Customer Reviews

Ze Volume 1 (Yaoi)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ze volume 1 is just the first one out of a fairly long series (volume 7 is already out in Japan). So, it starts fairly slow, with a lot of characters introduced, and is fairly low on "yaoi action". I've already read a few subsequent volumes in the original, and though my Japanese is quite basic, I enjoyed the series quite a lot so far. There's a good reason why 801-Media branch of DMP (which specializes in fairly explicit (M/M) yaoi titles) picked up this series as opposed to their "June" (more "softcore") brand: things really start heating up in the next volumes. My current favorites are volumes 3 and 4, which are fairly hardcore. There's a lot of non-con and rapes between major characters (NOT Raizou and Kon, though) in volume 3, for instance, and there are some strong SM undertones in the relationship between the characters there. Yuki Shimizu does shy away from drawing sex scenes with the "obvious" frontal nudity, but little else is concealed, and her art style is just plain hot and sexy. So, overall, "Ze" is more explicit / "darker" as compared to "Love Mode", in my opinion. Also, the supernatural theme is quite interesting and original (there are no "shapeshifters" in this series, and it IS quite different from "Fruits Basket", for example), and becomes much less confusing with further volumes. So, if volume 1 disappointed you somehow, I do recommend to try further volumes, as it gets more exciting. And if you're hesitating whether to buy it based one somewhat lukewarm previous reviews, go get it! :)
"801 Media" did a very good job with this edition (though, alas, no dust jacket after January 2009 for all their titles...): the translation is not awkward, no obvious typos or slips, and there's a color page, as it is usually the case with their books. I'm looking forward to their further publications of this series: volumes 2 and 3 are scheduled to appear later this year (2009).

Edit: as of December 2009, Amazon states this manga is temporarily out of stock. Don't buy it for anything over cover price from those third-party sellers. Those who sell it at outrageous prices here are just trying to rip us off. The book is still in-print, and available from Akadot as well as a number other manga-selling places, both online and offline.

The story in Ze revolves around a number of characters and couples. The first volume starts when Raizou, a good natured student, starts working as the housekeeper for a rich household. It turns out that the members of the family are kotodama users, which means that they can cast spells/ curse people. Basically, using kotodama results in injury, so each user has a non-human `kami-sama', who exists to heal them. I don't really want to say too much about the plot but the story is about the different relationships around Raizou and his own relationship with Kon, a quiet, aloof member of the household.

Yuki Shimizu is definitely one of my favourite yaoi mangakas and I picked this up as big fan of her other work (including Love Mode). If you haven't come across her work before I definitely recommend it!

As with her other work, in Ze, the characters and story have a lot of depth. The artwork is also beautiful. There are quite a lot of characters in the household, which is a bit confusing at first. It took me a while to get into this series but once I got a grip on what was going on and who everyone was, it has just really grown on me. Although not completely explicit, there are a lot of hot, passionate scenes. If nothing else, Yuki Shimizu's work is always a guaranteed hot read!

The overall setup seems similar to Love Mode, in that different chapters/ volumes seem to focus on different couples. (The first two volumes are mainly dedicated to Raizou and Kon.) There are some darker themes but at the same time there are also a lot of light-hearted moments, which makes this an easy, entertaining read overall. In these volumes, Raizou, who is a very sweet, simple guy, especially breaks things up. The story between him and Kon is really moving and cute, I loved it!

Overall, this is a really engaging, hot read, with a lot of depth. If you're looking for something a little bit different, I definitely recommend it!

"Fruits Basket"??? Did I read the same manga?? I wouldn't say this is like Fruits Basket. There is isn't anything about the Zodiac and shapeshifters in at least the first volume. Raizo is taken on as a housekeeper which is about as close as it gets, again at least in the first volume.

Ze is a series of volumes with volume 1 introducing us to some of the first few. We are introduced to a lot of characters and can be somewhat confusing at first. On re-reading many of the characters are more easily recognizable. It might be helpful to list out who's with whom. The premise behind the series seems interesting, interesting enough for me to read subsequent volumes. The graphic scenes are mostly non-explicit, though there are exposed br**sts. There is some r*ape but not between two of the main characters.

When I was a child, some well meaning auntie or another would up and decide to send me a little thin paperback book filled with paper dolls, usually accompanied by a note about how when they were a kid and money was tight, and they had to walk to school 50 miles in the a blizzard, and only if Fagin had not caught them sneaking away from the pickpocketing they had to do just to buy bread, they had paper dolls to play with. I have no idea what these notes were supposed to inspire me with? Joy at playing with overpriced dolls in elaborately cheesy costumes? Amazement at the intricate detail of the Kate Greenaway costume artwork? Seeing as these were all VERY expensive boutique imprints, I utterly failed to see how the poor little me stories contained within the notes were supposed to make me feel an obligation of being overjoyed.

Don't get me wrong, they were VERY nice. But they were so nice, I got warned to be careful, not to damage them, etc. And then there was the whole 2D problem. Unlike normal dolls, these were little slips of paper that were of no size and shape to tea party with, sit under a tree with to share a storybook, or anything else. I used to wish that with their beautiful face and clothes, that I could utter words to turn them into a REAL doll. Yuki Shimizu takes this childhood wish, and turns it up several notches.

Making use of the Japanese notion that words have power, or kotodama, she introduces us to the Mitou family and their new housekeeper, Raizu. Raizu has had it tough. His mother was a foreigner and he was her child from a previous relationship, so he stood way out in the rural Japanese community he was raised in thanks to his height and naturally blonde hair. His parents died when he was young, so all he had was his loving grandmother, who was actually his stepfather's mother. Not that any distinction had ever been made, as the son and the grandmother fully accepted and loved him as one of their own. Raizu had planned to graduate from school, and get a job to support his elderly granny so that at last she could take it easy, but fate has another cruel hand to deal Raizu. His granny dies, and Raizu has to sell the property they live in and all his clothes just to pay for the funeral expenses and travel expenses to his new job as a housekeeper.

If this is not daunting enough, Raizu soon discovers that the large family he is to work for seem rather different, in an ominous sort of way. No matter what he cooks, half of the family refuse to eat and that do, eat off on their own. Then one day he makes a hotpot, so that they MUST gather together, and he is startled when a sudden tearing sound rends the air and one of family member Konoe's arms lands in the nabe pot after being severed. Even freakier, there is no blood, and the offending appendage is stuck back on. What is going on? It is time for the family to come clean. They are a very special family, users of kotodama, and each kotodama user has a special partner. Every time kotodama is used, a wound appears on the user, and the partner must make contact with a mucous membrane to transfer the damage to themselves. The partner does not bleed, because he is a doll. To be exact, a living paper doll or kami. They appear human in most respects, but are creations of the family's doll maker using an ancient art.

Between the intimate scenes he witnesses between the kotodama users and their dolls, the strange people visiting the house, and the cold shoulder he keeps getting from his room mate Kon, the only masterless paper doll, what is Raizu to do? Well, if the mysterious figure in the kimono and fox mask has anything to do with it maybe he'll find true love....

With a cast full of quirky characters, intricate plot lines, and a unique plot device, this promises to be an interesting series as it progresses. This first volume does very well, introducing us to the core cast of characters and the family business without sacrificing any attention to detail in regards to the building of the relationship Raizu has with Kon. I quite like the way the stories are set up as journeys of self discovery; Kon finding out what it means to feel, how to value himself, and to discover his purpose in life, Raizu to discover his place in the world within this unique set of circumstances he finds himself in. The narrative flow is smooth, and while there is explicit content, it slots neatly within the framework of the story while driving it forward.

The attention to the finer details, especially in regards to the nature of the kami (the paper dolls) raises this above the common garden variety boy's love, moving it from the mere yaoi fan service type with little plot towards being more of a fantasy romance that happens to contain BL (and yuri, aka girlxgirl romance, as it happens thanks to the inclusion of the Benio partnership). The artwork is as well presented as the story, integrating into a seamless whole that lures the reader into going from frame to frame and page to page without wanting to stop. Currently with five volumes in print, out of the current 9 volumes in Japan (and still ongoing), this promises to be one of those series that goes down as a classic in the genre just like the mangaka's Love Mode, Vol. 1 (Yaoi).

***Ze is published under the 801 Media imprint. Due to explicit sexual themes, Ze is rated at 18+ . I'd like to thank Digital Manga Publishing for providing me with the review copy.***

Wow, this one is confusing. Be prepared to take notes so you can keep all the characters and terminology straight. I had to read this one twice AND take notes. :-D That all said, I really do like this one. I like the plot and although there are a LOT of characters, they all bring something to the story so that is nice. So what is this one about? Wow, where to start. Our main character is Raizou Shichikawa. After the death of his grandmother he was basically left destitute and homeless trying to pay her death tax as they call it. The Mitou "family" agree to take him in as their housekeeper and cook in exchange for room and board. Immediately after his arrival, Raizou realizes this is no ordinary family. Each member of the family is a koto-dama which means they have the ability to create reality with words but only to curse people. They each also have their own kami-sama whose responsibility it is to protect and heal them when injured. The kami-sama are essentially paper dolls and not real humans. It doesn't take long for Raizou to set his sites on Kon, the only kami-sama that has no master. Oh, and did I mention that the only way the kami-sama can heal their master is through bodily fluids? I thought that might get your attention. Lots of kissing and um, "other" stuff.

What a fun story and quite sexy too! Lots of steamy snippets and explicit yumminess. The illustrations are nice and with all of these characters it is nice to see that the mangaka can actually make them all look very different. I didn't notice any problems with the translation or following along with the speech bubbles. As long as you don't mind possibly having to reread some spots to fully understand the story itself, I think you'll really like this one. Overall I highly recommend this series and can't wait to see the next volume.

Plot = A- (good, just a touch confusing)
Characters = A (varied and plenty)
Illustrations = A-
Sexual Content = A- (not a lot of sex but a lot of sexual contact)
Translation = A

Overall Grade = A- (just missed an "A" by .10 of a %)

Normally I do not post reviews that break down the book a lot; don't want to ruin any plot points or punch lines for another reader. HOWEVER, this book (the entire series actually) is a bit more...detailed than your average 'boy meets boy' yaoi theme. As such I will give a brief run-down of the different characters and how they relate to the world of this story (otherwise it can get somewhat difficult to keep them all in line). Many people have complained that this series is too 'busy' and has too many couples; this is not true in my opinion. It is simply a matter of taking your time to read and re-read panels that don't make sense and having some experience with reading any genre of manga that has multiple main characters.

For the first book the main couple pairing is between Raizou and Kon. The story mostly takes place in a shared mutual home where several roommates all reside and practice kotodama (the magic of words - using your words to make real things happen). There are several 'roles' played in this house, and this is where some confusion may occur. There are two additional couples that live within the house and a third couple that exist outside of the home but who visit often.

Raizou is the newest member of the household. He is the 'house keeper'; he does not practice magic. The owner of the house is a man named Waki (who for the sake of the first story is single and has no lover). Waki is in charge of the house and its occupants. The secondary couple is Ouka Mitou and Benio (Benio is a female character with pig tails). The third couple is Kotoha Mitou and his lover Konoe. (Notice the Mitou family name - these characters are related and practice their 'family' magic). The couple that live outside of the home are Shoui Mitou (head of the Mitou family) and his lover Asari. If you're getting used to reading manga with multiple characters I would recommend really paying attention to the first couple of pages (re-reading them will help sort out who is who).

Overall the art is very nice and the lines are clear and bold. There are a few panels that I had to re-read to understand what had just happened, but even an experienced manga reader like myself has to do that from time to time. The characters are very lively and their facial expressions are vivid and real; all of the different characters are beautifully drawn in their own ways. There are moments of gut-bursting humor (seriously...I laughed so hard I started coughing), but there are also very mature and serious moments. I'd say that this series does a good job of covering the spectrum of emotions. As for the adult scenes, well, let me say this - There were several panels of (very) adult material, but that an actual 'sex' scene does not happen until much later; the main couple (Raizou and Kon) don't actually start to hit it off until the second book in this series. What is shown in this book is just erotic enough to keep me wanting more, but nothing that I would be embarrassed to read in public.

As this series progresses both the plot and the adult scenes become more noticeable, so if you have only read the first book then don't feel like you've been let down, this series only gets better as it goes along. Overall I would recommend this book and series to a intermediate manga reader; someone who has been exposed to and has read manga before. It is a wonderful series so far and I hope that it continues to turn out great things!

All of the Yaoi lovers will fall in love with this yaoi Series!! The charaters are well made and the story as well!! The sex Scenes are very cute, hot and sexy!!

[...]

Surely there is a story line somewhere but I sure as heck couldn't follow it. Too many names, too many characters, too many tangents. ZE is very busy! In fact, it's not just busy - it's Byzantine!

Perhaps people who've been reading Yaoi much longer than I have may lay claim to more intuition about how to make sense of this paper-covered hodgepodge but - I admit it - I haven't a clue.

There's just a lot to be said for an easy-to-follow series like CHALLENGERS. Often, to quote Howard Crabtree's gay musical comedy WHOOP-DEE-DOO, "less IS more."

One of the things we learn throughout life is that words indeed have power. We are being told about this since an early age: to be careful with what we say and think before we speak, because words can't be taken back. It is a pretty wise advice, after all, our principal mean of communication is through words, whether spoken or written. And there is more to words than their straightforward meaning; sometimes they carry more than one, they can soothe, they can hurt, they can dominate and they can even destroy people. We can easily recognize those special beings that attract fortune with an amazing eloquence, and make us wonder if it isn't actually a super power what they have. Therefore, it's not strange that many cultures believe words have an intrinsic power that can influence our environment; in Japan this is called kotodama, translated as soul of language, power of language or spirit of word. Many of Japan's supernatural stories and famous mangas are based on this belief, what we would call spells, an ability we even dream about sometimes. Not many of them delve on the fact that we should be really careful with how we use words, in fiction or reality, because they can come back at you. Yuki Shimizu plays with this philosophy, creating a very original twist for a boy's love manga.

Story
After losing his grandmother and only family, Raizou Shichikawa is taken in by a mysterious sponsor who sends him to live with a big and wealthy family. The Mitou household is inhabited by the weirdest people Raizou has seen in his life. To top it all, while he is trying to assimilate their behavior, and the fact that one of them hates him for no good reason, a new reality is revealed, one that surpasses everything he thought strange before. It turns out some members of this family have special powers and others are merely creations that act as shields for their spells. Kotodama-sama are the masters of words, what they say can become real, but they can only do damage with this ability, and they have to pay dearly for it. In order to avoid getting hurt each master has a kami, a paper doll of the same sex as his master that receives the damage through a spell or through contact with any of their mucous membranes.

The Title
The title of this manga, ze, is the kanji character for right or righteousness or justice. It might be just a random name, picked as a nice sound, but the fact that the sun component in the upper part of the kanji was replaced by a figure that looks a lot like a moon leaves me wondering about a possible extra meaning. Am I reading too much into right and wrong? Or did I just get the wrong meaning for the character? In any case, "Reversed justice" would make a lot of sense when you think about the kotodama's payback. Sadly, the English volumes discarded the symbol, which looked kind of stylish in the Japanese ones. (note that the cover here is the Japanese one, 801 Media and eManga feature the other in their sites)

Contents
This volume is composed by 5 chapters and an extra. The first chapters feature the introduction of the different characters in the household and Raizou's involvement with them, especially with Kon and a mysterious character with a fox spirit mask. After Raizou solves the first obstacles towards a comfortable family, and even love life, the mysterious character is revealed and we get a glimpse of the second featured pairing of this series. This is where Ze introduces a feeling of mystery, related to this couple that will be developed slowly in further volumes. The extra is a funny treat related to all the characters already presented. A lot of things happened in this volume, and I was honestly confused at first by the fast pace, quick explanations and matter-of-fact answers related to the kotodama and kami. It could have been worked smoothly, instead of becoming the sort of rush that seemed intended to get to the point, that is of course, the BL action.

Type and Purpose
This is a yaoi manga, that means a sexually explicit boy's love story, and being under the 801 imprint (adults only!) you can expect to see the explicit part very developed. That doesn't mean Ze has porn-style drawings, since there is some censure in the original art. However, this story seems to be created around the sex scenes, as you might have noticed with the mucous membranes system for transferring wounds. In spite of the deep meaning that could come out naturally with such a plot, Yuki Shimizu created this story as an enjoyable read, not a thought provoking one. This is a BL tinted with supernatural action drops, leaving a bit of space for mystery and meaningful situations, but just enough to spark our interest in the plot and enhance the excitement towards the featured relationships and very sensual love scenes.

Narrative and Development of Ideas
The flow of the story is very simple and straightforward. We see their daily lives through several funny situations and some dangerous ones too. Only the featured characters receive more exposure through memories or flashbacks, giving us some background information about their motivations. The beginning that could have been set as a solid base for a very interesting plot, which would happen to have man-to-man action, ended up being secondary to the romantic relationships and to the comedic situations. Hence, at the end of the volume we have little information about the family and the origin or purpose of their powers, as if it was merely an excuse for any exciting situation that can be presented. Besides, the writing is also pretty straightforward and simple; an ironic presentation for a manga about the power of words.

Author's Style
Ze might not be a deep or intelligent story, but it is easy on the eyes and quite interesting. Yuki Shimizu's style is really enjoyable; simple but engaging and, of course, exciting when it needs to be. Her art is not what I would call beautiful, more like a bit messy, but sometimes it looks like it; especially with certain scenes and the colored insert. It seems this mangaka has gotten better at drawing the many different types of attractive men, creating one good-looking character for every taste. Aside from that, her story-telling isn't what I call captivating, but the quick succession of actions, likable fan-service, intense sex scenes, funny characters and the spark of mystery, only leave you hungry for more of each one of them. Yuki Shimizu tries to appeal to a wide audience, using just a bit of innovation that's mostly represented by the character's dynamics.

Characters
The featured characters in this volume are Raizou and Kon. Raizou is the most innocent and earnest boy, always trying to cheerfully accept whatever life brings him, always giving his best. Kon, on the other hand, is a cute boy, quite grumpy and dissatisfied with his existence. He is kami without master, so he thinks he has no purpose and that he needs to heal in order to have a reason to live. The endearing Raizou is exactly the kind of person Kon needs to have around, to remind him of his worth, even if he is hated and not able to use kotodama. The rest of the household is presented mostly as a comic relief; we don't learn much of each member but they are all interesting and amusing in their own way. Lastly, we have the mysterious fox-masked character that is revealed at the second half of the volume. I liked him since the first moment I saw him, and it's because Asari is the personification of mystery, he is the sort of presence Ze needed to start with. Well, at least we get to know him later, when his identity is revealed, the same moment when he became one my favorite from the lot. Asari is not only mysterious but playful, teasing, sensual and he holds a very unique presence along with secrets that look similar to Waki's, the doll-maker, probably all related to the family's past. Honestly, this character was my reason to look forward to the rest of the story.

Conclusion
In the end Ze's words didn't strike me as powerful. If you consider the possibilities of its supernatural setting, it has a bland start. However it is an enjoyable enough read to make me want to know more, especially because it seems to have some potential to grow on me, even with the small bits of background given. Ze is definitely recommended for those that are looking for supernatural action along BL. The plot is very original, compared to your usual vampire stories, and there are enough characters that guarantee we will have several volumes of good-looking men in strange master-slave dynamics. Remember, Kotodama-sama can also transfer their wounds with a spell but, rest assured, they are not going to waste their powerful words when they have the chance to obtain the same result with a kiss or more. Pain becomes pleasure in Ze; don't you find having sex while severely wounded a fancy way of coping with a deadly reversed justice?

Special thanks to Digital Manga for providing the digital copy for this review.

I dont know what to really say about this one but that it bore me a litle.So many things was placed on the platter , too many characters introduced, I find myself having problem focusing on the plot or plots.There is an attempt to deepen the characters but its not working very weel.
It looks like there will be a volume two but volume I does not createl a pull to make me want to read volume II.The idea about human paper dolls are basically shikikami to me.
One thing I really liked ,are the illustrations.Their pretty. This book has a very mild to mild moderate sex content.No "parts" are illustrated.