Shin Petshop of Horrors vol.2
Dec. 6th, 2005 09:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
petroniaI was halfway through writing this and then Kristin distracted me with her Swordspoint DJ AU thing. *shakes fist ineffectually at universe*
Are the episodes getting longer? There are only three stories in this volume, plus the second of the side stories from '99. I believe there were supposed to be three so probably the third will be out with the next tankoubon.
Spoilery over-analysis behind the cuts.
Decoration: morality tale of an OL who over-invests in the fortunes of her favorite host-club host. Oddly enough it seems to me that the range of characters has narrowed in the new series - something like four out of seven of the stories so far have been about hard-luck Shinjuku mizushoubai girls in their twenties (and another was about a hard-luck OL/aspiring author in her twenties). Dunno if it's a fluke or editorial. Not a commentary on the quality of the plots themselves, certainly.
The animal kingdom connection here is that birds with vivid plumage are usually the males of the species, who vie to attract the plainer females. There's a hilarious panel comic in the aftertalk where she turns an NHK special on some sort of Guatamalan dancing bird into a BL setup - I mean, out of all mangaka I suppose Akino Matsuri is the obvious one to slash public broadcasting nature shows in her head, but it's always nice to know one isn't alone. XD
Dealer: humourous character development story, and by "humourous character development" we mean "D gets shot". Yo that's what you get for hanging with the Shanghai triads! ...The actual plot involves a couple of elementary-age kids coming into D's shop and asking for a kappa. D takes the request personally and hares off on quest, in which he's joined by Lau "Taishi" whohas nothing better to do figures that if he can't nail D for running a prostitution/slavery ring he can at least nail him for violating the Washington Convention (I can't believe Leon never thought of this). Japanese folklore and transvestite sushi bars, good times.
The dialogue further defines itself. Leon and Lau both representthe patriarchy logic and human order - law enforcement and organised crime are not so different when confronted with the ultimate chaotic neutral red in tooth and claw - but their core motivations as people are different (as well as being symbolic and extrapolatable). It's a bit pat to say Leon is American and Lau is Chinese but that is totally what it is. Leon's all obnoxious rugged individualism and Enlightened humanistic attitude. Lau is basically a cipher for mainland China as awakening Asian superpower, renouncing hick roots for the glitter of first Shanghai then Tokyo, stamping on Taiwan with one foot while trying to occupy Japanese real estate(!) with the other. Accidentally or intentionally his clash with D casts the entire human vs. nature debate in terms of What It Means To Be Chinese. "We need power and money to claim our place in the world, not fairy tales," he says. "Finally I have found a pet suitable for you," says D, in keigo so elaborate I can't translate it in my head.
Da Capo: more hard-luck mizushoubai girl. High-school dropout from the south islands dreamt of making it as an idoru, worked as a hostess for nearly ten years, and has just been diagnosed with cancer. A number of plot threads are woven together skillfully, culminating in an unexpectedly moving portrait of a Tokyo suffering the double assault of a late-summer heatwave and a metropolis-wide electric outage.
Dignity: the side story/prequel. The framing story is of D repossessing a winged lion statue from a Venitian square, and once again skipping town a step ahead of Leon. ^^; The flashback story concerns D's father (the long-haired evil one), who - it transpires, and I am not making this up - did his post-grad in genetics at NYU during the late seventies. Most of the plot actually takes place in the middle of the Adriatic, as this Greek shipping magnate heir with the most awesome disco afro and bellbottoms - I am not making this up - falls in lust with Papa D and invites him and a whole bunch of their classmates on a cruise for summer vacation (including the viewpoint character, who's yet another sulky blond boy, a med student this time).
Are the episodes getting longer? There are only three stories in this volume, plus the second of the side stories from '99. I believe there were supposed to be three so probably the third will be out with the next tankoubon.
Spoilery over-analysis behind the cuts.
Decoration: morality tale of an OL who over-invests in the fortunes of her favorite host-club host. Oddly enough it seems to me that the range of characters has narrowed in the new series - something like four out of seven of the stories so far have been about hard-luck Shinjuku mizushoubai girls in their twenties (and another was about a hard-luck OL/aspiring author in her twenties). Dunno if it's a fluke or editorial. Not a commentary on the quality of the plots themselves, certainly.
The animal kingdom connection here is that birds with vivid plumage are usually the males of the species, who vie to attract the plainer females. There's a hilarious panel comic in the aftertalk where she turns an NHK special on some sort of Guatamalan dancing bird into a BL setup - I mean, out of all mangaka I suppose Akino Matsuri is the obvious one to slash public broadcasting nature shows in her head, but it's always nice to know one isn't alone. XD
Dealer: humourous character development story, and by "humourous character development" we mean "D gets shot". Yo that's what you get for hanging with the Shanghai triads! ...The actual plot involves a couple of elementary-age kids coming into D's shop and asking for a kappa. D takes the request personally and hares off on quest, in which he's joined by Lau "Taishi" who
The dialogue further defines itself. Leon and Lau both represent
Da Capo: more hard-luck mizushoubai girl. High-school dropout from the south islands dreamt of making it as an idoru, worked as a hostess for nearly ten years, and has just been diagnosed with cancer. A number of plot threads are woven together skillfully, culminating in an unexpectedly moving portrait of a Tokyo suffering the double assault of a late-summer heatwave and a metropolis-wide electric outage.
Dignity: the side story/prequel. The framing story is of D repossessing a winged lion statue from a Venitian square, and once again skipping town a step ahead of Leon. ^^; The flashback story concerns D's father (the long-haired evil one), who - it transpires, and I am not making this up - did his post-grad in genetics at NYU during the late seventies. Most of the plot actually takes place in the middle of the Adriatic, as this Greek shipping magnate heir with the most awesome disco afro and bellbottoms - I am not making this up - falls in lust with Papa D and invites him and a whole bunch of their classmates on a cruise for summer vacation (including the viewpoint character, who's yet another sulky blond boy, a med student this time).
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Date: 2005-12-06 11:51 pm (UTC)I think I had to read that one twice, thinking "she's not talking about that winged lion, is she?" Oh, but she must be. Oh well, Venetians have stolen enough stuff over the ages, so what if they lose a winged lion or two? I'm sure St. Mark won't mind.
Judging by your discussion, I must think Leon and Lau are headed for a massive, fist-fighting confrontation, replete with culture clashes, bursting blood vessels, and gritting teeth.