cheerful
I know, I know. It's a big joke that the big, tough, scruffy looking, knuckle dragging, ball scratching, truck driving, beer swilling, NASCAR watching, loud-mouthed Alabama redneck also kind of has a soft spot for shoujo manga. And I admit it is kind of funny in it's own way...definitely isn't what one would expect out of a guy like me. No one would imagine that I'm an anime fan at all to begin with - that alone turns some heads. Furthermore I've watched perhaps more than my share of magical girl series, know more about various dramas than I do about martial arts epics like DBZ (despite them being little more than animated "chick flicks"), and have even been jokingly dubbed the King of All Yuri as I'm a much larger fan and much more knowledgeable about this particular genre than I really have any right to be. Again, most of it is jokes. I can't even hold a candle to most of the other folks here on my friends list, Miso or SAGE or THEM or otherwise, as I definitely ain't no professional otaku. Hell, even with as much as I've always wanted to try my hand at reviewing I've yet to actually do so, aside from informal recommendations I make in person or on here using my patented Six Pack Scale. I'm just another fan, really, though perhaps a memorable one because of the disparity between how I look and how I act and some of the things I like.
All that being said, though...please, please tell me that I'm not the only person that's actually reading Girl Friends by Morinaga Milk? This manga is entirely too fantastic for me to be the only person that's actually keeping up with it. Given the title it's no spoiler to let you know that it's about a developing relationship between two girls, though "Girl Friends" is a little more accurate as it's more about friendships and one-sided crushes and infatuations than actual hardcore lesbian hookups if you're expecting that sort of thing. The subject matter is handled delicately, the characters are realistic and believable and they mature a little with each passing chapter. It's torturous to read, however, as each volume that is released leaves you starving for more like some addict desperate for their next hit. It's rare that I've encountered a series that actually leaves you so desperate, that fills you with such joy when each new volume is posted yet somehow leaves you hungrier and wanting even more than when you started.
I'd hate to think that I've stumbled onto this gem and am hoarding it all to myself. And on the other hand, something this marvellous surely has to have it's own following. But then again, maybe I really am the only one. If you're a fan, definitely drop me a line. And given the current events in Chapter 21, I'll go ahead and warn that there's a high likelihood of [SPOILERS] in the comments.
