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09/25/2007 Archived Entry: "Yaoi review: L'Etoile Solitare"
L'Etoile Solitare
Story by Yuno Ogami
Art by Yuno Ogami
Published by the Juné Imprint of Digital Manga, Inc.
Review by Ginger Mayerson
The first original English language (OEL) manga from the Juné imprint of Digital Manga, Inc., L’Etoile Solitare, the lonely star or the solitary star, is the story of soulless, rampant Western capitalism rampaging all over Japanese family values. Capitalist running dog hotel raider, Micah Remmington, sets out to forcibly take-over a family owned Japanese hotel chain, ably aided by his ruthlessly blond executive assistant, Richard. The head of the Kurahashi family has recently died and the new head of the family and family business is 11 year-old, sorry, university student, Yuuki Kurahashi. Yuuki is adorable, passive, indecisive, his executive assistant, Wada-san, walks all over him, his younger brother is even taller than him, and, as you have probably surmised, Yuuki is no match for Micah Remmington. So, of course, they fall in love at first sight when they both dash out of a convenient rainstorm into a conveniently sleepy saloon called, yes, L’Etoile Solitare. Also, of course, the course of true love does not run smoothly - evil girlfriends, evil executive assistants, stupid uke tricks, etc. - but that’s not unusual in yaoilandia.
Maybe I’m burning out, but I was somewhat disappointed in this manga. Or perhaps I had unrealistic expectations on plot and art for the first OEL manga in the history of publishing. There’s nothing new or exciting in this manga. It treads the old tired boy meets boy, boy loses boy, boy gets boy back formula. Yes, I know it’s yaoi. The main characters are one-dimensional idiots, Micah’s girlfriend is the main villain (I’m really getting sick of that yaoi trope), there’s unrequited love (frankly I thought that person was a better match for Micah than the washed-out, juvenile Yuuki, but I’m not in charge of these things), there’s spa sex (okay, the sex is pretty good, but by the time they got down to it, I wasn’t that interested in it), and it’s a longer story than it needs to be.
Sorry, June Manga, you know I love you, but this one just didn’t do it for me. But, other than perhaps playing it a little too safe with formulaic plot, mundane art and, possibly, an affordable mangaka, it’s not really your fault.
In the creator afterword, Yono writes:
“As I drew (L’Etoile Solitare), I noticed how immature as a mangaka I still am, and I think this might be the manga where I grew the most as I drew it.”
But maybe didn’t grow enough. And, you know what? I’m also getting sick of these weird, groveling creator afterwords apologizing for not being good enough or whatever. Stop it! Stop it! Stop apologizing! Either be good enough or brazen it out! And you June editors could just save a few bucks and stop translating and printing these weird artist anti-statements.
So, maybe it’s me. Maybe this manga is actually okay for what it is. Maybe I’m being unreasonable hoping for an intriguing plot and dynamic art. Maybe I thought because this OEL manga is, essentially, a commission, the June editors would have more input and control over the content. Maybe I’m wrong about that. Maybe I’ve just grown jaded on ukes that look like children, weird anatomy, wafer-thin characterizations, cookie-cutter plots, and self-debasing mangaka messages. Sorry, but the Project X: 7-11 book was a more exciting read than L’Etoile Solitare. Yes, I know their different things, but, y’know, it’s not like I’m comparing Moby Dick to All Star Batman and Robin here.
A good story is a good story. Good storytelling is good storytelling. Good art is good art. The reverse of those is also true, whatever the medium. L’Etoile Solitare isn’t especially bad, it has June’s wonderful production values and I was able to finish it without a stiff drink, it’s just mediocre compared to the rest of their list.
And that magnificent June list has spoiled me rotten.
So perhaps I’m not burning out and this malaise is really the June list’s fault. Yeah, that sounds good.
I look forward to June’s next OEL attempt. I wish I could have given their first one a rave review. But we don’t pull our punches at J LHLS.
The Wapshott Press
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