"Yukarism" Chapter 6 -- It's Better than we Predicted!!

Update:  Thanks to some dumb bunny who uploaded this to Mangareader, "Yukarism" from now on will have ugly watermarks.  Thank you so much dumb bunny for taking a crap in all of our ice cream.
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Do not upload this to any manga aggregators or content farms.  If I see this chapter uploaded, then all chapters after this will be covered in with annoying watermarks.  If you are a representative of a manga aggregator or content farm, then do us all a favor and just post a link to this posting in your index for this series instead of uploading the content.

This chapter of "Yukarism" has restored my faith in manga.  I was so afraid that Shiomi-sensei would chicken out, but this is the real deal.  This chapter is intense and intensely enjoyable.  If you haven't begun to read this series yet, I highly recommend it.  It has become my second favorite series behind Magnolia.

Links to "Yukarism"chapter 6:  (Zip) (PDF -- mobiles and tablets)

Spoiler Alert, Spoilers Ahead
I was prepared to be totally disappointed that Mahoro was actually Kazuma.  With all the disappointment from J+K, I was beginning to think that it was only natural to take a good story and ruin it.  But!  Alas!  We caught part of the twist and were given a very satisfying 6th chapter!

Mahoro/Shizuka -- Wow!  Awesome as a girl and awesome as a guy.  I like hot tempered and passionate characters.  The question is whether Mahoro remembers everything now and whether Shizuka made it such that everyone would eventually remember.  That type of scenerio would fit his claim that he would follow anyone who hurt Yuumurasaki through hell.  But now what?  Will we get some clarity on what happened the night Yuumurasaki was killed, or was what just happened the night Yuumurasaki was supposed die and it was prevented?

Kazuma -- I did not expect him to be that cold-blooded and nutz.  My husband, though, did remind me this weekend that happy-go-lucky people are usually that way because they are hiding some very deep and very strong anger.  But, still, talk about "ice"...Kazuma is one scary dude.

I can't wait until the next chapter!  I also hope this is a signal that this series will only run 8 chapters (2 volumes).  It would make me so happy to have a tight little story that goes out with a bang, rather than a series that drags on forever :).

Up Next!

Magnolia Chp 11!  Sui vs Hugo!

June 2011 At Omari's Sister

Update:  We are transferring "Duet with a Demon" to Weekend Betsuender.  They are a new scanlation group.  Please cheer them on :).  I will announce what we will be working on instead in a couple of days.

I skipped this post for May because by the time I remembered I wanted to it, it was already the middle of May.  Hee!  Anyhow...first some announcements!  Our recruitment effort went well.  We got some new QC and proofreader volunteers.  Please welcome Chibi Anime Freak and Anime Lover!  Our cleaners leveled up significantly and now are doing tougher redraws.  Congratulations and thanks for putting in the extra effort to increase your skills Silver Lunar, Suzume, and Hahn!  You guys rock!  I also want to say thanks to all the readers out there who contributed thoughtful comments to the discussions we had.  Your participation make this community vibrant and fun  *bows*.  I hope we can continue forward in this spirit!


Cancellations:
I have decided to cancel "Soleil" and "The Magician in the Country of Suits".  After a quick read through of both, I decided there are better one-shots to take on.  I have also cancelled "Depend on a Kiss".  That series was completed nicely by Kawaii Corner and Shoujo Crusade, so if you want to read that short series, hop on over their websites and read it.

I'm feeling some ambivalence about "Duet with a Demon", but we'll make the decision on whether to complete the series after we release the first chapter.

June Releases:
  • "Twelve o'Clock Bell Rings" -- Done!
  • Magnolia Chapter 11
  • The Ghost Apartment Manager Chp 5
  • One-shot:  "Blue Rhapsodia"
  • Akagami no Shirayukihime Chp 25
  • One-Shot:  "Ryuu no Moriuta"
  • Pika Ichi Chp 8
If there's time, I hope to squeeze in Zoo.

Please Remember to be Respectful and Assume Good Intent

I just receives some very discouraging comments from some bitter and petty cowards too scared to comment under their own identity.  As a result, I will be turning off anonymous commenting for a few days to keep the trolls at bay. That said, fans really need to learn how to curb their enthusiasm and remember this is fun and that we all love manga.  The idea is to get as much manga out as possible.   I'm not competing with anyone or any other group and I do my best to show respect to other groups. So please keep your comments constructive and respectful and assume good intent when a duplication does happen.   Communication is poor between translation groups, so duplication is bound to happen.  Don't just assume that one group or another is stealing projects...ugh...and besides, I'm not opposed to duplication.  I like having multiple perspectives on a translation so duplication doesn't offend me.  But I understand that most groups don't share the same feeling and, honestly, it makes me sad.  This is why I try to avoid duplication as much as possible.  In other words, I do my best to avoid duplication out of respect for other groups who may not share my views on duplication.

Moving on...please, OS fans, always be respectful and considerate and understand even if there are duplications, both groups put in some very hard work on the project.  Cheer both groups on rather than tearing down one group or another.  And on that note: unless I know another groups future plans so I can avoid them, I'm gonna do what I see fit for this group and plow ahead despite duplication, unless there's a good reason not to.  Our release schedule and our future projects are clearly listed and that's all I can do.  I'm not a mind reader, so unless other groups list what they are working on, I can't know.  Also, haters, be damned.  Clearly you don't get it. Your comments will not be read beyond the first 5 words and they will be instantly trashed and forgotten.

May 2011 Statistics

Ah, May...that month went by quicker than expected.  We got a lot work done and faced a bit of discouragement, but that's life!  You have to taste a little bit of sour to enjoy and appreciate the sweet things in life! Here are some statistics for the month of May!

We had our millionth visit in May! That sounds so incredibly nutz to me, but yippee!  It happened late night on the 30th.  It was also the 4th year anniversary for this blog!

Top 10 Visiting Countries
  1. US (CA, NY, TX, FL, and MA)
  2. Canada
  3. France
  4. Philippines
  5. Germany
  6. Australia
  7. UK
  8. Singapore
  9. Indonesia
  10. Malaysia
Top 5 Releases (all of these were quite successful)

  1. Ouran High School Host Club Volume 18 Extras
  2. Akagami no Shirayukihime Chapter 24
  3. Junketsu + Kareshi Chapter 9
  4. 3 Hearts
  5. Magnolia Chapter 10
Top 5 Search Terms
  1. Omari's Sister
  2. Magnolia Manga
  3. 3 Hearts Manga
  4. Pureblood Boyfriend
  5. Scarecrow of Oz Manga

One-Shot: "Twelve o'Clock Bell Rings"


We had originally planned to release this one-shot a little over the week ago, but there was a duplication with Turtle Paradise so I cancelled it even though it was almost ready.  But we talked it over within the group and received some encouragement from Turtle Paradise and, as a result, I decided to go ahead and finish it and release it.  Suzume, Ichigo Stars, and I spent too much time cleaning and redrawing the images to let the work go to waste.

This one-shot is more about the artist style than the story for me, although the end is pretty funny, even though it's gruesome.  The English adaptation is somewhat different than Turtle Paradise's so our version may have somewhat of a different feel.  This version is benign in comparison in my humble opinion.  I. personally, enjoyed the "bite" of the Turtle Paradise version.   Regardless, it's always interesting to see how different people choose to adapt the same work.  There are many ways to say the same thing :).  And now onto the links!


"Twelve o'Clock Bell Rings": (Zip) (PDF -- mobiles and tablets)

Up next is Magnolia Chp 11!

Taking Requests: June Manga Releases in Japan

First of all I'd like to thank all the people who purchased new and used manga through me last month.  Thanks to you I was able to fund the purchase of all of last month's magazine and books and purchase some goodies that will help our cleaners and redraw artists put out even higher quality releases quicker :).

I'm prepping my beginning of the month orders from Amazon Japan and Yes Asia this week.  If you want to save on the shipping, I taking requests to can piggyback on my order.  Information about pricing and shipping costs are here.  To put in a request, please send me some e-mail via the "contact" link at the top of this blog.  I'm also accepting requests to purchase used English and Japanese manga from Book Off.  The same pricing applies.  Used Japanese manga runs $2 - 4 per volume (including the $1 to Omari's Sister).

Here's a list of the June Japanese manga releases that folks who follow this blog may be interested in.  I encourage you to purchase at least one volume in a series to directly support your favorite manga artists regardless of whether you can read Japanese.


June 3:
  • Kimi ni XOXO -- $9
  • Junketsu + Kareshi Volume 2 -- $11
June 19:
  • Yukarism Volume 1 -- $9
  • The Scarecrow of Oz -- $9
  • Shinobi Life Volume 11 -- $9
  • Arashi to Doctor (Shiina Dai) -- $9
I'm also ordering
  • Shinobi Life Volumes 10
  • Pika Ichi Volume 2
  • Itan 5 (Lily Chp 2)
  • Asuka 8 (Magazine)
  • Princess 7 (Magazine)
  • Lala 8 (Magazine)
  • Betsuhana 8 (Magazine)
  • Aria 8 (Magazine)
  • Lala DX 7 (Magazine)
  • The Hana to Yume 7 (Magazine)


Turtle Paradise will Continue "Junketsu + Kareshi"

Our friends at Turtle Paradise have just announced it and, now, so can we!  Turtle Paradise will be continuing "Junketsu + Kareshi" from chapter 10 onward.  Please head over their website for more details and leave them some messages of encouragement :).

Turtle Paradise

"Ryuu no Moriuta" ("The Dragon's Lullabye) and "Suzu Mousu" Announced

Akizuki Sorata's next one-shot has been announced.  It's called "Ryuu no Moriuta".  Secondly, "Suzu Mousu", a 3 part short series from Mizuno Tooko, has been announced.  Both will appear in Lala 8.  The previews looks really good, so for now we will put them into the schedule :).  We will make the final decision on whether we'll do it once I have the one-shot in hand ;p.

Here are the previews (click on them to see larger images):


”Blue Rhapsodia" Announced


It looks like Ogura Akane's next project will be the one-shot "Blue Rhapsodia" which will appear in June's Lala DX.  We will be taking on this project with great enthusiasm!

We are Dropping "Junketsu + Kareshi"

UPDATE:  WHEN THE NEW GROUP IS READY TO ANNOUNCE THEY'VE TAKEN OVER J+K, WE'LL ANNOUNCE IT HERE TOO.  
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We are dropping "Junketsu + Kareshi".  I'm basically the only person in the group working on that series and I've grown tired of the random and amateurish plot despite the pretty pictures.  The beginning of my hatred of this series started at the beginning of chapter 7 when Kana asked "Why don't we form a club!?"  What the ***!?  I feel like this series was a bait and switch scam.  It started out gritty and dark and Aki was a true biting vampire and then it turned into some light high school romp.  I can't take this.  It's an atrocity to do this to a vampire and a werewolf as cool and gorgeous as Aki and Jin.   Anyhow...I've approached another group to take over the series and when they are ready to announce they are taking over the series, we'll announce the new home too.  I'm very sorry to all the fans out there who love this series, but this is for the best -- at least for my sanity.

We do have a new series in mind now that we are done with this one.  It looks like Ogura Akane (ZHD) will be giving us something new and piratey (if I read her blog correctly) in June ;p.

Making Progress!...Maybe???


If we can get the last content farm to remove our projects, I'll release a clean zip :).  Well...that was ruined by a nasty commenter whose comment I chose not to publish.  Apparently, some content farmers don't get it.  The irritating watermarking will continue.  I'm tired of entitled people who think they deserve anything free or can exploit somebody's elses hobby for profit.  I mind it.  I don't understand why they simply can't link to our posts or to our home page like Baka-Updates and One Manga.  The only reason to upload individual pages is to farm the content to ad revenue.

Here's your missing J+K Chp 9 Money shot:



Happy Birthday Kuroneko003-san!

Our lovely K3-san celebrated her birthday yesterday. Here's a little present from our cleaner Suzume:


That Naoji!! Well, we hope you get to enjoy lots of delicious food.

誕生日おめでとう!

Image from Pika Ichi chapter 8.

Junketsu + Kareshi Chapter 9

Update:  One content farm uploaded the chapter ugly watermarks and all.  Therefore, chapter 10 will be similarly watermarked.  Go give thanks to them.  I have sent this website an e-mail.  Hopefully, they will take down our projects so we can end this stupidity before we get to chapter 10.
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Here is "Junketsu + Kareshi" chapter 9 and as I warned, I've watermarked some of the pages in the zip file because some bad actors continued to upload this series to manga aggregation websites and content farms.  I feel bad doing this because the artwork in the series is gorgeous.  I beg you to please keep your hate comments to yourself because I will not publish them. I know this is upsetting and hating me isn't going to help the situation.  The water marking will stop when the uploading stops.   Fortunately, it looks like some of the worst offending websites have pulled our projects.  So hopefully, this is enough of a warning so that folks understand that I'm serious.  Also understand, if the uploading doesn't stop I can make this increasingly draconian.  I only want to do this once or twice, so please respect our rules and don't upload our projects to manga aggregations websites or content farms.

Okay, now some good news!  The PDF is clean and if you have an iPad or Nook, the PDF looks wonderful.  PC and laptop, though, will show some loss of image quality compared to the zip file.  All you people with a predisposition to be bad apples, please resist the urge to make me watermark both the Zip and the PDF.

Links to "Junketsu + Kareshi" chapter 9:  (Zip -- Watermarked) (PDF -- No watermark, mobile, tablets) Retired.

Note: If you have trouble with the PDF, reload the webpage.  If that doesn't work, restart your browser and try again.  If that doesn't work then download the PDF and view the PDF on your desktop rather than your browser.  The PDF does have some security enabled, so it's very possible that the file will not open in most PDF readers.)

News!  "Junketsu + Kareshi" Volume 2 releases June 3rd.  I can sell you a copy for $11 + $2.50 postage within the US and $3.50 shipping to Canada.  Outside the US and Canada shipping will be $8 - $9 (via airmail).  If you would like to purchase a copy, contact me via e-mail using the contact link on the menu located at the top of this blog.

Spoiler Alert!  Spoilers Ahead!
My Thoughts on the chapter:
I have high hopes for chapter 10.  Jin finally asks Kana about how she feels about Aki and her situation.  Also, the shock of seeing Aki and his fiancee may snap Kana out of her Pollyanna state.

As for Eve, she irritates me already.  Get your darned hands off of Aki!  I wonder if she's after the Stigma too.  I hope she goes way quickly.  I'm in no mood for an Eve-Aki-Kana love triangle.  Anyhow, I hope some servant-protect-master things kicks in with Kana and Kana makes Eve go away.  I'm really worried about this because an annoying female third wheel could drive me to hate this series.

Chapter 10 will have some color pages and will be a longer chapter than usual.  Hopefully, in her time off, Shouoto-sensei had some time to think of ways to improve J+K and will begin to get the story back on track.
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Next up!
Next up is the Halloween-in-May one-shot "Twelve O'Clock Bell Rings".  It's short and wicked.

Placing May Order at Amazon JP, Taking Requests

Update:  Single magazine shipping cost to Canada is $11.95

Wow!  The little book selling venture I decided to try on a whim went extremely well last week!  I made enough money to nearly pay for all the magazines I pull materials from for our projects!  Let's see if we can keep up the momentum and expand things a little.  I would love it if our little community sustained this blog while at the same time did something to get money into our favorite mangakas' hands through book sales.

It seems that the biggest barriers keeping most of you from ordering from Amazon JP is the language barrier and that pesky initial shipping charge.  Well, I can help with that.  You can piggy back on my orders to get cheaper shipping from Amazon Japan.

I'm putting in my order next week for May's materials (June's projects).  Here's a list of the stuff I'm getting and the price I can offer to get it for you.  Shipping will vary based on what and how many items you get.  If you want magazines, it's best to get 2 or 3 so I can use a $10.95 flat rate priority mail shipper to get them to you.  Single books in the US are ~$2.50 for first Class Mail ($3.50 for Canada).

  • Lala Magazine $9
  • Betsuhana $10.50
  • Aria $12.00
  • Princess $10
  • Lala DX $12.50
  • Hana to Yume Comics -- $9/each
    • Ouran Volume 18
    • AnS Volume 1 - 5 (Volume 3 on backorder)
    • ZHD Volume 1 - 4
    • Orange Chocolate Volume 1 - 5
  • Aria Comics (larger format and better quality that Hana to Yume comics. Most have color pages)
    • J+K Vol 1 & 2 -- $11
    • Pika Ichi Vol 1 & 2 -- $11
    • Magnolia Vol 1 -- $12
I can also order other books and magazines for you as long as they are not adult.

All prices are the price in US dollars (Yen/US exchange rate is current ~81 Yen to $1US), plus $3 shipping from Japan to the US, plus ~$1 for Omari's Sister to fund material purchases.  Shipping within the US or Canada will be negotiated at the time of purchase.  If you aren't in the US or Canada, I can help you place your order, but I can't order for you, because I don't think I can save you any money.  If you are interested, please send me an e-mail via the contact link at the top of the blog.  Include in this e-mail:
  • What you want to order
  • How you want the items to be shipped to you
  • Whether the items will be shipped to an address within the US
  • The e-mail address to send you the invoice
All transactions will be handled through Paypal.  I will invoice you when I actually have the items in hand and they are ready to ship.  Once you pay the invoice, the items will be shipped you.

I also make trips at least twice a month to Mitsuwa and Book Off, so if you have used English or Japanese manga requests, I can do my best to fulfill those also.  I can also get new and popular Japanese language manga releases at Sanseido Books for a little cheaper.  Last time I was there they had Ouran volumes 17 and 18 and Orange Chocolate Volume 5.

One-Shot: "3 Hearts" by Ichinose Kaoru

I love stories with handsome rogues, mysterious women, moonlit nights, and stolen treasure.  Ah, yes, the romance of it all is the best and, in my humble opinion, this one-shot delivers.  Sigh...I would love this one-shot to be translated into a live action or animated movie.  It would be so beautiful!

Don't have many deep thoughts about this one-shots.  It's just a confections to enjoy.  I do wonder whether calling the main character "Jin Tonic" is a little bit of call back to "King of Bandits Jing".  In that series all the "Jing Girls" were named after mixed drinks.  I love that series and the follow on series "Twilight Tales".  Those series are out of print in English, but it you ever do find a complete set, I highly recommend reading the series.

Update 05/19/2011:  Small Edits from Lakshmi that don't impact story.  Also added a note about reading Tarot cards (reversed "Wheel of Fortune" = very bad luck -- Thanks to Zuu for that bit of information.)
Links to "3 Hearts": (Zip) (PDF -- mobiles and tablets)

Silver Lunar, who did a wonderful job cleaning and redrawing some of the pages, made a nice parody of the title page:
Hahaha!  It really does look like cover art for a Final Fantasy game :).  Thanks, Silver Lunar for the giggle.

Next Up!
I think I've kept you all waiting long enough.  I was planning to release "Twelve O'Clock Bells Rings" first, but I will get to work on "Junketsu + Kareshi"chapter 9 tomorrow.

Buy My Used Japanese Books

I have some Japanese language manga that I would like to sell to make room on my shelves for more manga.  Here's what I have:
  • 究極ヴィーナス ("Ultimate Venus") by Shigematsu Takako, Volumes 6 - 8
  • 黒薔薇アリス ("Black Rose Alice) by Mizushiro Setona, Volumes 2 and 3
  • Arisa by Ando Natsume, Volumes 2 - 6
  • Kisu by Matsumoto Tomo, Volume 7 and 8 -- Sold!
  • 僕になった私: Secret Girl, Volume 5
  • アラクレ by Fujiwara Kiyo, Volumes 6 and 7
  • 龍の花わずらい ("Two Flowers for the Dragon") by Kusakawa Nari, Volumes 1 - 4 -- Sold!
  • V.B ロス ("VB Rose") by Banri Hidaka, Volumes 7 - 12
  • ミックスベジタブル "Mixed Vegetables" by Komura Ayumi, Volumes 7 and 8
All of the books are in "like new" condition and $4 each.  All payment will be handled through Paypal.  Shipping will be by Priority Mail Flat rate shipping or First Class Mail or Media Mail.  I can handle International shipping to most countries.  If you are interested in purchasing some of these books, please contact me via the "contact" link on the menu on the top of this blog.  In the e-mail tell me what you want to purchase, what method you want the items shipped, and what e-mail address I should send the invoice to.


Going to Book Off -- Taking Purchase Requests for May 18th!

I will be heading up to my local Mitsuwa Marketplace (Sanseido Books) and Book Off this week (Wednesday or Thursday).  If you have any requests for used English or Japanese manga or new Japanese manga books or magazines, please send me an e-mail and I can arrange to purchase and ship those materials to you.  Please use the "contact" link at the top of this blog to send me an e-mail.  Here are the shipping cost estimates:

Small Priority Flat rate (up to 2 books): $5.95 US/$8-$10 (7 - 14-day International Airmail)
Medium Priority Flat rate (up to 10 - 14 books depending on thickness): $10.95 US/ ~$35 International

Magazines:  It's best to purchase 2 or 3 to take advantage of the flat rate priority shipper.  The minimum shipping on a magazine will be $10.95 because they are so thick.  That being the case, you may as well spread that $10.95 across 2 or 3 magazines or perhaps buy some books.

There are other shipping methods that balance time and cost.  Just tell me what you want and I can accommodate you.

All transactions will be handled through Paypal.

Birds of paradise Birds Pictures


Birds of paradise beautiful Birds Pictures

"The Ghost Apartment Manager" Chapter 4

Yep! We do have two releases today!  I hope you all will take the time to read both "Yukarism" and "The Ghost Apartment Manager".  "The Ghost Apartment Manager" isn't typical shoujo, but I hope if you've never read the series you will give it try, because it is a series with lots of heart and humor.  Here's a link to the first chapter

Chapter 4 involves dealing with the death of a pet.  It may cause a few of you to sniffle.  Personally, I always get a little misty whenever I see guys of any age cry.  Anyhow, like the previous chapters of GAM, Sekka is a downer while the ghosts around him are rambunctious and funny.

Links to "The Ghost Apartment Manager" chapter 4:  (Zip) (PDF -- for mobile and tablets)

Spoiler Alert!  Spoilers Ahead!
My Thoughts on the chapter:
I'm very worried about Sekka.  It seems that he's slipping back toward his shut-in tendencies.  It's also clear to me that Sekka is a character who is suffering from depression.  I wonder whether his thinking about tomorrow not coming is a little suicidal?  Hopefully, the ghosts will pull him out of that funk, though, I imagine people who are actually diagnosed depressed would tell me that it's not that simple.

Kago and his dogs are funny!  This dogs seems really likeable and friendly.  I normally don't like dogs, but when they are happy like this, I can tolerate them.

Sekka's situation -- he seems pretty much resigned that his own life isn't worth him living, but at least for now he's thinking about helping somebody else instead of being a 100% self-absorbed depressive navel gazer.  I hope now that he's agree to being possessed that some part of his consciousness remains present so he can experience "life".

Looking Ahead:  I've peeked ahead to the next few chapters and, of course, Kiyariko's regret has to do with unresolved feelings for a teacher.  Boo!!!  This is, of course, complicated because Sekka and teacher are male (let the hilarity and misunderstandings ensue...).  It looks as though the story line is handled with care, so although I hate this kind of plot line, I'm willing to give Fujieda-sensei the chance to play it through.

Speaking of Fujieda Toru, I'm reading her other series "Dragon Girl".  It's about a girl, Rinna, who wants to follow in her father's footsteps by joining a cheering squad at a specific school.  The first volume isn't all that spectacular, but once the drama gets started, it's quite compelling.  It's available from Yen Press in two omnibus collections.  Here are links to get more information about the books and to make a purchases.
Dragon Girl Omnibus 1 (Volumes 1 - 3)
Dragon Girl Omnibus 2 (Volume 4 - 6)
Both omnibus collections are currently on sale through Amazon.
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Next up!
Next up is the one-shot "3 Hearts" followed by our Halloween in May surprise one-shot "Twelve O'clock Bell Rings".  After that is the long awaited resumption of "Junketsu + Kareshi".

"Yukarism" Chapter 5

At last! Here's Yukarism chapter 5!  First off I would like to thank Ichigo Stars for some amazing redrawing gymnastics on the title page.  My socks have been completely knocked off by her skill.  I would also like to thank Suzume for her amazing redrawing skills as well.  Suzume has been working really hard to develop her Photoshop skills and I must say that she totally shredded the learning curve by getting this good so quickly.  

Oh!  And we've got some new people helping out with the Proofreading and QC!  Please welcome Chibi Anime Freak and Anime Lover.

A little warning about this chapter:  They get to nitty-gritty of Yuumurasaki's profession, prostitution, in this chapter.  There is no nudity, but it is quite clear what's going.  Actually, the scene is quite hilarious...but still I feel the need to warn readers.

Links to "Yukarism" chapter 5:  (Zip) (PDF -- for mobile and tablets)

Spoiler Alert!  Spoiler's Ahead!
Kuroneko003 and Kuma-chan's discussion about "Yukarism" chapter 5:
[Kuma-chan]: Man, I know nothing will happen but it's still funny to see Yuumurasaki and Shizuka!
[K3]: That was hilarious!
[Kuma-chan] I mean, they're both guys now so it's awkward but they seem to have a strange kinda friendship in the Edo period.
[K3]: Are you sure about that?  I think Mahoro is actually Shizuka and  Satomi is Kazuma.  Shizuka seems more worried about general security, whereas Mahoro is somewhat possessive.   There's also the explanation of why Satomi lost his job -- excessive loyalty.  Oh!  And Yukari said Satomi's vibe didn't match Shizuka's.   I also think the snakey hair is the indication of some sort of mystical ability.
[Kuma-chan]:  I'd like to see more of Kazuma though.
[K3]:  I wonder now that Mahoro is feeling dizzy, will she too also start traveling to the Edo period when she falls asleep.
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[Kuma-cha]:  I have to ask, why do you think he's being misled? It's not that I don't agree with you, I'm just curious to know your thoughts. I was thinking that the new guy might have hidden skills like Shizuka and Mahoro is protective and possessive of Yukari like Kazuma was of Yuumurasaki. But we might all be misled as you are suggesting.
[K3]:  Sorry, but this may come out as incoherent babble...Mainly, my feeling is that Satomi's personality is more calm and subservient like Kazuma's and Mahoro seems more hot-blooded and passionate like Shizuka.  Honestly, Shizuka is a nutty fan of Yuumurasaki.  He's pays ridiculous amounts of money for her company. It's in the way they talk and their facial expressions.  For example, Mahoro's demand that Satomi leave mirrors the demand Shizuka made in chapter 3.    Also, there are visual cues like hair color.  More and anything, Satomi's continuous mumbling to himself about how carefree Yukari is about security and his general benignly servile attitude scream Kazuma to me.  While Mahoro's fangirling, hot-temper, possessiveness, and need for Yukari not to think that she's a bother seems more Shizuka-like.
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[Kuma-chan]:  I think I'd have to agree with your reasoning there with the Mahoro/Shizuka + Satomi/Kazuma thing. I kinda based my initial decision upon what I observed on the surface but their personalities are pretty important eh. And yeah, the 'get outta here' stuff is quite a parallel. I didn't even pick up on that. Doh! But I have to wonder, are Shizuka and Yuumurasaki actually lovers? Or does he just pay all that money for her company, and nothing more? 
[K3]:  He's a customer.  Whether it goes beyond that, I guess we'll find out.
[Kuma-chan]:  And this gender switch business is disturbing. Unless Kazuma isn't a love interest for Yuumurasaki.
[K3]:  I don't think he was.  He seems more like a good friend.  Though, if Kazuma did love Yuukurasaki, it doesn't mean it translates into the present.
[K3]:  I don't think we have to worry about anything explicitly same sex.  Betsuhana is VERY tame.
[Kuma-chan]: Which would be strange because he's a handsome guy who's so close to her. Makes you wonder about the direction of the plot.
[K3]: If Mahoro is Shizuka, then the question becomes whether he's crazy and killed Yuumurasaki and will Mahoro become jealous in the present day and kill Yukari.  I'm hoping it is like that because then the basic plot would be a lot like a movie I love called "Dead Again".  In that movie we are led to believe that the husband killed his wife out of jealousy and that they are reincarnated and brought together again so the same fate can befall them.  The woman is an artist in her present life and is obsessed with scissors, the weapon used to kill the wife in the couple's previous life.  The guy is a private detective.  The twist at the end, though, is that the man in present life was actually the wife.  Oh, how I love that movie!
[Kuma-chan]:  Yeah, Kazuma might be a good friend who dies protecting Yuumurasaki. But I don't think the past will repeat itself. First, we don't even know if Shizuka actually killed the people in Yoshiwara. I'm willing to bet it was an enemy, perhaps of Shizuka since he seems to work for high ranked people. That scroll covered in incantations might have been an attempt by Shizuka to protect Yuumurasaki but it might have been too late. While he is scary and says things like "I can end your life" etc. I don't think he'd kill her. He seems interested in her because she's the only one that doesn't fear him and I guess she's like his friend. Though he throws money at her she doesn't seem to be acting all obedient around him and just trying to please him. She's herself. But Yukari's got himself in a nice pickle this chapter. XD As for the history not repeating itself part: I think whatever went wrong in the past will be fixed by Yukari in the present. I don't think he'll change history (though he might be able to?!) but I think he won't let the same mistake happen again in the present.
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Hahaha!  I guess we'll have to see in later chapters whether any of this speculation comes true :).
Next up!
Next up is "The Ghost Apartment Manager" chapter 4

Buy My Used Manga!

Update!

I have set up Paypal you can buy the books as a set from me directly and save on shipping.  Please use the Amazon Store link to see what I've got in stock.  If you want to buy a set of books, please send me an e-mail l via the "contact" link at the top of the blog and we'll make an arrangement.  If you want to buy one or two volumes, then it's best to use Amazon. *Wow I was tired when I first wrote this update.  I'm sorry about the previous illiterate babble*
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I'm cleaning my shelves again to make room for new manga!  I've put some of my manga selection up for sale on my Amazon Marketplace store, "Manga4Sale".  All the books are lightly used and most of them look brand new.  Here's what's for sale:
  • Ai Ore! Volume 1 (Just Added!) -- Sold!
  • Mistress Fortune
  • Mixed Vegetables Volumes 4 - 8 -- Sold!
  • Tail of the Moon Volumes 1 - 15 --Sold!
  • The Lizard Prince Volume 1 -- Sold!
I've done my best to price them decently and if you buy 3 or more, I can give you a discount on the shipping.  Just send me an e-mail to let me know about purchase so I know your a regular reader of this blog.

Here's a link to my store:  Link