Review: FUTABA-KUN CHANGE

Considering we're still in the midst of a Ranma 1/2 reboot, now's a good time to talk about its pervy weirdo cousin of a manga.

FUTABA-KUN CHANGE (Futaba-kun Chenji), by Hiroshi Aro.  First published in 1991 and first published in North America in 1998.

PLOT:

Futaba Shimeru thought he was just another ordinary high school guy.  He went to classes, hung out with his wrestling team, and pined for the pretty Misaki from afar.  Then something strange happens when he thinks of Misaki during a private session with a porno magazine: he turns into a woman! It turns out everyone in Futuba's family can change sex whenever they are excited, and can only change back when their thoughts calm down.  That's a hard thing for Futuba to do when his teammates are searching for the cute girl with the sweet wrestling moves, his sister keeps getting horny over him, and he's forced to enroll in school as his female self.

Merry Month of Shojo Review #6: JOSEPHINE THE FRENCH ROSE

It's hard to believe that the only Yumiko Igarashi manga available in English is this curious little digital artifact, a shojo manga that feels out of place and time.

JOSEPHINE THE FRENCH ROSE (Bara no Josephine), written by Kaoru Ochiai with art by Yumiko Igarashi.  First published in 2011 and first published in North America in 2015.

PLOT:

Long before she would become Empress of France, Josephine Bonaparte was merely Rose, an innocent young noblewoman growing up in 18th century Martinique.  Her constant companion is the young servant boy Agathon, who admires Rose's gentle heart and generous spirit.  Rose's innocent childhood ends when she and Agathon are spirited away to France so that Rose can marry the neglectful Marquis de Beauharnais.  As the years pass, Agathon fears that his mistress will lose herself to the decadent, deceitful machinations of the nobles around her.