Category Archives: review

Apricotsushi Reviews: The Man of Tango

When I first saw the cover of Man of Tango, I was sure it had to be bara, or gei comi, a genre of manga distinct from boys’ love (hereafter BL) due to it usually targeting a gay male audience rather than women. The author, Tetuzoh Okadaya, however, is most definitely a woman, and more importantly, she was explicitly approached by an editor to write a BL story, which resulted in The Man of Tango. I’m always excited to see BL that shakes up the genre (that’s what I’m writing my thesis on, after all!), so her unique style combined with her comments about being inspired by bara visionary Gengoroh Tagame had me very excited to see what The Man of Tango had to offer.


The Man of Tango is a one-shot manga about the life of tango aficionado Angie, a man that despite his deep passion for dance has never been able to awaken his true spirit, nor find a life partner. But since this is BL, all that changes when he meets Hiro, a nondescript half-Latin, half-Japanese businessman who soon finds himself drawn in by Angie’s charms. Angie reminds Hiro of his home and youth, but not all of his memories are positive. Hiro soon finds himself opening up to Angie in more ways than one, simultaneously being drawn into the mystical world of tango and gay romance.

First, I have to point out that The Man of Tango does a lot of great things that you don’t see in BL very often. Aside from the love-it-or-hate-it art style, it’s one of the few BL stories I’ve read that prominently features a female character who isn’t being used as a catalyst for disaster between the male couple (usually in the form of a third love interest, jealous ex, etc.). Instead, Angie’s tango partner and roommate Bene is a warm, appealing female supporting character, which is most welcome as a breath of fresh air in the otherwise male-dominated BL genre.

Of course, the other major draw of The Man of Tango is in the subject matter. It’s clear that Tetuzoh Okadaya appreciates the art of tango, and I felt like even I learned something about the art, or at least had a greater appreciation for it, by the end of the story. I also loved the fact that both of the male protagonists are older, with Angie being in his late thirties and even sporting some facial hair (though I suppose you could say that’s a Latin stereotype). The story is also appropriately mature, though it borders on dark, especially when delving into Hiro’s childhood, so those looking for a happy-go-lucky romance may find it too heavy. Personally, however, I really enjoyed the more mature themes.

It’s the fact that The Man of Tango does so much well that makes the areas where it stumbles all the more frustrating. I am never a fan of the “but I’m not gay!” line appearing in BL, but The Man of Tango takes it to an extreme by also having Angie take advantage of Hiro when he is drunk (see above image), making Hiro’s subsequent revelation that he has feelings for Angie and has already engaged in X-rated activities with him not romantic in the least. Not only did Angie’s sexual advances on Hiro when he is inebriated make me dislike him, but Hiro’s constant “I’m not gay, but I like you!” admissions felt especially juvenile when compared to the other issues the story tackles, which made me dislike him, too. So, in the end, while I enjoyed a number of the overarching themes of the story, both male protagonists were obnoxious and the story did not convey the feeling of a great, timeless romance by having a relationship building out of a non-consentual first sexual encounter. I’m not saying that non-consentual sex has no place in a mature storyline, but in this case, it just wasn’t handled in a satisfactory manner (in fact, it wasn’t even regarded as non-consentual by any of the characters).

The Man of Tango may not be for everyone, but I still think it does a lot of interesting things and I hope to see more from Tetuzoh Okadaya in the future. Most importantly, let’s see more older protagonists, mature themes, female side-characters, and interesting art in BL! I just hope we can move past non-consentual sex and “only gay for you” shenanigans sooner rather than later.

Disclaimer: A copy of the manga was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review

Apricotsushi Reviews: Little Witch Academia Blu-ray

Way back in August of last year, I wrote about an anime short called Little Witch Academia and how it brought back memories of some of my favorite magical girl series from my youth. With its gorgeous animation, great cast of female characters, and charming story, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to see more of. I highly suggest reading the above article for more of my impressions of the episode, as today I’m not going to focus on the merits of Little Witch Academia itself (suffice it to say, I think it’s wonderful!), but rather the lovely Blu-ray release now available from Studio Trigger’s online store.

When my copy of the Blu-ray arrived courtesy of acttil, I was immediately impressed by the quality of the packaging. Not only does it come with the main event, the 26 minute episode of Little Witch Academia itself, but it also includes a documentary, soundtrack CD, and a separate book full of illustrations, storyboards, interviews, and more!

Back cover of the book

The official booklet’s cover has the title embossed in gold text, which is a lovely touch. Though it’s a paperback, the detail put into the cover on its own reveals that it is by no means a cheap extra. In fact, the book itself is 112 pages long! Let’s take a look inside:

Two pages from the “story & commentary” section

Approximately one third of the book is in full color, which includes the gorgeous two-page spread shown above, illustrations of the main characters, an “image board” that consists of some backgrounds and environmental items, an overview of the story with commentary, and a color storyboard. The full color pages look great, but I wish there were a few more of them. Luckily, the rest of the book is still chock-full of amazing sketches and information.

There are a number of color glossy pages dedicated to specific animators, but since the images are all sketches, it seems like a waste to put them on the “nicer” paper at the beginning when there are full color stills that do not get the benefit of similar nice paper later on in the book (see images below). This is a very nitpicky critique, though, as the animator-specific sections and associated interviews provide a lot of interesting insight and it’s nice that Studio Trigger decided to highlight them by putting them towards the front of the book.

The rest of the book is printed on slightly lower quality paper using a limited color palette (lots of purple, pink, and blue). It’s difficult to think of a western equivalent, but it reminds me a lot of the monthly manga “phone books,” except on slightly thicker paper. The character sheets and background sections are definitely my favorite, as they get much deeper into all of the designs used in the episode than the color section does at the beginning. The full script is also included, along with samples from the storyboard, and there are more interviews to close out the book. As I mentioned earlier, the interviews in this section include images that have been reduced to a limited color palette, which is an interesting design choice but a bit of a shame for those who might prefer the original, full color versions. 
Before I move on to the Blu-ray and soundtrack, I wanted to mention that though I did not receive one, all orders of the Blu-ray set from Studio Trigger’s online store will include an extra “special booklet” that consists of English translations for all of the Japanese text, such as interviews, in the official booklet. 
Next up is the “book” that houses the Blu-ray and soundtrack CD. I am honestly really impressed by the packaging on both this and the booklet! The Blu-ray case has a hard cover, but unlike normal Blu-ray cases it’s a heavy cardboard-like material, so be careful not to spill water on it! When you open it up, there’s a rather shocking color choice: 

It’s so pink! I love how psychedelic it is. The Blu-ray itself is self-explanatory, but the bonus production documentary “How the Magic was Created” is definitely worth mentioning. It includes English subtitles and clocks in at a whopping 66 minutes, and is an eye-opening glimpse at what work in a Japanese animation studio is like.

The soundtrack CD consists of 13 songs, making it 18 minutes of full orchestral music. It’s not often that I even notice the music in an anime, so the fact that I listen to this soundtrack when I’m not watching Little Witch Academia is pretty high praise. One of my favorite tracks is Shiny Chariot’s Theme – it has a great sense of grandeur and wonder that I feel encompasses my feelings for the show as a whole.

Honestly, I can’t believe this Little Witch Academia Blu-ray set is only ¥6,171 (approx. $60)! It’s an amazing package and it really does the episode justice. While the Kickstarter for Little Witch Academia episode two has already been funded, I’d definitely recommend supporting the series by purchasing the episode one Blu-ray. You won’t regret it!

Plush Felyne Slipper Review

Today I’m going to try something a little different… A slipper review! But these aren’t just any slippers, of course, as they feature the very adorable kitty mascot of the Monster Hunter series, Felyne!
I guarantee by the end of this post those soulless eyes will start freaking
you out (if they don’t already)

I received these as a Christmas present from my mom, and I have to say, even though it’s the middle of the summer here in Australia, I can’t help but want to wear them around the apartment. They’re just so cute!

But cuteness if only half of a premium slipper package. And, in the case of character merchandise like this, there’s always the possibility of bootleg items. Let’s take a closer look: 
First, can I say that the little tail on the back is the most adorable detail? Anyway, the label looks legit, even though it’s sewn on rather crookedly. 
The tag, however, makes it clear that this is definitely official Capcom merchandise with that fancy gold Capcom seal. You know you’ve got something special when you can’t even throw the tag away! That, or you’re me.
Aside from being made from a very soft, fluffy fabric, the slippers come with an anti-slip bottom. My house is fully carpeted so I don’t really have to worry about this, but it’s nice to have if you live in a place with lots of wood floors or other slippery surfaces!  
Here’s what they look like on. I don’t think I’ll be able to stop looking at my feet! The felyne heads are extremely well sewn, and it really feels like I’m stomping around on a pair of plush toys with how cushy they are. Of course, they are built with Japanese feet in mind, so if you have larger feet they unfortunately probably won’t fit. I generally run about a size 8 (25 centimeters), and my heel is just at the very back of the slipper. 
One last thing: check out how big the front of these are! They’re not called plush slippers for nothing. Using the universal measurement of the PSP case, they are a little more than half a PSP case tall. 
The only aspect I wasn’t able to “test” was their durability – I haven’t worn them all that much, so I can’t speak to how well they hold up over time. But they’ll only set you back $10 at Jlist.com, and for that price, they’re definitely a steal for Monster Hunter fans! They even have Felyne’s black kitty buddy, Melynx, for those who prefer the pink x black color scheme. 
How can you say no to that face
Finally, for those of you who are bummed that you won’t be able to fit into these tiny Japanese slippers, they also have Felyne and Melynx earmuffs! If it actually got cold enough where I live to necessitate owning earmuffs, I would’ve definitely picked up a pair by now.

Hopefully my Felnye slippers will keep me happy and my feet warm for years to come! 

Wonderful World of Whipple: Crème Filled Creations Kit Review

Japan loves food. Not only does Japan love food, but it also has an unparalleled love for fake food, be it squishy keychains that look like loaves of bread or immaculately-designed plastic sushi featured in restaurant windows to entice in hungry passers-by. There’s something that’s always fascinated me by Japan’s obsession with creating so many different representations of food, but I’ve always been especially fond of the cute fake sweets often used in deco crafts.

Short for “decoration,” deco often refers to “decoden,” an over-the-top cute way of decorating cell phones and other electronics (usually portable game consoles), but from my understanding (which could very well be wrong), deco can really be used to described any sort of cute creation that is used to “decorate,” whether it be a person (i.e nail art) or a piece of electronic equipment, bag, etc.

Anyway, enough musing on terminology! The moral of the story is, I’ve been enamored by cute fake foods for quite some time, and have always wanted to try a deco craft kit and make some myself. Imagine my surprise when I was casually browsing in a toy store and found a Japanese deco craft kit being marketed at young girls!

 
Whipple is the Japanese brand of silicone craft cream used in many deco creations, so I was beyond thrilled to see it actually being sold in Australia (well, that’s not entirely true… more on that later). It looks just like whipped cream, but beware, it’s not edible! Be sure to swing by the Japanese Whipple site and check out their commercial and catalog if you want to be bombarded by cute.
 
 

Apparently Whipple has been selling a number of different deco kits internationally for a while now, but I haven’t ever been tuned into the deco “scene” as it were, so that news completely passed me by. After giving the kit go, I honestly have to say that I don’t think a 10-year-old me would have been able to manage it (25-year-old me barely did!).

While there were a number of kits available, I ultimately went with the Crème Filled Creations pack as it had the most variety in terms of sweets, and I liked the look of the macarons especially.

Here’s what the kit itself looks like – the box was rather large for the amount of things packed in! There are instructions for how to apply the cream in different patterns, as well as a practice sheet, which was great for a beginner like myself. In the future, though, I might buy a second bag of the cream, as the bag supplied with the kit is actually quite small. The instructions warn you to only do a couple rounds on the practice sheet so as not to run out, but even after doing only one practice round I found myself wishing I had a little extra cream at the end. Those who are worried that they might not get the hang of the technique right away would definitely want that extra leeway, plus the cream can come out a little runny at first, meaning you may waste some before you can get started (I just used the runny cream for my practice sheet; the consistency was fine by the time I got to application).

 
At first, the instructions are a little overwhelming, but I was grateful to have them. The cream itself comes in this cute little bag that must be warmed up by lightly squeezing before use. Then, you use a ruler to push the cream down towards the tip of the bag for smooth application.
 
 
Here goes nothing! Forgive the poor photo but it was surprisingly difficult to get shots in action. I have a newfound respect for craft bloggers! You can see my gooey practice sheet in the background. The kit recommended having a toothpick on hand, so I grabbed the closest thing available (a skewer). I used it a couple times to help position gems on the cream.
 
I’d definitely recommend having a couple damp paper towels readily available in case you mess up! Since Whipple is water soluble, it comes off relatively easily if you make a mistake and want to reapply. Oh, and it’s also essentially oderless, which is great if you live in a small apartment like me!
 
 
To tell the truth, I didn’t actually know Whipple was a Japanese brand until I saw Japanese writing on the bag itself! Like I said, I’m not very familiar with deco crafts.
 
 
After waiting a solid 48 hours for the cream to dry, my creations were finally ready for use! I was a little lazy and mostly got my application inspiration from the front of the box, but all in all I’m very happy with how they turned out. All of the sweets come with eye-pins pre-inserted so they can be used as keychains, which is quite handy but may turn off those who would rather not use them that way. The kit also comes with three ball link chains, leaving you to come up with alternative means to attach the leftover sweets.
 
While I can’t compare the quality of the actual donut and macron pieces to other plastic pre-made deco parts, I was very satisfied with the overall kit. The parts it includes may not be top-of-the line, but for the price (will vary depending on where you live but generally around $20) I’d definitely recommend a Whipple kit to anyone interested in getting into deco crafts.
 
If you think you’d like to give Whipple a go, check out Amazon for the full range of Whipple kits. I must say, I’m a little worried that I’m on the brink of a new obsession…
 

Arrietty Impressions

First of all, I have to apologize once again for the huge gap between posts! My husband and I flew down to Sydney for Chinese New Year and instead of catching up on things I needed to do, I completely zoned out and didn’t do anything but eat and play through Rayman Origins a second time with Shaun and his sister (I think I’ve had enough now).

This is a long time coming, but a couple of weeks ago Shaun and I made the 5 minute trek to the movie theater (one of the many perks of our new apartment) to see Studio Ghibli’s Arrietty (Japanese title: 借りぐらしのアリエッティ, also known as The Secret World of Arrietty in the US) over opening weekend. As always, the rest of the world is a bit behind Japan – Arrietty originally aired in its home country back in July 2010, and the most recent Studio Ghibli film, From Up on Poppy Hill, aired this past summer in Japan. For once, Australia was ahead of the game, with the film releasing here a whole month before it debuts in the US on February 17th.

Arrietty (I will refer to it by the Australian title since that’s the version I saw) is based on Mary Norton’s classic novel The Borrowers, about a family of extremely tiny people who live beneath a normal-sized family’s house. They survive by scavenging what they can from their surroundings and “borrowing” things from regular humans, only taking what they are sure will not be missed such as an extra tissue or a safety pin that has been lost and forgotten beneath a dresser. Interestingly, this film marks the directorial debut of Hiromasa Yonebashi, a key animator of a number of Studio Ghibli films and the youngest director of a Studio Ghibli production to date. He also was the key animator of Serial Experiments Lain, one of my favorite anime!

Since the subtitled version wasn’t shown anywhere in our area, we had to settle with the British dubbed version. The film has been licensed separately for the US and Europe/Australia, the so English voice actors are completely different for the two regions. Honestly, given the film’s beginnings as a British novel, I found it quite refreshing to hear the characters speak with non-American accents. There were a handful of times where the localization felt odd to me, but that could have been due to the British influence. I look forward to hearing the original Japanese language track when the film comes out on DVD.

Can I have a room that looks like this?

Unfortunately I haven’t read The Borrowers, so I can’t comment on how it compares to the book, but if it’s anything like Howl’s Moving Castle, you can expect a pretty liberal interpretation. Fans of My Neighbor Totoro will be right at home in the lush, green environments and relatively slow pacing, where those who prefer the unique locations and higher level of action in Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke may find this Studio Ghibli offering a little too “mundane.” I found myself highly appreciative of the attention to detail put in to making the world look believable from the eyes of a Borrower. From stamps serving as paintings in the tiny house to the variety of insects Arrietty interacts with over the course of the film, everything felt fresh and different and was a joy to see come to life with Ghibli’s signature flair.

One of my favorite scenes in the film had to be when Arrietty meets Sho, a sick boy sent to rest at the house about Arrietty’s home, up close for the first time. Arrietty is on her first borrowing excursion with her father, and one of her tasks is to grab a tissue out of a tissue box on Sho’s bedside table. The moment of confrontation – Arrietty looking up to see Sho’s wide, bright eyes staring directly at her, was startling for both her and me as a viewer. Watching Arrietty try in vain to hide behind the tissue (a background light illuminates her body quite clearly) was both endearing and heartbreaking – she knows she is never supposed to be seen by a human, and she is disappointed by her failure during her first trip out with her father.

The music in the film was not done by regular Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi, but newcomer Cécile Corbel, a French musician who is reportedly a big fan of Studio Ghibli. Apparently, she sent them a CD of her songs as a fan, and the company was intrigued by her work and subsequently invited her to do the soundtrack for Arrietty. Sounds like a fairy tale story, eh? She did both the theme, titled simply “Arrietty’s Song,” as well as the rest of the background music. The Celtic themes really mesh well with the general feel of the film, and though I was a little miffed by the silly English lyrics of Arrietty’s Song (“I am fourteen years old, I am pretty”? Did a fourteen-year-old write it?), I still found it very enjoyable. The full English version is what accompanied the version of the film I saw, but the majority of the song was in Japanese for the original film.

All in all, I really enjoyed Arrietty. I’ve heard criticisms that it was too slow, or simply not as amazing as previous Studio Ghibli films, but frankly, if you are at all interested in Ghibli, you definitely need to see Arrietty on the big screen and decide for yourself. Some have compared it to My Neighbor Totoro, and while I don’t think it quite surpasses the caliber of some of my favorite Ghibli films, it is definitely now up there at the top of my list. The animation and music were both gorgeous, and I found the story bittersweet and touching. If the company can churn out films this good without Miyazaki at the helm, I’m confident that even when he’s gone they’ll continue to make some of the best animated features the world has ever seen.