Pseudomé Studio Projects

Rivkah · Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 11:13 pm Post subject: Harlequin and . . . MANGA?

If you haven't heard of it yet, you better go take a look because apparently, Harlequin is teaming up with Darkhorse to release romance manga titles . . . in AMERICA.

The titles being released are from already existing manga novel titles that Harlequin publishes in Japan. Yes, you heard that right. Harlequin publishes manga, too. Or rather . . . adapatations are made off of books they've already published. You can find some of their existing titles here: http://www.cuppacafe.com/comics/

Honestly . . . EW. Is it just me, or do they all look remarkably vapid and the content sexist? Last time I read a romance novel from Harlequin, I seriously wanted to shoot the protagonist in the head.

*waves goodbye to Positive Female Image*

For some more reading, "Yet Another Comics Blog" raises some good points.
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crispy · Power Level: King Cold Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 1479

This isn't anything new. There's loads of smutt-manga in Japan. They've even started recruiting them for over here in the states already (*coughKaikanPhrase*cough). The writing for these is generally pretty bad, and the protagonist is always some weakwilled girl who at first rejects the man, but then gives in during hte middle of it.

Yeah... it's pretty dumb, but girls DO like it. One of the most popular scanlation teams translates a lot of smutt-manga, and they have a VERY large female fan-base. It's not that girls actually want somethign like that... but it's a turn on I guess (I really wouldn't know :X)

The writing for these looks pretty bad though... "What's with this bed...!?" ... it's HUGE, and you're alone in a room with a guy. What do you think is up?

Rivkah · Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2005 1:02 am Post subject:

crispy · Power Level: King Cold Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 1479

I think the worst part of this whole idea is exactly like yuo said... these harlequin romances sell to older women... and to add to that, they're CHEESEY! I mean, romance novels like Norah Roberts, I know some of my friends read, but not the crap that's set a hundred years ago...

I really think it would have been more lucrative for them to license RECENT smutt manga, rather than older-styled ones. One of the problems with selling these is getting people to get over the older style artwork. It's very early 90's late 80's shoujo, and not really anything like what's selling right now (Hot Gimmick, H3, Fruits Basket, etc.) People really do rely on art to sell them a book, and I don't really think that these are going to cut it.

Oh well, though. Let Dark Horse waste their money. Knowing them, they'll release all of 3 books and then there'll be a long period of nothing.

IronMouse · Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:01 pm Post subject:

HAHAHAHA!!!

"Darling wa" is a good example of an OL manga, actually. XD You can only find this sort of thing in Japan, where this sort of part-doujinshi market is driven entirely and funded almost entirely by women. There's ALOT of smut being peddled at office-lady-age women in Japan, though probably not as much as the smut targetted at men. In terms of trashy romance novels, I believe the majority of these companies are run by men, even if they employ a staff full of women. But then I'm just speculating.

I actually think it would be interesting how it highlights cultural differences. Alot of trashy romance novels are like sexual fantasies without explicit sex - whereas alot of Japanese women-smut have VERY explicit sex in them. When Western MEN hear about it, they are SHOCKED! SHOCKED!! The idea that women read, on a large scale, what can be considered pornography can totally upset the male-centered view of the universe of these guys. Let's face it, the idea that women can be just as highly sexualised as men bothers the crap out of (some) of them.

Example: Men reading lesbian porn. Naughty, but acceptable - hey, boys will be boys. Women and girls reading male-on-male action for titillation purposes? WOAH, there is a MORAL objection to this!! Would you believe I've had guys tell me that yaoi is misogynistic because there are hardly any girls in it? I say: is lesbian porn androgynistic because there are no men in them? They then realise they're wrong, but it takes them a LOOOONG time to accept the idea of yaoi.

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adam_omega · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 8:35 pm Post subject:

My mom is a member of two of Harlequin's book clubs where they send you a new box of six books every month. Sure, they're cheesy, but she reads the hell out of them (and has been doing that since the 70s).

Personally, I can't see manga adaptations of those novels appealing to her. Part of the allure of those pulp romance novels is picturing the actions and scene in your head.

Plus, knowing my mom's reading speed, I can't see her justifying the higher price of a manga for a far shorter reading experience.

Shadow Raine · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 3:55 pm Post subject:

Two words: GOOD GOD. This is one of the iffier ideas I've heard of. I myself have read a lot of Regency Romance novels (not Harlequin, because I think those books are very, very bad) and I don't see this doing well. Some books just don't make a good transition into a comic, especially if there's no contact with the original author, and I don't see where that would be happening here. Such a bad idea. Embarassed

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ManaChan · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:59 pm Post subject: