The first story I don't understand how anyone could like it. Their love doesn't even feel real. Basically he was kidnapped and raped repeatedly, he had Q "teach him" the art of anal sex which was very violative and cruel. I don't know how anyone could fall in love with a lead like that. The diaries are funny but the story made no sense. If they had kept it hardcore rape and prisoner it would have been better. Last stories were sweet.
Not to mention the script is a real inisult to Islam. Clearly, Japanese mangaka are only interested in the outside appearance and atmosphere of religions, but never try to understand the deeper sense of it. I noticed that in manga about Catholic environments too. Lots of crosses, bell towers, priestly robes, but nothing else. They should do their homework, or not make manga about foreign religions at all!
I agree...I hate it when they make about religion..
Right? If I were to want to make a story about a Buddhist monk or a Shinto-priest, I'd make a thourough study of it first, before I start drawing! They should stick to sex and romance, if they don't want to do any serious research!
Yeah...they should do that..religion is a sensitive issue..and I strongly rejected that put religion and rape or violence all together in a manga..the mangaka should aware any of this...from wht I have known about islam,words like 'inshaAllah' have deep meaning than what it is..don't use it if don't know the real meaning..
Insh'Allah means "God willing". It's not all that deep; just a thing muslims say a 100 times a day. However, it does mean that if your character says it, you make it clear he IS a muslim! And to put it in a manga about a sheik who's having sex with a man (considered a deadly sin in Islam, as in Christianity...), while adding that women are precious 'cause they continue the blood line, is both offensive and dangerously ignorant. Women in Islamic countries aren't precious 'cause they continue the blood line (they don't, since the Arabic culture is patriarchal as is the Japanese), but because the honour of the family depends on the protection of it's women. Big difference! One can clearly see that Japanese simply don't take religion in gereral all that seriously. It's their right, but they shouldn't use foreign religions as mere "decor" for their manga without really knowing what they're talking about. It sort of lacks respect, though I am sure they don't mean it like that.
I never understand this... some mangaka's fascination with arab countries and despite that, their total lack of understanding them.
I never understand this... some mangaka's obsession with arab countries and despite that, their total lack of understanding them.
Well, it was like that in Hollywood as well. Once , there were lots of romantic films about sheiks abducting western women who fell in love with them. No sex, of course, because of American prudery, but the same ignorance about the culture or respect for their religion. Today, you have directors who do their homework thoroughly, and others who don't.
The fact is, Japanese are intrinsically religiously "chill": shinto is unexclusive, buddhism is too. You're not obliged to stick with one: Japanese can have 4 or 5 faiths at the time, christian, muslim, buddhist, shinto. No such thing like "heretics", "pagans", "sin", "unfidel"... This makes Japanese oblivious to the religious sensitivities of other peoples, because they don't have that. Things like morals, honor, sense of Good and Evil, all this is part of culture, not faith: they're decent, honorable, hard-working, honest, brave, etcetera, because it's Japanese to be like that. Not because God tells them to.
If you're brought up that way, it takes a bit of research to do, if you're going to understand the importance of showing respect for some of these sensitivities. I guess yaoi or hentai mangaka don't think it necessary to do that, since the stories are basically about sex. But if you're going to make a real serious manga, you should do your homework, I think. Whether it's an erotic story or not. Japanese have an (unjust) bad reputation already, in many prude countries, because of their free mentality about sex.
Agreed. It also bothers me how majority of mangaka don't do their research and take things lightly. They also stereotype countries a lot, especially America and Arabia. As you said, no matter what type of story, things should be portrayed correctly.
I've seen manga that are set in 19-century England, done rather poorly as well. And don’t get me started about their versions of Catholic religion! Lots of crosses and candles and gothic churches, but nothing else…
I suppose it's mainly because we all love to read their manga, but we can't write to them about what we think of it, since we don't write Japanese. If we could, we could tell them! Not to bash them, but to explain it's important to some people, not to insult their faith by lack of information about it. They’d probably appreciate our criticism, if we were polite enough! Maybe these scanlators could help us translate our mails to the mangaka?
Also, most of these manga are quite old, and when made, were only destined to a Japanese public. So it probably wasn't that important back then, since in Japan nobody cares much about it. And another thing: maybe also the publishers are partly to blame... we often hear how the poor mangaka are worked to the bone by their publishers, making them produce albums at an exhausting pace! I guess it would be impossible to go and do some thorough research about a country or a culture if you’ve got to finish an 20 pages-album every month, or so… there just wouldn’t be time.
So however irritating it is, we still keep loving them no matter what, right?
Yes, that's true
This reminds me so much of this k drama I had been watching called Don't Hesitate it was 98 episodes of back and forth nonsense. I like this mangaka I think the story is worth reading but I hate how everything is so drawn out. I suspend reality when I read manga. I'm not upset by the incest or the nudity or the gratuitous sex. None of it bothers me. Frankly I see worse everyday in the real world. If you are reading this expecting some lovey dovey you have come to the wrong place. Lol now please finish this jazz so I can move on.
All I can see is the little guys eyes in the last frame and Honda's evil look of pleasure! Lolol
The dialogue here is like from a bad Harlequin romance novel. However I absolutely love DuoBrand's artwork. Everything is gorgeous here I just wish the characters were more compelling and that the ukes were so girly.
So far the last brothers story is all over the map because the mangaka keeps changing the POV every chapter a clear lead/love interest is mot clear. The pacing on this one is really irritating for me. Five chapters if you include a prologue and very little character (yes all you Raika fangirls) development or plot progression.
PS the only reason this works for this mangaka is because she is established. If a newer mangaka tried to do this the ratings would probably be super low for each chapter because there has been so little progression :/
I really think the kings of earth ought to have been punished like Zebb wanted because basically Rain made it seem like kidnapping a royal being and subverting the will of the people who created their land was ok. Its not. They should have been punished for that. I'm like Zebb no blessings for the rude!