Hyakujitsu no bara (Maiden Rose) II by Inariya Fusanosuke

Hyakujitsu no bara II (Maiden Rose II) by Inariya Fusanosuke is the sequel to the ultra-smutty war epic set in an alternate universe WWII Germany and Japan featuring Taki and Klaus: lord and knight, commander and subordinate, uke and seme. Though I really liked the first volume, I thought it was too pointlessly smutty to be really good. Well, this volume has hooked me. It barely has any sex; instead, it has character and story development. It has hot men doing hot things (like blowing shit up and other assorted violence). It provides background so that Taki and Klaus and their relationship make sense (to me). Yes, the S&M was still probably overkill but at least the author gives good context for it. I kind of wish she didn't pack several volumes worth of smut in the first volume because I just know it'll turn off people who might appreciate it if they just stuck around for the next one. And conversely, the second volume might disappoint some people who expect all sex all the time because of the first volume...

I really want the next volume (I...can't imagine this series not continuing). I want to know more about Klaus's family and why they have the crazy urges they have. I want to know what happens next in the war, especially the ramifications of the events of volume two. I want to know if Taki and Klaus can have a non-semi-coersive relationship and whether it's fleeting (which...would fit with the while flower motif, sadly....flowers are beautiful because they are transient, right?). I want to see more cool hardware (as in tanks, guns, swords, uniforms) drawn in loving detail. I want, I want, I want...


( in any case, as I can only really incoherently flail at this point, I will do so with pics )

Last but not least...

There are some more pics from this manga on the artist's website, Babel-17. Mostly rough sketches, colored versions of chapter covers, and more chibi animal pics.

Maiden Rose 1 comes out in English in September.

summertime goodies

The New York Times article Iced Coffee? No Sweat made me really want to try cold-brewed iced coffee. As I didn't want to bother registering to see the recipe, I found it in this blog post. I never did like the bitterness of hot coffee that's been iced...

As for iced tea, I can't make it to save my life--I can never get the ratio of tea to sugar right, usually oversweetening it, to my utter dismay). I also dislike most regular iced tea. What I do like? Plantation iced tea, which is basically 2 parts iced tea with one part pineapple juice (according to this blog post). Oh my god how refreshing and not cloyingly sweet it is! I usually get it in restaurants though, as I fail at making iced tea. ^^; (As an aside, an amusing if old BBC article on making the perfect cup of tea.)

Last but not least, how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker. Sounds so easy and so good!

And because I've yet to make poll since becoming a paid member...

[Poll #1023513]