Thursday, August 19, 2010

Oh boy, guess what I got in the mail today?


The second volume of my favorite running manga series, Kaishaku's Zettai Shoujo Seiiki Amnesian.

Shimura Takako, eat your heart out. This is excellent yuri, a series that I would be proud to display on my bookshelf and recommend to any newcomer to the yuri genre who wants to know what the fuss is all about, or a teenager questioning her sexual identity.

Amnesian volume 2 continues Kaishaku's masterfully crafted narrative about an ordinary, pure-hearted yet frequently abused high school student who works as a nun, the large-breasted magical fighter who attempts to protect her and feel her up on a regular basis, and the cohort of villains and allies who free the protagonists from the binding restrictions of clothing.

Every page is like a painting, brimming with visual significance. Take special note of the cover, which uses Himeko's shredded nun habit and her struggle against the chains binding her as a critique of the patriarchy that persists against women today. On the interior pages, Chikane is clearly re-claiming her agency and subverting chauvinistic societal standards by swinging a sword around (Freudian imagery, I suppose?) even as her skin-tight clothing fails to provide any adequate coverage or support. The bottom line is that any self-respecting comics fan should get started reading this series a.s.a.p. You won't regret it.

Overall: F

I originally planned on reviewing this series in its entirety because of its Kannazuki no Miko connections, but this is the last volume I'm covering. Chew on that, Kaishaku.

10 comments:

Sheldor said...

My good yuri friend was sick today, so I linked him this review to cheer him up. He said it made his day!

Bloody hilarious.

Katherine Hanson said...

I hope your friend feels better soon! And I'm glad you both enjoyed the review.

lilygwen said...

why have you rated it F if its meant to be good?

Katherine Hanson said...

@ lilygwen- It's an ironic review. (More fun than writing a straight-up rant.)

Anonymous said...

is is the last volume of Amnesia?is there gonna be book 3?

Anonymous said...

yuri-sama i'm begging you to make a review in this manga plsss..i just want to know what's gonna happen here in volume 2...

Anonymous said...

katherine-sama please make a review about this manga ..i'm just dying to know what will happen in this volume..please i'm begging you

Katherine Hanson said...

@Anon- Uhh...tenacious, aren't you. This volume isn't the end of the series. It's just more of the same- Chikane strips, things go boom, and Himeko screams. The later part of the volume eases up on the sexual assault angle, but it's still garbage. Himeko still isn't interested in Chikane, which is what you're probably wondering.

Anonymous said...

ohhh..thanks for the info...i hope the next volume will have more chihime in it..^^

Katherine Hanson said...

@Anon- For the KnM fans still following ZSSA, I hope so too.