"Yukarism" Chapter 11

Here is the final chapter of "Yukarism" before it went on hiatus.  I don't know when "Yukarism" will return, but I hope it's not too long and I hope the series isn't abandoned.  It's too good of a series to kill before it's done.  It does worry me, though, like the other series that went on hiatus, when it does return the story will be rushed to an end.*Wringing hands*


Anyhow, we learn more about Kazuma's woes and we begin to understand why he's doomed and why he's so freaking insane.  I feel so bad that his happy little family was broken.  Poor Kazuma T_T.

Onto the link!

Link to "Yukarism" chapter 11: (PDF)

Next up!  I don't know.  Let's all be surprised together.  It may be a week or so before a new release.  There are a lot of projects that need prepping for typesetting, so I will spend the rest of month prepping and deploying projects the typesetters.  I will, though, do some other blog entries to fill the void.  I bought lots of manga in March ^^.

Oh!  and we are recruiting!  Please see our recruiting call here.

"Yukarism" Chp 10

It's been a while since we had a chapter of "Yukarism".  The series is currently on hiatus, so I decided there was no urgent need for releases.  It looks like Shiomi-sensei has recovered enough to start drawing again (a new chapter of "Nanatsu Kururi" came out in the latest issue of Itan) and she spoke on Twitter about finishing the manuscript for the end of an unnamed series...hmm...But keep in mind that Shiomi-sensei currently has three series running. I did see the listing for Betsuhana 6 and "Yukarism" doesn't appear.  I guess we have to wait at least two months longer.  Hopefully, this isn't like "Seirei Produce" which went on hiatus for a year.

On to the chapter!  We get more insight into Kazuma and Takamura.  Takamura continues to become more adorable which Kazuma seems to be mad and going madder.  (Chapter 11 begins to shed light on the extent of Kazuma's madness.  It's pretty sad.)  There's not much else to be said.  It's one of those things you have to read.

Onto the release!

Link to "Yukarism" chapter 10:  (PDF)

Next up is "Yukarism" chapter 11!  It should be out toward the middle of the week.

Yukarism Chapter 9

"Yukarism" resumes with a beautiful color page.  The title says the chapter is 45 pages, but it's only 37 pages.  I guess the chapter is shorter than what was expected or negotiated.  It's kinda surprising considering that the series was on hiatus for three months.  Oh, well...

This chapter has a sad flashback to Yuumurasaki's and Kazuma's childhood and ends with a launch pad into what takes place in the past in Edo between Yuumurasaki, Kazuma, and Takamura.  There's an interesting little historical nugget added to the story (be sure to read the translator notes).  I wonder if this was put in to foreshadow the path of the story or whether it's another attempt to misdirect the reader.  There's a lot of worrying about Yuumurasaki getting ill.  In the present time, there's more of the Mahoro x Satomi hate comedy.  Somehow, I feel that their hatred is good natured -- like rivals who respect one another.  I guess we are still waiting to see the true nature of the characters' opposition in the past.


And now the chapter (PDF)

Also, here's a quick wallpaper I made using one of the pages from this chapter:

(click on the image for the full-sized wallpaper)

Next up is the first chapter of the continuation of "Akagami no Shirayukihime" in Lala magazine.  It's taking longer than expected to prepare because it was a tough chapter to redraw and translate (still refining the translation -- Sorata-sensei's "word salad" is in full effect).  It should be done by the end of the week.

"Yukarism" Chapter 8

First of all, I would like to acknowledge the effort the team of Omari's Sister translators put into page 6.  There was a lot of :/, but after a couple of days of e-mail exchanges, I think we got a decent translation.
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It's been a while since we've had a chapter of "Yukarism".  Hopefully, this chapter is worth the wait and hopefully the way the chapter ends will help you understand why I held onto it until now.  In this chapter we, along with Yukari, learn a lot about Mahoro.  We also start getting glimpses of what happened between Yuumurasaki, Takamura, and Kazuma in the past and those glimpses give us some insight into Yukari's detached personality.  These are only just glimpses, though, leaving us with many unanswered questions about the past and Yukari.  And now onto the links:

Link to "Yukarism" Chapter 8:  (PDF)(PC Users: optimum zoom is 67%)

My Thoughts on the Chapter (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

It seems from this chapter that perhaps Yuumurasaki never had any deep feelings for Takamura or at least at that point in the past.  It makes me wonder which Yuumurasaki Takamura was in love with.  If Yuumurasaki was always even tempered, then Yukari's emotional break as he's remembering his mother's death (chapter 7) must has been a special moment for Takamura.

Anyhow, it seems that Yukari has carried over Yuumurasaki's emptiness into his present existence. Perhaps that's the thing that Yukari has to resolve to break free of the past.  He's at least trying with Mahoro, but his attempts at connection seem awkward at best.  It was more like he went on a surveillance mission than to actually "visit" Mahoro and her family.

Kazuma keeps on getting freakier.  Sooo...Yuumurasaki is his younger sister?  Why doesn't Yuumurasaki know that?  And...does Kazuma have an ...ahem..."unhealthy" love for his sister.  The whole situation makes me wonder whether he "got rid" of their parents after they sold off Yuumurasaki.  Kazuma seems like that kind of lunatic.  It's very easy to understand why everything goes to sh** and folks end up bleeding from sword wounds and burning up in a fire.  Oh, man, one heck of a train wreck awaits us...

Up Next!  I don't know!  It depends on what get cleaned and ready to typeset first.  Haha!  I guess it will be a surprise :).

Reminder:  Follow our releases on Twitter @OmarissisterRel 

"Yukarism" is going on Hiatus until the End of October

Update:  I'll do a compromise.  We'll release chapter 8 in early September.

I just got "Yukarism" chapter 8 and it is not the last chapter.  Rather, the series is going on hiatus for three months after chapter 8 and will resume with chapter 9 on October 26th.  I did have the chance to quickly read through chapter 8 and it's packed with details about Mahoro's childhood, Mahoro's dreaming activities, and a revelation about the true nature of Yuumurasaki's and Shouma's relationship...heheheheh...(anyone wanna guess?).  In light of the hiatus and the fact that chapter 7 left us in a good place to rest, I'm gonna hold off of releasing chapter 8 until early October to prevent cliffhanger agony.

"Yukarism" Chapter 7 -- This Chapter Has it All!

Hahaha!  In a way those stars in the background look perfect for a 4th of July release.  It's a nice coincidence :).

Chapter 7...this is a very nice chapter indeed.  I don't want to say much about it, because I would hate to spoil it.  Onto the link!  I couldn't bear putting out this chapter with horrible watermarks all over it, so instead I decided to only release a PDF version. It will look great on mobiles and tablets.  For PC users, I recommend viewing at 70 - 75% magnification to get rid of the artifacts.
Note: This PDF cannot be viewed in your browser.  You will have to save the PDF to your hard drive before you can open it.

Link to Yukarism chapter 7:  (PDF)

Spoiler Alert!  Spoilers Ahead!  Read this after you read the chapter!

My Thoughts about the Chapter:
I'm totally 2-D crushing on Takamura Shizuka.  He is an adorable grizzle bear!  I wonder if at the time when Yukari's soul leaves Yuumurasaki does Takamura have a realization.  Both he and Kazuma keep telling Yuumurasaki to take care of her body.  I wonder does she get sick and one of them kills her rather than see her suffer.  That would be so sad T_T.

I'm continue to love the whole Mahoro/Takamura vs. Satomi/Kazuma hate fest.  I seriously wanna play that video game.  Oh!  And Yukari and Mahoro make such a wonderful couple :).  They are so handsome together.

Anyhow, it looks like chapter 8 will cover things from Kazuma's perspective.  I expect the next chapter to be violent and sad.  I also hope the chapter closes out the story.  It would be nice for this series to end strong rather than to drag on until we all get tired of it.

Next up!
Next up is a double release of Lily chapter 2 and Magnolia chapter 12!

"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!

"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

"Yukarism" Chapter 4

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the smuggiest of them all?  I'll let you be the judge.  Is it Hugo or this new guy Shizuka Takamura? Haha, this is so much fun :).

Here's "Yukarism" chapter 4!  The plot thickens as more people from the past are introduced.  In this chapter, the witch doctor Shizuka Takamura enters the scene.  Is he an enemy?  Somehow I feel that he's just misunderstood.

And now the links:

Links to "Yukarism" chapter 4:  (Zip) (PDF -- Medium Quality)

Spoiler Alert!  Spoilers Ahead

My thoughts on the chapter:

Mahoro is still pretty funny.  She so badly wants to serve Yukari.  What the heck happened that's got her past self as Kazuma so mad at Takamura and makes her present self so deeply hate the present Takamura.  What is Mahoro going to do in the present now that Takamura is back.  I love how Yukari sees a delicious situation ahead is game to let Mahoro and present-Takamura go at each other.  Yukari is such the pot-stirrer.

Takamura -- I don't think he's evil.  I think he does evil things and he's probably in love with Yuumurasaki because she's the only person who doesn't fear him.  I imagine the scroll with the incantations was probably a protective scroll or a scroll with an incantation that bound the people in the past together so they can meet up again in the future.

It looks like some of the political intrigue of the Edo period.  I wonder if that has more to do with Yuumurasaki's death more than any personal relationship?

Next up!
Next up is either "Akagami no Shirayukihime" chapter 24 or "The Ghost Apartment Manager" chapter 3, depending on whether I get the AnS raw today or tomorrow.

"Yukarism" Chapter 3

 

This series gets better with each chapter.  It's funny, sweet, and fun all at the same time!  And on top of that, the artwork is wonderful! I hope Shiomi-sensei can keep up the momentum with this series.

Links to "Yukarism" chapter 3: (Zip) (PDF)

Spoiler Alert! Spoilers Ahead!

My Thoughts on the Chapter:

Hitoha!  She's so cute.  I hope this isn't the last we see of her present self, Emi.

Mahoro is a constant source of laughter for me in this chapter.  She so oblivious to her own hypocrisy.  She's hysterically jealous and just plain funny.  I wonder if what she's expressing now is what was going on internally in her past life as Kazuma.  I wonder the same about the hug.  Yukari looks very sincere while doing it.  I wonder is this something he wanted to do to Kazuma as Yuumurasaki in the past, but couldn't because of social barriers.

I'm looking for to chapter 4 and the introduction of a potential antagonist who rivals the smugness of "Smuggy Wolf".

Next up is "The Ghost Apartment Manager" chapter 2 followed by our winter-to-spring transition one-shot, "World's End Garden".

"Yukarism" Chapter 2

Oh, Yukari, I like you a lot!  I love the way you find joy and entertainment in your situation and you're so cute when you're Yuumurasaki.  The question is what happens when you actually have to do your job as an Oiran? That ought to be fun.

Anyhow, so far this is a very heart warming story despite half of it taking place in a red light district.

And now for the links:

Links to "Yukarism" Chapter 2:  (Zip) (PDF) -- the zip looks much better.

Spoiler Alert --

My Thoughts on the Chapter:
Hitoha is so cute!  I love the relationship between the two mains in the past and the present.  They look good together and I like their interactions.  I want more!

Next up is the series debut of "The Ghost Apartment Manager"

New Series Trial: "Yukarism" Chapter 1

Here's the first chapter of one of the series we are trialing called "Yukarism" by Chika Shiomi .  "Yukarism" is the story of a young man named "Yukari" who is born with the memories of his past life and so at the tender age of 17,  he is an Edo period novelist.  Yukari "meets cute" with Mahoro on the first day of the new school term and Yukari has the sense that even though he's never met Mahoro, he's knows her...and from there our story of the past and the present begins!

Links to "Yukarism" Chapter 1:  (Zip) (PDF)

Here are some links to supplementary information about Oiran vs. Geisha:

Wikipedia
Geisha Dolls

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Spoiler Alert!

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My First Impressions of Yukarism:
The first thing that struck me about this series is the AMAZING artwork.
The kimonos, the Edo period scenery, and the character drawings are gorgeous!  As for the story, I think it has great potential.  Yukari is sufficiently mysterious and Mahoro is very likable.  I'm a sucker for past life stories with dual story lines in the past and present, especially when they involve a mystery around the death of the characters in their past lives.

I've already peeked at the next two chapters and artwork gets even more amazing.  Also, there is some rapid story development, so I know the first three chapters will be very good.  The question is whether this level of quality and detail can be maintained through the life of the series.  I guess we have to see.

Next up is the "Ouran" 60-page sequel one-shot!

"Yukarism" Preview

Here is a preview of the one of our new series for 2011 called "Yukarism".  It's by Chika Shiomi the author of "Yurara" and "Rasetsu".  This is only a preview so it hasn't been QC'ed or proofread yet. Please forgive any typos or errors I haven't caught yet.  Hopefully, this little preview will give you some idea about the quality of the artwork (actually, I've saved the best parts because there are some stunningly gorgeous pages that I want to leave as a surprise) and a feel for the main characters.  I'm already very fond of the maid.

(Click on the images to see them full-size).

We are aiming to release the full 52-page chapter on January 22nd.  Please feel free to give us some early feedback.