×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
REVIEW: Menkui! GN 1-3




Note: this is the discussion thread for this article
Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Cait



Joined: 29 May 2008
Posts: 503
PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:10 am Reply with quote
Yes, very disappointing. The premise was interesting enough, but the follow through was bland, but not in the usual "predictable" way, just incredibly unrewarding all together. I agree that some actual sex scenes may have helped to redeem it at least a little bit. I would have much preferred that the mangaka had explored the unresolved brother complex relationship between the protagonist and his handsome older brother in relation the protagonist's burgeoning relationship with his classmate/friend. The door was opened at the end of the first volume, but never addressed again, not that I'm into incest, it was just the most interesting aspect of the story for me.

I bought this series back when there were only a handful of available titles to choose from and Blu was a new imprint. I haven't had the heart to divest myself of my copy of it, though. I wouldn't wish this boring waste of money on anyone else.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
CCSYueh



Joined: 03 Jul 2004
Posts: 2707
Location: San Diego, CA
PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:52 pm Reply with quote
It did sort of let us know Blu's direction, though. They do seem to go for the lighter stuff.
And I never really understood it getting 16+ for the rating.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Youkai Warrior



Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Posts: 505
Location: Sarayashiki
PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:46 pm Reply with quote
I don't know why, but the kid with the black hair reminds me of Vash, except with shorter, black hair. Confused I never actually read this manga, but I saw the illustration of the two boys on the cover, in the encyclopedia. I got a better look of the black-haired kid, and for some reason he reminded me of Vash. Confused
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
here-and-faraway



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 1528
Location: Sunny California
PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:50 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Anyway, this series is, at best, only for BL completists who think they might find themselves satisfied with chapters of buildup culminating in…a tender kiss between the two principal characters.


Thanks for the warning!

As always, I enjoyed reading your review. I especially appreciate how you critique the different artists in your reviews. I learn a lot from "seeing" manga through a different set of eyes. Thanks!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kizzim03



Joined: 18 Jan 2008
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 10:53 pm Reply with quote
Well, this one isn't going into my Must Read pile. But something else concerning BL manga has hit the news, though I don't know if ANN has heard about it yet.

During Amazon.com's recent policy to strip "adult" material of their sales rank to protect customers, it has also stripped the sales ranks off many yaoi and BL manga such as Crimson Spell, Love Mode, Love Pistols, and many other manga including the light novels of Ai no Kusabi. Menkui is in this mess as well.

How do I send this news tip to ANN for it to get noticed?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
AOKO1412



Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:45 am Reply with quote
thanks for the review ,

i will try to search for this manga , and read it before saying anything .

Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shousetsuka



Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 25
Location: Nagoya, Japan
PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:34 am Reply with quote
I enjoyed Menkui well enough, but it's not high on my "must read again" list of manga. It was good for a one shot read, and it's good for when you've exhausted your reading pile on a rainy day (which is easy for me, since I live in a country where English books are in the "foreign" section).

Menkui's main faults are as stated in the review: try as it might, it never really goes anywhere. Whatever chances it may have, the author blows on silly plot lines. Switching lovers across parallel universes could have been great if the characters realized the faults within themselves as well as within their partners, but instead it was rather superficial. And if Tanaka wanted to add some depth, she could have expanded on the older brother's obsession with his younger brother. We know she can do stories that challenge the reader, but the "lighthearted" atmosphere of this book seemed like an obstacle rather than a strength.

All in all, I'm not mad I bought my copies of Menkui. I got them long before this review and I like certain parts (when I can remember what it's about). But again, I live in a place where English manga (and books, for that matter) aren't the norm, so I snatch them up when I see them. If you're looking for a BL comedy series, you'd do better with Love Pistols by Tarako Kotobuki, I think.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group