Yuki Kaori - Godchild, vol. 02 (Eng. trans.)

[oyceter]

Wow. No one writes crack like Yuki Kaori, and when I say this, I am including Laura Kinsale. I wasn't going to buy this, but then I flipped to the opening page and was once again caught up in the saga of Cain, Earl of Hargreaves (or Earl Hargreaves, or both, or something). To recap, in case people have not been reading this. Cain's father was horrifically abusive in the way only people in Gothic manga can get. This has resulted in the cruel, capricious, yet wounded Cain (I can't think of another "c" word, doh), who is so lonely that he collects poisons. He and his butler Riff have a Pure and True Love, he and his half-sister Mary have a Pure and Completely Non-Incestuous and Rather Overprotective Love, and he and his half-brother Jizabel Disraeli have a One-Sided Disturbing Obsession Centering on Cain's Golden Eyes.

Jizabel of course wants Cain's beautiful golden eyes, doubtless to keep them in a jar so he can forever admire them. He is a manga villain. Do not question his motives or ways!

Since this is volume 2, I am now used to all of the above and it no longer sends me into hysterical laughter fueled by disbelief and awe at Yuki Kaori's chutzpah.

Instead, she gives me many, many, many more things to fuel my disbelief and awe (mostly awe).

In the future, I must remember to never read these in public, since I inevitably end up cackling hysterically.

The best part about this volume is the red butterflies story, which takes up several chapters. I loved it, even as I cackled hysterically over it.

My favorite parts include: the Gothic helpless heroine Lukia, who is half-Japanese and named after some historical figure Lukia who did something that resulted in eyes on a plate. I remember this because Yuki explains this in one of the author's notes side panels, complete with an illustration of Lukia smiling cutely, all chibi-style, with said eyes on a plate. Lukia also dresses like a Harajuku goth girl. Namely, she wears kimono trimmed with lace over crinolines, and I laughed every. single. time. Kimono! Victorian kimono! With crinolines!

I'm telling you, this is good crack.

There is also a completely insincere yet strangely compelling blackmail attempt under the guide of a marriage proposal, parallels with Cain's situation, the Pure True Love of Cain and Riff (only Riff can touch his scars!), an insane parrot (rachelmanija, another Manga Fowl of DOOM!), jealous lovers, and skankiness from Cain's father.

All in around 80 pages.

Just typing this up makes me want to laugh hysterically.

You must all go buy this so I can alternately squee and go "Eeeeee!" in a really high-pitched voice and talk in broken sentences consisting largely of: "Kimono! With lace! OMG EEEEE!"

Comments

[shati.livejournal.com]

Oh! Is that what was going on? I only have Godchild in Japanese, so I can read a little dialogue, but nowhere near enough to understand Kaori Yuki's plots. Um, not that I understand them when I read in English, but it's even harder without. So I was sitting there going, "Mysterious disguises! Tragic deaths! Rooftop drama I do not understand! Magician! Why on earth is she wearing that?"

Are you planning to finish the series? Late Godchild does not look as interesting, but there is at least one scene (of which I did manage to find a translation) that is completely and utterly worth it, if only to hold up as an explanation of The Kaori Yuki Experience.

[oyceter]

Hee! Yuki Kaori is confusing enough in English! I still remember attempting to read Angel Sanctuary in Chinese and having absolutely no freaking clue as to what was going on.

I am very much planning on finishing the series! I wasn't sure if I was going to after the first volume, but the series proves to be too cracktastic to put down.

[shati.livejournal.com]

Ooh -- I wish I remembered more of my Chinese. And, er, found the series in Chinese. It would be so awesomely useless to know how to say -- or just write, I guess -- "Inorganic Angel."

Hurray!

[oyceter]

It's "wu ji tien shr" ("tien shr" being "angel"). The "wu" is the character for "nothing" or "not" and the "ji" is the character for "machine" that has also somehow become the term for "organic."

So for a very long time, I thought that the angels were mechanical or something. It was quite confusing!

[tavella.livejournal.com]

named after some historical figure Lukia who did something that resulted in eyes on a plate.

Is it sad that just from this I was able to instantly deduct 'almost certainly a Roman Catholic saint named Lucia who had her eyes torn out'? And indeed, that is what it is. (http://www.catholic-forum.com/SAINTS/saintl01.htm)

[oyceter]

That rocks! Although I am now a little confused as to why the translators decided to spell it as "Lukia." For a while, I thought it was a misspelling of "Rukia," but I guess not.

Then again, they are spelling "Jezebel" as "Jizabel" and "Merriweather" as "Mary Weather," so I guess it's not so surprising.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I think I must read this at your place.

[oyceter]

YES! You must! I also bits and pieces of Angel Sanctuary which you totally have to read as well.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

I actually find the Only Riff Can Touch His Scars scene very sweet and touching, in a rather twitchy sort of way.

[oyceter]

Oh yeah! I am all for the Pure and True Love of Cain and Riff. I especially loved the Cain/Riff scenes in this volume. I mean... it is so melodramatic and yet... EEEEE! Pure and True Love!

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Yuki Kaori also did Angel Sanctuary, right? I got a good deal on Angel Sanctuary off ebay but I cannot really make heads or tails of it; I keep reading and then thinking, 'But I thought so-and-so was a guy?' or 'But I thought she died in the last chapter'. Do you mind if I ask a question about that one? Does it make sense eventually? Based on various recaps I've read, I think Yuki Kaori's stories would hit my story buttons but so far I am mostly just confuzzled. Would Godchild make more sense?

[oyceter]

Ahhh, yes, she very much did Angel Sanctuary! I am completely not surprised that you were completely baffled by AS. It is immensely confusing and involves multiple identities and past lives, gender switches, side switches, politics in Heaven and Hell, and about a millennia of history. It is insanely ambitious, and I love it to pieces, even though it is very messy at times.

I'm not sure if it makes sense eventually (I haven't finished it yet), but after a while, I stopped waiting for it to make sense and just started enjoying all the switcheroos and reincarnations.

Godchild makes a lot more sense, largely because it consists of stand-alone mysteries and isn't one ginormous plot. Do not ask me if the mysteries actually make sense ;). I got too distracted by the art.

But yes, I would still rec it, just because... Yuki Kaori!

[(Anonymous)]

At least it's not just me! :) Thank you. I will try reading it again and just let my confusion wash over me as I look at the pretty pretty art.

And then I will go and read Godchild, too. Heee! So much manga, so little time.

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Er, that was me.