After School Nightmare with gender questions explored…

This month’s Manga Movable Feast centers on After School Nightmare published in the U.S. under Go! Comi, which is a manga company that is clearly disappearing. This is one of the few titles I have read from this publisher, and it was Eisner nominated.

Mashiro Ichijo is a student at a school, where you have to go through a trial to graduate. He is definitely a character with secrets, that is unlike Asuka from Otomen. He is actually a she or is she a he? Mashiro is the one of the few characters I have read or seen outside of hentai titles that is actually mentioned as a hermaphrodite, so by the top he is a male, but on the bottom he is a girl. I have not seen the artist draw an artistic representation of his bottom, so what to say other than from what the other characters mention, and the real self that he/she portrays in the nightmare world. If they ever show him naked, he would be totally like a Ken doll  – assexual as I seen on Snow Sakura and Japanese censorship laws placated.

There are self-gender identity questions raised in this series. Is he going to be a manly man with a cute girlfriend, or would he be a female, and give into Sou- a darker classmate of his. I just see this as a continual love triangle between the three, as it is exemplify on the book covers of this series.

My personal preference is to see Mashiro end up with Sou. After a couple of weeks of reading a lot of shoujo titles, I really really am quite happy to see the “bl” scenes that Mashiro has. Can you call them bl scenes? I just see two guys going at at, and to me, my heart started to sigh.. and I can only say “yay!” But then mentally “boo” while Mashiro refuses Sou’s affections.

Warning this title also has incest issues, so please don’t read if you don’t like that. The series makes for a good suspenseful, mystery read though. Probably other read alike would be Future Diary or Deadman Wonderland. There are relationship issues, secrets, betrayals. I cannot truly confirm if this is a gender bender type series, since it is not the lead character either concealing her gender or cross dressing. Yet the self-questioning identity crisis and  gender disassociation type manga title read a-likes would probably be for some readers some comparison to MW or Revolutionary Girl Utena.

NYAF 2010 – Schedule Draft

So this time is getting on for NYAF again.. Well it merged with NYCC -so that’s NYCC/NYAF.. since the schedule is out.. and I probably am going to plan it to the point.. then this is a tentative schedule of what panels I want to probably go and check out… sooo.. this is not even a final schedule. Lots of overlapping.

I will have to try to update my phone…. soon. So I will be mostly live tweeting things that I see and do while I am on the convention floor. Plus have some other gadgets so we shall have to see then.

* is a priority or higher preference to go.

Friday

*Minori Chihara Spotlight
Time: 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm
Location: Room 1E09

Extending Conversations about Graphic Novels
Time: 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
Location: Room 1A15

Might have to be late since – Autographs is at that time.

*Anime in Academia
Time: 4:45 pm – 5:45 pm
Location: Room 1E12

Hatsune Miku: Meet The Makers of a Digital Idol

Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Location: Room 1E14

Mardock Scramble Premiere with Tow Ubukata
Time: 7:15 pm – 9:15 pm
Location: Room 1E13

Saturday

PUBLISHER SPOTLIGHT: HARPERCOLLINS – Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy and Paranormal List Leaders
Time: 10:45 am – 11:45 am
Location: Room 1A17

Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga for Adults
Time: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: Room 1A17

Yen Press
Time: 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Location: Room 1E14

Special Topics in Graphic Novel Librarianship: A Roundtable
Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: Room 1A17

Del Rey and Spectra Books
Time: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Room 1E14

Vertical, Inc.
Time: 6:15 pm – 7:15 pm
Location: Room 1E14

Yoshiki and Stan Lee
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: Room 1A08

Gay for You? Yaoi and Yuri Manga for GBLTQ Readers
Time: 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Location: Room 1E12

Minori Chihara Concert
Time: 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Location: IGN Theater

Graphic Novel Roundtable
Time: 8:45 pm – 9:45 pm
Location: Room 1A22

Sunday

Kodansha USA
Time: 10:45 am – 12:45 pm
Location: Room 1E12

Archie Creators Tell All
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Location: Room 1A14

Anime, Manga, and Harajuku Fashion: The Secret of International Competitiveness of Japanese Pop Culture
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Location: Room 1E14

Oni Press
Time: 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Location: Room 1A14

Culinary Manga
Time: 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Location: Room 1E12

Then I definitely know that I am off to go for X Japan’s concert.