It's not Sunday but I forgot about the blog this week since I had a bunch of tests and papers to do. Come to think of it, I wouldn't be surprised if I forget again since summer session for college is pretty hectic....
Didn't have a topic prepared and so I'm just going to go with it since there have been a lot of new mangas coming out with this genre. If you haven't figured out the topic (you fail) but anyways, the topic is the genres Gender Bender.
This genre, Gender Bender, is one of my favorite genres now. It just creates new twists in a story but of course there are good ones and bad ones. Luckily a lot of the good ones are being scanlated so I don't have to scratch my eyes out when I happen to land on bad ones every so often.
I think there are two types of gender benders, cross dressing (boy to girl and/or girl to boy) and actual gender transformation (boy to girl and/or girl to boy). These two create completely different kinds of stories but both are great reads if they're written well.
Cross Dressing Gender Benders
This kind of gender bender is interesting. Typically, the plot has to do with a person attempting to hide his/her gender and is completely surrounded by the opposite gender that is being disguised. That's the usual twist of this sort of genre which gives enough for the story to spin out of the norm and dip into more originality. Of course I wouldn't be surprised if people know about Hana Kimi since it is probably the most popular cross dressing gender bender out there. (Also note, I'm referring to shoujo mangas since I'm mainly a shoujo/josei reader.)
I'll also give props to the cross dressing mangas where people around know the true gender of the characters because those stories also have a lot of fun in them. It's something different since it's not common for a cross dressing gender bender.
But I think the ones that I'm most annoyed about are the ones in the entertainment industry because most end up being pathetic (most of those that I read in this category). If anyone has watched the K-drama Your Beautiful, it's kind of like that but more annoying and frustrating as well as pathetic on the side of the female who is usually the person who is disguising herself as a male. Other than that, as long as the female lead isn't terribly pathetic, I'm usually ok with the storyline. (Of course this isn't only for gender benders)
Nevertheless, here are some of my favorite gender bender cross dressing stories out there.
W Juliet (completed)
This manga by EMURA definitely uses the gender bender genre to its fullest with its originality. This is also one of EMURA's earlier works so the art progresses throughout the series. It's one of my favorite all time mangas though. Great story.
FUN FACT: There is a twist to the name W Juliet-originally the main character Makoto was supposed to be named Ito like the female lead Ito but since the editor didn't approve, it was changed to Makoto. If it was left with both main characters being named Ito, the title W Juliet would make more sense of course.
Charisma Doll (completed)
I wouldn't say this is one of the best gender bender cross dressing mangas but it certainly has its own charm or "charisma" you can say. This one is by Kurahashi Erika who has a pretty good talent for writing mangas. It takes place in the entertainment world but she also uses the genre with originality. It's kind of timeless for me, something I can reread when bored (I've probably reread it at least once a year since I first read it)
Here are some noteworthy cross dressing
HUSH by Yoon Ji Un (ongoing)
Disappointingly this is an MIA project. I'd love to see it active again but highly unlikely (but I'm still hoping). I like the relationships in this one and the art is wonderful as well (manhwaga of Cynical Orange!). *fingers crossed!!
Princess Princess by Tsuda Mikiyo (completed)
This mangaka is no stranger to gender benders and she's made a lot of spin offs from the original story Day of Revolution, this one being one of them. It's a fun comedy and definitely a great laugh. It's a shounen ai touch teaser in a way but very comedic
Savage Garden by Lee Hyeon-Sook (completed)
The manhwaga of Flowers of Evil, everyone who has read her work knows how twisted her work can get. I love a good historical fiction as well especially set in the west (in this case England). And not only is it a gender bender, there's more fun with scandalous sodomy.
Love Sick by Morie Satoshi (completed)
It's snail slow initially but if you pull through, you're in for a good story. The thing I liked the best was that despite people knowing she was a girl, she was totally immersed in her identity as a male and was determined to fulfill her goal to its end. Her ambition for revenge was never forgotten which is awesome yet sad since most stories that are like this one (plus or minus gender bender) end up forgetting about their initial ambition (revenge or not).
Legend of Nereid by Hwang Mi Ri (completed)
Trust me, for an HMR manhwa, this is pretty good. Historical fiction and Gender Bender, set in ancient Greece--with these elements mixed together, you can't get any better and farther from the usual jjang korean teenagers that we often see and associate with HMR. It's worth checking out.
Storm by Kang Eun Young (ongoing)
This manhwa is no stranger to mystery and supernatural. There's a lot of strange and out of the norm going on here. Gender Bender genre isn't an element of secrecy but it simply adds to the mystery of the general story. Not sure if it's dropped (pretty sure it is now...) but I'm hoping for it to continue since it's quite intriguing.
Choukakou
(edit: November 4,2013) I thought I'd already put this on the list but I guess not. It's a historical fiction set in ancient Asia--during the Tang Dynasty of China. It's really interesting because the female lead is of royalty but was raised under the guidance of intellect and knowledge, not bound by the norms of gender. By cross dressing, she proves herself worthy as an intelligent tactician for any army/faction in order to survive and one day regain her home. This is also a sort of coming of age story but it isn't as evident in the first two arcs (it makes sense to say two arcs and right now we're on the third). Xia Da writes some really amazing manhuas and this is definitely one manhua to invest your interest in. However because this is being speed scanned, we're all caught up to the latest chapter so updates will be slow.
Some to look out for (new updates)
Shounen Ouji--story by Musashino Zenko and Yukihiro Utako, art by Yukihiro Utako
Others worth looking at
Mint na Bokura by Yoshizumi Wataru (completed)
Old style sort of shoujo manga. It's an ordinary old shoujo style with a gender bender twist.
Ruby Doll by Choi Kyung-ah (ongoing-probably dropped)
If you don't like the art, don't bother reading b/c I'm sick of people complaining about this artist's art. The story is pretty good. Four boys battle it out to gain the rights to the family inheritance, one of whom isn't a boy.
Shouri no Akuma by Maki Youko ("completed")
Another one of her mangas that has a rushed end...seems to be a trend of her's. But this is a pretty interesting storyline. The crossdresser is quite liberal in everything he does.
Teppen! by Tsukimiya An
It's a cute story. A kid comes back from a foreign country in search for her brother but dresses like a guy. She ends up modeling as a guy too.
That's all. 'Til next Sunday,
tohukyo
Also, originally this was going to be one whole post but since it's pretty long in itself, I'll split it and post the other one up this upcoming Sunday.
Cross Dressing Gender Benders
This kind of gender bender is interesting. Typically, the plot has to do with a person attempting to hide his/her gender and is completely surrounded by the opposite gender that is being disguised. That's the usual twist of this sort of genre which gives enough for the story to spin out of the norm and dip into more originality. Of course I wouldn't be surprised if people know about Hana Kimi since it is probably the most popular cross dressing gender bender out there. (Also note, I'm referring to shoujo mangas since I'm mainly a shoujo/josei reader.)
I'll also give props to the cross dressing mangas where people around know the true gender of the characters because those stories also have a lot of fun in them. It's something different since it's not common for a cross dressing gender bender.
But I think the ones that I'm most annoyed about are the ones in the entertainment industry because most end up being pathetic (most of those that I read in this category). If anyone has watched the K-drama Your Beautiful, it's kind of like that but more annoying and frustrating as well as pathetic on the side of the female who is usually the person who is disguising herself as a male. Other than that, as long as the female lead isn't terribly pathetic, I'm usually ok with the storyline. (Of course this isn't only for gender benders)
Nevertheless, here are some of my favorite gender bender cross dressing stories out there.
W Juliet (completed)
This manga by EMURA definitely uses the gender bender genre to its fullest with its originality. This is also one of EMURA's earlier works so the art progresses throughout the series. It's one of my favorite all time mangas though. Great story.
FUN FACT: There is a twist to the name W Juliet-originally the main character Makoto was supposed to be named Ito like the female lead Ito but since the editor didn't approve, it was changed to Makoto. If it was left with both main characters being named Ito, the title W Juliet would make more sense of course.
Charisma Doll (completed)
I wouldn't say this is one of the best gender bender cross dressing mangas but it certainly has its own charm or "charisma" you can say. This one is by Kurahashi Erika who has a pretty good talent for writing mangas. It takes place in the entertainment world but she also uses the genre with originality. It's kind of timeless for me, something I can reread when bored (I've probably reread it at least once a year since I first read it)
Here are some noteworthy cross dressing
HUSH by Yoon Ji Un (ongoing)
Disappointingly this is an MIA project. I'd love to see it active again but highly unlikely (but I'm still hoping). I like the relationships in this one and the art is wonderful as well (manhwaga of Cynical Orange!). *fingers crossed!!
Princess Princess by Tsuda Mikiyo (completed)
This mangaka is no stranger to gender benders and she's made a lot of spin offs from the original story Day of Revolution, this one being one of them. It's a fun comedy and definitely a great laugh. It's a shounen ai touch teaser in a way but very comedic
Savage Garden by Lee Hyeon-Sook (completed)
The manhwaga of Flowers of Evil, everyone who has read her work knows how twisted her work can get. I love a good historical fiction as well especially set in the west (in this case England). And not only is it a gender bender, there's more fun with scandalous sodomy.
Love Sick by Morie Satoshi (completed)
It's snail slow initially but if you pull through, you're in for a good story. The thing I liked the best was that despite people knowing she was a girl, she was totally immersed in her identity as a male and was determined to fulfill her goal to its end. Her ambition for revenge was never forgotten which is awesome yet sad since most stories that are like this one (plus or minus gender bender) end up forgetting about their initial ambition (revenge or not).
Legend of Nereid by Hwang Mi Ri (completed)
Trust me, for an HMR manhwa, this is pretty good. Historical fiction and Gender Bender, set in ancient Greece--with these elements mixed together, you can't get any better and farther from the usual jjang korean teenagers that we often see and associate with HMR. It's worth checking out.
Storm by Kang Eun Young (ongoing)
This manhwa is no stranger to mystery and supernatural. There's a lot of strange and out of the norm going on here. Gender Bender genre isn't an element of secrecy but it simply adds to the mystery of the general story. Not sure if it's dropped (pretty sure it is now...) but I'm hoping for it to continue since it's quite intriguing.
Choukakou
(edit: November 4,2013) I thought I'd already put this on the list but I guess not. It's a historical fiction set in ancient Asia--during the Tang Dynasty of China. It's really interesting because the female lead is of royalty but was raised under the guidance of intellect and knowledge, not bound by the norms of gender. By cross dressing, she proves herself worthy as an intelligent tactician for any army/faction in order to survive and one day regain her home. This is also a sort of coming of age story but it isn't as evident in the first two arcs (it makes sense to say two arcs and right now we're on the third). Xia Da writes some really amazing manhuas and this is definitely one manhua to invest your interest in. However because this is being speed scanned, we're all caught up to the latest chapter so updates will be slow.
Some to look out for (new updates)
Shounen Ouji--story by Musashino Zenko and Yukihiro Utako, art by Yukihiro Utako
I'm hoping this one will update soon since the scanlators are scanning by volume and so far, I'm guessing volume 3 hasn't come out yet in Japan. Nevertheless, check this one out because this is one to get your heads into.
*Edit: July 14, 2013
I just found out that this manga is on hiatus on Chapter 20, the one chapter left before there'll be a volume 3 release....damn. I believe the scanlators aren't working on magazine releases either, they're working on volumes so until chapter 20 is released, nothing will be updated =(
Here are spoilers I found. Really funny spoilers if you are english proficient. This person paints an excellent picture and has an amazing way with words. It also helps if you are American I think but who knows, maybe if you're English you'll understand too.
http://sylphalchemist.wordpress.com/spoilers/ongoin/shounen-oujo-boy-princess/
Fukumenkei Noise by Fukuyama Ryoko
Newly released just a few days ago. This is one of them to be looking out for because it's certainly interesting. I'm not sure if you can qualify it as a gender bender since it's kind of a minor-ish detail (depending on how you look at it) but certainly a story that should be checked out.
*Edit: July 14, 2013
I just found out that this manga is on hiatus on Chapter 20, the one chapter left before there'll be a volume 3 release....damn. I believe the scanlators aren't working on magazine releases either, they're working on volumes so until chapter 20 is released, nothing will be updated =(
Here are spoilers I found. Really funny spoilers if you are english proficient. This person paints an excellent picture and has an amazing way with words. It also helps if you are American I think but who knows, maybe if you're English you'll understand too.
http://sylphalchemist.wordpress.com/spoilers/ongoin/shounen-oujo-boy-princess/
Fukumenkei Noise by Fukuyama Ryoko
Newly released just a few days ago. This is one of them to be looking out for because it's certainly interesting. I'm not sure if you can qualify it as a gender bender since it's kind of a minor-ish detail (depending on how you look at it) but certainly a story that should be checked out.
I-ren by Aivan
Something supernatural and historical fiction as well as gender bender of course. Not sure if it's a slow going project or not but it's a pretty good manhwa with the cross dressing in secrecy kind of thing going on. There's definitely more shounen-ai going on here and I wouldn't mind it so much =) It was recently picked up by Friendship Scans so let's see how far they'll go.
Cheonsaeng Yeonbun--story by Yeo Ho-kyoung, art by Kim Su-Jin
It's a new manhwa. It's in full color so that's a plus. It's worth looking at but it's just starting out as a gender bender. Looks like it will be quite tense for a manhwa since there's a lot at stake for the female lead who seems to have a good head on her shoulders despite being somewhat of a control freak (but who can blame her considering her circumstances)
Usotsuki Lily
(edit:November 4,2013) I totally forgot about this manga but mainly it's because I stopped reading it. It is worth looking at though because it's really funny and the mangaka does write good comedy. It wasn't so much my cup of tea because it got a little annoying how it was going in circles. It's kind of a manga that could end at any moment I think because it's the comedy and the fanbase that keeps it going. Don't trust me on that though, it's just my opinion currently. I may change my mind if I start reading it again.
Something supernatural and historical fiction as well as gender bender of course. Not sure if it's a slow going project or not but it's a pretty good manhwa with the cross dressing in secrecy kind of thing going on. There's definitely more shounen-ai going on here and I wouldn't mind it so much =) It was recently picked up by Friendship Scans so let's see how far they'll go.
Cheonsaeng Yeonbun--story by Yeo Ho-kyoung, art by Kim Su-Jin
It's a new manhwa. It's in full color so that's a plus. It's worth looking at but it's just starting out as a gender bender. Looks like it will be quite tense for a manhwa since there's a lot at stake for the female lead who seems to have a good head on her shoulders despite being somewhat of a control freak (but who can blame her considering her circumstances)
Usotsuki Lily
(edit:November 4,2013) I totally forgot about this manga but mainly it's because I stopped reading it. It is worth looking at though because it's really funny and the mangaka does write good comedy. It wasn't so much my cup of tea because it got a little annoying how it was going in circles. It's kind of a manga that could end at any moment I think because it's the comedy and the fanbase that keeps it going. Don't trust me on that though, it's just my opinion currently. I may change my mind if I start reading it again.
Others worth looking at
Mint na Bokura by Yoshizumi Wataru (completed)
Old style sort of shoujo manga. It's an ordinary old shoujo style with a gender bender twist.
Ruby Doll by Choi Kyung-ah (ongoing-probably dropped)
If you don't like the art, don't bother reading b/c I'm sick of people complaining about this artist's art. The story is pretty good. Four boys battle it out to gain the rights to the family inheritance, one of whom isn't a boy.
Shouri no Akuma by Maki Youko ("completed")
Another one of her mangas that has a rushed end...seems to be a trend of her's. But this is a pretty interesting storyline. The crossdresser is quite liberal in everything he does.
Teppen! by Tsukimiya An
It's a cute story. A kid comes back from a foreign country in search for her brother but dresses like a guy. She ends up modeling as a guy too.
That's all. 'Til next Sunday,
tohukyo
Also, originally this was going to be one whole post but since it's pretty long in itself, I'll split it and post the other one up this upcoming Sunday.
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