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I followed up on TERRYNAUT's lead and found the Korean mangwa story GIRL IN MY DREAM on the TGCOMICS website. A well-paced easily understood story about a teen-age boy who falls in love with a girl classmate. On their first date the girl is killed, hit by a bus, and the boy injured. After waking up in the hospital he begins a slow metamorphosis into a teenage girl without apparent cause and much to his dislike. At night he is visited by a dream character who he calls Yuna and with whom he has a seemingly loving relationship - and who may or may not have anything to do with the changes.
His anguish increases when he meets a new girl friend and deals with school contemporaries while his body dimensions alter and they notice. We all know more or less how it will end but this one meanders tantalizingly and deliberately to its finish, a more effective technique at TG story-telling. At present the full series is not available, new episodes coming out at odd times. The cartoons are drawn in a sketch-style so if you prefer strong line, Disney-like scenes you may be disappointed. For my money the art work is effective in its own way and something of a relief from the usual splashy manga styles.
I strongly recommend this story although those who do not like a "forced change" format will probably want to pass on this one. For those readers I recommend the well-plotted HOUROU MUSUKO in which the lead characters take full responsibility for their transitions and the problems which result from their choices.
MAID JOY kindly recommended the Japanese anime OTOME WA BOKU NI KOISHITERU in which a boy is required to attend a live-in girls school under the terms of his grandfather's will. The story is not as serious as the above two but is still entertaining. As far as I know it's only available on DVD.
Also recommended was KASHIMASHI. I have watched the anime and found the manga volumes to be more enjoyable. It's the tale of a quiet boy who gets hit by a disabled space ship. The dingbat commander can only resurrect him as a girl and thus the boy starts her new life. Well plotted and drawn. In several instances a touching story. Certainly recommended.
The number of TG anime/manga websites seems to be increasing so keep up the search.
I watched all of OTOME WA BOKU NI KOISHITERU
And I thought it was kind of cute. I found it on google video, and
as I have with many of these anime, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Joy, Thank you very much for the suggestion.
Marie: Sensei. Domo arigato gozaimasu. Kirei desu!
Sarah Lynn
Not Exactly Manga
Girl in my Dream isn't exactly manga but I figured it was close enough. I thought the Korean term, manhwa, was a typo when I first saw it but it slowly sank in that Korea would have a different style than Japan.
So yeah. Thanks again for the reviews, Marie.
Dewa kore de. Dewa sonouchi ni.
- Terry
Anime and Manga
I wanted to let everyone know, especially marie c., how much I appreciated her lists of TG anime and Manga. One of the nicest things about sites like this, is the combined experience and knowledge and experience we can all tap into. Force multiplier doesn’t begin to cover all the benefits.
I wanted to let every one know that I watched a TV Anime called I, My, Me, Strawberry Eggs. It’s available in Both English Dub and English Sub. Now, usually, I prefer the Japanese with the Subtitles, but the dub is good for when you are tired, even though some of the sites did not play really well.
The story is funny and excellent. I found it to be very touching, and for those of you who know my work, you will find that with two major exceptions, I think it might have been written by me. I did not like the ending, as a point of personal preference. It is by no means a bad ending, but I thought that this was a story that absolutely should have gone on beyond the point at which it was concluded.
That being said, I found it to be excellent all the way through, and even though I don’t like the conclusion anywhere near as much as I liked the story as a whole, it was and acceptable ending that many people here will like.
The second part that I did not like, had to do with the theme of personal loss. I don’t write about such themes usually. Yes, with apologies to Alys, stories about nice people loosing someone close to them can be very heart rending, touching, and even uplifting. However, being the kind of person I am, and having gone through this kind of loss more than once, I find that it leaves a hole in me that never heals. They say it gets better, but for some of us, I’m not sure it does. It is very inspirational, however, to see someone who is brave and strong, and who picks themselves up, and goes on. More, it’s even better when they hold close and revere that person who was.
That’s the way this story is, so although I found it hard, it was also very very touching and truly inspiring. When I finally grow up, I can only hope I can be so strong.
For anyone who has not read any of these, eschewing them as so many of the adults I know who dismiss them as cartoons, Anime and Manga can be a very interesting and emotive Art form. Sure, there is a lot that does not quite meet that standard, but there are also many that do. That’s where the notes from marie c. are perfectly golden. It’s also the reason I say, thank you again to her, for showing us the best of the best.
Take care of all of you. You are all too special to waste.
Sarah Lynn Morgan.
P.S. Now perhaps, I can get home in time to be able to actually read a story before I fall asleep! Wouldn't that be nice. LOL