At first the girl doesn’t believe him. But when she finds a sword in the closet, made of mysterious orichalcum metal, she hops on the dolphin’s back and begins her long journey.
To the Sea reads like a faded dream. Artist Mukoubi Aoi renders environments via pen stroke rather than relying too heavily on photo reference. His oceans are a mess of short black pen dashes on white, or scribbly white pen on infinite black. His human characters are simply drawn, lack pupils and often wear simple robes or dresses rather than detailed outfits. Mukoubi originally distributed the series via the independent comics festival Comiket, and its lack of polish may be as much a matter of practicality as it is thematic.
I think the work is better for it, though. To the Sea’s empty space and missing details leave that much more to the imagination. What is the difference between those descended from Triton and Poseidon, and why are they at war? Why is orichalcum metal so dangerous? When the dolphin Luca passes away (spoilers!) and is replaced by another dolphin who says they are also Luca, what does that mean?
The answers are rarely reassuring. To the Sea has a cruel side that is visible from the very first chapter, but only becomes more prevalent as it continues. Imagine if you combined Daisuke Igarashi’s environmentalism with the misanthropy of Mohiro Kitoh and you’d have a rough idea of what Mukoubi is capable of. This is also a long book for a collected volume of manga, over 400 pages. The roller-coaster begins its descent before the halfway point and goes a long, long way down into the dark.
If that makes you anxious, this may not be the comic for you. On the other hand, if you want to read a comic that brings new life and a fresh personality to classic ideas, I think To the Sea fits the bill. It’s a self-contained but indisputably epic tale drawn to match one artist’s uncompromising vision. Just what you’d hope for from Glacier Bay Books. — Adam Wescott
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