Arina Tanemura Otaku Week: Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross

In Japan, Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross (紳士同盟†; Shinshi Doumei Kurosu) was affectionately referred to as ShinKuro, which I adopted immediately as both the original and translated titles were both tiring. It’s fitting, though, for a series that spans 11 volumes and has something along the lines of 30-40 characters.

Haine is a former delinquent who was given to the Otomiya family in return for a business loan to save the Kamiya family from bankruptcy. She ends up going to the prestigious Imperial Academy to chase after Shizumasa Togu, a boy she’s been in love with since they were children, only for him to treat her coldly and refuse any contact with her whatsoever. Haine is upset but the blow is softened just a tad when she walks in on Shizumasa and his lover – who happens to be another guy.

Arina Tanemura Otaku Week: Fullmoon o Sagashite

Fullmoon (満月をさがして; Fullmoon o sagashite) is the magical alter ego of Mitsuki, a girl with throat cancer whose only dream is to become a singer. Forbidden to have anything to do with music by her domineering grandmother, she submits a demo to a record company’s talent contest and wins a spot – only to be locked up by said grandmother and have a pair of shinigami come through the wall to take her soul.

This was actually the first manga I ever read in English by Arina Tanemura, which is why I thought it best to start off the week.

Arina Tanemura Otaku Week: Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne

I knew of Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne (神風怪盗ジャンヌ; Kamikaze Phantom Thief Jeanne) before I’d ever really read any of it simply because I saw a few chapters in Ribon. Oddly, Viz (who holds the rights to every other Tanemura series) didn’t have the rights to it and it was published by CMX, making it a bit harder to find. But we have ways, don’t we?

Jeanne has one of the oddest premises for a manga ever: Maron Kusakabe is the reincarnation of Jeanne D’Arc, able to seal off the demons that are hidden inside beautiful paintings.

Time Stranger Kyoko

Like most shojo manga artists, Arina Tanimura loves her screentones. She also loves her complicated backgrounds, costumes and completely ludicrous love quadrangles.

Time Stranger Kyoko (時空異邦人KYOKO; reads as Time Stranger Kyoko) takes place on Earth in the 30th Century where Princess Kyoko is attending school as a commoner, because she doesn’t want to be a princess and have to deal with royal headaches. Her father tells her that she can give up the responsibilities of being a princess if she gathers the twelve telepaths (called Strangers) and awakens her twin sister Ui, who has been under a spell that has kept her asleep since birth.