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Tore through eleven volumes of Ze in four days, more or less, including re-skims of 10 and 11. (And Shoui was adopted by Kotoha's parents, so yes, they're brothers.) Very satisfying, and these days very rare, to be able to lose myself in a series like that, one that precisely scratches an itch I wasn't aware of. I wonder where manga fandom is happening now? Probably through scanlations, I suppose.
Finally realize that what makes Waki run is not so much the Jewish mama matchmaking / making sure her kids' husbands treat them right-- though that's in there too-- as it is Iolanthe's Lord Chancellor:
And in my court I sit all day,
Giving agreeablegirls kami away,
With one for him — and one for he —
And one for you — and one for ye —
And one for thou — and one for thee —
But never, oh, never a one for me!
Though god knows he says it enough through the course of the series. "Kami will always choose the word masters" and never the man who created them: unless they're part dog. Really, Waki owes Konoe big time for messing up his raw materials.
Partly anent all this, I was cruising the fiction section of the local used bookstore and realized why I have little use for mainstream fiction. It's all about the experiences of ordinary people in relationships: marriage, affairs, whatever. Which is foreign country to me. I have no idea what it's like to live with someone you're emotionally involved with (or, depressingly in the case of many male authors, *not* emotionally involved with.) The idea, as presented in English fiction at least, has all the appeal of working for a large corporation. It's so dreary. Why would anyone *want* to?
Which I suppose is why I go for genre. Genre does romance: high-flown, overblown, operatic, and always far too simple in its resolutions. But satisfying, goodness yes. It isn't like that, it can't be like that, but how nice to read a fantasy where perfect love is perfectly possible.
Finally realize that what makes Waki run is not so much the Jewish mama matchmaking / making sure her kids' husbands treat them right-- though that's in there too-- as it is Iolanthe's Lord Chancellor:
And in my court I sit all day,
Giving agreeable
With one for him — and one for he —
And one for you — and one for ye —
And one for thou — and one for thee —
But never, oh, never a one for me!
Though god knows he says it enough through the course of the series. "Kami will always choose the word masters" and never the man who created them: unless they're part dog. Really, Waki owes Konoe big time for messing up his raw materials.
Partly anent all this, I was cruising the fiction section of the local used bookstore and realized why I have little use for mainstream fiction. It's all about the experiences of ordinary people in relationships: marriage, affairs, whatever. Which is foreign country to me. I have no idea what it's like to live with someone you're emotionally involved with (or, depressingly in the case of many male authors, *not* emotionally involved with.) The idea, as presented in English fiction at least, has all the appeal of working for a large corporation. It's so dreary. Why would anyone *want* to?
Which I suppose is why I go for genre. Genre does romance: high-flown, overblown, operatic, and always far too simple in its resolutions. But satisfying, goodness yes. It isn't like that, it can't be like that, but how nice to read a fantasy where perfect love is perfectly possible.