Fujoshi Rumi, Vol. 1 (v. 1) [Paperback]

Natsumi Konjoh (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2008

Takahiro Abe is an ordinary, well-adjusted, proper young man. In his freshman year in High School he fell in love with Rumi Asai, an anything but ordinary, Yaoi Moe Otaku girl. Rumi is utterly convinced Takahiro and Shunsuke Chiba, Abe's best friend from middle school are in love with each other and is letting her Fujoshi Fantasies run wild!

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Media Blasters (February 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598831860
• ISBN-13: 978-1598831863
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Manga of 2008, January 11, 2009

By 

M. E. BURNS "lover of fine media" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fujoshi Rumi, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

If you are a fan of the meta-manga series Genshiken, you will find a lot to love in Natsumi Konjoh's study of the fujoshi, the female, boy's love and yaoi comic-loving counterparts to Kio Shimoku's otaku boys. Described as seinen manga on Wikipedia, I found the portrayal of the titular Rumi, Abe, the boy who has a crush on her, and her inability to feel comfortable with the world of dating and romance in terms of a heterosexual relationship that she could actually be a part of. As with Genshiken, different characters with different relationships to the world of anime and manga fandom surface, such as Matsui, the beautiful, closeted fujoshi and Chiba, Abe's completely disinterested friend. This series is very funny and rings with truth as to the inner lives of girls who love BL and yaoi - you may recognize someone you know in the characters, if not yourself! This is a welcome addition to my reading rotation, and I anxiously await the third book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely hilarious!, July 16, 2008

By 

Lynne M. Mikesh-Whitney "History Buff & Saint... (Farmington, ME, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fujoshi Rumi, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

This one had both I and my husband laughing hard enough to pop a blood vessel. It does pretty much require that you either be a fangirl or know one in order to get the "vibe" that drives most of the humor, but if so you'll find plenty of yourself in Rumi, Abe, Matsuri, or Chiba. Media Blasters handily provides a glossary in the back of various anime/manga and cultural references in case a few slip by you, but otherwise it's just too funny! I'm highly anticipating the second volume!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Yaoi Parody, April 4, 2008

By 

Amanda Franklin "record geek" (Birmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fujoshi Rumi, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

This was an excellent parody of the sterotypical yaoi fangirl. A normal, well-adjusted young man (Abe) falls in love with the art nerd (Asai) in class. The only problem is, she's a huge fan of man-on-man comic stories (yaoi), and prefers to think that he's in love with his best friend. Shenanigans ensue from there. Asai's having a little trouble with the fantasy/reality dividing line, and it causes Abe no end of frustration.

The only criticism I have is that our girl Asai has three suitors, which breaks my "Mary Sue" law. (If a character in a book has more than two unrequited love interests, she might be a Mary Sue.) But it actually added to the story, so I let go of that nitpick fairly quickly.

Anyone involved in the yaoi or slash subcultures will get a laugh out of this, as it skewers those interests in a very telling way. Actually, any manga/comic fans looking for a sweet, light story should give this one a shot.