Wasn’t let down.  In fact I’ve thoroughly enjoyed pretty much all of the manga time kirara comics I’ve randomly purchased ^^  Speaking of which, did ya know K-ON! is published by manga time kirara?  Or that Daioki did a guest comic at the end of vol. 1 and 2 of K-ON!?

Forgive the cut off frame, couldn’t quite get it all…

This is the first comic of the tankoubon.  The meganekko is 坂本香樹 (sakamoto kajyu), her friend is 高橋ユキ (takahashi yuki).

Panel 1: kajyu: I heard a transfer student is coming today!
yuki: he~

Panel 2: yuki: I wonder where they’re from… hmm?

Panel 3:  yuki: Something outside?

Panel 4: (text was cut off: “?!”)

Very simple drawing style, lots of jokes playing on words, right up my alley ^^

Panel 1:  teacher: Well then, if you’d introduce yourself…
細野はるみ (hosono harumi): Nice to meet you.  My name is hosono harumi.

Panel 2: harumi: I come from space.  I look forward to working with everyone. [ugh, you know, it's yoroshiku onegaishimasu.  i hate having to translate that for every situation ^^;]
class: [sound effect: zawa]

Panel 3: yuki: …she’s an alien?  That’s insane!  She must’ve meant some region called, “space” or…

Panel 4: harumi: My special ability is that I can fly.
yuki: [actually not really sure about the translation here.  literally it's "unwavering" or "steady" but that doesn't make for a good translation ^^;;]

I can never tell if harumi is baka, likes cheesy jokes, or is just having trouble dealing with an alien culture:

Panel 1: (after school)
yuki: Alrighty, school’s over.  Let’s go see how kajyu is doing (omimai – visiting someone who is ill)
harumi: k

Panel 2: yuki:  You gonna bring some sashiire (snacks/refreshments)?
harumi: ah, I’ve got something good.

Panel 3: harumi: tada~

Panel 4: harumi: sashiire… (also means putting something in/to insert)  \\She’s gone!//
yuki: yeah yeah…

If you liked the above joke, you’ll love harumination ^^

Panel 1: kajyu: Oh yeah, could you show me your notes?
harumi: sure

Panel 2: harumi: here [sound effect: chira]
kajyu: sorry, a little longer please…

Panel 3: harumi: ok [sound effect: chira~]
kajyu: …

Panel 4: kajyu: ah, can you *lend* me your notes?
harumi: sure
yuki: she wasn’t being mean…?

harumi loves curry, yuki is over to cook something different for once:

Panel 1: yuki: Guess we’ll take a little break…
harumi: yuki-chan, you want sugar? ah… \\ah crap//

Panel 2: harumi: Accidentally put salt instead of sugar… but if I put sugar in it should return to regular flavor, right?  \\sugar//

Panel 3: [sound effect: gulp]

Panel 4: \\crap//

I’m actually not sure what a good translation for やべえ (yabee) would be… The original word is やばい (yabai), meaning dangerous or awful.  It can also be used to mean something positive, like 「このチョコやばい！」 (kono choko yabai! – this chocolate is dangerous! (i.e. dangerously delicious)).  yabee is a slang pronunciation with not only informal undertones but also mmm how to explain… not necessarily gangster, but kinda punk-teenager tones?  Anyhow, that’s what harumi was saying in the first and last panels in the \\ // text.  It’s something of a catch phrase for her ^^

Anyhow, on to the nikujyaga making ^^

Panel 1: yuki: First of all, cook the pork in the bottom of the pot.

Panel 2: yuki: Next put in the vegetables and 4 cups of water…

Panel 3: harumi: …And the curry powder.
yuki: yes, and the curry…

(was supposed to be meat & potato stew ^^;)

Harumi’s first time in a family restaurant:

Panel 1: waitress: Well then, allow me to repeat your order.  Drink bar for 3,  2 daily lunch specials, and 1 curry rice.  Is that correct?

Panel 2: harumi: Yes, that is correct.

Panel 3: harumi: Let me repeat my response: Yes, that is correct.
yuki: What is harumi…?!

Panel 4: waitress: Understood.
yuki: and the waitress ignored it!!

Panel 1: waitress: welcome!

Panel 2: harumi: Family restaurant waitress are neat, huh? I wanna try..
kajyu: Well let’s say I’ve come into the store.

Panel 3: kajyu: What do you say to me?
harumi:  ummm… Let’s see, I’m pretty sure what she just said was…

Panel 4: harumi: Welcome! Who the hell do you think you are?
kajyu: Who the hell am i?!

That last one merits some explanation… usually waitresses say, 「何名様ですか？」　(nanmei-sama desu ka? == polite way of asking how many people).  Harumi doesn’t remember to include the mei part and it becomes, 「何様ですか?」 (nani-sama desu ka?).  nani-sama translates something like above, “who (the hell) do you think you are?”

So there you have it, harumination ^^  I need to check to see if the second volume is out… ^^

以上！

One thing I often do with series I’m even remotely interested in is go back to the source material.  As such, that’s Kamen no Maid Guy (仮面のメイドガイ, Kadokawa Comics Dragon Jr.) on the left ^_^;  On the right is The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan (涼宮はるひちゃんの憂鬱, Kadokawa Comics A)  With that cover illustration, I just had to pick it up.  For the not-so-Japanese inclined, she’s saying something like, “Now I’ve got the feeling I can do something great!”  [sound effect above her head: "Ha", coming from the chair: "korokoro~"]

Usually I stay away from 4-koma anthologies (jokes are pretty hit or miss with me) but since this one was by a single author (Puyo), figured I’d give it a chance.

In this adaptation, Haruhi is a bit less serious, Nagato likes playing eroge, Ryoko comes back chibi… everything’s a lot lighter in tone and more comedy that you’d expect from a 4-koma. (forgive the following photos, too lazy to scan ^^;;)  As with every image, click for hi-res.

Right Comic: The Legend of Mikuru
Tsuruya: Know what?
Mikuru: What?
Tsuruya: There’s a fairy that lives in the teapot!
Mikuru: You’re always lying to me!
Mikuru: …
Mikuru: Ms. Fairy… [sound effect: kapa (taking the lid off the teapot)]

Left Comic: Ms. Fairy
Teapot: This is the fairy.
Mikuru: Howa! (suprise) [sound effect: doki~ (surprise)]
MIkuru: Are you really a fairy?
Teapot: Actually I’m a teapot.
Teapot: Mikuru-chan, since you’re always making delicious tea, it’s given me the ability to speak.
Haruhi: As long as there’s good tea and snacks, there won’t be any problem. (is “iu koto arimasen” translated like that? not famliiar with that phrase…)
Mikuru: Yes, I’ll do my best!

Right Comic:　Asahina MIkuru’s Shock
Nagato: [sound effect: kachikachi (typing ... or clicking? I forget]
Mikuru: Nagato-sa~n
MIkuru: Please have some tea~
Nagato: Thanks.
Mikuru: Niya?! [on screen, "kiss me..."]
Mikuru: Kyon-ku~n
Narration: Nagato has gotten into games.

Left Comic: I can’t say… (sorry it’s cut off ^^;;;)
Mikuru: Kyon-ku~n!!
Kyon: Wha? What’s wrong?
Mikuru: Nagato is..!! Nagato is…!!
Kyon: What’s wrong with Nagato?
Mikuru: well, um, um, ya know [sound effect: ohhh aahhh]
Mikuru: I can’t say it.
Narration: After calming down and thinking about it, she couldn’t say it.

It’s no Azumanga, but for me, still good light reading before bed.  Generally I like these sort of adaptations – one that I’ve been following for a while now is Evangelion: The Ikari Shinji Nurturing Plan (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン碇シンジ育成計画, Kadokawa Comics A).

Been so long since I’ve read it (got bumped off my queue by various other things ^^;;) hopefully I remember correctly… Basically it’s the eva characters in a galge sort of environment.  The focus is no longer on evas fighting to save the world, but revolves more around the relationship between Shinji, Rei and Asuka.  As a galge fan, definitely up my alley.

Toji: How about you and I go get something to eat?
Hikari: Suzuhara!! What idiotic things are you saying now?!
Toji: Hey, calm down Hikari (well, technically it’s iinchou, doesn’t really sound very natural to translate it as ‘class representative’ though… no one says that in english ^^;;)
Hikari: but, but…
Kensuke: What’s this? You’re not jealous, are you Hikari?
Toji: Wha..?!
Hikari: a-Aida-kun!!
Someone: Shut up!! [sound effect: ban (hitting the desk)]

The art is excellent, very true to the original material, and it’s a pleasure to see all the characters in a lighter environment. Hmm and actually, looking at Wikipedia, it seems that the manga is based on one of the games.

Ah, the good ol’, “I’m embarrassed to be in a swimsuit shop with a girl” situation.
Shinji: It’s not what you think! I didn’t come here on purpose! I really didn’t know!

So just thought I’d spread the word.  I’m actually reading Ikkitousen right now, and hopefully getting started on ToLoveる and かのこん (Kanokon [both light novels & manga]).  When I can, I start with the source material before watching anime, so as you can see, I have my work cut out for me.  Speaking of those series… lots of bare eyes as Danny would say.  And I was suprised that not even 10 pages in Kamen no Maid Guy, I was greeted with this: (nsfw)

kitaishiteru yo~ expecting great things~