Random Rant about Japan and Sex

What is it with Japanese comics and the casual use of sexual harassment as a plot point? I understand that culturally that kind of thing was seen as normal and expected, and that it’s only now starting to change. Still it can make a librarian’s job difficult if they don’t wish to acquire titles with sexual content. Sometimes they can have the oddest couples (like an adult and a small child, or a human and a robot) and the relationships will be really sweet and innocent. I was reading one comic (Skip Beat, I’ll blog about it later) where the protagonist hasn’t even realized that she likes someone. It’s twenty volumes in and no romance has happened but in one scene this guy chases her down, grabs her, opens the back of her dress and then threatens to either rape her or just tell everyone that he did and thus ruining her reputation. It came out of nowhere and was followed by a return to the starting style. It wasn`t even really mentioned again after that. So that is my argument for flipping through every volume before you buy it, or paying really close attention to the ratings and plastic wrappings on some volumes. Shop safe people, but don`t get discouraged because there is a lot of good stuff out there. It`s worth reading, and great for reluctant readers at every age level.

Hot Gimmick

Okay, first things first: I liked this series; I liked it the same way that I like pork rinds. I eat one and even though it tastes greasy and makes me feel a little sick to my stomach I find myself polishing off a whole bag. The soap opera drama gives me the same icky feeling but I find myself unable to stop reading.

Let me tell you a little about this guilty little pleasure. The main character is Hatsumi, a young teen aged girl who lives in company housing. Everyone in the apartment building works for the same company so there is a lot of adult drama and this usually impacts the relationships of the teens too. The only son of the company president, Ryoki, blackmails Hatsumi into becoming his slave. A childhood friend, Azusa, returns as a model to get revenge against her father. Hatsumi also learns that her older brother is not only adopted but has been madly in love with her for years. Sadly of the three he ends up being the best of the three love interests.

So yeah, the things that might put you off picking up the series are pretty obvious. The faux incest is a biggy, as is a scene of attempted gang rape. I can’t decide if the female protagonist is just super forgiving or if it’s not seen as a big deal because she seems to forget it so casually. There is lots of sex talk and attempted sex, boob grabs, etc... Another thing that put me off is the wimpyness of the main character. In the modern atmosphere of really strong girl protagonists it’s a real shock to find someone this passive. She seems to let everyone bully her and the few times she tries to stand up for herself she fails spectacularly and turns instantly back into a door mat.

Here are the good parts of the series. Hatsumi’s little sister starts out as a little brat who basically gets her sister into the mess she ends up trapped in. By the end she ends up in a sweet romance with the geeky boy next door and shows awesome maturity. Hatsumi’s brother is a genuinely nice guy, although obviously a little confused. Another thing I really liked was the art; it has clean lines and a nice feel to it. The drama is intense and will really pull you in and make you a part of things. I’m hoping that other works by this author, like Honey Hunt, will be more palatable.