Mizushiro Setona - After School Nightmare, vol. 07 (Eng. trans.)

[oyceter]

Wow! That was a very eventful volume!

After being convinced that this series could not possibly end the way I wanted it to, much less question assumptions about gender binaries, gender roles, and all the attending issues, I am now much more convinced that it will.

Ichijo's notions of what it means to be male or female are still entirely fucked up; he associates maleness with action, control, and assertiveness while he associates femaleness with vulnerability, manipulativeness, and pliability. He doesn't think he's a good guy because he's too weak, but he's not a good girl either. I love that Kureha calls him on his notions of gender being an escape for him.

Ichijo plays at being a girl after deciding he's not a good boy; he succumbs to Kurosaki's kiss and tries to make nice with Sou, he puts on the girls' school uniform. But he's still confused because he's hurt by Kureha's closeness with Sou, and not just because he's decided he loves Sou.

And Sou... he lost his virginity to his sister. I am so not surprised! Also, Sou is amazingly being much less of an asshole now. I'm still not convinced that he's the armor, although it seems like Kurosaki may not be as well, given that Kurosaki appeared as himself.

But, I think talking with Kureha has been good for Sou, and I LOVE that they're still having lunch together. I love them both moping about how Ichijo has treated them, and I love Sou's quiet offer to have Kureha call him if she's sad or lonely. Despite the kiss, I'm not rooting for them as a romance, since the delicate balance of their friendship is too wonderful to upset.

And oh, Kureha! I am SO HAPPY that she's getting character development outside of her relationship with Ichijo, and I am SO HAPPY that she's not being pushed aside for Sou/Ichijo. And I love that of all the characters, she's become the voice of sanity, even though she is still dealing with her own issues. Also, she goes home! Her dream form shifts! She's still hurt by Ichijo and would like to hurt back, but she's also acting very well, all things considered. I really want to see her deal with her expectations of her mother and her father, her hatred of her mother (and herself) being the victim of men, and her anger at her father.

And Ai is from another school! I wonder what that means...

Comments

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

I was tempted to spoil myself, but I read about it being an eventful volume and backed out.

I got angry at amazon and ordered from GoComi! and paid for fast delivery, because it was in dollars and that's not real money! So this is just a place-holder for the next couple of days until my copy arrives.

[oyceter]

I hope it gets to you soon! I am dying to talk about it!

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

I got my copy today! I completely do not regret spending all that money on postage, except I now must wait until August for the next volume to come out.

Things which rocked my socks:

KUREHA

Kureha has really grown. Her and Sou's 'Victims of Mashiro Ichijo Club' was cute, and I don't think she's beem this comfortable around a boy who's not part girl since that boy whose name I don't recall. Phone-boy. He sat with Ichijo at lunch. It'll be interesting to see what's happening with her parents.

The Mizuhashis and their familial weirdness. By the way, what do you think makes Sou more difficult to live with than Ai?

Sou's a slut because he wants to escape the incestuous clutches of his sister, wtf?!

Ichijo recognises how messed up up he is - long after everybody else has called him on it, but still!

The tumour! Actually that as just nasty. But I'm not sure whether it's Kurosaki's dream form or what?

Ai pretended to be a student? And got into the dream class? The school is not really organised about it's supernatural activities is it?

Ichijo doesn't care what people think about him anymore? He even cared what mermaid girl thought of him. I'll believe that when I see more.

Kureha calling Ichijo on his using his gender ambiguity as a constant excuse for everything he does wrong.

When Ichijo is making his rambling declaration from a balcony (more Shakespeare allusions?) and Sou shouts 'What the hell are you trying to say?' in the middle of it.

Sou and Kureha holding hands on the Chapter 25 opening page.
Sou crying one perfect tear on the cover for chapter 26. It reflects his inner emo.
Kureha wearing armour in the next volume? Her 'true power' finally 'unlocked'? More Kureha development!

[oyceter]

I know! KUREHA! I am so happy she gets development! I cannot wait until the next volume! Exclamation point!

I really want more on the Mizuhashi family as well, particularly Sou's version of his childhood, as I completely do not trust Ai's.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Oh, ILL, why are you not putting this in my hands immediately?

[oyceter]

Yay! I hadn't realized you were keeping up with this series, awesome!

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Only dubiously, at the whims of the library system, alas. But I'm trying!

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

I randomly encountered the first 2 volumes of this at my library yesterday afternoon and picked them up on a lark. I'm glad I read this -- it makes me actually eager to read through and get on with more of the manga.

Also, given that we're So Very Entertained by Princess Princess (the anime), I neeeeeed to find The Day of Revolution manga. (And of course the title has absolutely no reference to Utena, nope, nope, especially since it's so clear that Princess Princess has no references to Utena, not even when the princesses appear in a red convertible...)

[oyceter]

Oh cool! It really is going places I did not expect, and in a way that makes me very happy!

I think I read v. 1 of Day of the Revolution, but it was a bit too spastic for me, but! YMMV of course.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

OMG PARASITIC TUMOR WITH A FACE!!! AIEEEEE!!!!

I loved this volume: the startlingly sweet friendship between Sou and Kureha, Kureha's growing strength and self-awareness, and people calling Ichijo on his fucked-up ideas about gender.

I don't know what to make of all the additional scenes outside the school-- and Kureha even went home! For a while I was thinking that there was no outside of the school, but that seems to be wrong.

Who is the tumor? Kendo guy? It now does look like Sou is the armor after all... but then who is the crawling hand?

[oyceter]

I know! And Kureha was the tree, which means they can shift dream forms... so maybe Sou was the hand and is now the armor, or Kendo guy was the armor and is now the tumor, or who knows!

I love Kureha SO MUCH!

[salimbol.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone! And hello to oyceter in particular; I've been browsing your journal for a while and I always enjoy your posts. Sorry for arriving a bit late to the party, but I just wanted to add to the love for this volume. It had so many things in it that made me very happy.
First of all, Kureha Kureha Kureha! She rocked six ways from Sunday in this installment. And the developing relationship between her and Sou was wonderful, and (I don't think) likely to become a romance. It might be the series' first proper friendship (though maybe cellphone guy and Ichijo count?). Ichijo has always been a one step forward, two steps back kind of person, but at least he's trying. And I did love that Kureha called him on his propensity for making excuses for himself.
I wondered myself if the kendo guy might be the tumour, as it's a particularly low-class gossipy tumour and his dad is so insistent on proper genteel behaviour, but I stand ready to be corrected. Taking things for granted with this series has proved to be dangerous...

[kanan-com.livejournal.com]

Volume 7 was amazing, I cannot WAIT for more. Its getting so good; this is one of the most interesting manga I have read in a long time. But the thing about Sou and his sister...WHAT A SICK FUCK SHE IS. Ugh I just wanna kill her she's so twisted... *shudder* The interesting thing is that I actually was recommended this by my language tutor who says she and Setona were in the manga/art club at her school in high school! That's just so cool, my tutor says she was amazing and knew she'd get famous, but my tutor was just there for fun. Do you know when the next volume is out?

i need to read chap 37

[yarichelle.livejournal.com]

i cant find the chap.37 of after school nightmare...can some one tell me