Review: TUXEDO GIN

One of the nice things about Old School Manga Month is that it's a good opportunity to bring forgotten favorites and hidden gems back to light.  Today's review is a prime example of both, a series I remember reading and liking even before I began this blog but was seldom mentioned by anyone then and all but forgotten now.

TUXEDO GIN (Takishido Gin), by Tokihiko Matsuura.  First published in 1997 and first published in North America in 2003.

PLOT:

When Ginji Kusanagi saw Minako Sasebo, it was love at first sight.  He certainly didn't expect a girl like her to accept a date from a rough-looking kid on the verge of his pro boxing debut like him, but a motorcycle accident kills Ginji the day before that date can take place.  An angel gives him a second chance, but in order to get his body and his life back Ginji must live out a second life as a penguin.

Things don't get easier for the newly dubbed "Gin" as a penguin.  No sooner does he manage to escape his aquarium home than he has to deal with the goons who caused his killer accident, Minako getting kidnapped, and a rich rival who's determined to make Minako his.

Review: GALAXY ANGEL

 It's once again time for Old-School Manga Month!  Although some of you might object to the inclusion of today's title as "old-school" as some of y'all are old enough to remember when the franchise this came from was brand new.  Alas, I cannot stop the passage of time from coming for your bubble-era faves no more than I can stop myself from giving my own hot take on them.

GALAXY ANGEL (Gyarakushi Enjeru), based on the original concept by Broccoli with story and art by Kanan.  First published in 2001 and first published in North America in 2004.

PLOT:

Deep in space, an intergalactic civil war rages to determine who will control the Transbaal Empire.  The wicked Prince Eonia has killed everyone else in the royal family save for his youngest brother, Prince Shiva.  The only thing that stands between Shiva and Eonia is the Angel Troupe, five young women with quirky personalities whose duty is to protect the prince...at least, when they're not getting distracted by food or exploring their own massive ship.  Their mission only becomes more chaotic when the space patrolman Takuto gets caught up in their schemes.  Charmed by their mission and good looks, he's determined to help the Angel Troupe bring peace back to the galaxy.

Review: YOWAMUSHI PEDAL

It's once again time for the Summer Olympics, so in turn I'm going to be looking at some sports manga (and in particular those featuring sports you're likely to see at the Olympics), and that includes bike racing.

YOWAMUSHI PEDAL (Yowamushi Pedaru), by Wataru Watanabe.  First published in 2008 and first published in North America in 2015.

PLOT:

Sakamichi Onoda is an otaku who loves nothing more than his regular trips to Akibahara.  It doesn't matter that he lives in the hilly countryside nearly 50km away from the heart of Tokyo - he's happy to bike his way there and back if it lets him save that much more money for another vending machine toy.  Eventually Sakamichi's endurance is noticed by a couple of classmates who are part of the school's biking team.  They eventually convince Sakamichi to give them a chance, but the transition from casual trips to Tokyo on an everyday bike to serious races on sporting models is a rough, even perilous one.

Review: MISTER MISTRESS

 I can't not close out this month by shooting the metaphorical fish in the barrel - i.e., reaching deep into my boxes of BL manga and finding some silly-looking stinker to review.

MISTER MISTRESS (Aijin Incubus), by Rize Shinba.  First published in 2005 and first published in North America in 2008.

PLOT:

Fujimaru is your standard horny hetero teen boy, and it turns out that his teenage libido is the key to unlocking the secret of his late grandfather's house: an incubus named Rei.  Rei craves Fujimaru's body and the raging hormones within it, but Fujimaru isn't very keen on the idea.  The more he tries to resist, the harder Rei tries to trick him into sex.  How long can Fujimari hold out against such temptation?

Review: THE RUTHLESS COMMANDER AND HIS REINCARNATED WARHORSE

 There's still not a lot of BL isekai out there, but this particular one stands out by virtue of having one of the wackiest premises I've seen.

THE RUTHLESS COMMANDER AND HIS REINCARNATED WARHORSE (Shouwaru Boukun Kishu to Nagasare Senba), based on the light novel by Sakashima with art by Nomoto Narita.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2023.

PLOT:

Deep in a forest, a young foal is born.  Once he was a modern-day Japanese man, but now he's enjoying the freedom and simplicity of life as a horse.  Then one day he encounters Lieutenant Commander Felix, a strict but handsome young soldier.  Felix takes this horse (now named Aleksei) for himself, and Aleksei commits himself to becoming his loyal steed.  When the two are attacked by bandits, Aleksei undergoes a strange transformation that allows the two to become closer than ever before.