NISA Announces House of Five Leaves Premium Edition

So, what if I told you I was spending my Saturday evening in an internet cafe with my husband? What if I also said he was playing DotA (yeah, people still play that...) while I was downloading oodles and oodles of games (on Steam, legally, of course)? I bet you'd think we were the coolest cats you ever laid eyes upon... Right?
Anyways, on to more interesting things... It's a little-known fact that NIS America, the publishing company well known for localizing the Disgaea series and the many varied Atelier titles also dabbles in anime. Their most recent anime-related announcement is close to my heart because it's none other than a Natsume Ono series (you migtht remember the post I did recently on one of her manga one-shots).

This House of Five Leaves complete series collection is just gorgeous, in my opinion. Not only do you get the whole series on 2 DVDs, but you get an art book, as well! If you're unfamiliar with the series, here's what NISA has to say about it (since I'm not feeling very creative this Saturday night):

"House of Five Leaves follows a story of a ronin Masanosuke, working as a bodyguard in Edo. Because of his shy personality, he kept being let go from his bodyguard jobs despite his magnificent swords skills. While he was wandering around town he met a man, the playboy who calls himself Yaichi. He hired Masanoseuke as his bodyguard. Masanosuke soon finds out that Yaichi is the leader of a group of kidnappers who call themselves the 'Five Leaves.' The story unfolds as Masanosuke deals with his dilemma and the suspense surrounding the Five Leaves."

I watched about half of the series streamed online a while back, and I have to say I really liked what I saw. For those of you really into action and like things fast-paced, this show probably isn't for you, but fans of Natsume Ono or those looking for something a little different should definitely consider giving it a watch. I know I, for one, will be eagerly awaiting the premium edition's launch in March!

The art book looks really great, and is a must for collectors and fans of Ono's work.

A Call for Localization: Kuma to Interi by Basso

I was surprised and delighted to find that this month's Manga Movable Feast was to feature one of my favorite artists, Natsume Ono. If you haven't yet heard of the Manga Movable Feast, it's basically a week-long virtual book club held by manga bloggers once a month. Some great content has been contributed so far this week, and I'm excited to dip toes in the water and join the party!

Natsume Ono is most famous in the West for House of Five Leaves and Ristorante Paradiso, two enthralling and expertly-crafted manga series. Little known outside of Japan and her ardent international fans, however, is her work under the pen name Basso (sometimes written BASSO). While some manga artists might choose a pen name to hide their identity, Natsume Ono's style is so distinct that one would be hard-pressed not to recognize her (though there is a noticeable difference in the style she employs as Basso). To the contrary, I see Basso as a way for Natsume Ono to clue her readers in on the content of the manga before they read a single page. For you see, Natsume Ono's pen name Basso is exclusive to her boys' love titles.

As basso, Natsume Ono has published a plethora of boys' love manga, but today I would like to focus on one of my favorite collections of BL short stories, which happens to be basso's Kuma to Interi ("The Bear and the Intellectual"). Kuma to Interi is a collection of short, interconnected stories that all share a few common themes: Italy, men, suits, glasses, politicians, and gelato. One of the most delightful segments of the book is the section devoted to stories centered around the theme of gelato –– they're short but sweet, with a hint of melancholy, just like the iconic Italian dessert they were inspired by.

You won't find any traditional BL in Kuma to Interi, much like the rest of Basso/Natsume Ono's works. Her characters range from grey-haired politicians to gangly waiters, and the erotic content is much more fluid and real than most BL. An interesting example of this is the first story, Conte, which contains a "reversible" couple –– BL is so set in the seme/uke (top/bottom) dichotomy that they actually have a word from when a relationship deviates from that stereotype. Kuma to Interi is refreshing in its raw, non-idealized look at life and relationships, and is one of the most satisfying BL short story collections you can read.

Probably my favorite page in the whole manga.

Or could read, if it were localized in English! I'd argue that above all of Basso's BL titles available, Kuma to Interi would be the best place to start for any publisher looking to jump into Natsume Ono's BL manga library. Fans of her work will undoubtedly be delighted to see that she gives the same depth and care to her BL stories as she does her more mainstream work, and BL manga aficionados looking for a change from the overwhelming bishonen fare now available in English will both find much to like about Kuma to Interi.

I know I'm not the first person to put out the call for Basso's works to be localized into English, so somebody make it happen! I'd love to see more people read this collection. For now, I'll tantalize you with gorgeous pages like this: